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.
▪︎°▪︎°▪︎°▪︎
Oops! Bu görüntü içerik kurallarımıza uymuyor. Yayımlamaya devam etmek için görüntüyü kaldırmayı ya da başka bir görüntü yüklemeyi deneyin.
xviii. Deja vu
"Trouble, wake up."
Kari's eyes blinked tiredly as her vision tried to adjust to the rays of the sun hitting her eyelids. It was a welcome thing as they had spent their voyage surrounded by fog and clouds. She almost thought she would never see the sun again.
When her mood had been particularly bleak, Harald had gestured for her to join him as he showed her how he navigated the sea. A sun-shadow board on water and sunstone to determine where the sun was.
He helpfully informed her that it was her father who had introduced such things to their people to help them navigate the seas. She had looked down at the inventions, awed at seeing such simple things that would surely be used for years to come.
It certainly made her feel closer to the father she would never know. Every little thing she discovered about him, she learned it from other people. It made her sad that she would never meet him but all she had heard of him were good and that was enough for her.
As for Harald, he was himself. He teased and played around when they were together but in front of his people, he was a stoic and strict leader. He spoke to her of the Viking myths and stories, perfectly content with being in her presence.
In some moments, she could see him glance longingly at her lips, and sometimes, his hand lingered around her shoulders longer than he ought to but he kept his distance. It was clear that he was waiting for her to make a move or to initiate something as she did that night.
Truth be told, she had been wondering herself why she did not address the simmering emotions that were brewing between them. Their crew had picked up on that early on, making sure to leave them their space.
She could admit that she was afraid. He had been the first man she had ever kissed. In her old village, she had been mocked and outcasted. Now, here she was with a man she actually liked and who she thinks likes her.
It may seem like a simple thing though it was not. She hated failure and destroying whatever they had going was the last thing she wanted. Harald had been a good friend and companion in this journey she had undertaken.
He was someone constant in her life and after all the uncertainty, she needed him as an anchor to ensure that she would not drift from herself too far. He kept her grounded and gods forbid she ruin all that because she liked kissing him.
Kari shook off the last bouts of sleep, a smile immediately brightening her face. "Are we there yet?"
Harald exhaled as if the very breath was stolen from his lungs before he pointed at the horizon where a beautiful array of buildings were settled. "You tell me."
Kattegat was beautiful. Any other word would not be enough to describe it. There were boats in the water, bustling inhabitants, laughing children. It was a place full of life. The structures looked tall and sturdy, safe even.
