Ingrid idly wandered the corridors of the keep. She did her best to ignore some of the lingering stares from the nobles filing back and forth. Surely they had seen a woman before. Didn't they have wives? Daughters? Why were their gazes lingering on her? Ingrid stood a little straighter as she carried on. They would not get to her.
As she came by the courtyard, she spotted Leo in the middle of a small group. She spotted Brother Beorn and Evangelina. She was about to join them when she saw Katinka join them. She lingered behind the pillar and watched from a distance. Leo seemed happy enough to see Katinka. Ingrid hadn't had a chance to get to know Katinka well enough, she hadn't exactly been welcoming to the Fjellborgans who had come to Byrdain. Still, she supposed Leo knew her better than Ingrid did. There was probably a good reason for Leo to be happy to see her. Katinka was probably a perfectly nice young lady.
Ingrid rested her head against the cold stone. She was being ridiculous. She was a warrior, The Wolf of Fjellborg for crying out loud, and here she was staying away from a girl who had done nothing more than cast a disapproving glance her way on a few occasions. Ingrid gathered her skirt and headed down. It was hardly Katinka's fault that Brynjar had her ear; he had the ears of most of the court.
Ingrid smiled as she stepped out onto the courtyard and approached the group. She pressed a kiss to Lelinus's cheek. "Good morning." she said quietly before linking her fingers with his.
"Forgive me, Milady, they still seemed to be under the impression that I do not have a choice in my employment." Evangelina said to Katinka. Ingrid was under no doubt that Evangelina was a formidable woman in her own way. There were few people Ingrid could think of that would willingly deal with Brynjar outside of the court. For doing just that, Evangelina had Ingrid's respect.
"I do not think it will be that easy Tyr." Elska said quietly. "There's something-" she stopped for a moment. Confusion passed over her face for a second before she started speaking again. "There's something more to Brynjar. I can't explain it, but he unsettles me."
Tyr stood up a little straighter and crossed his arms and waited for Elska to continue. "Why would he marry Ingrid to the sick prince? He has no shame and does not hide he desires for her. It was his duty to marry first, and to marry Ingrid, but he pushes it off onto his sick brother who will likely not see another five summers?"
Tyr would be a liar if he said similar thoughts had not crossed his mind, although from what he had seen of Brynjar and what Ingrid had told him about Lelinus, he was grateful that Ingrid had been married to the younger brother. So far, all he had come up with was that the marriage was supposed to be a slight against Fjellborg. The news that Brynjar was trying to implicate Fjellborg in King Artos's death only made Tyr surer of his suspicions.
"I fear leaving you here is putting you right where he wants you. Of course he would never raise his hand to you in an open show, but he controls the court here. Ingrid is already doomed to her fate here." She sighed. "I can't lose you too Tyr," her eyes watered and she quickly swiped at them.
Tyr dropped his arms, debating whether or not to comfort Elska. Besides Ingrid, and she barely cried, Elska was the last person Tyr wanted to see cry. "If Ingrid is doomed, then I cannot abandon her, not yet. As fierce as she is in battle, she is still my sister." Tyr said, his voice level. He wiped the corner of Elska's eye. "You will not lose me Elska. I promise you I will see Fjellborg's shores again. I'll be back before you know it and you can get sick of seeing me again."