The events that happened the day before caused a whole heap of heartache, the village that attacked slaughtered more than half the population of Kalda. Woman and children, they showed no mercy. Erik has been up since sunrise counting the dead. I haven't slept all night as the pictures of the men who tried to take me flashing through my mind reminding me of what my fate could've been.
"Katerina." Gia calls from below the loft.
"Yes?" I called to her
"Please come here." She says back.
Walking to the ladder of the loft memories of the day before come to my mind.
"Jump down." The man's voice echoes through my head.
"No! Get out of my head." I say out loud clutching my head.
"Katerina!" Gia yells as she sees me walk towards the edge of the loft. Eerika runs into the house to see what's wrong.
"Elliott!!" She runs back outside to get her older brother.
"Katerina stop." Gia yells snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I don't know what's going on." I start to cry.
"Mother what's going on?" Elliott runs into the house.
"It's Katerina somethings wrong." She point to me. Elliott looks up and me sitting on the floor with my head in my knees crying.
"Hey what's going on?" Elliott asks me rubbing my back softly.
"Those people who tried to take me, I cant keep them out." I cry
"Hey it's going to be okay." He sits down next to me and pulls me into his chest we stay there for a while
"Hey let's go outside to get some fresh air." He stands up and puts his hand out for me to take.I take his hand and he pulls me up. He climbs down the ladder first, I go to climb down but stop.
"Hey, its okay you won't fall." He reassures me. I shakaly start to climb down the ladder, halfway down Elliott picks me up and puts me down.
"Thanks." I smile breathlessly at him.
"Anytime." he smiles back,
"Elliott father needs you." Elijah comes into the house.
"Okay." Elliott responds.
"Katerina he needs you too," Elijah nods to me and turns to walk out the door, Elliott and I follow in suit.
"Katerina and Elliott gather up some wood for the funeral." Eerik orders.
"Yes, father." Elliott grabs my hand and leads me to the woods.
"Why do you need wood for a funeral?" I ask Elliott curious,
"It's a viking tradition, the dead are put on a boat we light it on fire then we let them down the river." He tells me.
"What about the dead attackers?" I ask
"We don't do anything. We drop them in the lake." He shrugs.
"Oh," I shrug back. We finish collecting wood in silence
"We should head back." Elliott tells me with his arms full of wood.
"Yeah let's go." My arms are full of wood as well but a lot less then him.
"I never knew why people would take other people lifes," Elliot says randomly walking back to the house.
"I agree with you Elliott, people should think about they do." I look at the handsome person to the right of me.
"Hey Kateria?" Elliott randomly says
"Yeah?" I respond
"Please don't leave." He says
"What do you mean?" I ask slightly confused
"You're probably going to want to find your family and leave, but I-we like having you here," He quickly corrects himself
"Trust me Elliott I won't be leaving anytime soon." I smile at him, The house comes into view we hurry up and get to Erik to give him the wood.
"Thank you," Erik nods to us "Elliott, Elijah a word please." he pulls his sons to the side and an intense conversation starts.
I stand there awkwardly swaying back and forth.
"Katerina, go to the lake an see if the older woman need help," Erik dismisses me. I roll my eyes and start to walk to the Lake, looking at the bodies scattered across the beach disturbs me. Families wondering where their loved ones are, looking at the faces of the dead, the lifeless eyes, the stiff body. Scanning across the faces one catches my eye, my brother.
"Talbott!!" I shout and run to his body. I fall to my knees looking at the lifeless eyes of my dead brother.i start to shake him.
"Wake up," i say shaking him over and over again hoping that a miracle would happen.
"Katerina what are you doing?" a voice says from behind me i look to see Elijah.
"This is my brother," I cry out.
"Im so sorry Katerina." Elijah says with no remorse. I scoff
"Katerina we need you here." Eerika calls from the house,
"Coming." I walk up to the house.
"Please Katerina sit." Gia smiles at me.
"Is everything okay?" I ask her
"As you know we lost a lot of people yesterday," Gia starts
"We want you to marry Elijah." Eerika finishes quickly.
"What!?!" I sit up and walk out with haste.
"Katerina come back." Gia runs after me
"No, i thought i was escaping this when I left my village," I yell at the older woman.
"Father please." I heard Elliott's voice in the distance
"No Elliott, Elijah is going to marry her and that's final." Eriks loud voice rings out.
"Please, father I adore her." Elliott's pleas, are heard from the house.
"What do you want me to do!?! The council was notified of her arrival and they think this would be the best fit, if you want her to stay here she is going to have to marry Kalda blood and bear a child by the end of next year." Erik argues with his son.
"Please, father I will talk to the council myself." Elliott pleads one more time.
"Fine," Erik sighs in defeat "you have till the end of the day to take it up with the council or it's going to be her and Elijah, and that's final." and with that, the talking stops.
"Elliott!!" I run up to him and hug him tightly wrapping my arms around him.
"Katerina i'm so sorry." He rambles
"Why are you sorry?" I look up at him.
"Because my family is the one who is forcing you to do this." He responds looking down in my eyes.
"Elliott they are not forcing me to anything. If i didn't want to do this i would just leave, but i don't. That's why i'm willing to go through this." I look at his big brown eyes, he looks into my crystal blue ones.
"I'm going to go to the council now I can't let you be betrothed to my brother when I like you." He walked away and left me standing alone.
"Elliott!!!" I yelled running after him.
"Katerina go back to the house." He demands when I catch up to him,
"Please, let me come and talk to them with you." I grab his arm and turn him around.
"Let me do this alone." He rips his arm out of my hand.
"Elliott this involves me too." I exclaim
"No it doesn't" He says sternly
"Elliott it does, you think I want to marry your brother," I start out "you think I want to have a child by the end of next year!!"
"Just go back!! If Niklaus never heard you in the woods we wouldn't be in this mess!!" Elliott shouts
"If that's what you want, fine." I turn on the ball of my foot and stomp away.
"Katerina, I-I didn't mean that." He goes after me.
"Elliott you don't have all day to talk to the council get going." I look at handsome boy one more time before I leave and run back to the house. I walk into the house ignoring the call of Gia and Eerika, and go straight to Elijah.
"I need to talk to you." I cross my arms over my chest.
"Then talk." He purses his lips.
"Please." Was all I said before walking away and back into the woods.
The woods that surrounds the village of Kalda are filled with many different flowers of all sorts of colours, different wild life ranging from squirrels to chipmunks, dears and even an occasional bear. The woods that were around the place i used to call home where much different we hunted the animals away, the flowers were ruined from a fire that spread a few years ago and have yet to revegetate.
"Katerina!!" A voice yells from the distance walking closer to where i'm standing
"Elliott?" I question walking to were the sound came from.
"There you are," He says out of breath running to me.4
"How'd it go?" I question pulling him into a hug.
"Not well." I pull away and look up into his eyes, his cheeks are tear stained.
"What happened?" I asked him
"They don't like the idea of me and you, they insist on you and Elijah." He sighs
"They shouldn't have a say on who I wed as I am not Kalda blood." I argue
"But they have a say on Elijah and I and they want Elijah with you." He pinches the bridge of his nose.
"I want to talk to them myself." I cross my arms over my chest.
"They won't listen." Elliott tries to reason with me,
"Take me to them." I demand.
"Let's go." He lets out a long breath, and takes my arm and drags me away into the woods where he came from.
"They are not going to like this." He says under his breath as he leads me into a little hut
"Elliott we already said no." A gruff voice says as we come into view.
"Elliott isn't here to talk to you i am." I say push in front of Elliott
"And you are?" One of the men ask
"I'm Katerina, you know the one you're trying to make marry Elijah." I place my hand on my hip.
"You should be grateful that we choose Elijah and not a random person from the village." The oldest looking one sneers.
"You shouldn't have to find anyone for me, im my own person and as i'm not Kalda blood you can't force me into anything." I try to put on my best poker face as I stare him down.
"But if you wish to stay in this Village you need to marry Kalda blood and for that we picked Elijah." Another one explained.
"Please just let me be with Elliott." I plea with them, the look at each other and nod
"You can marry Elliot, but it happens at the secession of the week and will last till the marrow. You have 3 weeks to conceive a child that has Kalda blood but if not you will be punished." The oldest one says.
"Thank you." I nod and turn around looking and Elliott, i take his hand and walk out of the hut with him behind me.
"Katerina what the hell?" He exclaims as we are out of ears reach.
"What?" I ask taken back
"You could've gotten in so much trouble." he sighs
"I just saved my butt from having to get married to your brother." I cross my arms over my chest.
"You never know with the council, they can be very harsh." He tells me.
"We should get back to the house." I look up at Elliott,
"Yeah, let's go Mom is probably worried." He grabs my hand, leading me to a path back to the house.
The walk is silent as we both have so much to say but can't express them in words, it's hard to believe that less than a week ago I was planning to go to Briarwood to get married to the eldest child of the Conwells and wisk my life away as a maiden to that man for the rest of my life, bearing him child after child until he is satisfied, my own views and heath not taken into account as if I did die in childbirth I would just be replaced by another girl. With the few days i have been in Kalda my life has changed dramatically from being the daughter of a merchant to being in a viking village getting married to a person i have known for a less the a week but have grown to care for so much, as well as the rest of the of the family.
"Katerina." A voice snaps me out of my deep thoughts, I look up to see not Elliott but Erika looking at me with worry evident on her face.
"Huh?" I say
"I was saying my parents want to see you." She tells me as she places a hand on my shoulder for comfort.
"Oh do you have any idea why?" I question her
"I don't but i expect it has to do with my brothers." She shrugged and walked away to where her younger brother Niklaus was playing.
"Gia?" I called as i walked into the house.
"In here Katerina," She peaks from the kitchen, i walk over to her to see Elliott Eerik and Gia in a deep conversation.
"Hello Katerina," Eerik smiles softly at me, i smile back.
"We called you in here because Elliott has filled me in on what the council said and what is going to happen. So the first thing i will tell you is the wedding will take place on Friday so in three days after marrow. As you are in a Viking village we have some traditions you have to follow. First is the separation, you and Elliott after this conversation will not be able to see each other till the ceremony, after that both Elliott and you have to pronounce your innocents. The last thing is you have convert to the Norse religion as we do not know where you come from you will have to tell us your full name,religion and family as you will be changed from their family to ours. Even though your family abandoned you, you're still apart of of whatever linegie you came from. So as we are here today please tell us what's your full name please?" Gia says taking a seat next to me.
"My name is Katerina Rose Bennett, I am from Hillwood a merchant village about 40 miles south of here." I tell the kind parents.
"Okay now Katerina please come with me and say goodbye to Elliott because you won't see him till Friday."Gia take my hand and starts to lead me out of the room.
"Goodbye Elliott," i softly smile at the young man
"See you in a marrow Katerina," He smiles back..
"Now you will be staying in the bridal house for the next few days as you and Elliott are not to see each other as you complete the pre marital rituals." Gia says softly as she leads me to the little hut.
"Who is this young lady." An older woman smiles at me as we walk into the hut that will be my place of living till the next marrow.
"This is Katerina Rose she will be married to my eldest child Eliott by the end of the week," Gia tells the older woman.
"What a pleasure," The woman looks at me with disgust.
"Okay time to start with the pledge of innocence," Gia claps her hands excitedly.
"What exactly is that?" I question her
"You strip down and you go into an ice cold bath and then If you come out and your skin is red you have your innocence if it's not your not and you are a disgrace," The woman that I don't know tells me with a smile.
"Oh," I frown at her not knowing what to say.
"Oh Honey it's not that bad." Gia puts her hand on my shoulder.
"When do we start?" I question
"Tomorrow we will start with the pledge of innocence," Gia smiles at me.
"But for now you will pick what you will wear on friday," The other woman tells me
"Let's go dear, we have a collection of dresses from years prior." Gia takes my hand and leads me away.
"Who is that woman?" I ask when we are out of reach.
"That's Hilly, she is incharge of the marriages in Kalda." Gia explains as she opens a chest that is filled with colorful fabrics.
"Oh," I frown " she doesn't seem to like me very much." I tell the woman.
"Elliott's first wife Rosalin was her daughter." She sighs
"That makes more sense," I nod in understanding
"Now," Gia claps her hands "Look through the dresses and pick one."
"Okay!" I say excitedly.
The first one i pull out is a cream color, not white but close enough, it has long sleeves that flare out a small bit. The waistline has some pearls going around as a sort of belt, it was plain but pretty. The next one is a white color with long sleeves but at the elbow it starts to flare until the end, the bodice has lace going around the bust, the bottom of the skirt it goes out to a few feet of a train.
"Do you like it?" Gia asks.
"Yeah I do, I like it a lot." i smile at her
"Then take it," She tells me.
"Really!?!" I ask.
"Yes, it was mine when i was your age but, now it's yours." She smiles
"Thank you Gia, for everything you have been so kind to me and i don't know how to repay you." I frown
"You make my son smile something i haven't seen him do in a while that's payment enough," She gives me a hug.
"Thank you." i say again
"Katerina do you want this?" She asks me catching me off guard
"In all honesty no, but i'll do anything to stay here as i've found a home here." I sigh
"I'm sorry, I wish i could do something to change the councils mind but i don't think that is possible," Gia frowns at me.
"Let's go eat." i take Gias and and leads her to the back of the little hut where Hilly has prepared dinner for all of us.
"Katerina I would like to apologize for my actions towards you." Hilly gives me a sad smile.
"It's okay," I smile at the woman.
"The next ritual is the stripping of the kransen since you are not from a viking village you do not have one," Gia starts while we eat our soup "But you will be giving one for your future daughter."
"When does this all start?" i ask curious.
"Tomorrow." Hilly smiles, i look at her
"If you don't mind me asking what does Elliot have to do?"
"Well first he was to dig up a sword that has been placed in his ancestors grave. He is entering as a boy and emerging as a man." Hilly explains
"The actual ceremony has more, You have the exchanging of swords, you have to sit with thor's hammer in between your legs and ask for his blessing. You both have to drink bridal-ale and then at the end you have to have six witnesses walk you and Elliott to the Hut you guys will be staying at so you guys ya know.." Gia smiles. My face turns red.
"Okay we get it," I awkwardly laugh.
Once we finished eating our soup, it was off to bed. Hilly and Gia went to their homes while i stayed alone in the hut.