Honor and Blood - Part I.

The first letter

"I get that you want attention, my Little Venn, but your mother is sleeping." Vanya smiled at the raspy voice of her husband as a hand rubbed her five-month bump. She trailed her hand up Ivar's bare chest and looking into his sheepish blue eyes.

"She would be if somebody didn't wake her up. But you are forgiven." The young princess smiled sleepily, kissing her handsome husband on the lips. Ivar drew back and looking at her, her red hair shone thanks to the sunlight hitting it from the window, her eyes were droopy and her tired smile contagious.

"Lucky me then."

Vanya chuckled at his remark and kissed his brow, her lips lingering there, too tired to move just yet. Ivar pulled her closer to his side with an arm around her shoulders; his other trailed to her hand on his chest. Vanya intertwined their fingers together and played with his worn hand from years of dragging himself around.

The child inside her moved around gingerly, too awake to let Vanya rest. She felt quite comfortable like this even though the babe was restless, the redhead felt at peace in Ivar's arms, safe and sound from any dangers to come. She had it all wrong in the beginning; Ivar's rage and mood swings aren't a danger to her; they are a danger to others. To those who wish to harm her or their Little Venn, and she drew strength from him.

Vanya sighed in content as she drew her Ivar's intertwined hands up into the ray of sunlight above them. She watched the light dance on their skin as they both slowly woke up. The princess felt Ivar's eyes on her, so she met his gaze to see love and adoration in them. So soft and vulnerable as they always were when they were alone, and he didn't have to be guarded and mean. "I love you, Hjertet mitt (My heart)."

Ivar's face lit up in happiness at her confession as he cupped her face in his hand and gazed into her lovely eyes. "Min dyrebare (My precious)." The two slowly rolled out of bed and got ready against their will, which pleaded them to stay in bed and enjoy the presence of each other for the rest of the day. Vanya put on a blue dress with dark teal long sleeves. While Ivar put on his clothes and tied his legs, the princess braided her hair into a crown.

The two made their way to the Great Hall, where Hvitserk, Ubbe, and Sigurd sat together talking about something. By the heated looks Hvitserk sent towards the thralls, Vanya suspected they were talking about Margrethe. And by the girl's nervous and bashful looks, the Saxon was right. "Look who is finally up. How is the child?"

Vanya smiled at Ubbe's question and put a hand on her stomach. "Were restless this morning. I hope it will calm down soon. Otherwise, I will have to spend the whole day in bed again."

"Oh, I am sure Ivar wouldn't mind at all." Hvitserk teased; in exchange, Vanya threw a piece of bread at him that he caught in his mouth and grinned in victory. Ubbe chuckled at their antics and pointed at Ivar. "If it is like Ivar, then you won't get any rest at all. He moved around a lot too when Mother was pregnant."

"At least I know who to blame now." Vanya sighed, giving Ivar a halfhearted glare that he paid back with a kiss to her knuckles. He always held her hand at the table now, especially whenever Sigurd opened his mouth.

"Morning." Aslaug greeted them, sitting down and ordered the thralls to pour her ale. Something was bothering her by the pinched look on her face, and when Bjorn came in later looking agitated, the others wanted answers.

Bjorn sat down on Vanya's left and gave her a letter. "This came by raven at dawn. It has Slegia's seal on it." Vanya's hands froze as soon as the words left the Ragnarsson's mouth. Under her index finger was a bumpy surface. When she turned the letter over, she could see the red wax seal of Slegia - a sun. It has been the sigil of their kingdom for over a hundred years since her ancestor won the property in a tourney and named himself king. Her ancestor Slegc, the First King, laid the last stone of his kingdom during a sunset that painted the sky red, so he put the red sun on a black cloth and named it his sigil.