Walter stood on their balcony looking down at the inner courtyard of the Keep. The night was warm, the air still and the sounds of night echoed around the stone of the Keep.
"What are you thinking about my love?" Paige asked as she stepped out onto their balcony. Her honey brown hair cascading down and over her shoulders. Wearing only her skimpy blue negligee. Now, there was time for their love to fully blossom, now that there was no Keep business and all the others had left. When the constraints of his knightly requirements could fall from them like undesired shackles. And with their two youngest children sound asleep in the nursery, it only added to the possibilities of pleasures to come. And now it was just the two of them, when their caresses can go deeper, their kisses last even longer as their breaths increase in frequency.
Walter looked over his shoulder and smiled at her beauty. His right hand came off the balcony rail and he slipped it behind her and pulled her tightly to him.
"You always look so ravishing in this my love." Walter told her as they shared a tender kiss.
"Thank you my love, but that isn't what you were thinking when I first stepped out here." Paige poked his nose.
Walter grinned.
"No, but it is the most important thing I am thinking about. I was just thinking back to the day I was granted my tenet ring. I couldn't wait to be out of Lord Weir's. The adventures and mysteries that the wise Lady had laid out before my feet. I was also so glad I was getting out and away from Lord Weir and the vile people that lived in his Keep. I just hope that Ralph is only excited about the coming adventures and not looking forward to being away from us. I'm truly going to miss him, my love."
"Ralph doesn't want to leave us my love. That much was clear to me. I could feel his disappointment that you weren't putting up more of a fight to keep him here. But too, he was happy that you weren't fighting it. I noticed you gave him your tenet ring too." Paige smiled.
"I don't really believe in talismans but, if there is anything about it that could ensure he has at least as good a life as I have since getting it, I want to do whatever I can to ensure it." Walter nodded.
"I have some wonderings too, of how things would have played out if Athena had been successful in bringing you to the tourney for us to meet. Going out into the vast wilderness with you beside me. When things were quiet I could instruct you in how to fight if you wanted or just bask in your glow as my wife. Building memories and feelings, sharing with you first hand, the wonders and deeds that the wise Lady had for us. You, Happy and I, going out on adventures together, healing each other of our sorrows and pains, growing stronger in the love of each other and in the wise Lady." Walter told her before he kissed her again.
"I'm sorry I failed you back then, it would have been wonderful to have done that which our son and daughter will be doing very soon." Paige kissed him.
"You didn't fail anyone my love and we still were able to make this life, I wouldn't trade for anything, together." Walter said as he turned and kissed Paige passionately.
"My Lord Walter, are you trying to take my breath away?" Paige teased as they broke their kiss.
"You know what I love about our home here my love?" Walter growled at her.
Paige grinned.
"Please, tell me." Paige said as her voice turned seductive.
"That our balcony isn't in view of any other point of the Keep." Walter said as he scooped her up quickly even as Paige let out a squeal before he laid down on the balcony with her.
"I'm sorry about how my Father was acting Ralph." Patty told him as she kissed his neck while they sat on the porch outside of the small home Lord Walter and Lady Paige had given her as her graduation present.
Ralph grinned at the feel of her lips on his neck.
"Oh I am sure he was just acting as I myself will probably one day act when our daughter talks of going off into the wilds." Ralph told her.
"So has the wise Lady told you we're having a daughter then?" Patty grinned at him.
Ralph laughed.
"Nothing quite like that, it seems to me it is fairly close to a fifty fifty chance of having either a boy or girl." Ralph told her. They waved at one of the townspeople as they made their way down the street. "Does anyone ever give you any problems because my parents gifted you this place?"
Patty shook her head.
"Everyone always acts very kindly. If they have a problem with it, they don't voice it, probably out of fear of upsetting our Lord if that is the case. It isn't like everyone hasn't known we were going to end up together, we've always spent so much time together. Did you ever have any doubts?" Patty asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Of us ending up together? At the risk of sounding arrogant, no. I always felt we were meant to be, at least as long as I could keep myself from making a fool of myself and chasing you away." Ralph told her as his hand caressed up and down her arm.
Patty laughed.
"So, are your parents really okay with us and what we're about to do?" Patty asked.
"Of course they are. While Mom certainly has the ability to lie or obfuscate how she feels, Dad is incapable of lying. I'm just glad your Dad finally gave ground before I or worse my Dad was forced to do something." Ralph said as his eyes closed.
"Well I am sure my parents are at home having a nice argument about it. Dad always hates when she doesn't support his positions. She always laughs and tells him to have a position she can support. What do you think your parents are doing right now?" Patty asked even as she waved at another neighbor.
"Oh that is easy, unless one of my siblings is interrupting them or some important Keep business came up, I'm sure they are working on another sibling for me." Ralph laughed.
"Ralph!" Patty said, shocked.
"You asked." Ralph said as Patty nodded. "I suppose I should head back to the Keep. Was there anything else we needed to do before the wedding?"
"Just be sure you aren't late. But do you have to go now? Can't you stay just a bit longer?" Patty pouted.
"I would love to, I just don't trust myself." Ralph confessed.
"Isn't it interesting that as a squire you were more capable of restraint than you are as a knighted Paladin?" Patty asked as she sat up.
"Well there was an important part that you are skipping over." Ralph told her as they stood and hugged.
"Oh really, do tell me then, what did I skip?" Patty kissed him.
"As a squire if we got carried away and went too far, you could have been prosecuted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and statutory rape." Ralph grinned.
"Oh, that is true isn't it. I forgot you used to be jailbait." Patty teased.
"That was me, squire Jailbait." Ralph laughed. "I love you Patty, I can't wait until all of this is behind us and we are able to fully express our love for each other."
Patty kissed him tenderly and then pressed her tongue between his lips as the kiss lingered on.
"Okay, you better go before I forget I'm a lady and you can't do what we both want yet." Patty said after breaking their kiss.
Ralph slowly stepped away, their hands still lingering before just the tips of their fingers were left touching.
"Good night my love." Ralph said with a wink and climbed up on Selase's saddle. "Let's go home Selase."
Selase looked at Patty and gave a soft squawk and then turned to run down the street before extending her wings and Patty watched as they rose up, higher and higher into the night sky and then disappeared somewhere around the school house.
Selase squawked again and Ralph nodded.
"Yes, I figured they might be. You better drop me off in the outer courtyard. I have no desire to see my parents enjoying themselves." Ralph laughed.
Just as Selase was about to descend her head jerked as she looked back towards town and she screamed loudly as she banked hard suddenly. Ralph nearly lost his grip but managed to hang on and Selase beat her wings four times and they almost seemingly appeared past the school house and Selase let out another scream and the few townspeople walking the streets instantly dodged off the street as Selase came down and began running on the street. Her wings folded in as she continued straight towards Patty's home. Selase didn't slow as her chest smashed through the gate and fence posts holding it. She turned so sharply that Ralph went flying off her back and crashed through the door of the house.
As if he had practiced that movement his whole life Ralph rolled twice and leaped up to land on the floor perfectly, only to find a man trying to assault Patty. Ralph wasted no time as his fist cracked the man across his jaw sending him sprawling into the fireplace. Ralph grabbed Patty and pulled her out to stand with Selase. He ensured she was okay before he returned to the house. The man was staggering up out of the fireplace and Ralph ran over to him. His fist flashed out again and struck the man in his stomach. As the man bent over Ralph brought his knee up and cracked the man's face with his knee.
The man's head whipped back as the sound of a couple of small stones hit the floor. Ralph didn't let up as he grabbed the man's outstretched arm by the wrist and flung the man across the room. He hit the side window head first and crashed through it. Ralph ran and leaped and crashed through what was left of the window and landed on top of the man as he struggled to get up.
"I'll make you sorry you were ever born." Ralph yelled as he bent down and grabbed the man's arm. He yanked him hard off the ground and twisted his arm at the same time and the man spun around as his arm came up behind him. Ralph ran him face first into the side of the house next to Patty's. Ralph let go and the man collapsed into the dirt. His body was twitching periodically.
"Ralph." Patty cried and he looked over and saw her standing there with Selase and a number of her neighbors looking on. He stepped over and took her into his arms.
"Are you okay my love?" Ralph asked as he kissed the top of her head.
"I am now." Patty told him.
"Lord Ralph?" The constable called out.
Ralph looked up and gestured even as he moved on up to them.
"What is going on?" The constable asked.
"We'd just said goodnight and I was almost back to the Keep when Selase screamed out a warning and brought me back. We found this man assaulting my love inside her home." Ralph gestured.
The constable walked over and felt his neck but saw him breathing and he nodded. He pulled out his handcuffs and slipped them on the man and locked them.
"Ralph! Patty!" Lady Paige called out as she was riding quickly onto the scene with Lord Walter.
"Mother, Father." Ralph called back seeing the power of Athena glowing from his Dad's charger.
Walter eased her off his lap. She'd only taken time to throw on her full robe and she passed barefoot through the small crowd to where Patty and Ralph were. Lord Walter only had on his pants and dress shirt as he slipped out of the saddle.
"What happened?" Lord Walter demanded even as Paige was hugging Patty.
Ralph quickly told his parents what he told the constable.
"Who is this miscreant?" Lord Walter demanded.
The constable sighed as he looked up.
"You won't like it my Lord, it is Mike." The constable told him.
Walter frowned as he thought. "Mike, the snot nose punk who attacked Ralph eight years ago?"
The constable nodded.
"I thought his family left a few months after his punishment was over?" Lord Walter asked as he walked over.
"They did, Mike came back to town about a month ago. Said he needed some work to get him to Los Vargus. I should have just stuck him on a stagecoach. I'm sorry my Lord, I didn't think he'd do something like this." The constable said.
"You tried to be a good person Henry, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Lord Walter told him while shaking his head. "We tried to do right by him but obviously there is too much of his Father in him. Looks like he's missing some teeth now. Very well, get him cleaned up, have the Dr see to his immediate need and then have him at the Keep in the morning."
"Of course my Lord." Henry told him.
"Henry, will you make sure my daughter's house is secured? I believe we'll have rain before morning. We're taking her to the Keep for the night at least." Paige called out to him.
"Of course my Lady." Henry answered.
"I'm sorry your evening with Dad was ruined, Mom." Patty said quietly to Paige.
Paige smiled.
"Nothing was ruined sweetheart. If we're only interrupted once we feel blessed." Paige laughed. "Wait until you are married with little ones, you'll find your way around the things that cause interruptions." Paige winked at her.
Patty giggled.
"Why don't you get on Selase and take Patty to the Keep. We'll stop by Frank and Gemma's and let them know what happened before we return." Paige told Ralph.
Ralph nodded as he stepped up to Selase and helped Patty climb up and then climbed up behind her.
Ralph looked down at her feet.
"Where are your shoes Mom?" Ralph asked.
"Hey, when you get a warning that something bad happened to your kid, you don't worry about shoes. Besides, it is just skin, easy to wash and quite a lot of fun when washed by the right person." Paige laughed. "Oh, have the night maid put her in the suite across from the master chambers. And no you can't stay alone with her mister." Paige winked at Ralph.
Ralph laughed even as he blushed, but he nodded as Selase turned and took off carrying them back to the Keep. They weren't gone five minutes when Paige heard.
"Oh no, Patty!" Frank yelled.
Paige held up her hand.
"She's okay Frank, Gemma, I had Ralph take her up to the Keep." Paige went on to explain what had happened even as Walter helped to secure the house from the coming elements.
Frank moved up and assisted Walter in getting the window boarded up and then moved to secure the door.
"Before you start work tomorrow Frank, bring whatever supplies you need down and get her house fixed up right. And don't be afraid to use horses to carry the material." Walter told him.
"I will, my Lord, thank you for coming down to make sure Patty was safe." Frank held out his hand.
Walter nodded and shook his hand.
"Patty is as dear to me as my own daughters, Frank, you never have to thank me for caring about her." Walter told him.
Greetings! Hope this finds you all well!
Railman - Indeed he did not stand a chance. While he had the right to refute it, free will and all, he is so devoted he honestly couldn't have done otherwise. I believe Patty will make a fine Lady, she had great examples in her Mom and of course in Lady Paige herself.
Susan - Family discord...so much fun...I do enjoy drama sometimes. LOL I know, hard to believe right? Like when do I ever write drama? I can only imagine how hard it is to let go and let them spread their wings and fly off. Watching my Mom tear up as I left that morning with the Navy recruiter to go to boot camp was pretty harsh, but at that point there wasn't a lot of choice. Well technically I still had a choice, I hadn't taken the final oath yet. So I could have walked away but, that really wasn't an option, I was really looking forward to seeing the world through different lenses.
To the Adventure! -Tim