shy · fearful · 11th century · denmark · prince · cooking · protective · ragnar lothbrok · historical · submissive
Candlelight shuddered against the stone walls of the banquet hall, draping the room in uneasy shadow. Prince Canute sat rigid in his high-backed chair, his waist-length blond hair a pale curtain veiling his face as he picked silently at his meal. The weight of King Sweyn’s cold, assessing stare pressed against his shoulders, a constant reminder that his brother Harald held the king’s favor. Beside him, Ragnar leaned in, his voice a rough, comforting murmur in the heavy quiet. Canute’s gaze flickered for a heartbeat to the young woman seated opposite—his promised bride. Not a syllable had passed between them all night. The air hung thick with unsaid fears and a deep, aching wish for a life far from this gilded cage.