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 feast had begun just short of nightfall, the stars far beyond any man's reach appearing when darkness came and took over the sky. It was a very beautiful yet unfamiliar sight and experience for A'Tanasey to see since the world she was on was not that of her own, and Halfdan was so happy he was able to be with her when she saw it.
He was still at the old farmhouse where she stayed as he watched her finish dressing, her chest plate beautifully adorning her breasts as the rest of her body was covered by the rest of the cloths made by her people. She was gorgeous, pretty as Freyja as she braided and twisted different sections of her hair. Halfdan leaned against one of the wooden pillars inside and slowly sipped on his horn of mead, the honey sweet liquid reminding him of the way she tasted as he reminisced on the events from a short time ago.
He could distinctly hear the echoes of her soft moans as he remembered how he pleasured her, and he could still feel the slight stinging sensitivity in the roots of his wiry blond hair where she'd pulled. The entire occurrence was something he'd never forget, and also one that he hoped to continue, but he'd never force her to do anything if she didn't want to.
"Halfdan," his ears tuned in to listen to her, walking over to where she stood as his hand reached out to grasp her slender hip. He bent down to softly kiss her cheek, feeling her do the same before she spoke again. "When my sisters and I left Ikralla to come here, my father gave me this," he looked down from her eyes and into the open palm of her hand, seeing a delicate woven band decorated with iridescent shells and pieces of sea glass. "I gave this to him as a gift when I was younger," she continued, listening closely as he gently trailed his fingertips over the carefully crafted band. "And he's given it back to me so that I could give it to the man of my life, now that I've grown."
Halfdan didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to respond so he just stayed silent and waited for her to go on. When she did, he didn't expect to hear what she'd said, but after a moment of letting it sink in, he was happy and content.
"That man is you, Halfdan," his eyes fleeted up to hers, gazing deep within her bluish amber orbs as he felt her place it in his hand. "If you accept it, after a time passes by." He looked at it once more before he stepped forward to kiss her forehead, wrapping his arm around her neck to feel her pressed against his side.
"This is the," he drawled, looking down at the band in his grasp as he kissed her forehead again. "The mating bands, right?" He watched her smile up at him as she nodded, making his heart swell with pure joy as he held the band to his chest, dipping his head down to properly kiss her lips.
Nothing could explain or express how happy he was that the band she'd made was now his, he just couldn't put it into words. When they pulled away, he held it out to her as he asked for help to put it on, watching quietly as she tied the knot to secure it in place.
"Come, my love," he heard her beckon, grasping her small hand in his as he followed her to the door. "I believe our presence is desired in the Great Hall," he softly smiled down to her as he nodded in agreement, opening the door as they walked down the steps at the same pace.
Whilst making way to the Great Hall where the Queen and people of Kattegat waited, Halfdan's arm had found a home around her waist, the two slowing down on instinct as her sisters left their houses to meet them on the dirt road. Halfdan watched as the three interacted, he watched how they nodded and heard how they spoke in their native tongue, and he saw how they looked so peaceful and content.
"N b'i ye, Halfdan," his keen ears caught, looking down to A'Tanasey as her sisters walked ahead with their mates attached to their sides. "It means many things, simple but powerful —beautiful things," he listened, bringing them to a stop to give her his full attention. "It can mean 'I respect you', it can mean 'I hear you', but it also means 'I see you'. It means all of those, it's a sign that you're seen and heard, that you mean something to those that say it to you."
Halfdan nodded in understanding before he kissed her forehead and tried repeating it to her, watching as a bright smile took over her lips as the tips of her sharp canines could be seen. Sparks erupted in his chest when she kissed him softly, but he didn't let it stop him from kissing back. Only when they were out of breath did they pull away, and when they did, Halfdan gently lead her on down the path to get to where they were going.
As they were walking, Halfdan noticed a matching band tied around her arm, the same iridescent shells glinting under the moonlight just like the ones she'd given him. It made him smile, and though he wasn't much of a romantic, the sight made him blush a hue of soft pink. He pulled her closer into his side and felt as she laid her palms over his knuckles where his hand rested over her hipbone, continuing on that way until they got to the Great Hall.
The moment they got there, Halfdan could feel how A'Tanasey's demeanor changed. He knew she was happy as they were walking with her beast by their side, and he also knew that she wasn't quite fond of the queen. For the record, neither was he, but he remained silent when it came to discussing such matters. So in hopes to lighten the mood on the decent night, he leaned down to her neck and left several kisses, swiping his tongue over her pulse, slowly and sensually.
He could hear her heart beat, he could hear how fast it was going, but he could also feel how her nerves had slightly calmed. It wasn't often his presence made someone feel safe or steady, and he never really thought about it until he noticed it with A'Tanasey. Halfdan would gladly comfort her if she ever needed, and he wouldn't want anyone else feeling so calm around him like she had become.
When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead to hers and watched as her eyes opened. It took his breath away when she did, the normal blue color gone as the eyes staring back at him were a rich shade of amber. They stayed that way for a timeless moment before reluctantly pulling away, boldly entering the Great Hall together as they made their way over to her sisters and the open seats by the queen's side.
As he followed A'Tanasey to his seat, he grabbed Harald's shoulder when passing by in his regards of greetings and respects. But he didn't linger, he just went on and placed his hand in her awaiting palm, feeling the sparks erupt once again. When the two found their seats, Aslaug began the boring beginning of her speech to uphold her perfect image, talking aimlessly about how welcomed and how grateful herself and the city was now that A'Tanasey and her people were there.
Upon finishing, the servants and maids brought out the food for feasting as the guests dug in. A'Tanasey and her sisters, their mates, and her other friend that seemed like a sister, all sat silently, giving each other humorous looks and glances as the men brightly smiled. Halfdan could tell they weren't satisfied with the meal, their often indulgent and powerful attitudes slipping away for a single moment.
Glancing up, he could see Aslaug staring at the crowd in anticipation. He could see how Aslaug clearly choked on her food when Tahyem stood to her full height in her native attire, and watched as the others followed behind her —along with himself. See, while the people of Kattegat and his people from his home in Tamdrup with Harald didn't know or understand why, he did.
Reaching back to give her his hands, he stood and started walking towards the closed double doors that hid all in attendance away from the cold and snow.
"Is something wrong with the feast, my guests," Aslaug called out worriedly, desperately. "If it is not what you like, the servants can prepare something to your liking."
A'Tanasey turned on her heel to confidently face the Queen, Halfdan comfortingly holding her hand as she spoke. He stood back and watched her reign, and he felt a sense of pride in his chest as he did, happy that of all the men, she chose him.
It wasn't normal for a kind to come into his life like a battle cry in war, it wasn't common, but inside, Halfdan called out to the gods in thanks and in happiness for what they'd given him. For they gave him something to live for, they gave him something to love.
