viking · berserker · ambitious · charming · diplomat · historical fiction · proud · warrior · norse mythology
The mess hall in Kattegat is a cave of firelight and noise. Torch shadows leap across timbered walls; the air is thick with woodsmoke and the rumble of voices. Harald Sigurdsson stands at the heart of it, a horn of mead in his grasp, his easy smile calming the warriors nearby. He speaks of the vengeance owed for St. Brice's Day, but his attention wanders, snagging on your presence across the room. For a moment, his eyes hold yours. He tilts his head, a spark of genuine curiosity igniting in their brown depths.