#emma x canute

[theancientwise]

On second thoughts, it's better that they ended Valhalla by season 3...

Because without these two, their interactions verbal and non verbal, their glances of love, understandment and complicity, it wouldn't be worth it.

[emma-ofnormandy]

End of life love is something that I don’t think I’ll ever get over.

The devotion as it comes to an end, the ‘with you till the last moment’ bond. It’s a different sort of ending- not happy, but not altogether sad. It’s one that speaks of years, of commitment, of knowing a person better than some could ever understand, of a happiness that some may never feel. It is the end of a culmination of experiences, of the good and the bad parts of loving.

It’s a love that means the most to me and as sad and heart wrenching it was to see play out, I’m so glad I got to see that from Canute and Emma. They were a unit, for better or worse, through all of the mess of building and controlling an empire together, back to back in the world of war and politics, and at the end of it all, they got to say goodbye in a way that suits them- vulnerable only to eachother, together, and utterly bittersweet.

If there was going to be an end to their journey together, I needed it to be that.

[therealvikingstrash]

My @vikingsbigbang 2023 creations for the lovely story Strife Within London by @emma-ofnormandy! It was an absolute pleasure to create for her 🥰 Head over to AO3 and read her story!

[sweetrupturedlight]

Now watching Vikings: Valhalla and no Canute in sight…

I mean-

[theancientwise]

When history repeats itself <3.

Vikings | Vikings: Valhalla Parallels Rollo & Gisla | King Canute & Queen Emma

[borgialucrezia]

"Emma’s tenure as queen lasted until Cnut's death in 1035. The union between Emma and Cnut was by all accounts one of mutual respect and affection. The queen was not only a consort, but also an active participant in Cnut’s government and policies." — Larsen, Karen. Canute the Great: 995 (circ)-1035 and the Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age. 1997. (requested by anon)

[encomium-emmae]

So while the Emma/Canute/English succession plotline was effectively paced and wrapped up well by the end of Episode 8, the others seemed to fall much flatter. Magnus, one of the season's three big bads, was simply hauled away (rather anticlimactically in the face of all his various betrayals and machinations), Freydis and Harald reunite for a grand total of what seemed like thirty seconds, and we never even get to see what goes down with Leif and Freydis once they get back to Greenland to deal with dear old dad. (And what about Stigr and Little Harald? We never found out what happened to them at all.) Had they planned on having a Season 4 that never worked out? I loved the William of Normandy cameo we got, but it seemed like that was setting things up for a flash-forward to 1066 when we see him and Harald and Godwin's son duking it out Battle of Hastings-style.

And I will never stop going on about this until the end of my days: why did we never find out about Æthelred's gold?

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this season, particularly Leif's peregrinations and Emma and Canute as the power couple we all knew they could be*, but the way it ended just threw me off.

*On a minor note, anyone who took Emma's flirtation with Harefoot at the end as a sign that she didn't really love Canute is off their rocker, at least in my opinion. The Ælfwynn fiasco notwithstanding, we know the woman knows how to outthink and manipulate just about anyone, including, but not limited to, her not-so-bright stepson. If that's what she needs to do to keep from being sidelined and hold onto some power for her son Edward, we know she's going to do it. Also, can we compare her with Canute on his deathbed (the soft touches, the tears, the murmuring) and her at Æthelred’s? Seriously, light years apart.

[reiignonme]

🪓 CANUTE THE GREAT TAG DROP!!

[arezoudeetoo]

When I tell you I started yelling at 1:30 in the morning

King Canute and Queen Emma | Season 2 Episode 6

[shelivesinhermind]

The more that you say The less I know Wherever you stray I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man You know that my train could take you home Anywhere else is hollow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man (x)

[theancientwise]

And so, i did it.

I watched the last episode of "Vikings Valhalla"

How do I feel?

Exactly this

[emma-ofnormandy]

I don’t know what this is- can’t even give you context for what triggered a Canute x Emma regency AU but alas, here is a 500 word scene anyways.

“He’s in the Guards, I believe. Fought at Waterloo.”

Emma eyed the gentleman in question over the rim of her glass, the champagne she sipped tickling her nose, as the women around her continued to gossip.

“Very important in the India campaigns too. Just returned from posts in Bombay, if my brother is to be believed.” The young woman’s fan fluttered in excitement. “Supposedly as wealthy as King Midas and in need of a wife.”

It took considerable control for Emma not to roll her eyes. If the Ton gossip was to be believed, every man here was in need of a wife when in actuality, perhaps a quarter of the gentlemen present were interested in such matters while the rest were simply there to conduct business under the guise of a glittering ball.

“Well, that shouldn’t be hard to secure,” said a Countess, “I doubt there is a woman here that would turn the man down. Just look at him. Even a married lady would consider throwing herself at his feet.”

The Countess, Emma knew, was married to a short, portly man, who was fifteen years her senior, regularly indulged in too much brandy and had an affinity for losing at the tables. She couldn’t fault the woman for eyeing the new arrival knowing what she would be returning home with.

The man, a Colonel if the ladies were correct, known amongst friends as Canute, was tall, dark haired, and carried the unmistakable bearing of a military man. Cavalry, if Emma was to guess. It was hard to miss, the particular gate of a horseman, and even in his formal dress it was unmistakable.

Though dressed like the rest in attendance, his features were harsh in comparison to those around him, and he scanned the room with the eyes of man who saw everything, as if searching for an enemy amongst the yards of satin and lace. If he was uncomfortable, and she imagined most men in his shoes would be, it didn’t show on his carefully schooled facade.

“What about you, Emma?”

“Hm?” Emma drug her gaze from where she’d been watching the Colonel prowl along the back wall to the young lady beside her. “What about what?”

“The Colonel,” the woman bobbed her head in his direction, “are you going to throw your hand in with the rest?”

Emma took another sip of her champagne, her gaze once again searching for him. This time, however, it seemed he he had been watching her as well, and their eyes locked in a heated hold. A smile flickered across his lips, but it did nothing to soften his features.

On the outside, Emma did her best to remain impassive, one delicate brow arching at his attention before breaking their connection and returning to focus on the woman beside her, but inside, Emma’s stomach fluttered like a young maiden’s.

“No,” she finally said, willing the butterflies to settle, “I don’t think I will.”

A man like that, one that evoked such a reaction in her so easily, was dangerous to her. She had worked painstakingly to curate a certain life for herself, and she could not allow any man, but especially one like the Colonel, to disrupt it.

[encomium-emmae]

I'm so honored to be included on this list — which is filled with such amazing fics! Go give it all a read, I say! 💕

Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla Recs!

Phew, it's been a minute since I've done one of these. Now back with a new design and additional fandom! Keep in mind that this rec list is my personal taste and yours might differ. I managed to read twelve fics despite the year I had and I think twelve fics for twelve months is a good number. (list below the cut)

Crossing the Abyss by @northernxstories - E - Multi - 23,6k

A beautifully written Space AU with polyamorous pairings. The relationships between the characters are just as interesting to read about as the bigger story of their journey. And I don't think I'm biased in the least, just because I made part of the art. This story is a whole treat!

Summary: The Kattegat was a unique vessel, designed to cross the expanse of space known as the Abyss. Once a ship enters the Abyss, the stresses surrounding the vessel increased exponentially and there was no known means of navigation in the starless void. Captain Bjorn Ragnarsson, known as Bjorn Ironside for his ability to survive seemingly impossible battles, has relied often on his brothers, Ivar, Ubbe and Hvitserk, and his sister, Gyda, to crew his ship.

Ivar was determined to defeat the impossible Abyss and has heard of a scholar who has invented a method of navigation that might be able to accomplish the task. Gyda and Ivar came up with a plan to get this information and if necessary, kidnap the scientist. Once on board the ship, the scientist is faced with unexpected challenges and rewards. However, before they can attempt the journey, Gyda must face her past.

October Rust by @bouncehousedemons - T - Ubbe/OFC - 1,9k

Wonderful imagery throughout the whole fic and and a great continuation of Salt of the Earth and Sea, which I also highly recommend to read! Summary: Ubbe assumes his lover has met a grisly demise, until an unexpected reunion with his brother proves otherwise.

polish the blood and the bruise by @underragingwaves - M - Hvitserk - 4,7k

Soldier Hvitserk, veterinarian Ubbe and a kitten. All very strong points to sell this fic, but please, it is so much more! If you like military themed stories, are a sucker for angst and family bonding this fic will hit all the right spots. I love it dearly and I'm sure so will you. It's also a nice crossover with Vikings: Valhalla characters.

Summary: Hvitserk came home from war, or so they tell him. Most days, he begs to differ about whether he ever made it out of the desert.

Reactions of your Kind by @ulfrsmal - E - Ubbe/Hvitserk - 3,1k

A bit of forbidden action in a hot spring and very nice mental images being painted along the way. Kudos to the lovely author!

Summary: Plagued by thoughts and desires he shouldn’t have had, Ubbe retreated to the hot springs outside of Kattegat… and had his bath interrupted by the one person he’d hoped wouldn’t see him so weak.

Sleepy Mornings by @ritual-unions - E - Ubbe/OFC - 7k

This is a story that reads like devouring your favorite food, while savoring it for as long as possible. Tender and electrifying and Ubbe is so very in character, I love it.

Summary: Winnifred lives a sheltered life as a Christian woman in King Alfred’s court. Not truly understanding the meaning of sexual pleasure her new husband, Ubbe Ragnarsson, is more than willing to show her the path.

I wish I knew how to quit you by @niishiki - E - Ivar/Heahmund - 1,2k

To make it short, if you love the naughty forbidden church sex, old/young pairing and Ivar being a little shit, this is a must-read.

Summary: Bishop Heahmund is a man of God - yet, he finds himself unable to resist temptation time and time again.

Til the light comes back by @naps4bats - T - Emma/Canute - 5,4k

I really liked how canon was translated into modern day AU and how well it worked! It's a lovely story with all the characters we like and don't like but still love to read about.

Summary: Emma and Canute enjoy a brief romance during a power outage. A couple of weeks later, they find their real lives intertwine.

Summer Days, Summer Nights by @encomium-emmae - T - Emma/Canute - 3.5k

An absolute lovely read for this pairing, set in a modern day AU. I like me some competitive Emma and Canute duo!

Summary: During a week of mandated vacation at a beach resort, Emma encounters a dark-haired stranger. Too bad he turns out to be a first-rate jerk.

Lost Amongst the Meadow by @emma-ofnormandy - M - Emma/Canute - 1,5k

A canon compliant piece that fits perfectly like a missing scene!

Summary: Canute wakes to an empty bed and sets out to find his wife in the early summer dawn.

to look at me and think of conquest by @mercurygray - M - Godwin/OFC - 2,5k

Absolutely adore the OFC Edith and her chemistry with Godwin. This 'verse has a few more little stories on tumblr and they are definitely worth checking out in the authors #edith eadig tag!

Summary: Godwin of Wessex knew how to be useful. He’d been Aethelred’s advisor before he’d been Edmund’s; before the Danes had left he’d made himself invaluable to Canute, too. And now that the first wife had taken up residence, it looked as though she, too, was availing herself of Godwin’s offered expertise.

Godwin has also never been a man who needed help - but he won't be able to deceive the Queen on this particular matter alone.

I Will Join You by @shelivesinhermind - Gen - Leif & Liv - 641 words

Missing scene potential. Wonderfully written and the respect Liv deserved to receive after her death.

Summary: A funeral for Liv.

The End of the Beginning by toughtobeashamgod - T - Freydis/Harald - 1,1k

Directly set after Freydis kills Kåre and even though it's rated T, it's a little bit gory due to the description of blood everywhere. Nevertheless, this fic was a nice little read and fits seamlessly into the canon 'verse.

Summary: They had come so far into this new world, only for it to end so quickly.

Read and share, share and read, loves! ❤️

[gudvina]

The sea fig, ch. II, Adela.

(second chapter <3)

The sun was setting when Adelaide returned to her room. It had been a week since she first stepped into her aunt’s homestead, and she was still adjusting to how different London was to her homeland. The room was still showered with remnants of twilight, brightened by the light green of the walls. It didn’t have much furniture; by the south side was a bed, supplied with a swan feathered mattress and pillows and furred covers that contrasted nicely with the wood of the headboard. A wardrobe stood by the west well, and where the floor raised in a platform sat a simple bathtub. The north side held most of the windows, and a desk with a looking glass and some parchment alongside it. Though it was different from her room in Normandy, she enjoyed how simple it was.

Had she been in Normandy she would have lulled herself to sleep listening to the crashing waves, or the sounds of the city filling the air. London wasn’t much different, admittedly. While during the day it seemed dull and uninteresting, when darkness set its rule and the moon showed her face the city lit up. The alehouses represented much of the night’s entertainment, and the bustling sounds reached her windows, leaving her longing for something other than the stillness of the castle.

Her aunt and her ladies in waiting provided a good distraction, and quickly she had sparked up a friendship with Gytha, with which she spent the nights in pleasant conversation. Sometimes they were joined by  Aelfwynn, though she appeared busier than Gytha.

Adela undressed and put on her nightgown, waiting for Gytha’s company as she brushed her hair by the desk. After a few minutes of silence finally the door opened, and she smiled as she saw Gytha enter her room.

“I am sorry if I couldn’t wait for you, I just needed to get out of that dress”.

Gytha let out a soft chuckle as she closed the door and she sat on her bed, her blonde hair now goldened by the candle’s lights.

“I imagined, sorry if I was late, your aunt needed me and Aelfwynn to sort out some fabrics.”

In a moment Gytha and Adela were deep in conversation, talking about each other and their lives until then. Gytha had much to tell about Denmark, how different it was from England and its people, and Adela in return talked about Normandy and how different they were from Frankia as a whole, how her people lived in relative peace and convivence.

“Of course it isn’t all sunshine, admittedly many Frankish Lords dislike us, but we also have some powerful allies like our cousins in Aquitaine”.

“Oh, so I guess there are Earls like Godwin everywhere”.

Adelaide’s interest was sparked when Gytha mentioned that name, and she couldn’t help but want to satisfy her curiosity.

“Isn’t he the right hand of the Queen and King alike?”

Gytha scrunched up her nose, shaking her head. “He certainly plays the part. He does his job well, but never trust him too much”.

Adela’s mind went back to something her Aunt Maude once told her. It was about her grandfather’s father: William Longsword. He had been a good ruler, but too trusting of the other. That was his demise.

Gytha suddenly shifted and looked at her with a glimmer in her eyes.

“You ask an awful lot of questions, but never tell anything about yourself. All this talk of Normandy won’t fool me! Now you shall tell me about this Duke of Lyonnaise”.

Adela laughed a little and shrugged, not very entertained by the tale of the less amusing nuisance in all of Frankia.

“There is not much to tell, he is uninteresting but a good party. There is a man who I like much more, the Duke of Blois. But my family dislikes his, and my father would not have that union.”

“Did you love him?”

“No, I wouldn’t say I did. I just liked him far better. It wouldn’t be wise for a woman such as me or you to do more than like any man”.

“And yet Queen Emma and my uncle seem to have found more than just liking in each other”

“You are not wrong. But that’s rare, and the one exception that confirms the rule.”

“And don’t you hope to have… something more?”

Adelaide moved to answer but stopped herself. She had never thought about something more; yes, she had many examples in her family of people who married and loved each other, namely her forebearers Duke Rollo and Princess Gisla. She had been married to him by her father to form an alliance, and had fallen so deeply in love with each other that many Norman tales and songs still told of their love and how beneficial that union had been for both Normandy and each other. Their son William Longsword had found love in both his first wife Sprota and then Liuthgarda, who responded in treachery. Her grandfather Richard the Fearless had loved her grandmother Gunnora, and then his many mistresses, with which he had produced some of her uncles. And her parents themselves were very happy with each other. Despite coming from a line of people who had found love in their partners, that something more wasn’t what she saw in her life. Since she was a girl, she had been educated in all matters regarding the politics of her lands as was Norman costume. Her greatest desire had always been to form a beneficial alliance for Normandy, and maybe marry in the confines of Frankia, as to not stray away from her beloved Rouen.

Gytha’s question wasn’t one she had ever considered, that something more for her looked more like being fortunate to find a man who’d allow her to rule beside him whatever land would welcome her as its own. She found herself grow uncomfortable, her guts stirring for a question that had been innocent and yet had cracked a chasm where she had always found sure footing.

“I don’t know what’s more, Gytha. It isn’t in me. My Aunt was kissed by fortune, but I have never thought of more and I… don’t even know if I want it”.

Gytha looked at her with a knowing look, and smiled a little.

“Let me tell you, you resemble a lot your aunt when you make that face”.

They ended up giggling and changing subject, concentrating in lighter chatter. Adela was grateful to have Gytha with her, a friend with which she could be herself and not be judged as too harsh to be ladylike. Maybe her exposure to her aunt as her lady in waiting made it easier, or the fact that she was a Dane, but she didn’t seem to mind Adela’s sharp words and observation. And she genuinely liked Gytha, who was fun and gentle and kind.

When it was late enough they realized it was time to retire, and though they didn’t want to put a stop to their fun it was time to rest. They were exchanging the last few words before Gytha’s exit when a sound caught their attention.

They stopped talking and realized it came from the city. It was the scream of a woman, a horrifying wail that made Gytha and Adelaide rush to the window and open it. A few guards were already covering the area, and they couldn’t see what was happening behind the entrance arch that sheltered them from the view. In a mix of curiosity and fear the two made for the door so they could at the very least ask the guards some informations, when outside their corridor they met Earl Godwin.

“Ladies, stay in the room and do not get out for any reason. If in need of anything I will place guards outside your doors, though now I must hurry and call Queen Emma”.

Gytha nodded and moved to close the door, but Adela prevented it by holding the door in it’s place.

“What is happening?”

Earl Godwin was taken aback by her questioning, recognizing in her the same mannerisms he had only seen in the Queen before now.

“The Dane priest Cynleaf was killed; we are assuming the attack was provoked by another Dane in the alehouse”.

Adela could sense Gytha gasp and tense behind her, and soon the Earl left them. They ended up spending the night together in Adela’s room, with guards outside the door and the chaos of the city muffled by the windows now closed.

Gytha had succumbed to sleep almost instantly, leaving Adela alone with her thoughts. Before she fell asleep, her agitated mind kept circling between the events of the night and Gytha’s words.

He certainly plays the part.

[borgialucrezia]

I love the Borgias posts you make for Lucrezia, especially when you use real historical quotes.

I have a request if you don’t mind for Vikings Valhalla. Totally understand if you don’t want to

Could you please please please make a gifset post where on one side it’s Cnut’s Christian burial and on the other side it’s Cnut’s Viking funeral pyre at sea (also including Emma if possible scenes in her black mourning clothes and her red dress on the cliff). Those scenes were both so gorgeous and heartbreaking.

I even found a quote that you could use: "Emma’s tenure as queen lasted until Cnut's death in 1035. The union between Emma and Cnut was by all accounts one of mutual respect and affection. The queen was not only a consort, but also an active participant in Cnut’s government and policies." (Larsen, Karen. Canute the Great: 995 (circ)-1035 and the Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age. 1997)

Thank you so so much

hi!! thanks again <3 your request is still lined up with others as i've never forgotten about it :) but thanks for providing a quote and a specific scene for giffing! hopefully i'll start with it today after i come back from work 🙏

[encomium-emmae]

So I am the only one who skipped ahead and watched all the Emma/Canute scenes first?