The Nephilim & The Maiden

O w n e d

Signs of spring were emerging all over Kattegat. Small purple flowers pushed their way up from the thawing ground, the snow was melting away to reveal lush emerald grass. Trees were beginning to bloom, their delicate buds had just begun to open showing their pink and white flowers. Warmer weather was slowly pushing away the icy winds of winter.

The snow that covered the training grounds was now melted making the meadow look completely different from the last time I was here. A week had passed since I had trained with the Ragnarssons. Seven days since I had been ensnared by Ivar, feeling his hands roam my body, his hot breath making me shiver. My body and mind wouldn't let me forget. Every mention of his name, every time I slept, every time I locked eyes with him my stomach tightened, my body heated as the feeling of need took me.

I was sitting on the ground, my back resting against one of the trees while Sigurd threw his axes at one of the targets. Staring off into the distance, my mind was running far away from this place; to imaginary distant lands with imaginary kingdoms. In my minds eye, an imaginary King sat upon an intricately designed throne with a thick gold crown littered with shiny jewels. I imagined him calling to me as I entered through impossibly tall wooden doors, wearing a simple white dress made from some foreign fabric. As I approached my fable king taking delicate steps, his blurry face cleared. Piercing blue eyes focused on mine as he became all too familiar. Ivar.

Slowly his gold crown melted into bones, tied together with thorny vines and decorated here and there by tiny bird skulls. The once elegant throne slowly turned into antlers, wood and hides. My imaginary surroundings were blown away revealing the great hall I served in as my dress went from some thick, luxurious fabric to something more sheer as I felt my body again becoming on complete display for the one sitting in front of me. Ivar's smile was wicked as he beckoned me forward with his curling finger.

The thudding sound of metal hitting wood tore me from my thoughts. Taking a sip of my drink, my eyes drifted to the origin of the sound. Sigurd had landed another axe in the tree. He reached for another but found they were all gone. He used the sleeve of his tunic to wipe the sweat from his brow before he angrily marched his way to retrieve his weapon from the tree.

Sighing deeply I secretly thanked Sigurd for pulling me from my thoughts. It seems there was no escaping Ivar the boneless, no matter how hard I tried to push our last two encounters from my mind it seems like his invisible hold only grew stronger.

"What's your problem?" I asked as he grunted in frustration.

Sigurd was acting like a child throwing a temper tantrum, stomping around the woods, sighing, purposefully acting out and then getting angry with the outcome of his temper. It wasn't like him. He was broody normally but not like this.

He launched another axe through the air before he turned to me, his expression a mix of anger, disgust and jealousy. "Ivar is fucking Margrethe."

Now Sigurd wasn't the only one feeling the harsh pang of jealousy. My chest tightened as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I felt my grip tighten around my cup as I locked eyes with Sigurd. "What?"

"It seems like he was jealous Margrethe came to our beds and not his. He asked for us to bring her to him so he could share her as well." Sigurd's scowl grew as he spoke. Releasing another axe, this one missing the target by a couple of feet which exacerbated his anger. "We brought her to him this morning." He hissed.

His words settled deeper in my brain the more I thought about it. I was foolish to think that Ivar might feel anything for me. My heart started to race as my hurt quickly turned to anger. Downing the rest of my drink I threw the empty cup into the woods. I felt foolish for entertaining the thought that Ivar might feel any type of way about me and my most recent daydream didn't help me feel like any less of an idiot. Ignoring Sigurd's call I trekked my way to the one place I felt peace, wanting to be alone.