Stephen swaggered into the room looking around at its decorations, the flowers held behind his back. The school allowed the students to decorate their rooms as they would like, since many spent years occupying the same one. Amanda's room was much the way it was at home, a lot of black with the ceiling painted as a star-scape. As he finally looked to Amanda, he grinned. ?Well good day tae ye lil' loverly.?
Amanda's eyes--mirrors of her mothers--were glued to Stephen the second he entered into the room, looking him over in a serious critique. She sent a quick glance to her mother that didn't convey much before standing and dropping into the best formal curtsy her school-uniform skirt would allow. ?A pleasure to meet you...Captain Kidd.? It took her a moment to retrieve the name from her memory.
?Pfffft....please do nae do tha' stuff on the account o' me....an' ye may call me Stephen.? He held out the flowers. ?These are fer ye I hope ye li'e'em.?
She smiled a little, her entire demeanor easing up when he insisted that such formalities weren?t necessary. It only grew at being presented with flowers. What girl didn't like flowers from a man, even if he was courting her mother? Grey eyes lit up and she took the flowers from him, bringing them right up to her nose to smell them. A 'look' from her mother and she blushed, remembering herself. ?Thank you...you didn't have to bring me flowers.? There was a little pause before she questioned suspiciously: ?Are you trying to bribe me??
"Amanda!"
"What?" She looked to her mother innocently, as if she had said nothing wrong and just received an exasperated look from her mother.
Stephen leaned down to whisper conspiratorially with Amanda, ?Would gold or silver work better if I were??
She seemed to seriously be considering this when Jewell interrupted, "Stephen, don't encourage her!" She stepped over to Amanda, holding her hand out for the flowers, "Let me put them in water for you sweets."
She returned her mother?s exasperated look to her at the reprimand she gave Stephen, handing the flowers over and pointing out a vase for her to use. Then she all her attention was on Stephen again, "Do you usually bribe women into liking you?"
?Only when its important otherwise I just ply them wit' wine an' song til they li'e me.?
Jewell shook her head as she grabbed the vase and went into the adjoining washroom, laughing quietly to herself as she heard his answer.
Amanda didn't seem as impressed or amused, "So you've drugged my mother with wine and seduced her into liking you?" Oh yeah, she was putting on a tough front, her arms crossed over her chest.
?Well aye..um no well she drugged me wit' wine...but tha' was after she li'ed me so tha' does nae count tha' only sped up the proposal.? He exhaled loudly. ?Actually I thin' yer mum li'es me cause i brided 'er by watchin' out fer 'er an' by takin' care o' 'er a couple times.?
Little brows went up in perfect imitation of a look Jewell would give before Amanda looked furiously towards the washroom door at the mention of a proposal. Jewell had omitted that part nicely! Stephen managed to smooth it over with what he added afterwards, though. Amanda sighed, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, "She always needs taking care of. You've been looking after her?" She felt safe in saying that as Jewell had the water running obnoxiously loud and was taking an awful long time filling the vase.
?Aye it be li'e a full time job...when she will let me.? He found a chair and took a seat. ?She can be stubburn sometimes ye know.?
She actually laughed at that, "I bet you've seen nothing yet." She swung her feet a little, watching them a moment, ?I'm the one that found her almost dead last May. She wouldn?t let anyone help her even then.? A tiny frown marred her features and she looked back up at him, ?Why do you want to even bother, then, when she's so much trouble??
He smiled brightly when she asked him that. ?Tha' be easy luv. I love 'er. I love 'er fer the way she tries so hard fer e'eryone she cares about an' will nae e'er give up. I love her fer all the ways tha' she is perfect and fer all the ways tha' she is nae perfect. Simply put I love 'er.?
She couldn't exactly argue with that and she was sure Stephen knew it from the look that crossed her face, like she was reluctant to give up on an obviously lost battle. She eyed him a moment, just to ensure that he was being sincere. "Stars above," shaking her dark-curled head, "at least you're better then the last one." That was her concession for now.
?Well good an' I 'ope tha' means ye li'e me since there ain't goin' tae be nae more after me? He grinned a bit. ?So are ye thirsty?? asked as he pulled the flask from his pocket.
His confidence had her rolling her eyes a little, but there was the hint of a grin on her lips that she couldn't conceal. Greys were then widening as he pulled a flask out, "What's in that?"
Jewell turned the water off, humming a little to try and let them know she was going to be coming back in, thinking she had given them reasonable enough time to either talk or kill each other.
?Jus' a lil port wine.? He took the cap off and took a small sip.
She was going to object that this was a school but opted for another route, smirking, "Do I make you that nervous?"
Jewell swept into the room then, arching a brow at Stephen as he took a sip from his flask. She set the vase down on the dresser before sitting besides Amanda on her bed, draping her arms around the young girl's shoulders. "I'm glad you didn't kill him, Manda. I'd be very cross."
He looked at Amanda and gave it a thought before answering. ?Quite frankly...aye tha' ye do lil lassie.?
Amanda looked all too pleased with his answer, flashing her mother a bright smile. "I make him nervous," she said quietly to her.
Jewell shook her head, laughing as she messed up her daughter?s curls with her hand, "I noticed. You are quite scary. But I think Stephen was more afraid you would tell him to get lost and that he couldn't see me anymore."
"I could have done that?" It was hard to tell if she was kidding as she looked between the two, seemingly upset no one had informed her of this before the interview began.
?Aye well ye still could ye know.....I told yer mum tha' we could nae get married unless ye gave yer approval.? He figured honesty was the best policy.
"Really?" She looked to Jewell for confirmation and furrowed her brow at her mother's nod. "You cared that much about what I think? You know she'd just marry you anyways whether I said yes or not." An angry jab to her mother's side at that, provoking an ?ow!? and a shove in return.
?Well ye are part o' 'er an' if ye were unhappy tha' would make 'er unhappy.? He shrugged, ?She migh' 'ave dun tha' but I would nae 'ave gone along fer it against yer wishes.?
She studied Stephen longer this time, falling under the pirate's charm the same as her mother had. A little nod and she looked aside to Jewell and stated seriously, "I like him."
Jewell tried to hide her smile to no avail, "Me too." As Amanda looked back to Stephen, Jewell sent him a discrete wink.
"I guess you can marry her," Amanda changed her tone to make it seem like she was relenting, giving permission.
?Does tha' mean tha' I can teach yer lil brothers an' sisters 'ow tae talk li'e pirates too?? He was getting excited.
"Not Moradin.? Was the quick response.
Jewell felt the need to elaborate on that a little more, stroking Amanda's hair now instead of messing it up. "Moradin is like her baby, practically. Both he and I almost died when I gave birth and Amanda is bonded to him now."
"So you can teach the others, but not him. Are we gonna go find him? His lessons should be over soon."
?Aye we should do tha' go an' get his approval.?
The girl hopped right up, dragging on her mother's arm to pull her off the bed. "Come on?we gotta go. You know," chatting with Stephen in a friendly manner as she continued to pull on Jewell?s arm, "he'll approve just because I do."
