#kori’s ragnar

[zwy01]

Noble OCs - Gradeus’ Clan

Making five OCs for every clan!

Asterion: Pureblood. Entered eternal sleep, belonged to Lagus’ generation.

Asterion was the father of Pandora and the grandfather of Gradeus. He was a good father to his little Pandora and felt worried when her personality suddenly changed from energetic and upbeat to lethargic and unresponsive when she was about 80 years old. He tried asking what’s wrong to which she always smiled and answered “nothing”. Pandora didn’t want to make her Clan Leader worry about her, so she never told him about the permanent condition that tortured her on the inside. Asterion gradually stopped with his questions because he could sense that his daughter was reluctant to share. He could’ve ordered her to be truthful, but he didn’t want to force her to be uncomfortable. He was very lenient with her and let her skip mandatory events. Sometimes, he canceled his own meetings and duties to spend time with her. He also defended her when others called her an “old lady” to poke fun at her. Asterion was a pretty relaxed person, though he was a terrifying force whenever someone tried to bully Pandora. Father and daughter had a close, loving relationship despite the wall the latter put up between them. Perhaps Pandora’s tendencies to hide her struggles didn’t come from nowhere. Asterion also suffered from a strange one-of-a-kind condition where he craved the flesh of humans. Only his partner, the mother of their daughter, and his mysterious best friend were aware of it. Other than those two, no one had a clue. Asterion was perfectly fine in his childhood until he hit his teenage years when he suddenly gained an intense and insatiable appetite. Nobles don’t need to eat, yet he was always looking for food. Nothing seemed to be the right answer and his hunger drove him mad. Eventually, after putting everything he could possibly find on Earth into his mouth, he discovered that only human flesh could completely quell his symptoms. Asterion’s partner and best friend helped him source human corpses and even live human sacrifices from the outside world and brought them back to Lukedonia for him. The disappearance of dead bodies from graves and live sacrifices from ritual grounds contributed to the humans’ beliefs of the dead rising and sacrifice rituals working. Asterion was ashamed of himself and kept his condition a secret from everyone else, including his daughter. He felt like a monster, but he had no other choice. His partner and best friend made sure to “pay” the humans for their contributions, which just led to even more live sacrifices thus causing the ritual to become a common practice in many parts of the world. Asterion’s hobbies were meditation and trying to make Pandora happy.

Daedalus: Non-pureblood. Alive in the present day, belongs to Gejutel’s generation.

Daedalus is an inventor, architect, and sculptor. When he was a child, he kept complaining to his parents about their “boring, unoriginal, and lacking” home even though it was perfectly fine by your average noble standards. There is no best, only better, he repeated. He’d run around and point to the walls, ceilings, and corridors gesturing and explaining the changes he’d make if he were to be in charge of the layout. He was confident with his visions. Daedalus’ creativity would come and go in random surges and he had a tough time sitting still during his education. He’d barely get to the fifth page of his book and then he’s suddenly screaming and jumping up and down shouting “Eureka!!”, to his parents’ confusion. They’d sigh at their hyper son and wonder why he’s saying the name of his imaginary friend… or something, for the nth time. His parents eventually gave up on trying to get him to finish his education because it seemed impossible with his personality. Plus, they wanted to support Daedalus in his passion despite have no understanding of it themselves, so they let him run wild with his full potential. Time goes by, Daedalus turns 200, and his parents gift him with the opportunity to remodel their home. Go ahead and do your magic, they said. Daedalus is overjoyed. They end up sort of regretting making such an offer to their son, though. He turns their home into a giant, complex maze that is so hard to navigate it’s impossible to not get lost, even with loads of practice. Only Daedalus knows how to get around. Guests jokingly comment on how it’s almost like their home was designed to trap people inside forever. Who knows what the designer was thinking. Daedalus calls himself a genius and his work a masterpiece. He names their new home “Labyrinth” which just confuses his family again. His parents love him, so they simply deal with it and accept their new life of never learning how to get from the dining room to the living room. They’re happily suffering as they feel proud of their son. Daedalus, his love, and their son Icarus Pyradros live together in their maze-like multigenerational home.

Helga: Pureblood. Alive in the present day, belongs to the Previous Lord’s generation.

Helga is a shipwright. Her parents love the sea and built their home on the coast. Little Helga was born in the glittering waves during a beautiful sunrise. She opened her eyes to the magnificent scenery and immediately fell in love with it. Helga has a very active lifestyle. She harvests planks of timber from the forest during the day and builds ships of all shapes and sizes at night. The twinkles of stars and sounds of crashing waves keep her company as she diligently develops her craft. She works until sunrise and goes home to relax with her parents before heading to the forest again. Her ships are light and strong. When further enhanced with her noble powers, they can easily withstand aggressive attacks from all directions. Helga likes to put her ships to the test. She’d gather her huge group of friends for spars and they’d all go to the beach for a fun, competitive game. She splits everyone into many teams, and some of them do the rowing while others jump between the moving ships as they fight each other in hand-to-hand combat. Last team standing wins. It’s a great way to develop some fitness without getting bored, though sparring in traditional training grounds is neat too. Helga’s ships are popular with nobles and humans alike. There are instances of sea-loving nobles asking to go into eternal sleep out in the water in one of her vessels. At some point, a group of humans witnessed a noble’s death on a ship and mistook the glowing red lights for fire, which is possibly what led to them mimicking the practice and writing sagas of their own with accounts of setting ships ablaze with the dead in luxurious “ship burial” funerals. Helga just shrugs. It’s cool, they can keep the misunderstanding if they want. Well, maybe it’s waste of wood. Her Tradio parent always told to her to thank the trees when she harvests them, so she’s very serious about it. Helga’s partner is an unnamed Kravei. They are childless for now and plan to have one soon.

Ragnar: Non-pureblood. Alive in the present day, belongs to Raskreia’s generation.

Ragnar is chill. He and his minotaur friends hold hands and dance around in a circle together. Then they braid each other’s hair and have a tea party in the fields and gossip about the love lives of his fellow clan members. Ragnar was raised by minotaurs then by his adoptive mother Freyja. His biological parents had him because they thought having a child would patch their less-than-stable relationship and gave him up when they decided he wasn’t a satisfactory bandaid. Ragnar went off to live with a group of minotaurs who took him in because they pitied him. One day, Freyja was riding her cat chariot and stopped by a lake to rest. Little Ragnar climbed into her chariot and fell asleep. Freyja waited for the boy to wake up and asked him if he would like a permanent home after finding out that his parents abandoned him. She had always wanted another child but didn’t quite have enough lifespan to spare after having her biological children. Ragnar said yes, the minotaurs congratulated him, and he went to his new home. Currently, Ragnar lives with Freyja, her Ceresthalassa partner, and their son Khumbo Ceresthalassa who is his much older adoptive brother. Khumbo’s full-sisters Hnoss and Gersemi also live close by and visit often. Ragnar is a blacksmith of axes. His interest in weapon-making comes from frequenting the workshop of Tabitha Pyradros, the sister of Freyja. When Ragnar comes of age, Auntie Tabitha helps him establish his own workshop which would become the hangout location for him and his minotaur friends. The axes he makes go to his fellow clan members. Ragnar has yet to perfect the art of smithing like Tabitha, but he’s working hard towards that. He’s positive that he can reach her level in a few centuries. How ambitious! Ragnar’s partner is Kirsi Vuokko Loyard.

Torunn: Non-pureblood. Alive in the present day, belongs to the Previous Lord’s generation.

Torunn was the playmate and study buddy of Gradeus. She stayed with him until he turned 200 and resigned to pursue a different job which she’s currently doing. She wasn’t assigned to Gradeus by Pandora; rather, she came to him of her own accord. Pandora was more than welcoming of Torunn’s arrival and proposal to become Gradeus’ companion because he kept scaring potential candidates away with his not-so-nice qualities and as his mother, she was worried about him being lonely. In reality, he probably didn’t need a companion like his mother had thought, but he wouldn’t have minded either way. One more person for him to terrorize. In Gradeus’ distant memory, his initial encounter with Torunn was when his mother officially introduced them to each other. Their actual first meeting was when Gradeus “rescued” a very distraught Torunn who had been left behind to suffer by her bullies. They cut off all her limbs and dunked her into a barrel of ale and deliberately trapped her there. As a non-pureblood on the weaker end, she couldn’t have escaped on her own as she had lost too much blood and exhausted all her energy. She was prepared to die. Then in came Gradeus. He aggressively kicked tipped over the barrel out of curiosity and released Torunn as a bonus. He skipped behind her, looked at her in the eye, and grinned as he told her that guess she’s lucky and won’t die today. He went about his day and forgot about it an hour later. Torunn remembered, and she vowed to repay the favor. As Gradeus’ companion, she tolerated all of his eccentric and sometimes violent behaviors whether they were directed at others or herself. It didn’t matter to her, because back then he saved her. She also volunteered to take the blame for the problems he caused without complaint. After Gradeus comes of age, Torunn resigns and opens her own brewery. Currently, she makes ale, mead, and wine. Maybe her inspiration comes from trauma. No one knows for sure. She stays in Lukedonia most of the time and sometimes travels to interact with humans to obtain knowledge of their alcohol. Torunn’s mead may or may not have received the name of “Poetic Mead” from the humans for its divine taste. It’s like a mythical drink to them. She’s rather flattered. Professor Titus is a fan too. Torunn currently lives with her Mergas partner and their daughter.

Thank you for reading! Siriana is next!

[ofodinn]

@prayforthewxcked liked for a Starter

Ragnar had been away from Kattegat for several months now. He had no desire to go back, no desire to rule anymore. The thought of being King, of constantly being told he was a failure sickened him. He’d rather wander about in the wands and in lands that he did not recall, than deal with that, ever again.  They didn’t need him and he didn’t need them. He came to a village, one that he was not quite certain about.  

Walking down by the water, he spotted a woman.  “Do you mind if I wash my face and such? I’ve been traveling a while.” 

[thevikingtales]

A Viking Wedding

King Ragnar lifted an eyebrow, surprised by his oldest son's question. "Well, you know your brother, and how quickly his mood tends to change... I'm just giving them time, that's all. To see if this is what they truly want, and if the girl is up to the... challenge... your brother can be." The old viking explained, then took another sip of his beverage and smirked. "And I still stand by my word. Two parties are much better than one!" Staring at his son, Ragnar's amused face gave place to a more serious expression. "Now that I think about it... these girls weren't here when I left, now two of my sons want to marry them... where did they come from? All my wife has told me is that they're related to Helga and Floki..." Even though Ragnar had never been a doting father, he still worried about his sons' wellbeing.

Entering the great hall, Ubbe, Hvitserk and Sigurd discussed Bjorn's wedding with excitement. "We should go hunt, for the feast!" Hvitserk suggested, always up to practice the use of his weapons. "Yes!" Ubbe agreed, then turned to Bjorn. "Have you decided whom you want to compete against, for the bridal race? You can choose me, but you'll end up losing and serving the feast!" The bright blue eyed viking joked, chuckling in amusement. "And I can play some songs, during the wedding rites and the feast! Are there some Kori likes in particular?" Sigurd asked, always willing to share his music with whoever wanted to listen.

Meanwhile at the boatbuilder's house, everyone felt excited for Kori and Bjorn. "I'll make you a beautiful dress, leave it to me!" Helga offered, smiling wide. "What about the flowers? We could go flower picking together, Sis! Then I'll make you a beautiful flower crown! Oh, and I'll ask Gyda to braid your hair, she's the best!" Nana suggested, beaming with excitement. "Tell Bjorn not to forget about the rings, Little Fish..." Floki advised, letting out one of his giggles.

[prayforthewxcked-blog]

Korie has been to Kattegat a few times, but it had been a while since her last visit and it was much different than she remembered. It reminded her more of her travels in the Mediterranean, where trade was central. It was definitely not the Kattegat she remembered.

Nevertheless, it was easy enough to see the things she did remember. The dock where the warriors would depart from to go on their raids, the layout of the town, the Great Hall. Kattegat has always been one of her favorite places to visit.

She made her way through the town, taking in all the changes, stopping once she got to the Great Hall. If anything would stay the same, it was this place. She walked inside, looking around, and thus, everything was the same. Except for the people. Ragnar was gone, killed by King Aelle. Aslaug was gone, killed by Lagertha. There was one familiar face, however, she managed to catch in the crowd. Björn Ironside, son of Ragnar. She’s met him once, briefly, when they were much younger. She was pretty sure she’s been in love ever since, especially after seeing the man he’s grown into, hearing about all the amazing things he’d been doing.

She was pouring herself a drink when she heard his voice, causing her to spill the ale all over herself. She cursed herself mentally for being such an idiot before turning to look at the man. He towered over her, but not in a threatening way, though she was sure he had that capability.

It took her a moment to finally reply. “Passing through,” she said, looking back up at his face. She hoped that her face wasn’t quite as red as she felt it was.

@prayforthewxcked liked for a Starter 

Thinking things through had never been Bjorn Ironside’s favorite thing to do.  It was probably why he tended to make a mess out of relationship. He had no regrets, did not regret leaving Torvi, supposed it was fate that his other wife had died, who knows if Thorunn was out there or not? She had walked out of his life. But ever since losing his father, his life had seemed a bit..out of focus and he often didn’t know where he was going. Kattegat was important, yes. But, he had such a desire to travel and he had no met many people who shared his same desire. Sure, people wanted to ride. But, they wanted to settle. Settling was boring.  He was sat in a chair in the Great Hall, when he spotted a woman.  She was attractive. He always noticed an attractive women.  He hadn’t noticed her before or he’d failed to notice her.  He moved closer and spoke out loud.

“Are you from Kattegat or are you passing through?” 

[orpheusterminals]

The Garden by Iason Ragnar Bellerophon Via Flickr: Artists DOUG YOUNG and JASON ROBERT BELL will collaborate in a bizarre circus of the absurd featuring chainsaws, ice sculptures, snowcones, fountains, fire, topiary, cream pies and more. "Garden" is a performance/installation that re-engages the age-old battle between man and nature by featuring the basic elements of fire, water, earth and air as both foe and inspiration. Developing out of dialogue the two artists have shared over the last two years "Garden" explores the question how can one continue to make "Art" today that is both immediate and somehow mythic. The response is an unusual amalgam of installation and action using all available talents and abilities - balance, strength, endurance, speed, craft, construction and imagination JASON ROBERT BELL is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 1995) and Yale School of Art (MFA 2000). He recently had a solo exhibition of paintings at Mario Diacono Gallery in Boston. DOUG YOUG is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 1995) and the Pratt Institute (MFA 1997). He was recently instated into the Guinness Book of World Records for a 24-Hour Banjo marathon at the Good/Bad Art Collective in Brooklyn, NY in May 2001 Special Thanks to- Jenna J.Young, Paul Brainard, Kory Smith, Joe Infurnari, Peter Staley, Kari Gatzke, Steve Espinola, Brian Farrelly, Mark Shunney, and The New York City Parks Commission.

[thevikingtales]

Apologies Accepted

The next day Nana woke up to a faint ray of sunshine entering her room and a bird chirping on her window. Despite yesterday's storm, it was a lovely morning. The sea princess smiled, stretched out and sat on the bed. Just as she reached for the water on the small table next to her bed, a young servant girl entered her room. "Good morning, princess Nana." The blonde girl bowed and greeted shyly, to which Nana smiled and shook her head. "Just call me Nana, please! And good morning uh..." She realized she'd never seen this girl before. "Gyda. My parents gave me this name after Ragnar and Lagertha's late daughter." The servant explained, and she seemed proud. "I usually help Queen Aslaug with her dresses and hair, and was assigned to do the same for you..." Nana smiled, more to herself. This was Ivar's doing. Probably his way of letting her know she hadn't quite mastered the art of viking braiding yet. And he was right, Nana could use some help. In fact, whenever she tried doing her own hair it ended up clumsy and Helga always had to help her. "Thank you so much, Gyda! But... promise to teach me how to do beautiful Viking hairstyles too?" The princess asked with an enthusiastic smile. She wanted to learn and to surprise Ivar someday. "Yes, of course!" Gyda nodded and smiled back. Margrethe had told her bad things about this foreign princess, but she seemed nice and kind.

After a while, and thanks to Gyda's help, Nana left her room wearing one of the beautiful dresses she'd found inside the chest, a dark red this time, and exquisite viking braids fit for royals. She felt really pretty and above all, happy. But encountering Margrethe on the hallway put a stain on her good mood. "Oh look, Ivar's pet is awake!" The servant scorned, making the shieldmaiden next to her, whose name Nana was almost sure was Torvi, chuckle. "And she's looking like the Queen herself! It's a shame how everyone's commenting you seduced the poor cripple son to ascend..." Margrethe gave her a fake pout. Nana took a deep breath and smirked. This time, she wouldn't let it slide. She'd heard some comments about Margrethe too and was more than happy to give her a taste of her own poison. "Well, at least and I didn't lay with all of his brothers to still remain a slave girl..." The sea princess retorted, and Torvi laughed, which seemed to infuriate Margrethe even more. "What are you laughing at, Torvi? Bjorn has already replaced you with her sister!" The servant turned her anger towards the shieldmaiden, and Nana just shook her head and left. Hopefully she wouldn't have more trouble with them now.

"Is everything alright, princess?" Ivar asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd heard some commotion in the hallway and had come to see what it was about. "Yes!" Nana reassured with a smile as she approached Ivar and gave him a long, loving kiss. It was enough to lighten up her mood. "Good morning, my love! Slept well?" She asked, caressing his cheek. Just then, Bjorn and Kori approached them. Noticing Kori wanted to talked to Ivar, she let the oldest Ragnarsson accompany her to the great hall, leaving her sister and her prince behind, hoping there would be no more fights.

Kori's apology made Ivar raise an eyebrow in surprise, but the viking prince still smirked and nodded. "Apologies accepted. Join us for breakfast?" He motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

[thevikingtales]

Bjorn smirked as he watched the girl in purple inspecting the flower, almost as if she'd never seen one before. "I can get you more of those, if you like..." It was a genuine offer. "Come, let's dance!" He insisted, but before she could answer, and before he could even realize what had just happened, the girl slapped Gorm. The drunk viking didn't take this lightly and put a knife to her throat, making her take a few steps back, right into Bjorn's chest. Ragnar's oldest son instinctively touched her arm, and pulled her closer to him, just so he could place himself in front of her and protect her from the threat. "Stop it, Gorm. Leave the girl alone." He ordered, and then added. "You'd better go home, you've drunk too much already." Letting out an angry grunt, but not wanting a fight with the sons of Ragnar, Gorm backed away and left. Bjorn smirked, watching him go, and then turned to check on the young woman. "Are you alright?"

Nana, also noticing the commotion, was quick to get up and run to hug her sister. "Kori! Are you hurt?" She whispered, visibly worried. Ivar remained on his seat, but observed the scene from afar. Hand on his knife, ready to throw it at anyone who dared threaten the sea maidens. None of the other people in the great hall seemed to notice, or if they did notice, they didn't seem to mind the situation that had just happened. Drunk vikings misbehaving was an extremely common event, after all. And viking women knew how to put them in their place.

Feasts and Flowers

This feast wasn't going as Bjorn had planned, not at all. He would never admit it, but Hvitserk was right. Conquering one of these girls and prove himself the best Ragnarsson before his brothers wouldn't be as easy as he had thought. How could one of them be paying attention to his cripple brother instead of him, or any other of their brothers, was beyond his understanding. And the other one was as slippery as the sea creatures they'd just come across the other day. Sighing, the oldest viking prince drank his mead and observed the scene, thinking of what he should do next.

Meanwhile, Sigurd and Kori danced happily next to the bards, laughing and twirling around. "It's really good to have you here, you know?" The blonde viking commented genuinely, a wide smile upon his features. Just then, a blonde, long haired girl with piercing blue eyes and a small frame passed them by, giving Sigurd the most disappointed look. Gulping, he looked uncomfortable. It was Margrethe, their mother's servant, whom Sigurd and his brothers had been courting for some months now, but with whom he wanted a more serious relationship. And so did she. Was he ready to give her up for some stupid contest made up by Bjorn? He didn't think so. So once the bards finished playing the current song, the prince gave Kori a polite bow and excused himself, eager to give Margrethe his full attention for the rest of the night. Bjorn smirked, as this was the perfect opportunity he'd been waiting for. Rising from his seat, he took a flower from the table, approached Kori and offered it to her. "A dance?"

Watching his brother and already a little drunk, Hvitserk laughed. Dancing was so unlike Bjorn, he must have been really set on winning this competition. Ivar's game, on the other hand, he didn't really understand. The youngest prince and the girl dressed in blue simply enjoyed their mead and each other's company. Nana had never tried this drink before, but it tasted really sweet, which she loved, so the young princess ended up drinking a little too much. And Ivar, wanting to know a million things about her, but knowing she couldn't really answer him, searched for ways to entertain the sea maiden. So he performed a magic trick he'd learned from Floki when he was a child.

Nana watched in amazement, laughing and clapping as the coin disappeared. Then, she reached for Ivar's hands, taking them in hers and inspecting them, trying to see where the coin had gone to. Ivar smiled and felt even more intrigued. Girls usually flinched from his touch, but this one didn't seem to fear him at all. Softly brushing his fingers along the girl's delicate features, he continued the trick and pulled the coin from behind her ear. Nana widened her eyes and touched her own ear, trying to understand how the golden object ended up there, and Ivar laughed softly. "It's for you, princess." He spoke softly, placing the coin on the palm of her hand, and Nana gave him a wide smile as she carefully put it inside her pocket. It was her little treasure now.

[thevikingtales]

As she packed her things, Nana could hear Kori telling Floki and Helga what had happened. No, she didn't hate her sister. She was just mad at the way she'd treated Ivar. Maybe using Siggy to convince her to stay hadn't been the best thing to do, but his reasons were good. And Kori staying would also make Bjorn and Siggy happy. Plus Siggy was safe and sound. It would be a good thing for everyone, so she couldn't understand the way her sister had treated Ivar. Hearing the little girl saying goodbye to her, Nana went to her room's entrance. "Good bye, sweetie. Have a good night." The sea princess replied with a soft smile, then sat on a stool next to Helga, in front of the fireplace. "It was not like that... Ivar was just trying to help, he was afraid I'd leave too if she left..." She tried to explain, sighing. "It will be alright, dear. Siblings quarrel all the time." Helga tried to calm her down, and Floki let out one of his giggles. "Ragnar and Rollo were always at each other's throats." The boatbuilder told her, remembering his youth and lighting up the mood.

"But... were you packing your things? You don't need to leave because of this..." Helga worried, but Nana smiled and shook her head. "It's not because of this... everything happened so fast and I didn't have time to tell you, but Queen Aslaug asked me to be her lady in waiting and live in the long house..." The sea maiden explained, to which Helga's expression brightened and a wide smile appeared upon her features. "Those are wonderful news, Nana! Aslaug is a good queen and a good friend of mine. I helped taking care of her boys when they were little, you know? I think you will be happy there." Helga gave Nana a big hug, as if she was saying good bye to her own daughter. "Thank you so much for everything you've done for me and my sister, Helga. I've... I've never met my mother... but I love you as I would have loved her." The sea princess hugged her back, and two tears rolled down the viking woman's cheeks, although she was quick to wipe them. "Alright, let's help you with your things!" Helga smiled cheerfully, following Nana into her room and helping her packing what little belongings she had into a leather bag. Then, Helga and her husband accompanied her to the door. "Take care of yourself, sweet Nana. Yes?" Helga caressed the girl's cheek. "And don't forget to pay this old fool a visit, will you?" Floki giggled. "Of course not! I'll visit both of you as often as possible!" Nana reassured, giving both of them a big hug and a kiss upon the cheek. Then, leather bag in hand, she waved them goodbye and left, walking to the great hall. The rain had stopped by now.

On her way, she met Hvitserk and Ubbe. "So you're coming to live with us now, uh?" Hvitserk wanted to know, taking the bag from her hand, so he could carry it for her. Not because he was much of a gentleman, but because he always liked to impress beautiful girls with his strength. "Yes, by your mother's request..." Nana explained. "Have you seen my sister? She headed to Bjorn's house with Siggy..." The princess worried. "They're at Bjorn's. We just left, to leave both of them alone." Ubbe smirked, to which Nana smiled and nodded. Despite everything, she wished for her sister to be happy, always.

Once they arrived to the long house, a servant was already waiting for Nana. After saying goodnight, Hvitserk and Ubbe headed towards their rooms, and the princess was escorted to hers. As she passed by Nana, the servant known as Margrethe chuckled. "Oh look, Ivar's pet has arrived!" Nana took a deep breath and decided to ignore her. This time.

Telling the Truth

Ivar was selfish, of course he was. And possessive. Deep inside he knew the reason he was so mad at Bjorn and didn't want Kori to leave was because he feared Nana would leave too. Of course she would, she had the kindest heart. Pure, loyal and good, she was everything he was not, and everything he wanted. The only woman who'd ever been able to look through his condition and love him as he was, besides his mother. But his mother didn't really count. So now that he'd found such a woman, he couldn't afford to lose her. Even if it meant trying to put some sense into Bjorn's thick skull. Or using his best charm to convince Kori to stay. And Odin help him, he would succeed.

Meanwhile, Nana stood before Queen Aslaug and gulped as the woman addressed her. "Y-Yes, my Queen. Thank you." She answered, politely bowing her head. Where Nana came from, she was a daughter of Njord and she didn't bow before anyone. But here she was just a common girl and owed the ruler of this place her respect. Plus, Aslaug was Ivar's mother, so that was another big reason for Nana not wanting to be rude or impolite in any way. The sea princess threaded carefully. "I'm happy to know that. Please have a seat. Would you like some mead?" The Queen offered, already pouring some for Nana without waiting for her answer. Smiling, the girl did as she was told, sitting upon the wooden stool and accepting her horn. "You may be wondering why I summoned you here. The truth is... I've seen how my beloved son Ivar looks at you, and how you two grow closer everyday." She paused, gesturing towards Nana's armring. "But... I don't know you, Nana. Or what your intentions are. I'm sure you've noticed my son is not like the other men around here..." Much to her surprise, Aslaug's words were interrupted by a little giggle from Nana. Feeling the monarch's cold blue eyes on her, Nana rushed to explain. "Of course he's not, he's most special."

Aslaug just sighed. "What is it you want, really? Marry a Ragnarsson for power? Status? Ascend from that wooden bench to the throne one day? Is that why you chose him out of all his brothers? He seemed like an easy target to you?" By now Nana felt utterly offended, digging her nails into the palms of her hands as she tried to keep her composure. At least she hadn't accused her of being a sea witch, so she probably didn't know of her origins just yet. "With all due respect, my Queen... I believe we both know your son Ivar is not an easy target... he's not dumb nor weak. He's quite the opposite in fact – extremely clever and a very skilled warrior. And where I come from, we don't value our men for the strength of their legs." The princess smirked. "But we do value intelligence, ambition and fearlessness. And I find that in Ivar. And I know you do too. You favor and protect him above your other sons, my Queen. Because you see that he's special too. Hundreds of men can run and fight in the battlefield, but it takes someone really ingenious and bright to plan their battles beforehand, and to lead them to victory. And I'm sure Ivar is capable of that. I believe in him, as much as you do. And I want nothing more, than for him to be recognised as a great viking warrior and king, one day. With or without me." There, Nana spilled her thoughts. She wasn't sure if this was the proper way to talk to the Queen, but at least she was honest. And to her surprise, Aslaug smiled.

"I like you, girl. And I know my son does too. So you shall move here, to the longhouse and be my lady in waiting. You'll be protected and taken good care of." The Queen informed and Nana looked most surprised. "T-Thank you, my Queen... That is most generous." It was all she could mutter, and Aslaug chuckled. "What are you waiting for? Go get your things." Nana nodded and excused herself. She was still processing everything that had happened and wanted to tell her sister everything. Then she remembered, Kori wasn't happy. Where was she anyway? Nana walked around Kattegat, trying to find her.

[thevikingtales]

Still happily sipping on her tea and walking around Floki and Helga's house, observing all the unknown objects and pretty trinkets the couple had scattered around the place, Nana ignored the conversation outside. So when she noticed the unhappy look on her sister's face, the sea princess raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her, wondering what was wrong. Just then, Helga returned, carrying in her arms some beautiful dresses and undergarments. Nana wondered who they had belonged to, because they were some of the prettiest things she'd ever seen since they arrived to this strange land. Apart from Ivar. The blue in his eyes reminded her of home. Following Helga to the back room, the sea maidens got to pick which dress they'd like to wear. There was a more sober, purple one that she tought was perfect for Kori, as it matched her tail, so she smiled at her sister while pointing at the dress, wondering if she liked it. As for herself, she picked the light blue one adorned in gold, since there was no pink among the clothes. Maybe the women here just weren't fond of this color. "Ah! You look like two viking princesses!" Helga smiled wide, helping the girls put on their dresses. Then her expression turned a bit melancholic as she remembered Angrboda, her little daughter who passed away on a particularly harsh winter. How they loved to play with each other's hair. "Would you like me to braid your hair too?" She offered kindly, to which the younger sea maiden nodded her head enthusiastically and smiled wide, sitting on the bed next to Helga and handing her a strand of her long dark hair.

Outside the house, the Ragnarssons argued and couldn't seem to decide who should go inside and ask the girls to the feast. Ultimately, all of them stormed through Floki's house with Ivar leading the way, being the most familiar with the place. "Ah, the sons of Ragnar!" The boat builder greeted cheerfully. "Floki... as you and Helga are always welcome to feast with us in the great hall, we wanted to tell you that Helga's cousins are also free to join." Ubbe started, calm and composed. "Yes, all of you should come tonight! We'll show them Kattegat's hospitality." Bjorn added. Ivar remained silent, for he had mixed feelings about this. As much as he didn't like his brothers wanting to steal the sea creatures for themselves, he'd certainly would enjoy having them at the feast and perhaps getting to know more about them and their mysterious world. Listening to the viking princes' invitation in the other room, Nana looked at sister. Her big smile and bright eyes denoting her excitement and willingness to go.

The Following Day

Ivar woke up startled to the loud sound of laughter. The way he sat up straight and reached for his knife only made the laughter grow in volume and intensity. It came from his brothers, of course. "Ivar! What are you dreaming of? Who are you trying to reach? Is it a girl?" Hvitserk managed to ask, wiggling his eyebrows in the most suggestive manner. "Oohh is it Margrethe?" Ubbe seemed interested as well. "Of course it's not Margrethe!" Sigurd frowned, a hint of jealousy in his voice he quickly tried to disguise with a soft laugh. "Are there any girls in Kattegat interested in Ivar, though? He's quite heavy for a guy without legs..." All that mockery made the younger viking mad, and he grunted angrily at Sigurd, throwing the knife in his direction. It flew right past his head, gently brushing his left ear, and stabbed the wooden wall behind him. Eyes wide open, the one known as Snake in the Eye said no more. He knew Ivar never missed a target, so he took his warning seriously. "Come, let's eat something. Then we'll scout around the shore." Ubbe invited, trying to cease his brothers' quarrel. With a nod of his head, Ivar put on his leg braces, grabbed his crutch and followed the older princes to the great hall. While Hvitserk devoured some bread, Ivar only took a few nibbles from an apple, not feeling particularly hungry. Thinking about it, he didn't know exactly how he felt . That dream had made him both curious and worried. He certainly wanted to find out more or even meet those creatures, but he didn't want his brothers to do the same. Was it because he didn't want them to hurt the mysterious beings, or because he wanted to be the first and only one to have them, besting his brothers? He wasn't sure. But he surely wanted to return to the shore.

Meanwhile, inside a deep, rocky cave not far from there, the two lost daughters of Njord woke up. The cut on Nana's tail didn't hurt that much anymore, so she decided to go and get some breakfast for herself and her sister Kori. "Don't worry, sis! I'll be back in no time, and I'll bring your favourite seaweed!" The younger princess promised, smiling cheerfully before she ventured outside. She knew she had to be careful not to swim too close to the shore, but the absence of voices above the surface put her mind at ease a little. What Nana didn't expect, was that there would be traps farther from the shore and deeper into the sea. So the somewhat carefree and clumsy seamaiden got herself caught inside one of them while trying to pluck a particularly tasty-looking seaweed. "Oh no, oh no... how does this thing open?" She panicked, trying to break free. But her frantic movements only served to warn the man in the boat floating above her that his plan had worked. Giggling happily, Floki pulled the rope until the wooden cage resurfaced, and beaming with curiosity, he took a look at its contents. "What in Odin's name..." He giggled some more. This certainly wasn't a fish, but a descendent from Njord himself! Ivar would be so happy! Careful not to attract unwanted attention, the boat builder quickly returned to the shore, and ignoring the creature's loud screeches, carried the trap and hid it inside one of the longboats still under construction. Then, he covered it with a light fabric and sent his wife, sweet Helga, to bring Ivar.

[thevikingtales]

Kori laughed running a hand over her braided hair. "It was a little scary a first, but most of the people have been wonderful, aside from a few minor annoyances."

The mermaid said spotting both Margerthe and Tovri eyeing up her younger brother.

"Annoyances?" Devon asked tilting his head as he thanked Ubbe for the drink before shrugging to Hvitserk question.

"I am not sure... Knowing our father,I don't think it is going to be safe entering the water anytime soon."

He had a good point, Njord did have quite the temper at times, who knows what would await Devon if he entered their father's domain now.

Kori thought for a moment.

"I can ask Floki and Helga if you can stay with them Big Brother!"

She smiled before rolling her eyes at Sigurd and Ivar.

"Honestly it's our wedding day, can you two at least pretend to get along? I swore your mother deserves goddess status for putting up with you lot!" She sighed.

"Sorry Kori.." Sigurd replied sheepishly.

"I will try, only because YOU asked." Ivar added reluctantly making the sea prince laugh as he saw his youngest sister.

"Hey Nan!" Devon grinned offering to give her a hug, but also not wanting to frighten her, he imagined she must have been a little put off right now.

The young merman looked at his twin' s husband. "Hari left while ago, he's probably almost home by now."

That statement made Kori extremely nervous, Hari had always been a rather large ego, and her choosing Bjorn over the royal guard, she didn't know what he would do next.

She instantly grabbed onto Bjorn and looked at Ivar and Nana, her only thoughts focusing on keeping her family safe if Odin forbid it came down to a fight.

"Good riddance, now we get back to the real fun!" Hvitserk cheered running off to get even more food and drink as the group chuckled.

"Humans do seem to eat quite a bit don't they?"

Kori giggled. "Nah that's just Hvits, Oh and Ragnar and his wife are at the front."

The oldest smiled grinned knowing how much her brother admired the viking king from the stories they heard growing up.

"If you wanted to say hello that is." She teased having a bit of mead herself.

."As Your Majesty's wishes. " Hari said bowing his head and swam off to prepare the rest the guards, he would bring the youngest princess back, and one way or another he would make Kori his.

In Love and in War

Everything is fair, people use to say. So if Hari couldn't have Kori's love, no one could, and he'd instigate Njord to unleash his wrath upon these insolent humans. This Hari promised himself, sitting on the shore as he awaited Devon to join him. But the sea prince had trully missed his sisters, so he decided to stay at his twin's wedding feast a little longer, wanting to know more about their life in Kattegat. Bjorn, who didn't truly trust this uninvited guest, kept a close look on his interactions, both with his wife and his brothers. "So... how's life here, on the surface? Tell me everything, sister!" Devon asked, taking a sip of the mead Ubbe had just served him. "Mmmm! And what delicious beverage is this?" Hvitserk chuckled, handing him a piece of roasted meat. "It's called mead, and it goes really well with this!" The viking prince suggested, taking a big bite of his own food and chewing with contentment. "So... are you staying with us for a few days, or are you returning back to... where you came from?" But before Devon could answer, Bjorn interrupted. "I think you should go look for your friend... he could get himself into trouble around here." Not that he really cared about Hari, he was just uncomfortable with their presence and didn't want a fight staining his wedding feast, but he wouldn't back down from one either. "And where did Ivar go anyway?" "He ran away like the big baby he always is..." Sigurd mocked, not really paying attention to Ivar and Nana, who'd just returned to the great hall, which earned him a hard slap on the back of his head, courtesy of his youngest brother. "Say that again, and I'll use my axe instead of my hand." Ivar threatened with a dead serious face, but Nana softly giggled and the prince eased his expression into a smirk. "So, is that bastard gone? Can we continue with the feast?"

And by that time, Hari was indeed gone. Realizing Devon would probably stay longer among these barbarians, the royal guard decided to go home and tell Njord his version of what happened to his lost daughters. "It's a tragedy, my lord... I suspect Kori is gone forever, she's already married to one of them, they might have offspring soon... and if we take too long, your youngest daughter will suffer the same terrible fate... even worse! She now belongs to a very rude human, and a defective one, to make things worse! And she's indeed a slave, because I've seen her sitting on his lap, and feeding him pieces of a round fruit, and pouring a beverage into his cup... and when he commanded her to go inside, she did so without questioning... by the gods, you know your youngest child! Always a little rebel, she must be terrified of him, to serve his every wish! We must act quick, before it's too late!" Hari told the sea god his point of view, and Njord listened in silence, and pondered for a few moments. He had plans of an alliance between the Vanir and the Æsir, wanting to marry one or more of this daughter's to Odin's sons. And he wouldn't let anyone ruin this. It was fated, after all. "Very well. Bring back my daughter, Hari. Whatever it takes." Njorn announced, and by the way high waves rose from the sea, the royal guard knew he wasn't joking.

[thevikingtales]

Kori squealed as Bjorn suddenly swooped her up in his arms spinning her around, earning chuckles and Aws from the crowd.

The two laughed as the music stopped and Bjorn pressed his lips against his beloved's.

Aslaug smiled becoming teary eyed. How she wished Lagertha was here to see her son so happy.

Ragnar himself, watched in amazement, he never thought he would see his oldest like that with anyone, especially after he and Lagertha had separated, yet happened, and the viking king couldn't be happier for his boy.

"I love you." Bjorn said softly moving Kori's soft dark curls out of her face.

"I love you too Bjorn." She smiled kissing the blonde's cheek as he set her down, suddenly becoming aware of all the people watching them, especially Margerthe.

Kori smiled at the girl as she and Bjorn made their back to the table.

"Wow Brother, who knew you  could actually dance!"  Hvitserk chuckled grabbing more food as Kori laughed.

"Shut up Hvits." Bjorn rolled his eyes pulling the girl into his lap. "And YOU, stop encouraging him." He scolded playfully  making her laugh more.

"Yes My Love." Kori teased kissing his cheek again.

Ragnar chuckled once more. "My son seems quite taken with you Dear Girl." The king said gaining the attention of the oldest of the two couples. " He is a lucky man."

Kori smiled while politely shaking her head. "Thank you, but I am the lucky one Your Majesty, I am truly blessed to be loved by someone as wonderful as your son, and to be in the great company of his brothers."

Ragnar nodded. "That is good to hear." He  grinned back.

"So have you thought about...?" The king trailed off drinking some more gesturing between the two them.

Kori and Bjorn looked at Aslaug a bit confused.

"Honestly Ragnar, at least finish your question first!"

The queen sighed. "He is wondering if you two have considered getting married."

Kori blinked a little surprised. "Oh! Uh.. I'm not sure Your Highness, we  haven't really talked about that yet." She replied looking at Bjorn, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Any thoughts Love?"

"I think..." The viking prince said gently tightening his arms around the girl's waist. "I would marry you right now if I could."

Apologies Accepted

The next day Nana woke up to a faint ray of sunshine entering her room and a bird chirping on her window. Despite yesterday's storm, it was a lovely morning. The sea princess smiled, stretched out and sat on the bed. Just as she reached for the water on the small table next to her bed, a young servant girl entered her room. "Good morning, princess Nana." The blonde girl bowed and greeted shyly, to which Nana smiled and shook her head. "Just call me Nana, please! And good morning uh..." She realized she'd never seen this girl before. "Gyda. My parents gave me this name after Ragnar and Lagertha's late daughter." The servant explained, and she seemed proud. "I usually help Queen Aslaug with her dresses and hair, and was assigned to do the same for you..." Nana smiled, more to herself. This was Ivar's doing. Probably his way of letting her know she hadn't quite mastered the art of viking braiding yet. And he was right, Nana could use some help. In fact, whenever she tried doing her own hair it ended up clumsy and Helga always had to help her. "Thank you so much, Gyda! But... promise to teach me how to do beautiful Viking hairstyles too?" The princess asked with an enthusiastic smile. She wanted to learn and to surprise Ivar someday. "Yes, of course!" Gyda nodded and smiled back. Margrethe had told her bad things about this foreign princess, but she seemed nice and kind.

After a while, and thanks to Gyda's help, Nana left her room wearing one of the beautiful dresses she'd found inside the chest, a dark red this time, and exquisite viking braids fit for royals. She felt really pretty and above all, happy. But encountering Margrethe on the hallway put a stain on her good mood. "Oh look, Ivar's pet is awake!" The servant scorned, making the shieldmaiden next to her, whose name Nana was almost sure was Torvi, chuckle. "And she's looking like the Queen herself! It's a shame how everyone's commenting you seduced the poor cripple son to ascend..." Margrethe gave her a fake pout. Nana took a deep breath and smirked. This time, she wouldn't let it slide. She'd heard some comments about Margrethe too and was more than happy to give her a taste of her own poison. "Well, at least and I didn't lay with all of his brothers to still remain a slave girl..." The sea princess retorted, and Torvi laughed, which seemed to infuriate Margrethe even more. "What are you laughing at, Torvi? Bjorn has already replaced you with her sister!" The servant turned her anger towards the shieldmaiden, and Nana just shook her head and left. Hopefully she wouldn't have more trouble with them now.

"Is everything alright, princess?" Ivar asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd heard some commotion in the hallway and had come to see what it was about. "Yes!" Nana reassured with a smile as she approached Ivar and gave him a long, loving kiss. It was enough to lighten up her mood. "Good morning, my love! Slept well?" She asked, caressing his cheek. Just then, Bjorn and Kori approached them. Noticing Kori wanted to talked to Ivar, she let the oldest Ragnarsson accompany her to the great hall, leaving her sister and her prince behind, hoping there would be no more fights.

Kori's apology made Ivar raise an eyebrow in surprise, but the viking prince still smirked and nodded. "Apologies accepted. Join us for breakfast?" He motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

[thevikingtales]

Between all the great music, delicious meals and countless horns of mead, by the end of the afternoon the familiar calling was far from Nana’s thoughts. Sat upon Ivar’s lap, the sea princess giggled as she fed him grapes and stole kisses from time to time. So when two hooded figures approached her sister, she didn’t think anything about it. They were probably relatives or people from a nearby village who wanted to pay respects to Ragnar’s oldest son on his wedding day. Smiling, the princess turned her attention back to her viking prince. But if she’d truly seen who these people were, her blood would have frozen inside her veins.

“Kori, sister! We’re so relieved to have found you well!” One of the two hooded figures whispered, throwing his arms around the newly wed princess. “We feared the worse…”

“But we came to your rescue!” The other man announced proudly. “What have these brutes done to you? This party… they… they claimed you as their own?” He spoke louder, in a mix of worry and hurt pride. Then, as he turned and saw Nana as she fed Ivar another piece of fruit. “And Nana too? Njord’s youngest daughter is now a slave of a human? Come, Devon! We must tell Njord and gather more guards to come save them!”

Noticing the commotion around his new wife, Bjorn approached them. “Is there a problem? And who in Odin’s name are you?” He asked, not recognising any of the two men. But Nana did, the moment she heard their voices, even from afar. And she widened her eyes in fear, unconsciously pressing her body tighter against Ivar’s, as if fearing to be separated from this viking prince she’d grown to love so much. “What’s wrong, princess? You look like you’ve seen Fenrir at the door…” Ivar joked, smirking as he tried to follow her line of sight.

“They’re here… they’ve come for us…” She tried to articulate, speaking in a scared whispered. Watching as Ivar frowned, utterly confused, she proceeded to explain. “Devon, my half brother… and Hari, one of my father’s guards… they’re here, talking to Kori… they’ll bring us back, I know…” She had tears in her eyes by now, but Ivar tried to calm her, taking her hands in his and caressing them. “Do you wish to return home, beloved?” He asked. It would make him so sad if she did, but he never wanted to make her a prisoner. To his delight, she was quick to shake her head, as if he’d spoken the most horrible of sentences. “Of course not, my love! I want to stay here, with you!” She reassured, worriedly looking from Ivar to the two figures talking to Kori.

“Then I swear I’ll never let them take you away, princess.” The youngest Ragnarsson smiled, urging her to stand up. “Quick, take the servant girl with you and go hide in my room. I’ll handle things here.” It wasn’t a really great plan, but at least it would buy them some time, so Nana nodded and did as Ivar said. Taking Gyda’s hand, the two rushed to Ivar’s room and locked the door. In the great hall, Ivar stood up and approached the newlyweds and the two unwelcome visitors. “Is there a problem here?” He asked boldly.

A Viking Wedding

King Ragnar lifted an eyebrow, surprised by his oldest son's question. "Well, you know your brother, and how quickly his mood tends to change... I'm just giving them time, that's all. To see if this is what they truly want, and if the girl is up to the... challenge... your brother can be." The old viking explained, then took another sip of his beverage and smirked. "And I still stand by my word. Two parties are much better than one!" Staring at his son, Ragnar's amused face gave place to a more serious expression. "Now that I think about it... these girls weren't here when I left, now two of my sons want to marry them... where did they come from? All my wife has told me is that they're related to Helga and Floki..." Even though Ragnar had never been a doting father, he still worried about his sons' wellbeing.

Entering the great hall, Ubbe, Hvitserk and Sigurd discussed Bjorn's wedding with excitement. "We should go hunt, for the feast!" Hvitserk suggested, always up to practice the use of his weapons. "Yes!" Ubbe agreed, then turned to Bjorn. "Have you decided whom you want to compete against, for the bridal race? You can choose me, but you'll end up losing and serving the feast!" The bright blue eyed viking joked, chuckling in amusement. "And I can play some songs, during the wedding rites and the feast! Are there some Kori likes in particular?" Sigurd asked, always willing to share his music with whoever wanted to listen.

Meanwhile at the boatbuilder's house, everyone felt excited for Kori and Bjorn. "I'll make you a beautiful dress, leave it to me!" Helga offered, smiling wide. "What about the flowers? We could go flower picking together, Sis! Then I'll make you a beautiful flower crown! Oh, and I'll ask Gyda to braid your hair, she's the best!" Nana suggested, beaming with excitement. "Tell Bjorn not to forget about the rings, Little Fish..." Floki advised, letting out one of his giggles.

[thevikingtales]

Kori nodded. "Yeah, looks like it, I'm glad I made a good first impression."

The girl laughed taking his hand into hers.

"Of course I'm happy! I'm marrying the greatest man in the world." She smiled kissing her viking's cheek.

"Oh you know Nana has that more than covered. Don't I worry My Love, I don't need anything fancy, as long as I get to be yours in end." Kori smiled once more.

Bjorn chuckled resting his head on hers. "I'm not the greatest yet, but I am definitely the luckiest."

" You are to me." The girl replied, her brown eyes looking into his.

Bjorn smiled, she always seemed to surprise him.

"I'll see you later tonight okay?

I have go help Helga with the chores."

Kori said kissing Bjorn softly. "I love you B."

A little while later she heard Nana enter the boatmaker's home. "Hey Nana!" Kori smiled glad to see her sister in a good mood. "A little bit, it all happened so fast, it hasn't really hit me yet." The older sister chuckled.

"A dress for what Dear?" Helga asked tilting her head at the two girls.

That's right, Helga and Floki weren't at breakfast this morning!

"Well... We met Ragnar, and...Bjorn and I are to be married next week."

Helga covered mouth with tears in her eyes while Floki danced around in excitment. "Congratulations Little Fish!"

The old man giggled hugging the girls, he had grown to adore the two mermaids and think of them as his own.

Bjorn nodded and watched his girl leave before handing back into the Great Hall.

"Congratulations Bjorn, I am so happy for you." Aslaug said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Aslaug." The young man smiled giving her a hug, before going up to Ragnar. "Father, may I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" The viking king said gulping down yet another drink. "Of course my son! What is it?"

Bjorn took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. "Father why were you so dismissive of Ivar and Nana? Forgive me if I am wrong, but it seemed like you barely acknowledged them at all this morning."

Apologies Accepted

The next day Nana woke up to a faint ray of sunshine entering her room and a bird chirping on her window. Despite yesterday's storm, it was a lovely morning. The sea princess smiled, stretched out and sat on the bed. Just as she reached for the water on the small table next to her bed, a young servant girl entered her room. "Good morning, princess Nana." The blonde girl bowed and greeted shyly, to which Nana smiled and shook her head. "Just call me Nana, please! And good morning uh..." She realized she'd never seen this girl before. "Gyda. My parents gave me this name after Ragnar and Lagertha's late daughter." The servant explained, and she seemed proud. "I usually help Queen Aslaug with her dresses and hair, and was assigned to do the same for you..." Nana smiled, more to herself. This was Ivar's doing. Probably his way of letting her know she hadn't quite mastered the art of viking braiding yet. And he was right, Nana could use some help. In fact, whenever she tried doing her own hair it ended up clumsy and Helga always had to help her. "Thank you so much, Gyda! But... promise to teach me how to do beautiful Viking hairstyles too?" The princess asked with an enthusiastic smile. She wanted to learn and to surprise Ivar someday. "Yes, of course!" Gyda nodded and smiled back. Margrethe had told her bad things about this foreign princess, but she seemed nice and kind.

After a while, and thanks to Gyda's help, Nana left her room wearing one of the beautiful dresses she'd found inside the chest, a dark red this time, and exquisite viking braids fit for royals. She felt really pretty and above all, happy. But encountering Margrethe on the hallway put a stain on her good mood. "Oh look, Ivar's pet is awake!" The servant scorned, making the shieldmaiden next to her, whose name Nana was almost sure was Torvi, chuckle. "And she's looking like the Queen herself! It's a shame how everyone's commenting you seduced the poor cripple son to ascend..." Margrethe gave her a fake pout. Nana took a deep breath and smirked. This time, she wouldn't let it slide. She'd heard some comments about Margrethe too and was more than happy to give her a taste of her own poison. "Well, at least and I didn't lay with all of his brothers to still remain a slave girl..." The sea princess retorted, and Torvi laughed, which seemed to infuriate Margrethe even more. "What are you laughing at, Torvi? Bjorn has already replaced you with her sister!" The servant turned her anger towards the shieldmaiden, and Nana just shook her head and left. Hopefully she wouldn't have more trouble with them now.

"Is everything alright, princess?" Ivar asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd heard some commotion in the hallway and had come to see what it was about. "Yes!" Nana reassured with a smile as she approached Ivar and gave him a long, loving kiss. It was enough to lighten up her mood. "Good morning, my love! Slept well?" She asked, caressing his cheek. Just then, Bjorn and Kori approached them. Noticing Kori wanted to talked to Ivar, she let the oldest Ragnarsson accompany her to the great hall, leaving her sister and her prince behind, hoping there would be no more fights.

Kori's apology made Ivar raise an eyebrow in surprise, but the viking prince still smirked and nodded. "Apologies accepted. Join us for breakfast?" He motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

[thevikingtales]

Kori smiled at the girl before looking into the mirror in awe. "By the gods Gyda this is amazing!" She exclaimed. "Thank you so much!" The bride cheer before hugging the young maid and her sister.

"Thanks Nan, I'm sure you will look even better on your day!" Kori grinned before giggling. "All good Floki, you can come in now!"

The old boatmaker walked in seeing the young mermaid.

"You look stunning Little One." Floki sniffled and wiping tears from his eyes.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from a child of Njord."

Helga chuckled kissing her old fool's cheek.

"He would be very proud of his little girl."

Kori smiled before looking at Nana, much like Ragnar, their father wasn't overly affectionate type, but the older couple didn't need to know.

"I.. certainly hope so, I'm ready whenever you all are!" The bride grinned really wanting to change the subject.

Bjorn stood at the water's edge waiting nervously for his bride.

"She is coming Brother relax." Ivar reassured him. "We don't need you passing out before she even arrives." He added making his brothers laughed.

"Watch it Boneless." The older brother joked back messing the younger one's hair, before turning and seeing Kori and the others step out of Floki's.

"Ready My Dear?" Helga asked as she and Floki gently took her arms.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" The girl smiled excitedly.

A Viking Wedding

King Ragnar lifted an eyebrow, surprised by his oldest son's question. "Well, you know your brother, and how quickly his mood tends to change... I'm just giving them time, that's all. To see if this is what they truly want, and if the girl is up to the... challenge... your brother can be." The old viking explained, then took another sip of his beverage and smirked. "And I still stand by my word. Two parties are much better than one!" Staring at his son, Ragnar's amused face gave place to a more serious expression. "Now that I think about it... these girls weren't here when I left, now two of my sons want to marry them... where did they come from? All my wife has told me is that they're related to Helga and Floki..." Even though Ragnar had never been a doting father, he still worried about his sons' wellbeing.

Entering the great hall, Ubbe, Hvitserk and Sigurd discussed Bjorn's wedding with excitement. "We should go hunt, for the feast!" Hvitserk suggested, always up to practice the use of his weapons. "Yes!" Ubbe agreed, then turned to Bjorn. "Have you decided whom you want to compete against, for the bridal race? You can choose me, but you'll end up losing and serving the feast!" The bright blue eyed viking joked, chuckling in amusement. "And I can play some songs, during the wedding rites and the feast! Are there some Kori likes in particular?" Sigurd asked, always willing to share his music with whoever wanted to listen.

Meanwhile at the boatbuilder's house, everyone felt excited for Kori and Bjorn. "I'll make you a beautiful dress, leave it to me!" Helga offered, smiling wide. "What about the flowers? We could go flower picking together, Sis! Then I'll make you a beautiful flower crown! Oh, and I'll ask Gyda to braid your hair, she's the best!" Nana suggested, beaming with excitement. "Tell Bjorn not to forget about the rings, Little Fish..." Floki advised, letting out one of his giggles.

[thevikingtales]

Nana accepted the cup Helga handed her with a smile and inspected its content. It looked like water, but with a very soft touch of green, and it was very warm. The smell it emanated was unknown but pleasant, so she decided to take a sip. "It's just herbal tea, dear. You'll like it." The blonde viking woman reassured, and Nana nodded in agreement. "I think we should get the girls better clothing, Floki. They can't go around the village dressed in old rags... I'm sure Aslaug might have some dresses she doesn't want anymore." Helga suggested, having been friends with the queen of Kattegat for a long time, and headed outside the door. "Wait... Helga!" The boat builder called out, a little too late. "What I am supposed to do with you now?"

Outside Floki's house, the Ragnarssons were just passing by the moment Kori let out a laugh, and the two strange visitors came to their minds once again. "What do you think of Helga's cousins?" Ubbe asked his brothers, intrigued. "I think they're odd..." Sigurd shrugged. "But they were half naked, and really pretty!" Hvitserk added quickly, a naughty smirk upon his lips. "That they were!" Bjorn nodded and laughed. "I have an idea! How about a contest, brothers?" "What kind of contest?" Ivar, who had been silent up until then, raised an eyebrow. "We should invite them to the feast tonight! And try to win their affections. Whoever beds one of them first, shall be the best son of Ragnar!" The older brother suggested cheerfully. "What if it's both?" Hvitserk laughed. "Then, we shall call you God Hvitserk!" Bjorn laughed with his brother, patting his shoulder. All the brothers laughed and agreed to taking part in the contest. Except Ivar. He didn't laugh, giving his brothers a sarcastic smirk instead. It was a stupid competition. First, because the two mysterious visitors weren't even real women. They were creatures of the sea. And second, he'd caught them first. Ivar was tired of always being overlooked by his brothers, but this time, he was ahead of them.

The Following Day

Ivar woke up startled to the loud sound of laughter. The way he sat up straight and reached for his knife only made the laughter grow in volume and intensity. It came from his brothers, of course. "Ivar! What are you dreaming of? Who are you trying to reach? Is it a girl?" Hvitserk managed to ask, wiggling his eyebrows in the most suggestive manner. "Oohh is it Margrethe?" Ubbe seemed interested as well. "Of course it's not Margrethe!" Sigurd frowned, a hint of jealousy in his voice he quickly tried to disguise with a soft laugh. "Are there any girls in Kattegat interested in Ivar, though? He's quite heavy for a guy without legs..." All that mockery made the younger viking mad, and he grunted angrily at Sigurd, throwing the knife in his direction. It flew right past his head, gently brushing his left ear, and stabbed the wooden wall behind him. Eyes wide open, the one known as Snake in the Eye said no more. He knew Ivar never missed a target, so he took his warning seriously. "Come, let's eat something. Then we'll scout around the shore." Ubbe invited, trying to cease his brothers' quarrel. With a nod of his head, Ivar put on his leg braces, grabbed his crutch and followed the older princes to the great hall. While Hvitserk devoured some bread, Ivar only took a few nibbles from an apple, not feeling particularly hungry. Thinking about it, he didn't know exactly how he felt . That dream had made him both curious and worried. He certainly wanted to find out more or even meet those creatures, but he didn't want his brothers to do the same. Was it because he didn't want them to hurt the mysterious beings, or because he wanted to be the first and only one to have them, besting his brothers? He wasn't sure. But he surely wanted to return to the shore.

Meanwhile, inside a deep, rocky cave not far from there, the two lost daughters of Njord woke up. The cut on Nana's tail didn't hurt that much anymore, so she decided to go and get some breakfast for herself and her sister Kori. "Don't worry, sis! I'll be back in no time, and I'll bring your favourite seaweed!" The younger princess promised, smiling cheerfully before she ventured outside. She knew she had to be careful not to swim too close to the shore, but the absence of voices above the surface put her mind at ease a little. What Nana didn't expect, was that there would be traps farther from the shore and deeper into the sea. So the somewhat carefree and clumsy seamaiden got herself caught inside one of them while trying to pluck a particularly tasty-looking seaweed. "Oh no, oh no... how does this thing open?" She panicked, trying to break free. But her frantic movements only served to warn the man in the boat floating above her that his plan had worked. Giggling happily, Floki pulled the rope until the wooden cage resurfaced, and beaming with curiosity, he took a look at its contents. "What in Odin's name..." He giggled some more. This certainly wasn't a fish, but a descendent from Njord himself! Ivar would be so happy! Careful not to attract unwanted attention, the boat builder quickly returned to the shore, and ignoring the creature's loud screeches, carried the trap and hid it inside one of the longboats still under construction. Then, he covered it with a light fabric and sent his wife, sweet Helga, to bring Ivar.