And she was strong

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"And why would I dare miss it?" Agnes said with a jovial smile before sipping water from her goblet.

"I am very happy for you bror. Marriage is not easy but it will certainly suit you. Does she make you happy?" She asked as she gazed at him.

She set her goblet down with ease and stood up.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐈𝐒 shy. Despite knowing Lucille for so long, even before she got engaged with her son, that woman always made her feel intimidated. In general, everyone intimidates the Italian princess, some people more than others. It was time to have tea with Lucille, and she was nervous. They're about to be family together so getting to know each other better wouldn't hurt. She could feel her own heart trying to crawl out between her lungs to escape from her mouth (she was afraid of opening her mouth and her own heart escape from there). She counted to ten mentally, before entering the room spotting Lucille, and flashed trademark sunshine smile of hers, dimples on her cheeks showing and crimson shades appearing on it due to her shyness. ❛ Bonjour, your… ❜ A pause… How do they refer Lucille here?! ❛ Highness. ❜ Words escape with all hesitation, she curved to bow to her awkwardly before straightening her posture and taking a sit in front of her. ❛ How are you doing? ❜

Lucille was happy to see Martina. There was always something about the princess that managed to put a smile on her face.

"Bonjour, Martina! Please have a seat." She said as she gestured to the chair near her.

"And when it comes to titles, I am simply a Madame." Lucille added.

The French Royal Mistress loved tea time, because usually tea time meant cake time.

Lucille politely bowed her head as she gazed at the Princess.

"Oh I should be asking you. For I greatly apologize for how our journey through France went. I could not have been more embarrassed. But I assure you, it will all get better soon. As for how I am currently doing... I am fine, now since we are no longer traveling and are in a palace again with all the proper amenities. How are you doing dearest? Oh! And please do have some cake as well. It is divine." Lucille said as she pointed to the chocolate cake on a cake tray in the middle of the table as her servant poured Martina some tea.

"I am trying my best to manage it. The difficulty comes and goes. I am slowly getting used to it all... though I'll be far better when we arrive in Portugal." Agnes said before sipping her tea.

"By all means, if you would like some tea, have some. There is plenty. I find that it helps with my nausea." She added.

Agnes smiled as she gazed at her.

"What are you most looking forward to in Portugal?" She asked curiously.

eileen offered a smile as a thank you, waving away the offer of tea with a hand. " thankfully, my only issue currently is feeling like a whale. " she let out a slightly breathless laugh, pursing her lips at agnes' next question.

she thought about the country that they were headed towards, considering what she knew about it. 

" is it horrible to say i'm not looking forward to it at all ? " her statement was followed with another laugh, more hearty this time. " especially not the heat. i might have to lock myself away so i don't have to wear all of these skirts. " she huffed, ruffling the fabric of the garment in question. 

"Oh and I certainly feel the same, for this one kicks at times." Agnes replied as she sipped her tea and ran her hand along her own pregnant belly.

"You my friend, are in luck. I have had the seamstresses make gowns with lighter more breathable fabric for us." She said as she nodded at the muscled servants who entered the room carrying a gigantic wardrobe. One of Agnes' other servants opened the wardrobe, revealing all of the brand new gowns with the light and breathable fabric.

"You can take your pick first. I also had the shoemaker make us some comfortable shoes as well." Agnes said as one of the servants sat a giant wooden chest down and opened it, it was filled with shoes.

"Since we are here in Portugal, I look forward to... seeing a beach. I'm afraid I've only heard of them I've never seen any of them before." She replied before taking another sip of tea.

"Do not be afraid to try anything on. There is a screen over there for privacy and my servants can help you." Agnes said.

"I hope they fit you and I do hope you like them."

Location: The Scottish Carriage in the early evening

Agnes and her pregnancy had softened her quite a bit... but she still had fire within her... she always would. She liked her husband's family... everyone except Marjorie, though she was adamant on being patient with her.

She had an extra cooked quail that she was too full to eat, so naturally she offered some to the Scottish Princess.

A brief flick of irritation had crossed Scottish princess' features as she was summoned by the Queen. It was no secret within the royal family that there was no love lost between the two. Yet to the stranger who had approached her nothing was amiss and so she schooled her features into a cool mask of indifference.

Upon entering the room the scent of roasted quail did little to quell her feelings of displeasure. "Agnes." A mark of disrespect, she only greeted the Queen as such once the servant had scuttled from the room.

"Has Lady Eileen eaten?" Another barb. To address the common mistress as though high-born. "I would much rather see her and my sweet nibling nourished before partaking myself."

"Yes, I'm sure my friend Eileen has eaten. If not, I will send the quail to her if she'd like it." Agnes replied as she looked Marjorie in the eyes.

"I didn't see you much on our journey here to Portugal. I thought you had fallen ill. Shame. But yet you are here and well. Now since we are all here in Portugal, I take it you'll meet your betrothed, correct? You'll make a fine Queen... one day. I'm sure Caelan will send letters to his dear sister once she is far from Scotland." Agnes said with a faux caring yet cheerful tone though her gaze was ice cold... much like the water in her cup she sipped on after she spoke.

"I do hope for my child, Scotland's heir, to see their aunt however. Your brother would surely want the same, Marjorie. It will be a lot of fun to raise my child alongside Eileen's. For it sounds to be quite exciting, does it not?" She asked with a raised brow as she leaned against the table, her scarred hands clasped together.

Location: In the Scottish Carriage on the road somewhere in Spain in the early evening

She was starting to like Eileen... she wasn't sure exactly when but... Agnes was far past getting used to her, she simply couldn't stand to not have her husband's mistress around.

It was starting to get dark out but Agnes couldn't fall sleep, the baby was kicking a bit and she felt sick. It all made her feel tired but she simply couldn't get to sleep... so she decided to request the servants to make some mint and ginger tea.

She had asked Eileen to keep her company, for she didn't like to be alone these days... she couldn't be especially since they were all traveling together.

eileen might have been lucky enough to have a smooth pregnancy so far, but no amount of luck could make such a long journey smooth while so heavily pregnant. thankfully, the fact that she didn't have to worry about the tensions between her and agnes anymore nearly made up for the discomfort of the journey. 

she sat on the opposite side of the carriage, across from agnes as they both wallowed in the respective discomfort. with her head propped against the seatback, eileen let it fall to the side, staring through the covered window as best as she could until she was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of agnes' voice. 

looking up at the queen with a smile, eileen pulled herself from her seat; making the short step it took to switch to the other side of the carriage, sinking onto the seat beside her lovers wife.

"I am trying my best to manage it. The difficulty comes and goes. I am slowly getting used to it all... though I'll be far better when we arrive in Portugal." Agnes said before sipping her tea.

"By all means, if you would like some tea, have some. There is plenty. I find that it helps with my nausea." She added.

Agnes smiled as she gazed at her.

"What are you most looking forward to in Portugal?" She asked curiously.

"I came to see how others are doing after the... journey through France. I take it that you are doing alright?" Lucille said, a bit of caution lining her voice.

She herself was a mother, she understood Dagmar's actions and certainly didn't fault them for protecting their child.

If Lucille was skilled with weaponry and if Laurie was that age again, she'd have done the exact same thing.

"Now you are coming to apologize?" The Dowager Queen's eyes narrowed at the French woman. "You sat eating cakes after your king left without warning." The journey through France had not been easy- with talks of illness, of unrest. It had left Dagmar even warier, as if she had not been on edge enough over the past several months.

Dagmar looked down to the baby as she stirred. "No, no, you're alright," she murmured in Danish to her daughter. Eyes returned to the Maitress-en-Titre as her hand returned to Anneliese's back, hoping to soothe her.

"Yes, I am apologizing." Lucille said. Stubbornness and staying firm on her own stances kept her going, and she wouldn't let anyone sway her from her comforts.

"Your majesty, I am not the Queen of France. My duty is to the Dauphin, my son... and I tended to him in private. I chose to eat cake to show that the sudden changes were not rattling me, and they weren't and they still do not. I care about my people, but my son comes first always, even above the French people. He is my first and main priority, for the future of France rests in his hands... through him I care for the people." Lucille said gently.

She felt the need to softly arm herself with her words, for she was always on the defense, she had been this way ever since entering The French Court all those years ago... and now she felt the need to defend herself more than ever. No one truly understood her actions, that much was very clear to her... so, she would attempt to explain her actions to the best of her ability.

It was rare Anneliese fell asleep on her these days- it used to seem as if all the baby did was sleep, slumbering away the moment she was handed to Dagmar. Now she seemed more interested in wiggling away to crawl on the ground, or hold onto furniture, to play with whatever toy was nearby or rip out the grass if it suited her. Tonight however the growing one year old had fallen asleep listening to the crackle of the fire- head against her mother's breastbone, small fingers wrapped in tight fists around tiny handful's of Dagmar's jacket, the soft curls on the top of her head brushing against Dagmar's chin each time she glanced down. There was calm in the evening sky, stars bright above. Few still wandered around camp- the fire was near dying, but still Dagmar did not move.

"I came to see how others are doing after the... journey through France. I take it that you are doing alright?" Lucille said, a bit of caution lining her voice.

She herself was a mother, she understood Dagmar's actions and certainly didn't fault them for protecting their child.

If Lucille was skilled with weaponry and if Laurie was that age again, she'd have done the exact same thing.

her  heart  yearned  for  the  comforted  of  home,  but  where  exactly  was  that?  italy?  sweden?  she  wasn’t  entirely  sure.  maybe  home  wasn’t  a  physical  place  at  all.  what  if  it  was  a  person?  but  then  again,  that  person  was  gone,  and  with  them,  her  sense  of  belonging.  it  was  a  melancholic  thought,  one  she  desperately  tried  to  push  out  of  her  mind  as  she  observed  the  hustle  and  bustle  of  the  camp.  

Behati had been walking through the camp, her feet bare as she walked through the grass, her loose gown swaying as she walked, looking like the living embodiment of a Goddess.

Her attention was drawn to Aletta as Behati heard her speak.

She then looked at the nearby man she spoke of.

milo had pulled up a chair outside one of the tents in the polish camp. in his hands, as if he was playing with it out of boredom, twirled a somewhat recently acquired knife. his legs were outstretched before him, one crossed over the other. time was passing slowly, but he didn’t mind. he would take this over a busy day, any day. and then, as if the universe had heard his thoughts and decided to tease him: footsteps. “if you’ve come to see the king, think again.” his voice was calm and soft but his gaze cold as ice as he looked up to see who it was that had approached.

@1642hqzstarters

"No, of course not. I have come in search of Zosia. Do not forget, she is my best friend." Margarethe replied as she gazed at the personal guard of Poland.

She looked him in the eyes before smiling.

"You are indeed a guard to the Polish Royal Family... though I do believe that you must work on your intimidation tactics. Your attempt to scare me simply makes me want to laugh." She joked with a smirk.

The Princess of The Netherlands then shrugged.

"Certainly, do I... warm yours by any chance?" Inga asked with an interested yet curious look on her face.

She took another bite of her food before nodding in agreement.

"I don't think I've ever truly thought of other's company as being terrible before. I simply enjoy others being around. Other people can be so interesting. Though at times being around so many people can be exhausting." She said thoughtfully.

She nodded as he spoke of the wine, she took another sip of it herself.

"Ah, that is very kind of you to say. I try my best with the princess. And nonsense! I'm sure she would like to see another face other than mine at times." Inga said with a smile.

Upon hearing what he said next, she blushed and nearly hid her face in her hands as she laughed.

"Oh Aksel! You make me blush! You have already spoken, you might as well speak of those thoughts. I am very curious now." She said between giggles.

As she listened further, a warm smile came to her face, her eyes teary.

"I thank you for your words, no one truly has ever acknowledged such things when it came to me. It is very touching. Ah, but when I first saw you I did not just see a big, strong man who is a blacksmith. I saw kind eyes, caring eyes, there was a bit of sadness in them... that only made me want to hug you even back then, but you also have a protective way about yourself, not guarded but... just, protective. That protective way about you... it is warm, like a hearth. You have a lot to offer in your heart and I greatly admire that. You simply... you simply have a way of touching my heart and it makes me feel warm and feel the need to cry... not sad tears but tears of joy. Being around you makes me even happier than I normally am... and I felt that, even then." Inga said, speaking from her heart.

aksel had many stories from the road, some by himself and others with men who he'd met or taken with him on the way. most of those stories were gruesome and he didn't want to burden inga's ears with them this night at least. they had far better things to speak of. " one day i will you stories that may have you change your mind, my lady. " the blacksmith smiled as he reached for his drink again, even if he wasn't a fan of the taste.

he'd never had an easy time opening up emotionally. being physical with another was easier, his emotions he would rather lock away and toss them along with the key. perhaps it was because of the way he had been brought up, raised to be forced into an emotionally unavailable state of mind but he would try for her.

those indecent thoughts however he kept to himself for now. over dinner was not the time.

"Really? Well, I suppose I shall wait to hear those tales." Inga said, though she slightly raised her brow in curiosity before smiling again, sipping her wine.

She chuckled, her eyes still slightly sparkling with tears.

"It is just that you are a very good man Aksel, and I hope you know that for yourself." Inga replied before hearing his words.

She closed her eyes briefly, taking a breath before she opened her eyes, a tear trickling down her rosy cheek as she smiled again and shook her head.

"But I think you are. I... have never met or had the pleasure of knowing a man like you. Back home... there was a fisherman... Gorm was his name... you are the most heavenly of dreams compared to him... he was... he... he had a woman in his bed nearly every night... I was one of many, though I didn't know that at the time. He was... awful... and I have never said that about anyone before! But he was! And... when I met you, so much love was held in my heart the moment I saw you especially after the intense horrible things I went through with... him. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were not him, you were not some brute who deserves nothing, no... you deserve everything you wish... as do I." She wiped a few tears before gazing directly at him.

"Ah, I see. I hope my presence will relieve you of bad memories." She said with a smile.

Inga couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"I'd love to join you." She said as she eased her way into Aksel's bed.

"There are guards, yet... I feel so much safer with you." Inga said softly as she gazed at him.

"I must confess... I have never shared a bed with anyone... there was one but it was never for long." She admitted.

The fisherman had always kicked her out of his bed after he had been done with her. She had felt... used and unwanted... she was glad that he no longer was in her life.

" I have no doubt that it will. " the blacksmith continued to hold the blanket up as inga got herself comfortable beside him. the bad memories came and went but for now he would be distracted, he had that to be thankful for. the thought of little sleep with a long journey still ahead of them didn't feel him much hope.

"Good. You are a good man, Aksel." Inga replied as she got comfortable and cuddled up to him.

"And you are in luck. I am not a blanket hogger." She said with a giggle.

She gazed at him with a warm smile.

"Thank you for keeping me safe. Aksel? Do you snore?" She asked suddenly.

Their carts weren't far from each other at all, merely a couple of steps away.

Anneliese was sound asleep with many guards guarding her overnight. The only ones they would allow in and out of the carriage would be the Magnussen family or Inga herself. The guards were huge and vigilant men, ready to protect the young princess from anything or anyone.

Inga had only been around Anneliese the whole day and no one else. She had made sure to have her away from everyone in fear of her becoming sick. But Inga herself had been lonely, she couldn't speak about certain things to Anneliese, she was a child and knew nothing of the world, and so Inga had left her in the guards vigilant care in order to visit Aksel. He had been the first one she had thought to visit... besides, she couldn't sleep and longed for his presence, for his company.

had aksel known it was inga approaching him his words wouldn't have been so short, however the lack of decent sleep had gotten the better of him - but it made him no less glad to see her face. " i'm sorry, i thought you were one of the guards. " he pulled himself up into a seated position, both hands coming up to rub at tired eyes before a smile met his lips.

" i'm not ill, i'm just struggling to sleep. all this sickness is bringing back bad memories. " as if his mood changed in an instant, the blacksmith looked to the spot beside him and then shifted himself closer to the edge. " you are more than welcome to join me, inga. you know i always enjoy your company and perhaps we might both sleep better. "

"Ah, I see. I hope my presence will relieve you of bad memories." She said with a smile.

Inga couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"I'd love to join you." She said as she eased her way into Aksel's bed.

"There are guards, yet... I feel so much safer with you." Inga said softly as she gazed at him.

"I must confess... I have never shared a bed with anyone... there was one but it was never for long." She admitted.

The fisherman had always kicked her out of his bed after he had been done with her. She had felt... used and unwanted... she was glad that he no longer was in her life.