THE VIKING KING'S BRIDE

⚔️ ALICE AND THE HIGH KING

Alice turned away from the palace square, slipping down a narrow alleyway toward the lower districts of the city. She wanted to find out who was pulling the strings of this new alliance, and where Roosevelt was hiding in the freezing peaks, she would have to play a dangerous game of shadows in her own kingdom.

In the lower district of the city was a maze of wooden shacks, narrow paths, and dark taverns where the poor gathered to escape the biting cold.

Alice kept her head low, her hand resting on the hilt of her hidden knife as she navigated the crowded streets. The smell of cheap alley and burning coal filled the air, mixing with the tense murmurs of the people.

The presence of the Viking warriors on the streets had put everyone on the side of silence. So the northern people kept their careful watchful eyes around.

Alice stepped into "The Frozen House" a dimly little tavern known for being a hub for local smugglers and informants. The house is filled with people talking in low whispers, while their eyes is constantly darting toward the doors.

Alice walked up to the bar, catching the eye of the old innkeeper, a man named Jonas who had secret ties to her family's loyalists.

"Jonas," she whispered, pulling the cloth down just enough for him to see her face.

The old man's eyes went wide, and he almost dropped the wooden mug he was cleaning.

"Queen Alice?" he breathed...

"We thought you were dead. The rumors said that the wolves dragged you to the mountains and skinned you alive!'

"No. I was tied up by Roosevelt and left me there to be eaten by those wild animals." Alice said coldly, as she stepping closer.

"But I survived. Jonas, tell me what is happening here. Who is that man on the palace balcony? Why is my sister free?"

Jonas looked around nervously before motioning for her to follow him into a small back storage room filled with barrels of wine. Once the door was shut, he let out a long sigh.

"The kingdom turned upside down while you were on that mountain, Your Grace," Jonas explained, his hands shaking slightly.

"The man you saw is the High Viking King. He arrived with a massive fleet just after you left. He found out that his younger brother, Roosevelt, had been slaughtering our people and breaking the laws"

"And the General of the guards?" Alice asked.

"Dead. Murdered by Roosevelt himself, before the day that you claimed the crowned." Jonas said, nodding grimly.

"Seems that everything happens in accordance to his evil plan" Alice said.

"When the High King arrive people are expected another days of blood bath in this Kingdom. But it's not what happened. This High King they talked about is different, because his orders makes Roosevelt's panicked, and ran to the forest. loyalists, and fled deep into the jagged peaks of the northern mountains. They are living like bandits now, hunting in the snow, terrified of being captured by the King's guards and warriors."

Alice narrowed her eyes, while processing the information.

"That explains Roosevelt's absence. But what about Margaret? How is she standing beside a foreign King?"

Jonas's face darkened.

"That is the real mystery, Alice. The moment Roosevelt fled, Margaret was released from the dungeons. Rumor says she had a secret document, a hidden treaty signed by your father years ago, promising an alliance with the High Viking Crown. She used it to convince the High King that her family was the rightful, peaceful choice to rule, unlike the savage Roosevelt."

"She used our father's weakness to buy her freedom," Alice muttered, anger burning in her heart.

"And my father? Is he truly back in power?"

"He is a puppet, Your Grace," Jonas sighed.

"They put the crown back on his head to keep the people from rebelling, but the High King holds the real strings. Margaret is managing the court, presenting herself as the savior of the city. But something doesn't feel right. The guards say she knew exactly when the High King’s fleet would arrive. It’s almost as if she planned the whole thing."

Alice stood in the dim room, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Margaret hadn't just escaped, she had orchestrated a political coup, using the High King’s arrival to eliminate Roosevelt and reclaim her status.

"I need to know the truth," Alice said, her voice turning hard this time.

"I need to get into the palace and find out what Margaret is planning next. If she solidifies this alliance, our kingdom will be completely absorbed by the Viking Empire."

Jonas grab her arm and said, "It's suicide, Alice," he warned

"The palace is crawling with the High King's elite Viking guards. If they catch you, they will treat you as Roosevelt's accomplice. They believe you were part of his plot."

"Then I will have to make sure they don't catch me," Alice replied and pulled away from him.

"Find me a way to get inside, Jonas. For the sake of our people, I have to find out who is truly controlling this throne."

Jonas sighed.

The next evening, the grand hall of the royal palace was bathed in the warm glow of hundreds of candles, but the atmosphere remained freezing. The long wooden tables were covered in fine food and wine, a feast prepared for the High King and his commanders.

Alice, disguised in the heavy woolen robes of a palace servant, moved quietly along the outer edges of the room, carrying a silver platter of roasted meats. Her eyes were fixed at the front of the hall.

There, sat the High King, his presence dominating the chair in the center. To his right was the old king, Alice's father, staring blankly into his cup, looking older and weaker than ever. To the King's left sat Margaret, her posture straight, her eyes sharp as she whispered into the ear of the High Viking King.

"Our scouts have searched the lower valleys, Your Grace," Margaret said, her voice smooth like silk, carrying across the quiet space of the hall.

'"There is no sign of Roosevelt. My men believe he has gone higher into the death zones of the peaks, where the winter storms never stop."

The High King took a deep drink from his golden chalice, his brow furrowing.

"My brother is stubborn, but he cannot eat snow. He will come down when the cold burns his bones. What worries me more is the silver. My General reported fake silver in the city wagons before he was struck down. Where is the real wealth of this land?"

Margaret leaned closer, her eyes flashing with a calculated light.

"Roosevelt hid it, of course. He wanted to fund a rebellion against your crown. But do not worry, Your Grace. If you grant my family full administrative control over the northern ports, I will personally ensure that every coin of that silver is recovered and delivered to your fleet."

Alice, standing just a few paces away near a stone pillar, narrowed her eyes. She's lying, Alice thought. Margaret didn't care about the silver going to the High King, she wanted control of the ports to build her own power base.

The High King stared at Margaret for a long moment, his intelligent eyes was evaluating her words.

"You speak with great confidence, Princess Margaret. But your sister, Alice... she was with Roosevelt on the mountain. My guards found the bodies of two monstrous wolves inside the cave, but no sign of her. If she is alive, she is a threat to this peace."

"Alice was always weak," Margaret said dismissively, waving her hand.

"She was likely consumed by the beasts or froze to death in the drifts. She is no longer a factor in this kingdom's future."

"Do not underestimate her," the old king suddenly spoke up, his voice raspy and trembling. He looked up from his cup, his eyes temporarily clearing.

"Alice has the spirit of the north. She does not break easily."

Margaret shot a cold, warning look at her father, silencing him instantly.

"Our father is tired, Your Grace. The stress of Roosevelt's occupation has clouded his mind. The future of this land rests on our current agreement."

The High King stayed silent, leaning back in his chair.

"We shall see. I will give you your administrative rights, Margaret. But if my brother Roosevelt returns with an army, or if the real silver does not appear within the month, this city will burn under my law."