when Halfdan the Black finds love in an unexpected being, and when he goes against the odds of all his people. the gods are with him, just as they are with his brother, and with the power they give him- he won't let his life, or his love, go to wast...
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The next morn, the sky was grey and stormy, leaving the people of Kattegat either stalled away in their homes or in the Great Hall where most of the warriors, guests, and queen's most trusted men settled.
Halfdan, however, preferred to sit alone as his brother and their men celebrated and sang tales of the stories old and new for all who watched and listened, slowly sipping on his horn of mead as he occupied his mind with that woman.
Aslaug noticed, as well as Harald, but Halfdan's brother came to peace with the fact that he was becoming more silent than what he used to once be. The Queen, on the other hand, became intrigued as she watched the famous warrior sit by his lonesome, and she watched how he blatantly stared at the drink in his hand before abruptly getting up and slipping out of the hall.
Halfdan needed air, he needed quiet. He needed a place where he could picture those eyes and not feel another place itself upon him. He wasn't naive, he wasn't stupid either, and he could sense the attention he'd drawn from not only his brother, but the Queen as well.
He didn't like her scrutinising gaze, nor did he appreciate it, but she was the queen, she had the power when it came between the two. Doing anything that was in any way against her could cause a conflict that didn't need to be started. So he silently excused himself and walked off and away, ignoring some of the stares that definitely lingered far longer than necessary.
Like he'd done the night before, he didn't stop walking until he was alone atop the cliff overlooking the sea, making his way to a soft patch of grass where he could sit and think. The wind was harsh as the storms rolled in, but Halfdan didn't mind, curled up in his furs that shielded his warm body from the biting cold of the approaching winter.
He blinked and caught a glimpse of her, blinked again and caught another, and finally closed his eyes entirely to see her standing near him just like before, except this time, she seemed further away. So he took a step forward, watching as she took a step back. He took one more step, as did she.
Halfdan didn't understand why she was heading away, not after what had happened last night. In a desperate haze, he broke into a sprint, running towards her as she stood still. And then he blinked and he took a step into a different place.
A quieter, more calming place. He realised he was in the very field he was laying in, all alone and on his own as he twisted and spun around searching for her. But she was nowhere, she was gone. Like her body had sifted and turned to dust, like she was never truly there in the first place.
He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't upset that she was gone, but there was nothing he could do to bring her back. So he sat down on the grass, falling back to lay down and stare up at the sky. For a moment he stared at the blandness in the grey clouds before he let his eyes wander shut, hoping to catch just one more glimpse of her.
Behind his eyelids, he waited and waited and waited, but she never came. It was like he was more alone than ever before, and it made his heart drop in his chest because she made him feel whole. Something he hadn't felt for a very long time.
As he laid on the soft grass with his eyes closed, resting his entire body as it was something he wasn't able to do often, he felt a gust of wind blow throw the air, but it wasn't harsh or powerful like it normally was. This time it was gentle, it was peaceful.
But he didn't pay it any mind, he didn't really let it bother him. He stayed in his spot and let the wind and the sea and the world carry on as he stayed still, unaware of the company he'd gained.
His breathing was steady, but suddenly he felt his heart begin to race as his mind came back into focus, but he didn't understand why. His body was reacting to something that wasn't there, at least something that he thought wasn't there.
Halfdan tried to ignore it, attempted to push whatever was happening away, until he felt something brush against his lips. Something soft, something warm, something right connected them together for the first time, creating an arc that represented a bond deep within his very soul.
The moment their lips touched, Halfdan knew who it was. There was no denying that. But he was scared that if he opened his eyes, the moment would be over quicker than he wanted it to be. So he kept his eyes closed and soaked in the feeling of her lips, wishing and hoping that he could meet her one day.
And he hoped that day would come soon.
They kissed for what felt like forever, and Halfdan had never been happier, but all moments come to their end. Sometimes moments end on his own terms, and sometimes, they end on someone else's. That didn't settle well with him.
With his keen ears, he heard movement behind him, as if someone was trying to sneak up the hill without him knowing. He heard a few small twigs break, and after he'd met the woman in his dreams, his senses had strangely heightened. He could hear the slow footsteps echoing through the ground, and he could faintly hear their heartbeat from where they were standing.
Without thinking, his eyes snapped open as he swiftly pushed himself up on his feet, whipping his head to the side to see Aslaug not too far from where he once laid.
"Why do you come here," she asked, making his jaw tick in annoyance as he balled his fists and aimed his eyes downward. But as his anger arose, he felt the softest touch appear on his rough knuckles, almost as if she wanted to calm him even though she wasn't really there.
"Can a man not spend his time alone," he retorted, his tone low and voice raspy as his eyes flit up to glare at the Queen. "Must he always be in the company of another?"
Aslaug oddly shifted on her feet, and nervously played with her fingers as she breathed out a laugh, attempting to control the situation to her benefit, even though she knew that she couldn't.
Halfdan wasn't a blind man, nor was he fool to fall for devious ploys put in place by snakes like her, and now, he knew he had someone to stay rooted for. He would not be played by a cunning woman such as Aslaug.
"As Queen, it is my duty to make sure both you and your brother are satisfied," she swallowed shallowly, turning to the side as she began to walk away, noticing the uneasiness emitting off of Halfdan in ways to silently say that her presence wasn't desired. "I was simply just making sure."
With that, Aslaug walked away and left Halfdan alone once again, which allowed him to breathe out a heavy breath of relief knowing that she was finally gone and out of his sight. However, he was very angry, angry that his moment was interrupted. Angry that his woman was taken away.
But he would get her back. He would get her somehow. She was his person, the woman the gods destined him to be with. He wouldn't let anything stand in his way if it meant he could get to her.
