Re: Snow in the Garden <open>

[Inion]

She jumped ever so slightly as Leo pinched her. She waited till he was finished speaking to Cas and she had finished talking ot the boys, before leaning close to him and in a soft voice, "who says I haven't stolen your scarf also my dear. I may just ransom it. You speak of payment, is that payment for the coco or payback for the snow down the back." She gave him a wink. "And this young lady is Juliet and the pup is Dia." At the sound of her name again, Juliet looked over at them "pleasure to met you Sir Leo."

Inion looked at Cas then at Leo, " I am glad you like the coco it's a recipe I picked up in Spain many years ago, though I add a bit more chocolate. My own weakness." A laugh escaped her lips filling the air. She had caught how thick her accent was and shifted it so it was less.

[Guest]

Leviathan had been watching the puppy as she drank her water. ~Look, Kjay, a new friend to play with. I wonder if the puppy is playful. Think Casie and the nice lady who smells good would let us all go play?~ She leaned up against Kjay a bit and looked from Casie to the puppy and back to Casie. She was hoping someone would see her and tell them that the three of them could go play.

[Inion]

Inion had noticed the way the panther was looking at Dia, who still was taking peeks at the other two, her tail thumping on the floor. Inion leaned over and said something in a old tongue and Dia gave Juliet a quick lick and ventured over to the big cat and wolf and gave a little bark "Hi I am Dia. My mom says I can play if you can."

Juliet giggled at the lick and watched Dia leave her side.

[Casandra Lightheart]

~I have to stay near my ... mom to protect her we can play if she wants to go back out.~ He was sniffing the puppy and wagging his tail though. ~You are young~

[Guest]

Leviathan curled her tail and pushed against Kjay. ~We can play in here, if we are careful. We will still be close to Casie. Hi Dia, I'm Leviathan, you can call me Levi. But we do have to wait for Lady Casandra to say we can get up to play.~ Her tail was curling up and laying back down. She kept looking up at Casie. She even made a small sound to get her attention. She looked over at the big area of space over where they would be in site of her and she of them.

[Casandra Lightheart]

~I am Kjay and yes as long as I can see my human I will play~

Cassie smiled at Leo.

"Thank you."

She heard Levi and looked at her.

"Ok go ahead you can play with your new friend just be careful."

She then looked at Emilia.

"The Marques del Stry, is the man I have been seeing for the last couple months. He is away in business right now."

[Guest]

Leviathan was very happy when Lady Casandra told her she could play. She hopped up and bounced her front paws in one direction and then to the other side. ~Come on Kjay, we can play with Dia.~ She turned and ran a few steps mindful of the furniture. She wiggled her tail at them. ~Catch the kitty.~ That was the first time Kjay had ever heard her refer to herself as a kitty. But she didn't want to confuse Dia. She moved around a table then and into a more open area. Her plan was to get them dizzy and hen pounce them.

[Leo]

It looked like the animals were having fun together. First they played in the snow and now they had a new friend to romp around with on the inside. Leo chuckled and watched them head off before nodding to Juliet - he didn't want to be rude and speak to her while she was talking to the animals.

"Mucho gusto Señorita Juliet, a lovely name for a lovely girl. You must get your beauty from your mother." Having said that he looked at Inoin and then settled back on the couch with his coco. She had mentioned ransoming off his scarf and he thought about it while drinking more of the warm drink. The coco which she said came from Spain. That must have been why the taste was familiar.

Then he lowered the cup and leaned closer to Inion. "I like your accent. As for the other, well." He laughed himself. "I assure you that revenge will be as sweet as your coco."

[Inion]

Dia gave a small bow to Kjay and Levi. "I have to stay close too, mom says its my job to protect Juliet, her young charge." she nodded at Kjay "I am still young born only a year ago." She watched Levi jump up and b bounce around, ohhh she knew the game very well Croga played it with her many times as training, and chasing a shape shifting white tiger wasn't always easy. Off she bounded after Levi, being careful not to knock into the chairs and tables.

Juliet blushed when Leo said she was lovely, but a touch of saddness touched her eyes when he talked of getting her beauty from her mother. "my mother was very beautiful, thank you for the complament Sir Leo." the saddness soft in her voice.

Juliet was sitting near enough to Inion that when she spoke of her mother Inion reached out absently and rubbed her back in a reassuring way. She also blushed at Leo's words about her accent, but gave him a wink and a lopsided grin "revenge is a dish best served sweet, and I look forward to it if its from you."

[Guest]

Shamus and Joseph were watching the animals playing and enjoying the snacks and hot cocoa. There wasn't really anything for them to do at the moment other than enjoy a moment of relaxation. It was a welcome break.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas got up and walked over to the window and looked out into the snow as the animals played in the open area.

She had a lot on her mind and was thinking, had Kjay not been playing she would have gone back to her room. What she had been threw that last few weeks had been a lot to take in and the one person she really wanted to tell was gone. At least now she knew he was ok.

[Marqués del Stry]

The Season was come and he had told Casandra in a letter that he would be there for it. If at all possible he kept his word. Always be a man of your word is one of the things that his father brought him up on and he tried to abide by it always.

Time was getting late when he finally drew up to Tel'Ranaemyn. He had not sent word ahead to Leo to let him know that he was coming for he would know soon enough. The bags that he had he instructed the driver to have taken up to his room. When he entered the Inn he saw many of the borders gathered together and talking, many of them he had seen before, though he did not see everyone who was present.

Unbuttoning his thickly spun black woolen coat he progressed to the gathering of people where he saw Leo speaking to two young ladies on the couch, another female surrounded by a few men, another who was wearing a lot of pink, and the animals playing with each other. There was something else that caught his eye and that was the lady who was standing alone by the window.

The Marqués smiled and pushed his hands back through his hair. She was looking out the window, possibly the one that lead to the garden, and he decided to use it to his benefit. Without saying anything, and in hopes of not being given away too soon, the Marqués drew nearer and placed himself in the direction of the window so that his faint reflection could be seen.

He stopped outside of the circle of people and waited.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas smiled in whe she looked up and saw the reflection in the mirror. It had been weeks since she had seen that face. She turned from the window and forced herself not to run. When she reached him she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and kissed him.

"I missed you."

[Marqués del Stry]

She saw him, and he opened his arms to receive her as she came forward. Soon she was in his arms and he held her tightly. Once she spoke he hefted her up in his arms, taking her feet off the ground, and kissed her once more. This time it was meaningful and, after a moment, he set her back down upon the ground.

"Hello Casandra." He said with a smile as he ran his fingers through her hair, moving it back from her face. "Did I miss the holiday?"

[Casandra Lightheart]

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight as he picked her up and kissed her she loved his lingering kisses and had missed him so much.

"Hello Marques."

She had almost called him Amadeo. She smiled up at him with a smile that reached her eyes for the first time in weeks. When he moved her hair from her face he would see the faiding bruise from on her face from being slapped.

"No you did not miss the holiday."

[Guest]

Shamus nudged Joseph and he looked up from his cocoa. "Oh, um, can you all excuse us, we have o get back to work." Both men rose from their seats. "Levi, go back upstairs when you are done playing girl. Bye Kjay, bye ... um ... Dia." They finished their drinks and set their mugs down on the table.

Shamus smiled at everyone. "Lady Inion, thank you for the wonderful treats. Princess, Leo, nice to formally meet you both. And you as well Miss Juliet. Emilia ..." He kissed her cheek. "We will see you later. Hope to see you all again sometime soon. It was fun and we should do it again before spring." Joseph kissed Emili's cheek as well and the men headed to the stairs. Joseph called out over his shoulder. "See you later Lady Casandra, Marques." Knowing that they probably wouldn't even hear him.

[Emilia]

Emilia kissed Shamus and Joseph back and then looked at the Marques. He was definatly handsom. She watched how they interacted. To her it seemed like they were very close. His must have been the dress shirt she was wearing when she had seen in in V's room a couple weeks before.

[Inion]

Inion waved good night to the two that left "Night gentlemen, thanks for joining in the fun." When they left Juliet moved into where they had been sitting and curled up in the chair, but didn't fall asleep , she watched Dia playing. Inion noticed Cas move away from the group, then watched as the Margues came in. She could tell by the look on Cas's face that it brightened her evening to see him. And their interaction together said more then words could ever. She leaned over to Leo speaking low as not to desturb the reunion "They make a lovely couple. I remember the Marques from the alliance but never really met him." Her hand came to rest on his arm when she was talking to him and she was close enough to feel the chill that was still on his flesh from playing in the snow. She had the advantage of being inside longer and moving around the room getting things set up so her body was very warm. Without even thinking about what she was doing, call it a mothers instinct, she moved closer to him to help warm him up.

[Guest]

When Leviathan heard Joseph tell her to go upstairs when she was done she stopped for a second to look at him. He and Shamus were headed upstairs. She twitched her tail and made an odd sounding meow at them as large cats did not meow as house cats do.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Casie nodded at Shamus and Joseph as they passed, but she turned her attention back to the man in front of her.

Kjay took advantage of the distraction and jumped on Levi when she stopped running. ~This is fun.~ He looked at Dia. ~Come on young pup~

[Leo]

So he had come back already, didn't even tell him that he was coming. Leo knew, he had been unsure of the exact time. It didn't matter.

Leo saw how Juliet looked when he made the compliment about her mother and for a moment he was confused because she looked sad. He was watching the young girl, who was now curled into the chair, while Inion spoke to him. She moved in closer and he picked his arm up and set it around her shoulders. It was more comfortable that way. His coco was in the other hand. "I work for him. The Marqués. Good man."

A slight frown and he lowered his head to Inion. "I did not mean to offend your young Juliet." He was thinking of apologizing, but the girl looked like she may fall asleep.

[Marqués del Stry]

He had been smiling, until he took note of the bruise which was on Casandra's head. When Joesph said his farewells he looked up and gave a nod before directing his attention back to Casandra.

"It does appear that I have missed something. Who hit you?" He knew what a hit looked like, and she had to be hit really hard for the mark to still linger on her face. Either really hard or recently.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She smiled at him and took his hand.

"Not here, lets go to my room, or yours if you prefer."

It was that she had been hit that hard the bruise was almost gone but was a couple weeks old.

"Kjay come on boy."

[Marqués del Stry]

It may not have been a topic for public conversation and he understood. He did not think that she may have shown the bruise to many people for it would have lead to questions. Many people wanted to avoid having to answer questions they did not feel comfortable with .

Removing one of his hands from her he motioned towards the steps. "We shall go to your quarters. You can tell me there." He knew that Leo now saw him and he gave him a hint of a nod as he waited for Casandra to lead the way.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She had done a good job of hiding it and it was not what he thought, but he would be suprised when the story came out. She took his hand in hers and headed up the stairs.

~My human is leaving~ He followd Cas and the Marques up the stairs.

(this part will be continued in a new thread in the living quarters)

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