Northern Winds
Author: Ark Angel HFB
"Talking" & "Thinking"
Chapter 1: Bickering...
"Do you, Ashe of Freljord, Agree to this union?" Asked a finely robed man.
"I Accept." Ashe answered in a loud steady voice as she gracefully knelt. Her balance steady, one hand on her knee the other placed on the ground palm down, hand open. She bowed her head slightly while out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the tall man standing next to her. "He couldn't even bother to fully button the attire?"
"Do you Tryndamere, of The Barbarians of the North, Agree to this union?" Again the robed man asked.
"Yeah, I accept it!" Tryndamere's voice boomed as a few cheered from behind him. He plopped down to kneeling, rocking with a slight grunt, no effort made to keep his balance. One hand resting on his knee, his other hand he sharply slapped onto Ashe's shoulder.
"Oww... You Moron!" Ashe clenched her jaw as she flinched from the force of the blow. She tried not to let her stoic expression break as she stared at Tryndamere out of the corner of her eye. "Your hand doesn't go on my back. It goes on the ground next to mine! Ring and pinky finger overlapping with mine! HOW MANY TIMES DID WE HAVE TO GO OVER THIS IN THE PAST THREE DAYS... FORTY, NO! FIFTY TIMES AND YOU STILL FAIL THE MOST SIMPLE OF MY PEOPLE'S TRADITIONS!?"
Tryndamere glanced down at Ashe and met her gaze. "She must be bored as all hell... same as me."
Ashe held his gaze as she gritted her teeth. "For my people... for peace. At least he can' t screw up anything else."
"VERY WELL!" The man in the robes yelled loudly holding up his hands. "Is there any opposition!?"
Tryndamere tightened his grip on Ashe's shoulder. "Don't worry... The stupid boring part is all most over."
"Why is he talking during the ceremony!? Did he just call my people's ceremony stupid?" Ashe blinked as she exhaled. "If there is any mercy in this world an assassin will end me now."
"I have an objection! He's too ugly for her!" Called a barbarian on Tryndamere's side of the gathering.
"Shut up! I'm good from some angles!" Tryndamere loudly shouted back half turning to do so.
"Yeah the back!" Many of Tryndamere's roared in laughter.
The robed man adjusted himself, flustered by the interruption as the people slowly went silent once more. "Good.. Good…Yes, Good! With both members' acceptance! As strong as the northern winds blow, may your bound be stronger!" The robed man bowed as he motioned for the two in front of him to stand.
Tryndamere surged up with a huff. "About time!"
"For peace, for peace, for peace..." Ashe sighed as she gracefully rose to look at the robed man.
"You Are Now Husband And Wife. Queen and King of Feldjord." The robed man announced.
"It's done... peace for my people finally." Ashe let a real smile grace her lips, then she nodded a small bow to the priest. She turned to face the wildly cheering crowd of people that roared behind her. "We bow to the crowd then he kisses my forehead and we walk out together with his arm on my shoulder... Simple and elegant. A good show of unity between us. That is the plan."
Tryndamere grinned as his left hand caught Ashe's face as she turned. His other hand snaked around the lower small of her back, as he planted a deep kiss on her lips. Tryndamere's left hand slipped behind Ashe's neck holding her in the kiss as he dipped her backwards slightly.
"What just..." Ashe's mind went blank as there was a gasp from the crowd, a pause of deafening silence, Then a thunderous uproarious cheering erupted.
The kiss lasted for what seemed like years before Tryndamere broke it and drew in a deep breath before turning and walking down the aisle, One hand on Ashe's hip guiding her next to him as his other hand waved to the crowd.
Ashe kept her eyes forward as she fought the blush that was already spreading across her face. She could not be more happy as they walked outside into the near freezing air and a cool wind blew across her burning checks. Her feet felt more at home walking across the frozen ground as they reached the carriage which offered shelter from the crowd that was spilling from the building, still cheering for the couple.
As soon as the carriage door closed Tryndamere pulled on his shirt, opening it down to his abs. "Man, I'm glad that shit is over... This shirt is hotter than hell."
"That wasn't the Plan." Ashe muttered as she sat still, gripping her knees with her hands.
"And that guy just would not shut up about going on and on about nothing!" Tryndamere said with a chuckle as he leaned back into the seat as the carriage rumbled along the path.
"That wasn't the Plan." Ashe again said her voice a little louder.
"What?" Tryndamere said as reached for a small bottle.
"That. Was. Not. The. Plan." Ashe repeated, running her hand through her hair. "This is a Political Marriage, Now some honey moon romp."
"Aahh, Forget that 'plan' garbage." Tryndamere said with a big grin.
"Or we could stick to the plan and bring happiness and peace to our people without risking a thing." Ashe shot back.
"Here, drink this, it will thaw you out a bit." Tryndamere said as he opened the bottle, sipped it and then swung his arm tossing the open bottle to Ashe.
Ashe caught the bottle, her eyes looking for any sign of the bottle spilling while in flight "A, What is it? B, How did you throw it without spilling it?"
Tryndamere laughed as he reached for a large green bottle. "We barbarians have a few little tricks... and knowing how to move a bottle around a campfire is a must have in our circle. That drink is a 'little something' Singed cooked up for us."
Ashe looked from the bottle to Tryndamere then back to the bottle. "And you trust him?"
"Hell No! But what kinda a monster would pull something on a man's wedding day?" Tryndamere laughed as if he'd told a joke worth writing down. "I did well... She could be less uptight, but she sure is a fine thing to stare at." Tryndamere smiled across the carriage at the woman who sighed.
"A monster exactly like Singed..." Ashe said as she continued to look at the potion before smelling it. "This... smells like a fruit drink."
"Look. There are Noxus houses, pulling a Piltover carriage, driven by Ionian's most skilled carriage... err driver, and all guarded by Demacia. When in the hell is this ever going to happen again? Now come over here and we can share this bottle that Gragas made for us. This is the one time in yah life, yah can let your guard down." Tryndamere popped the cork on the battle chuckling as it bounced off the ceiling. "I'll bet you your ass, this is anything but fruit drink."
Ashe sighed lifting the bottle to her lips drinking the beverage Singed had made. "Whatever..." Ashe sighed crossing the carriage to sit next to the Barbarian King who promptly wrapped an arm around her. "So... Trynd... How much will you need to drink before you'll put an apple on your head?" Ashe closed her eyes grinning, the sweet taste of Singed's potion still on her lips.
"If you're the one firing? Hell..." Tryndamere held up the bottle looking it over before shrugging and lifting it to his lips downing over half the bottle. "Well fuck..."
Ashe blinked looking up at him. "What?"
Tryndamere looked into the bottle then smelled it. "That fat bastard... it's just a damn fruit drink."
Ashe, for the first time that day, genuinely laughed covering her mouth as she grinned up at the fuming barbarian. "So about the bet... I guess that means I will be keeping to myself tonight."
Tryndamere blinked a few times before smiling and grinning. "Woah... Never mind, Gragas didn't pull any punches. Weird Magic brew... all the kick in it sneaks up on yah. Well fire away." He pushed the bottle into Ashe's lap as he leaned over and pulled her into another kiss.
Ashe closed her eyes until a bump in the road broke the kiss. She sat drawing in a breath as the carriage rumbled along the road. "This isn't so bad... he isn't perfect but he could be worse. This is the best for my people and his." Ashe reached for a glass on a small shelf, where they were stored. She lifted the glass out of a slot and started to pour a drink only to have her husband slap the glass to the floor. "Really!?" Ashe watched as the drink spilled.
"This is a celebration... forget the pansy glasses, man up, and drink the right way. Anything worth drinking is worth drinking the 'right' way... right from the bottle." Tryndamere pulled Ashe a bit closer to him with his arm as his other hand lifted the bottle up towards her mouth.
"Man up..."Ashe said in a flat tone.
"Yeap." Tryndamere responded.
Ashe lifted the bottle to her lips and took a short drink of the brew. "Satisfied?"
"A bit, we'll get there." Tryndamere started to lean for another kiss before he stopped and promptly lurked forward onto his knees on the floor of the carriage throwing up. "Ok... Now I am not at all."
Ashe covered her face, setting the bottle down on the floor. "Piltover is not going to be pleased about this... way to man up." Ashe sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked out the window at the countryside. "You know Gragas doesn't play when it comes to drinks and you just drank half of the brew right away." Ashe spoke softly, enjoying the countryside that rolled by and the slight buzz of Gragas' brew.
Tryndamere wiped his mouth before shifting back on the floor and laying his head on the seat of the carriage. "Laugh while you can. I'mma still collect on our bet tonight."
Ashe groaned as she let her forehead hit the glass of the window. A moment later She clenched her jaw before dropping to the floor as Tryndamere just had. She wiped her mouth before glancing back at Tryndamere. "This is why I don't drink and I don't let my guard down..."
"Oh shut up." Tryndamere barked.
Ashe closed her eyes, her head spinning in a fog.
xxxXXXxxx
As the Carriage arrived at a large Demacian estate, Ashe and Tryndamere stepped out onto a stone walkway. Several Demacian summoners stood watching. Tryndamere seemed to be getting his second wind and was feeling much better as they walked towards the entrance to the Home.
Ashe sighed as she looked over the faces of summoners. "Glad we had a change of clothes." Ashe returned a slight bow to a summoner as he passed. "Demacia was kind enough to offer a ball in our honor."
"At least you didn't spill Gragus' brew." Tryndamere said flatly. "Later tonight I'm giving it another shot."
"Not a fast learner is he." Ashe looped her arm under Tryndamere's as she covered her mouth for a moment. "Please take me to our bedroom." Ashe whispered.
"Well, aren't you getting a bit excited?" Tryndamere said, as he grinned.
"No... I'm still feeling ill. I'd like to rest a bit before dinner tonight. If I have to sit through Demacian speeches, I'm doing so well rested." Ashe muttered under her breath before she flinched covering her mouth. "Why did I say that out loud? How strong is the brew Gragas made?"
"Congratulations Tryndamere and Ashe!" A summoner called as he stepped in front of the two. "Remember me, I've summoned you guys a lot. I just wanted to say I'm happy for you tw-"
"Move it." Tryndamere pushed the summoner aside as he followed the path into a large room. "I swear every time that idiot calls me, we get killed more than the damn minions."
"Hnn..." Ashe glanced back. "We tend to do really well... Maybe you are the problem." Ashe said with a slight grin.
"Oh, 'ha ha'." Tryndamere snarled as they walked inside the building.
xxxXXXxxx
Ashe walked into the joint room smiling as she looked at the massive bed. "It will be the same bed but... it isn't like we will be next to one another..." She still felt ill as she walked over to the bed and sat down gracefully before laying back gently.
Tryndamere on the other hand wasted no time in simply walking over and flopping onto the bed. "Sleep an hour, then go feast, I'm going to enjoy Gragas' gift and then I'm collecting our little bet."
"That is very unlikely." Ashe rolled over mumbling into a pillow.