I do not own Twilight. All copyrights belong to SM. Author's notes at the end.
After quietly closing the door to the Queen's chambers, I leaned heavily against the thick wood separating us and allowed my suddenly weary body to slide slowly down to the floor. The cloud that seemed to settle over my senses in her presence seemed thinned, the tug muted to the background of my thoughts. How was I to accomplish this mission with her as a distraction? Would I be able to remain unbiased?
What if she did kill her father? What if I have to kill her? The thought brought my mind to a sudden halt. Logically, I knew I did not have to kill anyone, that I was free to make those choices alone, however I came prepared to murder the guilty party and I had not considered the consequences if she was actually guilty. What would that do to me? Would I survive murdering my mate? True, the bond had not been completed and though I felt the draw, the tug, the allure - the bond was young and still weak. I had to keep my distance, operate away from her as much as possible so I would not be swayed to one outcome over another.
My thoughts were interrupted as I felt several minds drawing near the Queen's chambers. Throwing my senses out in a wide net, I listened for their thoughts.
Tired. It was the repeating theme that each of them thought. The day had been difficult and they longed to crawl into their beds, allow their minds and bodies to drift, and sleep to take hold of them.
But where are their rooms?
I had not noticed any additional rooms along the hall and assumed that this wing of the castle was reserved for the Queen. Then I realized - these must be her handmaidens. I had noticed a room off to the side of the sitting room, opposite the Queen's bedchambers. The thought was confirmed as I continued to listen in to their thoughts. One girl's exhaustion was second only to her weary thought of checking on the Queen before slipping into her bed.
Cannot have them waking the Queen.
Quickly, I stood and flitted back to the hall to stand next to the entry of the Queen's chambers so that when they rounded the corner, they would see my silhouette in the darkness. Moments later, I heard the group pause at the end of the hall and their whispers to one another. "Who is that?"
The question solidified my concern that guards were not regularly posted to the Queen's chambers. I could not fathom why she did not appear to have a Queen's guard and specifically someone to guard her rooms. The previously exhausted woman, a tall with golden hair and violet eyes that almost glowed in the darkness - Nada, a mind supplied - slowly bent down towards her feet and withdrew a small blade from a hiding place. Ahhh…. Were her handmaidens her secret guards? Was this common knowledge? I tucked away the information to investigate at a later time.
Nada nodded towards the other women and took the lead walking down the hall towards me. Did they mean to sneak up on me? I could hear the devotion to the Queen in their thoughts - they genuinely cared for her and wanted to ensure her safety. One stray thought caught my attention.
After what that bastard did to her . . .
Anger welled up inside of me at the thought of someone, anyone harming her and I forced it back down. All the while reminding myself that I would have to detach myself from her. The women drew closer and I considered my options - to act human, tired, weak, and allow them to take me by surprise - encourage them to underestimate me, or to show them a glimpse of the real me - alert, strong, someone able to protect their Queen. These women were possibly warriors in their own right - they would not respect someone they felt they could best in a fight. No - I needed to give them a glimpse of who I really was, earn their respect - I may need it in the future.
As they drew near, I leaned casually against the wall, my shoulder supporting my weight and arms crossed at my chest. To human eyes, the women were hidden by the long shadows of the night, but to my clear vision, I could see them drawing closer.
"I can see you," I inclined my head towards them and beckoned them closer with a pull of my hand. "What business do you have here? Speak quickly."
Nada walked at the head of the group, her blade catching in the moonlight and reflecting the soft beams. "Who are you?" She gruffly asked.
"I am Her Majesty's House Karl. And you are?" I already knew who they were, but they would be suspicious if I did not ask it of them.
"We are Her Majesty's handmaidens. The Queen does not have a House Karl - so who are you really?" Nada took another step closer, the other women following her lead.
"Ah, we have not been properly introduced then," I stood properly before the women, stretching to my full height and smiled at them - showing all my teeth. Of course, this had the desired effect and I noticed a few of them unconsciously shivering. Nada however had no such reaction. "I am Jarpr, and was sent as a wedding present to the King and Queen from the land of Tyr. Earlier this evening, His Majesty assigned me as Her Majesty's House Karl. I have administered the Queen's massage and since I noticed there was no guard, am standing watch until I can assign one for her quarters."
Nada's mind considered the information. Since her coronation, the Queen had refused a House Karl - another oddity - and insisted only on her handmaidens. It appeared from the group gathered before me, seven women, and I wondered if they were all trained to defend the Queen or if only Nada and perhaps the woman to her side were skilled in combat. Shifting her weight, Nada nodded towards a shorter girl with dark hair braided down her back and contrasting light eyes stepped forward. "Go find Aaron and confirm if what he says is truth," Nada commanded the girl.
The girl - Ava as Nada's mind provided, silently nodded and she walked quickly down the hall. "I hope what you are saying is true, for your sake sir." The threat rang clear in her tone.
I smirked back at her, "Ahhh, I pity that poor girl. Aaron was in a foul mood when he took me to my chambers. Although, perhaps her pretty face will soften him to her." Inwardly, I doubted it - the old man seemed like the type to be short tempered with anyone who crossed his path. Except however Yåkov - I imagined he kept his anger quiet in the King's presence.
My smirk was met with cold and stoney faces from the women, though as I touched each of their minds, I read that they were uncomfortable with me - even though they did not understand why.
The silence stretched on as they looked at me and I continued to flip through their thoughts. Apparently, the Queen had sent them to the fishing village huddled on the coast with food and supplies. A storm had recently passed through with winds strong enough to topple the smaller fishing boats and pounding waves that would have kept the boats under the waters, drowning anyone on board. Families had spent days watching the choppy waters, praying to the gods for relief as they watched their food supplies and monies dwindle. Once the waters had calmed and the people were able to safely venture out, they noticed their roofs and lands had taken considerable damage. Izabel - no, the Queen - had sent her handmaidens to the fishing village with food for them and supplies to make the repairs. However, seeing the worn faces of the men and women alike, the women could not just leave the supplies. They had stayed behind and helped with the repairs, which had resulted in a longer than expected day. As I looked through their thoughts, I was touched by the love they had for their people. Even though each thought of the day was laced with utter exhaustion, it was also tinged with affection they held for the people. Worn faces morphing into smiles and sorrow filled eyes that melted into hope seemed to play on repeat as these remarkable women rigidly stood in the hallway.
They were utterly exhausted - barely standing - yet their loyalty for the Queen had them upright and on alert. Not a single woman resented the Queen for not being with them or for sending them to the village. Perhaps these women could be trusted with the Queen's safety - at the very least their thoughts would surely be good sources of information.
Finally, Ava returned with a very disgruntled Aaron trailing tiredly behind her. Not sure why the girl insisted I return with her. I should be in bed sleeping. As he neared me, his body reminded him of my unnaturalness and he took a few steps back placing more distance between himself and me. He grunted at Ava and then pointed at me, "That is the Queen's new House Karl. Just arrived from Tyr today - some kind of wedding present from their King." Without waiting for any replies, he turned sharply on his heel and began back the way they came. He paused and looked over his shoulder towards Ava and Nada, "Do not bother me again with such trivial matters," he sneered and walked away.
Turning back towards me, Nada slightly inclined her head, "Apologies. Jarpr - was it?"
I nodded.
"Well, you are dismissed. With our return, the Queen will be looked over."
I arched my eyebrow - they did not say they would guard or protect her, so perhaps I was not supposed to know that Nada and possibly Ava were warriors? Playing my role, I scrunched my face into one of worry and concern, "No offense ladies, however the Queen should be protected by a guard."
Nada was loosing patience - exhaustion was wearing her thin. "We will send for a guard. Good night sir." She nodded her head at me, effectively dismissing me, and then walked past me to open the chamber door. The group walked past me leaving only Nada holding the door, then looking back at me as the last woman entered. Without a word, she firmly shut the door in my probably surprised face.
**Waives** Hi there! Here is a short chapter that was the most challenging to write (I'm sure I'll be challenged by other chapters as well). As mentioned in Ginnungagap, I wrote some chapters from JPOV to better write the Izabel's POV. However, there were sometimes several chapters in between that were not written (for example the next chapter that had been written from JPOV is Ginnungagap Chapter 7: The First Encounter).
I'll share a secret with you - but promise not to tell anyone else. ;-) Come close ... little closer... When I first began Ginnungagap, it was an idea that started in the middle of the story (Chapter 21:One Night) and I originally wrote Chapter 21 through the end. After I wrote out a very rough draft (that later drastically changed as I got to know my Izabel), I researched Vikings - their history and culture, and the very real place where I wanted this story to take place. Finally, I began writing from the beginning of the story to get to Chapter 21. Can I just say that after writing the first chapter, I drew a blank for the longest time? Every time I wrote a chapter, I felt so bored by what I was writing. I just wanted to get to the action. I really enjoy reading slow burns - but writing them is a whole other story. :P I'm just too impatient - but didn't want the story to drag or feel rushed.
When it came time to start plugging in the holes between chapters, I was initially excited until I started to feel bored with it again. I did not want a whole story of just the same scenes and information from JPOV. So I've been spending time immersing myself in Viking culture and rereading Ginnungagap to make sure everything aligns, but while also filling in some of those gaps (remember we won't see Jarpr for almost three whole chapters in Ginnungagap). In my notes, I knew what he was doing and learning - but now comes the struggle of putting it to paper. Perhaps everyone who likes to write feels this way? Perhaps it's just me.
For those of you still reading - thank you for your patience and continued support. :-)