Petulant ✔︎

1

He stared at Irvina as he stepped into the Great Hall. She was sitting on her throne with that blinding smile on her lips. His racing heart calmed down at her open expression. At her looking healthy in one of her dresses. Something no one saw often was her eyes shedding that cold mask, but here she was. His eyes grazed Halfdan. So it wasn't urgent because he had to break someone's neck. Irvina gave him a small smile, her eyes focused now on him than her lover.

Gorm could still vividly remember how they met. Her bleeding on the floor, sword impaled in her gut. He was fighting for her father that night until he heard the cries. Her mother, his Queen at that time, was dead. And the young prince's wife also. And when he was about to leave, thinking all of them were dead, he heard it, the wheezing for help. The young princess was breathing hard, gurgling blood. That night as he carried her to Sigrún, he realised just how strong she was.

She wasn't much of a good swimmer, and she hated the sight of blood. Cried whenever she was alone, and her heart was too cold. But he could see past that. He could see the bravery underneath all of her pain. So when she woke up, which he thanked Odin for every day, it was a miracle. Trondheim was falling apart, and Gunnar was nowhere to be found. Foreign King from the neighboring Kingdom was sitting at their throne. Frode was imprisoned, and people were searching for her.

The words she told before she challenged the King kept replaying in his mind. That night he could almost see Gods blessing her. He never witnessed such bravery until that night. Irvina barely healed and not very much of a fighter challenged the King. And by some miracle, she won. Bleeding and battered she rised. She moved cunningly, almost as if Locki himself possessed her that night. He was the first one to bow and pledge his sword. And he was always the first one to follow her into battle. Not so much now since Halfdan would do anything the woman asked for.

That was years ago, and as she rose from the throne, he was once more reminded just why he did it. Her arms enveloped him, and he sighed in relief. She was like family to him. The younger sister he wished for. The only family he ever had. The compassion inside her was what drew him in, the way she wanted to protect her people. The way she wanted to protect him.

Irvina cupped his cheeks, "I am sorry I frightened you." She knew him too well. He nodded his head before bowing. He acknowledged Halfdan with a nod and watched Irvina, who sat on her throne once more.

The messenger told them that it was urgent, and nothing else. He hoped that it was about Halfdan punching that whiny man child, Gunnar. But by Irvina's next words he dismissed that, "Gunnar still did not come. It has been five days!" He nodded once more.

He doubted something was wrong with the man, but he still wanted to calm her worry. Even though the man left his younger sister to reclaim their broken Kingdom, she still cared about him. Another thing he admired about Irvina, she was forgiving.

"You are the only except from Frode who knows where his hut is," she continued. Ah, that was true. Frode knew because the brothers often drank together, but he refrained from telling Irvina. Something that hurt her feelings. When Gunnar didn't come years back on his typical day, for money and stock. Irvina grew worried, and she sent him to track him down. Him since he was her trusted warrior. But deep down he could guess it was because Irvina knew what was between them.

He found him, of course, he did. Turned out the man did it on purpose so Gorm would come. He returned to Trondheim after a week. Which was spent mostly in Gunnar's hut, in his bed, with Gorm reprimanding him. Gorm wanted to tell Irvina where he found him, but Irvina told him not to. She said that she respected her brother wanting to keep it from her. Something that made him even madder, and a year later, when Gunnar showed up, he fucked him like the brat he was.

It always angered him that Gunnar worried his little sister and that he did not care enough for her. "I want you to go to him. Make sure he is safe, but this time try to convince him to come home." Irvina's voice was soft, and he nodded. He doubted that the man would come, but if it would make Irvina happy he would drag the man back.