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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xxii. A New Dream
"Our king is returned! Welcome back, my king!"
Harald grinned at the familiar smell of the day's catch. He gazed at his homeland with a huge smile on his face. This was home and unlike Kattegat, people were actually happy to see him return.
The only person's opinion he cared about was still sitting on the boat, looking over at the village with awe in her eyes. "Is that a whale's bones?"
He found himself chuckling at her wide-eyed wonder. "Of course. Would you like to see it?"
Harald offered her his hand, his other foot already outside of the boat at his eagerness to be back where he belonged.
Kari stared at his hand apprehensively before looking back at Vestfold. "Do you promise that no one will try to kill us here?"
He nodded, wiggling his fingers as he waited for her to take it. "I promise. None of my people will seek to harm you. Not if they value their life."
Not wasting another second, she took his hand and he gently guided her onto the wooden dock. Her feet landed lightly on the hard wood as she inhaled the sea air with much relief. It was one thing to breathe in that scent in the middle of the ocean but another to do it on land.
She looked around, her lips tilting up as she spotted more of his village. "So this is the great Harald Finehair's kingdom?"
Kari noted the differences between Tamdrup and Kattegat. While Kattegat had glimmering waters and sturdy structures, Tamdrup had dark waters and gloomy skies. Though those things did not matter as she found people happily greeting and welcoming their arrival.
Kattegat may have looked prettier on the outside but their people were as harsh as its ruler. Maybe there were aspects that made it better but her experiences there have been forever tainted. She was as much of an outcast there as she was in Northumbria.
If Harald's glee was any indication, maybe she would find Tamdrup to be most interesting. Maybe she would prefer it over her father's kingdom.
She picked up her skirts to avoid the water being splashed across the docks. Picking up her pace, she followed after him as he continued to regal tales of his home.
"No, my kingdom is far greater. My kingdom reaches to the far ends of this land. My kingdom is in here." He spoke proudly, pointing to his temple as he looked back at her.
"Oh, is it now?" She teased, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You know me, Trouble. There could only be more." He paused, waiting for her to catch up to him. Once she reached his side, he hooked his arm around hers, as if he was unwilling to let her go.
She rolled her eyes at his antics but she made no move to remove her arm from his. "I don't know, I quite like it the way it is."
"Good, because this is your new home!" He exclaimed as they were greeted by a large crowd.
Men and women cheered upon seeing the two of them. Hands clasped their shoulders as words of welcome and relief were thrown their way.
Kari could not have been any more surprised by the people. Harald was adored by these people and they accepted her too. Because he accepted her. His subjects trusted him, they loved him.
It wasn't a forced sort of respect. They didn't fear him or despise him. They respected him because he earned it. Maybe she hadn't been giving Harald enough credit.
She looked over at him in the midst of all the merry greetings, seeing him in a new light. She may have bantered with the warrior and argued with the Viking, but only now did she see him as he was, a king.
Turning away from a laughing man, Harald met her eyes. His blue eyes crinkled with mirth upon seeing her looking at him. In turn, he winked before he continued to speak to wellwishers.
Whereas before she would have shoved him away or laughed at his idiocy, now she could only feel awfully aware of her arm around his, of his closeness to her.
Gods, there must be something wrong with her.
Kari forced herself to look away, distracting herself with everything else. The large crowd followed them until they reached a large hall. As they entered, she was hit with a wave of warmth.
She let out a sigh of relief at the feeling. She had been freezing from the cold winds for a while now. As if he read her mind, he pulled her closer as they approached the front of the hall.
Unlike their tense appearance in Kattegat, with the throne occupied, there were two thrones inside the hall. The both of them were empty, left that way for the king to reclaim once he returned from conquest. Well, the king and another.
Letting go of Kari's hand momentarily, Harald accepted the crown that was being offered to him. Placing it atop his head, he let out a victorious roar, taken over by the rousing spirit of the crowd. With his ax in hand, he felt like a complete man, the king he was supposed to be.
"Ou warriors went to England and exacted revenge for the death of Ragnar Lothbrok. Our Great Army was victorious everywhere!" Harald announced, everyone, responding in turn with cheers. "Some of the leaders of the army decided to remain in England. Some wanted to pursue other dreams, like my brother. But don't worry. Halfdan went exploring with Bjorn Ironside, so what harm can come to him?"
What welcome this was. It was precisely what a Viking needed to be rid of such dark thoughts and negative emotions plaguing him. Kattegat had always been a good place to visit but after being imprisoned, a man can only take so much.
If Kari hadn't been there when they returned to Tamdrup, he was sure he would have descended into madness. Speaking of Kari, he turned his head to look at her. She was smiling at him, her hands gently clapping as she tilted her head, almost as if to say she was impressed.
"You know where my heart lies. It lies here, with you. You know I want to make this town the capital of Norway. It has always been my dream!" He continued, reminding them of the glory he hoped to bring them one day when he has achieved all he wants.
Harald's eyes drifted to Kari once more, finding his way back to her. He offered her his hand, as he always had. He was giving her the choice to take it and as always, she did.
He pressed a soft kiss to her hand before facing his people. "This woman is Kari. Kari Ragnardottir. The only daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok. She is a part of my dream."
Gasps erupted from the room, only to be replaced by even more deafening cheers. Their king, after all, had more or less brought home a woman whose name outshone that of many others.
Kari looked at him and he could tell that she did not quite understand why he did that. Instead of answering, he led her to one of the thrones. Their hands still connected, he sat down upon his throne.
She followed his lead, taking a seat, and unknowingly gave in to what Harald had hoped for when he had found out that she was the daughter of Ragnar.
As encouragement and joy reigned in the great hall, he could only turn to Kari and pray that she would forgive him for all that he was about to do.
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Hello everyone! Kari and Harald have finally arrived at Vestfold but of course, things will not be that simple. Harald still has his ambitions and Kari has plans of her own.
Next chapter will have some heartbreak </3 teehee but that's all I will say for now. Stay tuned and sending you all my love <3!
