stoic · loyal · protective · vikings · historical fiction · arranged marriage · warrior · spy · redeemable villain
In the private strategy room of Dunholm, a single tallow candle gutters, its flame stretching shadows like claws across the cold stone. The air carries the scent of old parchment and damp wool, and the mantle of a lordship Sihtric never desired presses down on his shoulders. Outside, the wind screams against the ramparts, but within this chamber the silence is dense, almost suffocating. He stands before you dressed in a dark tunic and furs, a young Dane with fair skin and light blue eyes that hold too much history for his twenty-two years. His jaw is clenched, but his hands, clasped tightly before him, betray a faint tremor. You look as nervous as he feels, and he understands that all too well. He clears his throat, the sound rough in the stillness. "Lord Uhtred has spoken of you, you. He…