Long Suffer the King

XII

A/N: I think I'm writing too many Klaus and Ophelia scenes, but quite frankly I really like them ^_^

Ophelia doesn't hear the horses and group of hunters ride in around sunset. She and Clarice work together diligently. The women have just about finished when Klaus walks over and greets Ophelia. "M'lady." he bows.

"How was hunting?" Ophelia stands up and smiles, brushing her hands against her dress. Clarice looks at Klaus warily but bows and leaves the two of them. Klaus raises his eyebrows and points to the girl scuffling away. Ophelia smirks. "A new friend. She has a horrible experience with men, don't take it personally."

Klaus nods, understanding. "I won't. The hunt went well but I came to inform you of some bad news." he pulls her to the side. "Joan told me to inform you because you know your brother well. We came across some townsfolk from Ragnabrok who were running away from the king's guardsmen. The town is in chaos. And your brother has been informed, a messenger went out yesterday morning to tell him of your survival. What do you think he will do?"

Ophelia's heart races, worried for the people of Ragnabrok. "We have to help them. He's rash and impulsive. He'll burn the whole damn town down if we don't do something Klaus." she grabs at his tunic and tugs on it out of frustration. Klaus pulls her away and smiles. "We will, I promise. But I want you to lead us and for that you need to learn how to fight and how to lead. Can you do that? It'll take a few months-"

"And by that time my brother will have come for Ragnabrok and destroyed the people there." she whispers. Klaus sighs. "The worst he will do is set up a base there with hundreds of soldiers."

Ophelia nods, thinking about it more. "He would just enforce his power over us to either keep us in hiding or-"

"Or draw us out in the open I know. I was thinking about it on my way back. We've brought in the villagers who took our offer to shelter them. Most of them didn't accept but only because they have others in towns ahead to go to." he looks around them. "Talk to the people who have joined us from Ragnabrok. Maybe they can help you decide what you need to do." he walks away. Ophelia sighs and looks at the lake, running a hand through her long hair. She realizes how tangled it is and squats down on her feet to start untangling it. Everything was going to change for her and she didn't know if she would be prepared enough. She could barely listen to Clarice's story without wanting to cry.

She was supposed to lead people to safety and to war against her brother. She was supposed to protect towns and inspire villagers. She couldn't even rein in a horse, how would she ever control a country?

Klaus walks back over and sits beside her, a small crude knife in his hand. He gestures to her hair. "I think it's about time you get rid of the unruly court hair."

"What?" she stares at the knife. Klaus shrugs. "I've seen it bothering you for a while, maybe cutting some of it off will take away some of the weight on your shoulders." he hands her the knife, and she takes the hilt. "I can't cut through it with this it'll be uneven."

"Not everything has to be perfect, Ophelia. Besides, it might look good if it's realistic." he takes off his boots and places his feet in the water. She sighs and grabs a portion of her hair, scooting to the water's edge to look at her reflection. She's taken aback by how exhausted she looks, even though it's only been a week here. Klaus watches quietly as she brings the knife to her hair and starts cutting at it. The line is already uneven but for some reason it makes her feel braver and she continues to cut it off.

"Klaus," she mumbles when she realizes she won't get to cut the back of her hair, "could you...?"

He gets up and crouches behind her, taking the knife from her hands and gingerly grabbing the back of her hair. Ophelia watches from the water. "Ladies at court aren't allowed to cut their hair, it's a symbol of the high order. The servants always had short hair. It was a ridiculous idea honestly, thinking you could separate two classes from their hair." she hears the slice of the knife and feels her hair fall away. Klaus sets the knife down and runs a hand through her hair, smiling. "Better?"

Ophelia nods. Her hair is only cut just above her shoulders but it feels lighter. She can see the unevenness but she likes it. "What do you think?" she asks Klaus. He shrugs. "Still look like the same girl to me."

His comment makes her smile more.