A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

A Groom's Nerves

Fixed on his brother, so many thoughts that all left on his face was a look of near vacancy. Staring at his younger brother fiddle nearly helplessly with the line of buttons that only closed up to the neck of his tunic. Hvitserk at a struggle to loop around the half a dozen buttons, Ubbe stepped to his little brother and brushed his trembling hands away to secure the neck of the cotton tunic. Hvitserk not passing the help as he let his arms drop to his side and tilted his head back to suck in a deep nerve calming breath.

"...looks like all those days playing vikings and dragons paid off," Ubbe's low banter caught Hvitserk's attention. Peaking open a hazel eye at his older brother as Ubbe finished the last button and smiled. Padding down the forest green velvet liked textured arms of Hvitserk's surcoat, the eldest of Aslaug and Ragnar didn't hide his smile when preening over his brother, "You saved the maiden from the dragon, now didn't you?"

"Tsk-" a nasally snort of a laugh and Hvitserk rolled his eyes at the childish memory he brought up, "...seems this dragon is much shorter, oddly blonde and a shieldmaiden. Not what I imagined I'd be rescuing Margrethe from."

"A she-dragon," Ubbe's weary blue eyes narrowed a little with his shit eating grin playing on his bearded lips, "The worst kind of them all."

"They terrorize our farmsteads, ransack the families," unable to keep from feeding into the mockery role play of their childhood dramas, Hvitserk swelled with a deep breath. A bundle of nerves even as he grasped for a calmness, "...do you think I did the right thing?"

Posed such a question Ubbe's blond eyebrow shot up at such a question. Hvitserk swallowed a lump in his throat and bit down on the thin bottom lip with uncertainty, "...asking her to marry me, before going out to fight...do you think I-"

"Who would fight a thousand imaginary dragons to save the maiden?" Ubbe interrupted him in all bluntness.

"...I would..." Hvitserk sheepishly mumbled without looking at him.

"And who would get stung by the nasty hover flies just to get a bouquet of field flowers, when they clearly didn't have to."

"I did..."

"Which one of us sailed to the mediterranean, further than any of us and brought back so much more than goods, but confidence and convictions and things we will not see for your eyes were the ones to experience it?" Ubbe raised his hands and smoothed down the pleats of Hvitserk's ceremonial garments, assertiveness in his tone as he spoke within closeness to his nerve addled sibling.

Another deep breath and Hvitserk did nod as he answered, "I did."

"Exactly," Ubbe put his hands on Hvitserk's shoulders and made his sibling straighten his posture, "...and...some time ago, I may have told Margrethe about how you always pretend married her when we would play or told us that you were to be the one to save her from-"

"You what?!" abashed with his brother's confession Hvitserk did the first thing to come to mind which was slugging his oldest brother in the shoulder, "Those were secrets! You weren't to-"

"Now, they will be secrets to share with your wife," Ubbe couldn't hold in the the giddy laugh from seeing the embarrassment marked out on his brother's face. Knowing it wouldn't change the outcome for today even with the brash punch to his shoulder. Ubbe letting it slide as karma for once.

Chagrined Hvitserk puffed out his chest and tried to clear his throat establishing how what Ubbe said was nothing but a farce. Not needing to pull the curtain over his brothers eyes as Sigurd and Bjorn came into the room once more, each brother looking expectantly at the two still dawdling around. Sigurd empty handed but Bjorn keeping over his forearm Hvitserk's furs. The exotic mixture of minks, foxes and other beautiful hides Hvitserk had claimed as his own mantle. A final addition to the traditional garb for the hand binding ceremony. The oldest and half brother helped the man dawn the robes so not to fiddle with any of the starch outfit he'd already fussed over. Hvitserk breathing in slow and adjusting as he stood as ready as ever before his brothers.