Part Twenty: An Audience with the Queen
May. 15th, 2020 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sigridharemKarl was waiting for Sigrid outside Lotte’s chambers, and she was glad for it.
“Karl, find Gudmundr and bring him to my office. I am told he has some business with me.”
“I would, my Lady but the Queen has summoned you for your report.”
“Already?” Sigrid frowned. It was not wise to keep Mother waiting, but she was nervous at the prospect of seeing her without knowing what Gudmundr had to say.
Karl inclined his head.
“Then I suppose I must go to her.” She sighed.
“I will have Gudmundr waiting in your office when you have finished your business with the Queen.”
“Thank you, Karl.”
The audience chamber was on the ground floor, near the dining hall. It was where the Queen always heard her daughters on state business, though it was not her exclusive domain. Still, even if Sigrid had sat in the throne from time to time to hear petitioners when her mother wasn’t in the mood “to deal with trifles”, she always felt all of six years old when standing alone before the enormous mahogany doors.
Although there were no mirrors to check herself in, Sigrid idly brushed her hands over her clothing, even as she knew this would do little to nothing for any real wrinkles.
Remember, stand up straight. Don’t look away. You’re her blood, not her servant.
The doors opened, and Sigrid entered.
The Queen was on her throne with two men kneeling before her, her foot resting on one of their shoulders. Sigrid recognized the one on the left as Dragomir, Lotte’s former tutor, but the one on the right was unfamiliar to her.
“How was your journey, daughter?”
Sigrid hesitated, unsure where to begin. “In terms of Lord Hofn, our discussions were fairly uneventful although he took insult to my bringing two men for my own comfort.”
“And how did you respond?”
This, at least she was confident in. “I brought them to our next meeting. If he found them intimidating, so much the better.”
The Queen smiled. “Good. What else?”
“He… brought me a petitioner.” Sigrid bit her lip. “Who attempted to attack me.”
“What?”
“He made no contact with my person,” Sigrid said quickly. “Hofn’s men were able and my Sasha threw himself between us. Nevertheless he has been executed.”
The Queen’s eyebrows furrowed. “I see. Who was this petitioner?”
Her choices were lie, evade, or risk honesty. Sigrid opted for selective truth. “He said he had been enslaved.”
A pause. “Interesting.” The Queen drummed the arm of her throne with the fingers of her heavily ringed left hand. “Did he say to whom?”
Sigrid did her best to keep a neutral expression. “I believe her name was… Arinbjorg Margrimsdottir.”
She wasn’t expecting the name to spark recognition in her mother’s eyes, much less any sort of overt reaction, but ever so slightly, the Queen’s eyebrows arched and she straightened, both her feet meeting the carpet before her.
“Margrimsdottir? The daughter of Margrimur?”
“That is my recollection.” Sigrid’s stomach squirmed. Somehow, it had never occurred to her that that woman might be someone her mother would miss. “Should I know of her?”
“I don’t believe I’ve seen her in a good… ten years or so? Margrimur was an excellent longshipman, a fine warrior and navigator, but he’s been dead longer than that. “ The Queen pursed her lips. “How interesting. Do you happen to know what became of his Arinbjorg?”
“She’s dead,” Sigrid said flatly.
Evidently her mother had been prepared for that answer, as the Queen’s response was little more than a blink followed by, “I see. Too bad, there should have been a proper trial. Whom did you say was the man who defended you?”
“Sasha.” Sigrid did her best to keep the annoyance from her voice. “I’m sure you met him once.”
“Did I? I suppose he’s another little pretty boy. Though to put himself in the path of a would-be assassin…” The Queen made an approving noise. “That takes balls. An unusually good choice, Sigrid.”
“He’s exceptionally brave, yes,” Sigrid said firmly, choosing to ignore the barely veiled swipe.
“Well, see if he can get a child on you. Sometimes I think…” The Queen paused, frowning. “You shouldn’t be too indulgent, daughter. I remember my cousin Freja lost her head utterly when men were concerned. Forgot her family, forgot her duty. It was her undoing.”
Sigrid frowned. She didn’t think she’d ever heard of this cousin before, but then Mother didn’t speak often about family beyond her daughters. “I don’t lose my head. I didn’t marry Nikolaj, remember?”
“And thank God for that, your sister needs you here.”
“I don’t know that Lotte needs me,” Sigrid retorted, “but I’ve no desire to live where I’d be considered subordinate to a man.”
A slight smile played around the corners of the Queen’s mouth. “I should hope not. Is there anything else to report?”
Sigrid shook her head. “No, Mother. Only…”
“Use your words.”
She had to ask. “Whatever happened to cousin Freja?”
The Queen smiled. “I haven’t the faintest idea. Run along now.”
Sigrid bowed, walking backwards until the doors closed again before her face.
“Oh. S- Princess.”
She flinched. I know that damned voice!
“Karl, find Gudmundr and bring him to my office. I am told he has some business with me.”
“I would, my Lady but the Queen has summoned you for your report.”
“Already?” Sigrid frowned. It was not wise to keep Mother waiting, but she was nervous at the prospect of seeing her without knowing what Gudmundr had to say.
Karl inclined his head.
“Then I suppose I must go to her.” She sighed.
“I will have Gudmundr waiting in your office when you have finished your business with the Queen.”
“Thank you, Karl.”
The audience chamber was on the ground floor, near the dining hall. It was where the Queen always heard her daughters on state business, though it was not her exclusive domain. Still, even if Sigrid had sat in the throne from time to time to hear petitioners when her mother wasn’t in the mood “to deal with trifles”, she always felt all of six years old when standing alone before the enormous mahogany doors.
Although there were no mirrors to check herself in, Sigrid idly brushed her hands over her clothing, even as she knew this would do little to nothing for any real wrinkles.
Remember, stand up straight. Don’t look away. You’re her blood, not her servant.
The doors opened, and Sigrid entered.
The Queen was on her throne with two men kneeling before her, her foot resting on one of their shoulders. Sigrid recognized the one on the left as Dragomir, Lotte’s former tutor, but the one on the right was unfamiliar to her.
“How was your journey, daughter?”
Sigrid hesitated, unsure where to begin. “In terms of Lord Hofn, our discussions were fairly uneventful although he took insult to my bringing two men for my own comfort.”
“And how did you respond?”
This, at least she was confident in. “I brought them to our next meeting. If he found them intimidating, so much the better.”
The Queen smiled. “Good. What else?”
“He… brought me a petitioner.” Sigrid bit her lip. “Who attempted to attack me.”
“What?”
“He made no contact with my person,” Sigrid said quickly. “Hofn’s men were able and my Sasha threw himself between us. Nevertheless he has been executed.”
The Queen’s eyebrows furrowed. “I see. Who was this petitioner?”
Her choices were lie, evade, or risk honesty. Sigrid opted for selective truth. “He said he had been enslaved.”
A pause. “Interesting.” The Queen drummed the arm of her throne with the fingers of her heavily ringed left hand. “Did he say to whom?”
Sigrid did her best to keep a neutral expression. “I believe her name was… Arinbjorg Margrimsdottir.”
She wasn’t expecting the name to spark recognition in her mother’s eyes, much less any sort of overt reaction, but ever so slightly, the Queen’s eyebrows arched and she straightened, both her feet meeting the carpet before her.
“Margrimsdottir? The daughter of Margrimur?”
“That is my recollection.” Sigrid’s stomach squirmed. Somehow, it had never occurred to her that that woman might be someone her mother would miss. “Should I know of her?”
“I don’t believe I’ve seen her in a good… ten years or so? Margrimur was an excellent longshipman, a fine warrior and navigator, but he’s been dead longer than that. “ The Queen pursed her lips. “How interesting. Do you happen to know what became of his Arinbjorg?”
“She’s dead,” Sigrid said flatly.
Evidently her mother had been prepared for that answer, as the Queen’s response was little more than a blink followed by, “I see. Too bad, there should have been a proper trial. Whom did you say was the man who defended you?”
“Sasha.” Sigrid did her best to keep the annoyance from her voice. “I’m sure you met him once.”
“Did I? I suppose he’s another little pretty boy. Though to put himself in the path of a would-be assassin…” The Queen made an approving noise. “That takes balls. An unusually good choice, Sigrid.”
“He’s exceptionally brave, yes,” Sigrid said firmly, choosing to ignore the barely veiled swipe.
“Well, see if he can get a child on you. Sometimes I think…” The Queen paused, frowning. “You shouldn’t be too indulgent, daughter. I remember my cousin Freja lost her head utterly when men were concerned. Forgot her family, forgot her duty. It was her undoing.”
Sigrid frowned. She didn’t think she’d ever heard of this cousin before, but then Mother didn’t speak often about family beyond her daughters. “I don’t lose my head. I didn’t marry Nikolaj, remember?”
“And thank God for that, your sister needs you here.”
“I don’t know that Lotte needs me,” Sigrid retorted, “but I’ve no desire to live where I’d be considered subordinate to a man.”
A slight smile played around the corners of the Queen’s mouth. “I should hope not. Is there anything else to report?”
Sigrid shook her head. “No, Mother. Only…”
“Use your words.”
She had to ask. “Whatever happened to cousin Freja?”
The Queen smiled. “I haven’t the faintest idea. Run along now.”
Sigrid bowed, walking backwards until the doors closed again before her face.
“Oh. S- Princess.”
She flinched. I know that damned voice!
