Chapter Eight

I don't want to leave, but it's my destiny

I will wrap my arms around the world

You'll see that I am not a child

Cause I'm standing taller this time

Take it step by step, do my best, that's right

But I will never say goodbye

~I don't wanna leave (Poland, 2009)

Mercifully, the battles were all outside his home as well as the major towns. However, it did creep into the inhibited lands at the countryside. The people who have conducted so much raids were now experiencing what they had inflicted on too many others. However, this could not be called revenge as it was due to people whom they had always worked with.

This whole war was one of pride. After all, it was not as if the other two countries sought to conquer them. Just as the fights were initiated by pride, the defence was done due to pride as well. They could just give up, as the sought after price was the title of being the winner. It would have spared them much, but their pride would never allow them to do this.

Danmǫrk was powerful, but in addition to Svíþjóð and Nóregr, he had to fight Suomi too. He was also too reliant at having them to be on his side- he was not used to fighting alone.

However, he was helped by the fact that he was very desperate to win. Defeat would result in what he had feared all these years ago that made him take Ranveig from her brother by force.

He fought desperately, yet he was not surprised at losing. Was it because he finally realised that he could not always have what he wanted?

"We will not do anything more to the country." Susanna assured the King of Danmǫrk. "However, we have our own problems to resolve with him."

The once powerful and mighty nation had been reduced to a kneel on the ground due to Lukas and Susanna. Mathias still had his axe but this did not alarm them at all, as the only way that he could use the axe was as a staff to prevent him from collapsing. One of his legs was broken, while the other leg would have suffered the same fate if Susanna did not remind Lukas that they still needed him to walk in the immediate aftermath.

"…he is a nation." Mathias's boss reminded them, clearly worried.

"I will control myself." Lukas promised. He was actually already doing this because his anger required more then a few blow to be given.

"So you choose to gain your freedom in such a dramatic way." Mathias said as he looked at his cousin. It was not easy for him to speak due to the bile and blood in his mouth, but he still did so. "It is a selfish way, Susanna. You are doing injury to those who does not deserve it."

His speech was temporary halted due to Susanna smashing her broad sword at his nose, breaking it.

"You are the most selfish man I know, so do not care to call me selfish!" she spat out.

"I did not say that I wasn't. I even agree." Mathias said softly, and he then turned to Tino.

The young man actually flinched upon meeting the other's gaze. Yes, the other did capture him and conquer his land, as well as imposing many rules. In addition, he also witnessed how Mathias forced Lukas and Raveig to part, and he has seen both of their suffering.

Yet the other was not completely unkind. He was a generous man who did help Suomi to become much more powerful. Nor could he deny that Mathias was starting to become a much better person.

"You will be ruled by Susanna now." Mathias stated simply. "I suppose this won't really matter that much, as this is really what has been happening since the day we arrived on your shores."

"…is this all you wish to say to me?" Tino asked. Was this the same proud and arrogant man who conquered and raided for the mere sake of 'I wanted some entertainment'?

"I have too much things that I keep due to my pride forbidding anyone from owning it, even if I don't want them anymore. But what does it matter when I will now lose the one thing that is the most important to me?" Mathias said sadly as he turned to Lukas. "You would take her?"

The moment he said this, Susanna grabbed hold of his arm to prevent him from striking, as she knew that once he struck the first blow, he would lose all control. She did not want to know what would happen when a nation was extremely injured.

"You took her from me!" Lukas yelled out.

"Yes, and I was very wrong. However…"

Do you not plan to the very same? Was the unspoken words.

"Is it not ironic that I only realised how wrong I have been when I am now powerless?" Mathias said very bitterly. "Do whatever you want, I can't stop you."

"It is pitiful to see you like this." Susanna admitted.

"This is probably what I deserve. However…be careful, Susanna. You play a very dangerous game. You can get what you want, but whether you can keep it will be a very different story."

This time, it was Susanna that struck. It was not so much the implication of his words, but the tone. He was…patronising even though he was the one who lost.

The snow was thick and their footsteps left a clear path from their house. Even now and then, Ranveig would turn back to look at it. Foolish as it was, she was comforted by the trial. It was as if she could go back as long as that path existed.

"Mama…" Emil whispered as he tightened his hold on her hand. "Must I see what I will see?"

She knelt down so that they were on eye level, and she then placed her hands on his shoulders. When she spoke, he had no choice but to listen, because she spoke as an adult to another.

"Yes. What you will see is horrible, but you must see it and remember. That way, you will not make the mistake that your father, as well as your uncle and aunt, has made."

"But why will they do this?"

"For pride." Saying so, she stood up again and took his hand, indicating that they had to continue.

Later on, Iceland would be a rather detached country, participating in few world affairs. Perhaps his personality was like that all along, or perhaps it was due to the rest of his family. However, what he saw on this day was something that he would never forget: that of a family fighting each other, which did cause him to form a very strong dislike towards fighting. (1)

"Mama…can I close my eyes now?" he implored.

He was very pale and he was using his other hand to grab onto her cloak, as well as trying to avert his face, resulting in him barely walking.

"Yes." She decided, as she picked him up. However, any escape would be temporary, as he would soon see one of the worst sights that he would ever see.

His defeated father.

She knew that Mathias was defeated, as she felt it. Therefore, she would go to him, as it was possible that she would be taken away without the chance of saying goodbye to him.

They walked pass many corpses on their way and she would mentally prepare herself whenever this happened. However, the truth was still much too horrifying. As soon as she saw him, she felt that she was wrong by bringing their son with her.

She considered covering his face, but then decided against it. She, however much she loved her son, would not shelter him the way that her brother and husband did. He would know of the danger of the world, so that he would not be so reliant on others and be defenceless if they were not there.

"Emil…I am going to tell you something and I want you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you otherwise." She began very firmly. She probably did not need to tell him to open his eyes, as his expression revealed that he did not want to do so. "Your father is near and he is severally injured. So are your uncle and aunt, who are the ones that did this to him. I want you to understand that the reason this happened is because of war and pride. They felt that they must fight. This is the consequence.

"Therefore, don't make their mistakes." She whispered as she placed him away from the comfort of her arms.

Opening his eyes, the first thing that Emil saw was his father, and he simply couldn't believe that that this was his strong father. This man who was wounded and injured so horribly. To merely look at him hurt.

Besides his father were his other relatives, along with Tino. Both Lukas and Susanna were injured and wounded too, indicating that the fight had been very difficult, so losing was not that shameful. However, this did not matter to the child at all.

"Papa!" Emil cried out as he ran to crouch by his father.

This image suddenly made Lukas recall how he had been in that situation twice when he and Mathias fought, and there was even a time when his sister had knelt right by him.

"Why did you bring him here?" Mathias did not turn his head to that direction, as he probably was not able to do so. However, he knew that she was there, and that Emil did not come here due to his own choice.

"So he will be smarter then all of us." Ranveig said as she went to stand beside him, discovering that she was unnatural calm. "You lost, Mathias."

"As you can see." He said dryly, before his voice turned very gentle. "I really am sorry."

"And you win, oniichan." She continued. "And you will take me away with you?"

"I have told you, haven't I?" Lukas replied, and she could tell that despite his triumph, he was very tired. "I can't forgive him."

She walked to him but did not embrace him. Instead, she knelt down in front of him. Ignoring the puzzled expression that was then replaced by angry words.

"Oniichan, I will always be your little sister. However, I am not only your little sister." She began. "I am the wife of Mathias and the mother of Emil. Would you take me away from my son? Oniichan, I was a young woman when I was taken from you, but my son is merely a boy."

When her brother replied, his words were so low and broken that Ranveig almost regretted her words.

"Do you not know how cruel you are to say this?"

Since she went away, he clung onto the hope of being able to be with her again. Yet now that this was finally coming true, the very person that he did all this for was telling him that that she refused to be with him."

"I do wish that we can be together again, but it cannot be the way that we were." She said. "Oniichan, I will come with you, but let me be able to come back to Danmǫrk when I wish."

"And you think that he would let you come back? Why do you think that he never lets you come back to Nóregr, even when he lets you go to VInland?" he said very bitterly. "We are too similar."

"You two were similar." She corrected. She then hugged his knees, as if she was a supplicant. "Oniichan, I will go with you, but let me be able to return here every now and then. That is all I ask."

She was hoisted up, but it was not her brother, but that of her future sister-in-law.

"Why?" Ranveig asked, clearly very confused. It was not just the fact that Susanna did this, but the fact that she agreed to this in the first place.

"Stop being so selfish." Susanna told her sharply.

What happened was clearly hurting Lukas, but his sister was making it even worse. Therefore, she could no longer endure it.

"You are coming with us." Susanna continued. "On our term, and I agree with Lukas."

Unlike before, this was a firm statement about her departure.

"Why are you taking Mama away?" Emil demanded, running to stand beside his mother. "Mama, you are not going, are you?"

"We can take Emil too." Lukas suddenly said.

"That is not possible. Ranveig is not an independent country." Susanna began to explain. "If she was then we would be able to. However, since she isn't, the child would need to stay with the parent that is an independent country."

"And I have decided that Emil will stay with his father. I don't want this whole thing to repeat." Ranveig said before she embraced her son. "Yes, I will be going away."

"Why?" Once Emil grew up, he would become very refined. In fact, the other Nordics, including his father, all said that he must have someone took after his mother despite being raised up by his father. However, when he was a small child, he was not above to crying and even screaming.

"Because this is war. This is a consequence." Ranveig said. "But Emil, it will not be forever, although it might be a very long time."

Her brother was not going to lock her in a room, but she knew that he would not let her see them for a while due to his paranoia. In addition it seems that she would have difficulty travelling even if she was allowed to due to their plan of being powerful.

"But…" the boy was still sobbing. Perhaps she would have been like that if her brother had left her in Vinland with only occasional visits.

I am a nasty person, she thought sadly, abandoning my brother just because of my husband, even though I once was so desperate to be with him. (2)

"I will be back." She promised, and was quite glad that no one interrupted her. "Besides, I will only be across the ocean. It isn't far. And I am sure that you would be able to visit later."

It is just that the later might come in a form that none of them wanted. Just like the reunion of her and her brother ended up taking this form.

"And remember," she whispered." You will always be welcome in my land. You will be able to feel me there even if I am not there."

"But I have a nasty feeling that I would not be able to see you again." Emil sobbed out.

"…take this." Ranveig unclasped that necklace and placed it around her son's tiny fist. "This will help you to remember me."

This necklace became even more precious, as it was given in love for the third time. First from a husband to a wife, then from a maid to a kind mistress, and now a mother to a son.

She then kissed him on the forehead with a final farewell, and turned to her husband.

"I guess you won't be able to fulfil your promise." She finally said. "Your Queen is taken from you."

"To be a Princess again?" he chuckled, not understanding how he could manage to display this emotion. "I am sorry for what I did, and for what I failed to do. However, I will give you another promise. I won't make the same mistake with our son."

"It better be kept." She said simply. She then kissed him, and a kiss for a husband was naturally very different from a kiss to a son. The kiss was her farewell. Even though she was still certain that they would meet her again, the parting still hurt so much.

"Thank you." Mathias whispered. "Thank you for being there."

As he watched her walk away, he felt that he might never see her again.

The same feeling that his son had.

On her part, Ranveig refused to look back, as she knew that if she did so, then she'd probably have to be dragged away, and she did not want that to be Emil's last memory of her.

Tino was helping her, since Susanna and Lukas had to make a show of unity for the two people that would soon be one kingdom.

"It is like the old time, when the adults would talk and you would be the one who had to guard me." Ranveig suddenly said.

"Lady Ranveig, do you blame me?" Tino would have preferred her screaming or yelling at him, as this silence was too unnatural. She had not cried at all, and she was even talking to others rather calmly.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I helped them."

"I think I am a bit surprised." She admitted. "There are times when you seem to be rather scared of Susanna."

"That is true." He admitted. "Yet I…I want freedom and I think it is better if I go with Lady Susanna. Although what Lord Mathias said…"

"It is not just that, isn't it? I think you want to help her as opposed to helping either my husband or brother." She said slowly. "She seems to be the most important to you."

"Maybe. I want her to be happy." Tino then quickly added. "I know that this sounds really strange, but this is all I want. I don't really understand myself, but I just want her to be happy."

Much to his surprise, she interrupted him by giving him a kiss on the checks.

"It is alright."

"You have changed a lot, Lady Ranveig."

"I grew up. Not very much, but I did grow up a bit." She said with a sad smile before she went to her own cabin.

It was only when she sat down did she wanted to cry. Now that she was alone, she had to think. Usually, this would be the time that she said goodnight to her son, tucking him in as well as giving him a kiss.

She would no longer be doing that. It would be the father who must carry out these tasks.

What if she had begged Mathias to let her take Emil with her? Would he have agreed? But doing so would cause him to be alone, and it might cause this whole madness to continue. He might decide to attack her brother in the hope of getting her back.

"Ranveig, can I come enter?"

She did not really want to talk to her brother, but he most likely deserved her to do so. Therefore, she allowed this.

She was lying in bed with her hair completely loose, and there were many times when he would enter her room to kiss her goodnight. However, things have changed. Once he entered, he merely sat by her bed without saying anything.

However, she could hear all the questions that he sought to ask her.

"First of all, I don't hate you and I never will. I love you and I always will." She began. "However, that exact same thing can be said to Mathias as well. I am, however, really angry at what you have done."

"Do you see me as doing what Mathias did?"

"Oniichan, he was finally going to change, and I know that he would have change even if none of this had happen. But you then come and did this, making everything become the mess that it once was." She said very bluntly.

"You speak as if I am going to imprison you." Lukas said very angrily, his fists clenched tightly.

"I was a bit harsh, as I know that you are not." She quickly said, covering her hand with his. "But tell me, when can I leave Nóregr to visit Iceland or Vinland?"

She knew better then to mention Danmǫrk.

"Are you so eager to leave me?"

"Why do you and Mathias both think that me leaving you two's land for a short amount of time is me leaving you two forever?" at this, she was starting to get rather angry too. "Am I really such a nasty person?"

"I did not suggest that."

"Then please trust me." She pleaded.

"I want to. I will." He assured her. It was just that it can't be immediate as he was too afraid of her leaving.

"A start. Didn't it take very long with Mathias too?" Ranveig muttered to herself before she changed the subject. "But oniichan, when will the marriage be?"

"In a few days. It won't be like your wedding. It is really just a procedure instead of a celebration." He said, having heard about his sister's wedding from Susanna and Tino, as they both knew that he was naturally not allowed to be there.

"My wedding…" She had been very nervous during the ceremony since it happened without her permission. Yet as she was held by her soon to be husband, she was not completely miserable.

"Do you love her?"

"People marry for more then that reason, Ranveig."

"I know, but I still would like to know."

"I love her because she is Susanna. I love her as I always have. I love her, but it is very different from the way that I love you or the way that I loved Mathias. I do not think that it is the same way as how Mathias loved you."

"I think she actually cares a lot about you, oniichan." His sister pointed out. "She was angry at me for upsetting you."

"Susanna? I don't know what Susanna feels. I don't think that I ever did."

When they were all younger, she was the girl that they left behind. Age was the barrier instead of gender. She did not speak much, a contrast to her cousin, as she was often thinking about something.

"You two are more alike then me and her, even though she is my cousin." Mathias once said.

"Susanna is completely different from her cousin." He continued. "She is rational."

Unlike her cousin who married due to love, she married due to the practical reason of an alliance.

Did he himself wanted to marry? He honestly did not know. He has never, until his sister got married, seen two nations marry. However, that marriage was very different as it was what humans would do.

"I am a bad sister, oniichan. No, don't interrupt me." she said firmly. "However, I really wish that you'd be happy. I think you must consider what would make you happy, so please stop thinking about me."

"But what would you do if all that I want is for you to be my precious little sister again?"

"I still am. I always will be. You will always be my dear oniichan." She promised. "I will always love you. But you have to understand that I am not a little girl now. Oniichan, please realise that I would have had to leave your side even if Mathias never took me from you."

"But don't leave yet."

"…not yet." She promised. She was not able to refuse such an expression, and there were probably some years to catch up on.

Satisfied, he bent down to kiss her on the forehead, as well as telling her of how glad he was at her return. She was happy at having made him smile due to him understanding that she still loved him. Yet it hurt her at the same time, as they were suffocating. They were like a chain that sought to bind her to him.

It had been the same as Mathias' words. There were nights when he held her so tight that she would only be freed when she told him that it was starting to hurt her. Those embraces would always be accompanied by words that should make one happy. (3)

"Oniichan, I am really tired, so please let me sleep."

This was dismissal, but she did make sure that she said this with a smile in order to soften the blow.

"I will go then. But if you need anything…"

"I will call you, I know." She said, the very same words. When she was a little girl, she had been very comforted with knowing that she was protected from all harm. But the one who said this was a young woman instead of a little girl.

Lukas stayed until she was asleep, but did his presence really help? Was he really just doing what he wished to do?

"How is she?" Susanna asked, being the first person he saw.

"Upset at being apart from her husband and son." He said sadly. "Would it have been different if I took her back earlier?"

"Probably, but what do you plan to do now?"

"I am going to take her to Nóregr and stay with her for a few days at the very least to make sure that she is alright." Then I will help you with the preparations." It sounded so easy, but he knew that it would be very hard.

"I must be honest, I was a bit worried." Susanna admitted. "I never once thought that you would break your words, but…"

"I don't deny that my main concern is to get my sister back and defeat Mathias, but I'll help you." he assured her.

"To you, your happiness is to be with your sister." Susanna said and she did not know why she said this. "You are just like my cousin. Despite what we could have achieved if he married me, he still picked your sister as he just wanted to be with her."

Lukas was confused by what he then felt. It was very logical for Susanna to ask her cousin, as he was more powerful, as well as being her cousin. However, why did he feel unhappy at this?

"So you picked me because Mathias wanted my sister?" much to his surprise, he actually sounded rather bitter. But did he not already have what he wanted? His sister was beside him again.

"Why are you angry?"

"I do not know."

If Ranveig was here, then she would probably have been able to explain that he was actually jealous. However, since she was not, he would not understand until much later.

"I am not like my cousin." Susanna pointed out. "I am not marrying for some…obsession."

An obsession which severally hurt Lukas as it led to a mad possessiveness.

"Of course not. We are…smarter." He finally said.

It was what his boss agreed to, not what he insisted his boss to give him. It was very different. (4)

"You are right." Susanna said with a slight smile. "I know that we will be able to be very powerful. Especially when you are with me instead of my cousin."

Powerful, yes, but what of happiness? Ranveig's marriage was of no benefit to Mathias's country and it might even be a liability. However, there was no denying that the other had been very happy. (5)

"Goodnight, Lukas." With that, Susanna was gone and he suddenly suspected that she might be like that even at the eve of their wedding.

"Now what?" he asked out aloud.

Perhaps that was his problem. He was so occupied with thoughts of getting his sister back that he was not sure what he should do now that he has managed to achieve it. It was too long when he did not need to be occupied with this.

She was back…but he knew that she had changed too much. Soon, she would be restless and when that time, he knew that he had to let her go. Much as he hate it, he must do so.

"But not yet," he whispered, "Just a bit longer."

Note

(1) Given how strong Norway is (being one of the Viking) I would have thought that Iceland would be very tough too. I am actually quite surprised at the way Iceland is. Therefore, this is my interpretation.

(2) It is important to remember that when Vinland met Norway, she really wanted to be with him. And I think the real Vinland would have wanted that too. To just be with his big brother.

(3) Denmark would just have been saying words such as 'I love you', 'Don't ever leave me' and usually they are words that you would want to hear in a relationship. However, it would have been really hard for Ranveig to hear these words as they are what caused her to be imprisoned. As she said, it is this that made her unhappy.

(4) Basically, Denmark all but told his boss that he was going to marry Vinland no matter what. And his boss decided to agree because it was clear that he was going to do that no matter what

(5) During all this time, Vinland was not developed. It was really just a piece of land. There was no obvious asset for neither Norway or Denmark. There was even the possibility of this land being problematic, because if something happen to the land, then they were under obligation to defend it due to being in charge of it.

Author'sNote: Something that I have to first ask myself…why am I being so mean to Norway? I really do like Norway, but I am so mean to him in this story. I don't deny that he is responsible for what happened, but unlike Denmark, he would never force her to do something. Thanks to Lady Axis Neoluna pointing out that she thought that Greenland might be Vinland's child, as well as telling me that Greenland had been under Norway's control before he left with Sweden…I suddenly thought: "imagine what would happen if Norway did carry out his comparison and take Greenland away from them?" However, I then realised that Norway would never do that. This then showed, for me, a major difference between him and Denmark.

Norway's situation is really sad in this chapter. All that he wants is for him to be able to be with his sister again. He does know that they could never be the way that they were, as she has grown up. Yet he still just really wants to be with her again. However…it almost seem as if Vinland does not want that, as she ends up showing him how much she wants to be with others (Iceland) or be parted from him (by going to Vinland). In addition, her kneeling down in front of him would have really hurt him, as that was not what a sister ought to do with a brother.

The reason that Vinland decides that she would let her son stay with Denmark (Even though it is not as if she has a choice), is because she feel that if Denmark had been alone, just like how Norway is alone, then he might start a war.

As for Sweden and Norway's marriage…I have to confess. It is really hard to write about them, especially with femSweden as I feel that Sweden is the much more masculine party (although that could be due to the fan fiction that I have read of them. XD). In regard to these two…I can only say this: Read between the line. Because neither are ones who would openly say their feelings (a contrast to Denmark and Vinland However, we can see that Sweden does care about Norway as she was upset on his behalf (when she noticed that what Vinland does was hurting him. As for Norway, I think he love Sweden because they have always been together, just as he love Denmark. However, the question is what type of love is it?

Finally, in regard to Finland …I used to feel that it is really strange that Finland would leave Denmark and go with Sweden, because he acts as if he is really scared of Sweden. Later on, they obviously became good friends or more then that (Depending on what you think) but in the beginning, he was terrified of Sweden! Therefore, I thought that it was a bit like what Latvia said, when he said that he wanted to go to Germany (despite finding Germany scary) as he just can't take it any more with Russia. It is the idea of going to someone you are scared of, as you feel that your situation just can't get any worse. But when I look at Denmark…I thought: "Denmark would cause Finland to be that scared?" In the end, this is my interpretation. I think that Finland really wanted freedom and he thought that he would go with Sweden, as this is a chance of escaping. I think he initially was probably going to then escape from Sweden, but just never got around to doing that. In addition, I think Denmark would have been like any other boss. There were still rules. Although I still find it difficult to believe that he was that bad.