Being in the wrong place at the wrong time was all it took for Adelasia's whole life to turn upside down. After being captured by the heathens raiding her city and taken all the way to the cold North, the youngest Ragnarsson takes an interest in her...
"How dare he, come marching here like he is the King of Frankia and demand all these things?" Ivar spat furiously. He was pacing in their room and with hopeless eyes, Alasia followed his figure as he made his way from one side of the bed to the other. It had been a long time since she'd seen Ivar so angry, with his cold eyes shining with demise and his muscles trembling from the effort. "Where does his audacity come from? I should send him and his men packing in the middle of the night, right this moment even! His troops eat the entire first-year tribute and he expects a pet on the back for it."
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Alasia let him go for a while, knowing that if she was to interrupt his monologue right now his anger was going to shift on her. She was seated on the edge of the bed, right in front of the space he was marching, wearing one of her nightgowns with an open back so that her wounds could heal in the fresh air. The pain had gotten a lot better over the past few days, to the point where only the deep carvings were still bothering her. Biting the inside of her lip, she jumped up from the bed and halted Ivar mid-pace.
"Ivar, my love, stop this pacing before you hurt yourself," she said softly, placing a hand on his stomach to stop him. She watched as his sparking eyes snapped to her face and she braced herself for one of his insults, but instead, the muscles in his face softened and only a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. Offering him an understanding smile, she pushed him gently to the edge of the bed and bend down to take off his casts. Placing the metalwork against the nearest chair, she took a seat next to him on the bed, grabbing his hand and forcing his eye to hers. "You trust me, correct?"
Ivar frowned, his eyes flickering between her lips and eyes. "Of course, I trust you, Alasia."
She smiled, her thumb caressing the corner of his mouth before she gave him a chaste kiss. "Then believe me when I say that after our wedding and coronation you will no longer have to worry about this ridiculous annual tribute for I have a plan."
