He was the conqueror. She was the sacrifice.
He was powerful. She was unexpected.
He was certain. She was uncertainty.
He formed a nation. She formed his world.
Together they would make history.
▪︎°▪︎°▪︎°▪︎
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xiv. Reality of Family
"Come at me."
Kari gripped the handle of her dagger tightly, looking suspiciously at the man in front of her. "Are you serious? I can't just attack you. What business do I have with a real blade?"
After he had forced her to finish her meal, he had pulled her aside to teach her the art of using a blade. Halfdan had gone off to take his pick of the loot yet somehow, Harald seemed hesitant to leave her side. She suspected it had something to do with the Ecbert incident.
While the sons of Ragnar spoke of what to do next and what to do with the senile king, everyone else was preoccupied with their own devices. For her, it was to learn how to use a dagger, no matter how dangerous it was.
"Do you want me to give you a wooden stick instead?" Harald crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to attack.
"No." She rolled her eyes, clenching her hand tighter around the weapon.
"Then attack me." He dared her, beckoning for her to come closer even when he did not have any of his weapons drawn.
"Alright, you asked for this." She said, trying to hide an internal grin. He may not know it but she had to learn how to defend herself from a very young age. Yes, she does not fully know how to brandish a knife but she knew well enough how to survive and how to maim.
She released a breath before running toward him at full speed and jabbing the blade near his middle. He dodged her blow, reaching around her to try at her dagger when she elbowed his torso and tried to attack him again.
He grunted in surprise then he easily caught her wrist, both of them struggling over the dagger. With his strength, he easily wrestled it out of her grip. He let out a triumphant laugh at his supposed victory.
However, it came as a surprise when she fell to the ground to sweep his leg harshly. He slipped on the ground, falling on his back painfully. The shock of the fall jostled him greatly that he was disoriented for a few seconds.
Kari took advantage of his state as she grabbed the dagger from him. Before she could stand up, his muscled arms reached around her to pull her to him. She emitted a loud yelp, dropping the dagger in surprise.
"Got you," Harald smirked, his hold on her waist placing their faces close to one another. His heart began to pound faster once he noticed the precariousness of their situation.
Her hands were on his chest yet it did nothing to increase the distance between them. After all, if either one of them were just to lean in a bit closer, they would be trapped in a kiss.
Kari's eyes widened before she thought quickly, grabbing the dagger that had fallen and pressing it against his neck. "Got you."
"Of course, you always seem to have a plan don't you, Trouble?" He chuckled, recovering quickly. Although, he still did not move his arms away from her, nothing in his mind prompted him to do so.
