Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Come morning, Sam was already up as she woke. He'd moved their things into the room, what little each had brought. He was dressing in his black uniform when she came to, and quietly securing his blade to his belt.

 

[heartofcourage]

"When is the funeral?" Fiona asked softly as she watched him dress in his dark uniform. "I suppose I should get up and dressed."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Before noon," Sam muttered. "For both of 'em. It's been decided they'll 'ave a pyre an' their ashes'll be spread across the Triad." It made sense for the couple's love of all of Scandinavia. Where Rakkar had been a seafaring warrior made king consort, Elhardt and his wife had always loved the land and their fellow rulers most.

Sam turned to look to Fiona, and she would see he'd laid out her uniform and a couple suitable gowns so she could choose what she liked, giving her the option to remain a defender or take the day off her duties as she was wounded.

 

[heartofcourage]

It took her a moment to gather her sore muscles before she sat up, looking down at what Sam had laid out for her. She knew she would wear her uniform, honoring the Danish king and queen as she had at Rakkar's funeral.

"I'll need some help with the buckles." Fiona said softly as she stood up and pulled on fresh underclothing and her basic cloth uniform, turning to wait for Sam to help her. "Did you check the repair that they made on the chest plate? It seemed that everything was in order."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I did," he nodded as he helped her dress. "Migh' replace the piece later, but it'll hold fer now." Once she was in the full uniform, Sam straightened everything to perfection as he might do to a new officer. "Now... If y'feel weak 'r tired, I want you t'take it easy."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll ride with Invah the entire time. I can rest from the saddle just as well as I can anywhere else." Fiona said as Sam adjusted her armor just so. "I'll rest before the evening meal."

She leaned in and kissed Sam, her fingers reaching to cup his cheeks gently. "I adore you, Sam. I hope that you know that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You always make it clear," he murmured, returning her kiss slowly and drawing her close against himself. He had missed her deeply, but he wouldn't say it yet.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And I will always continue to do that." Fiona said softly as he kissed her slowly and held her tightly against him. "Go and get us some breakfast. I'm going to attempt to pin up my hair so that I don't look completely hopeless."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You don't need any other help?" He asked softly, worried even if they were only parting a moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Unless you want to concern yourself with my hair." Fiona said with a small laugh. "But I will be alright, love."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I concern myself with all of you," he muttered, bringing her over to the small desk and the little mirror sitting aside. He was oddly good with hair, a skill built from years of caring for his sisters. He had her hair braided and in a professional-looking curled bun in minutes, keeping her from stretching her arm up and disturbing her wound.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona sat there as Sam brushed and braided, pinning her hair up in a smart looking style. She gave him a small smile in the mirror, thanking him softly before she stood and took his arm, letting him guide them both to breakfast before they were called to duty.

The Danish royal family only emerged when it was nearing time for the funeral. Hanne looked calm, if not tired, behind her black veil. She held Oona's hand tightly in her own, supporting her little sister as best as she could as Heinrich had an arm wrapped around Eric's shoulders, the young prince already crying. Ivan was stoic, looking straight forward without a single betrayal of emotion.

 

[KieranSoares]

The funeral was being held at the shore outside the harbor, the pyre ready for the arrival of the dead. The procession began at the Temple of Odin, a small but robust and ancient stone hall where the bodies had been held. Priests led the way with lanterns as a heavy mist had settled over Lund and hadn't lifted even come late morning. Just behind them was the wagon on which, like Rakkar's procession, the dead were laying on a platform that would be moved by pallbearers to the pyre. Elhardt, the once powerful and fatherly king, lay peacefully in his full ceremonial armor trimmed with fur and scale mail. His shield and sword lay on his chest, the shield fairly old and partly dented from not only being passed down, but from use in real battle. His face was married by a cut across the bridge of his nose, the only sign of the struggle he'd put up against his murder, now cleaned and less noticeable. At his side lay his queen in a ceremonial shield maiden's battleskirt and cuirass, telling of her younger days as a warrior rather than as a noble. While many had known she was a fighter and could outdo Elhardt in swordplay, she had never shown it much after becoming a mother. So respect was paid to her grace by making her armor more feminine. Her battleskirt had the scale skirt but also a longer cloth skirt underneath that reached to her feet, and her cuirass was partly covered by a tabard of red and white and then her own shield and a slim longsword. Both carried their house crests on their shields, but primarily displayed the red and white of Denmark, tempered with plenty of black both for the handsome nature of the design and the sad occasion.

Sam and Fiona were bid to ride drakes close to the royal while the dragons watched from above, and they joined a large regiment of guards doing much the same.

 

[heartofcourage]

Eric and Ivan had made the decision to walk after their parents and Hanne had agreed. Heinrich had argued that she shouldn't be walking so far with her pregnancy, but she had hushed that argument quickly. So, the children of the royal house of Denmark started out on the journey behind their parents funeral procession.

 

[KieranSoares]

The children were accompanied by guards, and an extra wagon had been brought for close friends or advisors who weren't able to walk all the way, and for Hanne should she need it. Ulfric and Kjotva were close behind their nieces and nephews, their closest and most deadly defense and most loving supporters, and they were followed by the other members of the Triad and their families.

The procession eventually arrived at the pyre on the shore, and pallbearers consisting of specially chosen officers, royal guards, Ulfric, Christopher, Kjersten, Kjotva, and Ivan. The two platforms were placed side by side on the pyre, and torches were handed to the four children to light it after priests spoke a eulogy for the lost king and queen.

 

[heartofcourage]

Hanne continued to hold Oona's hand through the entire eulogy, speaking softly to the little girl as it came time for them to step forward and send their mother and father off properly. "It isn't forever, little love." She said softly, encouraging her to play her part and touch her torch to the longboat.

As the four accomplished that, Hanne took a step back with her arm around Oona's slender shoulders and Eric's broader ones. She leaned her head against Eric's watching as the pier was set adrift and their beloved parents were given their proper respect.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ivan stood alone ahead of the other siblings, his torch still clutched in his hand while all theirs had been taken to be put out by guards. He gazed after the longboat until it was completely engulfed in flame, and then he turned back to the procession, toward Ulfric in particular.

"Uncle," he murmured. "I... Believe we need to plan a coronation."

 

[heartofcourage]

Hanne looked at Ivan as he turned to their uncle and asked for a coronation to be set up. She knew he had reservations, but he loved his country as much as their father had.

"Ivan, no decisions need to be made right now." Hanne said softly. "We have time to sit and talk about all of this."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I made my decision when I saw mother fall to pieces," Ivan muttered. "And none of the rest of us want it. I know what needs to be done."

 

[heartofcourage]

Hanne quietly left her other siblings as she stepped foward, cupping Ivan's face in her hands as she looked deeply into his hazel eyes. He looked so much like their father when he was younger and it made her heart ache slightly.

"It doesn't have to be one of us, Ivan. It can be one of father's advisers." She said softly, knowing that he had already made up his mind by the look that he gave her. "I love you, dear brother. I will support you in whatever you choose to do."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Father's advisors are good people, but not rulers. Whether I am better or not... I am trained for this. I'm a warrior and a diplomat, and father set me on the path to be a warrior king like our ancestors, like him. He didn't intend for me to ascend so soon... But he made sure I would be ready as I could be should the worst happen. And the worst has happened, sister. We... We're orphans. But we have each other, and I will keep us together. You are our matriarch now, you have been from the moment mother left us, taking care of us... I will uphold the other end, and hopefully earn my place as patriarch."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll do him proud." Hanne said softly, kissing his cheek and holding him tightly against her. "And we will survive this. It hurts now, but that hurt will lessen over time. Heinrich and I will stay until after the baby is born, taking care of Eric and Oona so you can focus on other duties."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Just don't overwork yourself," he muttered before quietly gathering their family together to make the slow trek back to the castle. He and Heinrich made Hanne ride back and they joined her with their younger siblings. The funeral went off without a hitch and soon everyone was gathered for the wake and a meal.

Sam and Fiona kept near the royalty, welcome to the meal as they were close with the families as well. Sam kept particularly close to Kayla, knowing she would be the next prime target. Christopher was a potential target as well, but Sam knew rulers were in the most danger.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Samuel, I know that you're worried about me, but you don't need to spend so much time around me. Your uncle has my protection well under control." Kayla told him as she relaxed at the afternoon meal, watching as Lena tried to cheer Oona up a table away.

 

[KieranSoares]

"And Ulfric had Kjersten's defense under control," Sam murmured. "I'm stacking the odds in our favor." He gazed straight ahead, surveying the guests, leaving the edges of the room to the posted royal guards and Ulfric's hidden sentinels.