Dawning Skye

492 The Heirloom

Skye practically ran down the halls in her rush to get to her quarters. She had seen Peggy lay out her Maid of Honor dress on the couch, and knew that the shoes she wanted to wear were the only thing of hers left in the closet. As she rushed, it was strange to think that she and Tidas would no longer be living in the palace when they returned..

“Skye dear?! It is you! We’ve just come from your room. Where were you?” Lidia Drummond yelled from down the hall, recognizing her daughter’s hair color the moment she saw it.

“Mother! Da! It’s so good ta see ya! But Ima in a rush! I gotta get washed and dressed real quick before the weddin’!” Skye yelled in response to her mother.

Lidia sighed as she looked at her husband; “See, I told you! I knew she’d be running late. Honestly child: late for a royal wedding? What am I to do with you?”

“How about ya help me get in me dress?” Skye replied as she grabbed her parent’s hands, and semi-dragged them back the way they’d just came from.

Lidia smiled, but Lucas bellowed; “Why do I have to come?”

When they reached her quarters, Skye realized that Tidas had already come and gone. His clothes from this morning were on the scattered, and there was a moist towel was on the floor by the door. A small smile touched her lips as she imagined Tidas rushing around naked.. ‘He’s probably wit Lawrence now.. I need ta move me arse..’

As the thought crossed her mind, Lucas laughed out loud while walking over to Skye’s memory box, which was still on the table by the nearly empty bookshelves. Picking it up and turning it about, Lucas’ grin widened as he ran his hand over the unknown, intricate symbols..

“I havena seen this since ye were a wee lassie.. Ima surprised ya brought it from Moonshire.”

.....

“Of course I did! Tis me memory box, I’d never leave it,” Skye replied as she walked over.

Lucas turned it in his hand, and heard the rattling of objects within the box. It made him smile even more to see his daughter using the box exactly the same way he had as a lad. As Lidia joined them after closing the door, Lucas asked; “Did I ever tell ya the legend behind this box?”

“Da, no offense, but there’s a story or legend behind everything ya own,” Skye joked as she and her mother walked over to her dress, and quickly examined it.

Seeing that it was still in perfect condition, Skye started to gather her other things for her shower, and added; “Yer gonna have ya yell it to me as Ima showerin’ if ya want me ta hear it now.”

“...I guess I can do that. What else am I gonna do while yer in there? Or when yer Mother’s helpin’ ya dress? All yer books are gone.”

Skye gestured to a small group on the top shelf; “Not true. Tidas is leavin’ some of his military strategy books here.”

“No thank you.. I read enough of those in my youth. I’ll just start talkin’. If ya wanna learn a tidbit about yer husband’s family, you’ll keep an ear open,” Lucas replied as he grinned softly at the box.

Skye quirked an eyebrow at him; “What does that box got ta do wit me husband?”

Lucas looked at his daughter with the same soft smile as he answered; “Cause me great, great grandsire got the box from the Winchesters, who are yer husband’s mother’s kin.. He was a squire in his youth, and saved the heir to the Winchester family’s main branch, the one yer husband comes from.”

“The story I was told by me granddad that the lad was learnin’ how to ride a horse when he was thrown from it. Our ancestor caught him, and saved him from breaking his neck. He was promoted cause of it, and the Moonstones were given a chance ta prove ourselves. I sold me parent’s property before ye were born, but that’s how a common-born family came ta own land, which was extremely rare back then..”

“You need to shower now, dear, or you’ll be late,” Lidia stated as she rushed Skye towards the bathroom.

“Keep talkin’, Da! Ima still listenin’ to ya!” Skye bellowed as her mother closed the door on her.

Lucas chuckled until Lidia glared at him for distracting their daughter. He quieted immediately, then continued to shot the tale to his daughter..

“Where was I? Oh aye: the property. Since he was promoted to a guard and trained, he was able ta buy a wee parcel of land. That box was given to him upon the promotion in lieu of a sign-on bonus. It was just an old box to the Winchesters, and given it away was cheaper..”

“The story they told-the box’s history, was why our ancestor accepted it..”

“What do ya mean?!” Skye yelled from the bathroom over the rushing sound of her shower.

Lucas and Lidia shared a smile; “That box is probably the oldest thing you’ve ever touched, if ya believe the story. It dates back to when humans and Fae first established contact wit each other, and tried ta work together after the Great Shift.”

A loud thud was heard from the bathroom before Skye called out; “Ima fine! But what the Hell, Da?! Why have I never heard this story before?!”

Lucas paused a moment, then cleared his throat; “Because the family that the Winchesters got the box from was the main branch of the Warricks..”

The only sound heard for several minutes was the steady pace of water from the shower head, then nothing. They could hear Skye moving around in the bathroom, but didn’t know if she was angry with them or not. If she was upset, they wouldn’t blame her..

Anything having to do with Skye’s biological mother and her family was hidden from her all of her life. Because the legend behind the box mentioned the Warrick family in general, Lucas never told it to her. As she emerged from the bathroom wrapped in towels, Skye looked at her father expectantly, and said; “Why did they give the box to the Winchesters?”

Lucas visibly relaxed as he replied; “Yer not mad? I gave you that box when you were eight or so.”

Skye shrugged as she and Lidia grabbed the dress, then went back into the bathroom; “I get why ya didna tell me. It’s okay, Da. Ye dinna need ta walk on eggshells around me when ye talk about me birth mother, or her family. It was misguided, but ye were tryin’ ta protect me. So please, finish the story. I’ve missed ya tellin’ me those..”

Lucas Lucas grinned as he fought back the happy tears. Skye had told him multiple times that she forgave him, but he still felt awkward whenever subjects connected to her birth mother came up. He wanted to tell her everything about Sorcha, but it wasn’t the right time.

After about ten minutes or so, Skye emerged from the bathroom in her Maid of Honor dress. The yellow-gold color was flattering against her pale skin and golden curls. It nearly matched her hair, but was a little bit brighter. As Skye sat down at her vanity, Lidia automatically grabbed her brush, and started to brush it out for her.

Loving the feeling, Skye asked her father; “So the Fae gave it to the Warricks, then they gave it to the Winchesters, who then gave it to our ancestor in lieu of a sign-on bonus? Why?”

“Because when rich families start to become not-so-rich, the first things to go are art and heirlooms,” Lidia replied as she separated Skye’s curls.

Lucas nodded his head in acknowledgment, then added; “Scholars claim that the wood canna be as old as we say it is, but they canna put a date on it, either. And yer probably the only one besides the Fae that know the markings.”

“I dinna know what they mean,” Skye replied bluntly.

Lucas’ eyes bulged; “Really? I thought that ye could read anythin’..”

Skye shrugged; “I can, but not that. I dinna ken why, either. Maybe Maevis can?”

Lucas shrugged back at her; “That’s just somethin’ you’ll have ta ask her.”

The rest of their time was spent chatting about the box, and the things that she had inside it. Lucas was happy to see the mementos from him, and Lidia was thrilled to see the light-blue choker that she’d made Skye for her wedding dress. After Skye had put on her makeup and her shoes, the Moonstone family left her quarters in excellent spirits..

It was close to eleven-thirty, and Skye wanted to check on Shasta as soon as possible. Lidia decided to accompany her while Lucas went off to visit Tidas and the groomsmen. Since Marco and Karena had stepped out of the wedding, Alfred and Renee had agreed to take their places.

Renee couldn’t attend the dinner last night because someone had to be at the Cat’s Paw. But they had made it known for the past week that they would’ve closed on the day of the royal wedding. Lawrence had offered to cover their list revenue, but they told him to forget about it.

“Business has never been better, thanks to Tidas and Skye being regulars. Since we haven’t changed our prices much, all of our regulars and our newcomers are happy. I could close for a week, and still be able to comfortably cover my bills.”

Two of the three MacArthur brothers were talking with Alfred when the guards announced a visitor. Magnus was sitting at his table with Marco, and Zas was chatting with Nicolas. He had just finished getting Aero and Celestia settled in his room, and was just about to sip on a shot of whiskey when Lucas walked in.

Everyone but Marco greeted him, then Nicolas added; “You’re like a bloody bloodhound when it comes to whiskey.”

Lucas sniffed at the air as he came over to Zas and Nicolas first, and said; “Ooo, that be Highland whiskey, correct? Murdoc and his bunch must be here already, I take it?”

Nicolas nodded with a surprised expression; “How did you know?!”

Lucas grinned as Magnus walked over and shook his hand; “Cause it’s the best whiskey I’ve ever found, and that’s sayin’ somethin’ comin’ from me.”

As the older men started to chatter louder and louder, Marco glanced at his brothers. Everyone seemed to be so happy, but they had no idea what was about to happen. As he pictured his grand plan coming to fulfillment, he felt eyes on him.

Looking over, Marco saw his brothers staring at him with startled expressions. It was at that moment that Marco realized that he’d been grinning while thinking about his endgame. He nodded to his brothers, stood up, then offered a toast to his brother..

“May you have many years of happiness with the ones you love, dear brother. Congratulations on your special day.”

As Lawrence thanked him for his kind words, a cold thought crossed his brother’s mind.. ‘I hope you and Shasta love each other enough.. If not, then I’ll have to go after the children next..’