To Capture a Captain's Heart (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Chris!" She squealed as he attacked her throat and her ear, a soft moan escaping her lips as an impatient knocking sounded at the bedchamber door, Ulfric's voice coming through telling them they needed to hurry.

"Tonight, love. Save all those thoughts for tonight." She whispered, stealing one last kiss before she rose to exiting the room with her husband on her heels.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ulfric fixed the two with an odd gaze and a raised eyebrow. "Come along, lovebirds. Something's... odd with Kjotva and her son and husband aren't with her. Elhardt wants to talk to you before you speak with her."

They would find Elhardt, looking a little bit concerned, waiting for them in the great hall.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla frowned slightly at that news as she hurried down to the great hall and gave Elhardt a great hug upon seeing him.

"Now, what bad news have you brought me, brother?" She asked him, giving him a light smile to try and diffuse the situation.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not bad so much as a bit sad," Elhardt sighed. "Before Kjotva gets here... I've finally heard why she's coming alone. It seems Sigmund and their son Kollr both fell in battle a month ago against the Russians to the east, led by a Prince Monomakh, cousin to some Russian Grand Prince ... They've been long-standing enemies of Scandinavia."

"She didn't have to come if she's in mourning," Christopher murmured.

"She knows that, but if I know Kjotva, she doesn't let this sort of thing get in the way of her husband's wishes. He wanted to come and welcome his new sister, so she will do it for him. Don't pity her, and you need not avoid mentioning her son and husband. In fact, she'll probably inform you outright as to why they're not here."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I am very sorry to hear of her losses." Kayla said softly, looking at Christopher as it was explained that she wanted to come. "Then, we must make her time here a time of love and distraction. We will show her that she made the right choice in coming."

 

[KieranSoares]

Everyone prepared for the elder queen's entrance, anxious to see what sort of woman she'd be. Ulfric and Elhardt were the calmest of Kayla's surrounding fellows as they'd met Kjotva many times, but they were worried to see what her losses might've done to her. The main doors soon swung open and a large man in full armor minus a helmet stepped in first alongside a man who turned out to be a herald.

"Your Highness," the herald bowed while the armored man only bowed his head. "May I present, Her Royal Majesty, Queen-"

"Bardsson, I told you not to do that," a deep feminine voice called, strong and resolute.

"Oh... Of course milady... I had forgotten." The herald looked a bit put off by not being able to do his favorite job. Inside stepped a woman that reminded Kayla of her sister Selena and Queen Marianne. She was tall and strong, a bit broader than both other women, and she sported long, braided black hair that seemed odd for a Scandinavian. Of course, Kayla had heard that her mother was a Swedish noblewoman and her father was a Mongolian Khan, so her high cheekbones, dark hair, and darker skin were explained.

With rich blue eyes, she gazed about at those who welcomed her. She looked entirely fearless and she was surely the daughter of two great warrior cultures. "Your Ladyship," Kjotva finally spoke, bowing before Kayla. She didn't wear a gown, but rather something more like Elhardt with some feminine touches. Her outfit was made up of tall boots, breeches, a tunic, and a long jacket with a cloak pinned at the shoulders so not to fall off. Elhardt awaited Kayla before he greeted his sister queen from Sweden.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your highness." Kayla returned the term before she stepped from her brother king's side and embraced the fearless woman tightly. "Kjotva. I am so glad that we finally get the chance to meet." She said in a soft voice, pulling back from the hug to look into the other woman's stunning features.

"And let me be the first to say that I am very saddened to hear about your husband and son. Please know that Norway shares your grief and will help you however you need." Kayla said softly, knowing that it would be a sad time for the woman who wanted to be so strong.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kjotva's stoic expression cracked only slightly when her lost husband and son were mentioned, but in that instant Kayla caught the unmistakable gaze of a woman tortured by grief. She quickly and expertly schooled her features, taking a deep and steadying breath. "Thank you. And I hope you can forgive them for their absence. I told them, under no circumstances could they cancel this journey... but it seems both were too pigheaded and they managed to find the one exception. They always find a way to embarrass me." Though she smiled and joked, Kayla, Christopher, Elhardt, and Ulfric all heard the slight crack in her voice and saw straight past the facade of humor.

"Kjotva," Elhardt murmured, stepping forward to hug the woman tightly. She almost broke then, but not unlike the strong women Kayla knew back home, she simply would not allow her pain nor her situation to get in the way of business.

"Elhardt... you're getting greyer by the day," Kjotva commented softly, making the great king chuckle. She then looked to Ulfric and embraced him tightly as well before she looked to Christopher. "You must be Lord General Callaghan."

"Please, just call me Christopher," Chris smiled as she greeted him with a welcoming kiss to his cheek and an embrace.

"Christopher and Kayla... it has a nice ring to it," she murmured before Ulfric brought them to the smaller private dining room where a small brunch awaited them, made up mostly of simple foods and drink.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla took Christopher's arm as they were escorted into the other room for brunch. She kissed her husband's cheek as he held out her chair for her before she sat down, glancing at the other royals as they did the same.

"Don't let Christopher's sweet tone and smile fool you, Kjotva. He is fierce with a mean temper." Kayla teased, struggling to keep the tone light for the benefit of her sister queen. "It's all that Irish blood that is in his veins. He'll never admit it though."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kjotva chuckled and looked to Christopher. "Don't worry, I know Irishmen are really just soft things."

"I don't know who I should be more offended by," Christopher shook his head with a smile.

"As a rule, your wife," Elhardt added, making everyone laugh. Kjotva soon seemed to relax into an easy relationship with Kayla and Christopher, thanks in part to her already-solid relationship with Elhardt and Ulfric whom she felt she could trust with anything. When Elhardt and Ulfric both treated Kayla like a little sister, Kjotva did too seeing as Kayla was the youngest. Their discussion was light and eventually turned to Kjotva's own background.

"I was born in Sweden, but I was raised for most of my childhood among Mongolian nomadic warriors, and my father was the patriarch of our clan and the leading Khan of at least five clans altogether. He and my mother were madly in love after their first encounter where he insulted her and she challenged him to a duel to the death. They almost killed each other, but when my mother finally got the chance to strike the final blow, she threw away her sword and got on her knees to offer her life to him instead out of respect for what she called 'the War God in human form'. He got down on his knees and threw away his sword too and begged her to marry him. Nine months later, I cam along, and my nine siblings followed over the next twenty years. All but the eldest of my brothers still live in Mongolia. My brother Tenjin lives with me, but he's visiting Mongolia right now. And Elhardt, I know you want to tell the story, so just tell it so we can laugh at Sigmund."

"You're sure?" Elhardt looked to her in concern.

"Just because he's gone doesn't mean we can't still tell jokes at his expense, brother," Kjotva told him with a gentle smile.

"Well, then... Kayla, I'm not even sure you were born yet, but Kjotva became queen fairly young too. She met Sigmund when she was seventeen, and he went from the dauntless warrior I knew him to be, to a mess of romanticism and poetry. She booted him out of his own palace at least three times when he tried to woo her, even though he was the bloody King of all Sweden. Finally, he traveled all the way to Mongolia to talk to her father, and her father told him that the only way she'd ever love him was if he tried to kill her. Understandably, he was appalled, but he decided to do something a little different. He came back, arrested her, and challenged her to a duel to the death. The winner would take the crown of Sweden. Let's just say she destroyed him, but he got one good hit on her that left her open. He had his chance to kill her, and instead he held his blade at his own throat. She asked him what the hell he was doing, and he told her he'd rather die and give up Sweden than ever see her bleed again."

"I told him he was a damned idiot and I knocked him out," Kjotva said quite bluntly. "I stormed out and went to Denmark to heal. A month later, I sent him a letter asking him who was planning the wedding, my family or his."

"Rumor had it that he fainted when he got that letter," Ulfric added.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla laughed at the story that was related to her about how Kjotva had captured the heart of her husband. Elhardt laughed heartily as the story was finished and Kayla took her husband's hand, squeezing it tightly as she looked at him with a familiar fondness.

"I don't think Christopher ever asked me properly. We always just assumed that we would wed. And I started planning a wedding." She said, laughing at the look in Christopher's eyes. "The oak tree on our combined flag is the same one where we spent our honeymoon."

That brought more laughter as Christopher's cheeks heated and Kayla smiled sweetly at her husband. She knew she was in for retribution that evening, but she would sweetly surrender herself to him if that's what it meant.

 

[KieranSoares]

"An oak tree? You scandalous man," Kjotva teased him. Christopher recovered from the embarrassment quickly enough to form an answer.

"Well, you do what you can with what you have when there's a demanding queen at your side," he grinned down at Kayla, making their three companions laugh at their antics.

 

[heartofcourage]

"The same thing you do with a demanding Lord Protector. Who am I to say no?" Kayla challenged, looking at her husband with a sparkle in her eyes. "Especially when he is the father to the future heir of Norway."

It seemed that everything around them stopped as she let that little secret out. She hadn't breathed a word to her husband about a child. She hadn't told any of her family yet. She hadn't even told her closest adviser her news. Instead, she decided to tell him in a moment of happiness, surrounded by their dearest friends.

 

[KieranSoares]

Christopher paused, and the others looked to him and realized it was as much a surprise to him as to them. He tried to speak, but he couldn't find his voice as he gazed with something between shock, awe, trepidation, and absolute joy at his wife. Kjotva reached out to pat his shoulder. "Just kiss her." It was the best advice he'd ever heard, and he was all too glad to follow it. He had Kayla wrapped up in his arms in a deep yet tender kiss in only a moment, making the others chuckle. Tears pricked at Christopher's eyes when he finally pulled back, and he quickly pulled out his kerchief to wipe them away to save face. He tried to apologize for being emotional, but he choked up without getting out a single word.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla was not expecting the reaction she got from Christopher. He was so happy but so over come with emotion that she feared she should have waited to tell him in private. She hugged her husband tightly, kissing him tenderly and helping to dry his eyes as he became over come yet again.

"Christopher never knew his parents." She said softly, looking into his gaze as she explained their situation. "So, becoming a father has always been one of his fondest wishes."

 

[KieranSoares]

Christopher chuckled despite his tears of joy, "I'm sorry, love... I look like a blubbering fool."

"Nonsense," Elhardt assured him. "I was a mess for a week after I learned I would be a father. Ulfric too when he knew he was going to have Kjersten."

"Sigmund and I both had to leave everything to our advisors and steward for two whole days." Kjotva chuckled at the memory.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's not my husband that I have to worry about." Kayla said, surprisingly at peace with her discovery. "My Ma will probably scream so loud that she'll be heard all the way from Scotland."

That brought a lighter mood to the table, Kayla helping her husband to brush the last of the tears from his cheeks before she pressed another soft kiss to his lips. The meal went on as light hearted as it had started, each of the rulers forming a bond that would never be broken. After the meal was finished, she walked the gardens with Elhardt and Kjotva, talking about diplomacy and their individual needs.

"Will you need additional protection, Kjotva? I would be willing to part with troops until your rule is more stable." Kayla offered, glancing at her fellow queen with concern.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I may... This Russian Prince is certainly a threat. But I'm afraid he might target your countries if either of you help me. He has stated such in many letters, that any who stand with me will be destroyed. We are not truly at war, it's really only skirmishes... But I fear true, all-out warfare is coming."

"Then he will meet Denmark at her sister's side," Elhardt growled.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And Norway will come as well. No one will bully your kingdom into submission while we are around." Kayla said with a bit of steel in her voice. "Nor will I allow you to be put into a bad position. There are too many women out there forced into bad marriages over horrible situations."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, good lord if he tries that... I swear I'll make sure he never has children," Kjotva growled darkly. "I can't tell you the number of men who threatened my life in order to marry me before Sigmund. I can happily report that none of them are alive to tell the tale."

"Like Norrin?"

"He's certainly a good example."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla laughed softly as the fierce queen beside her vowed that she would kill anyone who tried that with her. "Well, I know you can take care of yourself, but in times of need know that there are always those that will come to your aid."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not so proud as to say I don't need help, but I think once the Prince sees a horde of Vikings at my back, he'll tuck his tail and flee off home. Or he'll be stupid and I'll kill him. Either way, I win and that's fine by me."

"Have you-"

"Before you say it, no. I'm not involving my father."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your father? Would he help you if you asked?" Kayla asked, not only learning about her fellow monarchs but also about what they had at their disposal.

 

[KieranSoares]

"The old man would do anything for me... But I'll be damned if I'm going to go running to Daddy for help like a frightened little girl," Kjtova grumbled. "I did that enough when I actually was a little girl... No more."

Elhardt looked to Kayla with a sigh, but his gaze told her that he'd go to the Khan if the situation called for it.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla said nothing more as their talk of her troubles ended and they moved onto lighter topics. The trio split in the early afternoon to prepare for the large feast that would occur that evening. She invited Elhardt into her private offices, seating herself at her desk with a tired sigh.

"She seems to be holding up well, but I am very worried for her at the same time." Kayla said softly, thanking Helga as she entered with a cup of tea for the both of them.