~ I ~ Feather in the Wind ~ I ~

~ Jasper ~

~ Historical (fan) fiction ~

~ Chapter 13 ~

1845. After a forced agreement with Whites, 15 year old Piper is betrothed to Jason Grace, son of the one who has caused much harm to her people. Yet she doesn't know that and it doesn't help the vast rumors of forced marriages with the lightly-colored she had heard of. But yet she never thought that she would fall for him, despite the knowledge that he might leave.

~ Jealousy and Confessions ~

~ Jason ~

"Brother, my dear brother, that wife of yours is quite the beauty. Those eyes! Amazing! What I'd do to just sneak a glance without a compromise right now at that prize." Dylan exclaimed, in a hushed voice. He seemed to be talking to himself.

"I'm sorry?" Jason questioned.

Suddenly, they had jumped from a conversation about current events in society to Piper's beauty. Jason didn't like the outcomes in view at the moment and he feared Dylan was up to some of his old tricks. Although, Jason didn't think Dylan's tricks were old. In fact, Dylan hasn't made them old yet.

Dylan Grace was a weird creature if you ask the rest of the Grace siblings. Always the one that got in trouble. The one that was behind women's skirts, no matter his age. And despite that, Dylan made General Grace proud, maybe because he was just like him when he was younger. The other siblings refrained from being like their father. But Dylan didn't.

"Please excuse me brother, but you can't deny a man of looking and appreciating your wife's beauty. She is just…" Dylan said, tapping his finger against his leg.

Jason began to feel something in his chest and he wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what he felt. Jealousy. Jealousy because he knew what Dylan was capable of. Even the most level headed woman had fallen for his tricks. It wouldn't excuse Piper; even though he trusted her.

"She is just what?" Jason said, angered.

He clenched his fists and stuck them together.

Dylan didn't seem to catch Jason's reaction. "Irresistible…"

The nerve his brother has. He has a wife and a child. He is supposed to be calm now. But in the back of his head he knew that it was shooting too high. Dylan never in his life was level headed and responsible. Or calm. Why should he be now?

Jason tried to breathe normally, be he just couldn't. Here was his brother, fishing out his wife like some fisherman, studying his catch.

"Dylan, I will be rational. I will not let you chase after my wife. And for that, I forbid you to be near her." Jason said, breathing hard.

Dylan blinked for a second. He seemed to take in that Jason was unpleased.

"Oh, ehem, uh, I am sorry Brother. I just can't seem to get used to the fact that I am married." Dylan said, cynically.

Jason didn't believe him. He knew his manipulative brother. He knew his words were not sincere. From this moment and on, Jason promised to Piper, mentally, that he would not let Dylan near her. He would not let his brother touch her.

"And you are married to a beautiful woman who had your daughter. Be faithful to her, even in your mind! I can see she loves you, and to put up with you, she must so deeply." Jason told him.

Jason's brother seemed to take in his words for the first time and nodded.

"I am sorry, Brother. I will not make any unsettling movement on your wife. But take this as a lesson. Any man will be after your wife." Dylan pointed his finger at his younger brother.

"Don't make this about me." Jason reclaimed.

Dylan seemed to give up.

"Well brother, it has been a pleasure to have this talk with you but sadly, I am going to bed. Long trip in a crowded carriage and a crying baby means no shut–eye. So good night." Dylan said, stretching out of his seat on the couch.

Narrowing his eyes, he saw Dylan smirking as he made his way to the staircase.

Jason decided to not go to bed yet. He needed to calm his anger. He wasn't going to present himself to Piper in this state. He would just scare her with anything irrational he might say.

So instead of going to their bedroom, he headed outside to the garden.

He began to think. The garden always brought thoughts to his mind. After all it is the place where actually spent time with his mother.

His mother died when Reyna was born. She was a kind woman, despite her excessive drinking. During her hangovers and headaches she was no friendly neighbor. His mother understood them when no one else seemed to know why Jason and Thalia disobeyed their father's footsteps unlike Dylan.

His mother was the contraire of his father's personality. She was understanding, kind, humane, motherly; anything a decent woman should be.

He remembered the times when his mother waited for the arrival of his sisters. For Thalia, he hardly remembered for he was barely two years old but she always told him that he should care greatly for his sister. And he did. He remembered Dylan being jealous of a new baby girl, the light of their father's eyes, and him just being happy to have a baby to play with. Dylan wasn't much of a playing-type of boy.

Then for the waiting of Reyna, he remembered it well. Thalia was always pouting and bad-tempered, jealous of the suspicion that it might be a girl. Their mother always took a break of drinking during her pregnancies and tried to care for her self greatly. However, when Reyna came she left. For good.

Their mother always had that extra motherly glow in her eyes. Similar to Piper's when ever they talk about the child. How it might turn out. Who would it look like. What gender it might be. All these thoughts brought the calmness he was searching for when he entered the garden.

"Jason?" he heard a voice from behind.

He turned around to see his wife with a placed hand on her belly and a worried expression.

"Piper. Hey." Jason said, coming up to her and kissing her cheek. He instantly showed a smiled on his face.

"What are you doing here? I was waiting for you, but I didn't see you. Then I saw you when I looked out the window. Are you alright?" Piper told him.

Jason didn't want to tell her about his conversation with Dylan. He didn't want to begin anything.

"Oh yes, Love. I just needed a fresh breath of air. That's all. Besides, this place reminds me of my mother." Jason said, avoiding a yawn at the end of his sentence.

"Okay then." Piper smiled at him.

There was a comfortable silence in which they just looked into each other's eyes, sparkling blue to multicolored. And then he couldn't contain himself.

Her lips were in front of him, soft pinkish. The lips he has grown to love the feeling of when they are against his. The perfect set of lips that made him melt, a feeling no other woman he courted made him feel.

He couldn't contain himself.

He crashed his lips on hers. She immediately responded. He put his hands on her neck, under her hair. This action made her shiver against his body. She gripped his forearms with her hands. Jason smiled into the kiss when he felt sincerity and care. Her lips are warm, even though of the cold… He feels Piper shiver against him, again. He pulled back.

"Piper, you came with no coat." Jason said, passing his hands over her arms. She was wearing her nightgown with a long robe over, which he assumed was his by the length.

"I didn't think I would take long out here." Piper told him as Jason took of his coat and putting it over her shoulders.

"Well then, shall we head inside. You might catch a cold." Jason said to his wife, hugging her tightly.

They hurried upstairs to their bedroom. The fireplace was lit and the warmth settled over Jason's cold shirt. Piper took off his coat and set it on the couch.

Jason went off the take off his boots and change into comfortable clothes. While putting his shirt on, he caught a glimpse of Piper's gaze. He chuckled.

"I did say that we could continue our earlier activities." Jason smirked, adjusting his shirt lazily. "Remember?"

Piper blushed, hard. "Uh, um, I don't… uh…"

Jason walked closer to her. He settled his hands on her hips and stole a quick peck on her lips. He stared right into her eyes after that.

"Yes, I do remember." Piper said, smiling with darker blush.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he swayed her. "So do you want to continue?"

Piper laughed out loud. He had to admit it sounded beautiful.

"I would like to but I am not feeling that great. My tummy is a bit unsettled." Piper confessed, setting her head on her husband's shoulder.

Jason understood her. He felt a bit tired after Dylan.

"Then shall we go to bed then?" Jason asked her.

She yawned before nodding. He appreciated the short weak moment of Piper yawning and lifted her in his arms. Piper began to laugh quite silently but uncontrolled. Jason loved that.

He laid her on her side of the bed. He lingered over her, waiting for her to settle down. Once she settled down, she kept her lips lifted in a smile. She passed two fingers over his lips, tracing each curve and dent. She always kept her eyes on them.

Surely, she saw the little scar on his lip. Dylan did that and Jason refuses to acknowledge that. Jason was five, him six and he made it in his sleep with a pocket knife.

"Jason?" Piper said quietly.

He hummed in response.

"Do you love me?" Piper asked, still tracing his lips.

He smiled and took her fingers. He peppered many kisses on them before answering.

"More than you could've imagined five months ago." Jason answered.

"I didn't think you could've loved me back then." Piper told him.

"Well, I love you from the moon and back, and once more. And another. And another. And another. And many more." Jason placed her hand on her tummy. Then he kissed it and stood up above her.

"Really?"

And Jason could honestly say… "Yes."

And for any mix-ups, before bed, they proved that statement to be true and more, despite her tummy-ache.

Awww! Adorable moment right there (Imagine I said that in a Southern accent. I wish I live in the South.)

I am updating this story because since I have chapters written up to chapter 16, I said what the heck. Why don't I let my precious and amazing readers shower me with happy and wonderful reviews! Haha. So please make my day. I need to smile for real, lately.

Well, till next update.

~BeautiWind –heart-

PS – Thank you guys for almost reaching 100 reviews. Thank you for the 90 reviews! :D You guys are amazing!