2. Unexpected

The next morning you're relieved when you wake up and feel yourself wrapped in Rurik's strong embrace. Leaning back into his chest, you relax slightly and hope this is the start of some sense of stability. Your hopes are granted as you find yourself falling into a peaceful routine as the weeks pass by. After some work you've finally become proficient at reading and writing runes. This new skill has allowed you to spend time in Rurik's study, pouring over maps of the land and official documents. You're slightly surprised to find how much this and the entire subject of war and politics has come to interest you. Learning different political and battle tactics has specifically become your new preferred past time. In addition to this you've also recently begun learning the art of the sword, under the King's own instruction. Despite their brutish ways, the Dane's are surprisingly unbiased when it comes to who can study what. One day, after finishing reading, you decide to go down to the great hall to look for the King. You're confused about one of the battles you read about and want to ask him some questions to clarify things. Entering the massive room, you're surprised to see his attendants moving about, preparing things.

Animal skins and candles are being laid out on the large tables and people seem to be arguing between different flower arrangements. Looking around, you finally spot Rurik standing in a corner talking with some of his men. You know better than to approach him when he's in the middle of business and hang back until he's done. He sees you waiting after he finishing his conversation and walks over to you. "What's going on?" You ask, looking around at the people still moving around the hall. "They're preparing for our ceremony." His brow furrows as if he's slightly surprised by your question. "Our ceremony?" You repeat his words slowly but are still confused. Rurik sighs and shakes his head slightly before saying, "You have more book sense than common. If you're to be my wife, the proper ceremony must be preformed." Your eyes widen slightly as you glance back at the decorated tables and are reminded of the first ceremony you endured. Pushing your nervous feelings aside you give Rurik a small smile before replying, "Of course, how silly of me." His expression softens and he takes a step forward before placing a hand on your arm. You relax slightly at his touch but your thoughts are still clouded. The idea of becoming Queen of this land never crossed your mind until now.

You ask him a few more questions and learn the ceremony won't be until the end of the week but there will be a feast held tonight. A moment later you hear the large entrance to the halls open and Rurik pulls away. The sound of voices behind sounds muffled in your ears and you stay facing away for the moment. Sighing, you continuing ignoring the distraction behind you and walk forward. You quietly slip out of a side door and make your way outside. The cool spring air, coupled with the warm sun on your skin, brings you an instant sense of relief. As you walk around one side of the keep you're dismayed to find the courtyard is bustling with people. Tilting you're head, you realize you don't recognize the majority of them and a lot of them appear to be slightly shorter than the one's you do know. Frowning, you decide to ignore this for now and backtrack to the other side of the keep, where the wall is. There's only a few guards hanging around here and they know better than to try to stop you from wandering around. You nod at them before walking through the exit in the wall and head towards the forest. Ever since the leaves have regrown you've found it's gone from ominous to rather peaceful and have come to enjoy walking through it. Following your usual path you become lost in thought as you make your way deeper inside.

Before you realize it, the sun is beginning to set and you mentally scold yourself for losing track of time. It's completely dark before you're half way out of the forest and the new guards that stand at the entrance seem surprised to see you. "Shouldn't you be at the feast?" One of them asks, then clears his throat nervously. "I just needed some fresh air." You reply reassuringly before quickly heading towards the keep. You decide to use one of the servants entrances and when you walk inside you can hear laughing and talking coming from the great hall. It's grown late and you're sure everyone has finished eating and are likely quite **** now. You decide you don't feel up to socializing with them right now and head upstairs instead. It's far more quiet up here and you quickly find yourself lost in thought again. You're absentmindedly staring at the ground beneath you as you round a corner and suddenly connect with something solid. Gasping slightly, you step backwards and rub a hand across the shoulder that first connected with the surface. Looking up, you're surprised to see a large figure facing away from you. "Watch where you're going..." The figure says before slowly trailing off when he turns and looks down to see you.

Your expression quickly changes when you hear the words the voice says and recognize them to be in your old language. Well, it is your old language but the man has a different accent despite sounding completely fluent. "Ah, sorry." He hesitantly says, changing to dialect of Rurik's people. "You are- ugh. Are you..." He trails off again as he seems to struggling to think of translation for the word he wants to say. While he's thinking you take a moment to study the strange man. He's not quite as tall as the King but seems equally well built. His light blond hair is cropped fairly short but there's still enough of it to partially hang over his brow. His pale skin is has a slightly ruddish complexion to it and you notice his face is completely clean shaven. You glance up at his troubled, and slightly frustrated, light blue eyes before finally asking, "Okay?" His eyebrows raise in surprise when he hears you speak in your old language. "Right." He sighs and sheepishly rubs a had across the back of his neck. "I didn't expect you to speak my language." Your eyes slowly run down his body while he talks and you notice his clothing looks far nicer than that of a commoner or servant.

You nod absentmindedly as you note different shades of green and brown in his outfit. The man seems to regain some of his composure and laughs lightly when he sees you studying his clothes. "What's wrong, lass?" His unique accent seems to have a constantly playful undertone to it. "Never seen a King before?" This time it's your eyebrows raising in surprise at his words. "You're a King?" You ask him warily as your eyes sweep over his broad figure again. He nods before explaining his land is allies with this one. It seems he had already had planned a visit here some months ago and appears he's currently unaware of the upcoming events. He takes a step forward and when you move back in response you feel your back press against the edge of the door frame. "You're not from here are you?" His blue eyes look over you inquisitively for a moment before he continues to ask, "Who are you?" Biting the inside of your lip, you hesitate a moment before telling him your name. When you do his eyes widen slightly then he pulls back and says, "You're who Rurik is betrothed to."

It appears to be more of a statement than a question but you nod 'yes' anyway. His brow furrows slightly for a moment before he smiles again. "Well, nonetheless, do you think you can help me find my room?" Your back tenses slightly at his question but his tone seems genuine enough so you eventually agree. If he's a King he'll likely be staying in one of the nicer spare rooms and you lead him that way. It's in a different corridor than the one you're currently in and you can hear the noise from the hall grow weaker as you walk further into the keep. When you arrive at the door you step to the side and watch as he walks up to it. He opens it and moves inside before pausing briefly, then turns to face you. He looks like he's thinking about something while he looks down at you with his inquisitive eyes. Finally, his expression clears and he tells you goodnight before closing the door. Exhaling slowly, you turn and start walking back down the corridor. As you make your way back to your chambers you try to forget about the strange visitor but are unable to. He's still on your mind when you slip into bed sometime later and try to sleep.