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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xlviii. An Unexpected Reunion
Kari let out a sigh as she listened to the two neighbors fight over a boat, the most trivial of things.
Her golden crown weighed heavy on her head and her rings were digging into the flesh of her fingers. She wanted nothing more than to hold her son in her arms yet such were her duties as a queen.
Some time had passed since she had given birth to Eric but her need to be with him did not waver in any way.
He was the perfect infant, barely waking her up in the middle of the night and he was well-behaved when she had to leave him in the care of one of the servants during the times she had to address certain issues in Vestfold.
Knowing that this would not be ending any time soon if she allowed the two neighbors to continue, she opened her mouth to interrupt them when suddenly the sound of warning horns blared from outside.
Kari's eyes widened, sitting straighter upon her throne and reaching for the weapon she kept beside her. Her warriors entered the hall with wide eyes, clearly surprised.
"What is it?" Kari asked, looking to one of them for answers as the horns continued to sound.
Her first thought was one she welcomed and despised herself for thinking so. It could be the husband who had abandoned her, finally returning after raiding and supposedly finding himself in England.
She wanted to kiss him but at the same time, she wanted to push him off the dock and hold him down underwater. Thankfully, she had no need to address such violent tendencies when one of her warriors answered.
"Ships, Queen Kari. Ships bearing an army." One of the warriors spoke up, looking disconcerted.
"Whose ships? Who's leading them?" Kari questioned, tightening her hold on her weapon.
"They bear the flags of the kingdom of Ringerike, my queen." The warrior answered, looking around before continuing. "Shall we prepare to attack?"
Kari thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Be on the defensive but let them dock. Have their leaders brought to me. We shall see what they want then."
"Yes, my queen." The warriors nodded, exiting the great hall with hasty steps.
Kari sheathed the blade at her side, keeping it close as she waited for her warriors to return. Ringerike. She was unfamiliar with the ruling kings of the many kingdoms, what with all the raids and attacks. The leadership of many kingdoms changed with the wind.
It was why she was so defensive of Vestfold. Nevertheless, it seemed foolish now not to remember who the king of Ringerike was. She never had to deal with visiting kingdoms from the time Harald left.
In fact, as she looked back on it, only their kingdom's jarls visited over that time. Bringing gifts, telling stories, regaling tales of adventure, or simply for want of company. Of course, she welcomed them all even though all they wished to talk about were themselves.
