The battle that transpired afterwards was hectic to say the least, other than the forest fire, a good chunk of Askeladd's men were slain by Thorkil's. Same could be said for his side as well. Thankfully though, Thorfinn and (Y/n), per Askeladd's orders, were able to rescue Prince Canute, Ragnar, and the Priest that was traveling with them, from the blonde giant. And safely escort them back to him as the flames began dying down.
After getting to their ships, they traveled all the way and docked them at Wales, East Morgannwg. While Askeladd and Ragnar were having a disagreement about their next destination, Canute, just a few inches away from them, with his back turned, gazed at a bird flying in the sky.
"That hawk, it flys so low...." He said.
'Hm, he's right. It would probably make for a decent meal too' (Y/n) thought, as she walked and stood next to him without him even noticing.
"Ragnar, I want it"
"W-wha—Uh, sorry your highness. But this is important" Ragnar said.
Seeing how eager the prince wanted the bird and that Ragnar wasn't offering to help, (Y/n) took it upon herself to catch it for him. After picking up a pebble on the ground, she effortlessly tossed it through the air and pelted the bird with it.
It cried out before falling downward and she dashed to where it was going to land, and caught it in her arms.
The prince gazed at her, completely astonished, as she walked up and presented the bird to him.
"*smile* Here you go your highness. I made sure to hit in a spot to kill it quickly so that the meat wouldn't go bad from its stress" She said.
"*blush* T-th-thank you...very much..." He said, as he took the bird and shyly gazed towards ships/sea.
"You're welcome. Though I'm your bodyguard, remember to not be afraid to ask anything else from me other than your protection. I promise I won't hesitate to do both" She replied.
"O..of course..."
Thorfinn, while standing a few feet away, right next to Bjorn, glared at the prince in jealousy. Despite the fact that their little interaction was mostly friendly. Atleast, that's what (Y/n) believed. Meanwhile Askeladd, after him and Bjorn saw her take down the bird, smiled proudly.
"See, not only is she good fighter, but a skillful hunter too. Though, if your still worried about the prince's safety....Thorfinn!"
The short blonde walked ahead and positioned himself next to Askeladd.
"He can serve as his secondary bodyguard"
"Oh, it's you! From back at the forest!" Bjorn said.
As he already found himself irritated by the prince's presence, Thorfinn became even more unhappy by Askeladd's new mission for him.
"*glare* I never agreed to that deal" he said.
"He's wiry but like (Y/n) he can fight. And similar to her they're roughly the same age so I'm sure they'll get along. Now greet the prince, Thorfinn"
"Tch!"
Thorfinn walked a little closer to the prince and angrily pouted at him. Which made the taller boy uneasy and quickly hide behind Ragnar. Disliking his rudeness, (Y/n) walked over to his left side and flicked him upside his head.
"Ouch! Would you stop doing that!" He exclaimed.
"Maybe when you start working on your people skills like I told you!" She exclaimed.
"She's right. Why the hell would you give nobility a look like that?" Askeladd said, while Bjorn laughed at the two of them.
"This better be worth my time" Thorfinn replied.
"Alright, alright, we'll duel once we get to Gainsborough"
"Askeladd, are you ready?" A man with grey hair and wearing a burgundy hood said.
"Just wrapping up. No rest for the wicked is there?" Askeladd replied, as he walked over and stood beside him.
"This is the governor of the Kingdom of Morganud, named Lord Gratianas. He's agreed to guide us on our journey"
Gratianas stepped towards (Y/n) and Thorfinn.
"Hmm, you and the girl have a fearless look about yourselves" he said.
"Actually commander, that's one of my men, but Prince Canute is over there in the red"
He then gazed at the long-haired blonde that was cowering and lightly messing with his hair, with one hand, as the other was still holding onto the bird, behind Ragnar.
"Your eyes lack resolve. You're truly going to be the next ruler of England?"
"What?! Sir, mind your tone!" Ragnar exclaimed.
"I will not. We've agreed to help the Danish Prince escape for one reason alone. To ensure that Wales enters a treaty of nonaggression. That decision is yours prince. And I want you to swear, when you ascend to the throne of the King of England, you'll never interfere with the matters of my country"
Canute tugged on Ragnar's sleeve and whispered his response in his ear.
"Yes just leave it to me" He said, before looking back at the governor. "These are the words spoken by his royal highness, if you shall lend us the use of your three ships, then...!"
"I am directly addressing the prince himself" Gratianas said, cutting him off.
"*glare* What?"
There was a moment of silence that went by, with the only sound being heard was the priest drinking a barrel of liquor.
"Well then, I'll just ask him again later. We'll prepare a document in the mean time. Hurry and ready yourselves for departure" He said, before leaving the opposite way.
"Grr, who does that snob think he is?! How dare he try to take advantage of us! Where does he get off thinking he can speak to his highness as an equal!? That filthy peasant!" Ragnar exclaimed, while Askeladd stared between him and the prince.
Despite everyone's displeasure for it, the whole group marched their way through Wales, as a way to avoid Thorkil who's gaining on them by ship.
However, while traveling beside a mountain, they were ambushed by their supposed envoy from Wales and a bunch of his men. Some with shields and spears posted next to him on the ground, while others readied arrows up top on the right. A few of them already shooting Askeladd's horse.
Before they could even think to shoot again, Thorfinn, (Y/n), and Ragnar pick up three shields in the caravan they were riding in and shielded themselves and the prince. Ragnar and (Y/n) being the closest to him, as he got in front of him on his left and raised the shield up against the back of his head. With her doing the same thing but crouching beside him on his right instead.
He blushed as red as his cape when he noticed how close she was, and how quickly she made true on her promise to protect him.
"They're dead!" One of Askeladd's men exclaimed, as he readied his arrow.
"All of you, calm down! I don't want any of you to return fire! Do not engage!" Askeladd exclaimed, before turning his attention to the blonde bowl cut man up ahead.
"Hello people of Brahiniog! We were hoping for a warmer welcome"
"What's this? You actually know how to speak our language barbarian! I was under the impression that Danes were such animals that they hardly knew how to speak at all" The man said.
"Let us through Asser! Stand Down. There is no benefit to Wales if you elect to antagonize the Danes" Gratianas said.
"Gratianas. Respectfully, even though I greatly appreciate your concern for the future of Wales, our methods for securing that future appear to be quite different" Asser replied.
"What are they offering you? Tell me what promises the Danish Prince has made? They're savages, they cannot be trusted"
Askeladd soon came up with a "plan" that involved him beckoning Canute to come up to the front where him and Gratianas were, and speak some words to them. As Ragnar and (Y/n) expected, the prince was too nervous to say anything, and immediately hid behind the man again.
He flinched a little when (Y/n) softly patted his back, as a way to comfort him.
"*smile* It's alright your highness. I know talking to a crowd of people is intimidating, so you don't have to talk now if you don't wish to" She whispered.
He gave her a nod in agreement, as no thanks to her, he managed to calm himself down.
"His highness prefers never to speak when he's in front of other people, I serve as his...!" Ragnar said, before Askeladd interrupted him.
"*glare* Not, this time Ragnar" he said.
"What's that?!"
"I understand his highness is young. But as the prince he has a duty to fulfill. Just look at all these people gathered, every one of them has come here to be in his service"
"....His highness is a gentle soul. And he dislikes meaningless battles"
"Yeah, and that's what I'm talking about. To avoid a senseless show of violence, we just need him to say a few words. If he never learns how to talk, how can he be expected to know how to rule one day"
"Silence! Hold your tongue! What do you know of his highness? The palace is a den of wolves, where family members devour each other. The prince has always been of poor health. You have no idea how difficult it was for him to endure it. He kept quiet so as not to stand out, that was the only weapon he had to survive that place...."
Though he wasn't looking at her at the moment, (Y/n) gave the prince a sympathetic frown as she heard about his hard life.
"And after all of his struggles, now he has to put up with men like you, who are always coming around to try and take advantage of him!"
As Ragnar had became overwhelmed by his anger and frustration, he took a few quick breaths before getting himself under control.
"Know your place Askeladd. He is the prince, and you have no right to exploit him. Nor tell him how you believe he should behave"
"Hey! What's the matter? Is there some sort of disagreement? Does Prince Canute wish to speak or not!?" Asser said, after another moment of silence. As he was starting to grow tired of their little squabble.
Askeladd sternly looked over at Gratianas.
"Gratianas...I'm going to let them in on the plan" he said.
"Right, good idea. And in that case, I'll join you" Gratianas replied, as he hopped down from his horse. Askeladd then told his men that he head up the mountain with Asser to negotiate, before apologizing to Canute and leaving along with Gratianas.
"Hmp" Thorfinn said, catching (Y/n) and Canute's attention, while he nonchalantly puts his arm, the one holding the shield, behind his head.
"Your pathetic. Are you honestly the same age as I am?"
His words disheartened the prince, and made him gaze at Ragnar's back in shame. And also caused (Y/n) to glare at him as well.
"Thorfinn, I swear, I will punch you across this mountain if you don't stop"
He didn't say anything but let out an annoyed "Tch!" As he knew the girl would definitely do it the minute he spouted another insult from his mouth.
When Askeladd had came back, the four of them got back into the caravan, with (Y/n) sitting in between the two boys, and they all continued their journey through the rocky hill.
As the passed through a lifeless forest, the prince couldn't help but steal a few glances at Thorfinn and (Y/n). The girl he gave the most to, which Thorfinn quickly noticed, and despised.
"*glare* You can stop gawking now, princess. If you have something to say, use that pretty mouth of yours. Or have you lost your tongue, huh?"
(Y/n) was about to reprimand him again, when the prince, shockingly enough, cut her off before she could.
"I...I...um...I don't stay silent, because I'm a coward" he said.
Ragnar's eyes widened as he couldn't believe what he had witnessed.
"I'm...trying to be cautious, that's all. I have to because...because I'm the prince, I can't be careless with my words like the rest of you...."
Everyone stopped walking and stared, except for Askeladd who kept his composure, in disbelief.
"B..Because my words have political repercussions...even more so in a foreign land! Without my father's permission...I can't offer treaties...or make any bold statements, because it wouldn't be right!"
The prince soon looked around nervously once he noticed how quiet it gotten and that everyone's eyes were on him.
"I..I just...have to be cautious"
"*smirk* Heh, that actually isn't too terrible of an excuse, well good for you then princess, you are smart" Thorfinn said.
Insulted, the prince stood up and angrily pointed at Thorfinn.
"Tch, H..How dare you! You brazen, never in my life has anyone shown me such disrespect and been so insolent!" He said.
"Good learning experience, then" Thorfinn replied.
"T..Take it back right now! That's no excuse! You could never understand how hard a royal life is!"
"*frown* Stop shouting and sit your ass down"
"I am not shouting! I'm simply ensuring that my words are not being misunderstood!"
"*rolls eyes* Great, I hear you loud and clear"
"You...Why are you so impudent?! Who do you think your speaking to!? No servant should be so rude!"
"I never agreed to be your servant"
(Y/n) chuckled a bit at their banter, causing them to look at her curiously.
"While I do agree that Thorfinn is being rude. It still is nice that he managed to get you to finally speak up more, your highness. You should do it more often if you'd like. But for now, please calm down okay" She said, while looking up at the boy, and making him blush as she tenderly placed her hand on his arm.
Thorfinn glared harshly at their interaction, even as she moved her hand away and he calmly sat down.
[ Nighttime ]
By the time the sun had set, everyone found a place to camp for the night. A few minutes after finding it and setting up their tents and essentials, (Y/n) had decided to go into the woods to find somewhere she could wash up. When the prince realized she'd been gone for awhile, he became concerned and decided to go off and find her. And told Ragnar not to follow him this time, which baffled the man.
When he finally came across her, he blushed profusely and quickly behind a nearby tree. As he had seen her crouching in what appeared to be wide open hot spring, while gently rubbing her arms with water.
She was quick to sense that he was there and stood up as she glared at the tree he was hiding behind.
"I know your there. I suggest you come out now"
The prince flinched when he been caught and since he knew it was pointless in hiding any longer, he decided to listen to her and walked from behind the tree. His eyes staring at the ground as his blush became redder the entire time.
She blinked in surprise. "O..Oh, it's you your highness....." She noticed how flustered he was, before looking at her bare body and blushing a bit herself. She then quickly covered her chest and submerged her body in the water.
"P..Please forgive me your highness, it's indecent for you to see me like this"
"N..No! If anything I'm the one who should be apologizing! It was rude of me to stumble upon you while you were still bathing! S..So...if you would....please accept my apology"
"I..If that's what you wish...then I shall accept it. But, if I may ask, what are you doing out here?"
"I..I'm out here because...I...wanted to come and check on you. You've been gone for quite some time now, and it made worried"
"*smile* Really? that's...actually very nice of you. And kind of humorous and ironic as well, considering I'm the one who's supposed to worry about your safety"
They both chuckled a little at her comment. "Yes, it really is. But, another reason I came here to see you, is because I wanted to have a moment to...well...talk to you, and get to know you better"
"Hmp, well sorry to say, but there isn't too much about myself to talk about....."
"Th..That doesn't matter!"
Canute felt regret when he noticed that he slightly startled the girl.
"Wh..whatever you may tell....." He carefully sat on the ground. "I'll be happy to listen to it"
She smiled softly at him once again. "Okay then"
They then began talking to each other about their childhood and the things they went through years later. Both sympathizing with how hard each of their lives were, the prince more so with (Y/n)'s. But then they began talking about lighter stuff, like their likes, dislikes, most embarrassing moment, and the minor hobbies they like to do when they have free time. Fireflies illuminating and floating around them the entire time, which the prince thought helped in giving her already beautiful face, a lovely glow to it.
"*smile* Well....I... believe it's gotten late enough. You should head back to camp and get some sleep your highness, I promise I'll catch up with you"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I very much am"
"*smile* ....Okay. I'll see you later, my lady"
She blushed as he softly grabs one of her hands and pulls it up towards his lips to kiss it. She gives him a tender smile as she watches him get up and leave in the direction he came from. However, after making it halfway back to camp, he stops in his tracks when he sees Thorfinn standing a few feet in front of him. Glaring at him menacingly.
"I..Is there something you wa...!"
"Stay away from (Y/n)"
"E-Excuse me?"
"You heard me, princess. You think I don't see how dumb and lovesick you've been getting around her. Now, I don't get where in that head of yours that made you think that's okay, but it's stopping right now"
The prince glared back at Thorfinn and clenched his fists in anger, as he couldn't believe the audacity the boy had to tell to stay away from the girl he loves, and who obviously loves him as well.
"I....don't know if you forgotten...but (Y/n) is my bodyguard. It's part of her job to be around me. And even if she wasn't, you have no right to condemn my feelings for her or to tell me to keep away from her!"
Thorfinn's glare harshened. "Do you think I give a shit that it's her job? Just be thankful that I am telling you this as nice as I possibly can, and that I'm not able to lay a single finger on you. So...stay away from her. Otherwise I can't promise not a single thing will happen to you in the future"
The prince continued glaring at him, until his face suddenly went blank and emotionless. Confusing Thorfinn, even as he walked towards him and moved to stand right beside him.
".....Same goes for you too" were his final words, because he then proceeded on his journey back to the camp. While Thorfinn watched him in a fury that was the same type he gave Askeladd as a child.