Her eye caught her Jarl’s, how angry he looked as if he wanted her – his Thane for more than a year – to disappear and she broke their gaze, breathing again, her emotions threatening to cascade over her. She tried to pull herself together.
“N-No, I… It’s just a shock. I-I wish I knew earlier,” she babbled, her voice light and not her own. “I would have got you a gift! F-For your betrothal! M-My apologies!”
The woman relaxed. “Oh, no, please. This is my fault, I should have sent word ahead.”
“Brynhilda,” Siddgeir finally said. “You should come inside. We have a lot to discuss.”
She turned to the Jarl, nodding in agreement and she took Kjersti’s cold hands, squeezing making her stiffen. “Forgive me. May we speak later? I would very much like to know more about our Thane!”
“Y-Yeah,” she said absently and the woman let go of her, sweeping to her Jarl’s side to join him as he started ushering her in. He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes dark and he disappeared inside along with Helvard and the legion of soldiers. Only Nenya remained outside giving Kjersti a look but she wouldn’t have it.
She took in a sharp breath, her lungs stinging and turned, moving down the stones past the barracks to go to the eastern gate, no longer in view of the townsfolk who were now starting to mutter to each other. Nenya chased after her. “Kjserti, wait!”
“S-Sorry Nenya, I have to go!” she said in that same light voice that didn’t resemble her. “T-There’s a giant I need to kill… and a gift…”
Nenya caught her arm, trying to stop her. “Kjersti, I’m sorry! We couldn’t tell you! It all happened so suddenly in Solitude and Siddgeir-”
“It’s fine,” she cut her off with a lie, still moving to the gate. “It’s fine! I-I need to go. You did say that giant…”
“Kjersti, stop,” Nenya said, her grip on her wrist tightening. “I know you’re upset-”
“I’m not. I’m okay. See? I need to go! The giant-”
“Kjersti!” Nenya pleaded and she finally stopped but didn’t turn to see her, her emotions still tumbling in her chest. “I tried to warn you. We all did.”
She didn’t understand. “Warn me?”
“Siddgeir was never going to be with you,” she said in a soft voice but it came out harsh to her ears. Her chest tightened, her eyes becoming glossy and she ripped her wrist away, holding it. Nenya didn’t make a move to grab her back. “You knew this day was coming. He needs Nord heirs to take the throne and you’re…”
“I need to go,” she cut in. “To Secunda’s Kiss. I have a duty, as Thane. You said yourself it needs to be done.”
Nenya didn’t say anything more and she was allowed to leave, hiking her robes up as she took the strong incline, not looking back as she did.
She made it to Pinewatch before she began to sob uncontrollably. It caused her to stop, her chest burning as she heaved for breath and she ended up moving off the road to sit under a large cedar, her body shaking as she cried.
The Hardest Part [6/?]
“N-No, I… It’s just a shock. I-I wish I knew earlier,” she babbled, her voice light and not her own. “I would have got you a gift! F-For your betrothal! M-My apologies!”
The woman relaxed. “Oh, no, please. This is my fault, I should have sent word ahead.”
“Brynhilda,” Siddgeir finally said. “You should come inside. We have a lot to discuss.”
She turned to the Jarl, nodding in agreement and she took Kjersti’s cold hands, squeezing making her stiffen. “Forgive me. May we speak later? I would very much like to know more about our Thane!”
“Y-Yeah,” she said absently and the woman let go of her, sweeping to her Jarl’s side to join him as he started ushering her in. He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes dark and he disappeared inside along with Helvard and the legion of soldiers. Only Nenya remained outside giving Kjersti a look but she wouldn’t have it.
She took in a sharp breath, her lungs stinging and turned, moving down the stones past the barracks to go to the eastern gate, no longer in view of the townsfolk who were now starting to mutter to each other. Nenya chased after her. “Kjserti, wait!”
“S-Sorry Nenya, I have to go!” she said in that same light voice that didn’t resemble her. “T-There’s a giant I need to kill… and a gift…”
Nenya caught her arm, trying to stop her. “Kjersti, I’m sorry! We couldn’t tell you! It all happened so suddenly in Solitude and Siddgeir-”
“It’s fine,” she cut her off with a lie, still moving to the gate. “It’s fine! I-I need to go. You did say that giant…”
“Kjersti, stop,” Nenya said, her grip on her wrist tightening. “I know you’re upset-”
“I’m not. I’m okay. See? I need to go! The giant-”
“Kjersti!” Nenya pleaded and she finally stopped but didn’t turn to see her, her emotions still tumbling in her chest. “I tried to warn you. We all did.”
She didn’t understand. “Warn me?”
“Siddgeir was never going to be with you,” she said in a soft voice but it came out harsh to her ears. Her chest tightened, her eyes becoming glossy and she ripped her wrist away, holding it. Nenya didn’t make a move to grab her back. “You knew this day was coming. He needs Nord heirs to take the throne and you’re…”
“I need to go,” she cut in. “To Secunda’s Kiss. I have a duty, as Thane. You said yourself it needs to be done.”
Nenya didn’t say anything more and she was allowed to leave, hiking her robes up as she took the strong incline, not looking back as she did.
She made it to Pinewatch before she began to sob uncontrollably. It caused her to stop, her chest burning as she heaved for breath and she ended up moving off the road to sit under a large cedar, her body shaking as she cried.