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where: the gardens status: open!

with the lothbrok princess having married, saga now found herself unaware of her role — were the situation different, she would have perhaps gone with the princess to austria for a time before later marrying or being called home to scandinava. but now, her fate was entirely up in the air pending her own marriage. it was why she’d found herself wandering the halls and eventually the gardens following the first round of marriages ( perhaps not a wise choice to do alone given all that had occurred, but she needed the taste of freedom ). 

dragging fingers along the nearest hedge, the woman’s brow furrowed as she rounded the next corner and nearly collided with another. appraising the person before her, her lips pulled up into a coy smile. “enjoying the gardens? i’ve heard the maze is quite the place to get lost.” 

while some might have taken the lothbrok princess’ words as a mere joke, saga knew there was truth behind them ( and that alone was enough to bring a small smirk to her lips ). “as long as the man is not to become a king or emperor himself, i doubt he will be a difficult being to sway to my will.” that, or perhaps she would simply leave the man behind and she would travel alone. “you can, but that would hardly be wise.” she mused. “have a drink. relax a bit. if he is as intelligent as you claim, he won’t do anything. and if he’s not, well… kill him.”

he couldn’t help at her choice in words, wanting to correct her that he doubted anyone thought them eager ( at least initially, she had fled after all ), but instead his head simply dipped into a nod.

as they rejoined the others, anton placed his hand over the one that rested on his arm ( continuing to sooth his thumb over the skin in hopes of keeping her calm — the last thing anyone needed was a spectacle of the void should her emotions run to high ). releasing a sigh at the announcement, the austrian closed his eyes for several beats, released a frustrated breath and turned his attention back to the room as a whole. idiots, the lot of them. leaning toward his bride, he dropped his voice. “it was to be expected. smile, little wife, and don’t up to much of a fuss. remember, you are meant to rant and rave to me?” it was meant as a joke, but he realized it was a rather poor one. “we will discuss this, but there will be no changing the sun kings mind.”

smile? how could she smile about this? but she bit her tongue and continued to eat the food as the others seemed to jest and carry on merrily. how could they be merry? a huff left her. “his tiny mind, you mean...” she mumbled. the banquet seemed to carry on too long for her. she tried to stay as long as she could before she slowly stood, her hand touching his for a moment. she bowed to the king before the servants led her away to the apartment. much larger than the one she was placed in. more lavish. of course there was only one bed. her lips pursed together. she was uneasy. maybe she should sleep on the little sofa in the corner of their room. 

a smirk tugged at his mouth at the sounds she made. it was promising at least, that they had physical chemistry. “it will be a long and prosperous life, should i have my way.” he mused. “come— we rushed from the ceremony and will surely be the topic of gossip should we not return. the austrian party saw two of their own wed. it is only proper we celebrate together.” 

as much as she just wanted to hide away-- she knew that he was right. especially since his father had gotten married as well. “they probably thought us so-- eager.” it made her shiver as she stood up, smoothing out the white dress she wore of her kin. standing, her wrapped her arm into his before slowly walking- small exhales leaving her.

saga couldn’t help the smirk that curled at her lips at the request, and while she was entirely tempted to go into great detail on exactly how one might manipulate a man in such a way, she held her tongue ( internally promising instead to do so at a later date ). “very well. but when you have questions— and you will have many, just know i am here to answer… or simply listen.” turning her attention fully toward the princess she chuckled. “should my husband be like all suitors before him, he will be wrapped around my finger soon enough. i’m sure convincing him we ought to reside in austria would not be terribly difficult.” 

anton had to remind himself that the princess was far younger and inexperienced then he was ( and given her tale of biting another mans lip off, the last thing he wanted was to make a misstep now ). carefully bringing his other hand to join the first, he cradled her face and returned the kiss with care. 

“they are words you ought to familiarize yourself with. i fear i will grow rather fond of reminding you of such a fact.” resting his forehead against hers, his lips twitched into a smile. “we are bound until death and well beyond. abandonment should never be a concern when it comes to us.”

lips pursed at the other womans words— knowing there was no real rebuttal she was capable of offering. incapable, and perhaps a touch unwilling to defend the chieftan, saga released a hum in acknowledgement. 

“oh hel,” she chuckled, reaching out to pat the girl on the arm. “trust when i say men are easily led by their cocks, intelligent or not.” granted, it was far easier when the heart followed but that was a detail left unsaid. “freedom? i am not a caged bird.” she muttered with a frown. “the only thing that has remote chance of trying to take such a gift from me is the gods. staying at your side has been neither trying or punishing.” 

“it is not a role you will be stepping into tomorrow,” he assured. “my father has some years left in the role of emperor. you will have plenty of time to become acquainted with austria and her people. to earn their love and devotion.” slipping a singular hand from hers, anton reached out to grasp her chin and tilt her head back ( dark orbs flickering between hers ). “lock you away and yet you fear being a prisoner?” he asked, brow furrowing. “are you not a warrior, little wife? for i do not know of warriors who face the unknown and cower before it. it is to be embraced. conquered. you shall not be alone. i am your husband.”

she couldn’t help but stare at him when he grabbed her chin. she stared into his dark eyes with her own. “a warrior can always be afraid of being abandoned...” she whispered and a hand came to rest on his. “i never thought i’d hear those words.... i am your husband...it’s as foreign as...” these feelings inside me. she wanted to say but couldn’t get them out. so instead- she graced him with the kiss she’d run away from. 

@glassapples​ / aleksander morozov & aurelin bourbon 

aleksander had been standing quietly watching the mild festivities ( and while he would have liked to have mingled at the side of his own betrothed, he found himself utterly exhausted from the days that had followed the outbreak of chaos ). when the french king approached, he offered a slight bow of his head in greeting. “your grace. it seems we’re back on track for the weddings. how frequently might we expect them to occur?” in truth he found it a bit offensive that russia had faced the brunt of the assault, yet the scandinavian’s had been rewarded ( his tsar and tsarina being forced to wait until next batch of couples could be wed ).

the sun king was still very hurt, hiding the pain as he sat at the table. he tilted his head at the man’s words. a soften sigh left him as he adjusted in his chair, bowing his head once in acknowledgment. “i plan to have one every two weeks.... if it was up to me- i’d marry all of them but.” he sighed once more. “the court advised against it. why? so eager to be married?”

@glassapples​ / saga melgaard & hel lothbrok

when the princess had returned to the room, saga had orbited to her side, dark eyes flickering to take in their surroundings ( the caution she’d once held having only grown since the scandinavian’s had moved on the russian’s and versailles had broken into chaos — the daggers she’d once deemed unnecessary now firmly strapped and hidden to her person at all times ). “the sun king speaks well beyond his authority. we won’t allow it.” she murmured before her attention shifted to the austrian who now called himself the princess’ husband. “men are easily manipulated and while he might consider himself a puppet master, i’m certain we could have you pulling his strings given enough time.”

anton hadn’t known what to expect from the sun kings sentencing of the scandinavian princess, but a wedding and an exile certainly hadn’t been it. he knew the combination of the two things would bring a storm brewing to the womans heart, but he’d stood with a blank face as the revelation was brought forth to all. 

when she’d fled ( not so much as even gracing him a brief kiss ), he’d carefully excused himself from the celebration to trail after her ( the swirling of the void making her all the easier to track and find ). approaching her as one might a startled animal, anton carefully curled his hands around her own ( hoping to ease some of the panic in her heart and prevent an unnecessary use of a talent she was entirely unfamiliar with ). “you are not my prisoner.” he murmured, drawing her knuckles to his mouth for the briefest of kisses. “the wounds are still fresh and the king needed to do something to appease those who would sooner have your head. your reaction surely satisfied some of their anger. allow things to settle, for everyone to return home and turn their attention to their own problems once more.“ giving her hands a gentle squeeze, his lips twitched into a smirk. “for now, we are in his court, but how easily you forget that the sun king does not hold power in a country you are one day to be empress of.”

hel && anton 

she couldn’t believe the sun king did this to her. she was prepared to lose her head. it wasn’t the forced marriage that had upset her so greatly-- but it was when the sun king announced her exile from her own home in front of all the kingdoms. she had practically ran from anton’s side after they were married-- after the blessings were exchanged. she didn’t even process the feeling of the void swirling and mixing with the water blessing inside her. 

she tried to hide from the world but the shadow had left a trail behind her. “i can’t home... ever?” her hands were shaking as the shadow surrounded her hands. she heard footsteps approaching, looking up at him with furrowed brows. “so i am to be a prisoner it seems...”

it was a nice hope to hold onto certainly, but anton found himself slightly cynical about the whole thing. dreaming of such a thing and for it to not come to pass? he wasn’t sure that was a disappointment he would survive. but for her, his expression softened and his head inclined. “of course you can, little wife. we just need time.” chuckling at her next words, a flicker of amusement graced his expression. “familiarize yourself with the notion. as empress, diplomacy will be required— frequently. but i promise you may rant and rave your displeasures to me when we are alone.”