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The cracking of the fire is the only thing that accompanies him in the dead of the night. After the incident of Askeladd’s men slaughtering the villagers, the prince is having a hard time thinking about what other horrible scenarios are out there to experience. Canute sighs, sitting close to the hearth, his red cape wrapping him for warmth. A few minutes ago, Ragnar had told him to wait until he found something to eat. He looks around the empty house and for a fleeting moment, thinks about the family that was living here before their group mercilessly butcher them. Knowing he is the main reason for their deaths, Canute cannot help but feel guilty. He bows and mutters a simple prayer for the deceased for the second time of the day.
As he is in deep with his prayer, the door creaks open and a man steps in, gaining his attention.
“Your high-” Askeladd pauses, seeing how the boy kneels with his hands clasped on his chest. The young prince stares at him with his big blue eyes.
The man clears his throat before proceeding and observes the house. He is looking for Ragnar to discuss some matters but couldn’t find him inside.
“My apologies, your highness,” Askeladd says, well, it looks like Ragnar is not around at the moment and decided that he will return later. It’s not that he is thrilled to talk with that cone head. If anything, their conversation always ends up with an argument.
“By the way, you need to be guarded at all times.” the man says before closing the door, his back facing the boy. “I will call Thorfinn to accompany you.”
Thorfinn? That brat. That rogue. Canute wanted to say a big fat 'no thanks' but he doesn’t want to appear rude. He has a feeling that the boy has an intense dislike for nobles like him but he doesn’t mind, the feeling is mutual for all he cares. The last thing he would need right now is a jerk whose only hobby for the last few days is to annoy the hell out of him.
“Wait!” knowing he has to say something about it, he calls the man.
Askeladd stops and looks above his shoulder. Canute fidgets and plays with his hair, avoiding his eyes.
“I-it’s fine, I don’t n-need his company.” the prince refuses with a noticeable stutter.
Askeladd turned to face the boy with a questioning look. He knows exactly why the young royal declines as he always hears the teenage banters. But he gave Thorfinn the job to guard the prince and the boy better perform his duties.
“If it’s about Thorfinn’s attitude, don’t worry, I’ll tell him to behave accordingly,” he assures but deep inside, is aware that the rascal won’t change his demeanor no matter what he says. He just wants the prince to accept the offer.
“But,” Canute is still unwilling but is out of excuses as to why he doesn’t want Thorfinn’s presence. This moment is critical for him, he badly wants to be alone in his thoughts after everything but it seems that Askeladd is persistent in his orders.
The door shuts, leaving him alone once again. He pouts and slumps down on the nearest stool near the kitchen. How come everything he says has no impact on everyone around him when he is a prince, the second in line to the Danish throne. For all his life, he has always been the one to receive the short end of the stick in every situation.
Canute waits albeit not too eagerly for his promised companion.
Thorfinn threw another useless stuff he had found in the third house he’s been checking. Together with him is Bjorn who is grinning at the bottles of mead he found. Earlier, Askeladd had told them to check the houses for supplies to help them survive the following days. The weather has been terrible so far and none of them is sure when the snowstorm will pass. Food is the most essential but they can also hunt wild animals in the woods for that. Others are firewood, furred blankets and clean water which the villagers have already stocked long before they arrived. He usually does not join the looting but he also doesn’t have anything to do so he joined the others. Besides, it will save him from having to stand or sit next to the royal brat he’s been assigned to guard. So far he’s been bored to death. Who in their right fucking mind would waste their time guarding a useless wimp? The only saving grace is this certain nobility is pleasing to the eyes, otherwise, he would hate every minute he spends with him.
He doesn’t necessarily hate the prince, he may be annoyed by the weakling but hate is too much of a word to put it. Thorfinn simply doesn’t care about politics and all the drama of the Danish throne. Hell, he doesn’t even care about Thorkell but he is here to fulfill his dream of revenge for his father and to do that he needs to follow Askeladd until they reach Gainsborough.
“Thorfinn, can you check that?” Bjorn points in a certain direction on another corner of the house. “I’ll bring these to the others.” And just like that, Bjorn goes outside with the bottles of mead wrapped around his arms. Probably planning to start a party with their band. It took a hard time and hard work before they get here after all.
Thorfinn clicks his tongue and goes to the spot, rummaging inside a chest filled with utensils. There is nothing worth taking he could find. From outside he could hear Bjorn and the others hooting and talking about hunting a wild deer to be matched with the drinks. Thorfinn proceeds to the next chest and finds something that might help not to survive the next couple of days but would kill boredom.
A hnefatafl board.
He remembers playing it with his family during long winters. Even children in Iceland know how to play it. Thorfinn smirks, finally something worth taking. Together with the board is a bundle of clothes mainly for women. Curiously, he takes one piece of clothing, an apron dress. The dress is a combination of gray and red, must've been owned by a young woman and for some reason, he imagined Canute wearing it. The size would surely fit in the prince’s body and the color is perfect. All he has to do is tie a red ribbon on his hair and--
Fuck, why does he look so good in his imagination? Thorfinn wants to smack himself and shake his head. Embarrassed by his own thoughts, he dumps the dress back to the chest before storming outside.
Almost an hour later and the prince finds himself getting bored. Ragnar is still nowhere in sight and he is having second thoughts of leaving the house especially when his retainer told him to stay. From inside, he could hear the howling wind which also makes it difficult for him to sleep.
“Where is that boy anyway?” he asks no one in particular, wondering why Thorfinn hasn’t come yet. There is no book in the area which he could use to pass time, just an almost empty kitchen, hearth, and two beds. Canute sighs, just when he thought he wouldn’t need anyone at the moment. It would be less boring if they are not in such a dire condition but his thoughts wouldn’t stop him from thinking the worst to come. He badly needs a distraction, that’s when he realized. He stands, deciding to wander a bit outside and leaves the house.
The moment he hit the outdoors, the outdoors hit back. It is freezing and he has to run from where he came from to another house if he doesn’t want his face to sting. From the third house, he hears voices coming from Askeladd’s men. Canute hesitates to enter but it is too cold for him to stay outside. He reaches for the door to open it, hands trembling from the cold and nervousness, peeking at the small opening.'
His eyes wander at the gathering of men surrounding a round table. Their backs are facing the door making them fail to notice his presence. They scream and cheer with liquor in their hands. From the corner, his eyes catch Thorfinn who sits with a considerable distance away from the group.
Canute gulps, unable to push the door and reveal himself but oh god, his back is starting to freeze from the chilling wind.
“Hm? Is that the prince?” Bjorn notices him, of all people. Well, it could be that Thorfinn noticed him too (he kept on glancing at the doorway!) but chooses to ignore him to let him freeze outside. Jerk.
Before he could react, Bjorn opens the door completely and invites him. The others turn their eyes at the prince, making him all tense up. Oh god, please save him from too much attention.
“Cheh,” Thorfinn, swinging a glass of drink smirks. “Just come in, it’s not that hard. Or you want us to carry you inside, huh princess?” he teases.
The men laughed out loud embarrassing Canute the more.
This fool. It hasn’t been one minute and Thorfinn is already irritating him. Canute storms inside with a blush creeping on his cheeks and faces Thorfinn.
“Y-you! I came here to take you with me!” Canute points a finger at the boy leaving Thorfinn confused.
There is silence, with the men stopping everything they’ve been doing watching the two.
“Askeladd…” the young prince flinches upon seeing that they’ve been looking at them intently and is pressured now to say something before it gets awkward. He only needs two things at the moment; an explanation of his sudden arrival and getting Thorfinn. “...told me that you will accompany me in the house.” he continues.
Thorfinn stares at him blankly before sipping his drink lazily. He does not deny the fact that Askeladd asked him to go to the prince because he is his bodyguard. Although he angrily responded to the man that he will only do so once he’s in the mood to do it. But now that Canute is here to fetch him, Thorfinn is once again tempted to piss off the royalty. It’s always amusing how he loses his composure whenever he tries to annoy him.
“I don’t wanna.” Thorfinn replies deadpan.
“But it’s an...order from-” Canute tries to argue but Thorfinn resists.
“Don’t care what that baldy wants. Get outta here. You’re ruining this night.” he hisses, pushing the prince to explode and do something that he might regret tomorrow. Maybe it’s because he wants to see more of that cute pout or he just wants to taunt him, Thorfinn couldn't tell.
The men from behind make a collective gasp and whistle, waiting for a counterargument from the prince. Now, this is something they always find interesting to watch; an argument between the kids.
Feeling humiliated, every logical action left his mind and Canute grabs Thorfinn’s shirt forcing him to come with him. Thorfinn, shocked by the prince’s actions, grabs his wrist and pulls him back. There is a little tug of war and a few yelling and cursing until Bjorn stepped in the middle to separate them.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” the man scratches his temple. Askeladd informed him that he will be having a private meeting with Ragnar and told him to take charge of the group which includes the teenagers. Now he can understand why Askeladd is starting to lose more hairs because of these two.
An idea came to his mind and Bjorn looked behind him. “If you want to settle this, why don’t you decide it fairly?” he gestures at the board game sitting on the table.
Fairly is a word Thorfinn never imagined Bjorn would speak of. Regardless, the idea isn’t that bad. Although not an expert, he is good at the game. He looks at Canute as if challenging him and he could see the anxiousness on his face.
“What’s the matter princess?” he leers, standing up to sit next to the board while the others leave the table as though readying to observe the incoming battle. “Can’t play a simple board game?”
“I..I am not scared.”
“Never said you are.”
Please, someone, save him from this situation. Canute stares at the board then back at Thorfinn, grinning. He wants nothing but to make him eat dirt.
Mustering his strength, Canute goes to the other side of the table, facing Thorfinn. The men make surprised noises as they watch.
“I-if I win, you will come with me.” Canute demands, he couldn’t say he is good with the game but at least he knows how to play it. But without any knowledge whether Thorfinn is good with it or not makes it troublesome.
“Seems fair.” Thorfinn nods, his lips curving into a dangerous smile as an idea struck his mind. It'll be too easy if he just go with the prince once he wins and he wouldn't let that happen. He wants to irritate the royalty as much as he can.
The men start to bet on the outcome of the game, slapping coins on another table.
Thorfinn looks up and remembers something. He wants to chuckle but it’s gonna be worth a try. Just like Canute, he has no idea about his skill so it would be hard for him to judge the result. Anyhow, he could still annoy him using his condition.
“If I win, you will wear a dress for a day.” Thorfinn dares with an eat-shitting grin.
A sonorous shrill of joy escaped from the men’s system. They clap their hands followed by wolf-whistling. The image of the effeminate prince wearing a dress makes them drool which eventually leads to them cheering on Thorfinn. All the bets are now for their very own Viking boy.
Canute gapes, a horrified look on his face. “H-how dare you!” and slams his palms on the table, knocking a few empty bottles of mead. But hearing how the men liked the idea and their pressure for the game to start left him with no other choice but to comply.
“F-fine!” the prince accepts and the men roar in excitement.
He wants to win, he needs to win, for his honor and for everything that happened and will happen this night. He has been a loser all his life. Just this time, he wants to win. But one thing keeps on bothering him; why did Thorfinn think of that condition, of all things he could have asked for? Does he want to see him wear a dress?!
Before long, the game starts and Thorfinn plays as the attacker while Canute plays as the defender.
He did not underestimate him nor overestimate him. But Thorfinn, as it turns out, is really good at hnefatafl. Every single one in the room except him and the other boy is jumping up and down when Thorfinn defeats him. At this moment, Canute lost all the hopes in the world. Why is luck never on his side? Never in his life did he want the ground to eat him whole, not until this night.
“Oi,” Thorfinn leans to him closer. Canute, still bothered by his loss, failed to see the other boy standing next to him with a mocking grin. God, how he wants to wipe the floor with that stupid face!
“Time to make true to your words, princess.”
Canute never wanted to die before - past tense.
Morning came, also known as the day he will lose a large chunk of his deteriorating honor courtesy of an arrogant boy who saved him from Thorkell but is now making his life harder than it already is. Canute wonders if maybe staying as Thorkell’s captive is easier. He is starting to regret every life choices he has made because of what happened last night.
The dress Thorfinn gave him is pretty decent. He worries that it might be something provocative or the likes but it seems that even though Thorfinn is insufferable, the dress is more tolerable than he thought. It also fits his body perfectly like it is made exactly for him except that it is a dress and a dress is not the right garment for a prince.
Ragnar will absolutely protest the idea and might as well try to choke Thorfinn to death once he knows of their agreement but Canute wants to show them that he is a man of his words and will make true to his promise. It is the least he can do to save the remains of his integrity.
The snowstorm has calmed down but the sky is still dark and gloomy. Thorfinn waits outside to make sure Canute will fulfill his vow. When the door of the house opens, he snaps his head to complain of making him wait.
“What took you so long, you-!”
In front of him, Canute stands wearing the apron dress he saw yesterday.
“Happy?” the prince grimaces, facing Thorfinn and is surprised to see him gaping like a fish that came out in the ocean. Thorfinn’s jaws left loose, staring at how beautiful Canute looked in the dress just like how he imagined him to be.
Oh, the embarrassment and shame! Canute thinks he must have looked disgusting in the dress, causing Thorfinn to be this silent.
Bjorn together with Togrim and Atli is approaching when they notice that Thorfinn is glued on his spot like a statue. They followed his gaze and saw the prince wearing a dress.
The three of them choke in their spit and slaps each other’s backs pointing at Canute then at Thorfinn, unable to mutter a single syllable before it breaks into a cackle.
Thorfinn soon notices them and covers half of his face immediately, hiding a blush that he didn’t know he is capable of having.
“Thorfinn is blushing!” Atli or Togrim screeches and that was enough for the boy to run away, still holding his face with one hand.
A deafening silence followed, leaving Canute dumbstruck at Thorfinn’s reaction.
“What’s his problem? I am here fulfilling my promise and he’s just leaving like that?” the confused and disappointed prince says, arms folded over his chest.
Bjorn lets out a hearty laugh together with the brothers. Looks like Thorfinn’s plan backfires and loses in his own game.
“You got him good, highness.” Bjorn winks at Canute and shakes his head. Surely that boy wouldn’t be able to face the royalty for the next few days after blushing like that.
The prince has no idea what the man is talking about and follows Thorfinn running at full speed with his eyes.
Unknowingly, he did not entirely lose against him this time.