Fantasy The Arrangement

[Jess Buck]

The castle was a buzz with anticipation for the arrival of the Awaithen royals, and even more importantly, the future King of Erosan. Not only were the staff preparing for the visit, but they were excitedly speculating and gossiping about the Prince and Princess. "I hear Prince Ragnar is an accomplished swordsman, even won his fair share of battles up north."
"Well I heard that it is his sister, Princess Sigrid who was the true guiding force in bringing peace."
"Who cares what they've accomplished? Did you see the portrait they sent to Her Majesty?! Prince Ragnar is quite handsome indeed!" A loud throat clearing hushed the servants and they looked to the head of staff bashfully.
"That is quite enough, don't you think? Get back to work, they shall be here any moment."

Meanwhile, the royal family sat together in Her Majesty Queen Adelaina's office.
"How are you feeling my dear? Meeting your future spouse can be a daunting endeavor. " Her Majesty placed a comforting hand on Irena's knee, "I know you Baba and I's experience is not a common one..." Irena half paid attention as her mother started telling their epic love story for the umpteenth time. She had heard this story more times than she could count. How the Queen and Monarch had been childhood friends and grew to love each other. How they begged Queen Magdalena to accept Monarch Harlynn's proposal. How they planned to run away together before King Roland stopped them and managed to convince his wife to reconsider. How their wedding day was the happiest day of their lives.
"Except for the day you were born! Of course..." Irena chuckled as her parents finished their story. She sighed to herself; how did she feel? If the Princess was honest with herself, she really felt nothing at all. From the moment her parents came to her with the idea of an arranged marriage between her and the Awaithen prince, she could not have cared less. Her whole life has been in preparation for the service to her crown, and this was just another step towards being the perfect Queen. Sure, she wasn't thrilled to be marrying a stranger, but from what she gathered in the letters they sent back and forth, this Prince Ragnar was a decent man and there was a potential for, at the very least, a good friendship between them. Irena knew she'd never have anything close to what her parents did. Their love was an anomaly. But was it selfish of her to think there could be something more? She pushed the thought aside, no use in getting her hopes up. She would marry the Prince and carry on her family's legacy; as was her duty.

She smiled to her parents, the two people in this world who loved her most, and the two people she loved most. "I feel..." Her sentence was cut short by a knock at the door. The head of staff walked in and gave a low bow to the royal family.
"Your Majesties...they have arrived." Irena tensed slightly before catching herself and taking a deep breath. As she and her parent's stood they gave her hesitant glances, but Irena gave them a reassuring nod.
"Well then, we best not keep our guests waiting. Lead the way Andrew." Moment of truth, what would the Awaithen royals be like?

redroseknight

 

[redroseknight]

"Have you ever seen lands this green, sister?" Ragnar marveled once more as the pair of siblings passed the fields being tended to by the peasants of the kingdom. While there were times when Awaithen wasn't completely covered in ice, those times were very few and far between. The mountainous terrain did not offer much land for peasants to plow and plant crops for the harvest, the people instead having to count on hunting wildlife and fishing from the various streams made available to them once the snow began to melt. Oh, there were some places that could be tilled, but not enough to sustain the kingdom the way that Erosan did. Having never been one for diplomatic adventures, it was then easy to see why something so mundane for an Erosan native was so fascinating and exciting. Surely if such land was so plentiful then this marriage would only serve to assist in further trade of food with Erosan to help sustain Awaithen during the winters!

"I haven't, Ragnar, and that's all the more reason we need this introduction to the Erosan royal family to go well. Which it should since you're less likely to say something offensive than Herleif," the dark haired woman teased in response, her mezzo soprano voice having a playful lilt. "I had hoped to be able to study more of Erosan's culture before we departed, but I think that we have been given enough information to at least not make a terrible impression. Would you prefer to be the one to speak for Awaithen or would you prefer that I do so?"

"You know that I dislike social gatherings, Sigrid. Still, I suppose that it would be expected of me to do so since I'm the one engaged to Princess Irena. When it comes to negotiations for trade and amendments of our current treaties, however...that will be where I defer to your wisdom."

Both horses stopped so that the royal siblings could dismount from them, and Sigrid stepped around to face her stallion. Gently she swept her fingers through the horse's thick, fluffy mane to sweep its forelock from its eyes. While the horse's coat was a silver dapple grey, its mane was a stark white hue that contrasted with his mistress's raven tresses of hair.

"Be good for the stable hands, Sleipner, and I will try to see you as often as I can." She smiled as he nuzzled his nose against her chest, then she handed his reins over to a young lad who looked quite tentative to accept them from her. The horse wasn't nearly so daunting as Prince Ragnar and Princess Sigrid! They were much taller than anyone he had ever encountered, and their clothing did not lend to the more light attire of Erosan. In fact, the prince was wearing leather armor even as he arrived to meet his betrothed for the first time. And his sister! She was nearly as tall as her brother, and he caught sight of something shiny on her belt when her cloak shifted. Oh! It was a sword! His gaze shot up to meet the eyes of the princess, and he turned red before stumbling while leading both horses toward the stables.

So their reputations preceded them. She had worn a dress suited for travel since it was a long journey, but she hadn't thought it was anything that should have caused a stir. Her axe was left strapped to Sleipner's saddle since she had thought that a sword would be more common to be seen in Erosan. She would have time to ponder over it later; now she needed to walk with Ragnar to go greet his betrothed. Fortunately they were guided along the way by friendly staff who had been quite eager to see the Awaithen royals for themselves. Did they meet or exceed expectations, she wondered.

"Queen Adelaina, I thank you for your generous hospitality. It is an honor. I am Prince Ragnar, and this is my sister, Princess Sigrid."

She knew that look; Ragnar didn't know how to proceed and was practically begging her with his eyes to help him. Speaking engagements were not his strong suit, so she stepped forward to perform a sweeping curtsy the way she had been taught would be customary in Erosan.

"May Odella smile upon us and grant her blessing for this union between our people." She rose to look beyond Queen Adelaina to see a young woman with vibrant red hair, and she began to reconsider having decided to forego a more ornate dress to travel in. My she must look so plain in comparison to the beautiful princess engaged to her brother. While she had met her fair share of nobility, never had she shared a space with another woman who made her feel so suddenly self-conscious. Because why would Sigrid ever be self-conscious?! She was tall, strong, and with comely features crafted beneath skin so fair it resembled porcelain. One of her eyes was a vivid blue while the other was green, and she had been told that they had the same cunning shine to them as a cat. Though that might have just been flattery, she hadn't asked anyone who didn't have something to gain from her favor. Yet in this moment, Sigrid felt all of those things were false since she was having the opportunity to see what true beauty could be in the form of Princess Irena

 

[Jess Buck]

Every step towards the castle gates felt like lead. Irena had never felt this kind of anxiousness, she suddenly found herself wondering if she was dressed properly. What did her hair look like? She tried to sneak glances at her reflection in the mirrors they passed, but each time they arrived at one it seemed Andrew quickened his pace. It wasn't long before they made it to their destination. It was a gorgeous day; the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly in the sky, almost as if Maikesh himself blessed this meeting. When Irena looked back ahead of herself she saw the Aiwathen royals approaching. Her gaze immediately caught on her betrothed, almost instinctively she begun to analyze every detail on his person. He was much taller than she had expected. The tallest person she had ever met was a recruit for the palace guard who just hit 6ft tall. Prince Ragnar had to be well over that. He had rather long hair, probably to keep his ears warm in the cold, she thought. Long hair was not uncommon for men in Erosan, but many liked to keep their hair short, especially in the warmer months. He wasn't unpleasant to look at; she never understood the noble girls who would ogle at the men at court. In Irena's opinion they all looked pretty much the same...baring any disfigurations... He spoke a greeting to her mother and Irena instinctively gave a polite bow. There was a gravely nature to his voice, rugged...but friendly. As Irena straightened she sighed to herself. "He'll do..."

She hadn't even noticed the woman standing next to him until she stepped forward and address her mother. Irena had intended to give the same polite bow to...Princess Sigrid?...was it?...but she was stopped dead in her tracks. Before her stood the most beautiful woman Irena had ever seen. She was tall, just like her brother, and strongly built. She even held a sword at her hip. Her voice had a soft, playful lilt. Her long raven black hair was a stark contrast to her porcelain skin. And her eyes...Irena had never seen eyes so enthralling. One a bright green and the other a piercing blue. They put her own grey eyes to shame. Irena was jostled out of her trance by a small nudge from her Baba. Their concerned furrowed brow indicated she had missed something that had been said. "Shit..." She cleared her throat and looked to her mother who gave her a reassuring nod towards the foreign royals. Irena gave a small nod before returning her attention to them again. This time, making every effort to look at Prince Ragnar and not his distractingly stunning sister. She gave a long polite curtsey to their guests.
"Prince Ragnar, Princess Sigrid..." She lingered on the woman's name, savoring the way it felt on her tongue, "...It is an honor to finally meet you face to face. I look forward to getting to know more about both you and Awaithen."

 

[redroseknight]

The long pause following Sigrid's words began to make the siblings nervous. Had some slight accidentally been made toward the royal family either by Ragnar or Sigrid's address to them? Ragnar maintained steady stoicism while watching the royal family, but Sigrid struggled to maintain a steady breath when she felt her heart was pounding so loudly that everyone else in the room could hear it! It was easy for her to dismiss the true source of such a thing when the very real threat of the arrangement falling apart was right at hand. Fortunately it seemed her concerns were for naught when the queen nudged her daughter.

Ah, the poor dear had to be nervous, Sigrid reasoned. She was being arranged to be wed to a complete stranger whose customs was so different to her own. There were many who liked to tell tales of Awaithen with emphasis on their prowess in combat. While those tales weren't exactly false, it did tend to lead many to think that Awaithen people were savage brutes that solved all of their problems with the tip of a sword or the blade of an axe. Time to try to chip away a little at the concerns that Sigrid assumed Irena was having.

"Thank you, Princess Irena. It is truly an honor to be graced with such hospitality, and we look forward to also increase our knowledge of your land and customs as well your esteemed family. I have attempted to learn what I could so that Ragnar and I would not offend, but I fear that there aren't many from our mountains who have ventured from them. So forgive me if is uncustomary to request of our host, but we must humbly inquire as to lodging for each of us. Ragnar won't say as much due to his pride, but I will be the one to admit that the journey from Aiwathen to Erosan was far more taxing than any other that I have embarked on."

While he was a little irritated at his sister implying fatigue on his part which could be considered weakness, Ragnar was grateful that she was giving the pair an opportunity to escape from the meeting to regroup. She wasn't completely wrong; the journey had been quite arduous and forced them to travel through terrain neither was particularly used to. Normally royalty would have traveled with an entire entourage yet the trek had been made by Sigrid, Ragnar, and two servants to man the cart with their supplies. That had put more strain on Sigrid and Ragnar, but it was better than drawing too much unwanted attention by having a caravan. If this attempt by Sigrid was successful then he supposed, this once, he would allow her to imply he had human limitations.

 

[Jess Buck]

There it was, that lilting voice again. Irena found herself completely enthralled by the eloquent Princess. She seemed to be the more talkative one out of the pair, but Irena didn't mind. Her voice was soothing, but Irena could not place why. She was again tugged away from her thoughts by the sound of her mother's voice.
"Why yes, of course. You have had a long journey and I'm sure you're in need of rest and rejuvenation. Andrew," Her Majesty waved over the head of staff and he approached with a low respectful bow. "Andrew is our head of staff, he will lead you to the chambers that have been prepared for your visit. We have assigned each of you a small set of staff to assist the servants you brought with you. Should you need anything please feel free to ask one of them. We have a lunch prepared for later this afternoon so that we may speak further." With the approval from his Queen, Andrew gestured for the foreign royals to follow him as he made his way back inside to show them to their lodgings. Irena found herself following Princess Sigrid as she walked away with her brother. She felt like a moth drawn to flame; she could not help herself. She again was brought back to earth with a hand on her shoulder.
"Where did you mind wander off to?" Monarch Harlynn asked. Irena stumbled to find her words.
"I...I guess I just...didn't expect them to be so...tall..." There was a short silence before her parents started to chuckle, and soon that chuckle turned into a laugh. Irena looked between them, confused. "What? What did I say?" They simply shook their heads as they attempted to contain their laughter.
"Nothing dear...lets go inside. We must prepare for our lunch."

Lunch. How was Irena meant to survive an entire hour at a table with the most distracting person she'd ever met? Surly the Prince would want to get to know her over this lunch. How would she be able to focus on his questions when his sister sat right across from here with those enchanting eyes...enthralling voice...perfect lips..."Get it together Irena! You have until this afternoon to refocus. You are to marry Prince Ragnar, you must at least try to seem interested in him...Maybe I'll go to the music room...yes...a little practice on the piano will help me to relax and refocus..." After going back to her rooms and changing into something more appropriate for a luncheon, Irena made her way to the music room. She hummed quietly to herself on the way, already thinking up of new melodies to write in her book. Once there, just like second nature she sat at the piano and begun to play. The melodies in her head flowing through her body down to her finger tips and out into the world. She let out a sigh of relief. Here in this room is where she felt most at ease, most herself. The duties of Crown Princess slipped away and all that was left was Irena Hawthorne, talented pianist and lover of music.

 

[redroseknight]

It took everything in Sigrid to simply perform a curtsy and step away with her brother to follow Andrew without turning to look back to Princess Irena. She was exhausted and clearly unable to focus fully on the task at hand if she was being so easily distracted by her brother's betrothed. The royal family of Erosan had been generous indeed by giving each of the siblings their own quarters and vassals to assist them. Of course, those servants were dismissed to assist the pair that they had brought with them so that Ragnar and Sigrid could have a private conversation.

"I dislike that now they believe me so easily wearied by a voyage such as ours has been," Ragnar stated to his sister with his arms folding over his chest. His tone of voice might have sounded harsh to others, but Sigrid knew he was just stating a fact rather than truly being cross with her. One had to learn the subtle shifts in the tone of his gruff voice to know how to interpret his mood.

"It is better to permit them to believe a small weakness rather than give them a view to a true one, Ragnar. While I know that you would prefer others to view you as tireless as one of our horses, there is prudence in taking this opportunity to settle in and evaluate our surroundings. Besides, you are going to need all the rest you can get before you are forced to be social for lunch. I think you've already exceeded your usual daily word count of twenty eight words," she teased him with a cheeky smile.

"You're not wrong there, Siri. I know that it is important to our alliance that I gain the trust and acceptance from Princess Irena, but just speaking at any length is so taxing."
"Then take some time to rest now in silence, Ragnar. I will send for you to be awakened for lunch since I doubt there will be much you need to do to change for it. I am going to take this opportunity to begin looking around while our hosts are not expecting us. I will let you know tonight if I learn anything of interest."

Ragnar gave his sister a squeeze on her shoulder before she left the room, exhaling heavily as he readied for a much needed nap. His sister retired to her own room to make sure that her attire for that afternoon would be prepared so that she could be more presentable, and then she left to begin wandering on her own. There were quite a few servants milling about the halls, and she could hear the gossip being spread regarding herself, Ragnar, and the arrangement with Princess Irena. Ragnar thus far was only receiving praise, which was wonderful. It was important that others viewed him in a good light. Herself, though...it seemed that some found her intimidating.

The traits that would be commended for men, her eloquence, her appearance with a strong physique, her familiarity with a blade, they were all weighed differently against her person. Didn't seem particularly fair to Sigrid that there were such differing standards on what men and women could be. Perhaps she had been fortunate that in her family she had been the youngest and therefore so free from responsibilities that she could practically do anything she pleased without bringing shame on her family. The princess stopped beside a window that allowed her to gaze outside at the lush greenery that Erosan climate provided to ponder her life. Her expression darkened as she allowed her thoughts to move to the fact that soon her brother was going to be wed to Princess Irena. He would fulfill his destiny of joining their kingdoms, and Sigrid would be unable to see him often anymore.

Where did her fate lead? She had a purpose as an emissary in her elder brother's stead, but to what end? Without Ragnar, she was going to be awfully lonely.

Her melancholy was interrupted by music reaching her ears, and Sigrid found herself intrigued by the sound. It was an instrument not utilized in her kingdom, so she began to follow its enchanting tune. While their music differed greatly, it was something that was shared among every populace on the continent. It was common ground that Sigrid was eager to learn more about. Singing was among her favorite past-times, and she had played her tagelharpa quite often during their very long journey to keep herself occupied. Yet she paused once she reached the room that the princess was playing the piano in, her hand resting lightly against the doorframe as she was struck by the enchanting sight in front of her. The expression on Irena's face was so open and free from concern, and the way the light from the window lit up her hair like a halo of flame was just...captivating.

 

[Jess Buck]

As her song came to a close, Irena couldn't help the feeling of eyes upon her. She looked over to the door of the music room to find Princess Sigrid gazing upon her. How long had she been there? She so engrossed in her music that she had not heard the woman approaching. Irena stood quickly and in doing so knocked over the piano bench. "Your Highness..." She flustered as she tried to greet the Princess and pick up the bench at the same time. "My apologies I did not see you arrive..." Irena could feel the blood rushing to her face. This was truly embarrassing, she was making a complete fool of herself in front of their guest. No doubt she would take this information back to the Prince, inform her brother of how clumsy and vacuous she was. She fussed with her skirts as she carefully approached Sigrid; acutely aware of the princess' gaze upon her. Irena stumbled to find her words, "A-are you lost? May I help you find something?" She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. May I help you find something? Now she would be forced to spend more time with the disarming woman! So much for refocusing. How was she going to survive this visit?

 

[redroseknight]

Sigrid should have let the poor girl know of her presence, she realized as Irena reacted in such a hurried, embarrassed manner. Her expression remained quite impassive, though, as she quickly thought through a host of responses that could be appropriate as well as how those might be received. Fortunately, it seemed that Irena did not take offense to her having interrupted her private playing, and the princess's lips started to quirk upward in amusement at the way that she had become rather flushed. She did blush quite prettily.

"It is I who should apologize to you, Your Highness. I did not mean to disturb you or intrude upon your playing. I had been out for a walk to familiarize myself with your beautiful castle when I heard the music that you were playing." She looked to the piano, blue and green eyes sweeping over its construction and landing on the keys. "We don't have an instrument quite like yours in Awaithen, I'll admit. It is beautiful, and your playing of it is quite exceptional," she praised the princess with her smile becoming a little more pronounced when her gaze met Irena's. While she was an eloquent speaker and a far better diplomat than her brothers and elder sister, Sigrid's smiles were not terribly common. She had one polite smile that she used when acting as an emissary, but it was never bright or genuine enough to reach her eyes. That's not to say that Sigrid was a consistently unhappy person; she was just more guarded with her expressions since they could be interpreted in so many different ways. Only Ragnar was truly witness to Sigrid's more playful personality beneath her reserved persona.

"Music is important to our people as well, and I would be interested, if you ever have the time, to learn more about your own. With the alliance of our nations, I find it important for me to learn as much as possible to bring back to Awaithen in the event that any Erosans wish to be guests in Awaithen." Her lips curled into something dangerously akin to a smirk. "I would suggest that they invest in plenty of furs and thick clothing before doing so, of course."

 

[Jess Buck]

Irena's flush deepened when Princess Sigrid complimented her playing, and she had the most peculiar feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was it anxiety?...No...perhaps fear?...No that wasn't quite it either. Irena found herself starring at the foreign royal once again, completely captivated by her beauty. Surely she was the most beautiful woman Irena had ever met. She couldn't even think of a time when she was so mesmerized by someone. The one thing she couldn't get over were her eyes. She'd never seen anyone with such a unique trait; she was truly fascinating this Princess Sigrid.

Irena was surprised to hear that the Awaithens were not familiar with the piano. It had never occurred to her that it was specific to her own country. She did however like the idea of getting to speak with someone about her music. Aside from music teachers, Irena hardly ever was able to speak to anyone about her passion for the art. Most of the people who were employed to keep her company were more interested in politics or castle gossip. Irena smiled up at the woman towering above her. "I'd love to talk more about music with you." As their eyes locked, Irena flushed and stumbled to add, "A-And Prince Ragnar as well of course..." She cleared her throat as she forced herself to shift her gaze to somewhere other than Princess Sigrid's. "Real smooth..." She was so embarrassed she almost missed the quip about Erosans visiting Awaithen. Irena chuckled to herself. "Yes, I hear the winters can be quite harsh in the North. I can't imagine it's easy, especially with your capital being in the mountains. What is it like?" Irena begun to shift their conversation out of the music room and down the hallway back towards the living chambers. She didn't know why, but even though she found the foreign princess intimidating, she didn't want the conversation to end. There was something about this woman that Irena simply couldn't ignore.

 

[redroseknight]

The princess seemed to fluster easily, Sigrid noted with amusement though she tried to refrain from smiling too much about it. Judging by how she stammered, Sigrid was sure that she would be made more self-conscious from what could be construed as teasing or mockery. So she followed Irena as she guided her from the music room, not quite certain of their destination but willing to be led none the less. "I fear that my brother, while a good man and patient as a stone, is not as knowledge when it comes to music. He is a wonderful listener so I'm sure he would love to hear your playing even if his knowledge or ability for commentary is..limited."

What was her home like? Sigrid turned her thoughts to the tall walls and rocky, snowy landscape dappled with sturdy evergreen trees. "Awaithen is not for the faint of heart, and our people are particularly stalwart due to the resolve and cooperation it takes to survive the harsh winters. We do not have many months when the snow has receded and the scant fertile land can be tilled for a harvest, so we have to work together to ensure we have enough food stores from that short period of time so that none of our people starve. Of course, there is plenty of game to be found and fish to catch all year around to supplement the meager crops. The view riding horse back among the trees cannot be bested by any other, I am certain. Powder of snow covering the ground, trees, and giving way only to the rushing rivers is a perfect beauty of its own. I might need to be covered in my bear furs to truly enjoy it, but its worth enduring the cold. And if you're very lucky, you might see a moose as white as the snow you tread."

She paused for a moment, debating on whether she should ask this of the princess or let it go. Irena had been most helpful and courteous that Sigrid felt perhaps she was the best person to ask regarding this subject. Would she take offense? Sigrid looked to Irena's grey eyes, trying to look for anything to dissuade her from her course. Seeing no hint of deception and only a beautiful hue that reminded her of the pelt of her beloved Sleipnir, she pressed on.

"I noticed a particular reaction to my presence here that differs from my brother's. After consideration and listening, I have discerned that it seems to come down to my openly displaying a weapon on my person. Are warriors only men in Erosan, Your Highness?