When me and Thorfinn finally were able to leave one another's embrace after his proposal we headed back to his family home to a celebration. Turns out the reason he had me out of the house all day wasn't just so he could get a nice haircut, it was also because he was preparing the house with his sister and mother to celebrate. The smell of roasted lamb with herbs scented the air as we approached the door. Opening it I had been shocked to see his family along with Einar, Lief, and Bug-Eyes in the front room. Each with with a cup full of mead, minus the children of course. And a spread of food laid out on a table.
It wasn't anything grand, yet it made my heart swell at the sight of all of them. Einar approached us with a mug of mead in each hand, a big goofy smile spread across his face. "Congratulations you two!" He said handing me and Thorfinn a mug, "How do you know I accepted?" I ask teasingly and Einar stutters "W-well I would hope you accepted.. did you accept?" He says the last part in a low concerned voice, causing me to chuckle in amusement as Thorfinn shook his head at my joke. "Yes she did, if she had said no I would probably be off sulking somewhere." He reassured his friend who lets out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God!" He sighs out before grabbing me in a hug. "Since Thorfinn is my sworn brother that makes you my sister." He tells me with a smile. I hug the man back "Guess I gained some new family huh." I chuckle as he draws back from me before going in to hug Thorfinn as well. Telling him "I'm happy for you." Reminding me of the bond the two share with one another, happy that something good came out of those three years.
"Gods Einar make some room the rest of us want to congratulate the happy couple." Ylva complained before pulling me further into the house away from Thorfinn and Einar. "If he ever treats you bad, you come to me. You've seen how strong I am I'll beat his ass for you." She promises, and I'm positive she meant every word. "I don't think he'd ever lay a hand on me, but thank you, I really appreciate it." I reassured her. "Oh I didn't mean he'd hurt you like that, I meant if he makes you cry." She said with a smirk and I snort in amusement. Helga comes up to me and wraps me in a motherly hug "Welcome to the family darling, not only was I given back my son, I was given another daughter. The Gods must be smiling down on me lately." She hums wistfully. I hug the woman back, wondering if this is how it would've felt like to hug my own mother. It was nice, and I didn't want to let go when she pulled away from me.
We drank until we ran out of mead, and then Ylva pulled out another barrel out of storage and said to keep the festivities going. All the while yelling at her three children it's time for bed. We feasted on bread, steamed vegetables and roasted lamb until our bellies ached. And by the end of the night we were practically sure we wouldn't need to eat for another month after eating so much. Through it all I felt a happiness I hadn't felt in a long time, having a family after watching everyone I ever loved be taken away from me. Thorfinn hadn't just given me his love and adoration, he had given me a family who cherished me and I cherished them.
That night I laid down with Thorfinn in a spare bed, him holding me, whispering about how much he loved me. Our legs entwined with one another, chests pressed up against each other. My fingers combing through his hair as we studied each other's faces as if it was the first time we've ever met.
After that night me and Thorfinn explained our story to his family, each of them shocked and horrified by the horrors we were subjected to as child Vikings. A part of me was terrified that Helga and Ylva would reject me after knowing of my heritage, yet when we were done Helga crushed me in a hug. Saying that my father never deserved me, that he had no right to raise me under such horrible conditions. Ylva agreeing with her, saying he was a bastard for trying to force me into marriage. And I agreed with them for the most part, my father was never a good man. Yet he was my father, and he loved me in his own messed up way, I would always love him even with all of his sins.
Over the week we prepared for a marriage celebration. And in between preparation for the marriage ceremony we would help Ylva and her husband with their work, along with housework. All the while we were figuring out a plan to someday head to Vinland.
By Friday, the day of Freya the Goddess of love and fertility we were finally able to hold the ceremony.
Ylva and Helga kept me in the house and kicked out Thorfinn and the men. Giving me a bath and braiding my hair to crown my head. Giving me a beautiful gown that Helga had used in her own wedding, along with Ylva at her wedding. All the while I had shifted and toyed with the ring from Mercia on my finger. Taking it off I placed the ring on the nightstand besides the spare bed that had become mine and Thorfinns, before heading out.
The village gathered around the town square to witness the two of us come together in matrimony. Lief stepped in as a substitute for my father to give me away to Thorfinn, telling that even though he barely knew me as a person, he was proud of me and Thorfinn after having been through so much hell in our lives we deserved this little bit of heaven.
When I saw Thorfinn dressed up in a fine robe I felt as if he was the most handsomest man I had ever met, which isn't wrong. Lief gave me off to Thorfinn and a man of the village officiating our marriage too each other. Unlike most Viking marriages that expected the bride and groom to trade swords as a vow of protection. Instead we promised each other protection through Thor's dagger. Though after the ceremony we would take the dagger and stow it away, never to be used again, all through Thorfinns wishes. His hands on the hilt, with mine on top of his, we vowed to protect each other's lives throughout dangers of life.
We vowed to be with one another for the rest of our lives, allowing nothing to come between the two of us. Thorfinn took my hand and slipped a simple iron band on my ring finger, nothing special like I would've been offered. But meant so much more to me than any riches.
I took his own iron band and slipped it onto his ring finger and were officially United in marriage, sealing the moment with a kiss. The village congratulating us, letting the celebration begin. Everyone getting drunk off mead and fat off the many food available to us. Me and Thorfinn being congratulated constantly by people I had never met before in my life. And once nightfall fell I was ushered away by a giggling tipsy Ylva telling me to get my ass back to the house for the the wedding night.
I sat on mine and Thorfinns bed, waiting for him to finally show up for our marriage night. Thinking in amusement that this was a silly tradition to act out as we had already had sex in the past. But if it meant being with him alone for awhile I would happily accept.
Hearing the door open and close I saw Thorfinn appear in the doorway to our room. "There you are my wife." He said enunciating the words 'my wife' as if Tasting how they felt on his tongue. "There you are husband." I say back to him earning a smile as he came in to sit down besides me on the bed. "Finally able to get away from the celebrations to consummate our marriage." I joke, getting a light hearted eye roll from him as he smirks "I've already consummated my love with you many times before, I don't need a silly marriage night to officially do it. Though I won't mind having you to myself for the rest of the night."
My heart quickens with excitement at his words but I shrug off the feeling, wanting to talk to him first before anything. "I wanted to thank you." I tell him. He looks at me with confusion, asking "What for? Marrying you? You don't need to thank me for that when I'm the one who asked you to marry me. I should be thanking you."
I shake my head at him, his confused look only growing before I finally say "For accepting me. All those years ago you hated me for so long, yet eventually you allowed yourself to get to know me. You accepted me for who I was, the epitome of what you hated, my father who was a war chieftain who deserved death more than life lived on, while yours who was a humble and kind man died. It's understandable as to why you held a grudge against me for so long.." I look down to my hands, shifting the ring Thorfinn had bestowed upon me earlier that day. It resting where the ring the woman from Mercia gifted me all those years ago.
"So I just wanted to tell you thank you for accepting me back then. If you hadn't I would've never known the happiness I feel now." I tell him, looking up to meet his gaze. His eyes staring back at me with as much love and devotion I felt for him in that moment. He says "I still remember the day I first met you, it felt like a Valkyrie had come down to save me from death. But it wasn't, it was you, and I find that much more amazing. As soon as I realized you were a part of them my grudge held firm and I became cold to you, but for an instant I believed you were the most beautiful human I had ever saw. And I still do."
Through all of the horrors of war I suffered through, the pain, the heartbreak, and loss of those closest to me. I didn't mind it as much when at the end of the it all, I would spend my life by Thorfinns side. And even if I had to go through such hardships again, no matter what I would always have him at my side to support me. "I love you." I whisper to him, his hand coming up to caress the side of my face. Causing me to lean into his touch as he said "I love you too, my wife."
**Authors note**
Thank you all so much for reading my little story, but I believe I'll be ending the story here. Unless you all really want me to continue, which I wouldn't mind continuing the story a little longer.
I had so much fun writing this and really enjoyed seeing everyone's comments every time I would post a new update!
I will be writing an epilogue and a spicy chapter for those who wanna witness the wedding night so stay tuned for that. So there will be two more updates soon enough! I am also already in the works on writing a future fanfic of Canute x Reader with a whole new story that may tie in to this one. So I'm not going away just yet now that I'm finished!
Again thank you all so much! You're the reason I felt the courage to continue what I loved!