| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Not wanting Hannah to feel discouraged by the way the other two women were talking about marriage and men in general, Emma gives her love a warm smile before turning back to the newly wed young woman.
"Don't listen to them Ms. Hannah, marriage is what you make of it, and not all men are like that. I'm not saying that they can't act like complete barbarians sometimes....but usually it's because a lot of them don't know how to adequately express what they're feeling. A marriage is hard work and requires communication, trust, and respect from both sides. It's not always easy, but it's soooo worth it when you know you've found that one special person you can just be yourself around, and you can talk to them about anything....even the difficult stuff, knowing that they will still love and support you no matter what."
Emma pauses for a moment, a deep blush onher cheeks as she suddenly realizes how much she's said, "Oh, listen to me carry on. Everyone's experiences are they're own. Just don't start comparing what you two have to anyone else, because your relationship is unique to the two of you and can't be held up to someone else's standards." As she speaks, Emma takes a gold piece from her pouch, and walks over to Polly. "I can't thank you enough for the beautiful job you did on the dress. If Tom gives you any more grief about it, you just send him to me. I'll straighten him out for ya yeah?" Emma says with a wink at the older woman, as she giggles.
Hannah laughs. "Oh, I know, but Percy's been getting his head filled with ideas lately."
Claire grunts. "Probably been Alan. He's been roaming around the house, spouting off 'inspirational speeches for men'. Told me he'd write a book of 'em."
Polly shakes her head. "Oh, Vicar, put that gold coin in the box for the needy. I'm blessed enough. Tom might be a bit of a bunion sometimes, but he's a softie at the end of the day."
Emma looks thoughtful for a moment before shrugging at Clair and Hannah, "I'm not sure how to respond since my Aiden doesn't go around making speeches and stuff. He just likes to make sure I stay safe." She almost gets a guilty look on her face before moving towards Polly.
Taking the coin back from Polly, she puts it in her pocket. "I will make sure to put it in there after the festivities tonight." Emma then puts her arms around Polly, "Then I'll just say thank you so much for the beautiful dress. It really is amazing."
After letting her go, Emma goes back to Aiden and takes his hand, [b]"It was good seeing you all, but we need to go see Ms. Priscilla. There are some things we need to talk to her about.
The women waves as you depart and go back to chatting amongst themselves. You walk past the trader, Heikki, who hails Aiden. The catfolk approaches with his usual grace and a warm smile.
"Sorry to bother you, Aiden, but I have a hard time catching you out and about," Heikki says, his voice soft and relaxed. "If you get some time in the next week, would you mind bagging some of those wolves over in Ashton's forest? The mayor of Ashton sent me a message saying they were pretty bad this year and I can use the fur."
He laughs merrily. "Not for me, of course! For the business. I've got the usual payment lined up for you. There's extra, if you can clear double the amount that you did last year."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Aiden replies with a nod. "The balance needs to be kept for everyone's good. And the furs should do well come winter."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As Aiden and Heikki talk about the wolf problem, Emma edges over to Aiden and wraps her arms around one of his legs as she leans against him. Heikki was always really nice, but for some reason she couldn't understand, she always felt shy around him.
Unwrapping one of her arms from his leg, Emma gives the catfolk a wave and returns his smile, before wrapping herself back around Aiden's leg.
"Evening, Mrs. Northwood," Heikki says. He had never called Emma 'vicar' for as long as the halfling has known him. The catfolk wasn't known for being religious. "Lovely dress. One of Polly's, yes?"
Smiling broadly she nods, "Yeah, she made it special for the Harvest Festival. I wanted something that would help represent the changing of seasons from Summer to Autumn. I told her I wanted something that would make Aiden go bonkers too." She says with a giggle.
Heikki chuckles to himself. "I won't keep you. Have fun and I'll catch up with you again, Aiden."
As Emma wraps her arms around his leg, he idly reaches down to run his fingers through her hair.
"I'll let you know when I head out that way, so you'll have an idea when to expect me back with the pelts." Aiden replies, giving Heikki a grin. "Enjoy the evening."
As Heikki heads off, the hunter looks down at his wife with a big smile. "So, the plan was to drive me bonkers was it?"
Emma looks up at him and can't quite keep the smirk off her face, as her eyes twinkle with that all too familiar mischievous look in them, "Maaayybe....Is it working?" She replies, unable to keep herself from giggling as she does so.
"Definitely," Aiden replies,the husky growl slipping back into his voice, eyes alight with his thoughts. Squeezing her hand, lightly, the Hunter takes a deep breath before continuing on, hand in hand with Emma, a grin on his lips.
Emma's smile widens at the incredibly sexy tone in his voice, goosebumps breaking out along her flesh as his eyes meet hers, the meaning in them quite clear. She giggles as the three of them continue on to see Priscilla. Maybe if she was very lucky, she would go from almost getting a spanking, to getting something else instead.
Thinking back on the events earlier in the evening, Emma feels a slight wave of guilt come over her. Before she could truly enjoy anything they might do later, she had to tell him the actual truth of what happened earlier, and how she used her sad pouty face and tears, to get out of a punishment she rightly deserved. She knew that her tears were a particular weakness of his, and she shouldn't have used them against him that way. She didn't mean to, it was just a skill she had honed since early childhood and was almost an automatic reflex for her. It had served her well through her mischievous youth, and now it was almost second nature when being caught doing something she knows she shouldn't.
Should she tell him now or later though, that was the question. She didn't want to take a chance of upsetting him and possibly ruining their fun evening, but she didn't want this lie to come between them either.
As they continue on to where Priscilla is set up, Emma starts chewing nervously on one of her fingers without really thinking about it.
Not able to bring herself to tell him just yet, Emma looks up at her husband as they walk hand in hand towards where Priscilla is set up, "Are we gonna ask her about what you saw in the woods tonight? I wasn't sure if we were going to ask her about it tonight, or wait until tomorrow."
"I'd kind of like to run it by her sooner than later, but I don't want to ruin her night either." Aiden replies, considering the question.
"Are you alright, Love?"
Emma gets a look on her face as if trying to decide something, before stopping them in a semi secluded area.
She climbs up on an old stump to be a little closer to eye level with him so she doesn't have to strain her neck to look up at him with a trembling smile, "I don't think it would ruin her evening to tell her about something that could be a potential threat to our home. Sometimes we have to be able to tell someone something that isn't always pleasant to hear, but we tell them because it's the right thing to do....even if it might be a little upsetting sometimes."
Emma takes a stabilizing breath and lets it out slowly before spilling her guts, "Something like, I know you don't like me climbing up on things because it isn't safe, but I did it anyways...repeatedly, after you told me not to. When I knew you had caught me and that I would be in real trouble I....Icriedandusedmysadlittlegirlvoicesoyoudfeelbadandnotspankme." She replies, saying the last bit all rushed together. Almost as if she was trying to pull off a bandaid before losing her nerve.
After finishing what she needed to say, she looks down as the shame of what she'd done causes her cheeks to blush.
Emma holds her hands down in front of her, her lips tremble slightly as she gives him time to mull over what she said.
With a slight whine to her voice she says, "I really am sorry, I don't know why I do that. You know how it was when we were kids. I don't know why I did all the stuff I did, but you can only be brought home by the town guard so many times, before you start trying to find ways to soften your folks hearts to reduce your punishment. Tears usually helped, and after a while I guess I just did it without thinking about it. It's like second nature to me or something. Like an automatic response to getting in trouble. Though nothing helped that day when the chapel incident happened...Pa was sooo furious."
Emma grows a little quiet before looking up at him again, "I got to thinking about what I told Hannah, and realized that in a way, I was still being dishonest with you, and....and unless I accept my punishment for disobeying you, putting myself in danger, and hiding it....I'm not gonna feel better cuz if I get away with it, not only will I still have all that guilt about what I did, but I'd probably keep on doing it too. I also wouldn't be able to enjoy other things that we might do together, until I suffer the consequences of my actions."
It was scary to admit all that to him, but she loved him more than anything, and didn't want this coming between them.
Trying to keep herself together, she looks up at him with damp eyes, "Are you mad at me?"
Aiden listens as Emma comes clean on her manipulation, using her cuteness, and his utter adoration of her to get herself out of trouble for putting herself in unnecessary danger.
"I should be mad, and I suppose I am. But more than that, how would I know that you won't just do it again anytime I'm out? If next time you decide not to tell me, or not to feel guilty about it, would I even know?"
Feeling miserable for hurting the one she loves more than anything, Emma takes a few minutes to try and get her emotions under control and really think about his question.
Forcing herself to look up at him she kind of shrugs, "I don't know honey...I don't even really know what to say. I can't make any kind of promises about something as unknown as the future, and I'm not perfect...so I'm probably going to do things sometimes that upset you, or make poor choices....but I will do my best not to do things that put myself in danger needlessly. As far as climbing up on furniture at home when you're not there, after we get home tonight, we can go through the whole kitchen and move whatever we think I might need access to onto a lower shelf, so I don't go climbing up on cabinets and things to get to stuff."
Taking a moment to breath, Emma considers the next part of his question.
"I'm also very sorry that I've been using my uncontrollable cuteness to get out of trouble when I should be held accountable for my actions. I kept meaning to ask about moving the Whiskey down, but then things around the village would get busy and I would forget about it, until the next time I needed it. Regardless, using your feelings for me to get out of being in trouble was wrong, which is why when I finally realized that's what I had been doing....I told you, even though I didn't want to ruin this night. I knew if I didn't tell you, I wouldn't be able to enjoy this evening, or anything else that we might do together."
Placing a small hand on his cheek she looks deep into his eyes with her own azure blue ones, "Please....I know I've hurt you as well as the trust you had in me, but it was not done maliciously or with forethought, and now all I can do is tell you that I love you, I hope you can forgive me, and that I'll try much harder in the future to remember to ask for help when I need it."
Taking her hand back from his face, "I also wanted to say that I don't think I should be given a pass on what I did, so....when we get home, if you think I still need a reminder of why we always tell each other the truth, and for the climbing, and everything else that ensued....I want you to know that I'm ready to accept whatever punishment you deem adequate for what I did."
Feeling like she's already talked too much, considering how difficult it is for her to talk about her own feelings and things of that sort, she hopes that Aiden can hear what she's trying to say through all her words. She gets quiet while giving her love a chance to process everything that came out of her.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Looking into her eyes, Aiden understands everything that Emma is saying, as well as the things she's trying to say, and might not have all the words to. But the words aren't always necessary with him.
"I know you are love, and I believe you wholeheartedly. I'll do my part to make sure that you don't feel the need to endanger yourself trying to get anything, and I trust you." he says, down on one knee to look her in the eyes, and brushing a lock of her hair away from her face.
"I love you more than anything, and I know that it wasn't malicious.", holding her gaze for a moment, he leans in to give her a long, soft kiss, holding her close. After a while he leans back a bit, a hint of a smirk on his lips.
"But you're right about not quite getting a pass. We'll talk about punishment later when we get home tonight. Okay?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The tension seems to leave her body as he holds her close, practically melting into him as he kisses her softly.
As he pulls back a little, she seems to have an almost dazed expression on her face.
As he leans back to look at her and says something about punishment later, Emma just nods with that same expression on her face, "Okay."
It takes Emma a couple of minutes to come back to herself. Shaking her head slightly while blinking a few times, she lets our a slow breath, "We need to hurry up and see Priscilla before it gets much later."
A couple of young children run past Aiden and Emma, their faces covered in sticky goo as they eat caramel apples.
Emma suddenly laughs, "Slow down kiddos, don't want anyone getting hurt tonight." She looks back at Aiden, "I need to have one of those after we talk to Priscilla. They look soooo delicious."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Aiden grins as she stands up. "Alright, let's go see Priscilla, then find the caramel apples."
Everything else momentarily forgotten at the promise of the sweet gooey treat, Emma grabs him by the hand and giggles as she practically drags him towards Priscilla's wagon. On the way there, her stomach lets out a loud rumbling sound, reminding them that she had actually eaten very little for supper.
You find Priscilla moving a mirror at the back of her wagon back and forth, while she stares up at the sky.
Emma bounces up to her, "Hey Priscilla, whatcha doin'?
"I'm tryin' t' adjust this mirror so I kin catch the starlight and reflect it inta a prism tha' I tied t' the top o' the church," Priscilla says, her attention solely focused on the mirror. "Tha's no a crime, izzit?"
Emma shakes her head, "Nope, not like you stopped the bell from ringing or anything. Actually, we stopped by because Aiden saw something weird in the forest when he was out earlier, and we thought he should tell you about it." She looks from Priscilla to Aiden, wondering who would talk first.
Aiden takes in Priscilla's actions, wondering what she was planning to do by directing the reflected starlight.
"Earlier today, while I was hunting, I noticed a mysterious figure in the forest. Couldn't get a clear look at them, cloaked and silent." the hunter explains. "I followed them, and they came to a stone, in the middle of the forest, touched it and just...disappeared... no trace of them. The stone had strange markings on it, seems like it was very old."
"Tha' mus' be a bad omen," Priscilla says. "All the more important fer me t' get this right. I bet it was a spirit o' some kind, givin' ye a warnin' by showin' itself. As fer the stone, it migh' be what anchors that spirit from movin' on."
"I was thinking maybe Aiden could take you to it tomorrow and see if you feel anything unusual from it? I don't really know much about these things, but when Aiden told me about it...I got a really bad feeling about it. Aside from letting you get back to work on that, is there anything we can do...or should do?" Emma asks, wondering at this point if taking Priscilla to where he saw the thing disappear into the rock, would be useful in any way.
Emma looks up at Aiden, wondering if she put it the right way. She didn't know if Aiden could find the strange rock again, or if Priscilla would even care about seeing it....but what if it were important?
She waits to see if her beloved has anything left to add.
"I'd likely be able to find it again. Well, I guess we'll talk more about it in the morning. Do you need help with this?" Aiden asks, reinforcing Emma's question.
Emma just leans against her husband, her energy and excitement from earlier starting to wane as she thinks about what Priscilla said.
"I s'pose it wouldn't hurt none to look at," Priscilla says. "If it were a warnin' though, there's not much we kin do 'cept see what happens. An' I kin manage from 'ere. Don't need extra hands fiddlin' with things."
Satisfied with how the mirror is positioned, Priscilla lets out a long sigh. "Should be ready 'fore the kiddies start playin' out in the field."
Emma nods as a small yawn escapes her, "Okay, well I guess we should head back. I need to find the caramel apples before they're all gone. I didn't even get one last year." She says with a pout.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen tonight! " Aiden says with a grin.
"Enjoy the festival Priscilla, see you around mid-morning or so?"
Priscilla nods as you hear the rumble of thunder followed by a loud crack. A bright flash of lightning soon follows. You can hear the groans of the villagers as rain begins to fall.
Emma stomps her foot, "Stupid rain, the festival will be ruined. I guess I don't get a caramel apple this year either." She comments, her voice full of disappointment.
Looking up at Aiden, "Should we go back to the town square and help them clean up, or anything?" She asks, already starting to get wet from the rain.
"Probably, there might be a few things that can still happen under shelter, or get moved to the Two Arrows." Aiden replies, looking up at the heavy rain clouds. "I'd hate to get your dress ruined though."