The Forever Endeavor [Moonie]

[Zane]

"That can change. You married into a family of traders. And historically, traders were jacks of all trades. I don't know about you, but exploring, getting dirty, and exerting yourself sound right up your alley. Though, Brett Sinclair was the last Sinclair to travel by trade caravan. So it would more be a pursued interest, if you wanted." Liam sat up on the bed, drawing his legs in to sit cross-legged and open more room for Julia.

[Zero]

Julia blinked at Liam owlishly, her face heating up before she looked away. Part of what he'd said had sounded so...well perhaps not inappropriate anymore. He was her husband, but still, that had sounded so naughty! At least she was fairly certain he hadn't meant for it to sound that way. Oh how she wished he could just will the blush away.

"My father was very strict in what activities we were or weren't allowed to participate in. With the boys having much more freedom in picking and choosing what they wanted to do. I hadn't thought about being given the option to pursue interests of my own. There are so many things I've never been allowed to do." Julia couldn't help but wonder what kind of activities she would be allowed to try now that she was out from her father's suffocating rules.

[Zane]

While Liam had certainly not meant his words in such a manner, her blushing made him realize just what he had said, and he in turn blushed himself. Listening to her talk made him realize just how much more freedom he'd had in the past few years, how much her wanted to share that freedom. "Well, if you ever think of anything you wanna do, let me know. No matter what is going on at the time, I will do what I can to make time for us to go do it."

Liam definitely enjoyed spending time with Julia, that went without a doubt, but he'd had some of his own misgivings about the union before meeting her. Liam wondered what it was like on her end, "If you don't mind my asking, what are some misgivings you've had coming into this marriage?"

[Zero]

Us. Julia was surprised that he would take time from his own interests to try something with her. Even when he'd hinted that she would be free to try new things that she might find interesting she hadn't expected that he would make a point to spend even more time with her. It would be strange to have company, but she smiled at the thought. Hadn't one of her fears been that she would be even more lonely without her family?

"I honestly was worried that you would be more like my father. I was told to expect as much, but I guess my parents knew as little about you as I did. That or my father really does believe most people are like him, more interested in money and power than anything else." Julia looked down at the comforter, smiling softly. "Would you really take time out of your day to do things just because I wanted to do them? I wouldn't expect you to, you know. I could always do them alone, but I would appreciate the company."

[Zane]

Liam gave her a slightly quizzical look, "Of course I would. I was serious when I said I wanted to get to know you. I mean, sure, given the circumstances of the time and what may be going on, it may not be immediately, maybe not even that day, but I will find the time to do it with you." Unlike Ben and his mother, Liam had spent the early years of his life outside of the Sinclair Estate. He had learned to be content without much, for that, he was grateful for him mom surrendering her rights to the inheritance. After returning to the Sinclair home, he found it all so exuberant and more than a little wasteful. It had come as a shock to him just how wealthy his name was.

Next question already forming in his head, he paused, realizing he was parched. "Watch this." Liam stood from the bed and walked over to the wall. With his hand pressed against the wall, Liam slid back a panel revealing a rope and and a hallowed brass cone. Liam pulled lightly on the small rope twice. Soon a voice rang through the cone.

"Yes, Master Liam?"

"Can I get two mugs of hot chocolate brought up?" remembering that while Julia had eaten, it hadn't been much, "Also some of your amazing cookies, Chef Marris?"

"You honor me, M'lord. They will be brought up right away. I will make it all myself."

Liam turned back to Julia, "This is Ben's addition to the manor. Every room in Manor Sinclair and Manor Dellow have one, Manor Stead is small enough that a service bell is all you really need. If you want to get something from the kitchens, just locate one of these panels and pull the rope thrice, Chef Marris would be happy to help however he can. Now," He walked back over to sit back on the bed, "Was there anything that you were looking forward to with this union?"

[Zero]

"I would really like that." What might have seemed obvious to Liam was quite surprising to Julia. He was raised much differently than she was. Where his mother had apparently been very loving and taught him to care about romance and love -her parents had not only discouraged such notions, but had actively given a disapproving approach to such frivolity. Arthur Vasile certainly did not concern himself with involving his wife in any of his business or pleasurable pursuits, and Rosella Vasile would have scoffed at her husband had he tried to involve himself in hers.

For Julia, she had practically entered an entirely different world from the one she'd known her entire life. No matter what she wanted, she had been told what to expect, and this was not it. Her parents had made it clear to her that it didn't much matter if she liked her husband or hated him as long as she was faithful and obedient - and for her husband's part he wasn't even expected to hold true to the faithful and obedient part. So when Liam wanted to actually involve himself in her life, what she did, and what she liked, it truly did surprise her!

She watched curiously as he got up and slid back a panel in the wall she hadn't even noticed before. Her family's manor didn't have one of those. It was really quite amazing, and she watched Liam order for hot chocolate and cookies to be brought up for them. That was quite handy, wasn't it? "Won't they know we're not doing what we're supposed to when they bring that up?"

Julia didn't know if anyone would get upset or not, but she knew that simply talking wasn't what they were supposed to be doing on their wedding night. Plus the question he asked was a hard one. She certainly didn't want to tell them that she hadn't looked forward to this marriage at all - had simply accepted that it was going to happen one way or another. "Was there anything you were looking forward to? Did you have misgivings too?"

[Zane]

"Chef Marris is a pretty private man, for as long as I have known him, he hasn't dealt in rumors or possible goings on. Likely, he will bring the things up himself. He's a great man to get to know should you get the chance. He's also the Chef for all three manors, he will travel between them with us." When Julia asked of his own thoughts towards the approaching wedding, Liam lowered his head.

"In truth, it was far more nervous anxiety than anything. Nervous about who I was going to be marrying, what you were going to be like, if you and I would get along, what your feelings were on the whole affair, and at the risk of sounding vain, what you would look like. After all, I didn't even know the name of who I was to marry until three days before the wedding. While it was very nerve-wracking at the time, alot- if not all -of my anxiety has been laid to rest."

[Zero]

"I look forward to making his acquaintance." Julia would have to make it a point to get to know any employees that would be serving her frequently. At Manor Vasile the servants were looked down upon by her parents and siblings, but she never did like that. Just like she disliked when her mother or father disregarded or spoke down to anyone beneath their social station.

Julia smiled shyly as Liam spoke about everything that had concerned him leading up to their wedding, and her smile grew larger and brighter when spoke of no longer worrying about those things. Her reservations and anxieties regarding the marriage were also quickly melting away. Life was about to become very different for her, but in ways she hadn't dared imagine. All for the better, it would seem.

"I'm glad you seem to be feeling better about our marriage. At first I was so afraid, but I'm glad now." She couldn't help but look away from him with a blush and smile. He'd been worried about what she looked like, but by his earlier compliment she knew that he now had no worries about her appearance. "You know, when the doors first opened at the chapel and I first saw you standing at the alter, I thought you looked handsome. Then you made me really look at you just before the kiss and you looked very handsome."

[Zane]

Liam was not a stranger to compliments, while he had been training for knighthood, his form and stances were often complimented. He'd taken to swordplay faster than most, even going so far as to best his first three instructors within months of training with them. But compliments of this nature were a far different beast. His cheeks turned a bright shade of red his smile widened. "You honor me, Julia Sincla-"

A knock at the door cut him off. Liam quickly got off the bed and walked over to the door, opening it to see Chef Marris with a tray, "Two mugs of hot chocolate and some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, as requested, M'lord." He walked past Liam and placed the tray on a small table in the corner of the room. "Anything else?"

"No, that will be all, thank you Chef." The chef left with little more than a nod, pulling the door closed behind him. Liam picked the tray up and brought it over to the bed, not at all fearing a possible spill. A feathered mattress deterred alot of energy transfer, and the mugs both had wide bases. Liam lifted his hot chocolate and took a long drink from it. returning the mug to the tray, he looked over Julia's face. "Y'know, I think you look really nice with your hair down, like a waterfall of chestnut."

[Zero]

Julia couldn't stop smiling, taking especial delight in seeing him blush. She'd been doing it all day, having someone else take a turn was refreshing. Plus she saw it as a good sign that Liam cared what she thought about his attractiveness, and why not? Some of her greatest fears had been that her stranger husband would not find her appearance to his liking. Finding your spouse attractive was a good start.

When the knock came she turned her head, before rising politely as the chef entered the room with his tray. There were no introductions, but those could wait for another day as she watched him leave in very short order. Julia settled back onto the mattress as Liam brought the tray, and she happily lifted the second mug to her lips, sipping the hot drink while watching her husband with a smile.

"I'll wear it down for you. It's easier than putting it up anyway." She said with a little blush as she set her mug back down.

[Zane]

Liam nodded, still smiling, "I'd like that." And with that, he said no more. For the moment, he had no more questions. So he sat there, contentedly enjoying the moment. The dull light of the room, the warm drink in his mug, the beautiful woman across from him that he was quickly warming up the idea of her always being there. In that quiet moment, it was romantic. Romantic in the sense that his mom had always talked about.

And suddenly, Liam felt a twang of melancholy. His mother would never get to meet Julia. For all that he'd learned of her today, the knight was certain that she would have loved his bride. Wistful though the idea was, Liam pushed it aside, he'd long since come to terms with his mother's passing, thinking on it now would serve him nothing good. So instead, he brought himself back to the moment, sitting quietly in the near dark of the bedroom with his wife.

Liam brought the mug back up to his lips, finding the mug empty. Looking back to the tray, he sighted that the cookies were gone, eaten. Finding two actions defunct, his body sought a third fulfilling task, He yawn. As is to echo him, the small clockwork timekeeper chimed the hour, it was 1am. Smiling, he whispered, "Good morning Julia." before yawning again for good measure.

[Zero]

The room fell into a comfortable silence, and Julia was content to let it stay that way. It had been a long, stressful day on both their parts, and she was happy enough to be left with her own thoughts for a while. Especially since the hot chocolate she sipped and cookies she nibbled on were both quite delicious. She'd been too anxious to eat much earlier and she found herself quite grateful for the sugary midnight treat.

By the time the little clockwork device chimed the hour to be 1am, Julia's eyes had begun to grow heavy, her empty mug sat on the tray next to the empty plate. A sleepy smile crossed her lips before she found herself echoing Liam's yawn quietly. "Good morning, Liam." She mumbled softly, realizing that this was technically the day after their wedding. Their first full day as man and wife.

"We should probably get some sleep. I'm sure there is still plenty we will have to do today. Like see my parents off. They'll be going home this afternoon." Julia sounded just a tiny bit sad to say it. After all, she was all the way on the other side of the kingdom from where she'd grown up. Never in her life had see been so far from Ravensway, and certainly not without her family before.

[Zane]

Liam nodded his agreement, picking up the tray and empty mugs and taking them over to the small table. Reaching for the crystal spire on the table, he wanted to console her-- bring about an end to the sadness in her tone, but he didn't know how. From what he'd heard, they sounded like mostly unlikeable people, thought they were still the parents of his wife. Plunging the room in darkness, he slowly walked over to the bed and pulled Julia into a hug, "You'll see them again, sooner than you think. Ben hosts a ball on the winter solstice. That's only two and a half months away."

[Zero]

"I know." Julia sighed as Liam pulled her against him and tried to reassure her. She was used to not seeing much of her parents, but that was at home, where everything was familiar and felt safe and comforting. This manor was beautiful, and she knew that the one where they would primarily live would be nice as well, but they were strange places to her. Everything was unfamiliar, her life had been completely uprooted without her consent. It was both frightening and disheartening to feel as if nothing was in her control.

Her arms wrapped around him, face pressed lightly against his chest as she reminded herself that she wasn't alone. Things weren't ideal, but they could be so much worse. Liam was obviously a kind and gentle man, he was doing his best to put her at ease and make her feel welcomed and at home. Julia hugged him tighter for a moment before letting go. "Thank you, Liam. I really do appreciate everything you've done to try to make me feel better - and you have. I'm sure I'll feel even better after I've had a few days to settle."

Turning to look at the bed, Julia already knew it to be very comfortable, having been seated on it for some while. It was also plenty big enough for the two of them to both sleep there without having to be overtly close to one another. She was glad the room was so dark to hide her red face as she said quiet, "So...which side will you sleep on?"

[Zane]

She was correct, time would end up being the deciding factor in their relationship. While there were still little more than strangers, married strangers at that, they got along. But who could truly say what the future had to offer? Surely not he. By tomorrow's end, they could be madly in love and lost in the passions of one another, or they could be at each others throats in a personal war so violent it threatened to tear the Sinclair fiefdom apart. While both extremes were equally unlikely, life had a way of being so blithely unpredictable. Gods and kings could be made fools and beggars by trying to forecall the temper of tomorrow. Liam chose to wait and see.

"I'll take the left." Liam spoke, releasing her and walking to the bed, pulling back the covers and sliding into the bed. His eyes were already heavy and closed and he laid his head down. "Goodnight, Julia. Safe dreams."

[Zero]

With all the excitement, Julia was exhausted and just glad the day was really over. She happily moved from Liam's arms to her side of the bed, drawing back the covers and slipping beneath them eagerly. A soft smile crossed her lips as her eyes fell closed and she snuggled into the comfortable pillow. All-in-all it had not been at all the day she had expected. It had been so much better. "Goodnight, Liam. Sleep sweet."

Sleep came surprisingly easy. Julia did not toss or turn or struggle with being in an unfamiliar bed next to an unfamiliar man. If anything, the sound of his breathing had a lulling effect.

[Zane]

And it was a very sweet sleep.

Liam rose early, little more than five hours after they had gone to sleep. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but the still dark sky was beginning to yield to the early twinges of violets and purples. Sitting up from the mattress, Liam shivered, the chill in the air was a bit much for mid autumn, hopefully that wasn't a sign of the winter to come. He got out of bed, glad that the large feather mattress absorbed most of the movement, allowing Julia to keep sleeping.

The young knight quickly walked into the wardrobe and grabbed a long and heavy house coat. He had something planned. Walking out into the room, he grabbed the empty tray and mugs, walking them back to the kitchen. He soon returned with coffee that the kitchen staff has just finished brewing. It always amazed him, how no matter what time of day you went to the kitchens, there was always someone attentive and happy to help. He set the two mugs of coffee on the table and returned to the wardrobe to grab another house cloak.

He walked back into the main room and activated the crystal spire, as the room started to fill with the soft light, he spoke softly, "Julia, wake up. There is something I want to show you." He peers at the window to see the sky was still dark, good. He laid the house cloak across her legs beneath the covers and went to retrieved the mugs of coffee.

[Zero]

Julia slept very peacefully, even had the feather mattress not muffled Liam's movements she probably would not have awoken from such a restful slumber so easily. Indeed, it wasn't until the smell of coffee reached her that she even began to stir in the bed with her eyelids fluttering softly as the gentle light filled the room.

"Hmm?" Came the soft mumble as Julia raised a hand to lightly rub at her sleepy eyes as she sat up and looked around in mild confusion and with a soft voice still thick with sleep, "It's still dark." She pulled the house cloak up, wrapping it about herself as she climbed from the warm bed into the cool morning air. It was a bit chillier than she expected. Hopefully it wasn't always this cold, it wasn't even winter yet. Of course she'd heard things about the northern provinces from her sister. This winter was bound to be a learning experience, and perhaps even a shock, for the young southern lady.

"Good morning, Liam." Julia finally said, though she had to cover her mouth halfway through in an attempt to stifle a yawn. A moment later her fingers had moved up to her long hair, trying to tame the dishevel caused by sleeping.

[Zane]

Liam handed her the moderately hot mug to keep her hands warm, he then gave her a grin and echoed the greeting, "Good morning, Julia. Now quickly, follow me, you won't want to miss it." He quickly led her from the room and down towards the east side of the manor. As they were already on the second floor, it wasn't a long walk to their destination. A stretch of windows that opened to the east. The sun was not yet up, but the brightening horizon meant it would not be long at all.

[Zero]

Julia took the coffee with a grateful smile, simply wrapping her hands around the hot mug appreciatively. With more than a little curiosity, she followed Liam through the manor, not really sure what he could want to show her so early. It wasn't until they reached the large wall of east facing windows that she really figured it out. With a smile she stepped close to the windows to admire the view as the first morning light started peeking out.

"So beautiful." Julia said softly, her eyes sparkling as they seemed purple one moment and blue the next depending on how the light touched them.