A/N Ok, if you are ready to read a pre-vampire fic, let me know. This is the story of Kol, sweet Kol, before the plague, move to North America and all the pain that turned him psycho. In fact, it will be slightly ABOUT the things that turned him psycho, if you want me to continue. It is also about Rebekah, innocent Rebekah, and about her psyche before becoming the raving (but lovable) biatch she is today.
Want to read it? Tell me. If not, enjoy the one-shot with extended back-drop. Same universe and references to my fic 'He Is A Patient Man', just like everything I write.
Oh, a word of warning. Should you want a continuation, ratings will change. In my mind, the originals are very sensual creatures.
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Novgorod, May, 989 AD
'Kol! KOL!'
He drops the ropes he is in the process of tarring to turn around and see what his little sister wants. She is running across the beach towards him, her skirts billowing behind her and her long blonde hair intricately braided at the top and sides but falling free at her back, announcing her unwed status to the world.
Of course, the silver brooch with their family crest holding her mantle closed, the intricately worked comb in her hair and the incredibly rare and expensive blue dye that has made her dress match her eyes will also tell anyone looking that this is a successful chieftains daughter, a young woman to be respected, worshipped and even feared, and not someone to be taken advantage of. Rebekah never needs body guards. Anyone daring to even speak out of place to her has a death wish, and they all know it.
She finally reaches him, completely out of breath, but doesn't stop. She is expecting him to twirl her and, never being able to disappoint her, he grabs her in his arms and uses her momentum to spin them both 360 degrees. He puts her breathless form down on the sand and kisses her hair before asking her 'What do you want, little sister? You know it is not fair to tease the men with your beauty like this. I am the one who will need to keep them in check the next couple of weeks, you know!' he scowls at her, but gives her a quick wink so she doesn't think that he is actually upset with her.
'Only because 'Lijah let's you play at being boss!' she teases her youngest brother. Before he has time to actually be upset och come with an angry retort, Bekah feels strong arms grab her from behind, pinning her arms to the side, and lifting her off the ground. She is not deterred; she would recognize those hands anywhere. ''Lijah, put me down!' she demands. Her eldest brother chuckles in her ear. 'No, I don't think so, that will be quite enough of your disruptive presence, little sister' he says, before carrying her off. Kol is gratified and mollified by hearing him scold her along the way; 'I am most definitely not letting him 'play', Bekah. Kol is the son of a chieftain and is learning leadership, and you need to have enough pride in our family not to disrupt the men's faith in him, or I will…' his brothers voice is becoming too distant to hear, but his scolding of their sister has had the desired effect, raising Kol's own self esteem while the young men around him again are reminded that he is of the ruling family, not just a young boy ready for his first summer raid.
At 17 years of age, Kol is already growing into an impressive young man. Although he has the dark hair and eyes of his Slavic ancestors, the Viking line holds strong in him and he is already broad shouldered and muscular. It is clear that once fully grown, he will be an impressive warrior, towering over his opponents. Early this spring he finally managed to convince their father that he was ready to join the men in this summer's raiding. Once Mikael was convinced, or at least willing, the responsibility fell to Elijah to start training him, and so he was assigned to his eldest brother's dragon ship. His title is not high, being a youngling he would have to prove himself many times over before becoming a leader of men, but he was placed as high as his inexperience allowed – as the officer in charge of the younger crew, those on their first, second or third tour.
He has been trained for this since he was barely out of the cradle, taught with his mother's milk what would be expected of him. As the youngest of four brothers his chances of ever inheriting anything was slim to none, but his birth and training would still allow him to quickly rise through the ranks and give him the chance to make a name for himself. He was expected to aid his eldest brother, the heir, as a reliable war-commander for most of his younger years and if he fulfilled his duty his brother would give him what he wanted as long as it was in his power. Many a younger brother, skilled at war, had carved himself a small kingdom overseas. It was only at home that he was last in line to rule.
There was no bitterness or feeling of injustice. Only one could be the eldest, and honestly he did not envy Elijah the heavy responsibility placed at his shoulders from an early age. Kol had been trained in swordplay, sailing and basic diplomacy but other than that left to his own devices. Elijah had not had a moment to himself since he came of age.
The one person Kol considered to be in his care was his younger sister Rebekah. They were only a few years apart in age and still close enough that some of Kol's friends had begun seeing his 13 year old sister in a new light. Some of them even seemed to think they would stand a better chance with her because they were friends with her brother. Not that they were completely wrong in this, but Kol doted on his baby sister and he had yet to find a man, even among his friends, that was worthy of her in his eyes. Bekah was a wildcat, and whoever was chosen for her would have to be a man that would love and cherish her strength, not be afraid of it and try to crush it. She was not born to be a simple warrior's wife, his sister, she was made to have her own hold and fiefdom to rule during the long summer months when the men were gone. He was proud of her, irritating little thing that she was.
He sometimes heard the elders speak of Scandinavia, and he had met his relatives that never left the old country at least twice when their eastbound raids allowed them to stop by and rest in Novgorod. It fascinated him how much his family resembled the guests, aside from his father and most of his siblings having dark brown hair and brown eyes as opposed to their blonde hair and bright blue eyes, until his mother explained it to him. Apparently, about 50 years ago, the previous rulers of Novgorod along with several other rich areas to the east of Scandinavia, had come up with a plan of how to save their people from the Viking raids that became ever more frequent. They simply offered the rule of their lands to the invaders, in return the people already living there would not be enslaved and the lands would no longer be raided.
The ruling families discussed and decided that having safe havens in the east would be beneficial, and several younger sons, like him, from the main ruling families felt inclined to take their own fiefdoms without a fight, leaving them free to keep raiding during the summers. His own great grandfather was one of these sons. He came to Novgorod with his own fleet and several older Scandinavian families willing to follow him to the new land, married the old chieftain's daughter, Kol's great grandmother, and settled a new dynasty.
Elijah had married late this winter, to a daughter of the old ruling family. Although his new wife was a delicious little thing, this was another thing Kol did not envy his eldest brother for – not being allowed to at least look for his hearts mate before having to marry. The way things stood, still only a few generations settled as the new rulers of this area, their family needed to confirm their ruling rights by marriage quite frequently, normally with one son and one daughter per generation. That is how his father had ascended the throne after all, when the Viking male heir was killed in an early raid, before bearing offspring, Mikael and Esther were already a settled couple with three children and rule fell to them, despite it being Esther that came from the new family. This had been a new thing the Norse had brought with them. The women of their own clan were of equal worth as the men, and should there be no male heir, rule would fall to the oldest daughter and her husband, just as the lands and wealth would fall to the wife of the warrior that did not come home, not to the closest male relative. Another big change was that each man, and each woman, was assumed to have a match – and should be allowed reasonable time to find this match before any arranged marriage took place, within reason of course.
Maybe it was really the same thing, Kol mused. If rule of the lands are to be trusted to your wife during half the year, you'd better make sure she actually cares for you. He chuckles again, confirmed in his non-jealousy of his older brother. Yes, Elijah had perks, but for no treasure in Hel would he trade those perks for the limitations his brother lived under.
He hoped Rebekah would avoid the fate of the arranged marriage, instead being allowed to find her hearts match. 'Lijah's new bride was only a couple of years older than their sister after all, being given to his brother at her sixteenth midwinter as was customary. Kol had been there at the party and did not feel sorry for the girl, he had heard them, as had everyone else in the long hall, and she certainly didn't sound like she was complaining. He snickers to himself, remembering the black eye his brother had given him the next day as he tried to imitate her; 'oooooooh, Eliiiiiasss, mooooore'. Elijah was not amused. He chuckles again at the memory.
Kol did not consider himself much of a womanizer, although he liked to append the word 'yet' to that, in his mind. It was another thing he was looking forward to Elijah teaching him this summer. His brother's prowess was legendary, and not a small part of why the men were all so impressed by him. Apparently he could make even the raided wenches want him, so it should come as no surprise that his bride was pleased. But as for Kol, he still had a lot to learn. Oh, he had seen the girls of the village look at him, and there was that almost-incident last midsummers night, until her father barged in. Of course, there was the priestess of Freya who had initiated him into manhood, and would train him again if, no when, he were to be wed. He knew what it was about and he knew he liked it, it was just that none of the serfs really appealed to him and he wasn't ready to make that kind of commitment to a woman of rank. Yes, he was definitely looking forward to this summer.
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