In Which Rona Stakes Her Claims

December 25, 1177

"You know, we really should go downstairs now."

It was the fourth time Ashe had said it and it would be the fourth time Rona refused. She knew she should have just gotten on with it--her nephew and niece and all her little siblings would be getting anxious for their presents, after all--but some stupid proud part of her didn't want to face the family before it had been done, not with her brother's expectations and her sister-in-law's repressed giddiness and her mother's supportive-yet-not-entirely-unbiased smiles of reassurance. If she went down there while she was still working herself up, all of her efforts would be gone at the sight of them, replaced by doubts and half-petty rebellions. Months and months of weighing and deciding--gone.

That, and her current view was rather mesmerizing.

Most men preferred knee-length tunics, but God she hoped these slacks started catching on. Her friends had agreed; she already knew what Isidro and Bernardo were getting for Christmas. She doubted they could pull them off quite so well, though. Not that she could judge without actually have seen them first. "In a couple minutes. Just keep working that... fire."

"Getting a little warm in here, don't you think?"

Ah... maybe a little. Plus he was standing so close and she didn't really want Ashe to get all sweaty. "Fine." She heaved herself upright and slapped her hand against the now-empty cushion beside her--but not before fishing something out from the gap between the seats. "Sit with me?"

"But your family--"

"Can wait."

Defeated, he set the poker back in place and sat down beside her. "Those kids aren't going to be happy about having to wait for their presents, you know."

"I know." And she'd make it up to them. But... "But you're getting your present first."

"You got me a present?"

Nodding, Rona grabbed his arm and wedged herself beneath it; he got the hint and laced it around her shoulders. "Is it so hard to believe? Here." She reached for his free hand and pressed the trinket into his palm. "Merry Christmas."

She'd hoped the sentiment would be obvious, but the gift was instead met with a squinting stare. Boys. "I can't take this from you."

"You're not taking it. I'm giving it to you."

"Yes, but this is--" He blinked. A little late, but at least he'd picked up on it. He'd better have, anyway; she had no idea how she might have said it outright. "Wait... is this your answer?"

Then again, it might not have been so difficult after all. "You really think I would give you a family piece if it wasn't?"

He just kept gawking at her in some bizarre, happy disbelief. She took the opportunity to hoist herself onto his lap and reclaim the key--just for a minute. "Here."

She looped it around his neck as she had at the tournament, then nudged back a loose lock of red hair and kissed him on the cheek. "It's still mine--but I'll let you wear it if you'll be mine too. What do you say?"

She couldn't quite decide if his eyes were greener wide or narrowed, but she supposed they were at their greenest when smiling. "I'll never take it off."

"Good." She kissed him again, on the lips this time--briefly, but she thought she got the point across. "Thank you for being patient."

"Thank you for giving me a chance." His fingers combed through her hair with a gentle expertise she never would have expected from a man. "I love you, Rona."

Rona grinned, her face a little warm and hardly from the fire. Now that... that was something she didn't think she could quite say. Yet. "Come on, let's go tell everyone."

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