((Takes place around two to three weeks after Always and Forever.))

November 12th, 1614

Almost a full month after the wedding in Dunfayre that had bound a lady of the borders and a knight of Lonnare together before the Goddess, the ducal seat of Arindale was edgy with anticipation. Only that morning, word had arrived of the approach of Sir Joslin de La Roche and his company, and within an hour, there were two members of Duke Charles' household who were anxious to ride out and meet the couple on horseback. The deep snow, however, kept Bryce and Justine from fulfilling that wish, both having to concede that it was nothing more than cruelty to force a horse from his warm stable and into the drifts purely to satisfy a human's impatience. Duchess Alys was treated to the sight of them both pacing back and forth for most of the morning, until finally they heard the sound of hooves on the flagstones of the courtyard.

Pausing only long enough to throw a cloak about himself, Bryce Darroch darted for the door, plunging out into the falling snow to snatch his little sister down from her horse with a loud yell of greeting. As the borderland siblings embraced, Alys paused in the doorway, her own shawl wrapped tightly about herself as she looked to the de La Roche siblings in amusement. It seemed as though border manners were definitely less restrained than those trained into the courts of Francia.

"My lord!" Justine called after her betrothed as he darted out the door with hardly a word of warning. She knew how much he had missed his sister and his home and how hard it had been for him to remain here while they awaited the knight's return. Her only fear was that he would not be willing to part with her, when the time came for parting, and he would chose his sister's love over hers. She tugged her shawl tighter as she watched from the door, with Lady Alys looking on beside her. "He loves her greatly," she mused aloud, but then, did she not love her brother as well and had worried about him' Her gaze drifted to that of the brother she had not seen since he'd gone off to do the duke's bidding and had not returned, and her eyes filled with tears. There had been a time when she had feared him dead and worried she'd never see him again. "Joslin," she whispered, as he hopped off his horse, leaving the two siblings to reunite in an embrace while he sought out his own sister.

The duchess smiled gently. "They have not seen one another for more than a year, Justine," she reminded her friend gently, knowing how tightly she had held onto her own brother after five years' absence. "But she is here. Her choice is made, and so is his. He loves you, anyone with eyes can see it, and he wants you to see his borderlands." She nudged her friend gently, her smile deepening as Justine's eyes went to her own brother.

In the courtyard, Juliana's laughter was wild as Bryce lifted her off her feet to spin her about, setting her down only when she hit him soundly about the head.

Justine's eyes filled with tears as she watched the two embrace before turning her eyes to her own brother, who seemed hearty and whole, though to her eyes, he seemed to have changed a little, too.

There was no mistaking he was happy to be home, happy to see her, happy to have brought a lady along with him, but there was a sadness in him, too. Grief perhaps from the loss of his men or homesickness or both. Despite this, he came straight to her, taking her by the hands and kissing each cheek before wrapping her in an embrace of his own. "Sister," he greeted her. "I have missed you."

Alys watched from the shelter of the doorway, marking the differences and similarities between the two sets of siblings. She would miss Justine when her friend left to make her home in the borders, but she was determined to make sure that Juliana settled well to life at Arindale and La Roche. Shivering a little, she called for warmed wine to be prepared and left in one of the reception rooms, raising her voice to the little group outside. "My lords, my ladies ....I am too cold to be gracious and polite on the doorstep," she informed them with a cheeky cast to her smile. "Come and join me inside before you take the measure of one another. I don't want to miss anything!"

Justine touched a hand to her brother's cheek, a soft smile on her face, despite the tears in her eyes. "Are you well, brother" I have been worried for you."

But before Joslin could reply, the Lady of Arindale was interrupting to invite them all inside where it was warmer. Joslin smiled and closed his hands around his sister's. "I am well, petite. Come, we will have time to talk once we are settled."

In a strange juxtaposition between the two sets of siblings, Bryce had wrapped half his cloak around Juliana's shoulders, pulling her along beside him as he moved to join Justine and her brother. "I've a notion the wee duchess may threat to drop her bairn if we keep her waiting too long," he said cheerfully, secure in the knowledge that the ladies knew his moods and Jos had just spent a good couple of months in Dunfayre. "Shall we go and help her put a cork in it?"

He grunted as Juliana thumped him soundly in the stomach. "Och, you're as bad as you ever were," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Happiness makes your tongue loll without thought."

"He will be even worse now that you're here," Justine remarked, an almost shy smile on her face. She hoped she and Bryce's sister could be friends, since they were about to become family.

"Where is the duke?" Joslin asked, moving to close the door behind Bryce and Juliana to keep out the cold.

"He is on his way," Justine replied, unsure if she should claim her betrothed or let him have his sister a while longer.

"And the duchess is with child, aye?" Juliana asked curiously, batting her brother's hands away as she went through the motions of removing her gloves, scarf, and cloak. Her riding gown was heavy and warm, but she was still chilled from the long ride.

Pouting at the slap to his hand, Bryce retreated to hide behind Justine. "D'you see how she treats me, bonny?" he complained playfully. "T'will be a pleasure not to have the wee bully bouncin' on me regular."

"On the contrary, I think you have missed her," Justine pointed out, stepping aside and taking Bryce's arm so that he could not hide behind her. Though Justine was a knight's sister and Juliana a laird's daughter, there was little worry of rank between them. "My Lady Juliana, it is a pleasure to meet you," she told the other woman with a small curtsy and nod of her head.

"And you must be Bryce," Joslin broke in, a dimpled grin on his face, not much of one for propriety. He slapped a hand on the other man's shoulder to greet him. "I take it you have been treating my sister well," he added, withholding the wink that wanted to make itself known.

"Shh, pet, she's not supposed to know I like her, she's my sister," Bryce informed Justine as she took his arm, grinning down at Juliana. Jos caught his attention, his hand reaching out to offer an arm clasp that spoke more of friendship than a fresh greeting. "Aye, I'm Bryce," he nodded cheerfully, glancing at Justine. "She's not broken any of my bones yet, so I would guess that I've not offended her too much, no." He chuckled warmly. "Tis a pleasure to meet you, Sir Joslin."

A little shyer than the others, who seemed to have an easier way of adjusting themselves to strangers, Juliana curtsied to Justine with a small smile of her own. "I'm no lady," she said softly. "But 'tis a pleasure to be able to call you sister. I've heard much of you, and none to dislike."

This last was overheard by Alys, who looked up with a laughing smile. "Children" My Lord Bryce, I had no idea you had been storming my friend's battlements before marriage!"

"Our children will be cousins," Joslin pointed out, chuckling at Lady Alys' teasing. "Perhaps we should push the wedding forward, non"" Joslin teased at his sister's expense, who was blushing furiously and looking somewhat insulted.

"Are you in such a hurry to have me married off, mon frere"" she asked, tilting her chin a little higher in the air.

"Je suis!" Joslin replied with a grin. "I am already married, and you are not, yet you are older. You should get yourself married before you become an old maid!"

Juliana bit her lips to keep from laughing, not wanting to upset the delicate position she was in by engaging too deeply in what was, essentially, a family affair. Alys, on the other hand, laughed uproariously at the siblings' banter, her amusement only deepened when Bryce nudged Joslin's shoulder.

"Brother or not, I promised to hold the next man who annoyed her so she could punch him herself," he warned the knight cheerfully.

"Oh, I am sure she does not need your help on that accord, mon ami," Joslin replied with a wink in his sister's direction, even as he went and hid behind Juliana. Justine retaliated by sticking her tongue out at her brother. Maybe she'd punch him later. Just then, another voice was heard, as the duke joined them, hands on his hips as he surveyed the small group.

"Well, what have we here" A family reunion?" he asked with a smile of his own as he went to join the duchess.

Of them all in the room, only Juliana had not met the Duke himself, and only Juliana was suddenly very conscious of herself, rising in an awkward hurry to curtsy to the man who could only be Alys' husband. The affection between the couple was obvious - something to aspire to, if she did not have it in her own life already.

Bryce snorted with laughter at his sister's hurried obeisance, choking on his mouthful of wine as Alys rolled her eyes. "Lady Juliana, may I present my husband, Duke Charles of Lonnare" Charles ....the Lady Juliana."

"Lady," Charles replied, affecting a small bow in return. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last. I hope you will find Lonnare to your liking," he offered somewhat cordially, though he wasn't overly fond of cordiality, even at court. He preferred those in his company to feel free to enjoy themselves. "It is my understanding we are to host two weddings. It is not often siblings marry siblings."

"Your Grace." Juliana straightened, casting a wary glance toward Jos. She was fairly sure he had already told her brother of their marriage, but Justine had not seemed to notice when he had teased her with it only moments before. She did not know whether to speak up or not.

"Be calm, Juliana," Alys told her gently. "Charles will not hold an honest tongue against you."

Justine seemed to be a little confused by all the banter, looking from one to the other and back, before turning her gaze to her brother. She did not wish to speak out of turn, especially with the duke and duchess present. Instead, she inched forward, touching a hand to Bryce's sleeve and whispering close to his ear. "They are already married?" she asked quietly.

Covering her hand with his own, Bryce bent to murmur into her ear. "Jules wished to be married from her own home, my bonny, witnessed by the people who watched her grow," he explained softly, as Juliana nervously told the duke that only one wedding needed to be celebrated. "She wished to leave them a wife, and no one had the heart to say no. I don't think it was done with any thought of malice toward us."

She nodded her head, only a little disappointed, but still happy for her brother and hoping she and his Juliana - Bryce's sister and her new sister-in-law - would become fast friends. "Je suis desole, ma dame," she said to Juliana, offering a small curtsy in apology. "I did not know you and my brother are already wed," she said, eyeing Joslin a moment and wondering why she wasn't told sooner.

"Ma soeur," Juliana corrected Justine gently, seeing a little of that disappointment as she turned to take the other woman's hands. "And I am the one should be making my apologies. I have never been outside Darroch, Justine, and now it is no longer my home. The people there have loved me as a daughter, and I could not ride away from them without offering them some comfort in knowing that I was wed. They are eager to meet you, and they will love you as they have loved me. But I could not leave the green hills of Dunfayre a maid." Her eyes flickered toward Jos as she blushed. "And in truth, I was more than a wee bit impatient to be a wife."

There was a flicker of nervousness on Justine's face, more so because she would be leaving her own home and traveling to a strange place to become the Lady of Darroch, but she had faith in Bryce and believed him when he told her she would be very welcome there. "I know that I can never take your place with your people, but I hope they will come to know me and accept me," she said, hands linked to Juliana's.

"They will love you, Justine. How can they not?" Joslin assured her, moving over to press a kiss to his sister's hair.

"You ..." she started, turning to glare at her brother. "How you managed to capture this lovely lady is a mystery to me. He is a cad, you know. Most ....how do you say' Incorrigible."

"He was won over when I won a wrestling match with a sheep," Juliana told Justine with a quiet giggle, sending her own brother off into gales of laughter.

Bryce knew his sister had never really taken to the life of a noble lady, despite their mother's best efforts. "At least you won," he teased her, pinching her cheek gently. Turning to the duke and duchess, he gestured helplessly toward the women. "You see, my lord" I am exchanging one wench for another!"

Justine gasped at Bryce's remark and whacked his arm playfully, though she knew he was only teasing. "A wench, am I" It is not too late to change your mind, my lord," she said, emphasizing his title, as if to remind him that they were of equal rank.

Charles only laughed, as he snaked an arm around Alys' waist. "Do not look to me for help, Bryce. You have dug your own grave, I'm afraid."

"Aye, and he'll leap willingly into it if Justine does, too," Juliana predicted with a warm smile, gently touching her new sister's cheek as she stepped away to claim her own husband.

"Well, we shall have to speed the preparations for the wedding then, won't we?" Alys declared happily. "A day purely for Justine and Bryce, and none of those simpering poppies to bother us, since the winter weather is so difficult for them to travel in."