Reine des Anglais

I'll hold you to that.

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          Isabeau sat in the windowsill of the only window in the room of the small inn Thorkell had led them to for the night. The setup was familiar to her- she, Thorkell, and Askeladd had rooms inside. Thorfinnhad insisted he'd sleep in the stables, and Thorkell's men were camped outside. It was very similar to when they had stayed in that Welsh castle what felt like forever ago.
She had woken up about ten minutes earlier and hadn't been able to go back to sleep while lying in bed. So she was just looking at the snowy landscape in the moonlight, thinking about how absolutely beautiful it looked. She pressed her hand to the windowpane, tapping the tip of her fingernail against the glass. If Canute's plans come to pass, that will make me queen of this land- Queen of England. Emma will almost certainly hate me, but she was never that fond of me to begin with. Too much her mother's child. Maybe I should ask Geoffrey to come here once we reach Gainsborough, it might be wise to have someone on our side for my sake and not Canute's. She turned and looked at the sleeping form of her husband. I have to keep Canute near me, though. If his feelings for me were to ever lessen or vanish... beyond the danger I would be in, it would break my heart. I understand now why my half-sister Maud told me loving a royal husband was nothing but danger for us. I brushed her off at the time, but now I see. The love she felt for her own husband broke her heart time and time again when he had affair after affair on her. I doubt Canute will be the same, but... it terrifies me all the more. Especially because I know he isn't in love with me, and I don't know if he ever will be.
"Isabeau?" Canute blinked and sat up in bed, his eyes locked on her. "Are you alright? Why aren't you in bed?"
She smiled softly at him. "This is another sign that I'm genuinely pregnant," she admitted, tapping the windowpane again. 'With Frederick, I experienced a little of this. I asked my sister-in-law at the time and she said that when she had each of her children she slept so little that at first my half-brother, Robert, was so concerned for her he almost forced her to be bedridden."
Canute pushed the sheets back before walking over to her. "Will I need to do that with you?" He joked, lifting her chin.
She let out an amused breath. "No. I don't remember it lasting long for me. Although I suppose it could be different each time around." She reached up and touched his face gently. "Why did you tell Thorkell's men? About the baby?"
"I was worried they'd try to hurt you if I didn't." Canute looked out the window now. "I remember the... comments they made at you when they captured us. I also remember that they said you were a prize for them in the fire. Making sure they see you as my wife, my princess, and the mother of my child means they won't want to even touch you."
Isabeau nodded, turning his head back to face her. "From now on, please include me in your plans. I can't help you in the ways that the vikings can- but I can still help."
"I will, I swear it." He took her waist and pulled her into his lap, nuzzling against the side of her face.
"Canute," she spoke softly now, sliding one hand into his hair at the back of his head. "I'd like to invite my brother, Geoffrey, to join us once we reach Gainsborough. He's my only full sibling."
"Do you think we'll need him?" He asked as he lifted her chin again.
"I might. Being your wife, your pregnant wife, will come with countless dangers. Having someone to protect me, who's loyal to me because of me and not through you can only be an asset." Isabeau explained. "As my husband, especially my husband who's kind to me, he'll be loyal to you as well."
Canute nodded. "I'll inform my father when I speak to him," he promised.
"Thank you, Canute." She held his face in her hands and smiled at him. "Thank you."
"I'd do anything I needed to keep you safe, Isabeau." He brushed her hair back from her face. He leaned down and kissed her, pressing her body into his as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Not in the window," she said breathlessly as he started kissing her neck. "Then men will see- wait, Canute!" She let out a surprised shriek that quickly turned into a giggle as he lifted her up before dropping her into their bed on her back.
He leaned over her and began kissing her neck again, migrating down to pause at her collar bone. "If you can't sleep, we might as well make use of the time," he murmured against her skin.
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          Isabea turned away from her mirror when she heard the door open. "I'll be ready to go momentarily," she said with a smile as she turned back to her mirror and combed one of the pieces of hair she left out of her crown braids.
"We're not in much of a hurry today. As long as we march about fifteen miles today, it'll keep us on track." Canute said as he leaned against the doorframe and watched her.
"Good to know." Isabeau checked her braids in the mirror carefully and nodded.
"Thorkell has your trunk, by the way. He picked it up in the village thinking he could sell it at some point." He informed her as he walked over to her.
She let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad. That's one of the only things I have of my son's with me. I hated to leave it, but needs must as they say."
"When everything is settled and safe," Canute lifted her chin, "we'll have Frederick brought to live with us. We can raise him until it's time for him to return to Luxembourg and rule."
Her face lit up. "I was going to ask you about it once we reach Gainsborough, but I'm so happy you've told me that." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Canute."
He folded his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'll do anything I can to make you happy, Isabeau."
She smiled and kissed him quickly before stepping back. "I know you said you aren't in a rush, but we should still be timely. Thorkell will probably be eager to confront King Sweyn as quickly as we can."
"Timely or not, it'll take probably at least another month of marching through this snow." Canute said as he looked out the window again. "Especially because I want to make sure you're as comfortable as we can make you."
"My only comfort will come from knowing that you're safe from your father's assassination attempts." She sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. "Without you, I'm nothing. Theoretically- being pregnant keeps me safe at some level, but if I have a girl and you're dead I'm as good as."
"I would never let you be put in danger like that." Canute promised her, holding her face in his hands. He kissed her softly and smiled at her. "Are you hungry? Do you think you can keep any food down?"
"Probably just some bread. Even that may be a risk." Isabeau said with a wistful sigh. "I suppose I should try to eat, though."
"Yes, you should." Canute kissed her again and took her hand as they left the room together. "Don't worry too much about my father. The fact that he'll be having a grandchild at all will be thrilling news to him, seeing as it's widely suspected my brother can't father children."
"It's hard not to worry." Isabeau said genuinely as she took a seat at one of the tables. "Especially for you, my love." She put a hand on the side of his face as he sat beside her.
          "Don't worry too much about your husband, princess," Thorkell said as he sat at the table across from them with a mug of beer.
"Mon Dieu!" Isabeau put a hand over her nose and mouth at the smell coming off of his drink. She continued muttering in French, and Canute realised she was talking about the smell of Thorkell's drink.
"The garrison he has in support of him is more than capable- we could probably kill all of King Sweyn's army if we wanted to." Thorkell took a large drink from his mug. "It would be hardly any trouble at all."
"Thorkell, your beer is upsetting my wife." Canute said without responding to his bolder statement.
"Huh? Oh. I've never been around a woman 'in the family way', so I didn't realise it would do that." Thorkell raised an eyebrow as he finished the mug in a few gulps and tossed it away.
Isabeau let out a long sigh, shaking her head. Going through this made her miss her son all the more- and she knew it would only increase as things progressed. "I hope you aren't in too much pain from your eye, Thorkell." She said as she lifted her head to look at him. "I treated all four of you as best I could yesterday- but none of it was probably enough."
"It's fine. The fact that a noblewoman like you knows any amount of medical care is nothing short of astonishing." Thorkell waved his hand dismissively. "I'd heard rumours that you'd learned some during your first marriage but I had assumed it was a lie spread to make people think more highly of you on the part of your first husband."
"I saw her amputate a limb at our original campsite," Canute said with a hint of pride in his voice.
"When I was on campaign in Luxembourg, if I didn't learn to be useful I could only sit alone in Henry's tent, which was maddening." Isabeau explained. "He hated that I was learning field medic skills, but it was actively useful so he couldn't say much."
"I think it's a wonderful skill to have." Canute told her, reaching out to touch one of the pieces of hair hanging around her face.
When she smiled at him, Thorkell groaned. "I see Askeladd and Thorfinn weren't exaggerating about the two of you. First last night, and now this."
Isabeau froze as one of the servants set a plate of bread on their table. "I'm sorry- first what?"
"Were you unaware that you could be heard last night?" Thorkell raised an eyebrow at her.
"Entirely!" Isabeau covered her face, a blush spreading over her entire face.
Thorkell laughed as Canute just smiled at his wife. "You're a young couple of newlyweds, it'd be strange if you weren't behaving like this."
Canute smiled as he looked over at his wife. "You need to eat, Isabeau," he said as he took her hand and kissed it. "We'll get moving as soon as you've eaten."
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          Isabeau held her reins tightly as they moved forward through the trees. With each step, they grew closer to King Sweyn's encampment. She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, willing herself not to turn around. If I didn't love him, I'd run. I'd find an abbey, wait a few months before bribing my way back to Normandy and then to Luxembourg. Loving him makes this so much more dangerous and complicated for me.
Canute looked over at her, they were the only two on horseback so he had a clear view of her. "We're going to take a break for a moment!" He announced. "I need to meet with Thorkell to determine the best route forward."
He dismounted his horse quickly before turning to go help Isabeau.
"Highness, allow me to assist the princess." Askeladd said from just behind him. "Your meeting with Thorkell is important, and I'll keep her highness safe."
Canute hesitated but nodded, swishing his cape as he turned and walked over to Thorkell.
"Contrary to apparently popular belief, I am able to dismount my own horse." Isabeau said as her feet touched the ground as Askeladd came around the side of the horse. "Canute simply seems to prefer helping me, so I let him."
"I was hoping we could speak." Askeladd had his arms folded in front of himself, having switched to speaking Welsh.
"You don't think the men will find it suspicious that we're speaking a language they don't?" Her eyebrows shot up.
"I doubt any of them will take note." Askeladd shrugged.
"What do you want to discuss, anyway?" Isabeau asked as she petted her mare before pulling a dried apple from her saddle bag and holding it up to the horse's mouth.
"I wanted to get a sense of how dedicated you still are to his highness gaining the throne?" He said directly.
"You should be aware, my first priority is and will always be to my family. I will support Wales with Canute as long as it benefits the safety of my family." She said, shifting to glance at Askeladd. "As it happens, avoiding another seemingly endless war will benefit my husband and my children."
"I told Gratianus that you would support Wales," Askeladd reminded her. "Your mother-"
"My mother was Irish. She was born in Ireland and lived there for sixteen years before my father and my now father-in-law decided to plunder it. My grandfather traded my mother to them to avoid having his kingdom taken from him. I have no idea what my grandmother felt about that." Isabeau shook her head. "I have no reason to show loyalty to either Ireland, but when we were in need Wales offered us aid so I do have reason to show them loyalty. I will reiterate, however, that I will only keep that loyalty so long as it benefits my family."
Askeladd watched her for a moment. He knew the look on her face- it was determination. She was resolute in her decision- and he couldn't blame her for it. A woman's only power in their world was her family, keeping them safe kept her safe in turn.
"Your oldest son will need a wife someday." Askeladd pointed out. "The Welsh kingdoms all have princesses, you might look there to find one for him."
"I might," she agreed. "I won't commit to that until Canute and I think it's time for him to have a wife, however."
"Your children are all going to be viable heirs to the throne of all Wales, highness." Askeladd reminded her. "You may want to keep that in mind when you consider where your loyalties lie."
Isabeau looked over at him. He's right. If my lineage becomes known, Wales will back me and my children- which could put me at odds with Canute should he decide to go back on his agreement with the Welsh kingdoms. It terrifies me to risk that. It might be best for me to bury my mother's history. Whenever Geoffrey gets here, I'll speak to him about it. It also technically gives him a claim as well, but I doubt he'd want to assert it. He's never loved leading armies. One of the reasons he requested his county was to keep himself out of the eyes of our eldest half-brother.
          Canute stepped around the horse, putting a hand over his wife's- which served to snap her out of her own thoughts. "I spoke with Thorkell, we'll be riding until shortly after dark. There's a nobleman's manor house just beyond those mountains and he knows them, so we'll be able to stay there."
Isabeau nodded. "That sounds lovely. Do we know how much longer we'll be marching before we reach your father in Gainsborough?"
"Probably another week. The snow seems to be letting up, which will allow us to travel faster. You might consider writing your brother a letter at the manor house tonight so that he can begin heading to us sooner," he suggested to her. "It'll take him probably two weeks to get to Gainsborough, and the sooner he arrives after us the better."
She nodded, lacing her fingers through his. "It's a good decision. I'll admit that I don't know him very well, but he's always been concerned for my safety so he may even already be on his way. Word that we're married has probably already reached Normandy- and word that we're missing." She took a breath. "Emma will be angry about it, Rober too. It worries me. I'd imagine Robert had machinations for her marriage to you or Harald when it became clear Aethelred wasn't going to make it out of this alive. Being the brother of the Queen of England comes with power."
"He'll still be the brother of the Queen of England," he pointed out.
"Full brother. They've always thought of me as sort of a spare relative. Their mother... did not enjoy that I existed." Isabeau let out a soft sigh, looking at her horse again. "She knew I'd be financially useful someday as a girl, or I suspect she'd have poisoned me with my mother."
"Even if they are angry, there's nothing they can do about it." Canute but a hand on the back of her head.
"You say that," Isabeau stepped closer to him and folded her hands around the front of his cloak, "but it'd be nothing for you to repudiate me. I'm sure once your father learns you're alive he'll want you to do so."
"I'd never set you aside, Isabeau." He promised her.
"I'll hold you to that." She half-smiled.
"We need to get on the move again." Canute said to her. "Do you need help getting back up on your horse?"
She didn't answer, because he was already assisting her. He kissed her hand one last time before he walked back over to his horse and mounted it.
"Let's move out!" Thorkell shouted, and the garrison began marching forward through the snow again.
I'll never set you aside, she replayed the moment in her mind. That alone was so much safety for her. She turned her gaze over to her husband as they rode above the men, his expression was so stern and serious now- but he still had his softness for her. I may not have chosen this marriage, but if I had the chance now... I'd take him in a heartbeat, war and all.