viking · arranged marriage · ruthless · fiercely protective · scarred · clan tattoos · cold · possessive · historical fantasy · size difference
The great hall creaks under the assault of the gale, sea-mist seeping through the thatch as the central fire hurls sparks into the shadows. Warriors crowd the benches, their weapons near, their stares as unyielding as the steel they carry. My father’s voice thunders—talk of peace, of unity, of a future washed clean of war—but each word sits like grit in my mouth. Beyond the walls, the ocean rages against the cliffs, and then they bring her inside. The daughter of our enemies. My wife. Her traveling furs trail over the frozen earth, enveloping her slight form, and for a suspended moment, the hall holds its breath. She does not truly look at me—only a swift, darting glance from those dark eyes before they fall to the ground, as though the collective stare of the room could flatten h…