#<- BARELY. but the eldred looks okay | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

peaceisadirtyword · 3 years ago

Text

Heathen V (Ivar/Edlynn)

A/N: Hello! I might have gotten a bit carried away with this(?) Sorry😅 I hope it’s not too boring though🥺 I was just going to rewrite the ending and suddenly... I had 1000 more words💀 anyway, I hope you like it!♥️ In this chapter I talk about norse mythology and christianity, and even if I’ve read about it (norse mythology, at least) I’m by no means an expert, so I had to consult some friends and people I know that are professionals. In any case, I’m sorry if I wrote anything wrong, please tell and forgive me.

Btw, thank you so much for your messages! I’m feeling better now🥰 I watched some videos of Alex and Marco and I calmed down a bit! I suppose I just need to relax a bit, it’s okay, but seriously thank you for your messages and for always being so understanding with me💞🙏🏻

Warnings: talk about religion, mentions of violence, war and all that sh1t... Ivar is too perfect I’d like to marry him but, unfortunately, I can't

Words: don’t hate me but there’s 5492 words under this... I hope it’s worth it (?)

Heathen Masterlist

gif belongs to @therealcalicali

For Edlynn, it was both scary and hypnotizing to see Ivar learning how to read. He seemed to understand things quickly and even if they didn't really have any materials for him to practice writing, Edlynn saw him carving letters on wood more than once, like he did with the runes. In a few days, Ivar could understand some parts of the books, even if he still needed help, and Edlynn remembered bitterly how much time it took for her to learn basic words and how many times the priest that taught her and her siblings scolded her.

In return, Ivar agreed to tell her a bit more about his culture. He talked about the Gods, even showed some runes to her, she asked him to show her their longships, and was amazed by the carvings and the designs. Sometimes, she'd ask him to translate some words from English to Norse, and soon became obsessed with his language, trying to memorize everything she could for when she went back home. Mildrith would love it.

"Can we go back to reading?" Ivar sighed, raising an eyebrow when Edlynn asked him to translate a few words more. He had spent the entire day with Hvitserk and was on a good mood, but he was also tired.

"Yes, sorry" she blushed a bit, realizing her eagerness was probably improper "Just one more, please"

Ivar nodded slowly. He found her excitement adorable, and he had to hold back a smile more than once when she tried to repeat some words with a soft voice.

"How do you say sun and moon?" she tilted her head, curiously "It's true that they are Gods for you?"

Mildrith had told her once that the northman she had been with had told her that they worshipped the sun and the moon, as if they were Saints or Gods. And, for some reason, Edlynn became obsessed with it.

"Those are two words" Ivar smirked "But they are Sól and Máni, and they are Gods, yes, but slightly different from the Aesir and the Vanir" he shrugged "It's a long story"

Edlynn waited a few more seconds, maybe expecting for him to keep telling the story.

"So the moon is a Goddess?"

Ivar hummed, nodding.

"She's a woman, sister to Sól, the sun" he shrugged.

"That makes sense" Edlynn bit her lip, interested "But, how can you say they are a man and a woman? They're not humans" she smiled softly, amused "They can't be man and woman"

"But they are" Ivar frowned "It's like that story of yours about the Virgin, I've heard that one before, how can you tell she was a virgin?" he shrugged.

"Because God chose her to carry his son, the one who would bring His word to us"

"You christians are too obsessed with virginity" Ivar rolled his eyes. Edlynn felt her cheeks burn, and cleared her throat.

"It's a sin not to be a virgin when you get married"

"Yes, I've heard a lot about those sins" Ivar nodded "And I still think it's ridiculous, why would your God demand that you deny the pleasure of having sex to yourselves?"

"It's an act of purity, of faith" Edlynn narrowed her eyes. She knew the northmen were much less... Traditional, with these things, and sometimes she felt somehow curious. It wasn't a topic that was very discussed at the court, and much less at home with her father... Once, Edlynn and Mildrith saw a couple on the stables and asked Hilda about it. The nun was so angry at them that she made them pray for hours, and then made them promise they wouldn't go around talking about it.

"It's stupid" Ivar shrugged "You would be much happier if you forgot about that"

The girl pressed her lips together, a bit bothered. Ivar's smirk showed he was trying to get a reaction from her, but Edlynn wouldn't start arguing.

"I didn't expect a heathen to understand it" she shrugged.

Ivar chuckled, shaking his head.

"I've spent maybe too much time around christians to understand many things, but I still believe your God is weak" he licked his lips "Compared to Odin and Thor, he's weak and demanding"

She ignored him, looking back at the books and parchments they were studying. Finally, Ivar stood up, making Edlynn raise her head as he walked over to the bed, and sat down to take his braces off. She watched as his fingers worked quickly on them, freeing his legs. When Ivar started taking his clothes, she stiffened, blushing again, and stood up to tidy the books and avoid looking at him. If she had looked, she would have seen Ivar's amused smile.

"The day and the night are also man and a woman" he continued, startling Edlynn. She turned to look at him, curious, but turned around when she realized he was shirtless "What? Are you also not allowed to look at me?"

"It's not proper" she muttered, looking down. During the nights she had been sharing his tent, she always slept with her back turned to him, and usually she would already be asleep when he went to bed.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"

Edlynn hesitated, but finally turned around. He was doing it to bother her, and wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it was working. The sight left her breathless. Ivar was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, but not only his face was beautiful; he was strong, she had already noticed it when he grabbed her for the first time. Edlynn tried her best to avoid staring at his beautiful hair, collected in braids and tied that fell down his back and shoulder.

"Dagr is the day, and he's the son of Nótt, the night, Odin gave each of them a chariot that they can ride on the sky... And two horses, Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi" his own finger pointed at his chest, which was crossed by dark lines. Those strange drawings on his skin were normal among the northmen; she had seen those on their arms, necks, faces... It was weird but she had to bite her tongue more than once to avoid asking about them.

Ivar had also another one on his back. Edlynn couldn't see much, but from the few glimpses she had caught, it looked like a snake. The ones he showed now had an intricate pattern, and she frowned softly while looking at them.

"They don't look like horses"

That made Ivar chuckle, but he didn't say anything else as she approached him, her eyes still fixed on his chest. When she was close enough, she raised her hand slowly.

"Can I?"

Ivar tensed, but finally nodded softly. Edlynn didn't know what to expect when her fingers touched the dark ink, but was somewhat surprised by the feeling of his skin. It was warm and his muscles tensed under her touch when her finger roamed around his chest following the lines. It was hypnotizing, and she couldn't feel anything else that wasn't Ivar.

She found his necklace. It was always hidden under his clothes, so it caught her attention. The question was written all over her face when she looked at his eyes again.

"Mjölnir" he answered quietly "Thor's hammer"

Edlynn nodded. She had heard about that, and thought it would be something like the cross that hang from her own neck.

Finally, she moved her hand backwards, almost like she just realized what she was doing and was suddenly too shy to keep touching him. Ivar's eyes were still fixed on Edlynn as she turned around, getting away from him faster than he would have liked, and soon she was laying on her side of the bed, with her back turned to him and her body tense and stiff, not bothering to cover herself.

______________________________

Edlynn was amazed by the shieldmaidens. She had heard about them more than once, since she was a kid, and sometimes imagined herself with a sword when she watched her brother, Edward, train with their father. But when she said it once, during dinner, everyone turned to look at her with widened eyes. Both her father and her sister reprimanded her; the battlefield is no place for women, you're needed at home, praying and taking care of the children.

Since then, the thought hadn't crossed her mind again.

She also saw the two viking women training when they were staying with King Alfred. They moved gracefully, and easily defeated male warriors, it was entertaining and interesting to see, and Mildrith and her would always sit and watch her, but always under the stern gaze of their fathers. Once, the blonde woman she had often seen with Bishop Heahmund offered them to try. Edlynn remembered the soft smile and how she approached them. She was sure her face lightened up, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Lord Eldred was behind her, he gripped her shoulder with maybe too much force. His daughter wouldn't go near a sword, he had said sternly. And the viking woman sighed, shooting her a sad smile before leaving.

But in that camp, even with her wrists tied and three northmen around her, she was free to watch as much as she wanted.

There was a group of many women, training with her swords, axes and shields. They fought fiercely, but laughing and hugging each other, and Edlynn was amazed. She barely blinked and didn't know how much time she had been there watching them. The women didn't seem to care, and she felt more at ease around them than around the men.

But when she turned her head, startled by some other sounds coming from her right, something else caught her attention. The first thing she saw was Hvitserk dodging a dagger as he trained with another viking. She knew that dagger, and soon her eyes fixed on Ivar, who was leant on a tree and smirked softly. He had a horn on his hand, and his eyes shone as they only did when he was around his brother. Next to him, Edlynn saw some arrows and a wooden bow, an axe and another sword.

He hadn't seen her, and she stayed silent and still, watching. He was relaxed, laughing and had a playful smirk on his lips. In some way, he was even more handsome. Soon, he got tired of just watching and grabbed the bow and arrows, tensing it slowly. His gaze was fixed on the tree in front of him, and Edlynn couldn't help but stare at him as his whole body tensed. She remembered when her brother learnt archery, when his arms were always shaking. Ivar didn't move a single muscle until he shoot the arrow.

"Don't miss, brother, you have an audience" Hvitserk's voice startled both Ivar and Edlynn, and when his eyes finally landed on her, his expression changed. She wasn't able to point exactly what changed, but Ivar barely looked at her.

"See something you like, princess?"

Edlynn felt her cheeks burn, and pressed her lips together when she heard the guards and some other men chuckling behind her, refusing to let them see her. Ivar also smirked, leaning to grab another arrow.

"I was just watching" she muttered. Ivar looked amused when he turned his head to look at her.

"Want to try?" he pointed at the tree. Edlynn hesitated, knowing that grabbing a bow and shooting arrows wasn't proper. But then again... There was no one there to scold her, right? And probably, if King Alfred reached an agreement with them, she wouldn't have to see any of them again.

She nodded softly, feeling a strange rush of excitement like the ones she used to feel when she was little and did something that was strictly forbidden. Ivar nodded at the guards and they let her go after untying her wrists.

"I don't think you have done this before, am I right?"

Edlynn narrowed her eyes at him and snatched the bow from his hands, making him laugh. It was heavier than she ever thought, and nearly let it fall to the ground. But she could already imagine how much the men would laugh if she dropped the bow.

"Turn around" Ivar ordered, and Edlynn obeyed slowly, still hesitating and nervous because of all those pairs of eyes fixed on her, studying her every move. She wasn't a warrior, but a noble lady that lived in a castle, so her movements were clumsy and not graceful at all.

She startled and nearly jumped when Ivar's hands touched her waist.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, widening her eyes.

"Don't you want to learn?" Ivar shrugged, an innocent tone on his voice that Edlynn didn't believe.

His strong hands moved her effortlessly, and she tried not to blush even more when she felt Ivar's body closer to hers. She could even feel his breathing behind her neck.

Ivar worked in silence, making sure she was on the right position before taking a new arrow. Edlynn frowned when she tensed the bow and her arms started shaking, even if Ivar was the one that practically held it behind her.

"Stop shaking" he scolded her, and Edlynn could hear some chuckles around her. Some of the shieldmaidens had stopped training and came to watch. The saxon girl making a fool of herself, how amusing.

Ivar's closeness, his scent and his body practically wrapped around her weren't helping. Edlynn felt her heart beating faster and faster as his fingers touched hers to position them around the arrow.

"Now" he muttered into her ear when he was finally satisfied "Loose"

Edlynn tried her best to point at the tree, but the arrow flew next to it and got lost into one of the bushes.

Everyone laughed. She could even hear Ivar chuckling next to her ear, and her cheeks reddened again. She glared at them and scoffed.

"It's fine, you'll get better if you practice" Ivar had a smile on his lips, but Edlynn couldn't say if he was mocking her or actually being nice.

One of the northmen said something loudly in their language, making everyone laugh even harder. Ivar sighed and shook his head, but had that small smirk on his face.

Narrowing her eyes, Edlynn reached for another arrow, making everyone stop laughing and look at her with an eyebrow raised. Ivar had an even bigger smile on his face when she turned to look at him.

"I want to try again"

_______________________________

Mildrith was furious. She couldn't understand why they kept discussing God knows what in that tent when Edlynn was held as a prisoner in the enemies' camp. It was true that she was more calmed now that the scout came back and assured she was well and unharmed. Mildrith always knew her friend would survive; Edlynn was strong and smart, but she also knew they could have hurt her in many ways. Especially Ivar the Boneless.

She almost shivered when she thought about him. Mildrith had always wanted to see Ivar at least once, to see if what they said was true, but to be captured by him? Her mind had replayed every single story she had heard about that heathen from the women of York.

Even that young viking she had had a quick affair with had talked about him; he was the most letal of the sons of Ragnar, a monster.

And King Alfred knew it! He had met him more than once, he had been fighting in York after the Great Heathen Army killed both his grandfathers. How he had allowed them to keep Edlynn for so long was a mystery to her.

Hilda kept praying, kneeled at the feet of what one day was Edlynn's bed with a cross between her hands. Mildrith didn't understand what praying would do, God didn't help her before and it seemed he wouldn't help her now. She was also angry at Him.

More than once, she had wished she could use a sword so she could enter the northmen's camp and free her.

"Mildrith" the nun sighed. She had dark circles under her eyes and her voice sounded weak. Hilda had barely slept or ate since Edlynn, the little girl she had raised almost as if she was her own, had been taken. She prayed day and night, hoping she would be well and no one would hurt her in any way "Please, stop pacing around the tent, sit here with me and let's pray"

"I don't want to pray" the young, raven-haired girl, clenched her fists, glaring at her "I want them to get out of that tent and go find Edlynn"

"They can't do that" Hilda sighed, her trembling hands rubbing her own face "The king is doing everything he can, Mildrith, and you know it, he appreciates Edlynn a lot, but they're asking for a high price, and he must think about the rest of the country too"

Mildrith scoffed. She hated it, she hated politics, war and negotiations. She couldn't understand it. They were in their own country! They were stronger! Why couldn't they just raise a bigger army to go and free her?

"We have do something"

"We can't" the nun shook her head "You know we can't, we can only have faith and hope she will be returned to us soon"

The young girl sighed, sitting down on the bed. She didn't want to have faith nor pray, she wanted her friend back. Her only comfort was to know that Edlynn would have many stories to tell, when she came back.

___________________________________

"They're asking for all of that, for a young woman?"

Alfred raised his head, narrowing his eyes at the man who just spoke.

"They're not asking anything, my lord, they demand all of this" he explained, slowly "And Edlynn isn't just a young woman, she is a dear friend, the daughter of one of my most trusted advisors and the sister to one of the men that I trust with my life every day"

"They want gold" Lord Eldred sighed. He was pale and had lost weight, Alfred hadn't seen him sleep nor eat for days "A lot of gold... And land, more land?" he sounded desperate.

"Yes, but separated from the land I gave to Björn and Ubbe Ragnarsson" the king rubbed his face "They also want a truce, some time to settle on our lands"

"That's the part that worries me" Lord Eldred shook his head "Why do they want time to settle? Do I have to choose between my daughter's death and a possible invasion?"

"We don't know if they plan an invasion, my lord" Alfred shrugged "For now, I am trying to save your daughter's life before anything else"

"She must be so scared" her father rubbed his eyes "All alone, surrounded by barbarians, God knows what they are doing to her"

"Our scout assured she was unharmed, Lord Eldred, I believe him" the king softened his tone "Ivar won't hurt her for as long as we don't anger him"

"I will pay as much as I can" Lord Edmund spoke for the first time since the reunion started "To ensure my lady's safe return"

Her father looked at her with a sad smile.

"Thank you, my lord" Alfred nodded "The messenger is out there, ready to leave for their camp to give them our reply"

"What do you say, my king?" Queen Elsewith put a hand on his shoulder. Alfred took her hand softly and sighed, looking down at the table. For days, he had been thinking about his decision, trying to find the best solution for all of them. If he agreed, there would be consequences, Ivar would know he had an advantage, many of his lords wouldn't agree with him. If he refused, Edlynn would suffer things worse than death before her head was sent to them, he was nearly sure of that.

Edlynn was a good girl. Responsible, obedient and polite. They had played together when they were children, and he couldn't stop thinking that it was Elsewith whom they wanted. Would they have so many doubts about saving her or not if it had been his queen?

He sighed.

"I say we agree" he nodded "And that we will meet them in the forest to give them what they want in exchange for Lady Edlynn"

____________________________________

Ivar's arms hurt. It had been a while since he practiced so much archery, and the muscles of his back and arms were already sore when he retired to the tent. His face also hurt from laughing so much, and he didn't remember when was the last time he had laughed so much, probably it was when he was still with Igor. He couldn't help but smile softly remembering the kid he had learnt to love as if he was his own son.

Before entering the tent, he could hear Edlynn whispering some words in English. He supposed she'd be reading, as she used to do since he let her read the books freely. He had to wait outside to force himself to stop smiling like an idiot before entering.

Edlynn raised her head and smiled softly when he entered the tent. In part, it was because of her he had had so much fun that day, he never guessed that teaching archery to a saxon girl could be that entertaining.

She was also tired. Her arms hurt and she only wanted to get into bed and sleep, but at the same time every time she closed her eyes, with her head leant on the soft pillows and inhaled Ivar's scent her mind went back to his hands around her waist, his breath on her neck and the soft whispers with which he had guided her. She even remembered the small smile she had seen on his face when she had finally managed to struck the tree and her cheeks would redden. Now, seeing him entering the tent leant onto his crutch with clouded eyes from drinking so much mead, laughing with his brother and even letting himself take a nap next to the fire, made her heart beat faster again.

"How are you, princess?" the playful tone made her nearly sigh in relief. He was still in a good mood.

"Tired" she muttered "But fine, it was... Interesting, to use a bow"

Ivar hummed softly, sitting down on the bed as Edlynn closed the huge book she had on the bed, leaning to leave it on the floor, next to the bed, she kneeled behind him and watching him as he fiddled with the braces. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say but wanting to keep talking to him.

"The men were quite impressed with you" he said, not looking at her "A shame we don't have time, I'm sure we could turn you into a fine shieldmaiden"

Edlynn tried to hide her excited smile.

"Really?"

This time Ivar turned around a bit. His amazing eyes fixed on her curving lips before landing on her eyes.

"Yes, I think you have potential, it would be though, we'd have to work a lot with those little arms and small hands, but we could do something" he shrugged "But we can't, you're too eager to go back to your castle, your husband and your dresses"

Her smiled faded slowly as he turned away once again. It was true she really wanted to see and hug Mildrith, Hilda, Edward and her father, but at the same time, she didn't want to say goodbye to Ivar.

At first, she had been scared, even tried to run thinking those heathens would torture and kill her, remembering all those stories she had heard about the ruthless Ivar the Boneless. But that playful, blue-eyed northman that she had seen giggling with his brother, telling stories about his Gods and who had guided her until she had finally succeeded with the bow didn't look like the monster they described on their stories. It was almost human; a human with his own beliefs and ambitions that wasn't so different from all those men she had met in England.

"Lord Edmund is not..."

"Not your husband yet, I know, princess" he chuckled "But he will be soon, right? Even if I would advise you to reconsider that marriage, taking in consideration that he didn't came to this camp to cut my head off for taking his woman"

Edlynn chuckled. She knew Lord Edmund couldn't really make that decision, besides, she didn't expect him to risk his life for a woman he just met.

"I can't reconsider anything, actually" she smiled sadly "It wasn't my decision"

Ivar raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly. Then he moved to take off his clothes, and Edlynn looked away with her cheeks flushed.

"If I was your father, then, I wouldn't give my daughter to a man that wouldn't die for her"

"I can't ask him that" she smiled, his words warmed her heart "He barely knows me"

"Wouldn't you prefer to marry someone you loved?" Ivar got rid of his shirt, and Edlynn couldn't help but take a look of the dark lines of his back, shaped like a snake.

"I..." she frowned "I will learn to love him, he's... He's good, a good man, he's nice and handsome and... I'm lucky that he chose me, I know many women that had to marry old men that didn't treat them well... Also, I don't know anyone who married for love" she chuckled. With time, she convinced herself that love was built, not found. All those tales Hilda had told her when she was little were fantasy.

"I married for love" Ivar muttered, almost like he didn't mean for Edlynn to hear "I did love the woman I married"

She felt as if someone had kicked her chest. Suddenly, she stopped looking at him and felt stupid for even feeling sad about the fact that he had a wife. Of course he had a wife.

Ivar groaned as he laid on the bed, covering his legs with the furs and closing his eyes as he relaxed against the pillows.

"I didn't know you were married"

Ivar opened his eyes, looking up with what she could describe as a heartbroken expression.

"I was" he muttered "Some time ago"

Edlynn tilted her head with curiosity.

"What happened to her?" she almost felt bad for asking, but Ivar didn't seem to mind.

"She died" his jaw clenched "She betrayed me and she died"

"And... how was she?"

"She was... Beautiful" he almost smiled, and Edlynn bit her lip, looking down "She looked like Freyja, she was blonde and had blue eyes"

The opposite of me, she thought, and immediately felt stupid for even thinking it.

"She sounds pretty" she smiled softly, hating that sad look on his eyes. Ivar then turned his head to look at her, and blinked slowly, almost like he was realizing something.

"I've only loved three women in my life" he shrugged "And one of them was my mother"

His face contorted again, almost like it pained him to think about her.

"And who was the other one?"

Ivar's lips curved on a smile.

"The mother of my child" he muttered "She was a princess, like you, but she was mysterious while you are not" he chuckled. Edlynn glared at him, but ignored his comment once again.

"I'm not a princess, though"

"Because you don't want to" he shrugged "You could be a princess, even a queen, if you wanted to, you are pretty enough to conquer a king"

"Me?" Edlynn giggled, blushing softly "No, I don't think so"

"You would be a good queen" he insisted "You're strong and smart, you respect people" Ivar nodded.

"I still need to find a king" she shrugged "Still pretty impossible"

"Lord Edmund could be your king" Ivar pronounced her betrothed's name mockingly, as always.

"No" Edlynn shook her head "He's handsome, brave and good, but he couldn't be my king, nor my prince, I'd have to find another"

The intensity of Ivar's gaze burned her skin. Edlynn looked away, and moved to lay down and rest her head on the pillows, sticking to her side of the bed as she always did.

"I never knew my mother" she muttered, changing the topic before the tension on the tent escalated too much "She died not long after I was born... She was from Ireland, from a place called Dubh Linn, have you heard about it?"

Ivar nodded slowly. His people had raided that place more than once.

"So she wasn't a saxon?"

Edlynn shook her head.

"Her father brought her here when his lands were taken from him, trying to procure a good future for her and marry her to a lord, my father asked for her hand... At least, that's what they always told me" she shrugged "Father always said I have her hair, and that I look like her... I think that's why he didn't want to raise me when she died, I think it was painful for him... But I can't complain, Hilda is great" Edlynn groaned and rubbed her eyes when she realized she was talking a lot "Please, forgive me, I talk too much"

"No, it's fine" Ivar shook his head with a soft voice, he had turned to look at her, and he felt like he was looking at a goddess. Maybe it was the mead, maybe the exhaustion, but he couldn't help but move a bit closer to her.

"My mother died too" he added "She was killed" he clenched his fists in rage "She always cared for me, she always protected me, even when my father wasn't there" he had a small, sad smile on his lips as he remembered the, sometimes suffocating, love his mother had showed him "And I miss her everyday"

Edlynn nodded. Even if she didn't remember her mother, she also missed her. And in some way she wished she could have had such a relationship with her, maybe she would have been able to explain to her what was that thing she felt, laying down on a northmen's bed and looking at him closely.

"You and I aren't so different, then" she pointed out, smiling softly. Was it her or they were closer now?

"I suppose we are not" the thought seemed to amuse him "Even if we worship different Gods and speak different languages"

When Ivar turned his head again, Edlynn was so close he could feel her quick breathing on his lips. It was nearly as intoxicating as the mead he had drank.

Ivar's hand reached to caress her hair, making Edlynn shudder and gasp, almost like she realized what she was doing.

"Is it not... Inappropriate to be so close to a heathen, princess?" he teased a bit, enjoying the way her cheeks turned red once again.

"At this point..." she sighed, barely able to think about anything that wasn't Ivar "I don't really care"

That made him laugh and his grip on her hair tightened. Edlynn wasn't lying, she couldn't think about God or anything that weren't his blue eyes and his lips parted. Without even thinking about it, she leant in while closing her eyes, and didn't stop until she felt his warm lips against hers.

Edlynn had never kissed anyone, unlike Mildrith and some of the girls at the court, that were stolen a kiss or two in the stables or in a hidden corner of the castle. She never looked at the boys, too occupied with her books, her prayers and other important things. But she could understand now what the priests meant when they talked about temptation. Ivar's lips were addictive, better than anything she had ever tasted, and ignited something inside her that she couldn't recognize.

The kiss was slow, passionate but also shy. They stopped kissing for a moment, but she had barely opened her eyes when Ivar's hand cupped her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek softly before he leant in again. And Edlynn had to put her hand on his warm chest to balance herself, moving her lips against his and leaning more and more into him, feeling like she would die if she wasn’t as close to him as possible.

When they finally broke the kiss, none of them opened their eyes. Ivar was panting, one hand secured against her neck, to keep her lips close to his, and the other one had landed on her waist when she had leant into him almost straddling his waist, and his heart was beating so fast it was almost scary. Her forehead leant into his and Ivar sighed. It had been a long time since he had felt that warmth inside him.

________________________________________

Tags: @mblaqgi @alicedopey @lol-haha-joke @hallowed-heathen @naaladareia @tephi101 @captstefanbrandt @love-hate-love @titty-teetee @readsalot73 @moondustmemories @therealcalicali @blushingskywalker @gruffle1 @justacripple @heartbeats-wildly @letsrunawaytotomorrow @inforapound @sallydelys @hellogabysblog @winchesterwife27 @hecohansen31 @youbloodymadgenius @xinyourdreamsx @funmadnessandbadassvikings @tgrrose @lovessce @tootie-fruity @didiintheblog @alexhandersenx @belovedcherry @fantasydevil2002 @xceafh @astrape-the-weatherwitch @destynelseclipsa @momowhoo @mcrmarvelloki @nanahachikyuu @valopz @mrsalwayswrite @poisonous00 @whenimaunicorn @heavenly1927 @seeking-a-great--perhaps @nukyster-blog @alexhandersenblog @synnersaint @yummycastiel

#ivar imagine #ivar the boneless #ivar ragnarsson #vikings #ivar x ofc #vikings imagine #heathen

125 notes · View notes

clockworkgraystairs · 4 years ago

Text

There is no such thing as vampires #1 || Jurdan AU

Jurdan Smut Week 2020 • DAY 2

The prompt was technically dagger play...it didn’t really worked that way but HEY more smut! (vampire smut cough)

@jurdannet @jurdannetrevels

Rating: E (no I don’t mean ‘everyone’)

Warnings: Explicit content, mentions of blood, some biting (it’s a vampire au c’mon), swear words (just in case)

Summary:

Behind me stands a tall, slender man dressed in black trousers and one of those puffy white shirts men always use in period TV dramas. Raven curls frame the sharp angles of his face and his pale skin resembles marble. I stare at him unsure if my eyes widen because of the scare or how good looking he is. Maybe both.

His lips curve as if he finds my reaction somehow satisfying.

Extra comments: Just because I’m extra af, I’ll leave you the ambience music videos I listened while writing this. In case you’d like to hear them while reading:

Rain in a forest at night - Haunted Mansion/rain/thunder/wind - Narnia Lullaby

Written for: @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 MA’AM AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP AND SUPPORT, FOR BETAING THIS UNENDING PIECE AND FOR HELPING ME CRAFTING THE IDEA FOR IT! ❤️

Part 1 || Part 2

Masterlist • AO3

“Please tell me again why are we doing this?” I ask for the third time, leaning to rest my head on my sister’s shoulder. We bounce as the uncomfortable van we travel in turns to a cobbled path, leading us deeper into the woods.

“Because,” Vivi hisses back. “Your little brother is currently in his Twilight-obsession phase, and he just broke up with his girlfriend so we’re trying to cheer him up!”

“He’s 9! And they lasted like, what? Four hours?”

In that moment, Oak turns violently from the front seat, scowling at me. “First of all Jude, we were together two full days ok? She was the love of my life and suddenly she’s not sure about us anymore? Now I shall never find love again! I might have to become a priest. I expect a little consideration.”

Vivi ruffles his hair affectionately. “We absolutely understand, your sister here doesn’t have an ounce of romance in her veins but of course she supports the cause.”

That said, he returns to his place. I bite my lip hard, trying not to laugh. Typical Oak. I love my brother I really do, even if half of the time I can’t understand his dramatic outbursts.

Sighing, I stare through the window, to the heavy clouds gathering on top of us. Great. We are probably far away from the highway by now, nothing more than trees, rocks and occasional wild animals around. For some reason, our father had thought that there was no better way of fixing a kid’s broken heart than going on a quest in search of legends and hidden castles.

The thing is that apparently, it works. Instead of an incessant whining about love being doomed, my brother spends the days throwing the most random facts about werewolves, vampires, ghosts and any impossible creature. To be honest, I don’t think wikipedia and the Twilight books are a reliable source, but if it makes Oak happy I could live a couple of days with it. And most importantly if I have to choose between this or spending the week back at home with my mother and twin sister going to tea parties for old ladies, well, the answer is very clear.

I remember reading a few books about myths when I was younger. When I turned fifteen, I developed a hard crush on Brad Pitt after I saw Interview with the Vampire, filling half of the walls in my room with posters of him. Even now ten years later, I actually enjoy talking about old folklore and legends, urban myths and stuff like that.

What bugs me, are the fraudulent morons who want to take advantage of Oak’s naive curiosity to engage us in the most ridiculous tours that were obviously a waste of money. So far, we’d entered three “museums” where most of the so-called relics were made of plastic, and a haunted house with special effects so poorly done, father had discreetly asked for his money back. Only another two of the places we visited were actually interesting, but since the guides spent most of the time flirting with Vivi or me, it had annoyed our father.

Now though, we are driving behind the car of an old couple who swore their ancestors owned a castle where true vampires had lived once. The sole mention of the word “castle” was enough to make Oak hang from our father’s sleeve begging to go.

I’m not going to lie, it is an intriguing idea. But I remain a little worried about how much money Madoc is ready to pay before he hurries his little son back to his fantasy books and videogames.

“Dad, did you know that vampires like to live in the woods because it allows them to make racing competitions without being interrupted?” Oak asks with enthusiasm.

Madoc gasps. “Do they? Is it because they’re so fast?”

Okay, he might be willing to pay more than I thought. Next to me, Vivi muffles a laugh and keeps taking pictures for her instagram, occasionally asking for my help.

Upon arriving at the castle I have to suppress a curse. This, now, is a real castle. Nothing like the pitiful buildings we’d visited before. It is huge, made of pure stone and a modest wooden bridge that connects the entrance with the spot where the cars park. A slight fog covers the sides of the castle giving it a creepier look.

A shiver goes down my back. I turn to find my family who are all equally gaping at the place in front of them. Oak is visibly shaking with excitement. Vivi shoots me an astonished look before taking my brother’s hand and following the couple across the bridge.

The first thought that pops into my mind is that this place must have been taken out from a movie. Or set up for one. Maybe this is one of those pranks for TV. There is no other explanation for the massive room we find behind the giant front gate. Every inch of the walls is covered by paintings, several images barely recognizable through the dust. Aged furniture rests under dust and spiderwebs, pointing out they haven’t been used in quite some time. The illumination doesn’t help either. Electric lights hang from a few spots on the walls, though not enough for the big space, which I suspect is the reason that long candles are lit up too.

My next thought is that I should’ve brought my sweater. The damn place is freezing.

“Phew, sorry about the dust!” The old man says, flashing an embarrassed smile to us. “We were not planning to have any visitors yet.”

“You said this is going to be a museum?” Madoc asks, carefully surveying the walls. Next to him, Vivi tightens her hold on my brother’s hand to prevent him from starting to run around. I swear his eyes are about to pop out of their sockets.

“It will indeed! This place has been in our family for generations, but since it’s hard to adapt it to modern technology it was abandoned.” He turns to Oak and winks. “Not to mention the creepy things that happen here all the time.”

His gaze widens. “What kind of things?”

“Well, some distant relatives used to try spending their vacations here. But after a couple of days they left in a big rush, claiming some strange force had commanded them to go away.” With a lower voice, he adds. “They also mentioned noises coming out from empty rooms and dark hallways. Steps. Shadows that followed them along the place.”

For a second everyone remains silent. The only noise I can hear is the wind outside and the start of a slight rain. Somehow my hands are even colder.

“The legend says,” The woman, whose name is Marrow if I remember it correctly, continues while taking one chandelier with her hand. “This was the hideout of ancient vampires, how many, we don’t know. But they didn’t appreciate people trying to live within their domains.”

“So why come here at all?” Vivi asks. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It might be.” She shrugs. “But that’s half of the fun, isn’t it?”

“We like to think we’ve found a safe way to open this castle to the public without taking any risks. We will use a part of it as a museum, to show some of the family relics. But be aware, no one is allowed to go further than the marked area.” He signals at the yellow tape stuck on the floor forming arrows.

“If you please...” Marrow says, motioning at the stairs where the markings start.

They get me for a moment, not gonna lie. The surroundings and the way they speak are creepy enough to make me doubt my beliefs for a second. I shake my head to clear those thoughts away and walk behind my family. There’s no such thing as vampires or haunted castles.

We go through passages. Madoc has to remind Oak to not touch anything, constantly. From what I see, he’s living his best day. Several counters line up side by side against the wall. Some of them contain jewelry, others weapons, old writing pens among other things. Most of them carry a family shield, although it’s too blurry to properly identify what it says.

The rain thickens outside and Marrow keeps talking. She tells the story of her so called ancestors, whose family were big enough to fill all the rooms in the castle. Elwen, Eldred… something like that, and his many wives had once lived here. Along with his abounding children. I see in Oak’s face the intention to ask about how that family arrangement worked but Vivi gives him a slight pull of his hair.

I would have thought our guides would try to keep a proud name for their so-called ancestors. But they don’t. In fact, she seems particularly interested in explaining how Eldred’s cruel and terrible nature brought him nothing but disgrace. His once prosperous castle and assets were gone little by little. He claimed he was under the effects of a curse, but no one dared believing him. At least not until people started disappearing.

I stop listening at some point, focusing my attention on the relics in front of me. I’ve always felt a significant attraction to weapons, but not the ordinary ones like guns or rifles. These ones though, such beautiful daggers and swords. I’d give a kidney just to hold one of them.

On the next shelf books pile one next to the other, the dust around them a clear sign of how long they’ve been unbothered. All except for one. The navy blue cover has almost no dust at all, yet it looks like it would fall apart with a gentle blow of wind. The title is partially gone, probably through time.

I turn my head to my family but they’re gone, probably to another corridor since I can still hear the muffled voice of Marrow and my brother. Would she care at all if I check out that book?

I bite my lip. As long as it doesn’t break it’s probably alright. Standing on the tip of my toes I reach for it.

“That is an excellent book.”

I shriek and whip around, my hand flies to my mouth trying to cover the embarrassing sound. The book falls open next to my feet.

His lips curve as if he finds my reaction somehow satisfying. “My personal favorite. Too bad the author was a poisonous bunch-backed toad.”

My mouth opens to apologize, but I only manage to let out a strangled. “Shit”

The stranger lifts an eyebrow and chuckles.

“Sorry, I- that wasn’t what I meant to say.” I stutter. I feel as if my heart has jumped to my throat. “I wasn’t trying to steal the book.”

“I did not say you were.” He answers, his voice is like velvet.

I nod and take a deep breath. “I came in with my family. Marrow is showing us the place.”

His dark eyes wander down my body, but not like one of those rude men on the streets. No. Something in his gaze feels feral, like an animal sizing up his prey. A strange urge to run pools in my stomach, yet at the same time my muscles seem to have forgotten how to do so.

He looks me in the eyes again and it’s all gone. I let go of the tension in my back and a breath I didn’t know I was holding. When he smiles again, I feel as if I could trust him. Why shouldn’t I?

“And are you enjoying the tour?” He bends to pick up the book I’d dropped before and puts it back on the shelf. His movements are fluid and carefree. I doubt I’ve ever seen such elegance in a simple action. It is unsettling as much as it is attractive. Then I realize I’m supposed to answer.

“Yes, this is amazing actually.” I look around and take in the aged stone of the walls and ceiling. In that corridor there’s only one electric lamp, the rest is only lightened by candles. I can see our shadows dancing along to the flames. “All of this really helps getting in the ‘mood’.”

“The mood?”

I look at him and notice his tilted head. “Yeah you know, the mood of enchanted castles and old legends. This is well put enough that a credulous person would believe any story. Marrow is pretty good at it too.” Motioning a hand to him I add. “They even have their own actor.”

A thunder roars outside. “I beg your pardon?”

I roll my eyes and flash him a smile. “You don’t really have to keep the charade with me. I’m not some schoolgirl.”

“Yet I managed to pull a scream out of you, didn’t I?” The way he says it feels as if he was talking about an entirely different subject. Heat creeps up my cheeks.

“That was… not the same.” I mumble. “I didn’t hear you approaching. That could scare the living hell out of anybody.”

“I have been told I am quite sneaky, I concede you that.” He nods. “Why don’t I give you the rest of the tour? As an apology, of course.”

He’s doing his job, I remind myself, he’s not flirting with you.

“You haven’t even told me your name.” I say. “If we’re roaming around a castle together I should at least know who’s guiding me.”

That sounded an awful lot like flirting. Dammit.

“Cardan, at your service madam.” The tone he uses feels like a caress, he bows his head in a way I’ve only seen in movies. He takes his role seriously. I almost chuckle, but the sound dies in my throat.

“Cardan.” I repeat, just for the pleasure of doing it. “My name is Jude.”

He straightens. “Delighted to meet your acquaintance.” He answers and offers me his arm. “Shall we, Jude?”

I can’t believe how far away my family has gone. Cardan and I walk through a couple of corridors and still there is no trace of them. Did we take that long talking?

He’s an excellent guide, I have to acknowledge that.

While Marrow uses a tone of suspense and mystery, Cardan has this melancholy in his voice that sounds as if he’s talking about a memory. It’s bewitching. He also drops the most ridiculous “facts” about the people on the paintings. I refrain myself from asking if inventing things is allowed for employees, because saying that the girl with the pearl necklace enjoyed to play on the beach while saying she was the Princess of the Sea, certainly sounds like it.

“If you bite your lip one more time, I am going to do it for you.”

My heart skips a bit and I let go of my lower lip. I hadn’t realized I was tugging it. It’s an unconscious habit. I turn to him and I find his gaze different, hungry. It sends a shiver down to a place I know it shouldn’t. He arches an eyebrow as though he notices it.

“Is that a thing vampires like to do?” I say, trying to lighten the mood. The last thing I want him to know is that for the last twenty minutes I’ve been listening to him speak wishing he put a different use to that wicked mouth of his.

His gaze doesn’t change. “It is a thing I would like to do.”

I am pretty sure my expression is giving me up by now. Knowing my traitorous body, I’m probably flushed, my mouth open in awe. Desire coils inside me.

At my lack of answer, he continues. “Why don’t I show you something vampires really like to do?”

He walks back without letting go of my hand. I notice he steps out from the marked section and into a forbidden corridor.

The sensation returns, the one that is telling me to run. The problem is that I don’t know whether to run away, or straight to it. My mind wants both and my body, only one.

“You’re going to the restricted area.” I’m partially surprised by how breathless my voice sounds. “You can’t go in there…”

Cardan pauses and a confused expression crosses his face. A second later, it returns to his charming and teasing smile. “Are you afraid?”

I am.

Yet, I don’t care. I walk into the shadows with him.

As we cross the passage darkened by the lack of chandeliers I tell myself this is a terrible, terrible idea. The way he devours my mouth the moment a door slams shut behind us, convinces me it is the best.

Cardan pushes me against the wall, the cold temperature of the stone goes through my clothes making me gasp. He takes the opportunity and kisses me harder, his tongue explores my mouth with such deliciousness I have to bite back a moan.

My fingers are tangled in his hair pulling him closer to me, if such a thing is even possible. His hands are everything but still. They roam intensely from my breasts, down my sides and finally to my rear, where he grabs me, pressing me against his pelvis. I hear him groan and the sound makes something clench inside me.

Before I can double-think about it, one of my hands lowers to rub his hardness, still hidden behind his trousers. His breath hitches. He pulls back a bit and whispers to my ear. “Needy little human.”

I frown a moment, something about his words not clicking inside my brain but whatever it is I forget it the moment he slides his cold hands under my jersey. I yelp at the sensation, not sure if what flutters down my back is a result of the temperature or the eagerness which he’s holding me with. When he reaches my bra I hesitate for a moment. Cardan pauses too and leans back to stare into my eyes.

“Do you want to stop?” His voice is throaty and charged with desire. Still, he doesn’t make a move, waiting for my answer.

An instinctive part of me knows this is something I shouldn’t be doing. But that’s definitely not any close to me wanting to stop. Without removing my eyes from his I take the hem of my jersey to pull it over my head. The piece of fabric hits the floor, but neither of us pays attention to it. Once again Cardan’s gaze roams me in that predatory way.

I don’t stagger this time.

When my bra falls to the floor too, I take his hand and guide it to my jean’s button. “Do I look like I want to stop?”

Without hesitation he yanks the button open and slides his hand inside to cup the apex of my thighs. The contrast of my warm skin against his coldness makes my hips buck. Cardan buries his other hand in my hair and tilts my head back. I can feel his lips nipping down my jaw and my neck. A moan escapes my lips as he swipes a finger along my heat. He hums in response, the vibrations of it against my neck makes my eyes roll back.

He continues his ministrations until he feels me wet enough to slide a finger inside, he curls and pulls out. Then back inside. My breath comes out in elaborated pants as he quickens his pace. My hands almost finish unbuttoning his shirt when he slides another finger through my folds, his movements turn fast and punishing. Wet sounds taint the silence around us. As pleasure takes full control of my body I cling to him like a life saver, trying to muffle my moans.

“Let go Jude, let go for me.” He breathes next to my ear. My back arches and I sob a curse, writhing down on his hand.

He slows down as I come back from my orgasm, but never stops. Despite the freezing surroundings a drop of sweat runs down my chest. My heart beats as if I just ran a marathon. Cardan’s lazy moves continue, frequently grazing that spot that makes me mewl.

I hear him sigh. “You smell so good.” He claims my mouth one more time and bites me hard enough to make me wince. His tongue caresses my lower lip and a warm throb expands through my veins. He freezes and pulls back, releasing me. I stare at him in confusion, or at least as much as I can manage giving my current state.

He pants a couple of times before looking up at me. There’s a fiercess in his eyes that would’ve been scary under normal situations, right now, it only makes me want him more. He swallows before finally speaking. “If we go further, I won’t be able to stop.” His voice is like sandpaper.

My body seems to work on its own account, as I move to cup his face between my hands. “I already told you.”

“Jude…” He warns me, but I interrupt him joining my lips to his.

“I want this.” I breathe into his mouth. Cardan lets out a defeated groan before pulling my body back against his. Either he’s been holding back or it is until that moment that I realize how strong he actually is. He kisses me like a starved man and I can feel my pulse rise once again.

Soon his shirt joins my other clothing. My fingers trace his chest and torso, marveled at the softness of his skin. I mimic him moments before and kiss his neck. A low sound that almost resembles a growl comes out from his throat. My hands travel lower.

Somehow I manage to free his raging erection from his trousers, closing my hand around him. He hisses and then tilts his hips up to my touch. I start pumping him with unsure movements before gaining confidence to do it harder, tighter. Now it’s his turn to curse. Even though it sounds like something taken out from a Shakespeare novel, it makes my core pulse.

Cardan grips the hem of my jeans strong enough that for a moment I fear he’d rip them away.

“Take these off.” He demands instead.

I’m not sure of how I manage to do it. My mind feels blurred with a mix of sensations. Disoriented, not sure about exactly how my body is doing all of that, and the bliss of knowing I’m enjoying every second of it.

Before the air hits my skin, Cardan lifts me from the ground. My legs circle his waist in a reflexive move. His lips quirk in approval. Then my back is once again pressed against the wall, making me arch in a failed attempt to avoid touching the cold stone. A sound leaves my mouth, though it is not clear if it’s a protest or a moan. I hear him chuckle in my ear and I turn my head, searching his lips.

His kiss is slower but still deep. I feel as if small electric sparks are tickling every single one of my nerves. More, I need more. Cardan holds me in place with his hips, letting his hands wander up and down my legs.

The tip of his shaft is grazing my core over the thin fabric of my remaining piece of clothing, with an aching slowness that is not enough to ease my thirst. More.

I might have said that out loud because Cardan’s hips grind faster against me. It feels so good. And yet, it’s not enough.

I whine his name like a plea.

He continues for a couple of torturing seconds before reaching between my thighs again. There’s no teasing now as he moves my panties aside and immediately sinks his fingers inside me, pumping in and out with a pace that has me gasping in no time. He murmurs something I can’t understand and lines himself up to my entrance.

With soft, deliberate movements he slides through my heat, letting me feel every inch of him until he’s completely filling me. Then he stills. My muscles twitch around him, trying to adjust to the invasion. The exquisiteness of it is making my head swoon.

Cardan grabs my jaw and locks his gaze with mine. I can imagine what he’s looking at. Hooded eyes and flushed skin, though he doesn’t let me think a lot about it as he starts to move. Slow at first, with careful strokes that quickly evolve into long and deep. My mouth falls open at the sensation and my eyes shut.

“I warned you.” I hear him pant. “That there was no coming back.”

A whimper escapes my lips. I’m not even sure I’m actually trying to say something. He doesn’t seem to care either and leans to whisper to my ear. “You are mine now, Jude.”

There is something in the way he says it, his words carrying some compelling implication I can’t fully catch. His lips trail down my neck and I want to answer. To tell him that I am, that after the way he’s taking me, how could it be otherwise?

That’s when I feel a sharp stinging pain on the base of my throat.

I cry out and try to shake it away but whatever it is won’t let me go. Cardan’s words echo at the back of my mind, Needy little human.

As if sensing my thoughts he grabs my thighs and opens them wider, he thrusts into me harder and faster. Everything mixes in sensation. Pain leaves as fast as it came, leaving behind it that throb in my veins I can’t really explain. It is more intense now, what I felt as warm now is scorching. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, I’ve never felt so exhilarated before in my life. I don’t want it to stop.

Cardan sucks on my neck again and I moan his name. Without realizing it, I’m on the brink of another orgasm. I only realize it because he groans when my legs start to shiver around him. I cling to his neck and his hair. If I’m pulling too hard I can’t really know. A familiar swirl comes up from my core to the rest of my body as I spasm around him. It takes me a moment to notice the broken moans and sobs I hear come from my own mouth.

He keeps going a little longer until his fingers tighten over my skin, surely leaving bruises on both thighs. Muffled moans ring against my skin as he comes, thrusting in a couple of times more before stilling. A warm sensation covers the place where we join together. His mouth lets go of my neck. I grunt and shiver.

He puts me down carefully, still holding my waist, which is good considering I don’t know if I’m able to stand by myself. I feel dizzy. Cardan lowers his lips to mine one more time. He’s slow and gentle as though he’s worried. There is a slightly metallic taste in his tongue but I don’t pay attention to it. I trace the fine features of his face with trembling fingers. Little by little my senses start to take in the surroundings, the cold.

The place rumbles with another crack of thunder.

“You have to go back.” Cardan says, barely pulling his lips apart. Go back. I frown, then images of my family crash in my mind. I look around searching for the door, there is something on the floor. I realize soon those are my clothes. Shit. The tour, Oak. How much time have I been gone?

I dress in a hurry, not really caring if I put on my jersey correctly. He does the same but with the calm an elegance he has.

Panic must be written in my face because he grabs my chin and turns me to him. “Hey. Calm down.” He soothes me. Then his tone changes, turns commanding. His eyes are darker too. “Listen to me. You are going to do exactly as I say, do you understand Jude?”

I want to ask why, but for some reason I only nod. Cardan grabs my hand and pulls me out of whatever room we were in. “You must follow this passage until you find a way to turn left. Then continue until you see a painting of a black snake then turn right, you cannot miss it or you will get lost. Walk straight, and you will be back to a safe area.”

“But-” I start. I don’t want to go alone. And I don’t understand why but I don’t want to separate from him either. Which is nonsense, I barely know him and still...

He interrupts me. “I cannot go with you, I have lost so much control already and I don’t think…”

“Cardan, I can’t-”

A growl echoes in his chest and he pulls me closer to him. While his voice is still hypnotizing it sounds threatening now. “You will not tell anybody about what you saw here. Now go if you intend to leave this place alive.”

Then he's gone. I can’t recall if I blinked or turned, because a moment before I could still touch him and now he vanished.

I take a deep breath and start walking. Focus. Go straight, then turn right. Or was it left?

All passages look the same, some spaces don’t even have a painting or anything at all to help me differentiate them. Sometimes I whip around, thinking I heard a familiar chuckle behind me. Distant rain is the only sound that is a constant companion, but even with it I’m able to hear an echo of every step I give. It unsettles me more with every minute that passes. Although I feel more in control of my body than before, my knees falter constantly and a sensation of tiredness slides over my mind.

I find the snake painting just as I’d started to think I would be trapped here forever.

It’s huge, and despite the years that have probably passed the scales still seem to shine. The head is painted in an angle that gives the illusion of the eyes following the person looking at it. It doesn’t help that the candle’s flames also make the snake look as if it’s moving. Stalking. Before noticing, I start hyperventilating. I shut my eyes close and turn away. Something is terribly wrong with me, I need to get out.

Turning right, I start running. I cover my ears fearing that if I don’t, I’ll start hearing the snake’s hiss behind me.

I cross an arch made with the same stone and stop right in my tracks upon realizing somehow I’m back at the room where we first arrived. I blink to adjust my eyes to the change of light, since here’s where all the electric lamps are. The room is empty though.

I’m not sure of what I am supposed to do now. Sit and wait? Go out to the car?

While I’m weighing my options, trying to choose any that doesn’t imply dropping myself on the floor to have a panic attack, I hear murmurs and steps getting closer.

“Jude!” My little brother yells and runs to me. Behind him, Vivi scans me like she’s trying to find something wrong. I straighten my back and put on my best calmed face.

“Where were you?” She demands. “We lost you hours ago! Are you ok? You look pale.”

Always such a mother hen, I sigh. “I’m fine. I fell behind and lost y’all. Then... I guessed it would be better to just… return here.”

I try not to frown at my last words, since I didn’t fully intend to say them. You will not tell anybody about what you saw here.

“Jude knows how to take care of herself.” My father adds. I could hug him, but we’re not exactly the affectionate type. So I just flash him a smile.

Vivi does not look convinced but still stands down. “I guess so. The weather did a mess with your hair though.” A flash of Cardan’s fingers pulling from it to gain access to my neck sends a shiver through my body. Had that really happened just minutes before?

Before I can answer, Marrow calls for us. We turn to find her standing next to a big set of paintings that apparently were covered with a curtain. “You cannot leave without meeting the royal family.”

The canvases are ordered to mimic a family tree. A man with a severe expression rests at the very top. Eldred, I assume. Just by looking at it I feel judged. I can’t imagine what was like to actually live with him. The pictures of his wives look all so different but under them, their sons do have resemblance to one another. A weird sensation tickles my fingers as my gaze continues travelling over the paintings. Finally, I get to the last one. Once more, I cover my mouth to avoid an undesired sound.

Staring back at me I see Cardan.

I don’t care if it’s a painting, there is no way I could not recognize those features. Those lips.

“A big family, I see.” Madoc’s words seem so far away.

Marrow hums in agreement. “The Greenbriars always felt proud of their vast offspring. Such attractive sons and daughters. It’s a shame the curse took most of their lives all those centuries ago.”

“Did he…” I start, without knowing how to continue.

She approaches me to look at the canvas. “Ah, young master Cardan. He was the last one of Eldred’s children.” Then a frown appears on her face. “There was a lot of controversy regarding his death. Some say he died because of the curse, some others say he was the curse. The books all have different versions.”

“That sounds creepy as fuck.” Vivi says.

“Creepy as fuck.” My brother mimics her, the thoughtful expression on his face makes him look ridiculous. We cackle as Vivi shouts Oak he’s not supposed to say bad words.

By the time we get out of the castle the rain has decreased to a drizzle.

Madoc carries Oak on his shoulders, listening to his non-stop squeals of excitement after visiting what he calls ‘a real vampire hideout’. This time, I don’t find the words to contradict him. Vivi is the first one to get to the car, shouting back some nonsense about the Greenbriars needing a protection hex.

The moment I step down from the bridge something shifts in my head and I feel as if I had just woken up.

Perhaps it is me who needs a protection spell after all.

Before closing the car’s door, I turn to the castle one more time. Marrow and her husband wave at us from the front gate.

A dull ache throbs on the base of my neck and my hand flies to the spot. I retrieve it and see blood staining my fingers.

My heart misses a beat when I lift my gaze to the upper windows, where a tall figure with white shirt and dark hair is looking right back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags: @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @sweetlyvillainous @poeticbrownmermaid @aesthetics-11 @thesirenwashere @jurdanhell @nightbringer @b00kworm @mysweetvillain @thefolkofthefic @yafandomsdotnet @vanessa172003 @booksandothersecrets

If you wish to be tagged/untagged (or if I forgot to tag you like an utter idot) please let me know!

300 notes · View notes

thewickedkings · 4 years ago

Text

Between the Two of Us ~ Chapter 6

Masterlist || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter

Summary: Jurdan High school AU. Rivals Jude and Cardan are forced to partner up for a history project, and drama ensues. Filled with banter, pranks, an unhealthy amount of pining, and Jude being clueless as usual.

Trigger Warnings: I don’t think there’s anything so far, but please let me know if there’s anything I missed!

~~~

Jude blinked. And then blinked again. But Cardan was still standing at her door, holding a bouquet of red roses, very much real. Under her confusion, a distant part of her felt a surprising flutter of warmth.

She opened the door hesitantly and was greeted with Cardan’s scowl. He was dressed in jeans and a simple white T-shirt that somehow made his already attractive features stand out even more. His sharp black hair fell over his forehead in tantalizing waves. With the roses in hand, he looked like a heartbreak waiting to happen.

Jude opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, but he interrupted.

“Don’t worry. They’re not from me.” He shoved them in her arms like they had burned him. Clearly, the idea of giving her flowers completely repulsed him.

“I- okay. Hi to you too.” She stepped back to let him in, and his jaw ticked. “Someone clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

He stepped in and Jude shut the door behind them. When she turned back to Cardan, she found him looking at her expectantly. She ignored him and walked to the kitchen, resisting the urge to check the note attached, even though she had a feeling she knew who they were from.

“Want anything to drink?”

“No,” he replied bluntly.

Jude pursed her lips. “Okay then.” Clearly, he wasn’t in a cooperative mood. She sighed. “So, I figured we could compare our research to see what-”

“Are you going to put those in a vase?” Cardan interrupted.

She glared at him. “Are you going to be like this the whole time?” But she stood up and went to the pantry to get a vase.

She felt Cardan’s gaze on the side of her face as she filled the vase up with water and put it on the counter, but he didn’t speak. The only sound was the steady drip of the faucet into the sink. She picked up the bouquet, inhaling the fragrant scent of the roses. Before she put them into the vase, she untied the note and read it.

For Jude. Yesterday was fun. We should do it again.

She bit her lip to stop the giddy smile that threatened to break free. Nobody had ever bought her flowers before.

Cardan cleared his throat, irritation edging his voice. “Are we going to do this or not?”

“You’re the one who asked me to put these in a vase,” she mumbled. She flopped onto the bar stool next to him, annoyed.

She opened her laptop, clicking through to open her research. “Like I was saying before you interrupted me, we should compare our research and see what we’ve got.”

“Right, okay.” He ran his hand over jaw, easing the tension in it. “By the way, they’re going to display the best project on the school website, so we might have to up our game.”

Jude’s head swiveled back to Cardan. “What? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me right when you got here?”

“I was a bit preoccupied.”

Jude narrowed her eyes. “Wait, how do you know?”

He smirked, some of his earlier mood dissipating. “I have my sources.”

“I don’t trust your sources,” Jude shot back.

Cardan leaned back, arms stretching behind his head. “Fine then. Don’t believe me. When Taryn and Locke have their project on the website, don’t come crying to me.”

Jude paused momentarily. She’d forgotten Taryn and Locke were partners. Something niggled in the back of her mind, a thought that wasn’t fully formed. “You think they’d actually win?”

“Locke will try if he knows I… if he knows we want to win.”

After the date, Jude had conveniently forgotten that Locke and Cardan knew each other. She felt the strange compulsion to keep them separate in her mind. “Okay, so say this is actually true.”

Cardan scoffed. “If you really must know, I heard my father talking about it. He’s on the board, and it’s one of the publicity tactics or something to make the school look better. They need to show off for the donors.”

Jude looked up, surprised. “Oh, okay. I didn’t know your father was on the board.”

Cardan shrugged and redirected the conversation. “If we want to win, we better start working.”

“Don’t worry. We’re winning this.”

“I’m not worried.” The quick, playful grin he sent her startled her, and Jude wondered what they could do if they actually worked on the same side for once.

Jude paused. “Wait, why do you want to win so badly?”

Before he could answer, the garage door opened, and Madoc entered. Jude stiffened in surprise, not expecting her father to be here while her and Cardan were home. She felt weird introducing them, and she didn’t want her father making any assumptions about the two of them like he did with any guy Jude mentioned.

Jude cleared her throat. “Um, Father, this is Cardan.”

Cardan stood up from the barstool, and Jude watched in awe as Cardan transformed into a gentleman, politely introducing himself and ending each sentence with sir.

“Ah, Eldred’s youngest son. You stay with Balekin now?”

Cardan’s smile wavered but remained intact. “Yes, sir.” She couldn’t help but notice the stiffness in his posture, a sort of rigid tension that Jude couldn’t quite place.

Madoc gave Jude a nod. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it.” He walked into his office and shut the door behind him.

An awkward silence descended over them, until Cardan broke it. “So… you call your dad… Father?”

She didn’t feel like explaining that he wasn’t actually her father, and that their real parents had died in a car crash, so she didn’t. “Yeah, well, dad always seemed too…” she trailed off, shrugging.

“Close?” Cardan supplied, and she nodded. “Yeah, I get that.”

She resisted the temptation to ask him why, but it felt too personal, and it wasn’t like they were friends. Instead she shoved his shoulder. “What was that? I didn’t know you could be a gentleman? All yes, sirs, and of course sir.”

For a second, he blinked and Jude could have sworn she saw a blush on his neck. But then he leaned closer to her across the barstools, almost challenging. His eyes darted to her hand, which was still on his arm, before they flitted to the vase on the counter and then back up to her eyes.

“I can be a decent human sometimes.” He smirked, adding, “But certain people bring out the worst in me.”

Jude’s retort died on her tongue as he leaned further into her space. Cardan’s gaze probed into hers, searching, and her breath caught in her throat.

Heat rushed up her neck, her senses heightening in anticipation of…

A thud sounded from her father’s office, and Jude quickly pulled away, berating herself. What the hell was that?

Cardan swallowed and averted his gaze, his hand flexing. When he spoke, his voice was low. “You never came to any of my parties. There’s one on Saturday. You should come.”

Jude was too surprised by the sudden change in topic and the earnest tone in his voice, so she said, “Okay.”

The serious expression in his face disappeared immediately. He grinned down at her, wiggling his eyebrows. “Okay?”

Jude scowled. “I’ll be there. But only because I owe you.”

Cardan laughed, and any remaining tension dissipated. “Don’t worry. I’d never think otherwise.”

“Come on, let’s just finish this stupid project,” Jude grumbled, but felt the corners of her lips lifting up into a smile.

~~~

The next week was stressful, to say the least. By Wednesday, Jude was ready to pass out and call it a week. Her physics quiz that morning had been draining, and she had barely finished before the end of class. After that, she had a presentation in her literature class that she had just barely fumbled through.

Jude walked to her locker, rubbing her temples to sooth the dull ache growing there. She was surprised to see Locke waiting for her. The few times she had seen him in school over the past week were in passing smiles in the hallways. She hadn’t been sure if she should text him to thank him for the flowers or if she should approach him,

Now, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Jude winced, but quickly covered it with a smile. Her head throbbed, and she didn’t have the energy to sort out why she didn’t like his touch right now.

“Hey, you get my flowers?”

“Yeah, thanks. I loved them.”

Locke’s eyes flitted over her shoulder and then back to her. “No problem.” He leaned in, brushing a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. “Can I walk you to class?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Locke wrapped his arm over her shoulder possessively, pulling her to him.

Jude was awkwardly conscious of his arm around her shoulder and the glances people gave them in the hall. Something about his actions felt unnatural, almost forced. Or maybe she was projecting her own feelings onto him. They’d only been on one date, and she didn’t feel fully comfortable with him yet.

When Jude got to her last period study hall, she quickly slid out from under his arm, mumbling a quick “thanks,” before entering her class.

Study hall was basically an hour to work on any of your assignments before school let out, and Jude spent the class with her headphones in, head resting against her arm. She knew she probably should get some assignments done, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

When the bell rang, Jude made her way to the gym next to the soccer field to get ready for practice. Her headache had thankfully subsided, and she threaded her way through the parking lot.

“Hey,” a voice said from behind her.

Jude was surprised to find Nicasia quickly walking to catch up with her. “Hi?”

Nicasia rolled her eyes. Her black hair was up in a messy bun, the ends died an ethereal blue. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and fell into step next to Jude. “I figured we could walk to practice together, since we do have the same class last period.”

Jude blinked. “Um, okay. You weren’t exactly being friendly when you ignored me on the field and tried to shoot an impossible goal instead of just passing.”

Nicasia shrugged. “I was just pissed because I heard Locke talking about you, and I probably shouldn’t have taken it out on the field.”

“Great apology.”

Nicasia rolled her eyes again. “Shut up.”

“So wait… you and Locke dated?” Last she knew, Nicasia and Cardan were together. She really needed to keep up with the school drama.

Nicasia nodded. Something in Jude’s face made her add, “Don’t worry. I ended things with him for a reason. It was great at first, until I realized he was just using me to get at Cardan.”

Jude paused, suddenly reevaluating everything she knew about Locke, and wondering why Locke would want to get at Cardan. Jude was instantly curious if it had worked.

Nicasia sighed and played with a loose strand of hair. “Look, I know this might make me seem like a jealous ex, but Locke… he likes drama. He likes to create drama. I saw him with you in the hallway today, and despite our differences, I don’t want you to get in caught in it.”

Jude didn’t know what to make of this information, but Nicasia seemed to be genuine. Something about her date with Locke had felt… a little too perfect. Then, she hadn’t thought it was a bad thing, but now she felt as though she had been played. “Thanks for the warning, I guess.”

Nicasia opened the door to the gym. “I wish someone had given me one, but I should have known better.” They both silently entered their separate changing rooms to put on their soccer gear.

Jude’s thoughts wandered as she slipped out of her jeans and into her soccer shorts. Even though she did enjoy their date, she realized she didn’t really know Locke. What Nicasia said about Locke could be true, and if it was, Jude absolutely did not want to take things further with him.

Jude found she wasn’t as disappointed as she should be at the thought. Besides flirting with each other, they didn’t really have anything in common that connected them. If she really thought about it, she knew whatever was between them wasn’t going to last, and that it mainly for fun. Yes, the first date went pretty well and she loved the attention, but what about after? She wasn’t very good at relationships in general, and she was bound to do something wrong.

When Jude came out, she silently sat next to Nicasia on the bench next to the lockers. Jude leaned down to slide her foot into her cleats, and her foot came in contact with a warm goeey substance. She yelped, pulling her foot out of her shoe.

“What?” Nicasia asked. She snorted when she saw the green sludge on Jude’s sock. “Oh.”

Jude groaned. “Ugh, Cardan. I knew he was planning something.”

Nicasia gave her a long look, tying her hair back into a ponytail, and then getting up and getting her napkins. “You two are still doing this?”

Jude wondered just how much Nicasia knew about their prank war as she cleaned out the inside of her shoe as much as she could. Despite her best efforts, some of the sludge remained stuck to the bottom. “I mean, if one of us stops, it means the other person wins. And I can’t let him win.”

“You’re both idiots.”

Jude laughed, shrugging. “As long as I beat him, I don’t care.”

Nicasia stood up, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder. “When you two finally get together, I’m going to throw a party.”

Jude sputtered. “What? We’re not- he doesn’t- what?”

“Uh huh, right.” Nicasia smirked as she walked to the door. “See you on the field.”

Jude scowled as Nicasia shut the door of the gym behind her, leaving Jude in silence. Why did Nicasia think her and Cardan would ever… get together? Jude shook her head, and opened her gym bag to find her headband. A piece of paper fluttered out, and Jude picked it up. There was no name on it, but once she read it, she knew exactly who it was from.

Have a “sensational” time at practice. See you on Saturday.

~~~

A/N: Hehehe sorry for getting your hopes up with the last chapter but this is going to be a slowwww burn. We did get to see jealous CardanTM though 😌

Sorry for the long wait! My school just started again this week and my attention span is exactly 0.02 seconds after quarantine lol. I’m so excited for the next chapter! Let me know what you think in the comments :)

Tagging: (Bolded tags didn’t work. I don’t know why, it might be your settings or just tumblr acting up, but I’ll tag you in the comments for now! If I forgot to tag you our messed something up, just send me an ask and I’ll fix it as soon as I can!)

@jurdan7 @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @amoosewithflannelforfur @aneuwin @mercrutiodidntdieforthis @hizqueen4life @mi-mavencalories @simonelovesff @b00kworm @nope-has-lied @andromeddea @aesthetics-11 @queen-of-glass @runnybabbit9 @afexiss @the-keen-queen @yesimtheslytherinwitch @fizziefaerie @abigneignenn @storiesandschemes @aelin-queen-of-terrasen@words-of-the-wise @thedazzlingheights @magicalbookwyvern @kittkatandbooboo @queen-of-no1 @iminsanenotobsessed @dorkzrul @snusbandxknifewife @aknymph @clouds-and-peonies @thefolkofthefic @snorting-up-pizza @fandomfanatic987 @fandom-will-be-the-death-of-me @cardanslittletail @curlyredqueen06 @losssssstttttt @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln@omfglucayababies @judiecardan @woodsbeyond1 @yourroyalbooknerd @ireallyshouldsleeprn @st00pid231 @alittledribbledrabble @nomotivation-lads @herladyshipxx @judiecardan

#between the two of us #chapter 6 #wow i actually wrote something #jurdan #jurdan fanfic #jurdan fanfiction #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #the folk of the air #folk of the air #my writing

183 notes · View notes

destiniesfic · 4 years ago

Photo

132 Hours, Chapter 2:

“Say ‘please?’”

“Fuck off, Greenbriar.”

“Close enough.”

Read chapter 2 on AO3 or read below:

This is the shape of my nightmares:

My sister Taryn and I are thirteen years old, sick and miserable. We’ve just endured our first heats and stayed home from school for a week with doctor permission. Even now, we feel residual awfulness: headaches and sore muscles. Heats are painful when there’s no one to help you through them, and obviously we’re too young to mate. We sheltered in our rooms, and our adoptive father briefly hired an omega nurse to tend to our high temperatures and help us wrap up in blankets, so at least we felt safe and cocooned.

Everybody knows why we missed school, and they whisper about it behind our backs. Even before we presented, our designation was obvious. The rest of our class—the rest of the school—is alpha kids, and the ones in our year have all started growing out of their baby fat, shooting up like wheat stalks. Taryn and I are only barely taller than we were last year, our cheeks are still soft, and we are gaining weight in our hips and chests. Everything about this is awful. Nothing is fun.

We are outside for gym class. The alpha kids, growing into their bodies, have a lot of extra energy, so they need to spend time circling the track or tackling each other in games of capture the flag. Taryn and I will join them until we get tired, but if we show signs of flagging, we’re benched. Omegas aren’t as sturdy. Omegas break.

Today, the teacher is more generous. During our game of capture the flag, she simply mandates we play defense, guarding the precious flag, and abstain from running around with our classmates. It’s boring, but fine. We get to talk to each other while the alphas tussle among themselves upfield.

Except a few of them are “on defense” today too—the alpha elites, too lazy or too important for gym, who can slack off. As the only two omegas on school grounds who aren’t staff, Taryn and I are categorically beneath their notice, but we know every member of the clique by name: Locke, the son of a wealthy consultant who’s never home, always traveling; Nicasia, whose mom is a senator; Valerian—nobody knows what his family does so we all kind of assume it’s crime; Cardan, the youngest of six heirs to the most absurd family fortune this side of the Rockies.

Already, they are taller than us, stronger than us, looking unfairly sculpted in the autumn sun. Already I am aware of how we are different.

Then the wind blows past me, picking up my hair. And the scene changes.

The first thing I notice when Cardan unexpectedly strides toward me is that he smells amazing. He smells so incredible that I goggle at him for a second, baffled by how I somehow didn’t notice this about him before. I feel a clenching in my stomach and the urge to do something, although at the time I don’t know what. And then, while I am paralyzed by his scent, he gives me a hard shove for no reason, knocking me off-balance.

I land on my backside, an embarrassing but safe place to land, padded with muscle and fat. Our adoptive father always taught us that it’s better to land there than anywhere else, better to suffer a little humiliation than to crack your skull open or shatter your ankle or wrist. It still smarts, but at least the only thing bruised is my pride.

Then Valerian throws his head back and laughs. “That’s where she belongs,” he crows. “On her back, like a good little omega.”

Nicasia thinks that’s hilarious. Locke raises his eyebrows, blinking at us with large, tawny eyes. And Cardan, the instigator. Cardan just sneers.

That sneer has haunted me. I’ve seen it countless times since then. He starts holding his nose when he passes me in the hallway. Whenever I get complacent, he makes sure to whisper in my ear that I reek. He and his friends seem to find it more fun to bully the alphas smaller or weaker than them—omegas already know their place, after all—but that does not protect us when they’re bored, or when said alphas further down the food chain need to take out their own aggressions.

I think they thought it would break me.

They couldn’t know it would do the opposite.

---

“Jude?”

I open my eyes to a darkened room, and groan. I feel vaguely like I’ve been run over by a truck, then the truck stopped and someone picked me up and threw me in the back of it, and we proceeded to drive down a very bumpy road. In other words: like shit. My head throbs, and when I try to sit up, the world spins and I flop back over.

“What happened?” I mutter. Everything is greyish and blurry. Dim light seems to be filtering in from somewhere above my head and to the left, but there isn’t very much of it. I hold my hand up in front of my eyes and squint at it until I stop seeing double.

There’s a relieved sigh from somewhere past my hand. A male voice. “You’re okay.”

I make a second attempt at sitting up and am more successful this time. My shoulder scrapes against a wall to my right, so I lean into it. The light source I clocked before is a small window, longer than it is wide, set high up above me. And on the other side of the room, sitting across from me, sits the dark shape of a boy, or a man, or someone caught eternally in between those two things.

Cardan.

I blink at him. “You look like shit.”

“Yeah, you too.” Cardan rubs his eye. He isn’t sneering now. In fact, he looks worse than I’ve ever seen him. His hair is messy—which is nothing new, people are doubtless running their hands through it all the time with how perpetually tousled it seems—but there are circles under his eyes and he looks pale. He’s also bleary-eyed and squinting a little. He doesn’t seem to have any visible injuries, though, although jury’s out on whether that’s good or bad. I’ve often thought he could stand to get pushed around a little more, instead of always being the one to do the pushing.

“I gave you the mattress,” he says, gesturing at what I’m sitting on. “There was only one.”

I look down. I’m indeed sitting on a mattress. There’s no linens, but someone has thrown a slightly scratchy blanket over the lower half of my body. I peer around, dread sinking in as I begin to grasp the severity of our situation. “Oh, fuck.”

“I think it’s ransom,” Cardan volunteers. “I mean, I really can’t think of anything else it would be.”

I hug my arms to my chest and say the thing drilled into every omega’s brain since they’re old enough to wander off from their parents. “What about sex slavery?”

“Yeah, there’s not a huge demand for alpha men on the black market. Although…” He looks down at himself and smirks a little. He’s built like a classical sculpture and he is well aware of this fact. “Can’t blame them if they decided to make an exception.”

It’s impossible to think he’s making a joke about this, not when it’s actually a thing that could happen to me, a possibility that my stepmother Oriana warned us of ever since she married Madoc and inherited his adopted twins. Sex slavers looking to snatch up omega girls became our bogeymen.

But the odds are that Cardan’s right: it’s probably ransom. I imagine people would do and have done worse to get their hands on a fraction of the late Eldred Greenbriar’s billions.

But I say, “Maybe someone finally got tired of you being annoying as shit.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Feeling mouthy, are we?”

“Fuck off. This is your fault,” I accuse, wagging a finger at him. “You did this.”

Cardan blinks at me. “What, you think I kidnapped myself?”

“Not literally.” I slump back against the wall. “Although it seems like something you would do. You love attention.”

“Ah, yes. All of the attention I am getting from you in our cozy eight-by-ten cell. I’m just soaking it in.” He pantomimes splashing water on his face. “Great for the skin.”

“You’re in a playful mood.” But of course he’s feeling better than me. He would have needed a larger dose—of the chloroform? ether? they used on us to get us here—but he also would have bounced back quicker. Everything about alpha biology is kind of extra like that.

“I joke a lot when I’m nervous.” He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. “I am actually freaking the fuck out.”

“Oh, great.”

“I do have water, though. Thought that might interest you.”

I sit up a little straighter. “God, my head is killing me. Yes.”

“Say ‘please?’”

“Fuck off, Greenbriar.”

“Close enough.”

Instead of getting up, which I think for a moment he might, he rolls the half-empty bottle of water across the floor and over to me. It bumps against the edge of the mattress and I have to lean over to grab it, which nearly makes me hurl then and there. The water helps, though. It’s room temp, but even a mouthful makes me feel more like a person.

“It’s not drugged,” Cardan calls. “Surprised you didn’t ask in advance.”

I flip him off. After I’ve drained the last of the bottle, I let myself just breathe, counting backwards from ten in my head. There are many warring emotions vying to tip me over the edge of a panic attack, but I can’t let them. I have to get out of here.

Cardan flicks at a bit of dust on the floor. When I am on three, he interrupts my mindful breathing. “You realize that, technically, we have now swapped saliva?”

“Ew.” I throw the empty water bottle at him and am annoyed when he catches it effortlessly from the air. “Could you be, like, useful for once in your life?”

“Sure.” He leans forward and lowers his voice, like he’s afraid someone might overhear. “There are three of them. One’s a woman, I think the other two are men. The only one I’ve seen is tall and white and barely spoke a word to me. He dropped off the water when I was still groggy.”

That is useful. Dammit. I frown. “Designation?”

“Dunno. Couldn’t get a read on him. I think they might be using maskers for their scents.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I exhale. “Tall” doesn’t have to mean alpha—my sister Vivi, who’s shorter than me, is proof enough of that. But it doesn’t sound good. “Any idea where we are?”

“I don’t think we’ve left Long Island. I don’t know for sure, though. We could be in Jersey for all I know.”

“Right.” I sigh again and rub my temples. “Okay, so ransom. Ransom. You could technically pay the ransom yourself, right? You’re over eighteen—”

“I’m twenty.” When I blink at him, he clarifies, “Repeated sixth grade, remember? And I just had my birthday in July.”

How could I forget? My life wasn’t exactly blissful before he came along, but it definitely got worse when he got bumped down to my year. “Okay, you’re twenty, and your dad died last year. So you’ve got your own money now.”

Cardan raises his eyebrows. “Wow. Real considerate.”

Now is definitely not the time to quibble over manners, but I manage, “Sorry, I guess.”

“Don’t be. He was a dick.” I glare at him, but he ignores me, patting down the pockets of his skinny jeans. “Huh, you know, when they took my phone and my wallet, they must have also taken the special checkbook I keep on me just for hostage situations. Think they’d accept Venmo?”

“Very funny.”

“But the real issue here is that I can’t touch my trust until I turn twenty-one.”

I wish I could say that didn’t interest me, but it does. Sure, Madoc has money. He’s a ruthlessly efficient attorney with killer instincts, and, among other prominent clients, he’s represented Cardan’s dad and both of his older brothers at one point or another. But he’s not among the alpha ultra-rich. Private helicopter rich. Secluded island rich. And I’m nosy enough about how the point one percent of the one percent lives. Anyone would be. So I ask, “Why’s that?”

“Why did my dad do anything?” Cardan folds his hands behind his head. “To make my life difficult, I guess. It was probably to ensure I wouldn’t embarrass myself by buying and crashing seventeen Porsches in a row. Give that frontal lobe time to develop. He’s not here to say. Anyway, Balekin’s the trustee. Maybe there’s some clause about life-threatening emergencies.”

Balekin is Cardan’s oldest brother, but thinking about siblings makes me wonder, with a pang in my chest, about Taryn. What had she done when she and Locke couldn’t find me at the party? Had she panicked? Had she gotten home safe? I don’t want to think about Madoc because he’s probably freaking out in a big way, a side of him I have only seen once before, the last time someone threatened me. It’s more likely that he’ll tear the kidnappers limb from limb than give into anybody’s demands. I hope Balekin has a more level head, although given his reputation for throwing massive parties, I am not counting on it.

“Right,” I say. “So they’ll hit up Balekin for the money?”

“Dude, I don’t know. Honestly? He might have staged this himself to get at the trust, or more likely my stake in the corporation. In some ways, I think it’s better for my family if I disappear.”

It surprises me to hear him say that. “Wouldn’t—that would be a huge scandal, though?”

I don’t say what I think, which is Don’t they love you? But there’s a pretty big age gap between Cardan and his oldest siblings. They could be practically strangers for all I know.

Cardan just shrugs and looks gloomy.

“I don’t think they planned on getting me, too,” I say quietly. There’s only one mattress in the room. One bottle of water on hand for when Cardan woke up. And anyone who thinks they can extort “Mad Dog” Madoc is definitely biting off more than they can chew. But that curdles my stomach, because if Cardan hadn’t chased me down the beach, I probably would have woken up in my lavender canopied bed, safe. Probably with a killer headache from overstimulation, but safe. As safe as I can ever be.

“Yeah,” Cardan agrees, which doesn’t help me feel any better. “Wrong place, wrong time.”

I blow out a breath. “Well, Balekin better pay up in the next forty-eight hours, or we need to figure out how to get out of here. Otherwise we’re going to have problems.”

“We are?”

I swallow. I hate that I have to spell it out for him. But I keep my voice even, casual. “Unless you’ve got spare heat suppressants on you.”

Cardan looks dumbstruck. “Oh,” he says after a moment. “Shit, no. I must have left them in my other jeans with my hostage checkbook.”

I feel myself blush, which is ridiculous. Unregulated heat cycles, messy and inconvenient as they are, are nothing to be ashamed of, as everyone says. Just a quirk of biology. Just the way I am. There’s even a group of pretty radical omega activists out there fighting to destigmatize unregulated cycles, citing the damage that suppressants can wreak on the body. Except my designation is going to be pretty problematic if I’m locked in this room with Cardan for reasons other than societal stigma.

To be honest, it’s already a problem. The room is probably ten feet long, not long enough for us both to lie down across from each other without curling up to avoid touching. I am already hyper-aware of his presence, the nervous drumming of his long fingers, the terrible urge I have to run my fingers through his already messy curls. It’s just chemistry, but if it’s bad now, it’ll be about eighty times worse for both of us if I go into heat.

And if any of our captors are also alphas…

I shake myself all over. I can’t go down that road. I’ll never pull myself back. I’ll just curl up in a little ball and then it’ll be up to Cardan to save us, which, no thank you. “Yeah. So, one way or another we have to get out of here.”

Cardan goes pale. “Jude, I—”

“So we assume nobody’s coming,” I continue. “Use the next twenty-four hours to figure out as much as we can about the people who’ve taken us and where we’re being held, and the next twenty-four to escape. That’s the plan.”

“That’s a reasonable plan,” he says, vaguely startled.

“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

“I’m not. You were valedictorian, of course you have a plan. Just, uh, my mind went totally blank when you pointed out you’d—”

“We don’t have to talk about it, okay?” I snap. “I assume you want that just as much as I do.” Which is not at all.

The way he pales further tells me I’m not far from wrong. I mean, he’s always made it clear how much he’s hated my scent, the way I look, the fact that I get better grades than him. He hates pretty much everything about me, because I am an omega and he is an alpha, and that means he should be on top of the world and I should know my place.

I massage my temples, trying to clear my head. “No, we’re going to get out of here before that happens.”

For reasons I can’t pretend to understand, that seems to reassure Cardan. He nods and unfolds his arms, letting his head fall back against the wall. His eyes close. “Okay.”

I am surprised that he seems at all willing to trust me, but I suppose he is pretty low on options. That’s his mistake. Already I am thinking of what a relief it will be to leave him behind, even though I know that, morally speaking, I should be formulating an escape plan for the both of us. Besides, abandoning Cardan to his fate wouldn’t really solve any of my problems. But I wouldn’t have to face his sneer anymore, wouldn’t have to wonder what it would take to convince him I have earned my place when the answer is clearly “Nothing, ever.”

“I just have to figure out how,” I mutter under my breath.

Cardan cracks one dark eye open to look at me, but I ignore him, staring up at the little window. There has to be a way to crack this place open like a nut, and if there is, I’ll find it. There is no other option but this, no other way but out.

I refuse to believe otherwise.

#jurdan #judecardan #jude x cardan #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #the folk of the air #tfota #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #jurdan fanfic #mine: fic #fic: 132 hours

51 notes · View notes

alexhogh7137 · 4 years ago

Text

The Battle Between Love and Fire-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Chapter Eight is here...

Chapter Nine: A New Beginning

Chapter Ten Coming Soon...

Word Count 1.8k

Warnings: angst, mentions of intents to cause harm, fluff at the end

When Ivar came into your chambers, he found you distraught and crying. He walked to you as fast as he could without falling.

Ivar "Oh princess, what is it?!"

You were practically hyperventilating, "My dragon's-"

Ivar "What about them? Ryuu is fine, sweetheart."

"No, Neith and Eldr! They are still home with my father! He will change them to be dangerous creatures."

Ivar "Are you certain?"

"Yes. My father's dragon's were very different! He used them to kill and destroy kingdoms, I don't want mine to be the same."

Ivar "What do I need to do?"

"I...I just need my dragon's, Ivar."

Ivar "So I will prepare for our travel's to Wessex. You will get your dragon's, Y/n. I will make absolutely certain of it."

__________________________________

A day goes by before you make it back to Wessex. As soon as you see your kingdom, your heart starts to pound in your chest. You never wanted to come back but you have to get your babies back. All of the flashbacks came back into your memory, they are so vivid that it feels like they happened yesterday. Your hands clench into a fist and Ivar notices your instant panic, and grabs your hand.

Ivar "Everything will be fine, my sweet. Nothing will happen to you or your dragon's."

"I know, it is just hard to be back here is all. I just want to get them and go back to Kattegat."

Ivar "You will soon, I promise. When we get back, your life will be much different okay?"

"I just need you and my dragon's...then I'll be happy."

Ivar "Well aren't I a lucky man?!"

You chuckle and lean into his side. Hvitserk is riding horseback right behind yours and Ivar's carriage. In front and on the side are warriors and shield maiden's. Having the support gave you some sort of ease but you are still absolutely petrified that something will happen today. You just have to put your trust in the gods that everything will go smoothly.

…

Once you reach the gates, your people notice that it is you and open them willingly.

"Welcome home, princess." A man said.

"Thank you." You were thinking about saying that it was good to be bad but that is far from the truth. So you simply thanked him and looked ahead of you. Ivar never let go of your hand the whole way towards the castle. You searched endlessly for any sight of your precious dragon's but no sign of them, worrying you insanely. Hvitserk stops his horse by your carriage and dismounts.

Hvitserk "Do you see them?"

"No..or him."

Ivar "Isn't he the king? Why isn't he out here by now?"

"That is what I am wondering. I don't like this."

Hvitserk "Hey, you're fine and so are we okay? We will find your dragon's and go home."

Ivar "Come on, let's go find them." You both get out of the carriage and your people stare at you and Ivar.

"Princess, who is this man?" A friend of yours asked.

"My soon to be husband. Now...where are they?"

"They?"

"Neith and Eldr, where are they?!"

"I haven't seen them since you left earlier this week, Y/n. I thought you took them with you." Your heart sank. Where is your dragon's?

"Oh my gods…" You run into the castle, leaving behind your safety: Ivar and his guard's.

The first sight you see is none other than your father himself. You stop in your tracks and your knees get weak.

Father "Well well well! If it isn't my lovely daughter. I thought you weren't ever coming back. This is such a surprise!"

"Where are they, father?"

Father "They? Oh you mean your dragon's."

"Yes, where are they? They are mine-" The doors open and Ivar and his brother come in, along with his many guard's.

Father "Oh..another surprise in my doorway!"

Ivar stops by your side, "Where are her dragon's?"

Father "Now that isn't very polite! I don't even know your name."

Ivar "My name is Ivar. Ivar the Boneless."

Father "Oh...I know you very well-"

Ivar "You know nothing of me. Now I will ask you again, where are her dragon's?"

Father "They are in her chamber's. But I must warn you-"

"What did you do to them?"

Father "They haven't eaten anything in six days, so be careful little one. They might just eat you!" He laughs evily. You felt sick to your stomach and your eyes start to water. You put trust in your father that he would take good care of them while you were away. Note to self, never do that again.

Hvitserk looks at Ivar and he scowls, Ivar returns the same glare. You run off to your chambers and Hvitserk and Ivar are close behind. Once you open your doors, Neith and Eldr are beyond chains up: their feet, their wings and neck are chained to your bed posts. You almost fall to your knees but catch yourself. They recognize you and screech out in joy. You have never heard them shout so loudly.

"Hello, my babies! Oh my gods, you poor babies. Let me find you a key, Hvitserk you look over there, I'll look on this side." He agrees and finds a key in no time at all. When Ivar comes into the room, he is dumbfounded.

Ivar "Princess they are-"

"I know!" They are practically skin and bone. They don't look like yours but they surely are. You just have to feed them instantly.

Ivar "Why would he do this to them?"

"Because they are not his and he knows it very well. He destroys everything that is not his own."

Ivar "What do they eat?"

"They will eat anything at this point: meat, small animals, fruit etc."

Ivar "Go find some, and hurry back." He ordered a few of his men to bring back food for your dragon's. Ryuu is weeping for his brother and sister. As soon as they are unchained, they rush to you. You start to cry at the feeling of how badly they needed you, how badly they missed you. Hvitserk has to look away because he can not stand the sight of you crying. Ever since you came to Kattegat, he has grown a liking to you more than anyone. You mean a great deal to him, as well as Ivar. You hold all three of your dragon's in your arms as they nibble on your clothes, cheeks and shoulder's. The love-bites do not hurt, they are their way of showing love and affection. Ivar sits down beside you on the bed and rubs small circles on the small of your back.

Ivar "They will get fed, princess. And in no time, we will be on our way back home."

"I cannot believe that he did this to them. If I didn't come today, they could've died Ivar."

Ivar "But they didn't, they are safe and sound in your arms. Everything will be okay." You sniff away your tears and wait for his men to come back with food. Neith and Eldr barely chewed, they just swallowed the food whole. You watched and witnessed how deprived your babies were.

"Never again."

Hvitserk "What?"

"Never again will I trust my father."

Hvitserk "To that I must agree with."

"Eat up, then it's time to go to your new home."

__________________________________

When your dragon's are fed enough to be able to fly, you and Ivar decide that it is time to head home. Once you walk out and into your gallery, your father stops you. He grabs you by your arm so that you cannot walk away from him. Ivar stops as well as Hvitserk.

Ivar "Let her go."

Father "Or what, you will kill me, cripple?"

Ivar "Don't tempt me. You give me every reason to do so, considering everything you have put her through."

Father "You know nothing."

Hvitserk "On the contrary, we know everything. So let her go." He places his hand on top of his sword, ready to kill him if he tries anything.

Father "So tell me, which one are you planning on marrying, little one?"

"That is none of your concern."

Father "Oh it is though. If one of these men is bound to be my son-in-law, I would like to know."

Ivar "I am. So I will tell you again, let go of her arm."

Father "You are marrying this cripple?! Are you serious, Y/n? You are a disgrace to this family and this kingdom."

Ivar "You are one insult away from starting a war."

Father "You don't scare me, Ivar the Boneless."

"You should stop talking, father. You have no idea what he is capable of."

Father "You are right there, Y/n. But I know what I am capable of, and he should not be threatening his king."

Hvitserk "You must have forgotten that Ivar too, is a king."

Father "Ah yes, the king of Scandinavia. How fascinating."

Ivar "You shouldn't be threatening your daughter...you should be ashamed of yourself. Bashing a woman such as herself. Who has done nothing but retrieve her dragon's."

Father "I gifted them to her, so technically they are my dragon's." You turn around and face him yourself.

"You know damn well they are not your dragon's. They are mine and always will be. You do not claim them, I do. Do you understand me?"

Father "Watch your tone-"

"No I will not! You have no right to tell me that they are yours. Who feeds them, who trained them, who cares for them? Me! You let them starve for six days! Six! How dare you?!"

Father "If you don't get out of my face, I will have you hung for blasphemy against the king."

Ivar "That is not going to happen." He takes out his dagger, Hvitserk his sword and his men get ready.

"Do it, I dare you father. See what will happen. I know what will happen."

Father "Oh yeah, and what is that my dear?"

"You'll finally die, and all of my worries will be gone. I will die in the process but at least the good people of Wessex will not have to live another day under your rule. So do it." He lets go of your arm and Ivar immediately grabs you and pulls you into his chest. Hvitserk in turn, grabs your from Ivar and puts you behind him.

Father "Fine, go. But do not expect a home here ever again Y/n. You are no longer welcome here at Wessex. No leave before I change my mind." You leave with your dragon's and your boys and walk out of the castle. When you reach the gates, your friend since childhood stops you.

"What? Where are you going?" She asked.

"Home. You won't see me again."

"Are you being serious?"

"You are more than welcome to come visit me in Kattegat. But yes, I will not be returning."

"...I don't know what to say."

"I love you."

"I-I love you too." After that, you left. Never looking back. Your dragon's are flying free above you and you have Ivar by your side. You look up and moan in relief.

Ivar "Look ahead of you, my love."

"Why?"

Ivar "Because ahead of you is your new life."

@hvitserkmarcosource @a-mess-of-fandoms @ivarsgoddess @youbloodymadgenius @ivarzeitgeist @heavenly1927 @kaitieskidmore1 @fadedprincess @herestherealproblem @saldelys @jzr201

#the battle between love and fire #ivar the god #ivar the boneless #alex hogh andersen #hvitserk #hvitserk lothbrok #marco ilsoe #marco ilsø #vikings

54 notes · View notes

twxntrash · 7 years ago

Text

First chapter and an introductory chapter to the new story I’m working on. It’s just the first draft so most is likely to be changed if/when I reach the final draft.

Also, this worlds currency since it’s brought up in this chapter; 100 silver = 1 US dollar.

Look, being a mage isn’t easy, take it from me.

It can be hard; it can be stressful. Most of the time you’re only source of income are the job requests you take, and the pay varies, from just barely enough to pay rent to enough that your rent is covered for the next three months from that one job. Not to mention how dangerous some of these jobs are.

It’s even worse when you’re a freelance mage. Again, take it from me. You’re not affiliated with any legal guild, so the Ministry, the government officials in charge of the mage community, don’t fully recognize you as a full-fledged mage. Even more, your work options are limited as the bulk of jobs and requests are sent to guildhalls. The best you can do is hope to find a flyer at an inn or help wanted board in town that might pay enough to get you through the week.

Then you gotta factor in the age of it all. People tend to look for older, more experienced mages when it comes from freelancers, because they feel like they can put more trust that the job get done, and get done right, while the younger ones are always given the look of suspicion, like we’re just doing it for the laughs and won’t take the job seriously.

The life of a freelance mage is not an easy life.

But, hey, it’s my life. I could have just as easily stayed home, never cross the ocean to leave my island for Aykor. But I chose to, because I wanted this life. Sure, I may not have wanted to be a freelance mage per se, I would have rather entered a Guild, but none of my applications got accepted, so, here I am. Could be better, could be worse. I was content enough with it most days, and wasn’t that what mattered?

My name is Nell Eldr. I have shoulder length light coppery-blonde hair, green eyes and I love long walks on the beach.

Okay, that’s not entirely true. The sea and me don’t mix, so if I can avoid those walks on the beach I’m all the happier for it.

But, getting back on point, I’m a mage. To be more precise, I’m a fire mage.

Yeah, I know. I’m a fire mage and my last name is Eldr. It’s like saying I’m Miss. Fire and my magic is fire. Redundant. But, hey, I didn’t choose the surname, my papa’s just not the best at coming up names, I mean, look at how he chose my first name—actually no, let’s save that story for another time.

I’ve been in the kingdom of Aykor for about six months now. When I left my island home, I first traveled south to the Torrin Empire in search of work and stayed there for a few months. I moved south from there to visit a few of the City-States of the Dunes. It was… not a friendly place and not wanting to wake up with a knife in my ribs, I’d chosen to sail north and here I was. Aykor.

It was still hard to believe it had been roughly two years in total since I’d left my home. I was already sixteen. But, that was also a big reason why it was so hard for me to find work.

I was a sixteen-year-old freelance mage.

Not a lot of respect coming my way, and since I didn’t have some guild to vouch for my abilities, I got a lot of rejections when it came to work.

At least when it came to magic. I got a decent amount of labor jobs that didn’t require magic. But the downfall of that was most of it was just the jobs no one else wanted. The real bottom of the barrel kind of work.

But, work was work. So long as it put food in my stomach and a roof over my head, there wasn’t any use complaining. I just had to keep giving it my best each day, keep applying to guilds when I could. Then one day I could very well graduate from being a freelancer and become a guild mage.

I’d recently managed to find work in Verm. It was one of the port towns. Not all that big, but had enough people to open up some job opportunities.

I had managed to snag a job helping one of the farms outside of the city. They had a tractor accident and were short a few hands. I took the opportunity as soon as I saw the flyer. It helped that I had plenty of experience with planting and farming from my time back home. We didn’t have markets or any of the technological advances that the mainland did, so I was used to this kind of manual labor.

Work was from sun up all the way to sun high, aka noon. It was backbreaking, and the farms were so much bigger than what the family back home had. But, it was nice to go back to something I was familiar with than having me cleaning toilets.

But the work was done and I’d be coming back to my temporary lodgings with my pay of seven thousand silver. Sure, it wasn’t really a lot, but it was a good pay for six hours of hard labor.

Atop my head was a small weight. Snoozing on the top of my head was my best friend, my little buddy Flare. I’ve known him for about eight years and he’s been by my side ever since. Of course, walking around towns with a black salamander perched on my head tends to get a few odd looks, but, it’s not like he’s hurting anything.

“Hey there, buddy,” I whispered as I felt the amphibian stirring. Tiny hands patted against my head as Flare got up and looked around, “Works over, we’re heading back to the inn,” I told him. All I got was a few pats.

I kept walking without falter as Flare moved down from my head to my shoulder, resting beside the strap to my rucksack. He always rode on my shoulder if he wasn’t napping away on my head. So I usually didn’t mind.

Maybe I could earn a little more money tonight as a dishwasher. Then, if I had enough, I could head out of town tomorrow morning and head to the next one.

My stomach growled as I walked and I glanced up over to Flare, “How about we get a bite to eat?” I asked him, as though he could respond to me in turn. I’d certainly worked up an appetite after working hard in the fields. I’m sure my wallet wouldn’t hate me too much if I spent a few silvers on a meal.

Hopefully I could find something real spicy. The spicier the better. Hell, I’d eat just the peppers themselves if I could. If not, I’d just drown whatever I did have in hot sauce.

Yeah, I had a strange pallet for foods. I’ve just chalked it up to it being that I have fire for magic.

Not getting any argument from Flare, I changed my course of direction. I could rest at the inn after I get myself some lunch. Thankfully, there were plenty of small diners and restaurants I could choose from. It was just a matter of finding the least crowded or loud one.

It took as long as I had expected to find someplace to sit down and eat. Meaning, not long at all. Of course, there was some time added to the search when the first two refused to let me in because of my ‘pet’. I would have them know that Flare is not a pet! He is my partner and friend, but not a pet!

I of course, kept my mouth shut. No good would come from blowing up at the local business owners. But, I did find a cozy little place to sit down at eat. It was hidden in a back alley, so it wasn’t easy to find, but, it had a nice air to it and not a whole lot of people. An elderly couple sat by the window, a young woman sat alone by the restrooms. A pair of dudes the back wall and a group of friends by the door. I took myself a seat in one of the booths along the wall and watched as Flare climbed down my arm to rest on the table.

I’d have to find him some grub after I ate. Maybe I could go to the park and dig up some worms for him.

I ordered a simple hot chocolate from the middle aged man running the counter, and then picked up the menu to give it a looky.

Not a whole lot of variety, it was clear that coffee was the main product of this shop, coffee and curry. I’d have to say it had been a while since I’d had curry, not since I was in Torrin, so maybe I’d give it a try. It’d be nice if this place could make it as good as the pros.

As my drink was brought over in a large mug and a sizable amount of whipped cream on top, I folded the menu up and placed it on its holder by the edge of the table before giving the man my order. It’d be a few minutes before it would be out so as he left, I reclined in my seat.

I was glad the owner didn’t even bat an eye at seeing Flare, he’d probably seen a lot of weird things by this point.

I took one of the brown napkins from its dispenser and placed it on the table for the salamander. Flare wasted no time pawing at it and nibbling at the paper. I could never understand why, but my little buddy loved playing with paper of any kind. So it was easy to keep him entertained with that, and it was entertaining for me to watch him.

Smiling, I reclined in the cushioned booth seat and decided to look around at the other customers.

The elderly pair were smiling over their coffees, talking in quiet voices. I couldn’t make out the words, but they seemed happy enough. For the single woman at the table by the restrooms, my eyes were drawn to her hair. The brown strands were braided and tied in such a way that it reminded me of the Skadian women. She must have taken inspiration from them for the style. She was quiet as she got up and excused herself to the restroom.

The group of girls were giggling, perhaps too loudly as they crowded over a magazine. I could hear them loud and clear as they gossiped about the latest hot model or the newest trends. I wondered if I would have been doing the same as them if I wasn’t a mage and had lived an average life like them. Probably not, I’d still be as restless as ever.

The last group was the two men. They were too far away and even if they were closer, I wouldn’t be able to hear them over the teenage girls. They were talking in hushed voices. Scowls and hands stuffed in pockets, their tall glasses of soda between them as they grumbled, probably college or exams. They looked like they were in college, maybe just out of it. Certainly in that age range.

I was taken out of my thoughts when my food was placed on my table with a gentle clack. I didn’t even get to say thanks before the man was back to the counter.

The dish had a gentle dip into it, somewhere between a plate and a bowl. There was a large lump of white rice on one side of it. I could see meat and vegetables, and the sauce was so red, the whole dish was steaming and the smell of it made my mouth water. Were those peppers? This man knew what I liked!

I took my spoon and dipped it into the food and brought it to my mouth.

Mmmh! Delicious! The taste was like a punch to the mouth, in a totally good way! Certainly what I liked my spicy foods. It was hot, very hot.

I took another bite. Maybe I could ask for his recipe. Nah, cooks don’t reveal their tricks. I scooped some rice into the next one, and it still tasted good. I’d have to say, for only 700 silver, this was certainly a good meal despite being so cheap.

The food was good, good to the point it was distracting. I didn’t hear people talking or moving, I just got lost in the food until I had someone yelling at me.

Slowly I lowered my spoon to look at the guy. It was one of the two men who were sitting in the restaurant. “Can I help you?” I asked after swallowing.

He held a knife in his hand, I noticed that the others had gone still and silent. His friend was at the counter, a larger knife in his hand as he barked orders at the sole employee of the joint. He kept pointing at the register as he snapped his demands impatiently.

My own intruder brandished his knife at me, his grip clumsy and palms clearly sweaty. He bared his teeth. “Just shut up! Weren’t you listening?” he demanded, and before I could even tell him I hadn’t been, he kept talking, “Just, just shut up and give me all the silver you have on you, got it? Give me all your money and I won’t hurt you!”

I just looked up at him with a bit of a blank expression as I took in his words, hand tapping against the side of my dish as I watched him. Why would he want all my silver?

Oh.

This was a robbery, wasn’t it?

#Cam writes shit #like I said this is first draft crap

4 notes · View notes

queen-scribbles · 7 years ago

Text

Levyn Character Info

Name: Levyn Gladewind Race: Human Class: Warlock Patron: Archfey

-------------------------------------- Vital Stats Height: 5'9" Weight: 150lbs Hair: black, shaggy Eyes: light blue Age: 20 Alignment: Neutral Good Identifying Marks: small scars and stains on his hands and arms from failed spells, one longer scar from a bladed weapon that runs the length of his right forearm -------------------------------------- Skill Stats Strength--15 Intelligence--15 Dexterity--16 Charisma--20 Constitution--17 Wisdom--9 -------------------------------------- Languages Spoken: Common, Elvish, Halfling Skills: Arcana, Deception, History, Investigation Armor/Weapons: light armor, simple weapons

Weapons of Choice: quarterstaff/Book of Shadows Armor of Choice: Light-weight leathers Background: No one spotting the scrawny young man wearing rather threadbare clothes and carefully keeping to himself would suspect he comes from nobility, though they could hardly be blamed for that. Levyn's family are nobles, but only just. His parents rank barely a step or two above "the common rabble", which has led them to guard their reputation with the jealousy and ferocity of a dragon at its hoard. Decorum and behavior and remaining scandal-free were the backbone of all lessons he learned growing up, with heavy stress put on not embarrassing The Family. Unfortunately for his parents, if they wanted Levyn to grow up a model citizen, they shouldn't have dragged their eight year old son to Baron Randall's Winter’s Crest celebration. It was much too 'adult' a party to hold a child's interest for long, which led to Levyn wandering around until he met someone closer to his age: Trinne Amell, one year older and likewise dragged to this party by parents who thought it would be a good opportunity for her to practice her manners. Emboldened by their friendship, the two children quickly set about causing mischief(mostly Trinne's idea) until they got caught(mostly Levyn's fault), and got in trouble(equally shared). His parents scolded him the whole way home, and saw Trinne as a bad influence. Levyn saw her as his only real friend. He and Trinne stayed friends as they grow up. Best friends, in fact, almost more like siblings. Much as his parents considered Trinne to be a bad influence, with her utter disregard for rules and societal convention, her family was higher in the pecking order than they were, so they tolerated the friendship for the tenuous link to the upper echelons it provided. This only lasted until Levyn and Trinne were teenagers, and Trinne told him she was planing to run away. She hated all the rules of high society, wanted adventures, to go do her own thing. Before she even asked, Levyn offered to help. He might not want to go adventuring himself, but he wants her to be happy. When her parents found her and dragged her home, the whole story came out, and Levyn's parents told him he wasn’t allowed to see her anymore. He tried to sneak out to visit her anyway, got caught by a servant, and his parents sent him to study under an uncle who was a wizard, hundreds of miles away. He has no talent for being a wizard. None. He's terrible at it. But he loves studying, so he spends a lot of time reading and sketching the places in the books. He's especially fascinated by stories about the Feywild and its inhabitants. Reads anything he can get his hands on about it. By his third or fourth year with his uncle, he would give a limb for the chance to go visit the Feywild. It takes a few years, but he gets his wish, no limb sacrifice required. His uncle(not a particularly scrupulous man) offers him the "opportunity" in search of an especially rare item dear Uncle Eldred needs for a powerful spell. Levyn's so giddy at the prospect of visiting the Feywild he doesn't wonder about the dangers, or why his uncle won't go himself if this is so important. Why send an apprentice, and one who isn't a particularly skilled wizard at that? He enters the Feywild with only a pack of supplies and both a verbal and sketched description of the item he seeks. "It's rather powerful," Uncle Eldred warns. "So you probably won't be the only one interested in it. But I need you to bring it back, my boy. It's vital I have it if I hope to outdo that braggart Irving." He gets completely lost immediately. Not that it matters, really; it's not as if he had the first idea where to start looking for this thing anyway. He wanders around for who-even-knows how long, both incredibly lost and incredibly fascinated by everything around him. After several hours--days? he's not really sure--of exploring(involving at least one close call each with werewolves and fairies), he stumbles into a glade in the middle of a forest with the ruins of what was probably once a small shrine at one end. There's a half-eroded carving of what he assumes is the patron goddess on one wall, long hair and flowing robes, her eyes pale green gemstones. He finds the item he's looking for in the ruins, covered in moss and laying with several other artifacts by a broken altar. He takes it, of course. He can feel the power buzzing through it, but there don't seem to be any spells or enchantments binding it to the shrine. And he's not attacked by anything, or struck down by magic when he leaves(doesn't even feel anything weird), so he figures it's okay. It's not okay. Everything seems fine for about a week after he returns to his uncle(and heaps of praise for actually succeeding, which Eldred didn't think he'd do), until he receives a visitor. She calls herself Lady Ember, and is rather plain-looking; dark red hair, average height. But her eyes are an incredibly pale glass-green that's slightly unnerving, and there's a sense of power about her that's almost mesmerizing. Once they're alone, she smiles disarmingly and asks if he recognizes her. He shakes his head. "And now?" she asks, dispelling her enchanted appearance with a flick of her wrist. She's clearly fey and hauntingly beautiful; hair longer, fading from the dark red at the roots to blonde at the end, features angular yet delicate, her dress shifting shades of green with highlights of faint red and yellow in her gossamer train. She's closer to familiar now, but he still can't say he recognizes her. "I am Lilia, Lady of the Green Glade," she says with a thin smile. "If you don't recognize me, perhaps you're more familiar with my realm." She holds out a scrying orb so he can see into its depth. It shows a forest, the majority of it withered and decayed, and he stammers out that he didn't see anywhere like that during his visit to the Feywild. Lilia's smile turns cold. "Because it looked rather different before your visit. A vibrant forest, with a well-kept glade and a small shrine. A shrine housing a collection of artifacts." That's where the cold, sinking feeling hits his gut. "And not a willy-nilly horde of trinkets like you mortals keep," Lilia continues. "It was carefully curated to sustain the barrier that protects my realm from corrupting forces. Your actions, thief, weakened the magic and now corruption runs rampant, striking down trees that should live another century or more. However, I am a reasonable woman, and will seek no vengeance if you simply return what you stole." it's an incredibly generous offer, and Levyn knows it, one he would take advantage of in a heartbeat. If he could. Whatever spell or ritual Eldred needed the artifact for consumed it. Lilia is not happy to learn this. "Well, then. Until you can find a suitable replacement to atone for your grievous error, I think your soul is fair trade for the soul of my forest." He tries to protest--he's a lousy wizard(ask anyone), he wouldn't know where to start looking, will almost certainly get himself killed. Can't they work out something else, like a few decades of servitude? Lilia rolls her eyes and mutters something about mortals and their excuses before taking his face in her hands. Her eyes briefly glow a brighter green and there's an unmistakable surge of power between them. "The deal is struck," she says with a smile(not kind, but not malicious). "Powers easier to call upon than a wizard's tricks for you, your soul for me. This bargain stands until my forest does once more." She restores her enchanted form and leaves. Levyn's uncle kicks him out when he hears what happened. So he goes home to see if his parents have anything they can spare to help. However, his uncle wrote them, which gets there before he does, so when he arrives he's promptly and coldly informed he's no longer their son. Not if he's going to dabble with forces he can't control and go haring off to the Feywild. They can't afford to have that kind of recklessness attached to the family name. He next visits Trinne's family, hoping she'll want to go adventuring with him. He finds out she ran away again two years after that first attempt he helped her with and they haven't seen her since. He's welcome to try and track her down himself if he thinks he'll have better luck. He does just that. He's already looking for rare artifacts, how much more difficult can it be to also find one specific woman in the entirety of the world? He takes the last name Gladewind for his adventures, since he can't use his family name any more, and sets out to find the best friend he hasn't seen since he was fourteen. He figures she'll be happy to join him on an adventure where the only plan is to travel and look for powerful artifacts. He's not wrong, of course, but he has to find her first. Virtues: Curious, always trying to do better, cares deeply about the people close to him Flaws: Easily distracted by the promise of knowledge, bad decision making skills Other Traits: Loves a good mystery, socially awkward, artistic(charcoal sketches, primarily)

--------------------------------------------------------

Yes, my artist!Jowan headcanon bleeds into yet another ‘verse. I can’t help it, I’m very attached to that particular headcanon. Also, I’ve changed my mind three or four times about his alignment, bc I keep reading different people’s summaries/simplifications o the alignment chart and feeling conflicted. xD The closest I’ve ever found for a Jowan faceclaim is Diego Luna, who isn’t 100% perfect, but he’s good enough.

Given my lack of familiarity with D&D, coming up with the patron was the hardest part. I knew I wanted to do archfey(tho if anyone could accidentally stumble into a Fiend pact it would be Jowan), but then had to decide which archfey. Came really close to stealing Artagan from Critical Role using Titania before I found a reddit thread of five or six people talking about the archfey they created to be their warlock’s patron and went “K, Imma do that” and thus, Lilia.

#queen rambles #levyn the warlock #i feel like i need a tag for all these dnd characters i can't stop making #i have a PROBLEM

3 notes · View notes

sly-punk1712 · 8 years ago

Text

Jane was out of town when all the Avengers trudged in looking the least heroic Darcy had ever seen them. Without even speaking Clint stomps threw the common room where Darcy is lounging watching DogCops. Natasha follows silently but heading the same path her friend had taken. Steve came threw next giving her a grim nod and heading for the elevator and likely the gym. Tony and Bruce had settled at the counter and Tony is already pouring shots in between sipping from the bottle. Normally Bruce would complain but he makes no comment and knocks back his first one before staring morosely into the second. Bucky flings himself down on the armchair and Sam takes the other end of the couch both oddly quite.

“I’m glad you’re home” Darcy offers softly. Sam doesn’t acknowledge other than his eyes glazing over looking exhausted. Bucky grunts and scratches absently at his stomach. Whatever happened must have been really rough for Bucky to not even wink at her. Before Darcy can decide on her next course of action the last Avenger comes in from the cold.

“I would eat and then meet you on the train grounds, Lightening Sister.” Thor’s voice usually fills a room. Even in his softest tones his words swell to seem fuller somehow than any non Asgardian’s. Darcy nods and is standing before she realizes. “The Armour you wear for Lady Natasha will suffice” and then he’s rooting around in the fridge, back to the others. Darcy looks around but Only Bucky is even paying attention and he just shrugs.

“Have fun Doll”

*************************************

“Where did you get that?” Darcy exclaims in awe when she arrives in the gym. She must have been wrong about Steve because Thor is sitting alone beside a number of impressive looking mid evil weaponry. Thor looks up from the short sword he’s holding.

“Anthony and I fashioned them when you mentioned your interest in taking up arms” He smiled lightly flipping the sword causally. “It was an good bonding experience to bend metal with the Man of Iron”

Darcy steps closer and can tell the Tony works from the Thor works. Tony’s look impeccably sharp and deadly. All raw edges and gleaming in the sunlight pouring in threw the windows. Thor’s however, they look just as deadly but the handles are more interesting. One is a curving a leaves and stars and it reminds her of Jane. There’s a huge double headed halberd that has a wing on each blade and is connected to a twisting center pole that ends in a hawk like bird on the end. There are several smaller knives and Darcy could spend all day looking at the things he’d made with his hand.

“Which of these calls to you?” Thor asks gently breaking up her look at all the sweet stuff trance. Darcy’s a little overwhelmed. She had jokingly told him she’d like to be a bad ass wielding claymore warrior like Lady Sif from the Norse stories but it seemed a tall order for her to not only hold one but successfully swing one as she was 5f3 to Sif’s 6f4. Darcy’s lamenting the lack of Claymore and her stature when she sees it.

It’s undoubtedly one of Thor’s because the hilt is engraved with lightning and runes. If she didn’t know any better she’d call it a long sword but it’s thicker than anything she knows the words for. When her fingers close around the hilt she surprised at how light it is. The weight it perfect and she closes both hands around the grip admiring the center ridge and shininess. Thor chuckles lowly.

“I have told you that this is a highly personal request yes?” Thor speaks again and Darcy manages to stop staring at her new found friend. She nods. “The first weapons training Asguardian children have is with their father or mother, whichever is more skilled. Most of the time parents will craft the weapon together for their young and then the parent and child go on a trip together to learn. It is different with each house and each child. It is a very special thing Darcy” He says. Darcy nods again almost afraid Thor will change his mind. He waits however needing to hear her speak.

“Did you make this for me?” Darcy gestures to the weapon in her hand. He gives her a tight smile that reminds her of all the years he has lived. He nods. “It’s amazing, buddy, I love it. If you don’t want to do this it’s okay I can learn on my own and well spar or something” He chuckles at her babbling. He holds up a hand before she can talk herself out of this. The sun is beginning to set and the way it slams into their tower windows has her sweating slightly.

“I did not know what to make of your request at first. But Anthony tells me you have no father or mother. I have long considered you my family, Darcy and I can not hope to replace that which you have lost but I should like to be your family as much as I know how.” His lower lips trembles just enough that Darcy’s heart instantly breaks. Whatever happened today has him in knots.

“Yes.” Her voice is thick too seeing his emotions. “Yea of course.” Thor shakes his head as if to clear whatever was bothering him, he wants to push it off a little longer. “So does she have a name?” Darcy smiles holding her weapon again and striking a pose.

“Not yet, little one, We’ll name her together when we finish.”

**********************************

They practice until the sweat rolling down Darcy’s body has nothing to do with the Sun that has long disappeared. Thor shows her the correct way to hold position her top hand so the cross guard doesn’t chafe her knuckles so badly. He demonstrates a thrust and Darcy copies. He continues it shoulder muscles rippling with each ferocious jab and they repeat it until Darcy finally lets loose and completes the move with all her energy. Thor beams and they move onto perrys.

Eventually Thor senses her tiring and calls it quits, passing her a bottle of water. Darcy is exhausted and aching in weird places her workouts with Nat don’t touch. It was incredibly difficult and she feels another flare of respect for Sif and her Claymore.

“You would have made a formidable opponent had you learned as a child” Thor commends. “and will be sooner than I anticipate, no doubt” He winks with a secret smile. Darcy grins back. It was weird to say they bonded thru arms training but she really did feel closer to her giant bestie.

“Did you like use Mjolnir to make this? Because I feel like that makes me pretty worthy be default. I fully expect a coronation on my first visit” She giggles. Thor barks out a laugh.

“Why wait?” He grabs his cape from where he’d tossed in on the bench and throws it around Darcy’s shoulders. The cape is heavier than she would have guessed and of course is a foot too long for her. It pools around her on the ground but Darcy stands a little straighter beaming up at him. “By the power granted me by this might hammer, I proclaim you, Lady Darcy, Princess of Asgard.” He grabs her shoulders and presses a kiss to her forehead. His lips linger and Darcy feels his fierce love and his emotional day surrounding her. She wraps as much of her arms around him as she can, keeping him in close. It seems so wrong that such a big guy could tremble in her arms, like a child, but his arms shake with tremors that the work out had pushed off.

“It’s okay” She says softly. Hot wet tears splash on the top of her head and forehead. “It’s gonna be okay Thor, There’s nothing we can’t fix. It’ll be okay” She mutters gentle reassurances until he’s calmed and finally he pulls back with a watery snotty smile. It was mildly comforting to Darcy that even Thor was an ugly crier.

“You are surely a blessing I have not earned little one.” He says. “Come let us name your blade” He smiles for real and grabs the hilt and presses it back into Darcy’s hands. She grips it expectantly waiting for instruction. Thor beams at the picture she makes, short, flushed, eager and in under armor gear and his billowing red cape.

“So how bout Alfred?” She says awkwardly rocking on the balls of her feet. Thor laughs again and clasps his hands on the grip over hers.

“Do your best to relax.” Thor says and that’s all the warning she has before their hands begin to glow a bright white color and heat flares up her am like she’s touched a car that’s been the hot sun. It’s almost too much to bare when Thor finally releases her and the white light fades to blue and the blue light rescinds into the weapon. “Loki is not the only son to study with Mother” He smiles.

Darcy spreads her fingers curiously to find two things. The first is that the dull silver lightning engraved on the grip is now an otherworldly blue and a name has been carved into the blade just above the rain guard, Thor peers at it curiously before beaming at her.

“Eldr Hjarta ?” Darcy stumbles threw the unfamiliar words. “Fire something right?” She looks up into Thor’s eyes, thumb still rubbing the words. The lightning matches his eyes, she thinks.

“Fire heart” He agrees. “It is a good name. My first one was called, Byrstr, or thirsty”

Darcy laughs and the worry she held about Thor softens a little. He’s going to be okay.

“Come let us spread the news.” He passes her the scabbard and belt. Thor is packing away the other weapons while she fastens the belt and blade to her side.

“You’ll talk to Jane about whatever happened? and maybe Sam?” She asks. Thor hums noncommittally. “Seriously Thor if you can’t tell those two who can you tell?”

“You are very wise, sister.” He huffs. “Very well, let us dwell on it no longer. Instead I should like to brag to Anthony that you chose a blade of my fashioning over his.” His smirk is playful and Darcy can’t help but giggle.

***********************************

They enter the common room and Darcy’s so excited to show off her present she doesn’t really think before she speaks.

“Bucky look at my sword!” She shouts the second she’s off the elevator pushing her hips toward his face.Sam must have gone to bed or he’d be laughing at the bewildered owlish look on Bucky’s face. Bucky blinks rapidly at her pelvis for a moment before seeing the actual weapon

“That certainly would explain a lot about you Lewis.” Tony sniggers from behind his glass. Darcy glowers.

“As if I would call my hypothetical dick a sword!” She scoffs. “It’d be a Thompson gun” She smirks. Bruce chokes out a laugh and even Tony cracks a smile.

“I happen to be a weapons expert Doll” Bucky winks with a smile. Darcy pats his head affectionately and beams at Thor..

“So am I Buck, so am I”

#darcy lewis #thor #angst #mentions clint #mentions natasha #mentions steve rogers #Bucky Barnes #james bucky barnes #sam wilson #tony stark #tony drinks to solve problems #feels #bruce banner #asgardian traditions #magic users #asgardian customs #sister/brother #bucky/darcy

154 notes · View notes

alexhogh7137 · 4 years ago

Text

The Battle Between Love and Fire-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Chapter Twenty-Nine pt Two: Fire & Wounds

Chapter Twenty-Nine pt One

Word Count 3.8k

Warnings: mentions of blood, heavy angst

The first thing that you see when you step foot outside is a cabin on fire. It is not just a cabin, however, it is the cabin that held the woman that was blasphemous towards you. She was kept in there until she learned her lesson, that is until now. She must have found a way to escape but in doing so, she set the building on fire. Hvitserk holds you back because the flames are so high.

"What happened?" You screamed out.

"She escaped, my queen!" A man answered.

"Where is she?! Where is my husband?"

"The king is searching the grounds, trying to find her."

Hvitserk "He went alone?"

"No of course not! He is with Ubbe and a few men." He said out of breath.

Hvitserk "Go get your dragons, I'm going after Ivar."

"Please be careful. I am going to be flying ahead, maybe I can find her that way." Hvitserk kisses your head.

Hvitserk "I love you."

"I know." He nods and runs along with the men that are heading towards the treeline. You hurry your way to your three dragons and get on top of Ryuu.

"C'mon boy, let's go get this little bitch." He screeches and leaps off of the ground, Neith and Eldr following close. You should have listened to Ivar, you should have killed her when she first acted out. Lesson learned, you suppose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ivar's Pov, as soon as the man asked for his assistance…

I walked out of my chambers, still amped up from a few moments ago. Hoping that I could still be in the tub with my wife, but being a king comes with responsibilities that never end. So I could not refuse going out to attend to whatever is happening.

"Talk."

"She has escaped, sir!" The man said.

"How?!"

"The cabin..it's on fire. She's gone!" I walked out of the house as quickly as I could, knowing that this is going to be a long night. I knew that I should have put an end to her that very day but Y/n would not allow it, bless her heart. I do not know what I am going to see when I step outside, but I brace myself for whatever it may be. I can hear my people's screams, their voices high pitched but I can't quite figure out what they are all saying. I hesitate for a second before opening up the door, seeing my cabin up in high flames.

"My gods.." I whisper to myself. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!" I grabbed the guards collar, who was in charge of keeping an eye on this woman.

"I can't say for sure, my king."

"WHERE IS SHE HUH? WHERE IS THE PRISONER!?"

"I think I heard a man say that he saw her running into the woods!"

"THEN WHY HAVE YOU NOT GONE AFTER HER?!"

"I-" I don't give him a chance to answer because I know that it would only be a petty excuse. I take my dagger out and slit his throat. Ubbe comes up behind me, grabbing my shoulder.

Ubbe "WHAT HAPPENED, BROTHER?!"

"The bitch has escaped!" Ubbe looks down at the guard that I just killed and scuffs.

Ubbe "Does him right..did he say where she went?" He said, out of breath from running rapid.

"He mentioned the treeline...we won't find her Ubbe.."

Ubbe "Oh yes she will, and she will pay for her crimes." He takes out his sword and I do the same. We take a deep breath before going into the treeline.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hvitserk's Pov

Separating from Y/n was a hard choice to make but I knew that we had to. Y/n is strong and she has her dragon's, which helps ease my mind a ton. I need to find Ubbe and Ivar, make sure that they are safe and okay. I feel like I've been running for miles and miles before reaching Ivar.

"Brother," I shouted, he turns to face me, "where is Ubbe?!"

Ivar "Way ahead. I told him that he could go ahead. I was slowing him down." He is weak and out of breath. I know that his legs have to be killing him.

"I am not leaving you, let's take it slow-"

Ivar "Where is Y/n!?" He jolted.

Hvitserk "Look up-" as soon as I said that, Ryuu, Neith and Eldr flew ahead.

Ivar "Oh thank gods...I thought that she would be with you..!"

Hvitserk "I told her to be with her dragons, they will keep her safe, more than we ever could."

Ivar "Agreed, let's go." Ivar leads the way so that I can watch his back while he watches my front. Archers and soldiers run past us, trying to find this woman. I think to myself, why couldn't this night just stay perfect? But then again, it was too perfect..something was bound to happen to ruin this night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Pov

I fly low enough so that I can see any movement from below. Neith flies on my left, Eldr on my right. I feel proud in this moment, not scared. I feel strength and power.

"Neith..do you see her girl?" She looks at me and then looks down. I look directly below her and I see a torch. I look closer and I can see long and dark hair. Similar to hers, so I grin.

"DRACARYS!" As soon as I do, Neith blows her fire and I can hear the woman's screams before I hear nothing but the flames burning everything around it. I circle around and wait for the flames to die down.

"Let's go see her ashes boy." I get off of my dragon, taking out the dagger that Hvitserk lent to me. I hear a creek behind me, thinking that it was just Ryuu's movements, I do not give it much thought and continue to walk on. I walk towards a pile that I assume to be human remains. I kneel down to examine, only to find a pile of clothing and some dirt.

"What…?" I heard Ryuu alarm me but I was not quick enough. I feel a sharp pain in my back.

"You fell for my trap, my queen.." I slowly turn around to face her. "You aren't such a smart queen now are you?" She said before stabbing me once again. I gasped out in pain and I lost all of my strength and dropped my dagger. Ryuu grabbed her in his mouth and crushed her entire body in one bite, eventually eating her whole. I smile as I see her enter his jaws. Knowing that she is finally dead, I can finally rest. I look up at Ryuu, who is screaming to his siblings. Neith immediately drops down and lays next to me. Before I know it, my eyesight goes blurry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ivar's Pov

I see the flames growing bigger and bigger, knowing that I am getting closer to whatever one of the dragons caught. I don't see them flying anymore, which is concerning me. Why would Y/n land?

Hvitserk "I can see Eldr!"

"Where is Y/n?"

Hvitserk "I can't see her!" He runs off, practically in a sprint. I walk as fast as I can to catch up to him. Once I see Neith, I can tell that she is in a panic state. She is screeching and will not stay still.

"What is it girl, huh?" Neith flies off, landing a few feet away from me and then I see Hvitserk pause.

"Hvitserk…?" He does not answer me, he only falls to the ground. My heart sunk to the ground. Why would he be on the ground? Why didn't he respond? Why is Neith whimpering? Where is my wife? I walk up to him and then I see what he is looking at: my wife.

"Oh my.."

Hvitserk "She is stabbed...multiple times!" He stuttered.

"Is she-?!"

Hvitserk "She's still breathing but she won't respond!" After he said that, a few of my men came running up behind my brother and I.

"My king.."

"Don't bother! Just help me..!" My men hesitated for a moment before kneeling down beside us to tend to her.

Hvitserk "It..her chest she-"

"We need to get her home, who knows how long it will take for us to carry her there."

Ivar "We aren't carrying her, that will take too long. She won't make it. We are flying her home."

Hvitserk "I...I will fly with her, help me." Two of our men helped Hvitserk place her on Neith's back. When Hvitserk gets up behind her, he has tears overflowing. He is practically hyperventilating, just like me.

"Brother," he looks down at me, "I will meet you there. Get her help immediately." He only nods and then commands Neith to fly. I watched my brother take off with my wife with him. Her body just laying there, basically lifeless was harder than bringing her home after her ordeal in Wessex.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hvitserk's Pov

When I come up to her body, I fall to my knees. I see blood drip from her lips and her chest struggling to rise and fall. I crawl closer to her and I can hear her wheezing breath and her eyes fluttering, trying to stay open.

"Bab-hey hey...hey you stay awake do you hear me?! Don't you dare close your eyes. Please! Come on!" I place my forehead to hers, holding her close.

Ivar "Oh my…"

"She is stabbed...multiple times!"

Ivar "Is she?"

"She's still breathing but she won't respond!" Ivar began to break down, letting his emotions show for the first time since Wessex. Everything feels like a daze, like it isn't really happening. I feel like I am floating in a void. I do not know what to do.

Ivar "...we are flying her home."

"I-I will fly with her, help me.." I stumble to get off of the ground. Two of our men help me gently lift her off of the ground. Once we do, she whimpers out in pain, absolutely breaking my heart.

"Shh shh, stay with me okay? We are going to get you home. Neith is here, we are all here..stay with me." Her eyes flutter and her mouth opens, as if she is about to speak but it is only to help her breath. Seeing her like this is almost unbearable. I just have to focus on getting her home and healed up, that is the only way I will be able to get her through this. Getting her on Neith was extremely hard, trying not to hurt her more than she already is. But we were able to manage. When I got on her, I held Y/n close to my chest, securing her so that she would not fall off when we took off.

Ivar "Brother, I will meet you there. Get her help immediately." I nodded and we took flight.

"You will be home soon, princess. Stay awake, keep breathing baby. Stay with me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Pov

When I heard Hvitserk's voice, it broke my heart instantly. Hearing him cry out for me knowing that I can't say anything back, makes me feel worthless. And then Ivar came up behind him. My vision is so poor but I can make out that it is them. It is getting harder and harder to breathe. My chest burns like hot coils on a wood burning stove. Every breath, I can feel air entering my stab wounds. I try to move my hands but it is a slow process. I can barely keep my eyes open, even though Hvitserk is hollering for me to keep them open.

When they lifted me off of the ground, the pain only worsened. I cried out in pain, or at least I attempted too.

Hvitserk "Shh shh stay with me okay? We are going to get you home. Neith is here, we are all here...stay with me." His voice calmed me down until they placed me on her back. A dragon's back is rough and some areas are spikey, making me wince out even louder. I can hear Ivar wheep below me, even though I cannot move to look at him, I can still hear him. I wish that I had the strength to speak but that is simply not the case. When Hvitserk has me in his arms again, is the only time I stopped whimpering. Everything around me is dark and foggy. And then I think about my daughter. I have to live for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Hvitserk gets you back home, everything is chaotic. There is no order since Ivar is still in the woods, Ubbe is nowhere to be seen, Torvi has no say in what the people of Kattegat can or can't do. Hvitserk looks around for a moment, trying to comprehend how horrific this night has become, all because that woman escaped. He gets out of his own head and picks himself together, then lifts you off of Neith and carries you to the Healer's tent. When he opens the drape, he finds the Healer already prepared to do what he needs to do to save you.

Hvitserk "You knew?!"

Healer "I saw..bring her here." He places you down on the little bed and sits by your side.

Hvitserk "When did you see? Why didn't you warn us..why didn't you warn Ivar!?"

Healer "I saw it when I saw Y/n fly above the trees. There was no way that any of us could have stopped this event from occurring."

Hvitserk "If I was with her, I could have saved her-"

Healer "You are wrong. There is no way that you could have stopped this, Ragnarson." Hvitserk looks into his eyes and tries not to lose his mind.

Hvitserk "Jus-...can you save her?"

Healer "I can heal her wounds, yes."

Hvitserk "And..?"

Healer "It is too soon to say, Hvitserk. Just let me do my best. I will do everything I can to save the queen." Hvitserk starts to tear up. He grabs your hand and holds it with both of his hands and starts to pray.

Internally: "Dear Odin, I pray to you to be with Y/n right now. Give her the strength that she needs to survive. Give her the will to survive. Hold her close and save her Odin. I beg of you. I need her, our daughter needs her, Ivar...everyone needs her just please...don't let the Valkaries take her! It is not her time, please. Please keep her alive."

…

Ivar finds Ubbe in the village of Kattegat. The fire has calmed down but the people are still in much distress, as they should be.

Ivar "People of Kattegat, please stay calm!" Everyone stops in their tracks and looks at their king, "Your queen has been wounded severely! I need all of you to be strong. I need all of you to pull together and clean up what that woman did to our village-"

"Is she dead?" He looks behind him, to see her husband.

Ivar "Yes, as she should be! She is the one that stabbed my wife...multiple times." The man lets his head hang, absolutely saddened by the news. He is angered by his wife's actions but at the same time, he loved his wife.

Ubbe "I will help you all in the repair of our village. Let's start now, we will get as much done tonight before continuing in the morning." Ivar nods at his brother, as a thank you for his support.

Ivar "I..I have to go see her, do you-"

Ubbe "I've got them, go see her." He places his hand on Ivar's shoulder to assure him that he will help in any way that he can. Ivar walks towards the Healer's tent, knowing that this is where Hvitserk would most likely bring you. He takes a deep breath and then walks in. The sight took his breath away and made him fall to the ground. He didn't have the strength to hold himself up any longer.

Your dress was off of you, revealing only your torso. Your chest has four stab wounds. How deep? He cannot tell. Your chest is rising and falling slowly. Hvitserk looks down at his brother, with anger and sadness in his eyes.

Ivar "Can she...will she live?" He stuttered and whispered.

Healer "Quite possibly. The stab wounds did not hit her heart."

Ivar "That is good…"

Hvitserk "I don't know what to do-"

Ivar "You don't have to do anything, Hvitserk. Just stay with us, that is all you can do right now."

Hvitserk sniffles, "And Ubbe?"

Ivar "With our people, trying to clean up a bit before continuing in the morning."

Hvitserk chuckles, "Like we'll be getting any sleep tonight."

Ivar "Nor do I wish to. And if I do, hit me awake. She needs us up."

Hvitserk "I agree."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In your head (Visions)

You are looking down at yourself on the bed, with Hvitserk and Ivar surrounding you. You can see all of the blood and the markings on your chest but when you look at yourself right now, there is no scar at all. And then you realize that you are out of your own body. How is this possible? You sit down in between Ivar and Hvitserk, then place your hand on their shoulders as to say, I am with you. You can see them look at where you are touching them but they cannot see what is touching them. And then you feel a hand on your own shoulder. You turn around to see your beautiful mother. You take a pause for a moment before getting up and walking towards her.

"Mom?"

"Hi my love."

"What? Why are you here?" She does not respond, only starts to walk away for you to follow.

"My dear, you are dying."

"Is that why you are here, to take me?"

"Oh no, on the contrary. I am here to give you the strength that you need to survive." She cups your cheeks and kisses your forehead.

"Mom, this feels weird.."

She giggles, "I know, imagine how I feel. I am in this state more than you know."

"You are?"

"I am, my love. I am by your side always, you just can't see me."

"Tell me what you see, mom?"

"I walked with you on your wedding day. I was with you when you found out that you are with child. I was with you when that bastard held you captive in that dungeon. I am with you when you need me, my dear."

"And I need you now, that is why you are here." She nods, "But why can I see you this time, but not the other times?"

"Because you were not dying, my love. You are dying. Your soul is slowly leaving your body, that is why you are with me right now."

"Am I dead, mom?"

"Not quite, you would know if you were."

"What do I need to do, I can't die mom. I am pregnant!" You start to break down so your mother pulls you in for a hug. You can feel her touch, her warmth. Something that you haven't felt in over a year.

"You are a warrior, you are a queen, you are a wife, and you are going to be a mother-"

"I can't be those things if I die.."

"Hey, look at me. It is not your time to enter Valhalla. Odin sent me down to save your soul, do you understand me? Y/n you will live."

"Mom-"

"Y/n..wake up."

"Wh-"

"Wake up!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Healer stops what he is doing when he sees your eyes open.

Healer "Well hello, my queen." He said with a smile on his face. Hvitserk and Ivar alerted instantly.

"Mmm?" You slowly look down at your chest and the wounds are healed but just like the other ones, the scars are prevalent.

Hvitserk "You..what?!"

Ivar "Incredible.."

Healer "You had a visitor, didn't you?"

"M-my mother."

Healer "Mhm..how is she?"

"Wait..how did you-"

Healer "I see all things, my queen."

Ivar "Sweetheart.." you look in front of you, to see your husband.

"Hey.." you whispered, forcing a smile. Ivar chuckles, wiping his tears away. You then look at Hvitserk who is holding your hand close to his chest.

"Hey Hvitserk."

Hvitserk "Hi princess." Unlike Ivar who stops crying, Hvitserk immediately breaks down when he hears you speak..especially say his name.

"I'm okay, my mom she..woke-"

Healer "Woke you up."

"Yes."

Hvitserk "How do you know this-"

Healer "I heard your prayers Hvitserk. So did Odin. Odin gave Y/n her mother as a form of strength to return her back to her body."

Ivar "So she did.."

Healer "Only for a moment." Ivar loses it again. Soon, the Healer patches you up and clears you to move. When you do, you still feel the pain but it is bearable. The first thing the guys do is jolt up and embrace you all together. You three cry together and take in this moment. When you pull back, Ivar looks into your eyes.

Ivar "So I did lose you.."

"For a moment there you did, but I'm not going anywhere."

Ivar "You better not, my love. Because I need you."

"And I need you."

Hvitserk "Is the woman-"

"Yes, Ryuu ate her after she did this to me." Ivar smirks.

Ivar "That's our dragons.."

"Mhmm."

Hvitserk "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you, I promised you-"

"You couldn't have known, do not blame yourself." Hvitserk slowly nods.

Healer "We are proud of you, my queen."

"Thank you. But again, I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my mother."

Ivar shouts, "Thank you mom!" You three burst out laughing, hurting your chest.

Ivar "I love you."

"I love you, Ivar." He leans his head upon yours and then kisses you gently. Hvitserk thanks the Healer for his part in saving your life. Today began uneventful, but ended in so many events that you could go without. It just proves that anything can happen and any moment. And to be grateful for the here and now, and to never take anything for granted. Not even your life.

@hvitserkmarcosource @youbloodymadgenius @ivarsgoddess @a-mess-of-fandoms @jzr201 @readsalot73 @herestherealproblem @heavenly1927 @saldelys @conaionaru

#the battle between love and fire #ivar the boneless #alexhoghandersen #alex hogh andersen #marcoilsø #marco ilsoe #jordan patrick smith #hvitserk lothbrok #ubbe lothbrok #vikings

22 notes · View notes