Petulant ✔︎

18

He limped towards the Great hall. Gunnar was sure that both of his siblings were there. It was pretty easy sneaking around when your sister was the Queen who was on a killing spree now. His sister made Gorm run around town and summon everyone in the middle of the town. Once Sigrún left the room, informing him that his cut will leave a scar and that he should shelter his leg, he was on his feet. Not sparing his leg much, but he had other things to worry about.

Like his sister wanting to execute his brother, Gunnar was always closer to Frode. They grew up together, and their father trained them together. He did not have many childhood memories with Irvina. He paused just outside the door. Once more, no guards, and the door were broken down. No one was in sight, so he leaned onto the wall outside. He strained himself to hear what his sister was saying.

"— betrayed me. You invited Erik in, told him I was vulnerable, and let him think that no one would stand behind me." His sister sounded exhausted. He could easily imagine the crease between her brows, exactly like his mother.

"If I won't punish you, people will think of me as weak. I've already let those men live. I cannot let you walk around here" —he couldn't hear what was said next, only the carried whisper over the wind— "it makes me so angry. You made us vulnerable. Either people would've sided with my older sibling who is a man, or they would've sided with my younger sibling who is also a man. You gave them no option but to watch, and you are giving me no choice." He heard a grunt and a heavyweight being lifted.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop," a voice whispered in his ear, startling him. He turned to give Gorm a pointed look. Gorm's eyes slid down his form, checking him over. A spark of lust appeared in his blue eyes, but Gunnar could see how fast Gorm stomped it.

Gunnar retorted, "And you shouldn't try to hump me before everyone!" He could see Gorm's eyes rolling at his words. Gorm leaned closer, caging him in, hiding him from the world.

"Did you not like it?" The taller man whispered back. Gunnar scoffed, "That's not what I said!" Gorm raised a humorous brow. It made Gunnar roll his eyes. He leaned with his head onto Gorm's arm. Gorm leaned even closer, both of his arms on the sides of his face, supporting himself onto the wall.

Gunnar gave him an earnest look and broke the tranquil moment, "She's going to kill him." Gorm breathed through his nose in frustration. His eyes searched over him while Gunnar waited for an answer. Gorm shook his head, but the look in his eyes was anything but reassuring.

"She's going to make an outlaw out of him. You have to listen to her words more carefully" —Gorm cradled his face, his thumb sliding gently under the cut— "she can't let him walk freely around here!" Gunnar's eyes brightened. His brother was going to live. No matter what they said about outlaws, at least he was going to live.

He pulled Gorm closer in relief, "That's good, he can stay at the cabin." Gorm raised his shoulders unsurely, "Or people will hunt him down easier." Gunnar tilted his face with a scowl. He rolled his eyes before twisting out of Gorm's grip. For many outlawed was bad, but for Gunnar, it meant that his brother would stay alive. That he could see his brother breathe the next day.