RP post: In Gotland with Kate Barlow

[ostro_goth]

The door opens as if out of a hillside; and below the hill, a farm nestles.

In it centre, there's a large long-house built from field-stones and large beams, thatched in reed and low-eaved; around it, there are outbuildings: baking oven, smithy, chicken coop, storage and the like. Cows, sheep and goats are grazing on the hills around; there are chickens and geese in the yard, and horses in a meadow.

Children are playing hide-and-seek among the buildings, and two tall burly men, one older and one younger, are hard at work at the smithy, mending sickles and scythes.

It is the early evening.

Comments

[ikissdhimbck]

To be honest, Kate's relieved. Beaut can be an awful brat when she feels like it.

"Yes, we rely on 'em. 'Least, where I am. Y'can't live without a good horse. An' Beauty, she's — well, she's been my friend for half my life now. I couldn't do without her."

Her smile grows gentle and distant as she watches Hilde. It makes her think of when she was young, wild blonde hair and matching curiosity.

[gotland_npc]

Hugging a shaggy horse-face, little Hilde turns to give Kate a quizzical look.

[ikissdhimbck]

She glances Teja's way, and tilts her head curiously in answer to the girl's expression.

"Somethin' the matter, sweetheart?"

[gotland_npc]

"The king is dead and not really a king of anything any more, isn't he?" Hilde asks, earnestly, as if it was the most logical thing to ask at this very moment, and not out of the apparent blue.

[ikissdhimbck]

Her eyes widen slightly.

She brings her expression in, a gentle smile replacing a slack jaw.

"Well, sugar. He may not have the responsibilities he did in life, but the qualities that made him a good king are still there, ain't they?"

[gotland_npc]

"But you can't become his queen any more when you marry him?" Hilde asks, all matter-of-factly.

Apparently, Kate not becoming queen is something she considers something of a loss, but it's not clear for whom.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh."

The slack jaw is back, along with a dusting of pink across her cheeks.

"Well. Sugar, I  —  I don't think he'll be askin' me t'be his queen."

[ostro_goth]

Teja is blushing a deep crimson. Adalgoth is making a little strangled noise, at the incredibly awkward forwardness of a child of his household, and perhaps at other things as well.

Hilde ignores the grown-ups being awkward, and just asks, "Why not? Because he's dead? Can you still marry him?"

Adalgoth give a choking sound that might be an involuntary snort.

[ikissdhimbck]

It isn't until Adalgoth gurgles that Kate looks up, catches the blush on Teja's face, and loses her breath.

Someone's finally struck a match in her brain.


It seems like many long minutes before she breathes in again, her face impossibly warm. Shaking out the cobwebs, she returns her attention to Hilde.

"That's a very good question, sweetheart. One I don't know the answer to. It's best y'don't worry yourself on such grownup thoughts."

[gotland_npc]

"But you'd be a good queen!" Hilde says. "You're kind and honourable and lovely!"

"Hilde!" Adalgoth groans, almost expiring with embarrassment.

"Shouldn't we go in and have dinner?" Athalwin asks, as he finds all that girl talk about queens and marriages less than interesting.

Teja lets out his breath; he is still deeply reddened, and does not dare to even look at Kate.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate grins at Hilde, coming to the fence line and crouching to her level.

"Y'know somethin'? I bet someday you'd make a fine queen yourself."

Honorable.

Kate straightens, tapping the young girl's nose. Teja isn't looking her way when she glances at him, so she switches her smile on Athalwin instead.

"That sounds lovely. Ah, Mr. Adalgoth, is there anythin' I might help with?"

[gotland_npc]

Adalgoth chuckles, almost relieved. This is getting back to normal. "What is a mister?" he says. "And if I allowed a guest to lift a finger, Gotho would likely slay me. Just come inside with us."

Teja picks up the little twin girls, and now dares to look at Kate, as that embarrassing moment is past.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Beggin' your pardon  —  it's an honorific. I'm not sure what else t'call you. Sir?"

She offers Hilde a hand in case she needs it to clamber back to the ground, and smooths out her chlamys. She can feel Teja's eyes on her.

As they follow after Adalgoth, her face a deep pink, she reaches out and tenderly touches his elbow.

[ostro_goth]

Teja looks at her, his eyes full of deep feeling; then, he blushes again, and lowers his head and his gaze.

Hilde does take Kate's hand, and doesn't let go as they walk towards the longhouse.

[ikissdhimbck]

It's a quiet walk.

"Y'sure there ain't anythin' I can help with?"

[ostro_goth]

Adalgoth opens the door. "We are four grown-ups, and an infinite number of children, to serve dinner," he says. "We would not make guests work. It puts us to shame."

It's one large room inside, with a large open hearth in the middle, the some wandering off through a cleverly constructed moveable flap in the roof. There is storage under the eaves, and long bed-benches on each side. Two women are making dinner by the fire.

"Greetings," Teja says. "Gotho. Liuta. May I introduce Kate Barlow, a dear friend from Milliways, whose horse Beaut came here while my afterlife seemed to be ending?"

The younger of the two women, softly built with a mass of white-blonde hair, smiles at Kate; and the older, Liuta, bends er head in greeting, but gives a brief questioning look at Teja.

"Please take a seat, dinner is soon ready," Gotho says, and Adalgoth brings out two folding chairs, of Roman build, that he offers to them. Hilde then brings a somewhat dented golden cup, with wine in, and offers it to -- Kate, actually. For Teja, she has another one the bronze one for slightly lesser visitors.

Kate is a especially special visitor, after all!

[ikissdhimbck]

She inclines her head deeply to Adalgoth before they step inside. The last thing she'd want is to put anybody to shame; she remembers her finishing school manners, and how to be a proper dinner guest. It's  —  comfortable. In an odd way.

The room is impressive, and she has to mind she doesn't gape. The two women receive a curtsy, deeply respectful, and a hushed, 'pleased to make your acquaintance.'

It tickles her to be preceded by the reputation of her horse, but only in a good way. Beaut can be her herald any day.

It doesn't hold a candle to how tickled she is to receive the golden cup, however. She bites the inside of her lip to keep from grinning, eying Teja over the rim as she demurely takes a sip.

[ostro_goth]

Teja smiles at her, gently and wistfully.

"That was the cup Adalgoth, still my cup-bearer, kept for me when we made our last stand upon Mount Vesuvius," he says. "Hilde thinks that you deserve to have it: - and rightly so!"

Liuta orders Hilde to help, and she skips off.

"Had I known you then, when I was alive," he says, low and with quiet earnestness, "in those three dire months of my reign: - I would indeed have asked you to be my queen, for my people could not have wished for a better one, in their darkest hour."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Thank you, Miss Hilde."

She reddens, wondering if they haven't done her an honor greater than what she deserves. She accepts it, of course. She wouldn't refuse it. But the chalice is handled with a little more care.

Until  —  until Teja's murmured compliments. Her eyes dance over the room, from figure to figure; it isn't fair, saying such a thing with all these people nearby. Her heart is beating a little fast, and she doesn't know what to say.

"You flatter me," she whispers, a deeper red. "T'think me capable of such responsibility. And  —  such an honor."

[ostro_goth]

"And all that goes with it," Teja says, still very quiet. "Hilde saw what I knew not how to say. But let us speak of that later, or not at all if you do not wish to; we need not speak as over secret war plans, with all these children nearby, or they would think there is something wrong!"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Teja — "

She lets him continue, the concern marked in her brow contrasted by the wan smile on her lips. She looks down when he's finished, the color that's reached her ears all the more noticeable.

"Yes. Let's speak later. I'd like that."

[ostro_goth]

Teja nods once, gravely.

Hilde comes back with a jug of water, carrying it with both hands. "My ma says you should have water as well and I'm not to make you drunked!"

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate forces a laugh, but it soon grows life and sincerity.

"Your mama's very thoughtful, thank you."

Kate doesn't drink a lot of wine, but it's no worse than the paint peeler she gets back home.

"Y'can tell her I intend t'be on my best behavior."

[ostro_goth]

"Me too!" Hilde declares, standing proudly with her water jug.

Teja takes it from her.

[ikissdhimbck]

"I daresay you are!"

Kate shoots Teja a fond smile. The girl is weaseling her way straight into Kate's heart.

"Y'seem like a big help 'round here. Lots of responsibilities?"