The Barbarian

The journey

I decided to surprise you all with a new chapter for Christmas. I hope you like it :) Merry Christmas 🎄

I groan as I wake up. I shuffle closer to the warm, hard blanket next to me. That's when I realise that blankets aren't hard. Even without opening my eyes I can tell that it is him.
"I know that you are awake princess. Stand up before your breakfast gets totally cold."
Breakfast? I open my eyes to be met with a fairly dark room. This is not any room. It is a ship room. "We are in a ship?!"
I hear him chuckle next to me. What is his name? I would like to call him by his name and not only say "him" or "he". Why don't I know his name yet? I sleep with a man I do not even know the name of.
"Yes we are in a ship princess."
"How long are we already here?"
"About a day."
"A whole day?! I have slept a whole day?"
He chuckles. "You are quite the sleepy baby."
"Why are we already a day on the ship? Where are we going?"
"Home."
I huff. "Well my home is far away now."
"Your home does not exist anymore." He looks me in the eyes and comes closer to me.
"You are a monster!" I run as fast as I can. I do not know where I am going and maybe this is a stupid idea because I am stuck on a ship with him after all. I run up a couple of stairs and am met by a fresh breeze. The men on deck look at me but keep working.
Damn it this ship isn't big. On the inside of the ship only seems to be that one tiny room. The other men seem to sleep in the hammocks I saw when I run away. The ceiling is made very low even for my height.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to run away from me?" He doesn't sound angry anymore. Only sad?
I turn around but keep my head down. "I am sorry."
"Stop apologising for everything. Listen to me instead."
"How about you stop acting as if you own me?"
He looks at me but doesn't say anything.
"You are going to catch a cold out here on the deck. How about we go back to my room? The breakfast is still waiting too. It is probably cold by now."
"Fine." I feel him put his arm around me. I want to protest but I choose to stay silent.
As we walk back I notice how much he has to bend down once we are in the ship. "Why did you make such a low ceiling while being so tall?"
"It is because of technical reasons. Such a build allows the ship to be faster. This is a quite big ship actually. Our other ships do not even have a lower part. We made this one for long journeys."
"Oh that makes sense."
"Here. Eat all of it you need the strength." He says as he gives me a bowl of something which looks like milk with pieces of bread?
At first I am cautious but then I realise that it tastes really good.
I blush once I realise how fast I ate that big portion. He takes the bowl and smiles. "Do you want some more?"
"No I am all good. Thank you." I keep blushing.
He sits down next to me and takes my face softly in his hand. "You shouldn't be embarrassed because of eating well." He chuckles. "It's important that you eat well so you can carry our children without problems."
I tear away from him and look at him with big eyes. "What do you mean with our children?!"
He slowly walks closer to me. "I keep my promises babygirl. When I told you that I will marry you I meant it." He takes my face in his hand again as I hit the wall. "And a part of your duties as a wife will be to bear our children." His look softens at the mention of our children. My mouth partenes more as I realise what he expects from me. He caresses my lower lip with his thumb as he looks at me.
"Why me?" Is the only I thing I manage to whisper.
"I know that you are the one."
"H how? We barely know each other. I don't even know your name!"
"I am Bjorn son of Ivar."
I gasp. I see something flash in his eyes. "What is it?"
"N n nothing."
He suddenly presses me against the wall. "I told you not to lie to me."
I look up at him with frightened eyes. He loosens his grip on me slightly. "Now tell me. What have you heard?"
"Ah just some stupid rumours."
"Tell me."
"People in my village used to tell stories of an Ivar the boneless. They said that he ruled somewhere far up north and that he was the most mercyless ruler that is until one of his own sons killed him. They said that his son is even more frightening."
Why does he look at me for so long? Why does he suddenly smile?
I feel Bjorn lean into me. "Tell me are the rumours true? Am I really that frightening?"