Part Eighteen: Returning Home
May. 15th, 2020 08:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sigridharemThis takes place a day or so later than the previous part.
Klaus slept on Sigrid’s shoulder most of the carriage ride home while Sigrid and Sasha sat in companionable silence, watching the scenery go by.
“You know,” Sigrid said, after a while, “I will be favoring others for the next week or so.”
Sasha turned to face her. “You will?”
“I thought I should tell you now.” So you won’t perceive it as a rejection. “I need to make sure no feelings have been hurt by my taking off with the two of you. It doesn’t mean we won’t see each other.”
“Oh.” Sasha looked less than convinced as he turned away.
Sigrid sighed, and patted his knee. One way or another, he has to learn that absence can make reunion all the sweeter. “Come here, sweetheart.”
Once Sasha was enfolded in her arms, Sigrid kissed the top of his head and felt him tremble slightly.
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.” It was hard not to let a bit of annoyance creep into her voice. “It is exactly as I have said. Klaus is in the same position as you are.”
There was a long silence, though Sasha didn’t pull out of her arms.
“No, he isn’t.”
Sigrid frowned. “What do you mean, exactly?”
After a pause that felt longer than it probably was, Sasha lifted his head, his expression cool before his gaze turned to Klaus. “For him, that was a vacation. For me, it was…” He swallowed and looked away. “A reminder.”
Ah. Guilt seeped into Sigrid’s heart. “I didn’t mean to imply… I was speaking in regards to your position once we return to the castle.”
Sasha didn’t turn. “I understand.”
“Let’s not fight,” Sigrid said gently.
“We’re not fighting.”
She rubbed her temple with one hand and exhaled. “Then let’s not split hairs. I know seeing Jalo again was difficult for you. I want to support you as best as I am able. However, you are not my only priority.”
Sasha didn’t answer.
“Don’t sulk, please.”
“I’m not-“ Sasha broke off abruptly, leaning against the window of the carriage. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be… trouble.”
“You aren’t,” Sigrid said immediately, though inwardly in this moment she wasn’t so sure.
Unfortunately, the carriage went over a rough bump in the road at that moment, waking up Klaus.
“Aah! What- oh, yeah, we’re still traveling?”
“Yes, darling.”
Klaus frowned. “You look a little upset, Lady Sigrid. Sasha, what’s happening?”
“Nothing.” Sasha turned away.
“Well, that doesn’t make sense.” Klaus yawned, and squeezed Sigrid’s hand. “Did you tell him we wouldn’t be sleeping with you tonight?”
That made Sasha turn back around, blinking in astonishment. “How did you-?”
Klaus laughed. “I’ve been on trips like this before, you know! It’s okay, you’ll be back in her bed before you know it, Sasha!”
Perhaps it was Sigrid’s imagination, but she thought Sasha relaxed a little at Klaus’s words.
“You weren’t pouting over it, were you?” Klaus laughed. “Honestly, she’s not going to dump you after a few days with Wolfgang and Leifr. And maybe Sebastian.”
“And Nikolaj,” Sigrid reminded him, because she couldn’t resist.
Klaus wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, well, I just focus on the part where you’re going to hurt him. That helps.”
The rest of the journey went without particular incident until the castle was in sight, at which point Sasha buried his face in her neck, wrapping his arm around her, and stayed that way until the carriage came to a stop.
Sigrid peered through the curtains. “It seems we have a little welcoming committee waiting for us.”
She had expected Karl and Mikael, and even perhaps Leifr, who was hovering just behind Mikael’s shoulder bobbing his head in a way that reminded her of a dog catching the scent of its master. Lotte, however, was a surprise.
A small cheer went up as Sigrid stepped out, though Karl looked somewhat embarrassed by the enthusiasm of his temporary companions.
“Siri!” Lotte waved frantically as Leifr hugged himself with glee. “Finally! I swear, we’ve been here for practically an hour!”
Sigrid frowned as she approached, glancing back briefly to see that Sasha and Klaus were assisted properly. “Is something wrong?”
“Wrong?” Lotte pulled a face. “Does something have to be wrong for me to miss my darling only sister?”
Sigrid smiled. “I rephrase my question. Does Mother know you’re here?”
Lotte scowled at her and tugged on the end of her loose plait. “I hate it when you’re clever.”
“We’ll talk,” Sigrid promised. “Karl?”
“The usual arrangements have been made, my lady. Will Klaus and Sasha require an escort to the seraglio?”
“Oh, I think Mikael and Leifr should be sufficient.” Sigrid turned back to them. “Well, darlings?”
Klaus was already chattering away at Mikael, but paused long enough to wave. “Bye!”
“We’ll see you soon,” Sasha said softly.
“You shall,” Sigrid promised.
“A-and…” Leifr started to speak, but Sigrid silenced him with a finger to his lips.
“I’ll see you sooner.”
Leifr fairly quivered. “I… I shall anticipate your will, L-Lady!”
Sigrid smiled. “Good. Now help Mikael escort Sasha and Klaus.”
“Yes, Lady!” Leifr’s dark hair flapped as he threw himself into a bow and fairly gamboled off.
“This is me doing my very best not to laugh,” Lotte said solemnly.
Karl raised his eyebrows but made no comment.
“You can laugh, he won’t notice or care,” Sigrid returned. “Now, where did you wish to have this conversation, Lotte?”
“In private, but…” Lotte glanced at Karl. “I don’t want to keep you from your duties, it isn’t urgent.”
“Karl, is there anything pressing?”
“No, my lady.”
“Well, then.” Sigrid smiled, and looped her arm through Lotte’s. “Shall we go to your office or your quarters?”
Lotte pulled a face. “My quarters, please, otherwise Brynjolfur may waylay me with even more work.”
Klaus slept on Sigrid’s shoulder most of the carriage ride home while Sigrid and Sasha sat in companionable silence, watching the scenery go by.
“You know,” Sigrid said, after a while, “I will be favoring others for the next week or so.”
Sasha turned to face her. “You will?”
“I thought I should tell you now.” So you won’t perceive it as a rejection. “I need to make sure no feelings have been hurt by my taking off with the two of you. It doesn’t mean we won’t see each other.”
“Oh.” Sasha looked less than convinced as he turned away.
Sigrid sighed, and patted his knee. One way or another, he has to learn that absence can make reunion all the sweeter. “Come here, sweetheart.”
Once Sasha was enfolded in her arms, Sigrid kissed the top of his head and felt him tremble slightly.
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.” It was hard not to let a bit of annoyance creep into her voice. “It is exactly as I have said. Klaus is in the same position as you are.”
There was a long silence, though Sasha didn’t pull out of her arms.
“No, he isn’t.”
Sigrid frowned. “What do you mean, exactly?”
After a pause that felt longer than it probably was, Sasha lifted his head, his expression cool before his gaze turned to Klaus. “For him, that was a vacation. For me, it was…” He swallowed and looked away. “A reminder.”
Ah. Guilt seeped into Sigrid’s heart. “I didn’t mean to imply… I was speaking in regards to your position once we return to the castle.”
Sasha didn’t turn. “I understand.”
“Let’s not fight,” Sigrid said gently.
“We’re not fighting.”
She rubbed her temple with one hand and exhaled. “Then let’s not split hairs. I know seeing Jalo again was difficult for you. I want to support you as best as I am able. However, you are not my only priority.”
Sasha didn’t answer.
“Don’t sulk, please.”
“I’m not-“ Sasha broke off abruptly, leaning against the window of the carriage. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be… trouble.”
“You aren’t,” Sigrid said immediately, though inwardly in this moment she wasn’t so sure.
Unfortunately, the carriage went over a rough bump in the road at that moment, waking up Klaus.
“Aah! What- oh, yeah, we’re still traveling?”
“Yes, darling.”
Klaus frowned. “You look a little upset, Lady Sigrid. Sasha, what’s happening?”
“Nothing.” Sasha turned away.
“Well, that doesn’t make sense.” Klaus yawned, and squeezed Sigrid’s hand. “Did you tell him we wouldn’t be sleeping with you tonight?”
That made Sasha turn back around, blinking in astonishment. “How did you-?”
Klaus laughed. “I’ve been on trips like this before, you know! It’s okay, you’ll be back in her bed before you know it, Sasha!”
Perhaps it was Sigrid’s imagination, but she thought Sasha relaxed a little at Klaus’s words.
“You weren’t pouting over it, were you?” Klaus laughed. “Honestly, she’s not going to dump you after a few days with Wolfgang and Leifr. And maybe Sebastian.”
“And Nikolaj,” Sigrid reminded him, because she couldn’t resist.
Klaus wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, well, I just focus on the part where you’re going to hurt him. That helps.”
The rest of the journey went without particular incident until the castle was in sight, at which point Sasha buried his face in her neck, wrapping his arm around her, and stayed that way until the carriage came to a stop.
Sigrid peered through the curtains. “It seems we have a little welcoming committee waiting for us.”
She had expected Karl and Mikael, and even perhaps Leifr, who was hovering just behind Mikael’s shoulder bobbing his head in a way that reminded her of a dog catching the scent of its master. Lotte, however, was a surprise.
A small cheer went up as Sigrid stepped out, though Karl looked somewhat embarrassed by the enthusiasm of his temporary companions.
“Siri!” Lotte waved frantically as Leifr hugged himself with glee. “Finally! I swear, we’ve been here for practically an hour!”
Sigrid frowned as she approached, glancing back briefly to see that Sasha and Klaus were assisted properly. “Is something wrong?”
“Wrong?” Lotte pulled a face. “Does something have to be wrong for me to miss my darling only sister?”
Sigrid smiled. “I rephrase my question. Does Mother know you’re here?”
Lotte scowled at her and tugged on the end of her loose plait. “I hate it when you’re clever.”
“We’ll talk,” Sigrid promised. “Karl?”
“The usual arrangements have been made, my lady. Will Klaus and Sasha require an escort to the seraglio?”
“Oh, I think Mikael and Leifr should be sufficient.” Sigrid turned back to them. “Well, darlings?”
Klaus was already chattering away at Mikael, but paused long enough to wave. “Bye!”
“We’ll see you soon,” Sasha said softly.
“You shall,” Sigrid promised.
“A-and…” Leifr started to speak, but Sigrid silenced him with a finger to his lips.
“I’ll see you sooner.”
Leifr fairly quivered. “I… I shall anticipate your will, L-Lady!”
Sigrid smiled. “Good. Now help Mikael escort Sasha and Klaus.”
“Yes, Lady!” Leifr’s dark hair flapped as he threw himself into a bow and fairly gamboled off.
“This is me doing my very best not to laugh,” Lotte said solemnly.
Karl raised his eyebrows but made no comment.
“You can laugh, he won’t notice or care,” Sigrid returned. “Now, where did you wish to have this conversation, Lotte?”
“In private, but…” Lotte glanced at Karl. “I don’t want to keep you from your duties, it isn’t urgent.”
“Karl, is there anything pressing?”
“No, my lady.”
“Well, then.” Sigrid smiled, and looped her arm through Lotte’s. “Shall we go to your office or your quarters?”
Lotte pulled a face. “My quarters, please, otherwise Brynjolfur may waylay me with even more work.”
