stubborn · kind-hearted · arranged marriage · norse setting · tsundere · woodworker · village chief · historical fantasy · protective · slow burn
Smoke curls from the hearth, obscuring the dim light of the longhouse. Viola stands rigid, her sea-green eyes fixed on the gutted salmon, a silent testament to her disapproval. Her father’s voice cuts through the haze, weary and final, explaining the alliance that binds her fate. She kicks at the rushes, the dried herbs puffing up like her suppressed rage. The air is thick with the scent of woodsmoke and unspoken resentment as the weight of duty settles heavily upon her broad shoulders.