January 2nd, 1616

Yule was over and the new year had begun, bringing with it the snows of winter to cloak the landscape of Lonnare in Francia with crisp white. And through those snows, people still traveled, determined to reach their destination before the passes were blocked and the roads became impossible to follow. In Arindale, the Duke and Duchess welcomed a brother and his sons intending to spend the winter with them, and on the border, in the valley between Francia and Coimbra that was home to the village of Dunfayre and the keep of Darroch, a knight and his lady rode through the gates to fond acclaim.

Joslin smiled and waved to the people of Dunfayre - the village where he'd first met his Juliana - and where his sister Justine now lived with her husband, the heir to Darroch.

Grooms were quick to come forward and help with the horses, general calls of welcome going up from those around them in the courtyard of the keep. They remembered Sir Joslin well enough - the knight who had come to them injured and left as the husband of their former mistress - and of course they remembered Juliana, the only daughter of their laird. As voices rose, a familiar face appeared from the workshops that lined the walls of the courtyard - Bryce, Juliana's brother and the husband of Joslin's sister, in his shirtsleeves despite the snow. He let out a wild yell of welcome, running to greet them with a wide grin.

"Why did you not tell us you were coming?" he demanded, catching Jos in a rough embrace before letting the other man help his wife down from her horse.

Joslin laughed at his brother-in-law's greeting, happy to see him, but anxious to see his sister. "We wanted to surprise you. I think we succeeded," he said, as he carefully helped Juliana down from the horse so she could properly greet her brother. "We are thinking of wintering here, if you'll have us." There was nothing pressing in Lonnare, and they had the duke's leave to winter-over in Dunfayre.

"Och, you're always welcome in Darroch, you know that," Bryce told them cheerfully, waiting impatiently to embrace his sister.

Juliana shared a soft smile with Joslin. "You didn't think I would let anyone else deliver your bairn, did you?" she asked her brother, turning to let him catch her roughly in his arms. She laughed when he drew back, staring down at her midriff.

"You're pregnant!" Bryce declared, delighted and shocked not to have been told. He leveled a smiling look on Jos. "You sly man, we did not know that, either! Come away inside, Justine will be happy to see you."

"Like I said, we wanted to surprise you," Jos repeated, chuckling at Bryce's reaction to his sister's pregnancy. He took hold of her arm to draw her toward the keep at Bryce's lead, a soft smile on his face. They had been wanting a child for so long, and they were both overjoyed to at last be able to share the good news with those they loved most in the world.

Wrapping her arm through Joslin's, Juliana let her smile say everything, as delighted as her husband with the reaction to her state. Though she was not showing so very much, it was obvious to anyone who was looking for it, promising an heir to La Roche in the first turn of summer.

Shaking the snow out of his hair as he entered the keep, Bryce opened his lungs to find out where his wife and father were, rather than go looking or ask a servant. "We've visitors, where are you?"

"Here!" A voice was heard from somewhere inside the keep, coming from the direction of the family room where a fire was blazing in the hearth and Justine was trying to relax and get comfortable, which was not an easy feat at her stage in the pregnancy.

Shedding her cloak, hat, and gloves, Juliana grinned at the sound of her sister-in-law's voice, glancing at Joslin. "Go on, my bonny," she told her husband, gesturing for him to lead the way. "You've been eager to see her since we set off."

Joslin flashed a happy grin before touching a kiss to his wife's cheek and going off to find where his sister was hiding. As much as he loved his wife and their life at La Roche, he missed his sister terribly, and he knew Juliana felt the same about her brother. Thankfully, they were not so far away that they could not see each other on occasion. He envisioned himself sweeping his sister off her feet, but when he found her at last, he realized that would not be prudent in her condition.

Luckily for Joslin's standing with his sister, she was in the company of her father-in-law, Aidan, who noticed the young man before the look on his face could be noticed by the very pregnant Justine. "Och, and will ye look at tha'," he declared cheerfully, pushing himself onto his feet to offer Joslin his hand. "Welcome tae Darroch, Jos. Did ye bring ma wee bonny with ye, or is she stuck fendin' off her brother in yon hallway?"

"Good to see you, Aidan," Joslin replied, taking the other man's hand with a warm smile in greeting. "Juli is in the hall with Bryce. How are you?" he asked politely, though it was clear it was his sister he wanted to see.

"Old and cold," Aidan told him cheerfully, jerking his head toward Justine. "And spoiled by ma company. Go on, lad, gi'yer love tae y'sister there." Clapping Jos on the shoulder fondly, his eyes turned to the doorway behind the knight, and his face lit up happily as Juliana walked in to embrace her father.

Joslin wasted no time in going to his sister, though the embrace he gave her was far gentler than the one he'd envisioned. There was a moment where a few tears were shed and whispers of greeting were exchanged while the siblings embraced, and then it was over, and they were joined by their spouses and the paternal head of the family.

"Och, look at you," Juliana exclaimed with a warm smile when she was certain Jos and Justine had had the moments they most needed. "Pretty as a picture." She moved to bend and embrace Justine gently, kissing her friend's hair.

Bryce was grinning as he nudged his father back to the older man's chair - whatever he had been up to in the workshops could apparently wait now that family had come to visit.

Justine didn't bother trying to get up, not only because she was huge, but because every time she moved she was in pain. She smiled up at her sister-in-law, embracing her as well as she could, noticing something she had not been told yet. "Juli, are you?" she asked hopefully, noticing the looser bit of her dress and knowing how much her husband's sister wanted to have a child.

Juliana's smile softened as she crouched down beside Justine's chair. "Aye, we are," she nodded, surprised Jos hadn't told his sister the moment they set eyes on one another. "As spring turns to summer, with the Goddess' blessing, we'll have a wee bairn of our own."

Jos hadn't had the chance to share the good news just yet, and even if he had, he wanted to wait for Juliana. Justine hoped the pair would forgive her for not jumping up and down with excitement, but jumping up and down was not something she could do right now. She smiled warmly at them both, "I'm so happy for ..." She broke off, her smile fading as she visibly tensed.

"I'm sorry," Justine muttered again, as she wound her arms around Bryce's neck.

"Aye, I have her," Bryce nodded to his brother-in-law, bending to lift Justine into his arms safely as she wrapped her arms about his neck. "Och, shush now, you wee silly," he told her fondly, mounting the steps with confidence. "Stop your apologizing. You're birthing, 'tis all. No woman can do it alone, there's no shame in needing the help."

"You know I love you, oui?" she asked, her voice not much more than a whisper beside his ear as he lifted her into his arms.

Joslin took up the rear, pretending not to hear the conversation. He was glad his sister had someone like Bryce to love her and look after her. They had both been luckier than most, but that would not stop him from praying while she underwent the ordeal of labor.

"Aye, love, I know it," Bryce promised Justine softly as he bore her in his sister's wake, touching a gentle kiss to her ear in return for her whisper. "As I love you. As I will always love you, until the stars fall. The heather on my hills, and don't you forget it."

"How can I forget when you ..." She broke off a moment as she winced again, still clinging to his neck. She didn't really want him to leave her, but she knew this was something a woman had to do on her own without men getting in the way. She might have asked him to pray to the Goddess that all went well, but she knew he would do that without her asking.

"Easy, my bonny, easy there." Bryce hadn't realized it yet, but he was talking to his wife the way he talked to horses in labor - gently encouraging, willing her to get through, promising to be there for her. Marta was already waiting in the chamber set aside for Justine's birthing, the fire roaring, and the pallet set up in front of the flames where the children would be born.

Juliana paused in the doorway, gesturing for Bryce to take his wife through, and turned to her own husband. "There's nothing to fear," she promised Jos softly. "She's strong, and the babes seem to be in the right places. A few hours, love, and you'll be an uncle."

Justine would have been perfectly happy to stay in Bryce's protective embrace as long as he'd have her, but the children inside her waiting to be born had other ideas.

As they disappeared into the birthing room, Joslin came to a sudden stop just outside the door, a worried frown on his face for his sister. "A few hours that will seem like a few days," he complained, though there was nothing he or anyone else could do to speed things up. Nature had to take its course, and the babies would be born in due time.

"Aye, well, t'will be good practice for you," Juliana told her husband with a wry smile, leaning up to kiss him softly. "Take charge of Bryce. Go riding, spar with him, do something to keep both your minds off what is happening in here. It truly won't be so long, I promise you."

Joslin only frowned further at her suggestion. "I do not think he will want to be far away," he whispered back, her kiss do little to comfort him, as much as he enjoyed it. He didn't want to assume anything would go wrong, but he didn't want them to be too far away in case they did.

"She is in the Goddess' hands now," Juliana told him sternly. "Support him, as I will support her. We will all get through this, Jos. Don't let yourself think otherwise."

Inside the room, Bryce had gently laid Justine down on the pallet by the fire, kissing her tenderly, trying to smile for her sake. "I'll see you soon, my bonny," he promised her. "You'll be a wee mama in no time at all."

"And you will be a papa," Justine said quietly, clutching his hand, a soft smile on her face. Despite the pain, she was happy. A little fearful, but eager to at last bring their children into the world. "Try not to worry. I will see you soon," she promised him, even as Juliana was reassuring Joslin. They would get through this together, and Justine was glad she wasn't alone.

"Aye, you will," Bryce assured her, kissing her hand as she clutched at him, ignoring Marta's clucking.

Marta had brought him, his brother, and his sister into the world; she knew them well enough to know that Bryce would only leave when he was ordered to, and even then, it would be with reluctance. "All right, m'lady," she said calmly, kneeling at the foot of the pallet. "I shall tek a wee looksee, and we'll know where w'are."

Justine nodded her head, knowing this was Bryce's cue to take his leave. "Je t'adore," she told him quietly, for his hearing alone, though Marta likely overheard. Meanwhile, Joslin waited for his charge at the door, wondering how he was going to manage to distract Bryce, much less himself, until it was all over.

"And I you, love," Bryce whispered back to her, kissing his wife fiercely one last time before obediently rising to take his leave, albeit with dragging feet.

Juliana ushered him out, closing the door behind him. She turned to Justine with an encouraging smile, rolling up her sleeves. "And now the real work begins, sister."

Justine smiled, mostly for Bryce's sake, watching as he departed, before another series of contractions reminded her why she was there. She might have answered Juliana if not for the pain. Instead, she reached for her hand and gripped it hard, while still remembering to breathe.

Taking Justine's hand, Juliana curled her arm to her sister's back, helping to support her as Marta inspected between her legs.

"Tis time, m'lady," the older woman said, sounding surprised that the labor had progressed so far without her mistress breathing a word of her discomfort. "Out o' that heavy dress, and we'll tae it. Jules, y'know what tae to."

"Spot the real mistress of Darroch," Juliana murmured comically to Justine, moving to unlace the heavy overdress her sister wore. "It will not be long now, sweetling. There'll be pain, aye, and you'll feel weariness of a sort come over you, but your bairns will be with you by night's fall."

Under ordinary circumstances, Justine might not have endured Marta's poking and prodding, but these circumstances were nothing if ordinary. It was torture getting that overdress off, but she endured it, like she'd been enduring all of it so far. She knew the worst was yet to come, and yet, she'd have at least two children to show for it when all was said and done - or so they believed.

It was in the birthing chamber that the real strength of the borderland women came into play. Denied the physicians of Francia and Coimbra, they had learned to deliver themselves, and they knew tricks that no court-trained physician would ever learn. The herbs that burned calmed the laboring mother; the herbs in the water used to cool her skin soothed her; the herbs in the water she drank helped to dull the pain. Not only those tricks, but others, too ....As Marta guided the firstborn from Justine's womb, Juliana knelt behind her, pressing her fingers into certain places on her sister's back and neck, places that seemed to know how to alleviate the pain when touched just so.

"Aye, and do you hear her any longer?" Bryce demanded, angry more with himself for not having the courage to sit and wait the way his father and brother-in-law could. "No, there's only the sound of the bairn." He gripped Joslin's tunic tightly in his fists. "I know myself, Jos. I cannot love a child that takes my Justine from me, and I know that her soul will never forgive me for it. I cannot lose her. I would rather she were barren than to lose her like this."

"You will not lose her," Joslin assured him, gripping both the man's shoulders. He hoped he was right. Though he had no way of knowing for sure, he refused to believe otherwise. He had faith in the Goddess, and he did not believe She would fail them now, not after all they'd already been through. On the other hand, he was nearly as anxious as Bryce was for news. "Do not lose faith, mon frere. We will knock on the door, together, oui" But we will not go inside."

But as it turned out, there was no need to knock. They heard the door open, the sound of babies' cries louder, and were treated to the sight of little Laurel, her arms full of linens that had carefully been turned to hide the blood, actually skipping down the hall, a huge smile on her face. Bryce stared at the girl, not entirely able to reconcile the sheer happiness radiating from her with the screams they had heard not long before.

Joslin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "You see, mon frere" All is well," he told him, leaning forward, his hands still gripping Bryce's shoulders, and kissing him soundly on each cheek in the customary way of his own people. "Congratulations. You're a father."

"I ..." Bryce's stuttering gave way to a very manly grimace as Jos kissed his cheeks, pulling away with comical dismay to wipe his face as though he'd been splattered with something distasteful. "'Tis your sister I married, man, not you," he pointed out, but the panic had gone from his face and voice as his eyes turned hopefully toward the birthing chamber. "D'you think they'll let us in now?"

Despite his worries, Joslin laughed at his companion's reaction to something his people found perfectly ordinary. "The worst they can tell us is no," he replied, though he thought that if Laurel's smile was anything to go by, the danger had passed. "Go on ..." he urged the other man with a nod of his head. "She's your wife. Knock!"

Bryce didn't need to be told twice, striding to the door to knock heavily.

The voice that answered was Marta's, and she wasn't brooking any argument. "You stay out there, y'impatient hellion," the housekeeper called to him pointedly. "Gi'yer wee woman a chance tae clean up!"

Bryce actually blushed as he was scolded through the wood, stepping back from the door like a child expecting a slap.

Joslin tried not to laugh but just couldn't help himself, as Bryce - the heir to Darroch - was effectively scolded by his housekeeper. "There's your answer, impatient hellion," Jos teased, a merry twinkle in his eyes. So far, they had encountered no screaming or weeping, and he figured that was a good sign. "Permets-moi!" he said, practically brushing Bryce aside to take his place. He cleared his throat before knocking on the door. "Allo! We only want to know if the lady and her small ones are well!"

"And y'can wait oot there 'til we're done, and all," was Marta's response to Joslin's attempt at gaining entrance, followed by the distinctive sound of Juliana's laughter.

Feeling better about his own failure, Bryce laid a hand against his brother-in-law's shoulder. "Maybe they'd be nicer to us if we had food and drink for them," he suggested.

"They have to let us in sooner or later," Joslin replied with a frown. "We will be right here waiting!" Jos called back, hearing his wife's laughter, along with a distinct giggle he thought might belong to Justine. "What can they be doing in there?" he mused aloud, as if there was nothing to giving birth.

"Dancin' a jig?" Bryce suggested, shrugging. He didn't have the first idea what happened immediately after a baby was born, and if he was honest, he didn't want to know. He stepped back, turning to lean comfortably on the wooden railing that separated this landing from the great hall below. "I heard her laugh," he said quietly, a small smile on his face. "She's laughing, Jos."

"Laughing is good," Joslin agreed, giving his friend's shoulder a squeeze. "She will be tired, I'm sure, but it is good to hear her laugh." It was good to hear them both laugh. "You know, Juli is with child, too." He sighed, a small frown on his face. "She was so worried she would not be able to have a child."

"Aye, I know," Bryce said quietly. "'Tis something that's worried her since she was a lass. Her moon time came later than Ma expected it, and the womenfolks said it was a sign Jules would never bear children. But you've proved them wrong, both of you. You'll be a fine father, Jos."

"Goddess willing, I hope so," Jos replied, taking a lean beside his friend, while they awaited admittance to the birthing room to witness for themselves the fruits of Justine's labor. "We are hoping to winter over here in Darroch, if you will have us."

"Your wee duchess can live without you for the winter?" Bruce asked curiously. He knew that Alys had grown fond of Juliana, almost as fond as she was of Justine, and that Jos had duties to his lord. What he didn't know was that the Duke and Duchess of Lonnare had guests wintering with them anyway. "Aye, you're welcome to winter with us. Justine will be glad of it - she misses you, Jos, though she tries to hide it."

Joslin chuckled at Bryce's question, or more accurately at the way the man had phrased it, but so long as he didn't refer to Joslin as a wee anything, he didn't find it necessary to correct him. "As we miss you both, but things are quiet in Lonnare these days, and we have been given leave to remain here until spring."

"Could be Justine and the bairns will be strong enough to travel in spring," Bryce mused. "Could be we'll come to summer with you, as you'll winter with us. My father can handle the keep, though he'd miss us being gone."

"We would be happy to have you," Joslin replied, knowing he spoke for both himself and Juliana when he said that. "Juli misses you, too, but I think she has settled in well in Lonnare. The duchess has grown very fond of her," he added, though as close as they'd become to Charles and Alys, friendship would never substitute for family.

"Even when she bullies about eating proper and resting well?" Bryce chuckled. He did know his sister, after all; he'd grown up with her, and had many fond memories of being nursed through sickness and injury at her hands. "Glad I am to know she has settled at last. She was a-feared she might never be accepted by your people."

"Darroch and Dunfayre will always be her home, I think, but so long as we can come here and visit now and then, I hope she will never grow too homesick for it," Joslin said, wondering if his sister was faring as well as here as he and Juliana were in Lonnare. "Justine seems happy here. I am glad of that."

"As am I," Bryce nodded in agreement. "She's took well to life as a border lady - less rules here, I think. But she misses her home, too. Your duchess' joke about the road becoming the Ladies' Way might well come true, with all the traveling we'll be doing back and forth." He grinned at Jos, glancing up as the door behind them was opened.