with a good heart .

“only if  you  are certain that  your  friends  would  not  mind,”  she  says,  unsure  of  how  else  to  place  forth  the  question  of  whether  a  princess  staying  in  the  viking  long  house  might  become  a  cause  for  annoyance  for  some  of  the  other  clan  members.  not  that  she  thinks  of  herself  as  an  annoying  person,  she’s  not  opposed  at  all  to  the  idea  of  making  herself  useful  should  she  be  allowed  to  stay.  but,  well.  the  way  oskar  has  previously  tried  to  insist  that  her  mere  presence  in  the  camp,  before  she  had  a  reason  to  hide  away  in  it,  was  something  that  ought  to  be  avoided. 

“  i’m  sure  they  will  be  fine  with  it,  as  will  aksel,  ”  he  assured  her,  knowing  full  well  that  the  man  would  never  object  to  helping  someone.  in  fact,  the  aksel  would  undoubtedly  be  more  displeased  at  oskar  for  breaking  kelem  out  of  the  dungeon  after  explicitly  instructing  him  not  to  do  anything  reckless. 

since  meeting  kelem,  he  discovered  himself  behaving  in  ways  he  typically  wouldn’t.  he  was  more  reckless  in  his  actions,  when  normally  he  would  think  before  doing  something;  excluding  the  tavern  incident.  but  while  that  was  a  negative  affect,  the  positive  greatly  outweighed  it.  he  found  himself  having  much  more  restraint  over  his  temper,  showing  those  around  him  a  much  kinder  side  to  him.  she  was  changing  him,  undoubtedly  for  the  better,  to  which  he  was  immensely  grateful  of.

There was nothing as disorientating as losing a beloved parent and then leaving your homeland in search of alliances. The weather had been particularly awful upon Ailise’s arrival, and there have scarcely been improvements in the days since. Still, despite all the guests and the overcrowding, Ailise found some comfort in the terrain. It all looked like home; even the weather was similar, but everything just felt off, as if they were on an uneven keel. Perhaps sneaking off outside the castle wasn’t the best of ideas, but Ailise needed to feel as if they could breathe again. Just outside the confines of the castle and without their guards, Ailise decided that the morning would just be for themselves, with no interruptions—that is, until she stopped for a break by the outskirts of the forest. They saw someone ahead of them, and Ailise swore under their breath as they went to turn away before stepping rather loudly on a twig. “My apologies,” Ailise called to the stranger. “I did not mean to disrupt your solitude; I only wished to escape for a moment or two.” Asking for a moment alone was a luxury that so few could afford in Scotland, given that the Scottish king had extended an invitation to the entire world, it seemed.

prior  to  his  departure,  his  relationship  with  the  scottish  king  had  been  amicable,  much  to  the  extent  that  they  had  agreed  to  unite  one  of  their  children  together  in  matrimony  to  forge  an  alliance.  however,  now  that  he  was  back  and  was  now  privy  to  certain  events  that  occurred  during  his  absence,  he  is  beginning  to  question  whether  he  had  made  an  error  in  judgment.  

the camp hadn't stopped to sleep since the yule celebrations had begun. if he wanted sleep the only place he would find it was the castle - though he was far from graceful when he made his way down the halls to find lachlan's room. even if the camp were quite he would have found his way there in the end. he'd lost track of the amount of ale he'd consumed that night, had he even had time to sober up before starting again?

even if his feet were a little unstable beneath him, his eyes didn't betray him - he knew that face, even through a crowd. how could he not? even if the years had been unkind to all of them, aksel could not forget him and the things he'd done. he'd be likely be dead if it wasn't for ragnar. cup in hand he pushed past a few of his own men, eyes narrowed but never leaving the older man. " ragnar?! " a grin spread across his lips when he came into sight properly, crowds no longer between them. " it is you. i thought i'd had too much ale. "

ragnar  had  always  been  an  enigmatic  figure,  a  man  whose  true  emotions  were  difficult  to  discern;  so  he  was  told.  despite  his  gentle  and  kind  nature,  there  apparently  was  an  air  of  intimidation  surrounding  him.  he  often  wondered  why  he  appeared  so  fearsome  to  others,  as  he  couldn’t  fathom  the  reason  behind  it.  

njal didn't need her to finish, he wasn't a stranger to cruel words used against others. he understood what she had meant and appreciated it. "thank you," he said kindly, putting the coin away before making his way to the coal to grab a few pieces. he probably took less than what was needed, but he hadn't wanted to come off as ungrateful. he will find more once the snow the stopped falling if the host king doesn't divy out some more.

“  it’s  no  trouble,  ”  she  smiled,  stepping  aside  to  make  room  for  the  man.  she  couldn’t  help  but  notice  that  he  wasn’t  taking  as  much  as  she  had  hoped.  she  understood  the  importance  of  not  wanting  to  appear  greedy,  she  wanted  him  to  have  enough  to  at  least  have  a  head  start  on  the  coming  winter  season.  for  now,  she  remained  silent,  pondering  ways  that  she  might  be  able  to  help  in  the  future.  

a lot of time had passed since she'd moved to the frisian quarters, some of that time she'd spent stuck in the dungeon until the prince arie had come to her rescue, little of it had been spent in her room. since then there had been a shift between them, not a bad one, enough for her to feel a little more comfortable trying to make the quarters her home. if there had been any upside to her time in the dungeon, it had been being able to stay close to osian, even if their surroundings and situation had been severe - now they were free and she found herself without him again. a feeling that now felt alien, even wrong. the conversation she'd dreaded having with him had passed and she'd had no real reason to worry about his reaction. he'd been understanding, caring, just as he always way. just as she'd needed.

she was considering leaving her room to at least stretch her legs for a while, even if with the last couple months of her pergnancy looming her legs were restless. but when she stood to make her way to the door she heard the knock and set her cloak back down. elif moved to the door, assuming it was the prince only to be met with osian once oepend.

his  heart  skipped  a  beat  as  the  door  opened,  his  eyes  immediately  drawn  to  her.  it  didn’t  matter  how  many  times  he  had  seen  her,  she  was  always  more  beautiful  than  the  last  time  he  saw  her.  their  time  together  in  the  dungeon  had  only  deepened  his  affection  for  her,  and  the  thought  of  losing  her  terrified  him  beyond  measure.  it  wasn’t  his  love  for  her  that  made  him  nervous  in  the  moment  though,  but  the  fear  of  his  own  mistakes  that  might  have  her  slipping  away  from  him.  

as  she  embraced  him,  he  held  her  tightly,  cherishing  what  could  very  well  be  his  last  moment  with  her.  he  knew  the  reason  for  his  visit  was  a  delicate  matter,  and  he  didn’t  want  to  ruin  their  time  together,  but  he  had  too.  he  fidgeted  nervously,  struggling  to  find  the  right  words  to  say.  “  i’m  not  in  trouble,  ”  he  reassured  her,  “  kitty,  or  princess  kathrine,  made  sure  of  that.  but  there’s  something  i  need  to  tell  you. ”

Perhaps it was wrong of her to laugh- but she cannot help it. Watching her daughter run through the freshly fallen snow had been enough to make her smile- but when the little redhead stooped to pick up a handful of the snow to form it into a ball, Caoimhe made no move to stop her. She should have expected the girl to throw it- but the laughter still escaped her when it was thrown at the other. "Niamh! I'm sorry, she's just a little excited." The queen looked to her daughter. "Please apologize, we do not throw things at people."

it  was  entirely  his  own  doing,  for  his  mind  was  preoccupied  as  he  gazed  out  onto  the  vast  snowy  plains  of  the  scottish  lands.  despite  knowing  that  he  should  be  reunited  with  his  clan  after  being  absent  for  several  months  ,  his  focus  had  been  on  persuading  other  clan  leaders  to  partake  in  peace  negotiations.  sadly  though,  his  efforts  were  in  vain,  as  they  merely  just  laughed  at  him.  

the scottish king threatening his life was long since in the past, but what oskar had done in an attempt to stop it had not been forgotten. it would not have stayed a secret, aksel and the crown prince told one another all there was to know and his friends ' offer ' had quickly been brought up in conversation only after the threat had gone away.

it had not felt appropriate to bring it up when the princess kelem was being held in the dungeons - but now she was freed aksel could no longer hold his tongue. he could not stop a sharpness from embedding itself into the tone of his voice when he spoke either. " what were you playing at? " he paused but took a step closer to his friend. " trying to scarifice yourself in my place? "

since  the  passing  of  hal,  the  world  seemed  to  have  turned  upside  down.  food  shortages,  individuals  being  unjustly  imprisoned  in  the  dungeon  —  a  a  bounty  being  place  on  aksel.  he  never  for  his  plan  to  forfeit  his  life  for  aksel’s  and  while  the  bounty  was  no  longer  in  place,  he  remained  steadfast  in  his  plan  to  through  with  it.  of  course,  only  after  he  knew  that  kelem  would  be  safe,  and  well-cared  for.  he  prayed  to  the  gods  that  there  would  be  no  need,  and  aksel  would  remain  a  free  man.  

he lets his hand drop for the sake of crossing his arms over his chest - as if defensive is something he needs to be towards his unsuspecting foe. "you do appear strange, yes," he says, in the name of voicing his thoughts openly as requested. and he smiles, a forced one but still. and it might very well be his first smile in a month. sad that it should be wasted on her. "but who am i to judge. did they catch your eye?" double meaning there - he won't let himself think about it. instead, he nods towards the statue. "i can put in a good word for you if you so wish."

if  her  initial  opinion  for  prince  william  was  positive,  it  was  swiftly  diminishing.  she  was  at  a  loss  of  what  she  could  have  done  to  provoke  his  immature  insults  and  teasing.  she  couldn’t  recall  ever  having  a  real  conversation  or  interaction  with  him,  yet  she  was  enduring  his  mistreatment.  

PERIOD DRAMA APPRECIATION WEEK Day 3 — Favorite Character: Ivar The Boneless (Vikings)

she’s  sat  on  his  bed,  in  the  name  of  resting.  kiki  has  found  a  spot  on  her  lap,  never  one  to  pass  down  the  opportunity  of  napping  in  good  company.  as  if  it  is  second  nature,  cold  hands  stroke  the  cat’s  fur,  some  sense  of  peace  brought  forward  by  the  repetitive  motion.  yet,  she  stops  with  no  hesitation  as  oskar  holds  out  a  bowl  of  soup  for  her  to  take.  the  steam  rising  from  it  is  inviting  enough  in  itself.  she  reaches  for  it.  “thank  you.”  

it  was  not  lost  on  him  that  kelem’s  normal  bubbly  personality  and  radiant  smile  were  absent.  although  he  had  anticipated  this,  witnessing  it  up  close  left  him  at  a  loss  for  how  to  uplift  her  spirits.  comforting  someone  wasn’t  something  oskar  was  adept  at,  and  secretly  wished  for  aksel,  or  even  magnus,  who  were  far  more  skilled  in  the  art  of  comforting.  

something snapped inside the king when he heard that name uttered on the tavern owners lips. he had convinced himself that his mind had been playing tricks on him, that milo had told him the truth - milo would not do that. how could he? but of course it made more sense than anybody else. the jealousy, their history with one another and their relationship now. milo had more motive to kill the queen than anybody, marius had chosen knowingly to believe him and turn a blind eye. it was not the death of his queen that hurt, but the lies. how many times had milo looked him in the eye and told him it was not him?

the  grip  on  his  jaw  was  bruising,  undoubtedly  leaving  a  visible  mark  that  he  would  have  to  explain  to  mayumi.  however,  he  couldn’t  help  but  keep  his  smile,  finding  the  king’s  actions  rather  entertaining.  haneul  had  to  bite  his  tongue  to  suppress  his  laughter,  not  wanting  to  invite  any  further  punishment.

" like i said, i like it when you boss me around. even if you are a little strict. " finnr grinned as he looked the blacksmith and followed after her. " i'm sure he's had worse, i've cooked for him on more than one occasion. " and he'd survived... or pehaps his past wife had thrown the food out and remade it without him knowing. that too was an option.

the way she didn't look at him was not lost on him, his own eyes cast forward then in attempt not to watch her as they approached her home. he stopped at the door to let her continue leading the way. " my son is in good hands with you, i would trust no one else with him if i'm being honest. "

his  hand  dwarfed  hers,  calloused  and  rough  to  touch.  despite  the  guilt  that  lingered  in  the  back  of  her  mind,  a  remnant  of  her  still-existing  marriage,  the  grip  of  finnr’s  hand  on  hers  was  a  source  of  warmth  and  comfort  that  she  could  not  resist.  she  held  onto  him  tightly,  as  if  afraid  that  the  moment  would  slip  away  like  a  dream.

esme  glanced  back,  her  eyes  sparkling,  as  they  navigated  through  the  bustling  street.  she  chose  not  to  say  anything  further  on  the  matter,  instead  opting  to  comment  on  what  was  said  second.  “  it  seems  i  have  quite  the  challenge  ahead  of  me,  and  i’ll  have  to  keep  you  out  of  my  kitchen,  ”  she  teased.

marius was certain he'd not misheard the woman's remark as he straightened himself and felt a shiver roll up his spine. he'd misjudged the weather quickly, thought he was safe to take a walk alone to clear his mind from the thoughts that continued to plague his mind. his past queen, milo, what haneul had said to him... instead he had ended up in a far worse position than he had been on arriving at the loches.

“ no, they wouldn’t, ” she confessed, her frustration outweighing any sense of embarrassment upon being discovered. she had grown so accustomed to moving about unnoticed that she had almost forgotten she was not, in fact, invisible. and now, she found herself being scolded by the king of hungary on matters of etiquette.