The Skabelse

Are You Feeling Ill?

A bothersome rapping on the door stirred the sleeping royals in their bed. Bjorn looked over at Rowan with tired eyes, "Are you not going to get that?"

The Gladeswomen groaned, "Why should I?" The lack of sleep had caught up with her and if she were allowed, she would sleep the day away. The rapping continued, followed by a muffled voice behind the door.

"Because we are in your room?" Bjorn replied as if it were the most obvious answer. He watched Rowan shake her head no slightly as she refused to get up. Smirking, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Fine, but you owe me," causing Rowan to roll over and hide both her blush and her smile as the heat of his breath awakened the hunger for him she had felt last night.

Bjorn shook his head, then got up and padded over to see what the person at the entry wanted. With one hand he opened the door and lazily leaned against the frame to find Meliana with her fist bunched up ready to assault the wooden door once more. When she realized it was Bjorn and not her princess her eyes grew wide.

"Why, you are not my Lady Rowan..." she managed to get out, still in disbelief at seeing the shirtless Rorik.

Bjorn couldn't help but to chuckle at her reaction, "Indeed I am not," he paused, looking over his shoulder to see her form sprawled out in bed, "She is still asleep. Can I help you with something?"

Meliana quickly gathered herself and crossed her arms over her chest, "You haven't hurt her have you?" she asked with a dark eyebrow raised.

"What? No! Why would you think such a thing?" Bjorn asked, now mirroring her stance. He couldn't fathom ever hurting Rowan.

Meliana leaned in forward a pointed a finger at his neck, "You have a mark on your neck that appears to be a bruise. If I can recall, it was not there last night. I better not see any on my princess at breakfast, you fiend. I hope you did not lay a hand on her through the night," she finished in a huff.

Bjorn smirked. You have no idea. He ran a hand through his raven tousles and sighed, "I have a feeling that this is not why you came?" he asked, changing the subject.

She glared at him and placed her hands on her hips, "Obviously not, as I expected you to be asleep in your own bed. I came to inform my Lady that breakfast is soon to be served."

It pleased him to see Rowan's kinswomen care for her so much, knowing that if she did have to return to the Glade without him that she would be well taken care of and loved.

Pushing the sad thought from his mind, he nodded his head, then closed the door in her face. He could her shriek and let out a colorful stream of profanities before she stomped down the hallway. "She's sassy, that one," he said, walking back over to the bed.

Rowan sat up, chuckling and wiping the morning from her eyes. "Yes, Meliana is quite the character. We have been friends for many years." Even though she was only a few years older than Rowan, Meliana had always looked up to her and served her faithfully as her own mother did for the queen.

"I think Hvitserk is captivated by her," Bjorn said, slipping his boots on. Rowan thought it over and agreed that the two would make a good pair as she remembered that Darsa also would argue with Horan until they came to know one another. Thinking about Darsa made her miss her cousin terribly, and she wondered if she was with child yet.

"I wonder how Darsa and Horan are fairing," she asked, getting out of the warm bed and walking over to her wardrobe to find clothing to wear.

"They are probably eating breakfast with Tursa and Falkstan considering the hour. I hope they know that we are safe," Bjorn replied, making a mental note to ask Leif if he had sent a raven to the encampment. He finished lacing up his boots and walked over to Rowan, kissing her on her head. He needed to return to his room and slip on a shirt.