Chapter Forty-Four
"Some souls are connected by an ancient calling beyond worlds"
…
"I knew it, I knew that this would happen," Elsa can't help the growl that came out of her lips, her fingers tightening over the hand rests of the throne she is sitting at atop the raised dais.
The moment she woke up early in the morning missing the warmth of Silvanna at her side, Elsa knew then that something's up. Silvanna is many things, warrior, leader, teacher, lover, friend. What she is not though is an early riser. It is one of the little quirks that the Knightess had that only Elsa had the privilege to know. Nine times out of ten minus the times when she is called for an emergency it normally falls at Elsa her to wake Silvanna to start the day. When Silvanna wakes on her own, Elsa knows then that something of importance is up...or the Knightess would be off to one of her private schemes that earns her more money or give Elsa a headache.
Unfortunately currently, it is the latter instead of the former.
"Presenting our next proud combatants, the representative of the kingdom of Lalanschire, second son of Lord de Courtnay, Sir Roseland de Courtnay and his opponent, the second daughter of the fief of Snowdelle, Lady Valkyrie!" the announcer declares through the improvised amplifiers resulting to a massive cheer from the crowd as the next two jousters approach the tourney field atop their horses.
The reason of course for Esla's exasperation is no one else but the female clad opponent of Sir Roseland. Dressed in an ornate silver form fitting armour etched with runic letters and feather designs, it is pathetically obvious to anyone with half a brain that it is no one else but the Steward of Arendelle posing as a competitor in order to join in the "fun". Her long blonde hair is down and comes off the back of the face helmet she wears with winged designs on it. Finishing her appearance is a plain grey cape at her back. Elsa personally thinks that she looks both imposing and elegant at the same time.
Silvanna never disappoint when it comes to the appearance department. Judging from the rather attentive movement from the representatives and rulers of the nations who had been a little bored watching the large numbers of face-in-a-crowd knights eliminate each other to get to the finals, Elsa knows that she is not the only one that noticed Silvanna's less than stellar attempt at a ruse.
The flag at the middle of the tourney field is pulled up and immediately "Valkrie" levelled her spear forward, her horse gaining acceleration as she charges toward her enemy. Her opponent also does the same though a few seconds later and his movements rather hesitant. Elsa pities him at that. It is pathetically obvious that the poor knight is caught between a rock and a hard place. Accidentally damaging the "ruler" of the country you are visiting is a bad career move for anyone after all; even if he is in disguise. However he also has his pride as a knight and that is what seems to have forced him to urge his horse at the sound of the bugle.
Even for someone who has no idea about jousting, Elsa can see how such thoughts are entering the knight's mind. His body seems to be in an indecision as his horse is only half-galloped, his body almost half out in the saddle as if preparing to jump off and stop, and his hand holding the lance lax as if caught in an indecision to fully lower it towards his opponent or not.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent has no imbitions whatsoever. Galloping at full speed and wooden lance forward, "Valkyrie" crashed her weapon to the hesitating knight with the force of a sledgehammer. Everyone at the stadium winced as the heavyset warrior is sent flying for three meters off his horse, does a cartwheel in mid-air before crashing into a boneless heap on the ground. Everyone cheers as "Valkyrie" does a victory ride around the tourney field raising her broken lance, her beautiful face smiling. Elsa resists the urge to rub her head as she stands up and heads down to the stables. For someone who is the grown-up of the both of them, Silvanna can be very immature at times.
….
"She's good," Hadrian of Rome can't help but comment as he and the other leaders of the world superpowers of this age look from their visitors' dais toward the retreating form of "Valkyrie" exiting the tourney grounds. None of them of course had been fooled by the disguise (minus Archidamos who needs to be pointed out by Perikles) of the Knightess of Arendelle.
After the rather eventful banquet, an uneasy truce have come up between him and the rest of the leaders of the nations to at least be civil with one another during the duration of the tourney. More than one after all of them had been red-faced drunk back then at the celebration and no one would like a repeat of the humiliation. Word after all over the grape vine about their "arguments" is embarrassing and all of them want to save their dignity, or whatever at least that is left of it.
"I agree," answers Ferdinand of Spain. "Though her attendance to the tourney personally speaks a lot about her character, she's a warrior through and through that one. It is quite surprising to find that trait in a leader of a nation.
"Not a bad thing. If she was born in Sparta, she would have made a good leader," chuckles Archidamos approvingly.
"And a good wife," adds Pausanias helpfully. "Many Spartans would be duel for the right of her hand,"
"Aye, that stamina would be of tremendous use when it comes to the bedroom skill also," points out Perikles making more than one of them blink as their imagination takes over.
Their thoughts however are broken as King George of England burps loudly after taking in a large amount of wine. Looking in veiled disgust at the fat king who is wiping his large jowls with a napkin, Hadrian frowns at the rather pleased expression in his face.
"We'll be seeing more of her then," he drawls as he picks up a large number of grapes. "In the hour after this next match she'll be facing off with one of my champions, Sir Colville,"
…..
Elsa ignores the whistles and comments of admiration from the visiting knights and the cries of her security team to wait; as she stomps past the barracks where the competitors are preparing their horses and their weapons for the joust as she marches towards one of the familiar private rooms that belong to the Arendellian champions.
Not giving a glance to the surprised squawk of the four guards at the large door, Elsa pushes it open even as they protest that it is a "private area". A well-lavished room with a warm fireplace, a bed, a small table with chairs, a washbasin and a bed greets her. However it is the woman sitting beside the fire that makes Elsa's eyes narrows as she stomps angrily towards her.
"I guess you're not happy with me Elsa?" Silvanna chuckles at her a bit nervously making Elsa's scowl deepen.
"Tell me what in the blazes you are doing?" Elsa can't help the hiss that leaves her lips as she stares down the Knightess. "You are the bloody Steward and ruler of Arendelle. Our very nation relies on your to steer the wheels of our progress and growth, yet here you are endangering yourself for no reason!"
Something akin to a scoff appears on the Knightess' face making Elsa grow a tic at that. She knows Silvanna enough when she is being hard-headed. "I am not endangering myself. I can take care of myself very well Elsa, as you already know," she reasons out.
"You….are extremely selfish!" Elsa exclaims in a biting tone. "One accident, one single accident is all it takes and YOU will be dead," taking a deep breathe Elsa calms herself down. She does not fail to notice that a thin layer of frost have started to appear on her gloves and the warmth of the hearth have dwindled in response to her emotions. "Silvie, I ask this of you not only as a princess who is worried for her country but as your friend and….lover," she stops at the word gulping at the meaning behind it. She and Silvanna after all never gave a meaning as to what their status is. "I am not yet ready to rule Arendelle on my own Silvie, I need you; our baby Kaldita needs you. So for me, please stop putting your life at risk unless absolutely necessary,"
For a moment it seems that Silvanna is ready to protest even more before her face scrunched up in thought and resigning to a tired expression as she takes off her winged helmet releasing her blonde hair to the side.
"You're right Elsa, I am being extremely selfish with this," she sighs as she sits. "After this last joust, I am heading back up there in the dais with you. Is that acceptable?"
Elsa only nods as Silvanna stares into the fire. Feeling horrible however that she's denying Silvanna on something where she can point her energy towards, Elsa approaches where she's sitting. Gathering her courage, she sits at Silvanna's lap her that their faces are looking at one another. A thunderous blush appears on Elsa's face as the realization sets in that she's straddling her lover. Sometimes she even surprises herself by her bold (and incredibly rash) actions; especially when it comes to Silvanna.
"My Elsa, I have to participate in more death defying activities if I can get you to be like this," teases Silvanna, her hands going automatically to Elsa's shapely hips.
"Shut up Silvie," Elsa can't help but protest half-heartedly as the deft and firm hands of her lover trace her sides. For some reason she feels incredibly pleased that Silvanna has such a fascination of that part of her anatomy.
Gulping Elsa leans down to peck Silvanna's lips with her own, the chaste kiss immediately going deeper in mere seconds as both hers and Silvanna's hormones kick in overdrive. Before the two of them knows it the tonsil tennis are getting extremely heated with Elsa literally finding herself rubbing her body to that of Silvanna, their hands trying to touch and find purchase on any inch of skin that they can find on one another in their current attires.
"I hate this damned armour," growls Elsa who only has access on a limited amount of Silvanna's neck due to the chainmail beneath the Valkryie armour.
"I don't like this royal robes of yours either," Silvanna replies with her own exasperated sigh pulling unhappily the thick robes that Elsa is wearing as her station dictates as princess of Arendelle.
A daring idea pops into Elsa's head. Normally in a clearer state of mind she would not even think of doing it. With Silvanna however encased in a steel casing and preventing Elsa from reaching warm flesh below, she is feeling extremely daring.
Looking back at the entrance of the room, she raises a hand and blasts the doorknob with magic encasing it in ice. The fact that she's not afraid of even using her power at the moment does not register to her brain as she turns her attention back to the questioning gaze of the Knightess.
"You still have an hour before your next match right Silvie?" she asks while her fingers undo the straps at the chest plate of the Knightess' armour.
"Yep and an added extra fifteen minutes as a privilege for all participants to be late," replies Silvanna whose hands have wandered to the zipper at the back of Elsa's dress.
"Good," Elsa exclaims pulling off the chest armour of Silvanna revealing the chain mail which she easily also removes leaving Silvanna's upper portion covered in nothing but chest bindings instead of her brassiere. "Short of an invasion of Arendelle; I don't want the two of us to be bothered until then," Elsa says before letting her hands trail on the bare skin of Silvanna's navel and her teeth finding purchase on any bit of flesh of the Knightess below her.
Judging from the pleased gasps and moans of Silvanna, Elsa somehow feels that her lover is going to be late for her joust.
…..
Three figures in black moves back and forth eerily over the empty camp in the middle of the woods. For an untrained eye the camp would have been invisible for anyone except for the most experts of woodtracking. Even then they have to be informed of its presence in order to find it in the first place. The Black Badger after all is efficient on all that they do and they always keep their base of operations hidden well and out of site.
Of course seeing that this camp is nothing more than tatters, it is pathetically obvious that the major operation that the Black Badger had done here at the past failed spectacularly. There's also the small fact that the three figures currently combing the leftovers of the camp knew exactly where to find it despite the fact that they are not members of the Black Badger group. Normally they would never had attempted to be caught dead snooping around the back of Castle Arendelle itself in fear of the Ranger Corps. With the Grand Tourney in progress though, the Rangers that usually patrol Arendelle's territories are now focusing farther north with all the guests and attending royals gathered there. This is a perfect time for them to do their job without the Arendellians knowing about their presence.
"Have you found what we are searching yet?" the annoyed voice of the leader of the infiltrators ask as they check the pockets of one of the rotting corpses, what's left of them actually due to the animals of course eating them attracted to carrion.
"This is not as easy as you say brother," scowls the one picking through the pockets of a skeleton of a man. "There is nothing more greasy and so nauseating that I had done in my entire life,"
"Quit stalling brother and get on it. We don't want any Ranger finding us in this campsite. The less time that we are spending here, the better," urges the one who said before eyes trailing up and down on the woods.
The last thing that any three of them wants is for a Ranger to apprehend them. The Knightess of Arendelle after all is well-known to have very little tolerance when it comes to infiltrators and spies. Word in the underworld grapevine is that anyone stupid enough to get caught usually spends quality time on the dungeons of said country singing their hearts out to their captors.
"Brother, I found it!" a rather snarky and smug tone sounds making the two cloaked figures rush to the third one holding a withered book at his hand. "I found it on some of the crates buried on the ground with some coin. It has the leader insignia of the Badger that we have been looking for,"
"Good," nods the first infiltrator. "Prepare to leave and erase all signs of our presence. We will soon have all the secrets that the Black Badger had gathered on this kingdom,"
….
"Are you sure?" Silvanna can't help but blink as she looks at Amelia sternly.
After her rather steamy break with Elsa with an extracted promise that she'll back off from entering whatsoever part of the tourney that could endanger herself, Silvanna arrived at the joust thirty minutes late with a lot of bite marks on her neck and collarbone. Now it seems that an unknown hiccup has shown itself up. Apparently she's not the only one who's got the bright idea to disguise themselves in order to participate in the tournament.
"I'm sure of it," nods Amelia who had been acting as the squire of Valkyrie. "It's Edward my lady, the Black Prince of Wales and the first born son of King George,"
"He's also disguising himself so that he can compete," Silvanna says out loud looking forward to the opposite end of the grounds where the so-called Sir Thomas Colville is preparing himself.
"There's not a battle that he lost and there's never a fight that he didn't win," continues Amelia with a little bit of trepidation watching looking also at the said knight who is dressed in ornate armour bedecked with linings of red and gold.
"I'm aware of that Amelia, I doubt anyone in this part of the world don't know who he is," answers Silvanna wincing inside.
It is true indeed. Edward the Black had a reputation as a leader and a great warrior. He defeated the Spaniards many times as England struggles to hold on to its colonies and more than once drive off Roman Legions by expertly manoeuvring England's famous cavalry to high effect against the heavy ground troops. While his father is an expert in naval battles, Edward is famous for the land conflicts of his nation. Two sides of the coin.
"Alright that's it, give me the lance. We cannot damage him," Amelia says resignedly attempting to take off the lance off Silvanna's hand. She doesn't give it to her though as she looks at the knight whose face seems disheartened at the site of her withdrawing. Silvanna sighs as she realizes that like her, he is a kindred spirit if only in his desire to compete.
"Give me the lance!" Amelia now says exasperated as she tries to lean and reach for it. Silvanna is having none of it though.
With a loud "HYA!" she kicks her horse's flanks sending the faithful beast to a full gallop forward, her lance pointing towards the prince-in-disguise. Judging from the sudden straightening of his pose, Silvanna knows that the challenge is accepted.
"Lance!" his firm voice calls out as his own squire hands the wooden weapon as he urges his own horse forward.
Silvanna immediately knows without a doubt then that Edward's skill is not rumours only. His form had zero faults and he rides a horse as if he's born to do it. There's simply no way that she could-….. Silvanna's thought process is cut off rudely as something slams into her navel like a sledgehammer making the Knightess see white as she finds herself being thrown off her horse, all air sucked off of her. Feeling weightless for a few seconds, she crashes hard on the ground seeing stars. She groans mentally, too engrossed is she in her thoughts that she missed the lance heading towards her.
"My lady! My lady!" the panicked voice of Amelia sounds foggy and Silvanna finds herself being hauled upright as several hands grab her and sits her up. Eyes seeing more clearly, she stares at the worried face of Amelia and the rest of the medical team of Arendelle in charge for situations like these.
"I'm alright, I'm alright," Silvanna waves off as the healers prod and poke her. "I'm just winded that's all. The armour took all the blow,"
"Are you crazy?" hisses Amelia at her. "You knowingly endanger a member of a royal family of another nation,"
"He knowingly endangers himself," replies Silvanna massaging her navel where the lance hit her.
"I'm impressed Lady Silvanna. Well fought!" a rich chiselled voice makes Silvanna look up to the form of her opponent looking down at her. "You actually hit me before I unseated you. Nobody's ever done that before,"
"You too….Prince Edward," she can't help but chuckle from where she's sitting earning her a surprise gasp from the knight who then removed his helmet showing a scarred but young face with a hint of a dimple. He had a rough handsomeness to him with curly brown hair and a soft smile. He can hear the gasps of exclamations from the audience along with a "THAT'S MY BOY!" from King George of England.
"You knew me?" he asks impressed.
"Yeah,"
"And still you rode?"
Silvanna only smirks at him as she steadily stands on her feet dusting off the snow that sticks to her armour. "It's not in me to withdraw,"
"Nor I," he chuckles. "Well it happens,"
"Yeah,"
He smiles once more at her, his head bowing in respect. "Enjoy the tourney my lady,"
"You too Prince Edward," replies Silvanna as the Prince rides back to his retinue.
Walking back to the barracks with a slight wince, Silvanna knows one thing as she stares at the dais where Elsa is obviously watching. She will be hearing a lot of "I told you so's" from her lover. Elsa will not be happy with her injury. Apparently as good as she is at fighting with a spear, a tourney does not suit her well.
Lesson learned.
…..
Author's Note:
After this are the Melee, and the Ship Arc for the tourney then the final arc. Hope ya enjoy. So yeah, Silvanna's not perfect despite her skills.
