He was the conqueror. She was the sacrifice.
He was powerful. She was unexpected.
He was certain. She was uncertainty.
He formed a nation. She formed his world.
Together they would make history.
▪︎°▪︎°▪︎°▪︎
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xxxiv. Lost Souls
Some people spend their entire lives wandering aimlessly.
Perhaps they were trying to find a home to settle or perhaps they were simply averted to the idea of settling down. Perhaps they choose to wander to see new things, things that lay undiscovered by those that came before them.
Nevertheless, these people are the ones who travel all over the world, searching for answers that they cannot find where they are.
There are also those who have settled and have ingrained in their minds what they wish to do yet still, their minds wander to endless possibilities, trapped in a prison of their own ambition's making.
Kari could not help but let her thoughts drift off. Outside, she looked the perfect picture of grace and composure. However, on the inside, she was a mess. Only now was it dawning onto her what she had gotten herself into.
She had been nothing all her life. She had kept to herself and kept her head down, focusing on survival. But now she finds herself in this new world where she was a queen and was responsible for many lives and futures.
If she were being honest, nothing prepared her for any of this. Her past life prepared her for disappointment, not leadership. Whereas prior to all this, all she worried about was becoming like her mother, now she was terrified to lose.
Her family, her brothers, her people. Her husband especially. She was more terrified of losing them than of losing herself. Her fears had shifted, her nightmares causing her to twist and turn as her own mind conjured up horrible things.
Her destructive thoughts were put to a halt when she felt a familiar hand upon hers. She closed her eyes momentarily, releasing a breath. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself much calmed.
"There you are, Trouble. I thought I lost you there for a moment." Harald spoke softly, looking very concerned yet regal as he sat upon his own seat.
"I'm fine, I promise." Kari forced out a smile, the words even sounding untrue to her.
Though he didn't look convinced, he knew that he would tell her what was bothering her, in time. Giving her another comforting grin, he raised her hand to his lips and placed the softest of kisses on the inside of her wrist.
Her heart warmed at his sweet gesture before facing forward just on time as the other party arrived. Hvitserk hastily returned to their side, shooting Kari a look to assure him that he was alright. Not that she thought otherwise but he knew that she had been worried about him.
As the others began to take their seats, vikings carrying blue flags completed the square surrounding them. Flags being blown in the wind caged them all in as though they were prisoners of their own making.
Perhaps they were.
For the first time in a while, Kari's eyes caught Bjorn's and she could not help but feel a sense of sadness upon seeing the hurt and betrayal in them. They had vowed to see each other again but they did not think that they would be seeing each other from opposite sides of a battlefield.
