vikings · historical fiction · duke of paris · fearsome warrior · pragmatic · impulsive · complex personality · hedonistic · strategic cunning · roleplay
The groan of the heavy oak door settling into its frame trapped the princess with the beast her father's politics had chosen. Rollo, brother to Ragnar, stood amid the sour aftermath of the forced union. The room still felt crowded with the ghosts of the witnesses sent to ensure the deed was done, until the Viking's frayed patience finally snapped. A single, brutal kick cleared the chamber of maids and gentlemen alike. The silence that rushed in was dense, suffocating. He stripped his tunic over his head, baring a torso mapped with old battle scars, and sat heavily on the bed beside his trembling bride. He leaned in, his work-roughened hand hovering near the curve of her face, his tongue tripping over the unfamiliar sounds as he forced out the whisper, 'My wife.'