Part Nineteen: Charlotte Asks For Advice
May. 15th, 2020 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sigridharemLotte’s chambers were, in many respects, not unlike Sigrid’s. She had a large four-poster bed, some armchairs and small tables with candles and a jug of water and cloth, and a heavily carpeted floor. There was even a small cabinet, about half the size of Sigrid’s, that stood not too far from the bed.
The main difference was that Lotte only kept things that she liked to be used on her.
Other than that, perhaps Lotte’s things tended towards lighter colored woods and more pastels, while Sigrid preferred darker woods and jewel tones. Sigrid’s bookcase was more densely populated, while a good fraction of Lotte’s was devoted to baubles her men had given her as gifts over the years.
“That’s new, isn’t it?” Sigrid remarked, gesturing towards what appeared to be a basket made of gold filled with jeweled flowers.
“You noticed!” Lotte beamed. “Kalle and Stefan gave it to me for my birthday. Stefan says he found the craftsman and Kalle suggested the design.”
Seeing as Sigrid had attended Lotte’s party dutifully enough, this came as something of a surprise. “How did I miss seeing its grand entrance?”
“Oh, they snuck into my room in the morning and surprised me with it then,” Lotte said brightly. “That, and... well, there were ropes, and blindfolds and-“
“Yes, yes, I get the idea!” That she understood perfectly clearly. “Well, it certainly is… shiny.”
“You have no eye for these things! It’s an absolute masterpiece.”
“I don’t deny it’s a marvel,” Sigrid protested. “But… it’s just going to sit there collecting dust, isn’t it?”
Lotte groaned and waved her hand. “Oh, let’s not squabble about something so stupid.”
“Agreed.” Sigrid sat down on the foot of Lotte’s bed and stretched her arms over her head. “So, what was so important that you simply couldn’t wait to see me?”
Lotte sighed, and sat next to her. “Well, it’s complicated.”
“When it bothers you, it usually is,” Sigrid teased.
“Hush!” Lotte poked Sigrid’s side with a wry grin. “Gudmundr wants to see you. Apparently it’s about whatever caused you to run off so suddenly last month.”
“Ah.” If it was indeed about their raid on the mansion, it probably wasn’t good news. “Somehow I doubt that’s all.”
“Yes, well…” Lotte winced. “Apparently a noble lady and some of her household were found dead in their home.”
Sigrid’s heart pounded. “As in... killed by someone?”
“If it was only one person, they were incredibly effective,” Lotte said dryly. “And someone despised this woman. Attempted strangulation and a knife to the gut. Quite the pretty scene, I’m told.”
Ah. That would be my doing.
For a moment, Sigrid contemplated telling Lotte the truth. She knew Lotte would understand when she explained what she’d seen in the mansion first, but… Lotte didn’t keep secrets well. And until Sigrid knew for certain that there weren’t other slavers in their midst, it was safer to keep her involvement a secret.
“What was the lady’s name?” Sigrid said instead, because she couldn’t go on calling her that woman forever, rationally speaking.
“Arinbjorg. Arinbjorg Margrimsdottir.” Lotte shrugged. “I’ve never heard of her either, but apparently she gave splendid parties.”
Sigrid’s gut twisted. I’ll bet she did. Splendidly depraved in all the wrong ways.
“Anyway, the approximately three living people on earth who truly cared for this Arinbjorg are kicking up a terrible stink,” Lotte continued. “It’s all very alarming I’m sure, but mostly annoying. I spoke to Gudmundr and he agrees this looks more like a personal vendetta than any sort of uprising or foreign invasion. But I need to tell them something to convince them that they won’t all be murdered in their beds by commoners with pitchforks. More importantly, I need to decide if I should break the news to Mother.”
Now there was a terrifying thought.
“Don’t. At least, not yet,” Sigrid amended quickly. There was a chance Sigrid could break the news gently, in a way that would keep the Queen from going on the prowl for a suspected aristocrat-killer. “I’m sure you and Gudmundr are right.”
“It isn’t even as though it’d be the first time someone died or went missing because they made the wrong enemy.” Lotte sighed. “Frankly, going to that place… there was something downright creepy about it. Do you believe in ghosts, Siri?”
“No. But…” Sigrid hesitated. “I do think someone’s home frequently reflects their character.” To say the least.
Lotte groaned and buried her face in Sigrid’s shoulder. “You’re not helping, Siri! I don’t want to solve this stupid mystery if it turns out that this Arinbjorg was just a terrible person who was killed by someone with a legitimate grievance.”
“So don’t solve it. Make vague movements that look like you’re looking into it, and I’m sure eventually they’ll forget about it providing no other murders occur.”
Lotte scrunched up her face. “You sound like Mother.”
Sigrid wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or flattered. “If I really wanted to sound like her I’d have advised you to scapegoat some unsavory character.”
“True…” Lotte shuddered and sat up. “But why would I want to do that when for all I know the person who killed Arinbjorg is actively dangerous to others?”
Sigrid’s heart turned over as she realized her mistake. “Well, naturally,” she said, trying to keep her expression even even as her heart raced. “I didn’t say I would advise you to do that, only that Mother might if she thought it was as annoying as you say.”
I need to speak to Gudmundr. I need advice from someone who was there.
“I know, I know.” Fortunately, Lotte didn’t seem to notice, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. “Did you have a good trip, Siri?”
“Well…” Once again, she was seized with indecision. She didn’t want to lie to Lotte any more than was necessary, but explaining Jalo to her… “Hofn was troublesome.”
“I don’t know why he doesn’t like you. The one time I met him he was positively cloyingly sweet.” Lotte laughed. “Maybe he wants to join my harem.”
Sigrid snorted.
“And how about your companions? Did Klaus and Sasha get along?”
“Very well.” Sigrid smiled, thinking of waking to see Klaus snoring with his arm and leg over Sasha. “They compete with each other, but with no real malice.”
Lotte laughed. “It’s hard to imagine Klaus having malice towards anyone!”
“Well, you haven’t seen him and Nikolaj in the same room,” Sigrid said dryly.
“I barely see Nikolaj at all these days,” Lotte pointed out. “Has he gotten more antisocial than he already was or is he just sulking because you punished him for bullying Leifr?”
“A little bit of both, though he’s out of disgrace now.”
“Honestly, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t kick him out for that. I know he went and renounced a throne for you and all, but…”
“That wasn’t the reason I let him stay,” Sigrid said, though it was admittedly hardly something she forgot. “He was genuinely penitent, agreed to my terms and technically never disobeyed me.”
“Well, it’s your business.” Lotte yawned. “Goodness, I’m tired. I thought you’d arrive earlier!”
“We rose before dawn as it was,” Sigrid said, amused. “Much earlier and Klaus would have had to sleepwalk out of the carriage. Shall I leave you, then?”
Lotte sighed, stretching out. “I suppose…”
“I’ll see you soon,” Sigrid promised.
“At dinner?”
“Y- ah, no, I should take it in the seraglio. Tomorrow?”
“Fine…”
As Sigrid rose and went to the door, Lotte sprawled out on the bed, pulling down a pillow.
The main difference was that Lotte only kept things that she liked to be used on her.
Other than that, perhaps Lotte’s things tended towards lighter colored woods and more pastels, while Sigrid preferred darker woods and jewel tones. Sigrid’s bookcase was more densely populated, while a good fraction of Lotte’s was devoted to baubles her men had given her as gifts over the years.
“That’s new, isn’t it?” Sigrid remarked, gesturing towards what appeared to be a basket made of gold filled with jeweled flowers.
“You noticed!” Lotte beamed. “Kalle and Stefan gave it to me for my birthday. Stefan says he found the craftsman and Kalle suggested the design.”
Seeing as Sigrid had attended Lotte’s party dutifully enough, this came as something of a surprise. “How did I miss seeing its grand entrance?”
“Oh, they snuck into my room in the morning and surprised me with it then,” Lotte said brightly. “That, and... well, there were ropes, and blindfolds and-“
“Yes, yes, I get the idea!” That she understood perfectly clearly. “Well, it certainly is… shiny.”
“You have no eye for these things! It’s an absolute masterpiece.”
“I don’t deny it’s a marvel,” Sigrid protested. “But… it’s just going to sit there collecting dust, isn’t it?”
Lotte groaned and waved her hand. “Oh, let’s not squabble about something so stupid.”
“Agreed.” Sigrid sat down on the foot of Lotte’s bed and stretched her arms over her head. “So, what was so important that you simply couldn’t wait to see me?”
Lotte sighed, and sat next to her. “Well, it’s complicated.”
“When it bothers you, it usually is,” Sigrid teased.
“Hush!” Lotte poked Sigrid’s side with a wry grin. “Gudmundr wants to see you. Apparently it’s about whatever caused you to run off so suddenly last month.”
“Ah.” If it was indeed about their raid on the mansion, it probably wasn’t good news. “Somehow I doubt that’s all.”
“Yes, well…” Lotte winced. “Apparently a noble lady and some of her household were found dead in their home.”
Sigrid’s heart pounded. “As in... killed by someone?”
“If it was only one person, they were incredibly effective,” Lotte said dryly. “And someone despised this woman. Attempted strangulation and a knife to the gut. Quite the pretty scene, I’m told.”
Ah. That would be my doing.
For a moment, Sigrid contemplated telling Lotte the truth. She knew Lotte would understand when she explained what she’d seen in the mansion first, but… Lotte didn’t keep secrets well. And until Sigrid knew for certain that there weren’t other slavers in their midst, it was safer to keep her involvement a secret.
“What was the lady’s name?” Sigrid said instead, because she couldn’t go on calling her that woman forever, rationally speaking.
“Arinbjorg. Arinbjorg Margrimsdottir.” Lotte shrugged. “I’ve never heard of her either, but apparently she gave splendid parties.”
Sigrid’s gut twisted. I’ll bet she did. Splendidly depraved in all the wrong ways.
“Anyway, the approximately three living people on earth who truly cared for this Arinbjorg are kicking up a terrible stink,” Lotte continued. “It’s all very alarming I’m sure, but mostly annoying. I spoke to Gudmundr and he agrees this looks more like a personal vendetta than any sort of uprising or foreign invasion. But I need to tell them something to convince them that they won’t all be murdered in their beds by commoners with pitchforks. More importantly, I need to decide if I should break the news to Mother.”
Now there was a terrifying thought.
“Don’t. At least, not yet,” Sigrid amended quickly. There was a chance Sigrid could break the news gently, in a way that would keep the Queen from going on the prowl for a suspected aristocrat-killer. “I’m sure you and Gudmundr are right.”
“It isn’t even as though it’d be the first time someone died or went missing because they made the wrong enemy.” Lotte sighed. “Frankly, going to that place… there was something downright creepy about it. Do you believe in ghosts, Siri?”
“No. But…” Sigrid hesitated. “I do think someone’s home frequently reflects their character.” To say the least.
Lotte groaned and buried her face in Sigrid’s shoulder. “You’re not helping, Siri! I don’t want to solve this stupid mystery if it turns out that this Arinbjorg was just a terrible person who was killed by someone with a legitimate grievance.”
“So don’t solve it. Make vague movements that look like you’re looking into it, and I’m sure eventually they’ll forget about it providing no other murders occur.”
Lotte scrunched up her face. “You sound like Mother.”
Sigrid wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or flattered. “If I really wanted to sound like her I’d have advised you to scapegoat some unsavory character.”
“True…” Lotte shuddered and sat up. “But why would I want to do that when for all I know the person who killed Arinbjorg is actively dangerous to others?”
Sigrid’s heart turned over as she realized her mistake. “Well, naturally,” she said, trying to keep her expression even even as her heart raced. “I didn’t say I would advise you to do that, only that Mother might if she thought it was as annoying as you say.”
I need to speak to Gudmundr. I need advice from someone who was there.
“I know, I know.” Fortunately, Lotte didn’t seem to notice, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. “Did you have a good trip, Siri?”
“Well…” Once again, she was seized with indecision. She didn’t want to lie to Lotte any more than was necessary, but explaining Jalo to her… “Hofn was troublesome.”
“I don’t know why he doesn’t like you. The one time I met him he was positively cloyingly sweet.” Lotte laughed. “Maybe he wants to join my harem.”
Sigrid snorted.
“And how about your companions? Did Klaus and Sasha get along?”
“Very well.” Sigrid smiled, thinking of waking to see Klaus snoring with his arm and leg over Sasha. “They compete with each other, but with no real malice.”
Lotte laughed. “It’s hard to imagine Klaus having malice towards anyone!”
“Well, you haven’t seen him and Nikolaj in the same room,” Sigrid said dryly.
“I barely see Nikolaj at all these days,” Lotte pointed out. “Has he gotten more antisocial than he already was or is he just sulking because you punished him for bullying Leifr?”
“A little bit of both, though he’s out of disgrace now.”
“Honestly, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t kick him out for that. I know he went and renounced a throne for you and all, but…”
“That wasn’t the reason I let him stay,” Sigrid said, though it was admittedly hardly something she forgot. “He was genuinely penitent, agreed to my terms and technically never disobeyed me.”
“Well, it’s your business.” Lotte yawned. “Goodness, I’m tired. I thought you’d arrive earlier!”
“We rose before dawn as it was,” Sigrid said, amused. “Much earlier and Klaus would have had to sleepwalk out of the carriage. Shall I leave you, then?”
Lotte sighed, stretching out. “I suppose…”
“I’ll see you soon,” Sigrid promised.
“At dinner?”
“Y- ah, no, I should take it in the seraglio. Tomorrow?”
“Fine…”
As Sigrid rose and went to the door, Lotte sprawled out on the bed, pulling down a pillow.
