Maddock yawned and leaned back in his chair. He'd been pouring over ledgers
for too long and the numbers were starting to blur. He rubbed his eyes and
ran a hand through his hair. While there were other people around the
castle who could deal with figures, Maddock preferred to keep a hand in all
aspects of the castle, be it war or money.
Maddock closed his eyes and leaned back. He suddenly felt something bump against his legs. Opening one eye he looked down into a face that looked back at him with his own eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile as he picked the small child up.
"Wondering what you're doing here," came a voice from the doorway. Maddock shared a smile with Iseult as she entered the room.
"Bronwen thought you needed help," Iseult added, stroking the toddler's curly jet colored hair, "you know she doesn't like being put to bed."
Maddock looked at his daughter closely. She had his eyes and hair on her mother's pretty face. Bronwen also had a tendency to run her nurse and her mother ragged trying to keep up with her. Maddock had once said that he didn't expect anything less from a child of he and Iseult. It had been almost two years since the night battle to take the castle back. A week later he and Iseult had been married, much to the exaltation of the peasants and other members of the castle. Marriage between the two meant that Maddock, whom they'd always considered a fair master, was now lord of the castle. Maddock had taken his job very seriously, just like he took everything. Repairs on the castle had begun immediately and had taken quite some time. Thankfully newly wedded bliss had caused Maddock to go about rebuilding with an abundant well of good spirit. Iseult had been tireless in her efforts too. Marriage suited them both. A few months later Iseult had announced the expectation of their first child. Soon enough Bronwen was born and had been ruling the lives of her parents and the servants in the castle ever since.
"You should be in bed," Maddock said, addressing his daughter who looked back at him seriously.
"Mara," Iseult called to the nurse, "put her to bed for me."
The little nurse took the toddler with a smile and carried her out.
"How are the numbers going?" Iseult asked, walking behind her husband's chair and wrapping her arms around him.
"Like oxen in a marsh," Maddock muttered, "I never was good at sitting still long."
Iseult leaned her cheek against his hair.
"You work too hard," she murmured.
Maddock grabbed his wife by the arm and hauled her into his lap.
"If I didn't work hard, the castle would fall down around us," he said, nuzzling Iseult's neck. Iseult rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"I do plenty around here," she said, "what with Bronwen running around and another on the way."
Maddock jerked his head back suddenly.
"What did you just say?" he said sharply.
Iseult flashed a smile.
"There's going to be two of them soon enough," she said. Maddock smiled widely then firmly kissed his wife.
"This is your fault, you know," Iseult said with a raised eyebrow.
Maddock grinned almost fiendishly.
"I know," he said, with a shrug, laughing and flinching back from smack aimed at his chest.
Maddock leaned back against his chair.
"I don't deserve you," he said finally, "no one deserves a woman as good as you."
"Then it's fortunate for you that I chose a Welshman who doesn't listen for my husband," Iseult said.
"Very fortunate," he agreed, "I think you were worth the stabbing."
"It hasn't hindered you much," Iseult said with a laugh.
Maddock picked his wife up and started towards the door.
"Thank God for small miracles," he said with a chuckle.
Maddock closed his eyes and leaned back. He suddenly felt something bump against his legs. Opening one eye he looked down into a face that looked back at him with his own eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile as he picked the small child up.
"Wondering what you're doing here," came a voice from the doorway. Maddock shared a smile with Iseult as she entered the room.
"Bronwen thought you needed help," Iseult added, stroking the toddler's curly jet colored hair, "you know she doesn't like being put to bed."
Maddock looked at his daughter closely. She had his eyes and hair on her mother's pretty face. Bronwen also had a tendency to run her nurse and her mother ragged trying to keep up with her. Maddock had once said that he didn't expect anything less from a child of he and Iseult. It had been almost two years since the night battle to take the castle back. A week later he and Iseult had been married, much to the exaltation of the peasants and other members of the castle. Marriage between the two meant that Maddock, whom they'd always considered a fair master, was now lord of the castle. Maddock had taken his job very seriously, just like he took everything. Repairs on the castle had begun immediately and had taken quite some time. Thankfully newly wedded bliss had caused Maddock to go about rebuilding with an abundant well of good spirit. Iseult had been tireless in her efforts too. Marriage suited them both. A few months later Iseult had announced the expectation of their first child. Soon enough Bronwen was born and had been ruling the lives of her parents and the servants in the castle ever since.
"You should be in bed," Maddock said, addressing his daughter who looked back at him seriously.
"Mara," Iseult called to the nurse, "put her to bed for me."
The little nurse took the toddler with a smile and carried her out.
"How are the numbers going?" Iseult asked, walking behind her husband's chair and wrapping her arms around him.
"Like oxen in a marsh," Maddock muttered, "I never was good at sitting still long."
Iseult leaned her cheek against his hair.
"You work too hard," she murmured.
Maddock grabbed his wife by the arm and hauled her into his lap.
"If I didn't work hard, the castle would fall down around us," he said, nuzzling Iseult's neck. Iseult rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"I do plenty around here," she said, "what with Bronwen running around and another on the way."
Maddock jerked his head back suddenly.
"What did you just say?" he said sharply.
Iseult flashed a smile.
"There's going to be two of them soon enough," she said. Maddock smiled widely then firmly kissed his wife.
"This is your fault, you know," Iseult said with a raised eyebrow.
Maddock grinned almost fiendishly.
"I know," he said, with a shrug, laughing and flinching back from smack aimed at his chest.
Maddock leaned back against his chair.
"I don't deserve you," he said finally, "no one deserves a woman as good as you."
"Then it's fortunate for you that I chose a Welshman who doesn't listen for my husband," Iseult said.
"Very fortunate," he agreed, "I think you were worth the stabbing."
"It hasn't hindered you much," Iseult said with a laugh.
Maddock picked his wife up and started towards the door.
"Thank God for small miracles," he said with a chuckle.