I Want to be Kind [-Thorfinn X Reader-] [Vinland Saga]

Negotiations

"What do you mean you two know the King?!" Einar shouted at me and Thorfinn as we headed back toward the King's encampment. As soon as I had offered up the ideal that me and him could possibly stop the fighting he had my back. Agreeing with me that if there was anything we could do to save the lives of the people who inhabited this farm, then it was worth a shot. "It means exactly that Einar. You might not believe it but at one point we had close ties to him." Thorfinn explains to his friend.

"That doesn't make any sense, you know that! First off you're a slave, I don't understand how you could know him." Einar argues then points his finger to me. "And you! Well I don't know what you do.." he admits and I give him a sly smile. "I was his personal bodyguard for the past few years, along with Thorfinn before he was made into a slave. It's a long story." I tell him. "So you're pretty well acquainted then I guess." Einar says.
"Yeah, very well acquainted with each other." I replied not exactly wanting to tell him that I had also been the King's fiancé. Not everyone needed to know about that small tidbit.

"I knew you were a warrior Thorfinn, but I never expected you were ever a personal guard of the king." Einar admitted in amazement, earning an embarrassed chuckle from Thorfinn. "Yes well, I don't exactly care too much for that time of my life." He says.
"Even if it was when we first started seeing each other romantically?" I teasingly question him. "Well.. outside of that I don't exactly care too much." He said, a smile on his lips as he recalls our days together.

"You were a bit of a dick to the king back then. He might not want to see you." I joke, remembering how he acted like he was always about to tear the king a new one back when he was just a prince and we were his bodyguards. "Well that's because you were friendly with him. And I didn't like to share. That and I was correct in thinking he was into you when I found out you were gonna marry him." Thorfinn admits. Einars mouth drops open at the new information. "Well he almost succeeded. Another reason why he probably wouldn't want to see you.." I admit, pursing my lips.

"Excuse me? What?!" Einar shouted in confusion. So much for me wanting to keep quiet about that personal bit.

After some more explaining as we made our way to the King's encampment, we finally made it. Looking around we already had questioning eyes on us. Thankfully some of the Jomsvikings I saw were men I had fought besides before during my time as Canutes guard. Meaning they knew who I was and wouldn't argue with us on whether or not we could meet with the king.

A man approached us, half of his face was severely scarred with an eyepatch over his right eye. His name is Balder, a man I've met many times during my life as a bodyguard for the King. "There's a face I didn't expect to see here!" He exclaims, his large muscular arms are crossed but there's a smile on his face. "Hello Balder." I greet him, reaching out my hand to shake his, he warmly grabs it shaking enthusiastically. "What are you doing here? I was surprised to see you were away from the King for once." He asked me. Thorfinn and Einar are standing behind me and he gives them a once over.

"I just need to talk to the King. Where is he?" I say, getting straight to the point. "He's in his tent. Why do you have two slaves with you?" He asks, noticing clothes on the two men. It was easy to tell them apart from farmhands. While they had nicer clothes that were regularly cleaned and patched up, slaves always had much more ragged clothing that was dirty from hard work.

"They're men from Ketils farm. Don't mind them." I inform him, moving past his large build. Picking out the Kings tent among the many along the beach. Symbols of his prestige and heritage of Denmark are sewn into the fabric, making it easy to tell it's his. Two men are stationed outside of the tent, and I hear muffled words coming from the inside. My heart is thumping in my chest as I approach.

"State your business." One of the men outside questions. Lifting my chin I answer loudly "My name is (Y/N), daughter of Askeladd. I've come with Thorfinn son of Thor's to talk with the King of Denmark."
The chatter inside of the tent ceases, quiet for a couple of seconds before I hear Canutes voice from inside "Allow them to enter." He orders the men.

They pull the flaps of the tent aside as we enter, leaving Einar outside.
Once inside I see Canute standing beside a table with documents strewn upon it, Wulf is there as well standing on the other side. Canute gives us a hard look, his eyes inspecting me before looking to Thorfinn besides me. "I didn't expect to ever see you alive again." He says to Thorfinn, his voice tight and clipped. "Neither did I with you." Thorfinn replies.

Canute clicks his tongue before his eyes slide back to me. "I expect you are here to rub it in that you've found him. That you were right all along. That I should call off the marriage." He says, crossing his arms as he leans against the table. "I'm not stupid enough to do that. If that was the only reason to be here I wouldn't have even come, you would've never seen me alive again." I answer truthfully. "No, I'm here to get you to call off this battle. I know you're trying to claim this farm for your own. I also know you came here to try and find me, using the fact that Ketils sons killed ten of your subordinates as justification to bring a whole fleet of Jomsvikings."

"And what will you do if I don't? You have no power here (Y/N). Neither of you do. If I wished for it you two could be apprehended as prisoners in a mere second." Canute says lifting his chin. And I practically snorted in amusement at his words "But you won't will you. You're not an idiot Canute. You don't want an unwilling Queen who could easily put a dagger in your back."

"No I wouldn't." Canute admits, "But if I was any other scorned man I would happily have both of your heads on the chopping block."

"You're not that kind of man. At least the Canute I knew isn't that kind of man." Thorfinn finally speaks up. "If I remember correctly you wished to make a paradise on earth if you became king. Would your plans in making that paradise really include killing two innocents who simply wished to live their lives in peace with each other."

Canute releases a long irritated sigh, lifting his hand to his face and rubbing his temples as if trying to stave off a headache. "You two are ridiculous.. Really you are. Coming here where I could easily have you killed just for defying me. Yet you came, just to try and talk me out of taking this farm."

I watch him intently, yes he's done things in the past against me. Such as having me locked in my room for just wanting to come here to find Thorfinn, which I would never forgive him for. Yet I knew he would never harm us, he had cared for me and stayed as a close friend during my years away from Thorfinn. Deep down I knew he would listen to us, call off the marriage, and stop the bloodshed on this farm.

"Fine" he finally says, looking at us. Snapping me out of my thoughts "I'll allow you two to go free. It's not like I exactly want an unwilling bride.. But I would've been happy if you had been the one I married." He admits looking at me with a hint of longing in his eyes. "I'm sorry Canute. I really am, but I wouldn't have been happy with that kind of life." I tell him, knowing I would've been content, and possibly somewhat happy eventually, but nowhere near the amount I would have with Thorfinn at my side instead.

He nods at my words, coming to terms with the situation finally. "What about the farm?" Thorfinn asks. Canute simples says "it's not a big deal, I mainly came to find her. I honestly expected you to be dead and that she was just too stubborn to come back once she found out if it was the wrong Thorfinn. Yet here you are, alive and well unfortunately. But I did need to punish them for killing my subordinates. I believe after the slaughter earlier that they've been punished adequately though."

"Thank you, Canute" I say dryly, a bit annoyed that he found Thorfinn being alive was unfortunate. But a part of me was happy and thankful to him, knowing we were able to stop more unnecessary deaths. "Don't mention it." He practically grumbles before adding "Now, get outta my camp." He orders half assed. Thorfinn let's put a huff of amusement, but we comply, telling him goodbye and I teasingly say he'll be invited to our wedding, which he promptly said he would burn the invitation if it ever showed up at his manor.

"What did he say?" Einar questions us as we leave the encampment. Only for us to hear a man yell out the command to pack up all of the supplies back onto the ships. "Is that a good enough answer?" Thorfinn says. Which Einar tells him he's a smart ass.

Looking back on the encampment I feel a sense of excitement. It felt as if I was leaving that part of my life for good, that I didn't need to be a part of the Viking way of life anymore. That I could live out a peaceful life with Thorfinn, wherever we end up. Whether it be Iceland, or Vinland.