serpentine ➢ sigurd snake in the eye

⇀ Arrangement

That is, until she reached the final Ragnarsson, Sigurd. She smiled at him before holding his face in her welcoming hands. Her thumbs running across the pale blonde stubble of his upper lip and then to his chin, feeling is soft, tamed facial hair. Sigurd looked down at her in amazement before her face nestled into the sensitive dip of his neck. She started to press kisses all around his neck. His trembling hands found their way to her hips which only prompted her motions forward. Her arms laced under his arms and her hands found their place on his upper back. Everyone in the room fell silent as they gawked at the strange bonding between the two. Sigurd's breath hitched in his tender throat quietly, the sensation of her plump lips against the sensitive skin of his throat was almost too much for him to handle. One of her little hands made their way into his flowing river of golden curls while she practically spilled out her love over his body, it was a feeling that he had never experienced before; something new. His soft fingers gripped her hips tightly while his eyes screwed shut.

"You are the one, Sigurd Ragnarsson."

She muttered into his ear, almost undetectably, his beautiful snake eyes honed in on her, about to ask what she meant but was stopped by a sudden yet brief pain in his scalp. With that, she detached herself from him and turned around, leaving through the curtains behind the thrones without a word. Sigurd finally realized she had plucked a strand of hair from his head. King Trygg laughed and the rest of the hall followed. Sigurd had never felt so embarrassed and bare to the world in his life. How had a girl managed to breach his barriers with something so trivial as a kiss to his skin? And all for what? To steal a strand of blonde hair?

"My daughter is quite the charmer now, isn't she? Though I must say, I have never seen my girl act in quite a way before."

King Trygg informed, stroking his long silver beard in thought. The Ragnarssons, still confused and on guard from what the strange foreign girl had done to them. Little did they know, they would be waiting for the strange princess for hours. When the time came, they were sitting round. Ivar was obviously thinking of the battles ahead as he played chess with one of King Trygg's many many sons. Björn was wandering around the throne room, looking for an interesting bedmate for the night, his usual silent brooding aura surrounding him as he strode the halls length over and over. Ubbe and Hvitserk talked of the odd princess, talking of her marital choice and cracking jokes to one another.

"Did you see the way that little fox looked at me? She will definitely pick me, don't you agree, brother?"

Hvitserk asked teasingly as he gnawed on a large chicken leg, Ubbe only chuckled to himself, leaning in to whisper to Hvitserk. Hvitserk retracted his ear from his older brother as if he had seen a disease ridden man.

"Björn? You think she would choose Björn? That is shit, there is no way she would choose him! He is old enough to be her father."

Hvitserk conveyed in disgust at his older brother's nasty imagery though his sly last words did not go unnoticed. Ubbe chuckled as he raised a horn of ale to lips, gulping down the honey liquid. Sigurd scoffed in irritation, standing at the window, looking out to the seas and mountains in the distance. He had been standing there for a long while, thinking of the mysterious girl who had stolen his hair.

"Silence, give me your attention!"

The voice of the King Trygg alerted everyone in the room to turn their attention to him. Sigurd looked over towards the king and followed silently with his brothers to stand before the fat Swedish king.

"My daughter has made her decision! She will now make her choice known. And let it be known, that whichever Ragnarsson she chooses to marry, must swear his sword to me in times of need. For we will be family, surely one of you will father my grandson, and as such, we will share a common interest."

As Trygg finished speaking, Princess Yrsa stepped out from the curtains behind her father's throne. She stepped down quietly, walking towards the Ragnarssons. She stopped before the five of them, looking over their faces individually as she spoke.

"You are all meant for greatness. You Ivar, you Ubbe and even you Hvitserk. Every single one of you carries a greatness that has never been seen before in our world. You are, all of you, true vikings. The sagas will tell tales of you long after we are ash and dust. You will all ravage places around this world; England, The Isles, The Eastern Lands, Rus. They will all wear the stain of your names long after your lineage has carried on. That being said, I must chose a husband."

She stepped before Sigurd, staring up into his reptilian eyes, smiling. She took his hand in hers and cupping his cheek, bringing him down to press his forehead against hers in a long lasting bond.

"I choose you, Sigurd Ragnarsson. You will be my husband and you will give me children, if you would have me."

She displayed great confidence and humility in her words, piercing his eyes with the ethereal silver of her irises. Sigurd has never been spoken to like this. As a prince, he had never received such words from a woman.

"It would be my pleasure to be your husband, princess, truly. I will take you as my wife and I will strive to be worthy of you and your love. I will gladly carry a family with you by my side, Yrsa."

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to be continued