Warning: the end is a bit PG-13 ;p
As the warriors entered the throne room, Bjorn couldn't help but to notice the four large chairs in it's center, each filled with a High King and Queen. Two women were seated in the first two chairs, each one looking to be at least well into their sixties. They both had long gray hair that was curled and pinned back. Strange substances were painted on their faces which he assumed it was supposed to serve as some beauty product. Their lips were pressed into think lines and their eyes were tired. After then were two men, one looked like he would fall over dead at any moment, for he were skinny and his breathing was ragged. The other man looked to be the youngest, possibly in his fifties. His hair still had some color to it though his beard was littered with gray hairs. These are the High Kings and Queens? He couldn't help but to feel underwhelmed for he had expected more. As he drew closer, he noticed that all four wore identical robes and necklaces. Their décor is more impressive than they are he thought as his emerald eyes shifted to the marble walls that held. more art work and fine tapestries.
The short woman with dark hair bowed before speaking, "These are the warriors from Rorik and the Glade you wished to see."
The youngest High King leaned forward in his throne, running a hand through his trimmed beard, "Which one of you is prince Bjorn and princess Rowan?" His voice was deep and stern and made Rowan feel as if she were about to be scolded. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward as did Bjorn. "And who was the leader of your party?" he asked, scanning the large crowd.
Leif then stepped forward with his chin held high, "That would be me your grace."
He slowly sat back in his chair and looked to his right at the other three High Royals. They each gave a curt nod and he turned back to them, "Rochelle, can you escort everyone besides these three to their rooms for the evening? Make sure they are properly fed please."
The small dark haired women bowed quickly and shuffled Bjorn and Rowan's companions out of the throne room. Once the door was shut, the first High Queen sat forward, "Forgive us for not introducing ourselves earlier, Tomwulf is quite forgetful sometimes. I am Queen Nilac and this is Queen Via, then there is King Isen and the one on the end is King Tomwulf." When she finished she looked down the line at the youngest King who gave her an eye roll. Bjorn bit his cheek in order to not laugh at the scene before him. I guess even our High Kings and Queens have issues getting along at times.
Queen Nilac motioned to King Tomwulf to continue and sat back in her seat, resting her chin in her hand.
"We are going to split you three up and see if your stories match. Quite frankly I find it hard to believe the tales I have heard over the past few weeks. You have nothing to worry about if you tell the truth, but if we find so much as an obscured detail then the consequences will be severe. We do not take such matters as this lightly, especially when we have two Skabelse tributes who failed to contribute to society but that is another matter."
Rowan felt a lump grow in her throat with each word he spoke. She hadn't even thought about not completing the ceremony. Anger slowly filled her as she wanted to tell them right then and there as to why she and Bjorn had failed to produce a child. You would think the bear incident and being taken from our tent in the middle of the night and tortured would be a reasonable excuse.
The two Queens slowly stood up from their throne and walked over to Rowan. Queen Via lightly grabbed onto her arm, "This way child."
Rowan followed her and looked over her shoulder to Bjorn who was following King Tomwulf. Leif remained behind with King Isen.
The Queens brought Rowan through a small door that led to a spacious room with a fire place. It was warm and inviting and in the center was a large wooden table with cushioned chairs. "Sit," Queen Via ordered, taking her own seat. Rowan did as she was told and pulled out the deep orange chair and took a seat. She was nervous as she wondered what she should say, for her future depended on it. Just tell them the truth and you will have nothing to worry about.
She pushed a stray lock of her silver hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, taking a deep breath. Even thought she was clad in her armor that usually brought her comfort, she had never felt more vulnerable. I might as well be stark naked.
"Where would you like me to start?" Rowan asked nervously. Queen Nilac offered her a small smile, "The beginning is always a good place."
Rowan nodded and told them everything, from first arriving to the camp, the bear attack, when Kacper and his men first came into their tent, how he allowed them to freeze every night, the beatings he gave them and forcing Bjorn to drink, Viktor's attack that led to his death, the arrival at Blanche's fortress to meeting her, learning about her motives and how she was successful in joining four tribes of men and women to fight against the High Kings and Queens, their refusal to give her the information she wanted, her torture...all the way to her attempted execution and being saved at the last possible second.
Queen Nilac and Via sat in silence for a moment as they contemplated what they had heard. At the very most they had expected her to tell them a sad story about the mercenaries not feeding them properly, and at the very least that the woman named Blanche, the leader of the so called Brotherhood, would have treated them with respect considering their royal blood. Both High Royals had much respect for both the Gladeswoman and the Rorik for enduring such hardship and not letting it break their spirit or betray their kingdoms and the High Palace. Their resilience baffled them.
After a long moment of silence Queen Via sat straight and placed a wrinkled hand upon Rowan's. "If what you say is true, then I am sorry. But it is not up to the two of us to decide your fate, for we must speak with King Isen and King Tomwulf first, she finished. Her voice was soft and frail but filled with sorrow that worried Rowan. Would the two Kings not be as understanding?
"You may go. Someone will be waiting for you in the Great Hall," Queen Nilac said. Rowan sat for a moment, then slowly stood up and walked to the small door. She looked back to see the High Queens talking quietly amongst themselves and quickly left when she heard one of them whisper "Decisions decisions...."
She noticed the throne room was empty, not even Leif or King Isen remained. With each step towards the Great Hall, the soft smack of her leather boots echoed off of the walls. She was even more worried than before as she thought about the High Queens reactions but had to remind herself to relax. You have done everything you could.
Rowan had to push the heavy door open with both hands and her sore muscles protested. Waiting for her in the hall was another women adorned in navy blue robes, except this one had fiery red hair that reminded her of Falkstan and she missed him instantly.
"Lady Rowan, if you would follow me I will take you to the women's bath house," the woman said, then began walking, not caring to check if Rowan had in fact followed her. She thought this to be rude but brushed it off as she knew she had not meant for it to seem that way and quickly followed suit.
After a few moments in the High Palace she soon became lost in the maze of corridors and hallways. The woman would say something every now and then about the structure and what each hall was made from but Rowan didn't pay any mind as she attempted to mentally draw out a map.
Suddenly, the crimson haired women stopped in front of a strange looking door and Rowan ran into the back of her, knocking her nose on her head. She grabbed her nose in pain and pinched it, "My apologies, forgive me."
She was surprised when the woman laughed and waved her off, "It is okay. One of your Gladeswomen did the same earlier as well. They are inside washing."
Rowan wiped her nose to check for any signs of blood, but when she did not see any she smiled and bowed her head, then entered the bathhouse.
It was humid and smelled of lilac and gooseberries that immediately made Rowan relax as the familiar smells of the Glade filled the air. Sounds of her fellow Sisters chatter and laughs resonated off of the walls and she couldn't but to smile. A checkered vail separated her from the large pool and she could see the Daughters of the Glade relaxing and bathing themselves. As she rounded the corner, Kestrel spotted her, "Rowan! Join us!" followed by other pleas and calls from the girls.
She quickly stripped off her armor and underclothing and slowly lowered herself into the steaming water. It burned her wounds as some were still fresh, but she welcomed the stinging pain.
"I'm sorry to say, but you have lost a lot of weight my Lady," Keira said quietly. Rowan knew she had from the lack of food and malnourishment that had befallen her over the past week. She nodded her head and looked down at her naked body. Her breasts had grown smaller and her ribs were more prominent as well as her hip bones "Aye. Nothing I could not gain back though," she answered lightly. Keira smiled and rested her head against the edge of the pool and Rowan did the same.
Kestrel then swam over and copied Keira's pose, "How did it go with the High Kings and Queens? Did they say what they plan to do?" she asked.
Rowan waved her hands back and forth under the water, feeling its resistance through her fingers. She shrugged and sighed, "I told them the truth, right down to the last detail. The High Queens were very understanding but they said it was not up to just them to decide our fate. I do not know when they will speak width the other High Royals but I am sure we will know by tomorrow what the outcome will be."
"Have you heard from Bjorn?" Kestrel asked. Rowan shook her head. As much as she hated to admit it, she had not even thought of him since talking to the High Queens. "I am sure he is probably bathing with his Brothers just as we are," she said, lathering up her arms. The soap smelled delightful and she could see the grime wash off of her.
"I hope Hvisterk drowns then," Meliana spat, causing the woman to laugh. Her distaste for the handsome man was well known, but what the others did see was that in some strange and twisted way, she was starting to fester unwanted feelings for him.
Rowan and the other women washed their tired bodies thoroughly and caught up, filling in each other what they have missed. Talking to her fellow Sisters brought peace to her, and by the time the water grew cold she was more relaxed than she had been in days.
The women got out of the pool and dried off, rubbing scented oil and lotions into their skin. Once they were finished, they changed into their night clothes that were provided to them. Rowan was relieved to find one had been left for her as well and quickly pulled on the thin shirt that reached her mid thigh. She did not like the idea of being so exposed, but she was too tired to care.
The Gladeswomen left the bath house and made their way to their rooms before Meliana pointed at a door to Rowan's left, "They said that this would be your room. Let me know if you need anything for I am just across the hall." Rowan smiled and bowed her head before slowly opening the door to her quarters.
A small fire place was lit along with a few candles, illuminating the room. A large bed was placed in front of a window, whose panes were shut. A small wardrobe was propped in the corner to her left and she walked over to it to find it fully stacked with clothing and her sword that had been taken away from her. In the middle of the room was a large white rug that looked to be made out of some type of fur, and when she bent down to run her fingers through it she found it to be soft and inviting. I could easily sleep here, she thought, then laughing at herself.
Just then, she heard a small knock on her door. Slowly, she stood up and raised an eye brow, wondering who it could be.
She quickly walked to her door and cracked it open to find a shirtless Bjorn. She instantly smiled and opened the door wider fro him to walk through. "Do you not own a shirt?" she teased, locking the door behind him. As she realized the length of her shirt, she blushed and pulled it down in hopes to cover her legs better.
He gave her a lopsided grin as he sat on the corner of her bed, "Sadly I do not. Can I borrow yours?"
Rowan rolled her eyes and chuckled, sitting next to him on the bed so that their arms were touching. Bjorn's skin immediately felt hot and he noticed she smelled very lovely.
"So, what did you tell the High Kings?" Rowan asked him in a steady tone.
He shrugged and intertwined his fingers with hers, noting that her hands were rough with callouses from all the years she had spent with a blade. "Pretty much everything I suppose. I didn't spare a detail."
Rowan nodded her head and unknowingly squeezed his hand, "Nor did I."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before she spoke up, "What do you think they will decide?"
Bjorn shook his head for he had not a clue as to what they would decide upon. "That I do not know. But what I do know is that we are going to be fine and get through this just as we did in the past few weeks." He then turned to the striking silver-haired woman and rubbed the back of his finger over the scar on her cheek. She is so beautiful.
The light touches from Bjorn sent a shiver through Rowan's body and she felt her face heat up. She watched his green eyes look over her face and could see a faint smile on the corner of his full lips. Slowly, she leaned in and placed hers on his, closing her eyes to savor the moment.
She had missed the feeling he gave her as his lips pressed against hers. Something switched inside of her, as if she hungered for him...craved him. Leaning in closer, she turned her torso to his and placed both of her hands around his neck and was pleased when he pulled her into his lap. The heat had radiated all the way to her face to down below, making her no longer tired.
As his left hand lightly stroked her thigh while his right hand held her in place she could not help but to feel as if this were the most natural think in the world...that this was something both men and women were supposed to enjoy together.
Bjorn deepened the kiss as he grazed his tonged over her lips, raveling in her sweet taste. He couldn't help but to lean back on the bed, bringing her on top of him.
For a moment he thought that he had made a mistake, for she and pulled back and looked into his eyes. But just as quickly as she had broke the kiss, she had returned it once again but with more passion.
The weight from her body felt good against his own and he run his hands over her rear, liking the way it felt. A small part of him wondered why he would want to do such a thing, but that thought was soon pushed away as Rowan started kissing his neck.
He sucked in a breath as new feelings coursed through out his body. Rowan noticed and quickly looked up at him, "What? Does that pain you?" she asked breathlessly.
Bjorn let out a deep chuckle, "No, quite the opposite actually. It feels good." Rowan smiled, but before she could continue Bjorn flipped her over so he could do the same to her. "Here, let me show you," he whispered, and began to lightly kiss her neck.
"Ohh..." Rowan muttered, realizing what he had meant. She relaxed and took the time to enjoy ever sensation he brought her as he kissed lower and lower until he got to her breasts. She was always taught that the only purpose for them was to feed their babes, but in this moment one of the strangest feelings of all over came her. "Would you.....um...would you like to see them?" she asked quietly, instantly embarrassed for even asking. Oh course he does not want to see them. Why would he?!
He paused and slowly looked up to meet her sapphire eyes, never taking his lips off of her chest. He knew she was embarrassed by the way she chewed on her lip. He had heard many tales of the bountiful curves of a woman's body and how they could men drop to their knees. Falkstan and Ubba had even spoke about their breasts on the way to the Skabelse, but at the time he was filled with disgust and tried his best to ignore the two.
Bjorn offered her a devious smile, instantly putting her at ease as he slowly slipped the collar of her shirt down, lightly kissing her cleavage. Rowan let out a soft moan and threw her head back as she tried to ignore the pounding of her heart beat.
He inched her shirt down more until her right breast was completely bare. Though he had never seen a woman's breast before he knew that they were beautiful.
Ever so lightly, he kissed around her nipple, being careful to not hurt her.
They carried on for what seemed like hours, both revealing each others company and the sensations they brought to one another though Bjorn dared not to go any further than he already did, for he wanted to take his time and slowly discover her body on another night.
Soon, sleep won them over and the drifted off entangled in each others arms.
A/N: Sorry if that sucked, I've never been good at writing romance scenes LOL