Chapter 377: Disturbance (2)
Back at the Castro estate, Penelope laid on Tyrion’s arm since there wasn’t a pillow or cushion around for her to use.
Penelope looked up at the sky. It had been a while since she had stopped to admire its beauty.
A large tree beside where the couple lay shielded them from the blazing sun.
"I must remember to have Winston take out the coats and set them to the side. Fall will soon be upon us, and then winter. We will have so much to prepare for, like our father’s birthdays. Do you think we would be out of Lockwood by then?" Penelope asked, rolling on her side to see Tyrion.
"Perhaps. If we cannot return before their birthdays, they shouldn’t be angry. We have celebrated with them each year. Something is wrong that you think of our fathers now," Tyrion said, placing his hand on Penelope’s bare waist.
"I am thinking about our future. It is unknown, but there are a few steps I think we should plan out. We must start looking into where our home will be outside of Lockwood. What if there are changes which need to be made?" Penelope asked, eager to find their new home.
"As the servants work, we will travel the kingdom. We can go where no one will know us. Perhaps we can use different names," Tyrion suggested.
"You bear great resemblance to your parents. One look at you and one could tell that you are royalty. For me, all I need to do is not use the Collins or Castro name. We will need to get you a hat to cover your face," Penelope said, imagining Tyrion with a large hat.
Penelope drew a circle on Tyrion’s chest with her finger. "What about going to the border? During the few times that we went there, we were never bothered. They were only interested in speaking with my father because of his old days helping with wars."
"I would like to see the border. I would go there not as the prince, but merely as your husband," said Tyrion.
"My husband is a prince. You cannot change it, and even if you could, I would not allow you to. Then it is settled. We will find a home. One that is not owned by my father, and we will travel while there are repairs," Penelope concluded.
Deciding on the town they would live in and where to place their home would provide Penelope with a much-needed distraction when they were to leave the Castro residence.
"It is good that we both agree that it shouldn’t be owned by your father. We already know where we will reside because my father has gifted us land. We didn’t have time to speak of it," Tyrion said, twirling strands of Penelope’s hair around his finger as he spoke.
"I forgot about it. Is it in Lockwood?" Penelope asked, hoping that it wasn’t.
"No. It is near where your family resides when the season has not started. You will be close to your family when we are out of Lockwood, unless you want to move elsewhere?" Tyrion asked, giving Penelope the freedom to pick.
"No," Penelope shook her head. "Getting land from the king is a good gift. We mustn’t turn it away. Is there a mansion that sits on the land?"
"There is. It once belonged to a noble who served the Castros well, but he had no heirs, so when he died, nothing was done with the land. I will start the needed work to turn it into our home," said Tyrion.
"Wonderful," Penelope said, lying back down on Tyrion’s arm. "Is there something wrong with me for thinking it is too quiet? I expected by now that someone would disturb us or our home would be in disarray, so Winston would send for us."
"You want there to be trouble?"
"No, I just find it hard to believe that we have the peace we sought. Doesn’t it feel like something is wrong? I cannot shake the feeling."
"I feel at peace now that I have proven my shoulder is well," said Tyrion.
"You have not proven it to me. I am not searching for trouble; it just feels odd. Maybe it is because I have not come across such peace in a while," Penelope said, yet to shake the feeling. "I haven’t written to my mother. I should do that, and then I will be at ease."
"We told everyone not to bother us. They will think you have grown bored of me if you already write to them. We must make use of the day," Tyrion said, rolling on his side.
Tyrion brushed Penelope’s hair out of her face, the bits of leaves and grass humouring him.
"Focus on me," Tyrion said, touching Penelope’s chin to keep her looking at him. "All will be well. We will visit the others when we leave. There’s no telling when we will get peace like this."
"You are right," Penelope said, thinking something was wrong with her. "How silly am I to be expecting trouble. We must get up and explore."
"We have three days," Tyrion reminded Penelope.
"Yes, but I wanted to ride," Penelope said, sitting up.
It was too good a day not to ride her horse.
"Haven’t you done so already?" Tyrion teasingly asked.
Penelope playfully hit Tyrion’s leg and slipped away from him. "If you are not careful, your leg will be injured. We have lain around long enough, and we will have plenty of time to do it over the next two days. I want to ride a horse now."
Penelope gathered her dress and shoes. Her appearance wouldn’t be tidy, but all that mattered was making it back to her room without too many servants seeing her.
Tyrion sighed, giving up. "It is truly my fault for putting you back in good spirits. Had I let you believe this peace was suspicious, we would still be lying around."
"Finally, you notice your big mouth gets you in trouble," Penelope said, pushing Tyrion back down so she would have a head start at getting dressed.