I have a habit for short chapters but I think it helps me take baby steps and enjoy writing again! I did so much research to 1. Try and understand friggin politics and 2. Not make a cringey wedding based on western culture lmao.
If there's a weird word it's probably Icelandic, because I kinda felt like Rakelstake might have been a bit inspired by Reykjavik and how else am I gonna name things ;)
"What better way to expand the Freljord and its people than a union. Wouldn't you agree Your highness?" The thinnest of the men sneered. The council were always trying to belittle her, oh how her mother had warned her of their ways. If she were not a woman things would be different, perhaps they would not talk down to her so. She had since grown used to their ways and worked around them.
"A union would certainly increase our chances against a war. Of course more people means more control and more support..." Ashe lost her words in a train of thought- is this it?
"The barbarians perhaps."
"What? A union with barbarians. You can't be serious, they're named barbarians for a reason. Their ways would not bode well with ours, the freljord would end in turmoil!"
"They wish for the same outcome."
"As does Lissandra and as does Sejuani, it's the pathway to the destination that is what makes us Avarosan. We choose to be peaceful and compassionate. Barbarians certainly do not."
"They are different in their ways, but their motivation and their goal is the same as ours. We will advance quicker if we are cohesive and pull eachother towards a better future. You would have a say in their method, or pathway as you like to put it. Just as much as they do." She stared icily at the table for a moment.
"They won't accept. Even if I agreed, what makes you think they would?" Ashe said coldly.
"They need us, as much as we need them."
Tryndamere stared at the small woman before him, he had had his fair share of lovers and the barbarian women that he fell for were always confident, loud and passionate in their ways. The man thought he knew what beauty was, until he saw Ashe that afternoon. She was a different kind of beauty. Her skin was pale almost unnaturally so, making the ice in her eyes seem to glow, he had seen her before but never from this perspective. Her hair being up for the first time since they had met exposed her pale neck and shoulders regality really suited her. The woman had had an aura of calmness about her each time they had met and spoke strongly but eloquently nonetheless, still he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he'd missed.
"Queen Ashe, please place your left hand on top of the Stone of Ást." She took a step forward, laying her palm over the ceremonial rock. The villagers of Rakelstak always believed the rare crystallised rock would bring luck to marriage, it had become tradition for many, although most of the more established families would prefer to privatise their weddings to their own home. Ashe of course wished for nothing more than old tradition, an outdoor space that would fit whoever wanted to be there, not who could afford to be. She could see from the look of Tryndamere's face that he wasn't quite convinced. I wonder what this would be like if we had followed their traditions.
"King Tryndamere please also place your hand on top of the stone." The barbarians hand completely overshadowed Ashe's slender digits, in size and in heat, only his was visible now.
"I will now pour the glacial water of Eyjafjall over your joined hands, and honor you husband and wife."
Tryndamere removed his hand and took Ashe's from the stone he bowed his head and knelt to kiss her hand. A peculiar sensation for the both of them, Ashe's icy fingers meeting Tryndamere's warm lips, she seemed surprised when he looked up at her, there seemed to be a lot within those eyes, like they had seen a world prior to this one.
Keeping a gentle hold of her hand he walked back through the snow an aisle between two crowds, his and hers, all clapping in unison as they began their walk back through the village. Ashe smiled seeing her people, all of them, she had openly invited each village in hopes that real people with real lives would join her, not just the privelaged and favoured. A small girl ran out in front of her grinning "Pincess Ashe!" Her mother worriedly followed behind looking worried, Ashe looked at her just as she mouthed I'm sorry to her, but she just smiled and shook her head.
"Yes darling?" Ashe bent a little and took the girls hand in front of her.
"You look pretty." The girl whispered, more shy now that much of the town and the two tribes had their eyes on them both. The queen smiled and knelt down in front of her, reaching up to her hair.
"So do you." She said as she took the flower that Margery had given her and put it behind the young child's ear. The girl gasped happily and ran back to her mother who laughed and picked her up happily. She heard the mother whisper "She's a queen now pet." As she turned back to Tryndamere to walk with him again, he just stared on bewildered that someone could take so much consideration and place into such tiny details.
I'm gonna be trying to focus on Trynd a little bit more after these two, I'm not used to writing from a guys perspective tbh so uh enjoy that mess in the future.
Ást is love in Icelandic and Eyjafjall is half of the name of a glacier (Eyjafjallajökull - try spelling that let alone saying it lmao) PLEEEEEASE REVIEW ILL UPDATE MORE ;)))