I own nothing to do with Southern Vampire Mysteries or True Blood, they belong to Charlaine Harris and the creators. I'm just a fan of the characters.
I wanted to try write a story where Sookie is a somewhat powerful Faery princess, who gets "sold" to the Viking chieftain, Eric, to end all rifts between the two parties and form an alliance. Eric's character will hopefully be similar to his flashbacks as a human; He'll be cheeky, cunning, and have a love for women. Sookie has lived a sheltered life in her realm of Faerydom, her Kingdom with her Grandfather Ruler Niall and Grandmother Queen Adele. Her lifestyle and the Vikings lifestyle are very different, so she'll have some trouble with that.
This is also inspired by Khal Drogo and Dannerys in Game of Thrones, Tarzan and Jane, and Romeo and Juliet with both families warring. :-) Eric won't be much of a talker at first, or so Sookie thinks. Her Grandfather has a very biased opinion on the Vikings, thanks to tales he has heard of them, so that creates half the misunderstandings Sookie has. There will be romance, humour, and action in this story.
I have probably bitten off more than I can chew with this; I don't know everything about how vikings lived, their traditions, etc, so I apologize for any mistakes that aren't historically correct. This is all mainly intended as good fun. :) Feel free to let me know if I've written something wrong according to the times; Help is always appreciated.
I'm sure there has been many story-lines similar to this one, but I hope it will be different and that you will like it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.
The Bride of the Viking
For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households' rancor to pure love- Romeo and Juliet.
Niall held up the gown to his Granddaughter, Sookie, for her inspection. "This is the finest silk, my dear," he told her. "You will wear this, once King Eric enters our realm and you are to go off as his little bride-to-be. Feel the fabric. Go on."
A little reluctantly, Sookie reached down and touched the fabric of the dress. It felt slippery and luxurious on her fingertips. She hadn't felt a fabric so beautiful before. "Is this really for me, from him?"
"Yes. A gift from the Viking," Niall said, smiling kindly. "It is most beautiful, isn't it? You will wear this when you present yourself to him. He expects it from his little bride-to-be. You should look angelic and worthy of a queen in its white fabric, and with your hair. Tonight, you must look every bit the Faery princess for the Viking. You must capture his eye. The fate of our land rests with you."
It was a big request sitting on her shoulders, Sookie knew. Her Grandfather had made the arrangement that, when she come of age, she will wed Eric Northman, leader of the Vikings. A feud had been heavy over the two lands for many years now. Niall knew the only way to earn peace with the Vikings, was for him to give them something as a present, something that would end all rifts forever. Sookie was afraid of meeting the Viking leader, she couldn't pretend otherwise. He was known for his barbaric and rebellious ways. He was a skilled fighter, who had slaughtered many of her people. In retaliation, Niall, King of Faerydom, had sent off his best group of men, and they had slaughtered women and children in their part of the lands.
The feud was still ongoing, but Niall hoped with all his might that giving off his most precious Granddaughter would cause the Viking's army to desist.
He had no doubts that it wouldn't go his way; Sookie had just reached age, sixteen years. Her courses were regular. She had learned to master her gifts of telepathy and telekinesis. But above all that, she had developed into a beautiful, strong young woman; with the long, luscious locks of blonde hair that was common with the Faery kind, who knew what was needed of her to grant peace between both lands for years to come.
Niall hung the white gown on the back of the door. "I have sent for some servants to bathe you before the Viking arrives with his Army," he said soothingly. "Be sure you wash off everything, all the dirt on your fingers and toes from walking around the gardens. Be sure you look every bit the beauty as you always have been for the Viking." He studied her features tenderly. "When the Viking arrives with his many men on horseback, you will offer yourself to him. I will introduce you, and you will leave the Faerie realm with him immediately." He took her face in his hands gently and laid a kiss on her forehead. "You will do all of us proud. Be sure to please him, and then the fuels between Viking and Faery will end at last. There will be no more slaughtering, or acts of retaliation. Be sure you capture his heart." He touched a strand of her hair gently. "In doing this, you will finally bring both lands together and end all conflict. They will become our most trusted allies, if you succeed. We could certainly use them as our allies. Are you ready for this, my dearest?"
"Not really," she said meekly. "I have heard about their barbaric ways. What if the Viking King is every bit as harsh and cruel as they think?"
He hushed her gently and patted her cheek, with affection. "It may be hard, but everything rests with you. You decide our fate, dearest. If the King Eric chooses to be barbaric and rough, you must let him, if it pleases him."
"Yes, Grandfather," she agreed obediently. "I will do you proud."
"Oh, but you already have, my dear."
With one last kiss bestowed on her forehead, he left her to some privacy for the servants to come in and bathe her. Sookie turned and stared wistfully outside the window, taking a long look at her home, at her Kingdom. Already, she could tell the Viking's were on their way into the realm. Usually Faerydom was a bright and sunny place. But far, far away, a part of the skies were a murky grey. Whenever there was an intrusion in Faerydom, especially of the Viking kind, it tended to get dark and gloomy. It told Sookie that the Viking king was approaching, with his countless army of men on horseback. They were making the journey to her.
The slaves entered and she turned with resolve to get prepared for the Viking's.
Once the slaves washed her thoroughly, and she was clean of all dirt, they helped her rise from the tub and patted her down. One of the slaves brushed her long hair until it resembled long smooth strands of wheat, and then another collected the white gown and helped her dress. A servant girl sat down at her feet and helped her slide her feet into a pair of sandals, while another fussed around with putting the finest silver jewelry of bracelets and rings on her wrists and fingers.
"Already you look a man's wet dream," one of the slave girl's said appreciatively. "The Viking King will want you the instance he sees you, if you wear this. You look every bit the Faery princess that you are."
"Thank you," Sookie smiled nervously.
When her Grandfather entered, he looked her over with admiration and offered his arm to her. When Sookie hooked her hand over his arm and let him lead the way, she realized she was trembling.
"The Viking's are coming," she informed him quietly. "They are on their way. You can tell by the sky, Grandpa."
"Yes, you most certainly can tell," her Grandfather agreed, peering up at the vastly changing sky himself. The clouds were forming a thick, murky cover in front of the sun, locking any of its light from escaping into the land.
Then a crackle of thunder roared seconds later, and Niall made a noise of delight.
"They have arrived," he told her. Sookie tightened her hand over his arm, and leaned into him. She couldn't seem to stop trembling. "Relax, my dearest," he assured her softly. "They must be on their best behavior. You will not be harmed."
The Viking's arrived then. At first, there wasn't any sight of them, only just the sound of hooves and horse whinnies in the distance. Then they passed in, a long line of men on horseback, riding at fast and impatient speeds. Sookie examined the men closely as they all entered.
They all looked feral and rugged, unlike all the men in the Fae Kingdom Sookie grew up with, who prided themselves on their wholesome- almost effeminate- appearances.
She couldn't tell which one was leader Eric, her betrothed, but she noticed all had the similar look about them. Their hair was long, and some men's hair went just below their waists, some in intricate braids. Sookie had never seen men with such long hair before, even in Faerydom, when most of the men had a preference for long over short. Most of the men wore trousers and loose-fitted, crimson-colored tunics and their hands were clenched around the hilt of their swords, as if ready to defend themselves if Grandfather Niall had lured them in wrongfully. Some had tattoos around their collarbones of strange and ancient tattoos, and only one, who looked around Sookie's age, had the shortest, darkest hair. He had an axe resting on the top of his shoulder.
One of the men shouted something in their Viking tongue, and the horses spread out in a long line, the men facing Sookie and her Grandfather Niall.
"Which one is to be my husband?" she whispered quietly into her Grandfather's ear.
Niall took a while to answer; He looked confounded himself. Perhaps he hadn't met the leader of the Viking either, Sookie wondered. Then his luminous eyes settled on one of the figures, and he leaned in to whisper back to her. "The Viking on third on the right, on his white stallion," Niall explained, and Sookie's eyes instantly found the man.
He was older than Sookie, an older man, about in his early or late thirty years or so. He was handsome in his own way, but he looked stern and dangerous to her. She found herself wishing he would smile.
Strong and well-built, he had his sword drawn by the side of his glorious white stallion. Sookie wanted to run and hide when she realized he was staring at her in the white gown he had given her as a gift. The Viking leader was a head taller than most of his other men on their horses, and his hair was longest of all, spread out around his shoulders in blonde, thick strands. He had smears of dirt all over his face, and his chin and upper lip were covered in thick, little hairs. Evidently the Viking men hadn't had time to wash for the special occasion, like she had; Probably due to the long journey it took them to reach her realm, which Grandpa Niall had told her could take days and days. It was known to the Faerie's that their way of living was less refined; that they did not have magic. The King started speaking loudly and quickly in a tongue Sookie couldn't understand, as he stared at her fixedly. Some of the other Viking's on horseback were scrutinizing her with lust in their eyes.
"What are they saying?" Sookie asked anxiously, her eyes not leaving her husband-to-be.
"They speak Viking," her Grandfather explained. "Scandinavian or Norse, I don't know. A tongue too quick and foreign for my ears to understand. Most do not speak English... or so I have heard."
"The leader does, though, doesn't he?" Sookie imagined it would be a lot more difficult if the man she was expected to marry couldn't understand her.
"I'm not certain, my dear."
"What's supposed to happen now?"
"I am waiting for King Eric to give me a sign. If he gets off that horse and approaches you, it means he has accepted my gift."
Finally, Eric Northman climbed off his horse and approached the pair. He wore tight knee-length boots, and his trousers were ripped and torn, probably from being snagged on a tree branch during their travels. He had a wool crimson colored tunic on, as the others had but the cuffs were lined with patterns that illustrated his importance and status among the other men. A luxurious-looking cloak of brown furs was attached around his neck by a gold brooch. He also had dirt and cuts on his large hands, and numerous silver rings adorning his fingers. Sookie immediately had her doubts when he came to stand in front of her; He was too tall in comparison to her, too scary and mature-looking, yet his hair was the finest she had seen in a man. He looked hard and beastly, though, in the way he held himself and stood like a bold and confident man, and his eyes stared directly into hers brazenly. His eyes were a cold, frosty grey that chilled her to the bone. They were bright and intent on her.
"Greetings, Eric of the Vikings," Niall began pleasantly. "This here is my Granddaughter Sookie. I give her to you as a gift to alleviate the feuds between us. I want you to become my ally, not my enemy. I want us to be at peace; Your kind, and mine."
If King Eric understood her Grandfather's spoken words, he did not show it. He simply stared at Sookie blankly, and he was muttering something to his men underneath his breath; Something some of the men snickered at.
Things weren't going so according to plan. Niall never expected a language difference between them.
"He doesn't understand us," Sookie whispered in a thin, shaky voice. " Are you sure you still want this for me?"
"Put one of your angelic smiles on your face for him," her Grandfather directed her.
Standing up straighter, Sookie did. The Viking Eric stepped back a bit, as if blinded by the sight, his eyes narrow, hard slits of confusion. Then with a coarse grunt through his teeth, he suddenly lunged forward, grasped Sookie by the waist, and lifted her over his shoulder. Startled, Sookie stared at her Grandfather for help as the Viking began carrying her over to his horse. With ease, he seemed to hoist her up on the rear end of the stallion, and then the Viking leader quickly followed in mounting. He took hold of her smooth hands in his rough ones and brought them over his back so she had something to cling onto, and then he shouted something harshly at his men.
The white stallion lunged forward and off Sookie went, galloping on horseback with a man she had no idea how to understand.