Trasna na huiscí

"I am going to have a real sword like Da someday, fight the English bastards", vowed Kevin.

Sergio laughed at the boy as they finished their practice, Kevin putting aside his small iron sword. "No ahora, Kevin. When you get your fifteenth summer, I will have a real sword forged for you. But first you must prove you are a good fighter and I will teach you how to shoot a pistol as well", he said.

Kevin's eyes went wide as saucers. "I want to learn, Sergio. Da was a soldier and his Da was a soldier, us O'Flaherty's have always been fighters", he boasted.

"Verdad, chico. You could serve a great Lord if you are good enough, or perhaps go to Madrid", said Sergio, checking his sword blade for any nicks.

Sergio looked up and saw Aine, a smirk on ihs face when he saw the bright pink blush on her cheeks. "Hola, mi tesoro", he drawled.

"Hola, Sergio", she mumbled. Sergio wore tight black trousers that clung to his muscular legs and hugged his slim waist, his chest bare and displaying his toned muscles and strong arms covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"Te gustas, mi tesoro? Estas muy bonita tambien", he said gallantly.

Kevin giggled at the blush on his sister's cheeks. "When you get to the right age, you will like girls", he teased.

"Sergio, where is your daughter?", she asked.

"Azucena is at La Santa Teresa convent school, she is coming back in two weeks. It is a school for girls of good breeding, she will be back before our wedding and she will stay with us. I can't wait for you to meet her", he said with a smile.

Aine was caught off guard at the softness of his expression when he spoke of his daughter. "Azucena's mother was Maria Celia Perez, the daughter of Lord Perez of Sevilla. We were engaged when she got pregnant, we had a quick wedding to legitimize our baby but she died in childbirth. She is my daughter, even if the way she was born was hasty. My own brother baptized her and she is my heiress, she is not a bastard", he growled.

Aine took a step back when she saw the intensity that turned his eyes black, his lips pressed in a thin line. "Lo siento, Aine. But my daughter is not a bastard, she is going to be my heiress and I will make a great match for her when she is old enough. I don't want you feeling jealous, the other women my father wanted me to marry would not have accepted her and thought she was a bastard", he said bitterly.

"How terrible, Sergio. She is your child, how can they say that?", she demanded.

"Porque ellas no gustan ninos, they want their own children and would have ignored her in front of their own children", said Sergio.

"Then I will be a good mother to your daughter", vowed Aine.

Fernando stopped his black stallion and dismounted, taking Ciara's hand and helping her dismount her gray mare. "This is one of my favorite places in the hills, my cabin is nearby. I had it built so I could be alone sometimes", he said.

Fernando had suggested they got riding and the castle cook had packed a little picnic lunch for them, watching as he spread out a blanket and taking out a loaf of bread, a small cheese, some ham and two apples along with a bottle of wine. Ciara sat cross-legged and rearranged her skirts as he cut a slice of cheese and handed it to her, cutting one for himself. She nodded in thanks and ate the cheese, watching as he uncorked the wine and poured her a glass. "This is so very different from Castile, my mother's people were from around here. My English grandmother was from my father's side, my mother's people were Andaluz. Since my brother is going to inherit my father's lands, I will inherit my mother's property", he said.

"What happend to your mother?", she asked.

"She died in childbirth, along with my sister who was stillborn, my father never remarried", he said, looking down at the ground.

Ciara moved closer and hugged him. "Gracias, mi corazon. If we have children, I want you to be careful", he said.

"My mother died birthing Kevin, Da never remarried either", said Ciara.

"Que malo, mi corazon", he said.

Fernando just held her and stroked her hair, running his fingers though her black curls. They felt like silk against his calloused fingertips as he whspered in her ear, his lips barely touching her skin. Ciara felt her skin grow warm all of a sudden and a blush formed on her cheeks as Fernando smiled knowingly. "You are like a filly turned from a colt, corazon. Has no one ever courted you?", he whispered huskily.

"I am a younger sister, I have to wait until Aine marries. Many of the men were in the army or fighting in Ulster, there were rumors about a match for Aine but nothing came of it", she replied.

"Is it all right if I say I would be jealous if tenias uno novio, corazon? I don't want any other man touching you", he growled.

Ciara was taken aback by the intensity in his voice, his brown eyes flashing with anger. His expression softened and he smiled at her, bringing her hand to his lips and lightly kissing the fingertips. "Lo siento, mi corazon, if I scared you. But I am a Spaniard, we have hot blood and I have a jealous streak. But I will not hurt you, Ciara", he whispered.

"I will hold you to that, Fernando", she teased.

Fernando just laughed as he prepared their lunch and poured them each another glass of wine. "Verdad, corazon", he agreed.

Ciara was feeling very good as Fernando packed up their lunch, helping her up to her feet. "The wine must be getting to you, lo siento", he said.

"I'm not used to wine, I will have to if I am going to be living in Spain", she giggled.

"I am taking you home and t hen I will ride back to my castle", he said, helping her onto her mare and leading the horse by the reins.

"Sergio, make sure she has a nap, the wine got to her", said Fernando when they arrived.

"I hope you did not take advantage, Nando", he warned.

"No, Sese. I was raised better than that, I don't think she's used to drinking wine", he said.

Aine ran over when she saw her sister, glaring daggers at Fernando. "If you hurt my sister, Kevin and I will kill you", she growled.

"No hago nada malo, Aine. Your sister is not used to drinking wine, she needs to rest", he said.

"Aine, have you had sparkling wine before? It's wonderful", giggled Ciara.

"No, and you are drunk", said Aine crossly, leading the girl to her room. "Elena, get Ciara ready for bed and let her sleep", she told the serving woman.

Fernando was satisfied that Ciara was in good hands and mounted his horse, riding back towards his own castle. His pistol was secure in its holster and his sword at his side as he had the stallion in a trot, a wide-brimmed straw hat on his head to keep the sun off his face. There was a slight breeze coming from the mountains and rustling the leaves on the trees, a sparrow singing in one of them and the scent of wildflowers in the air.

Fernando handles the reins to the groom and dismounted, ordering his manservant Pepe to have the other servants draw a bath and get him a glass of sherry. "How did your courting go, Nando?", teased the older man.

"Ciara had a bit too much wine and she had to sleep it off. She is Irish and not used to wine", he said.

"I hope this girl will be a good wife and breed a fine son who will be your heir, it is about time you married", said Pepe.

Fernando nodded in thanks as he drank his wine. "I am not an old man yet, Pepe. When I marry Ciara then I will have an heir, and it would not be a bad thing if we had a daughter beautiful like her madre", he chuckled.

"Verdad, a beautiful girl with an inheritance would make a good match", agreed Pepe.

Fernando went upstairs to his chamber and was pleased when he saw the tub was ready for him. He took off his clothes and set them aside for the servants to wash, sinking into the hot water with a sigh as he began his bath. Fernando dried off with the towel and went over to his wardrobe, taking out a clean pair of breeches and a white shirt as he got dressed. I hope Sergio and Aine get married soon, then we can get married, he thought.

Fernando stood outside on the balcony and looked around at the scene around him. The peaks of the mountains in the distance had just the tiniest bit of snow and their bases were planted with vines just starting to ripen, the fields surrounding the castle gradually ripening under the July sun. All this will be truly mine after I marry Ciara and we have a baby, he mused. He smiled at the vision of the beautiful Irish girl in her finery on their wedding day and then pregnant with their child. I cannot wait, he thought with a grin.