My Warden (COMPLETED)

Apples

Three steel barrels overran with water, each of them large enough to bathe an obstinate child. Though, despite the rising chill in the shade of the house, the children seemed more than happy to wash each other. Lana watched in confusion as one of the toe headed tots smacked her face into the water, seeming to drown herself, while splashing the three other children huddled around beside. Lana was about to speak up her concerns, when the girl rose up triumphant with an apple of all things between her teeth.

"I am beyond confused," Lana admitted, turning to the man who'd done a rather lousy job of explaining any of this. She shifted on her legs, trying to get footing in the soft dirt with her cane. Without her having to say a word, Cullen slipped an arm under her elbow and took some of the weight. It wasn't necessary, it'd been a rather easy day on her, but judging by the warm smile gracing his cheeks, he enjoyed it.

As she leaned into him, momentarily distracted in the hint of his muscles hidden beneath that simple tunic, a woman slipped into their conversation. "It's apple bobbing. You're telling me you've never done apple bobbing?"

Lana knew Cullen's immediate family, and they in turn knew about her, all about her, but for the sake of simplicity the other guests were told little about the mysterious new wife. She remembered mention of this woman being married to a cousin, and not much else. But with her ray of sunshine hair and strapping height she fit in far better as a Rutherford than the hidden mage.

"I, um..." Lana struggled to find an excuse to explain why she had no idea what this bobbing thing was.

"Don't be a pillock, Angie," Mia interrupted, stomping over to rescue them both. "Not like the city folks would have access to farms for this stuff." Angela, that was her name. Married to...a son of an uncle? Maker, she'd never had to remember so much family before.

An off putting shrewdness glimmered in her eyes, and Angela turned towards Lana, "A city dweller, eh? Never thought Cullen here would go for that type."

"Oh?" Lana tried to play the effervescent part, but she felt Cullen's grip tighten around her waist as if he needed her to act as a shield.

Mia leapt forward first, "Angie, don't you think we should be laying out the blankets before night comes?" Rather than allow Angela to complain, Mia strong armed her towards a pile of quilts resting on a bench. The cousin tried to whip her head back, but Mia was already overloading her with orders.

"You know," Lana whispered to her husband, "I think your sister would put us both to shame if she were ever made a commander."

Cullen rose up to his full height to see over her head and then dipped down, "I fear you may be correct. Mia can chastise a giant for treading upon a flower."

He began to comment upon something else his sister could do, but Lana twisted around to slip her hands around him. A body as unbendable as iron bark, but a soul softer than goose down, she snuggled deep into her husband. Cullen followed suit, his hands locking behind her back so he could place a kiss to the top of her head. "Too much?" he whispered. Always concerned, always careful - that was him. And if she so much as winced he'd already have a plan in place to fix whatever bothered her.

"No," Lana answered, her words muffled from her cheek warming his chest. A crisp wind wrapped the smell of dried hay and apples as well as their decimated gourds around them, and she couldn't bite back the sigh of contentment. "Sometimes, I simply want to embrace my husband."

"Oh..." Cullen replied, his voice stark with surprise, then it dipped down to his intoxicating whisper, "for which I am glad."

"Mm hm." His earthy musk and enveloping warmth drew dreams of an afternoon slumber to her brain. "Would you mind if I took a nap right here?"