A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

A Queen's Coveted Rook

Astraddle about what means could Queen Aslaug have by calling Eleri without warning meant the varagain had more to account for from the seemingly fragile woman than she originally anticipated. Withal in her scope Eleri did not count on the pig coming back home to his forlorn thrown while she remained. The strife she had with Ragnar the night before in Kattegat's vacant thrown hall was a moment of weakness she did not plan on sharing again towards the deplorable viking king.

Shoulders back and head held high, Eleri entered the woman's sitting room with her pose of strength she need Aslaug constantly clung to. The tiny man servant who'd brought the varagain to the Queen quickly scuttled away. Leaving Eleri to peer around the devoid room. All save for a small crackling fire spitting little embers out but never making it past the cast iron gate adorning the fire place.

"Queen Aslaug?" Eleri called upon the nothingness in the room she was left in. Slate eyes shifting over the stagnant overstuffed room filled with inessential items obviously acquired through status.

The red headed woman appeared from behind a thick rug textured curtain separating part of the room into a smaller nook, "My Varagain, good. I'm glad you weren't off far."

"What is it you need dear Queen?" a falsified courtly tone taken on by the normally rough hewed woman. Eleri bowed before the Queen with a solicitous smile and a bat of her blue eyes in her direction.

Thus far Eleri's greetings were met with an habitual beaming smile that spread over Aslaug's wide mouth and a sparkle in her eye that only indicated she approved of being addressed in such lavish words. This time a stark contrast from their other dealings. Aslaug's eyes lowering and the woman holding any words to herself as she stepped back to the middle of the room. Tuned into the woman's change in demeanor over her husbands suddenness, Eleri stayed quiet as she side stepped to allow the Queen to pass her. Folding her arms behind her waist and standing without word for the Queen's response, Eleri was indifferent in the matter but curious over what she was concocting in her mind.

"...I supposed neither of us suspected him to return as such," Aslaug's voice tired, nearly a whisper as she sat her thin frame down in one of the plush cushions of hand carved oaken chairs. Eleri pardoned her full attention to the Queen and looked on as Aslaug's prominent collarbones rose with a short sigh, "...I cannot allow him to take my son."

Of course the Queen's eyes moved over to the varagain expectantly. Disputed to care less about the youngest downfall, Eleri kept her composure and bit her tongue. Aslaug took her silence as an answer and lowered her gaze, "Twice as much...I will pay you twice as much, to do anything. Anything at all. I cannot see my dear Ivar die out of breath under water."

Hostile towards the family in general, Eleri could not disavow the pang of hurt in her chest seeing a mother cry out for the well being of her child. Ivar or not, it was still a mother grabbing for her child's life, "....my dear Queen, I cannot-"

"Varagain I need you here longer than just that," crassly breaking anything Eleri could have responded, Aslaug cut her off. Raising her boney hand to her mouth she tossed a distressed look out towards the cloudy window shedding only glimmers of natural light into the room, "My husbands death does not matter, but my son's. As well, as my home. I cannot loose Kattegat."

Scrunching her face up Eleri spurned the Queen's vocalization of revenge upon Kattegat's king. Little she could do about it since obviously their original bargain was shifting and about to take a new shape, "The returning King seems not wanting to stay, I do not see where you loose your place to-"

"Not Ragnar," Aslaug venomously shot a look to Eleri. Forgoing the wish to snap the Queen's tongue from her viperess mouth, Eleri gave a look of inquiry instead. That put the red head at ease and she sunk back down in her chair, "It, is not Ragnar I worry." Gazing back over at Eleri, Aslaug rolled her wrist in a half circle, the bangles on her slim wrist chittering softly as she mulled something over, "....I believe prior to this, you did some work for a shieldmaiden?" Aslaug's eyes lingered on Eleri's stone stance, "Lagertha, yes?"