Hi! So….I'm back! :P I know it has been, like, AGES, and I apologize, but I've had a hard time trying to complete chapters. Besides, you know (or maybe not, so I tell you) that I'm always up to lots of stories, and at the end I never complete anyone. I know I shouldn't but I just can't help it. Recently I started writing a Lord of the Rings fic, for example. And I have two or three of Percy Jackson on the make. And like five more of Hetalia…
Anyway, thanks to Eyes 'Ruth-Kun' Rutherford, Tabbie-chan and Haya-chii, kayalilipad and AlmostLawli for your reviews. Also thanks to all of you who have followed and/or favorited. It's really nice to know that someone likes your work and is waiting to read more. And also to all the other readers. Thank you very much :) You make my day.
Also, kayalilipad asked who is Elisabeth. Well, though she does not appear on this chapter, I tell you, she is Fem! Estonia. She shall appear later on, I promise.
And now ….to the story! hope you like this chapter. Sorry if it's short. And again, sorry for the delay. I'll try to update more often since now.
The page opened the door and Mathias sighed.
"Man, you scared the crap out of me" he thought, glaring at the page.
"Your majesties and your highness" he said, bowing "It is my pleasure, introducing you to the rulers of the Kingdom of Norway: his majesty King Sjurd Enar Asgard of Borchgrevink and her majesty Queen Disa Solveig from the house of Quisling-Rohde" the page moved aside and the king and his wife walked into the room. Mathias' parents bowed to them and he did the same.
The king looked young, much younger than Mathias' father. He was a tall man with short auburn hair and big blue eyes. He had a sharp face with an expression of determination and power. His wife, just a little bit shorter than him, had long blond hair and green eyes. She stood up straight, holding her husband's arm. Her face was completely unreadable to Mathias, but he could've sworn she was trying hard not to smile.
"Along," the page continued, with his stupid formality that always made Mathias crack a smirk "with her highness, princess Dagnya Aida Karolina of Borchgrevink and Quisling-Rohde of Norway" he bowed exaggeratedly, almost kissing the floor, while the princess entered the room.
"Here she comes" Mathias thought and looked up. What he saw….well, it definitely wasn't what he expected.
She was tall, maybe not as tall as Mathias but still. Her features were soft and delicate (just don't ask how he could see that). Her nose was small and slightly pointy, her cheek bones were high and defined and her pink lips adorned perfectly her small mouth. Her long ash-blond hair reached her waist. Her eyes were deep blue and she wore a purple dress, which caused a nice contrast effect.
She walked slowly, as if dreading each step. She bowed slightly and placed herself behind her parents.
"Sjurd, old friend" Mathias' father spoke.
"Hello again, Gunnar" he answered. Both men let go of their respective wives to shake each other's hand.
"It's been a long time" King Sjurd said.
"It certainly has" King Gunnar agreed.
As they talked, Mathias' mother started a conversation with Queen Disa. With both of her parents having moved aside, Dagnya was now on Mathias' line of vision. With her hands behind her back, she kept glancing around the room, at anywhere but him. He almost frowned.
"Oh my, look at us!" King Sjurd exclaimed suddenly "We've come all the way from Norway for one specific purpose and it's the first thing we forget about." He went to his daughter and took her by the hand "Gunnar, may I introduce my daughter Dagnya."
"A pleasure, my dear" Mathias' father bowed and kissed her hand "You must concede me permission to compliment you for your beauty" he said. She made a small smile and bowed back.
"I thank you for it, your majesty" she answered. Mathias nearly gasped. Her voice was sweet and low, like a soft whisper.
"You should not thank me for the truth. It's the necessary thing to say. Now, Sjurd," Mathias felt himself being grabbed by the shoulder "and your highness, now it is my turn, and allow me to introduce you to my son Mathias."
Mathias smiled and bowed. The King and the princess did the same.
"A handsome young man" King Sjurd said. Mathias nodded, silently thanking him.
"I take it you're tired. Would you like to rest?" King Gunmar asked.
"Yes we are indeed. But just a little rest my friend, we have more important matters to discuss" King Sjurd said. Both men exited the room and led the way to the tea court, walking side by side. Closely behind, Queen Disa and Queen Anika followed them, still in their own matters. Mathias and Dagnya were left alone in the room.
They looked at each other awkwardly and walked the same way their parents had gone. When they where at the door he bowed, signaling for her to go out first. She nodded and walked out. Mathias sighed and followed her.
Whatever Dagnya thought prince Mathias would be like, well, she couldn't have been more wrong. For some things she'd heard among the servants, she expected an arrogant, light headed idiot, older than her, who would immediately start kissing her hand and rambling about how beautiful she was and how much of a perfect couple they would make.
But instead, she'd found a quiet young man who didn't look like he had much sense of his own importance and hadn't said a word to her. And he was not half bad looking either.
But she shook her head. "You can't know that with just looking" she told herself.
Once at the tea court the servants gathered around the table and pulled out the chairs for all the royals to sit. A man was about to pull Dagnya's chair when Mathias did it instead. She looked at him. He was smiling slightly. She nodded her head and sat. He sat next to her.
As soon as they were seated the servants brought all kinds of pastries and appetizers that they put in the middle of the table. An old woman placed the cups in front of them and poured the tea. They all started drinking and eating. King Sjurd and King Gunnar were discussing 'affairs of state' while Queen Anika and Queen Disa talked about their respective families and the latest news from some of their kingdoms.
Dagnya and Mathias, sitting side by side, just caught glimpses of both conversations and remained silent, sipping from their tea cups and glancing awkwardly at each other. Days before she'd been telling herself that she would just listen and go on through the whole thing, trying to speak as less as possible. Nothing, it nothing called for it. But now she wanted to say something, whatever, just to break the silence.
She looked his way and realized she hadn't really taken in his appereance. He was tall and thin, but not scrawny, for she noticed the muscles beneath the fabric of his red and black outfit. His golden hair was spiky and slightly tousled, though the attempts of fixing it were noticeable, like the signs of water that still trickled from the side of his head. His eyes were blue like hers, but his were a lighter tone, more like sky blue. His skin was pale, and at the evening sun it looked kind of golden. He suddenly turned and their eyes met. Dagnya turned her head immediately, pretending to be listening to her mother's talk about 'beautiful jewels to wear at a party'.
In this way she spent the rest of the evening until King Gunnar spoke up.
"It looks like night has reached us" he said, glancing at the sun, that was starting to hide behind two far mountains. Then he turned to Dagnya's father. "We'll talk again in the morning, friend Sjurd. For now, night commands us to go and rest" he clapped his hands. A dozen servants approached him and bowed respectfully, standing behind him. "If you have no objections," he said, looking at them all "you shall be taken to your chambers. Good night we wish you, and we retire to sleep as well" he stood up, his wife and son following, and they bowed politely at the Norwegians, then they left, going inside the palace.
"Your highnesses," one of the servants spoke "if you allow us to show you the way" he gestured to the door the Danish had gone through. King Sjurd nodded and he stood up. Dagnya and her mother stood as well and they followed the servants inside. They led them through long corridors and galleries until they arrived to a big drawing room. The walls were painted red, as well as the ceiling and doors. The color was also in the furniture and in the ornaments over the big fireplace in a corner. The windows overlooked the palace's gardens, offering a clear view of the advanced sunset. Three big doors were at the sides of the room.
"This is your drawing room," the same servant said, then he pointed at the doors. "The door in the left takes to your majesties's room, the door next to the fireplace is for your highness's. Your clothes and luggage have already been acommodated inside. Shall you need anything, ring the bell next to the bed. With your permission, we retire" he bowed and exited the room. The other servants, that had placing flowers, pastries and other things on the small tables, bowed as well and exited, closing the door behind them.
"Well," King Sjurd said, after some seconds of silence "we might as well go to sleep."
Queen Disa approached her daughter.
"Good night dear" she said, placing a kiss on her forehead. Dagnya smiled at her.
"Rest well" he father told her, and he and her mother entered the room they'd been assigned. Dagnya stood a few moments by the fireplace before entering her own room. Having changed into her night clothes she slipped under the covers of the huge bed and fell asleep almost immediately, trying not to think of the blue-eyed man that would soon be her husband.
"Your majesty" a man called. Sjurd turned to find his most loyal adviser, Haakon, with a grave look in his eyes. He was no little surprised. They were at Oslo's harbor, about to get on the ship that would take them to Dennmark. His wife and daughter had gone to wait at the carriage.
"What is the matter?" he asked. From behind Haakon appeared sereveral people. Sjurd's courtesans and other nobles. Why had they all come? He was certain they had said they goodbyes back at the palace. Suddenly they all knelt, some of them almost kissing the floor.
"Your majesty," Haakon said again, now with a slight trembling voice "Your most honorable majesty, Lord of this our beloved land. Here, before you, we are begging you, please" he raised his head a bit "do not give the fair princess off to the Danish."
Sjurd was taken aback by this. He did not expect they would follow him, even when they were at minutes to sailing off, to make such a petition….again.
"I've already told you," he said firmly "that this is the only way we can unite Danish and Norwegians and get their help for the war. And don't say we don't need them because we do."
For a few moments there was silence. Sjurd was about to turn around and leave when Haakon raised to his feet.
"We understand your purposes, your majesty" he said.
"If you understand, then you should see why I am doing this. Do you think I'm happy giving my daughter away to some man I don't even know?" the King had to advert his gaze so Haakon wouldn't see the sadness in his eyes. Vainly, though.
"But it must be done," he quickly added "and it's not like I'm leaving her alone with her luck. I'm keeping a very close eye on them."
Haakon nodded, but his own eyes revealed the sadness that he did not try to hide from his King. A voice announced that it was time to get on board. The Queen and the Princess got off the carriage and made their way to the boarding platform, passing close to the courtesans. Queen Disa frowned upon seeing them, but Sjurd gestured at her to just ignore them. She shrugged and they continued walking, getting on the ship with the help of the workers.
"I must go too" Sjurd told Haakon."Take good care of the kingdom."
Haakon bowed at him. The King turned around and started to walk when Haakon's voice stopped him.
"Your majesty" he called. Sjurd turned.
"Yes?"
"Consider what you are about to do, or else" he slipped into a grim tone "the story will repeat itself."
King Sjurd woke with a start. He looked around. He was at the room they had given them at the Danish palace. He sighed. It had felt so vivid. What had happened just before coming. His wife was sound asleep next to him. He slowly got up, careful not to wake her, put on his cloak and opened the door of the balcony. He stepped out and leaned on the balustrade. A full moon was shinning on the night sky, covering the grass fields and flowers with silver light. Not very far away, the lights of Copenhaguen shone like points of fire in a black space.
He stared at the horizon and sighed.
"The story will repeat itself" he mubled. "I'll make sure it doesn't.
Thanks for reading and please review, I like to know your opinion. Constructive criticism please :)