Reine des Anglais

My prince...

ᛁᛊᚨᛒᛖᚢ
          Isabeau stepped down out of the cart and immediately turned and walked ahead of her husband furiously into the small castle the Welsh had offered to let a few of them stay in. It was nearly nightfall, their journey slowed by the mountainous terrain of Wales.
A majority of the men were camping outside the castle, but Askeladd, Ragnar, Thorfinn and the two of them had been given rooms inside because of either their titles, rank among the men, or who they were sworn to protect.
Isabeau and Canute had been given a room together due to their marriage, which typically Isabeau would have preferred- but she was still angry with Canute for his outburst earlier in the day. He at least seemed to have ease expressing himself now that he hadn't before, but the fact that Thorfinn being rude had conjured that out of him was a fact she found almost insulting to herself.
"Isabeau-" Canute hurried after her quickly. "Isabeau!"
Askeladd raised an eyebrow as the young couple stormed past him. He smirked slightly. This might be the chance that they had needed to make this marriage real, which would continue to keep my head where it is for the time being.
"Isabeau!" Canute finally caught up with her when she entered the room her trunk had been moved to. "Are you angry with me?"
"That is the only time you have said my name at all since you kissed me." She said tersely as she untied her cloak and hung in on one of the hooks in the wall. The fire had already been lit for them, so the room was quite warm.
"Why does that make you mad?" Canute frowned as he unpinned his own cloak and hung it beside hers.
"I am your wife, Canute. You have quite literally said two words to me before today. But Thorfinn insults you- and you find your voice not just in front of him but in front of all the men." She shook her head and walked to stand in front of the fire. "I have asked almost nothing of you in this marriage. I have not made a complaint or protested or asked you to alter anything even once. I never touched you when you didn't initiate it, I waited until I knew for certain that you wanted to kiss me to do that as well. I'll wait until you are clear with me that you want to actually consummate this marriage as well. I have simply been waiting for you to speak to me- and an immature viking throwing insults is who you speak for."
"Well- I-" he rubbed the back of his neck. "I never know how to speak to you. I didn't know my father was trying to hand me a mistress, and then he decided to make you my wife. It was all so sudden-" he turned away from her. "I didn't want you to be angry with me."
She shook her head and sat on the edge of the bed. "Then you should have spoken to me. My first marriage was... terrible, to say the least. I cannot face the same again. If this marriage fails, I guarantee I'll die." She hung her head forward, pulling her crown braid out to let her hair fall over her shoulders. "In a royal marriage, the husband is supposed to be his wife's safety from outside threats. I'm trying to play my role in this marriage- you are not. So yes, I am mad."
Canute sat beside her and took her hand. "I only thought of myself when we got married. Not of how it must have felt for you." He reached out and lifted her chin. "I'm sorry. I know that your goal is to regain your son, and all of this must be absolutely no help."
"If we can get back to your father safely and just win this ridiculous war- it'll be exactly what I need." Isabeau sighed. Her anger dissipated when she looked at him. "I want to be a good wife to you, Canute. I'm trying to be a good wife to you. I cannot be if you flinch away at my touch around other people, though."
Canute took a deep breath. "I know it's been frustrating for you," he met her eyes. "I've been afraid of my own growing feelings for you. I don't know how to handle them. Ragnar keeps encouraging me to try and be... open with you."
"I like when you're open with me." She took his hand, letting her forehead rest against his. "I don't need everything all at once, Canute. But I need some effort. The same can be said for every man here. If you continue to hide, we'll never make it back to your father."
"I know." He leaned in and kissed her, moving his hand to hold her waist. "I will make more of an effort, with all of it. I swear to you." He kissed her again, drawing her nearer.
Isabeau let her eyes flutter closed, holding the collar of his tunic. She carefully pulled back from him. "Canute- your chainmail-"
"Oh, right-" he stood up and lifted it over his head. As heavy as it was, he removed it with ease. He pulled her onto her feet and kissed her again, his hands travelling to the laces on the back of her dress. He made surprisingly quick work of her knot work and slid his fingers under the strings, pulling them loose.
"Canute," she whispered against  his lips. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to or just because of me."
"It is because of you." He responded, taking her face in his hands. "Because I... I want you, Isabeau."
Isabeau looked up at him, her eyes wide. Falling in love with him is nothing but dangerous for me, but I don't know if I can stop myself at this point. She tugged his tunic over his head and kissed him again, helping him to let her dress drop to the floor. She slid her hands into his hair, letting him guide the moment.
"Don't let me hurt you, alright?" Canute murmured to her, holding onto her hips tightly.
"I won't." She shook her head and smiled at him. I doubt he could, she thought to herself in amusement.
He kissed her again, pulling her body against his as they stood together in the middle of the room. He trailed his kisses to her neck, his hands moving to untie the drawstring of her chemise.
Isabeau grinned as she leaned her head back for him, breathing slightly harder. She pressed her lips against his ear and whispered, "my prince."
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          "Not in front of the men," Isabeau smiled as Canute pulled her in for another kiss as they walked through the halls to the dining hall for breakfast. "They don't make any rude comments to me as it stands- but seeing us like this could change that."
Canute nodded, peering down the hall as he could hear the people of the castle talking. The men were probably eating outside, and based on the fact that there wasn't shouting coming from the dining hall- he knew he was correct.
"We should probably head right outside. The soldiers will want to get an early start, and they're right." Isabeau said, but she didn't pull herself from her husband's arms. She sighed and pressed a kiss to his lips.
He took his wife's hand as they continued outside.
"Oh, good." Thorfinn was leaning against the wall beside the door. "I was worried I'd have to go in and fetch the two of you."
Isabeau gave him a sharp look, and the young viking held his hands up in half amusement.
"I'll thank you to be more respectful of my husband and I, Thorfinn." She said sternly, folding both her hands around Canute's.
"As you say, Princess." Thorfinn shrugged, still leaned against the castle wall.
"Prince Canute," Askeladd walked up to him. "Gratianus has the document for you to sign, swearing peace with Wales if you ascend the throne. It'll be just you, I, and Ragnar so her highness will need to stay with Thorfinn."
Canute pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek quickly before he walked over to Ragnar, Askeladd following behind him.
"I assume you won't be complaining about not having a horse today." Thorfinn teased her as he walked behind her.
Isabeau looked at him. "Could you be any cruder?"
"I assure you, I could." He smiled slightly.
"I think you underestimate my own experience with the... subject at hand. My first husband wasn't gentle with me and still expected me to ride side-saddle for however many miles we needed to travel the next morning." She sighed, looking out at the trees as she thought of the memories. "It's not a fond memory for me."
Thorfinn's demeanour seemed to soften as he looked over at her. She didn't speak much about her first husband directly- she spoke about her life when she was married to him, or things she learned or experienced but about him specifically, almost never.
Isabeau folded her hands behind her back as she looked around at the men. "It seems a good night's rest did everyone some good," she remarked. "I assume we'll be going as soon as Canute signs the document Gratianus has prepared for him?"
"Most likely. Askeladd didn't tell me all the details, and I don't really care either way." Thorfinn said, his arms still folded over his chest.
She turned her head to watch as the four men vanished into the only remaining tent.
"I wonder how long we'll still be in Wales for- autumn is over in a few weeks and then the snow will set in. Mountain roads are the last place we want to be caught like that."
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          It had been about four weeks since the garrison had left Brycheiniog Castle, and the temperature had begun dropping steadily by the day. With food supplies running low, they had started the more dangerous part of their journey and turned into Mercia.
"Mercia is a fascinating country," Isabeau mused as she watched the landscape roll by as they moved through the freshly fallen snow. "The history is unique to anywhere in Europe."
"Why do you say that, highness?" Ragnar asked as he half dozed in his seat.
"About a hundred years ago, a woman ruled here." She responded as she leaned against Canute. "The daughter of Alfred the Great- her name was Aethelflaed. She was called the Lady of the Mercians."
"How could a woman ever rule a country?" One of the men walking along the edge of the cart scoffed.
"She's remembered as one that country's greatest rulers. Wise and just, she made Mercia prosper. She was even succeeded by her daughter, Aelfwynn. She was forcibly removed from power by her uncle a few months into it though, King Edward the Elder." She recited, lacing her fingers through her husband's. "I think it's quite interesting."
"I do, too." Canute said as he brought her hand up to kiss it, making her smile.
"My mother taught me about that," she sighed lightly. I miss my mother. Her mother had been poisoned by her father's widow when she was about six years old. Thankfully, her father had left detailed instructions as to Isabeau's care should both he and her mother die before her marriage. Geoffrey, her only full sibling, had been in a better position than her as an illegitimate. He had been granted a title, Count of Eu, which was a city in the farthest corner of Normandy so Isabeau hadn't known him very well. Despite that, he had accompanied her to her first wedding. I'll have to invite him to visit once we actually win this war... Maybe he could bring Frederick to me when he does. She smiled slightly, turning her head to look up at her husband. I wonder what he'll make of Canute. He didn't care much for my first husband... but he also highly values strength. Hopefully the fact that he's made me happy and been kind to me might be enough for him.
Canute kissed the top of her head and drew her nearer. His mailtunic kept him warm, especially under his cloak, but she only had her clothing and her cloak, brother of which had been made for true frigid cold. He knew that having spent most of her life in Normandy and Luxembourg, she'd only ever  experienced one real winter before in Denmark. She moved in close against him, looking up at the sky.
"The weather's going to turn for the worse." She said, holding the edge of Canute's cloak with one hand.
"How can you tell?" Thorfinn raised an eyebrow. He, like other vikings, always knew the weather on the sea. On land- they were completely lost.
"The clouds, they're moving faster and in a new direction." Isabeau pointed up at the sky. "That means the wind has changed- and the weather will change with it. Not for the better."
Thorfinn snorted. "And how do you know that?"
"I just do. It was something my mother taught me." She shrugged and turned in against Canute. They had gotten used to physical closeness in the past weeks, and the men had grown accustomed to it with them.
The wind blowing on them took on a sudden piercingly icy quality, and then a wave of heavier snow began blowing and falling on them.
"As I said," she said half smugly. "We may not have winters to rival that of the Russians in Normandy, but we still have our fair share of bad weather. I know what the signs for it look like."
"We'll need a place to shelter for the night from this." Ragnar said, his tone laced with concern.
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          "A village?" Isabeau blinked in surprise as she looked down at Askeladd as he walked up to the cart, which was now very stuck in the snow. "We found an abandoned village to stay in?"
"It's not abandoned." Askeladd said as he unlocked the back of the carriage to drop it down and let the four of them who were sitting in it onto the ground.
She frowned as she climbed down, the quickly growing snow crunching under her feet as she landed. "Then are we-" she froze and looked up at him. "Askeladd. Why are we approaching an occupied village in this area? There aren't any cities that can support them to assist us-"
"They have the space and supplies that we need." He looked out towards the dimly lit village that was visible just down the hillside from them.
Isabeau looked from Askeladd to the village and suddenly she realised what he was intending to do. "No- no you can't do that!" She shouted at him. "Askeladd, we can find another way! The people living here-"
"Thorfinn, keep her restrained." Askeladd looked back at him. "It's important that she doesn't get in our way." He turned and began trudging away from them through the snow.
"No!" Isabeau tried to hurry after him, but Thorfinn caught her wrist. "Let go of me!" She shouted at him, struggling against his grip. She had strength of her own, but nothing compared to Thorfinn. He kept hold of her easily, one hand holding her right wrist and the other on her left forearm.
"Askeladd isn't my commander, and I hate him to my core." Thorfinn said as he pushed her into the side of the cart, twisting her arm behind her back to keep her pinned and free one of his arms again. "And I hate to admit it, but he is right about this." He used his free arm to press against the side of her throat.
"Stop!" Canute shouted at him, trying to move through the snow to get to them. "You're hurting her! Get off of her!"
Thorfinn stepped back and released his hold on the princess, letting her drop into the snow. "Fine. There." His would never be to kill her- just to knock her out while what had to be done was done in the village.
A woman begging for mercy would be nothing but infuriating to all of them, especially Askeladd. Thorfinn didn't want to risk his mercy running out for her out of sheer frustration.
"How dare you!" Canute shouted furiously.
"My prince, you need to remain calm." Ragnar grabbed his shoulder. "He hasn't killed or genuinely harmed her highness, just left her unconscious for a while."
Thorfinn knelt down and held his dagger just in front of her mouth so that they could see it fogging up from her breath. "See? She's fine." Thorfinn stood up, lifting her up. He put her in the back of the cart again. "We'll get her when we get settled in the village."
ᛁᛊᚨᛒᛖᚢ
          "Mm-"
"Isabeau!" Canute rushed to where she was laying on a blanket that was laid over a straw mattress. The fire was going in the centre of the small house they were in and he had been standing and tending a cauldron of soul over it. "You're awake. How do you feel?"
"Like I was choked," she responded bluntly.
Isabeau looked around the house and inwardly grimaced. She didn't want to ask who's house this was, or what had been done to the villagers. "Are you alright?" She looked up at her husband.
He just nodded, pushing her hair away from her face. "I was only concerned about you."
She blinked carefully as she sat up, touching the back of her neck. She winced in pain. I'm probably bruised back there, she thought.
Canute pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He was silent, which was odd for him over the past few weeks.
This must weigh on him just as heavily as it does me, she thought as she drew him nearer. She closed her eyes and they just held each other for a long moment.
"Canute," she whispered softly. "I-"
He pulled back slightly and kissed her, pushing her dress up slightly.
"Won't Ragnar be here soon?" She murmured as he kissed her neck.
"He's meeting with Askeladd," he responded. "Thorfinn too. They won't be back for some time."
Isabeau held on to his arms as he pulled her tighter against him. I'll have to tell him later, she thought, that I'm in love with him.