To Capture a Captain's Heart (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Perhaps it's for the best, Kayla," Ulfric told her quietly, knowing she wouldn't agree. "It would truly solidify Christopher in his station."

But Christopher wasn't about to back down, and Kayla could see it in his eyes and in Kjersten. The gauntlet had been thrown, and they were ready.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla pursed her lips together as Christopher and Kjersten moved to their respective positions without consideration for what she'd just said. She didn't want them to fight. She wanted them to realize that she was a queen in her own right. She supposed that wouldn't happen though, she thought to herself.

 

[KieranSoares]

Each removed their blade and sheath from their belts , securing the sheathes to the hilts tightly so there would be no accidents, but they both looked ready to give their all, knowing that they couldn't hold back just because they weren't aiming to kill. Ulfric laid a hand on Kayla's shoulder, reassuring her that this was the best course, but Jarl Rakkar didn't seem so happy with the idea.

"I wish you the best of luck, Lady Kjersten," Christopher told her as he stood at the ready with his blade in hand and pulled on a long glove with a shielded vambrace, given to him as a gift that could stand in for a shield against smaller weapons like swords. Kjersten pulled a small buckler shield from her belt, painted like a proper Viking shield but much smaller and more maneuverable.

"Keep your luck for yourself," she answered simply, taking up a calm stance that didn't tell of the incredible danger she imposed. Even if they weren't going to cut each other apart, they would leave with plenty of bruises and possibly a few broken bones.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla didn't like this idea at all and she stood there to watch the scene with a tense stance. She knew that they wouldn't kill one another, but the risk for injury was too high. She needed Christopher to be healthy in case there was another thread to her throne.

 

[KieranSoares]

The two suddenly clashed, and right off the bat, Christopher overpowered Kjersten but she was much faster than him. What he lacked in speed, he made up for with a good defense. Fast as she was, she could get out of the way but not hit him. It wasn't til after a solid two minutes of trading blows and parries that Kjersten finally swung and hit Christopher just below the ribs, but his return blow was punishment aplenty when he grabbed her sheathed blade, holding it against his side where it'd hit, and she was unable to block a bruising blow to the shoulder. It'd be painful enough to affect her strength and make blocking more difficult. When they parted and circled once more, Christopher sought to disarm her, but she instead disarmed him. He didn't surrender, instead he kept his fighting stance with his arms up, ready to block. She clearly didn't think he could win without his blade, but when she struck again, he caught her blade and barreled her over while twisting it away. He turned to pin her, but she was already up again and she landed a hearty punch across his jaw. That surprised him, but she couldn't do a thing about how he reacted. He dropped the blade and charged Kjersten, catching her in the stomach with his shoulder and tackling her to the ground. They rolled, and she pinned him down with her arm against his throat to keep him from being able to sit up. Christopher struggled, unable to use his center of balance, and he wasn't quite strong enough to overbalance her and throw her off.

"Do you yield?" She growled against his struggling. His answer was a snarl of effort as he managed to suddenly roll them both backwards over his head until she was trapped beneath him. He used her own weight against her, trapping her arms under her with his knee across her back and a headlock with one arm to stop her struggling. She still fought, but then Christopher released her and rose calmly. She jumped to her feet, ready to continue, but he calmly picked up their blades and offered hers back to her. She gave him a strange look. "What are you doing?"

"I've proven what I need to prove. Any more will only end in one of us getting hurt," he murmured in reply before trying to move his jaw back into place.

"You didn't win!"

"If this had been a real fight, Lady Kjersten, I wouldn't have let go, and you would've suffocated," Christopher told her plainly, and she quietly regarded him for moment.

"... Why didn't you hold on until I yielded?"

"Because you wouldn't have." Christopher buckled his blade and sheath back on his belt before coming to Kayla with a soft smile. "I'm going to go get cleaned up, love." And he left them. Kjersten was left feeling not so sure of herself. She wasn't used to warriors who gave quarter and mercy. Then she realized Christopher reminded her of Ulfric, and she made her way away from the group.

"Kjersten?" Ulfric asked softly.

"I need to think," she answered simply.

 

[heartofcourage]

The fight was brutal and Kayla could barely watch as the man that she cared and loved so much fought for her honor. She let out a sigh as the fight ended, relaxing as Christopher moved to clean himself up and Kjersten stalked off to think. Glancing at Ulfric, Kayla knew that the fight was over with.

"If you will excuse me, sir, I will go tend to my husband." Kayla said to her adviser, knowing that he needed time to his daughter as well as the men that had come to witness this fight.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Take your time. Kjersten's... confused, to say the least." Ulfric nodded to her and the others bowed before her as she made her way away. Ulfric followed after Kjersten and the group went to the garden to discuss what they'd seen and learned.

When Kayla entered, Christopher had just taken off his grass-stained, dirty jacket and shirt and he was washing the dirt away from his hands and arms and face. He would suffer a nasty bruise on his jaw, Kjersten's fist was an unforgiving adversary. He saw Kayla enter in the mirror and he turned to face her. "You didn't have t'come in, love. I would've been right out."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Christopher. I hate seeing you fight like that." Kayla murmured as she watched him clean the dirt from his skin. "It's one of the most horrible sights I can think of."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It wasn' a fight, love, it was a spar," Christopher shrugged it off as if it were nothing. After real war, it certainly seemed like nothing to him. He pulled a fresh outfit from the wardrobe, and after he'd pulled on new trousers and fastened his belt, he paused and looked at her, noting the look on her face. "What?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't get it." Kayla murmured softly, her face still holding the disappointed and horrified look as she moved past him and into her private office. "How would you feel if you had to stand by and watch me do that? Would you be so dismissive of it?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kayla..." Christopher followed her. "I know I would be in th'same position as you are... but after all you've been through, th'last thing I want you t'do is have t'fight. It's my job, my entire life's career thus far 'as been fighting. So... I just keep doing tha' job."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It doesn't matter, Christopher. You're my husband and I don't want to see you hurt." Kayla insisted, a wounded tone coloring her voice. "I refuse to lose you again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You never lost me," Christopher told her softly, coming to wrap her in his embrace. "And you never will... I would never purposely do something that would end up leaving you alone. I'm not that reckless. I've always tried to be your shield, and now I'm both shield and sword. I could never stand to walk into something that deprived you of that. This fight was for more than just your honor, it was for those people in the north who deserve to accept a wonderful Queen. And who knows, this could also change the minds of other people too."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his shoulder as she let those words sink in. She had agreed to this, but actually watching it happen was just too much for her gentle heart. She knew that what he said was right...even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Foolish man." She murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"That I am," Christopher smiled, and when he pulled back to meet her eyes, he kissed her with a warm passion. "But only for you," he muttered as their lips parted. He knew he was a fool, but a fool in love, and he was entirely content with that.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla pressed her forehead against his own as he muttered those beautiful words and kissed her sweetly. She hated that he could win her over with sweet words and sweeter kisses. She let out a sigh as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself close.

"I love my new country, but I miss Inverness." She confessed to Christopher, knowing that he would understand and keep her secrets. "These people don't want to believe that I can rule."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't think they don' want t'believe. They're jus' scared o'trusting someone after Olaf," Christopher reasoned softly. "It's up to us t'show them that Olaf was just a nightmare tha's passed now, an' we're here t'fix it all an' make it better. In fact, I'll bet one day tha' they'll call your rule th'Golden Age o' Norway," he gave her a sweet smile and kissed her once more. "Let's go back out there, an' show them tha' we're serious."

 

[heartofcourage]

"No more fighting." Kayla murmured softly as she kissed her husband one more time and took his arm to walk outside to greet the people that were there for them.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No promises," he teased gently before getting dressed and going out with her. Kjersten had returned with Ulfric, and now stood awaiting them. As they came to a stop, Kjersten stepped forward with a small box, placing it carefully in Kayla's hands. "... This is a special token of Lord Rakkar's people's loyalty. When you step down one day and pass on your title, we will take it back until we decide that the next in line is just as able." She said no more after that. She'd made up her mind and wasn't willing to explain how or why.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Lady Kjersten, your passion and your bravery will forever be honored here." Kayla aid softly as she placed a box into her hands.

Carefully, under the gaze of Kjersten and Ulfric, she opened the book and pulled free the item inside.

 

[KieranSoares]

Inside lay a strange stone, the likes of which Kayla had never seen except in the hands of Lunars. It was purely white and almost seemed to have its own light. It was encircled by three bands of iron, in which were engraved intricate patterns and an image of a Viking dragon ship. On one side, Kayla recognized the words 'we follow' in Norwegian.

"It's an ancient tradition that only Rakkar's region still follows today, giving their leader a token of their fellowship, something that's one-of-a-kind and sacred. Being that their region is chiefly Lunasian rather than Norse or Christian, they chose a sacred white stone banded in iron. This one is about three-hundred years old. We don't understand how it hasn't rusted, but..." Ulfric shook his head, "I suppose it might be because of the stone."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla looked at the stone that was nestled in the box and knew that it meant a great deal to these people if they were giving it to her. She carefully closed the box and looked at them with a gentle and sincere smile.

"I shall keep it close to me and treat it as my most prized possession then." Kayla promised, glancing back at Christopher before she passed him the box for safe keeping.

 

[KieranSoares]

Christopher took the box and tucked it securely in one arm, and Kjersten sighed quietly, muttering, "I can't believe that skinny Irish boy beat me."

Ulfric laughed kissing his daughter's cheek, "The people of the Isles are a force to be reckoned with when you challenge what they love most. Consider your battles more carefully, my love."

It wasn't long before Rakkar and his people had to be on their way, not bothering to stay the night because they all had some kind of work to do back home. But Rakkar didn't leave without kissing Kayla's hand and thanking her softly for her patience and grace with Kjersten's outspoken ways.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla said nothing as she squeezed Rakkar's hand, offering him her support wholeheartedly for anything that came his way. She was a benevolent queen and she wanted her people to know that. She would do anything for them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Rakkar pressed one last kiss to Kayla's cheek before they parted and he joiend with Kjersten once again. It certainly would not be long before the royal couple had an invitation to their wedding. As they were left alone in the garden, Christopher's arms snaked slowly about Kayla's waist from behind and he grinned like a cheeky boy who knew he was clever. "Can' be mad at me now, can ya?"