Chapter 1: Sprits
"Sigrid! Sigrid, where are you?"
The boy, small and scrawny, was running through the gardens. Dirt covered his bare feet and his knees were grass stained. He knew his mama would not be happy, but finding Sigrid was the only thing on his mind.
He came to an abrupt halt as he rounded a corner and found another boy, about four years his senior, kicking a soccer ball.
The younger boy called out to the older boy, his older brother "Ian! Where is Sigrid?"
"Hey, Nils. I-" Ian was about to answer that he didn't know where there sister was when he was cut off by a scream from Nils. A small, blonde girl had jumped out of one of the hydrangea bushes and tackled him to the ground.
"Sigrid!"
The girl jumped up and ran off towards the palace with Nils right behind her, laughing and smiling all the way.
...o0o...
The quiet sound of footsteps echoed through the dark hallway as Nils made his way towards his sister's room. It had been a whole week since the twins had moved into separate rooms, but he was still not at all used to sleeping without his sister close by.
Nils had managed to stay in his own room for the past several nights, something that had earned him more than his fair share of praise from their parents. However, tonight was worse than most nights. Tonight, a storm raged outside the palace walls. Rain poured down, and wind rattled all the windows. A shiver ran down his spine as another bolt of lightning struck. He could not remember a night with this much lighting in a long time.
Finally, after what felt like a hundred miles and over an eternity, Nils arrived at the tall oak door. His small hands grasped the cold metal handel and pushed the heavy door open, shedding the slightest bit of light into the pitch black room. A few timid steps into the room, he fixed his eyes on the seemingly ginormous bed where Sigrid lie sleeping.
"Sigrid?" he whispered, so quietly that even he could barely hear the small sound.
"Sigrid," he whispered again, silently willing his sister to wake up. Nothing happened, so he looked over at the maid sleeping on the couch and took a few more steps towards the bed.
"Sigrid."
Again, no response. He took a deep breath and took the final steps to the side of her bed. Reaching up a tiny shaking hand, he gently touched her shoulder.
"Sigrid!" Finally, to Nils's great relief, Sigrid sat up, rubbing her eyes, and looked down at her brother.
"Nils?" Sigrid asked groggily, "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."
"I-I couldn't sleep," Nils whispered, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.
A deep roll of thunder shook the bed and a lightning strike lit up the bedroom. A knowing look spread across Sigrid's face. She knew her brother had never liked storms. Quickly and quietly, so as not to wake her maid, Sigrid pulled back her blankets and helped her twin climb into her bed. Nils pulled up the covers and snuggled in next to his sister.
"Jag älskar dig."I love you The whisper was barely audible, but he understood. A small smile danced on his lips , and he began to slowly drift off in his sister's arms.
"Jag älskar dig också." I love you too
...o0o...
Nils didn't turn around when he heard the quiet click of the door to his balcony closing behind Sigrid.
"You know, there is this thing called knocking…" He still did not turn around, only smiled to himself.
"Håll käften." Shut up Sigrid replied.
Nils didn't respond to this, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. He waited patiently for his sister to join him by the railing before resting his head on her shoulder and letting out a quiet sigh.
"Don't go," he whispered, finally breaking the silence of the cold night. It was his favorite kind of night, cold and perfectly clear. He loved nights like this because they were perfect for stargazing. There was something about those cold nights that made it a thousand times better. Tonight, his mind was elsewhere.
Sigrid put her arm around her brother, pulling him closer. "I don't want to, but you know I have to." She was leaving for her first real diplomatic mission early the next day the next day, and she in no way wanted to leave her brother behind. It would be the longest they had ever been apart. By a lot.
"Promise you'll write every day? I want to hear all about Spain."
"Only if you do."
"Please, you know I will." He turned to her, smiling.
"Yes, yes, I do," Sigrid laughed. Nils loved writing letters. Sometimes he would write them just to slide them under her door. Sigrid was the one that would need convincing.
They stood in silence, both simply enjoying being together. Sigrid had been busy with preparations for the trip, and they had had very little time together. Usually, they were able to slip in some quality twin time at least a few times a week, but now it has been a week and a half since they had been able to talk.
"So, are you excited about all the vackra Spanska pojkar you will meet?" beautiful Spanish boys Nils teased, an attempt to cheer them both up.
"Nils!" Sigrid pushed him always laughing.
"Va?! Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."
"I haven't!"
"Sure." Nils rolled his eyes. Sigrid started laughing as well. However, after a few moments the smile fell from her face.
"I'm going to miss you so much."
Nils pulled his sister into his arms."I'll miss you too, but it will only be three weeks. You'll be back before you know it."
...o0o...
A piece of hair fell loose from its tight bun as Nils bent close to the mess on the canvas. This piece was hard, one he had been working on for over a month now. There was something about it; it just never seemed right. It was frustrating; usually the paint flowed easily from his brush, almost without thought. It always come easily to him. Art wasn't something he had to think about. Not this piece though. This one was different. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but something was off.
Nils was pulled from his thoughts as a gentle hand pulled the rest of his hair loose from its confines.
"Sigrid…" Nils said, annoyed, but he didn't look up from the infuriating puzzle that was his piece.
"Yes?"
"I'm trying to work."
"I know."
"So," a slight hint of exasperation was starting to work its way into his voice, "why are you playing with my hair."
"Because you are my brother, and I want to play with your hair. It's so much prettier than mine. I love that you've grown it out so much."
"Tell that to Mama. She's just about ready to cut it off herself." The exasperated tone was replaced with a laugh as he stood up. Sigrid removed her hands from his hair and moved over to a table to fiddle with his painters' knives.
"Well, I like it, and so does Kat."
"The reason Kat likes it is because it keeps the attention on me and off her. You know Mama has been on her back about appearances."
"Well, I like it, so you aren't allowed to cut it!"
"My wish is your command, Your Royal Highness," Nils said, putting down the paints he had been putting away to mock a bow to her. He could return to his puzzle later. For now, he wanted to be with his sister.
...o0o...
"Hej." Hi
Nils looked up from his painting to see Sigrid standing in the doorway of his studio, dressed in her pajamas with a pile of paperwork. She looked exhausted and defeated.
"Hey." He smiled and pulled up a stool next to him, motioning for her to sit down. She came to sit down, so he pushed away the mess of paints and brushes to make room for her. Sigrid dumped the pile of papers on his table, and rested her head on top of them with a sigh. She took a brush from one of the mason jars sitting on the table and started to fiddle with it, not saying a word.
They sat in silence for awhile. Nils organized a few of his paints, and Sigrid filled with the brush she had taken. Every once in awhile a shout would drift up from the field below Nils's window. Kat and some friends were playing soccer, and from the sound of it they had roped Ian and Gunnar in too.
Nils waited patiently, this was a sort of routine for them. He knew it was best to let her sit and think for a while before asking about it. He would give her some time, then they would work it out. He busied himself with cleaning up his studio for awhile before finally speaking up.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Without waiting for her to answer, he took her right arm into his hands. He picked up a brush before beginning to trace swirling lines onto his new canvas. The deep indigo he had chosen stood out beautifully on his sister's fair skin. This was something they did often, though neither of them remembered how it started. Sigrid would work on paperwork, talk, or just relax. Nils would paint different parts of her body. He liked working on a living canvas, and she loved the feeling of the cool, smooth paint on her skin. It was relaxing for both of them.
"Nej, I don't want to talk at all. I just want to sit here and forget the rest of the world." [No]
"That could be arranged," Nils said quietly, setting his brow as he concentrated on the swirling pattern moving slowly across his sisters arm.
Sigrid had had every intention of working on paperwork in the studio, but all thoughts of work fell away as she closed her eyes and relaxed into her brother's touch. Slowly, the world fell away, just as he had promised.
...o0o...
Suddenly, a voice shattered the memories that were playing before Nils's eyes.
"Nils. It's time."
Nils looked up to see Ian, grief written so clearly across his strong features, standing in his doorway. Without saying a word he stood and walked out his door, passed his brother, and down the hall. He did not have the energy to even acknowledge Ian. Not today.
The next hour passed in a blur. Nils was vaguely aware of being led into a dressing, having his makeup done, and a steady stream of people moving about him. None of what anyone them said registered even the slightest bit. He simply shook his head, not caring what they said or what their questions were.
He didn't remember walking into the throne room, but Ian appeared and pulled him gently from his trance.
"Nils, I know you are hurting, we all are. I know this is the last thing you want to do right now, believe me, but you have to do it. Just five minutes, then it will be over."
Nils didn't respond, but Ian pulled him into a hug anyway before slowly walking away to stand with Gunnar and Kat.
Nils knew Ian was right, but that didn't change the reality of what he had to do, what he had to say. It didn't change the fact that he had to share these moments, the darkest and most private moments of his life, with the entire world. It didn't change anything. Nothing at all. And Nils hated it.
Just before the cameras began rolling he closed his eyes and heard his sister in his head.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Do not cry.
You can do this.
"People of Illéa, it is with the deepest sorrow that I bring you this news. Two days ago, my parents, along with my sister and her husband, boarded a plane destined for Russia. The plane never even landed. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the death of my parents, King William and Queen Sonja; my beloved sister, Crown Princess Sigrid; and my brother-in-law, Prince Anthony. They are no longer with us here on Earth, but they will remain in our hearts for all time."
AN-
Hello, and welcome to Light Carries On! I know it probably seems a bit confusing at the moment, but I will put a bunch of information below! I would like to warn you that once I get all the OCs I need from you lovely people, I will be doing a ton of outlining and planning, so updates might be a bit slow in the beginning. I am very excited about this story though, and I am so happy to be sharing it with you.
I will leave a bit of general information here, but other than that it will all be on my profile.
On the Swedish: As you probably noticed, Sigrid and Nils speak Swedish. This is true for all the royal children, since their mother is Swendish. This means that they will be speaking a fair bit of the language throughout the story. My Swedish is not perfect, so if any of you readers out there speak Swedish I would love an editor! I also realize that Swedish is not a very commonly spoken language, so I will have translations of any Swedish in brackets after the dialogue.
Background:
The story starts in July of 3091.
King William and Queen Sonja, the sixth child and fourth daughter of the former King of Swendway, were married 3063 to form an alliance between the two countries, who were not on good terms at the time. Two years after they were wed, William's illegitimate son, Ian, was born. William adored him and make him an Earl to ensure his future.
Skip ahead a decade or two and Sigrid, the Crown Princess had her Selection and wed a four named Anthony Birdsall.
Skip ahead another few years and William, Sonja, Sigrid, and Anthony were leaving for a diplomatic mission to Russia. Their plane crashed en route and they were found and pronounced dead a few hours later.
Now Nils, the boy who never expected to be King, must ascend to the throne and learn how to rule a country. He is also pressured into holding a Selection of his own. Now he must juggle dealing with his grief, ruling a country, nobles and advisors scheming for power, and love.