Signed with blood

Chapter II

"killing me will not give you back your ships"

Konrad said with all the air that was left in his lungs, then gasping for air that he couldn't have. The grip on his neck felt like a steel clamp slowly killing him. It was a bold move, stupid even, but it was still something.

The other man looked at him with a flicker of surprise, his eyes studying his face for any explanation of what he had heard.

For one moment Konrad feared that the other would have had just kept thightening the grip on his neck. The fought of dying in chains was slightly humiliating.

Suddenly the man let go of his neck, making the duke fall on his hands trying to catch some breath. He stood there, looking at Konrad, thinking.

"And what should i do with you then?"

He started with an amused voice, starting again to pace around. Konrad's mind started to work to find an excuse to let him keep his life. He felt as he was part of some cruel game, as this all was just for the other's amusement. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"It doesn't seem to me that you're a warrior i would want among my men"

Konrad made a bitter face for the insult. He didn't think he was that bad in combat. Surely he wasn't a viking kill-machine, but he was quite proud of his ability.

"And you are neither a worker. Asking you to help building the ships would make the work slower"

The man continued to walk. Konrad raised an eyebrow at the remark, but decided not to comment on that. If he wanted a reaction out of him, Konrad wasn't going to give him one. It was obvious that the both of them didn't know what to do with the situation they were in.

"You're so soft to be a man..."

He said looking at him, as he was seeing some strange animal. He obviously was so used to his own people, that the duke looked fragile in comparison. Almost like a lady... His mind suggested as he looked at Konrad. Then an idea slipped in his mind.

"I'm going to keep you as my wife"

"Come again?"

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Lion passed a hand through his blonde hair, as he looked at his second in command.

"How bad is it?"

The other looked almost uncomfortable at telling the news. He shifted his weight form one foot to another, unable to hide his nerves.

"None of the ships is in the condition to sail and the new one will be finished when the winter will be already here"

Lion nodded. He clearly expected the news, but hearing them was harder then he thought. He tried his best not to drop on his chair and sigh. It had to be one last raid before the winter. He expected a bit of resistance, but not to find himself with his ships burning and some dead men.

"Can't we make the process faster?"

He tried, also if he already knew the answer: he was stuck here for all the winter. The northen sea was not one to travel in during the coldest time of the year. Even if he didn't find any ice to break, he always had then to deal with the winds and the storms.

"I don't think so and even if we did, we would still hail in the last days of autumn and the sea might be not so calm"

The moon was already high in the sky when he finally started to walk towards the main bedroom of the Castle. His neck aching from the tens that had accumulated in the muscles. He moved his shoulders trying to ease it out. All he could think about was the prospect of a bed waiting for him.

When Lion finally entered the room, Konrad was waiting. He sat on his bed, too tense to sleep and unsure of what would have come next. As the Lion stepped inside, their eyes eyes locked together, before he looked away.

Konrad opened his mouth to speak, but his words died in his mouth as he saw the other start undressing.

He rapidly took away his shirt, exposing the sculpted muscles. His biceps flexing as he discarted the piece of clothing, throwing it on a chair. All that the duke could do was staring at him, his mind blank from confusion.

Then the situation hit him. All the color drained from his face as the saw the other reach for his pants, opening them with a swift movement.

"I'm going to keep you as my wife"

His mind started racing trying to find any other meaning to the phrase that didn't involve him being used by the other. The other now was covered just by some light underwear, that hardly covered what was behind them. Even if he was terrified, the duke couldn't keep himself from staring at the other.

Lion looked like one of those norse gods he heard savages talk about, his body looked as it was filled with almost contained energy, always ready to strike. Konrad stood there, unable to move as the other walked towards the bed. Then Lion simply laid down on the other side of the bed and went to sleep. The duke stood there confused, looking at the back of the other.

His skin still tingled from the adrenaline of one moment before. He started to relax and laid himself on the bed too. One part of himself was still whispering that he would have enjoy it if the other had put to practice the statement of before.