Adalbert

Part 4

The honeymoon ended like a dream. Life at the Palace began with Holy Day duties and continued with such tedious activities as visits to the temple and history lessons. Now that she was Crown Princess of the North, Ethelinda had to acquaint herself properly with Northern culture and traditions. Her time was divided between books, prayers and sewing.

It amused her to see how the same history she had learned in the South was portrayed differently in the North. The Ancient Wars between the North and the South, for example, were glorified by Northern chroniclers through tales of legendary heroes. Whereas the famine caused by the closing of the trade roads was merely noted in passing and blamed on the South.

Southern history books, however, focused on how Northern warriors had to plunder villages in the South to keep themselves alive and how much the common folk suffered in both nations. The Southern King's decision to surrender was viewed as a gracious act to spare his people of pain, rather than defeat.

There were also differences in the practice of the same religion, which bothered the Princess. Fortunately, the North worshipped most of the same Gods as the South-with a few original additions-but the way they did it did not sit well with Linda.

The North was a warrior nation. Their most important God was a warrior, birthed from the Ancient Wars legends. They begged him to protect the country's fighters and prayed for luck on the frontlines. Holy Days were spent in temples, where monks and maidens alike feasted on rich Lords' money. If they supported a temple or two, nobles believed their salvation was guaranteed.

Linda's only consolation through it all was Adalheidis, who had begun to question the way of the North after the little time she had spent in the South. Heidi provided valuable help to her sister-by-law, as a confidante and like-minded companion. Linda had expected her husband to be all that.

They had grown distant since their honeymoon. Adalbert had his own duties and concerns and the Summer House privacy which had brought them together was now gone. Over the day, they met at dinner and maybe luncheon. He visited her in the library a few times and accompanied her to a handful of formal social functions. They made love, though rarely and not as passionately.

Linda's hopes for a happy marriage slowly declined, until they were eventually ruined.

Months had passed since her wedding and naturally, Linda's hair grew. One morning after breakfast, she sought out the Palace barber and asked him to cut her hair. He refused.

Later that day, her mother-by-law paid her a visit in the library, during her history studies. Adalheidis rose at once, and respectfully bowed. Ethelinda followed suit.

"Heidi, dear, will you please leave us alone?" Queen Helga asked.

The girl exchanged a fearful look with her friend but Linda smiled in return. With Heidi out of the room, Queen Helga's expression of gloom worsened.

"I have been told that you wished to have your hair cut," the Queen said.

Linda nodded. "Yes, indeed. The Northern summer is around the corner and I already-"

The Queen held up a hand. "I see you are aware that you live in the North now. As you might have noticed, Northern women wear their hair long. I only accepted your short locks because I knew they would grow out, but henceforth you may not have your hair cut without my approval."

Linda clenched her jaw and tightened her fists. "Beg pardon?"

"I will let the barber know when and how to cut your hair in the future."

Ethelinda was fuming by this point. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I believe that, after sacrificing so much of myself to adapt to life in your Palace-I believe I am at least entitled to decide what to do with my hair and when."