𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 - sihtric kjartanson

𝐎𝐍𝐄 - the threads are woven

adrasteias thread was about to be snipped.

she was sure of it. that this was her end. she only wished she had grabbed the dagger, then she could've died with honor, with a weapon in her hand.

she wished more than that. that she could see uthred and ragnar again, wished she had saved thyra, she could've met her blood siblings and told them she was sorry for abandoning them, maybe she would've had the chance to see sihtric again. the water was cold, it did not welcome her and she did not expect it to. just when she couldn't hold her breath anymore. when she was ready to embrace the darkness and whatever it was that came after, she was pulled out.

she gasped for air, flipping her long wet hair out of her face. with no time to recover, her bound hands were pulled and she was dragged along the scratchy wood floor. she was released eventually, forcing her to knee in front of kjartan. adrasteia looked up at him, a seeding hatred in her eyes uncharacteristic for a soul so gentle.

"adrasteia..." he started, crouching in front of her.

"adrasteia!" she corrected in a shout, "a-dh-ra-ste-aa, not add-reesa. speak my name correctly or do not speak to me at all."

"hm" he smirked, intent on patronizing her, "it seems the child has finally found her voice."

she narrowed her eyes, clenching her jaw. she wanted to shout, detest him for the murder of her family and proclaim she will have her revenge. but, she managed to bite her tongue. as she always had, as what she has learned to do. it is better to be silent and take it than be loud and have it worse, that is what she had always known, even as a saxon. a lady was to be quiet, and so was a prisoner.

"now, tell us" kjartan leaned closer to her and when she instantly back away, she felt one of his men grab the back of her neck, "what are ragnar and uthred planning?"

she let out an exasperated sigh, "i do not know!"

she felt his hand strike her immediately, sending her straight onto the floor. adrasteia closed her eyes for a just a moment, then she sat up again. there was a fire in her eyes, one so blazing she knew it secretly terrified kjartan. she was determined, as strong as a shield wall and it surprised everyone. a girl, with most of her life ripped away so young, and yet she still defended the brothers that had abandoned her.

"oh but you do" he tutted, "you know them, their strategies, you know what they will be thinking at this exact moment and you will tell me."

"why would i ever tell you that?" she laughed, blood dripping down the cut on her face.

"because you know i will kill you if you do not," an empty threat, with good conviction behind it anyone else would've believed it. anyone else but her.

kjartan was a good warrior, she knew that, but she could already tell he wasn't the smartest. adrasteia was observant, so much so that she already had kjartan all figured out and he has no idea. there were only three men besides himself in the room, he thought she was weak, he thought she wouldn't dare to run. and he was right, for now. kjartan was desperate, she could see it in his eyes, by the way he moved, the grimace on his face when she refused to talk. he could sense ragnar and uthred were coming for him, as could she. he didn't know their numbers, didn't know their plan. they all knew dunholm was impregnable, but all men can succumb to paranoia, even kjartan.

"you would not dare to kill me," she smiled mockingly up at him, "i am too valuable."

"that may be true as of now" he agreed, "i can still beat you, my men will take turns with you, you will wish you were dead soon. you forget yourself child, my bastard isn't here to protect you anymore."

adrasteia felt terror strike through her whole body. he had a point, she had forgotten herself. she was still just a child, a scared child with no idea of the world around her. looking into kjartans eyes, she was that little girl again. she was suddenly very small. she felt as though she was in those moments again. she was looking at her mother again, enduring the screams telling her she could never be perfect enough, never be a good christian lady. she was suddenly hearing kjartans voice for the first time again, "take the little one too, she will be a good plaything eventually" ringing in her head, watching her new mother burn.

she couldn't allow it to show. they can't know they scare you, that is when they win.

"i do not care" she forced out through gritted teeth, "do whatever you please, i will never turn on my family."

he laughed, the kind of laugh that rattled her bones, "you have no idea what you wish upon yourself, child."

she felt his contact again, this time in the form of the closed fist. splitting the wound on her cheek further. adrasteia stayed on the floor this time, feeling the wood splinter through her dress. the next thing she felt was a kick to her stomach, then another. she forced her teeth together, kjartan would not see her cry, he couldn't see the pain of her features. never again would she give him that satisfaction.

she closed her eyes, feeling another kick, stronger this time. sihtric would come back for her, she would bare this so she could be saved. but, weeks had passed, months by now she was sure. and no one had come. she ran through all of the possible explanations in her mind every night. her brothers could've still been building their army, sihtric could've abandoned her, worst case was that uthred had killed sihtric, her brother might not have trusted him. she wouldn't have.

"put her back in the cage where she belongs" kjartan ordered, his men grabbed her and forced her up, dragging her down the stairs.

"who gets her first?" she heard down the hall, a mans eerie laugh.

"not yet" she could tell kjartan was smiling. he had a plan, one different than the threats he has thrown at her. she knew it, she'd known it since the second they unlocked her cage and bound her hands. what he didn't know however, was that the small defenseless child had a plan of her own. she had already won.

a/n
yes im calling her a child she's SEVENTEEN please she's my baby

she's so me like she is rlly emotionally intelligent and observant but has nooooo common sense 🎀

with love,
sades 💗