Author'sNote: First of all, the positive thing. I actually have Chapter Two all written, it is just that typing it up took longer then what I thought. But hopefully, it would be up this weekend.
First of all, I would like to thanks LadyAxisNeoluna for offering to be my beta without me asking. She have actually edited the prologue of my story, and I hope to put this up soon. It is just that I haven't had a chance to look at the changes that she made, although I know that she definitely did a good job. Hopefully, I will be able to put Chapter Two up along with the edited prologue.
As for the songs in the beginning, I was going to explain why I used them, but I then decided against it, because I feel that everyone will probably have their different interpretation and it is more fun to have your own interpretation. And as for the not so good thing…that would be at the author notes at the end. Due to this, the author's note at the end is very long.
Chapter One
Can you keep a secret?
Can you keep a secret?
I'm in love with you
Can you make a promise?
Can you make a promise?
Stay forever true…
Then I'm forever yours
~La Voix (Sweden 2009)
The child had ceased to be a child. Instead, she was becoming a young woman. Instead of men openly telling Lukas about how charming his little sister was, they would quickly hush their whispers when he walked pass with her.
No men was foolish enough to touch what they knew might be the very last thing that they would be able to touch.
Although it was not as if they had many chances to see Ranveig. After all, she rarely ventured out from Lukas' home. In addition, she was still a girl.
"The world outside is really dangerous." Lukas would say to her when she expressed her desire of travelling him, or to her first home.
"Then why can't I learn to fight?" she would protest. "That way, I can protect myself."
"It is too dangerous."
"Susanna does it!" she had yelled back.
That was one of the first fights that they had. Lukas was not sure at how he should handle this because if he and Mathias or Susanna had a fight, then they would solve it physically. However, he would never raise a hand to slap her. The idea was monstrous.
"…I don't know what to do." Lukas confessed to the current ruler's wife- who was a very capable princess with the hope of her helping him.
"I will talk to the child." To her, nations were like humans, as this was what might be happening with any pair of siblings.
The young woman was in her room with a tapestry and the subject was Njörðr and Skaði. Perhaps that was an indication of what she felt. (1)
"Is he upset?" she asked softly.
"A little bit." The human woman said as she took one end of the yarn and began to wind it. "He was quite upset due to you yelling at him."
"I didn't mean to, but the way that oniichan would shut me in his place…in his country." She then gestured to the tapestry. "I do not seek to be like Skaði, but I wish to be able to protect myself."
"My dear, to physically fight is not the only way for women to be strong, even though men would say otherwise." She said very seriously. "The truth is that we can rarely be as strong as men, but we do not need to and why should we fight that way when we have other weapons? We merely need to use our head- that is a much better weapon. We will not be the arm that strike, but the arm that guide."
"But I am not that smart."
"Oh this is nothing like that. You simply need to wait and learn, and do you not have an eternity?" she then smiled in a way that made Ranveig smile as she could tell that there was a sense of shared comradeship. "Men are slow and proud, so you must let them think that they have won. Therefore, let him think that he is protecting you and why should you not be entitled to this protection? But once he is satisfied, then it will be your turn. However, the important thing is to let him think that he won first.
"Remember," she added. "He loves you very much and all men are like that by wishing to protect their loved ones."
"But what about Susanna? What about Sviariki?" she pointed out.
At this, the princess frowned and her tone was very strange.
"I think she is one few can ever be because she is a nation."
"I am a nation too." Ranveig pointed out.
Yet her hands were smooth without any lines- the hands of princesses and nobles who only had to supervise the household instead of running doing any of the tasks herself. However, in her case, she did not even need to do such a task.
Perhaps that was why she was thinking about such a thing.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud cursing from Lukas, which basically announced the identity of their visitor.
"Ranveig, I brought you a present." Mathias greeted the girl by spreading his arms open for her to leap into his embrace.
Despite not being alone, Ranveig still complied, giggling as the tall nation picked her up and began to swing her around. Upon this, the human princess announced that she would leave them alone.
"But you might not want to talk to him right now." Mathias said as he gestured to his face, which scored a black eye. "He gave this to me when I said 'hi'."
"I am so sorry!" Ranveig made a move to get something but Mathias waved the suggestion away: "Don't worry; this is only a light scratch."
"This is a light scratch?" she examined in disbelieve.
"Especially compared to the time when he broke my nose by hitting me with the flat of Susanna's sword." He said as if this was merely a few friendly cuffing on the back. But then, they were Vikings. "Although that incident was still not that bad if I compare it to the time that Susanna bit me, which was probably my fault since I did dislocate her arm, but after all of that, this is nothing."
Ranveig was aware of the raids and fighting that they would do, but she never once imagined that it would be like this.
"I guess I start to understand why oniichan doesn't like the idea of me fighting" she muttered as she slipped away from his arms in order to roll the tapestry. All of a sudden, the design seemed very childish.
"Why would you want to fight?" Mathias asked in true confusion. "Lukas can look after you perfectly well. And if he can't, I can."
"But Susanna does."
"Susanna is Susanna." To him, it was that simple. "But Ranveig, don't you want to see my present?"
Even though her room was already filled with various goods from both him and her brother, every present would still delight her.
"I found this and I thought that it would suit you."
It was a necklace made of precious gems- the finest that she has seen.
"I don't understand those western and southern countries. They put all these treasures in places where no one uses them," he said as he smiled at her admiration of the gift. "They seem quite weird as well, as they don't regard fighting as proper, some weird thing about fighting being a sin." (2)
To Ranveig, the Norse attacking one another was normal, as that was how they obtained their wealth. Therefore, she was fully aware of how important being strong was- as it protected what you called yours.
That was why she had been worried about being absent from her land even though she did not sense any danger. However, she was still a young girl, so this gift was enough to distract her.
"The Brísingamen." She said as she pushed her long hair back so that she could show him the complete effect. "Do you think that I can be like Freyja?" (3)
He found himself inhaling because he was starting to have difficulty in seeing her as a little girl. She was not grown up to be a woman yet, but it seemed that she had gone beyond girlhood.
"No…this necklace is not enough." He finally said. "One day, I will give you a necklace that is worthy of being call that name."
"Oh, you don't need to." She said quickly." I already have so many jewelleries. You and oniichan are always giving me presents. I feel so bad because I never give the two of you anything."
"Then what about you giving me something this time?" he suggested with the smile that she always found herself smiling with.
"Of course, but what is it?"
"A kiss. Like the one you often give to Lukas, and sometimes me." upon saying this, he smiled that boyish smile and tapped his checks.
"Is that all?" She examined in surprise as she did so.
"Why don't you sit beside me as well?" he said as he took one end of her long braid, almost making refusal impossible.
"Tell me more about your adventures." She implored. "You always tell such good stories."
Lukas was not a bad story teller, but he was not as good as his friend when it came to describing their raids.
"Of course." Unknown to her, the kiss was not as pleasant as it was. This was because he realised that he wanted more.
As usual, there would be elements of exaggeration and even fantasy, but she was asking for a story, not a report.
"I wonder if I can see it one day." She said wistfully upon the concluding of the tale.
"But Ranveig, a raid is not that a pretty sight." He told her. "I enjoy it, but it can be dangerous at the same time."
Nor was he sure that he wished her to see what they could be like, as he was sure that she would be frightened. After all, in such a time, the glory could share a fine line with horror. The lovely girl in her rich gown and jewelleries ought not be in the middle of a pool of blood and gore.
The sight that excited him should not be one that she would see. Nor should she be associated with such a dangerous excitement.
"But perhaps you can come sailing with us one day." he suggested. There was much that he would like to show her, beauties that could only be seen, instead of being described.
"Really? It has been a very long time since I last sailed." she frowned as she tried to recollect the exact time. "Was it when oniichan first took me here?"
At this, a frown appeared and she hugged her knees." It has been a really long time since I last saw my land."
"I would like to see Ranveig's land as well." Mathias said. "In fact…if Lukas won't take you there, then I will, because I really want to go. However, ask him first. I also want to take you to my land."
"I will ask him now!" Ranveig said, excited as a child. She then ran down the stairs, the long plait sliding out of Mathias' grasp.
"Oniichan – " However, her words were caught in her throat upon seeing her brother. Lukas had his head buried in one hand while the other hand was still enclosed over his drinking horn.
"Oh, oniichan" she whispered as she carefully draped a furred cloak over his sleeping form.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. It is just that he won't wake so easily." Mathias said, having had many years of experience with drinking with his friend. "Although it is rare for him to be so quiet."
"Quiet?"
"Usually when he gets really drunk, he won't stop talking. He would also smash his fist into anything that moves." Upon this, Mathias chuckled. "He must not have wanted his little sister to see his usual self. But Ranveig, what did you do to cause him to be like this?" (4)
"All I said was that I didn't like how I can't protect myself."
"And?" Mathias' eyes were suddenly very sharp. "I know him too well, Ranveig. That would not be all."
"…I told him to leave me alone as I slammed the door."
"And?"
"I told him to go away as I don't want to talk to him. That is it."
"Is that really it?"
"I…" at this, she was almost chewing his lips, which he found very adorable. "I might have told him that he was being too protective."
"And?"
"…I did say that he was mean and I hate him!" she admitted, the sentence was said very quickly as she did feel embarrassed at having to say them again. "But it is not as if I really mean it! Who has never said such a thing in a fight?"
"That explains it then." Mathias said. "Lukas is like this. He can take being bashed and cursed by his enemy in the nastiest way without even blinking. However, if someone he cares about says that they don't like him…he'll fall to pieces like this."
"Is he like this with you and Susanna?"
"Probably, although I have yet to do something like that." He pointed out. "But there was a time when Susanna was really mad at him. She said that she could not stand him and never wanted to see him again. He did a similar thing."
"Why was she angry at him?" she could not help but to be curious at what could cause the usually very composed Susanna to snap.
"I can't really remember. Ranveig, let's get him to his bed, should we?"
As she watched Lukas being hoisted up by the taller nation, she suddenly felt that her brother was not always that tall figure who was stronger than anyone else, as well as one who was always so composed.
There were times when he could be like a little boy. His sleeping face certainly made it even more so.
"…goodnight, oniichan." She said as she suddenly kissed him on the checks. "No matter what, you will always be my oniichan."
Mathias, who watched how made sure that the blanket were arranged to cover all part of the body, as well making sure that his head rested at the centre of the pillow, suddenly felt a bit envious at the care that his friend was receiving.
It was not as if he did not have a female relative as well, but the mere idea of Susanna doing this made him shudder.
"What is wrong?"
"I was just thinking that Lukas is very lucky." was all that he said. He refused to explain, despite her asking for an answer. He simply told her that he had to go and he did so upon giving her a kiss on the cheeks.
Lukas has got drunk many times before, but being drunk with your best friend was very different from being drunk in front of your little sister. In addition, he did not have a really good control on himself when he was drunk.
Luckily, the house seemed to be fine, as there was nothing broken. That was a really good sign.
"Oniichan, are you awake?"
If she was still willing to approach him, then this must mean that he did not get too carried away.
When Tino first saw the result of him and Mathias being really drunk, the young man had locked himself in the closest and refused to come out. (5)
"Oniichan, I wish to apologise." she began as she sat across him.
"…Ranveig, did I do anything that upset you?" he said worriedly, ignoring her words. "Did I yell at you? I can't remember what exactly I said or did."
"Oh, it wasn't anything that oniichan did." She reassured him, recalling the advice given to her by the Princess. "I wish to apologise for what I said. Oniichan, I would never hate you, I was only being childish."
"Of course I know that." He said, yet that had certainly been a cause of him being upset.
"I can understand why oniichan wishes to protect me. I really do understand this. However, I do not wish to be locked in our home."
"That was never my intention Ranveig" he said quickly.
"I know this. But Oniichan, it has been too long since I returned to my land. Since the day I arrived here…I have yet to return."
"Do you wish to go back?" he tried to remain completely calm about this, but his mind was already very worried. After all, there were all sorts of dangers that she might encounter.
"Not to live, but to go back and see my land and make sure that everything is well."
This was more than natural. However, right now, she was more attached to her family, which was why she did not leave yet.
"Of course" he said. "I…I should have thought about this. But let me go with you Ranveig. It might not be that safe."
Seeing that he was so acceptant about this, Ranveig decided that it might be a good idea to raise the other issue.
"Oniichan, can I also go and see Mathias' land? He said that he would like to show me around, and don't you think that I should be going there anyway? After all, I am sure that I will be accompanying you when you go to his palace for meetings."
Once again, this was a completely reasonable request. To not agree was actually much too unreasonable, it would be as if he was going to imprison her. However, it seemed that she did not regard this as something she was entitled to, because she reacted like a delighted child who just received a very special present.
Perhaps, he admitted, he had been a bit over protective.
A trip was arranged and not only was Lukas accompanying Ranveig, so was Mathias. Susanna considered going as well, but it was decided that they needed one person to guard the area. Since Mathias wanted to go, he overruled his cousin.
Ranveig found herself a bit nervous as it has been such a long time. However, she was constantly entertained throughout the whole voyage by both Lukas and Mathias. Both of them told her many tales and she would listen to Lukas' whisper of myths in fascination, and then laugh as Mathias retold one of his adventures.
It was a happy journey and she was rather sad when it came to an end.
"What do you mean the end? Surely you are coming back." Mathias pointed out.
"That is true." she laughed before she turned to face the land that she had been absent from for such a long time.
Vinland…her country and land.
"We will have a scout of the area first." Mathias suggested.
"There is no need to do so. This is my land." She said simply. She then swung herself down and took the first step on her land once more.
The moment her feet came to contact with the earth, everything rushed back. The feeling and connection she experienced with her land was something unique and inseparable.
It welcomed her and spoke to her. The trees bent to greet while the streams splashed onto the land by her feet as a way to greet her.
"I am back." She announced softly.
"Ranveig!"
However, there were people whom she loved. Turning, she ran towards them, not noticing that her skirt was almost caught on the nearby tree. (6)
"Oniichan, isn't it beautiful here" she said happily as she linked her arm though his. "Let me show you my favourite places."
These trees and streams, the place that she used to call home.
They camped there that night and Ranveig fell asleep without any difficulty. After all, she was in her land with her beloved brother near her.
Lukas, however, was not able to rest so easily.
First of all, he noticed what neither Mathias nor Ranveig did: the reaction of the land.
Not only did it miss the personification of the land, it wanted her to be here once more. The land was calling for her to stay.
"She is still too young." Lukas said out aloud.
Upon this, the wind was suddenly unusually hard.
"I am not wrong." He said stubbornly.
"Who are you talking to?" with his axe hoisted over his shoulders, Mathias had a large bundle of firewood. "These trees are really hard to chop."
"Maybe it is because they don't want to be chopped." Lukas muttered.
"What is wrong?" Mathias could tell that his friend was not being his normal self, as he was clearly bothered by something.
"…the land is welcoming Ranveig back, and I am worried that she would stay," he confessed. This was because Mathias was the only one that he would admit his insecurities too.
"Don't be foolish, she is your sister!" Was all Mathias said.
However, he was to understand why Lukas would think in that way very soon.
The next day, he woke up and discovered that Ranveig was gone. Very carefully, so that he would not wake Lukas up, he began to search for her.
He found her right by one of the streams that she had showed them the previous day, with her feet in the water. However, he almost felt as if he was a boy who was seeing what he should not be looking. Yet because he was like a boy, he continued to look at her.
Her hair was completely loose and she was wearing a rather thin dress instead of the heavy dress that she would usually wear at their home due to the climate.
"Mathias?" upon seeing him, she beckoned for him to sit by her. "What do you think of my land?"
"It is beautiful." He said truthfully.
"Is it not so? I did not realise how much I missed it." saying so, she suddenly leant back, her long hair spread on the bank. "I am very proud of it."
At that moment, he was suddenly very worried.
What if she was going to stay here? Even though he could come back here, it would be very difficult. What should he do if she did say this?
He would carry her away- he would place her onto the longboat despite her protest.
He preferred not doing that, but he would if he needed to.
"Then you should come and see my land. Even though it is much smaller, I am very proud of it" he told her, "you must come and see it."
"Of course," she said very eagerly. "And maybe one day Susanna and Tino would show me their land."
"Yes, but my land first." He then took her hand and kissed it. The way he did it only made her smile, as she was thinking of the way that he would kiss her on the cheeks. "Do you want to know a secret, Ranveig?"
"What is it?" at this, she sat up, clearly curious.
"Can you keep a secret?" he continued.
She nodded, leaning towards him.
"You will be a queen one day."
As soon as he said those words, he realised that this was what he planned to do, because it simply felt right.
"A queen?"
But he knew that now was not the time to say anything else, as she was still very little. Therefore, he merely laughed and spoke of his home and the things that he would show her.
However, this trip to her land made him certain of one thing: he would not let her go. He could not bear for her to be away from him.
Note
(1) Skaði and Njörðr are two Norse gods and I feel that the fact that Ranveig is doing a tapestry on them very significant. Njörðr is a god associated with the sea while Skaði is a goddess associated with the mountain and hunting. Basically, due to reasons (which you can find out online) they married. However, they found that they could not live with the other as one miss the sea and dislike the mountain, while the other want to go back to the mountain and hates being at the sea. Therefore, the two of them actually parted.
Another reason that this subject is symbolic is because Skaði is really a warrior/huntress goddess. Which is indicating that Ranveig wishes to do more then being pampered and sheltered at home.
(2) I was reading about the Vikings and the author pointed out that if you were a Viking and you heard about this group of men fairly nearby who have a lot of treasures, but does not fight due to their religion, then wouldn't you want to attack them too? And given how much the Vikings value fighting, I think they would have regarded the idea of not fighting due to that be a sin as being really weird.
(3) I actually mention how her hair is quite long a bit too much, although this is relevant later on. The hint is that Ranveig is one who has very long hair, so that is what the others would think of when they think of her.
The Brísingamen is part of the Norse mythology. It is the necklace of the goddess Freyja (although in some version , it is the necklace of Frigg instead.) However, most versions say that it is the necklace of Freyja, who is the goddess of love and beauty, and she is beautiful. Likewise, the necklace is said to be so beautiful that when she saw it, she felt that she had to have it, and it is her most valued possession. Therefore, what Ranveig (Vinalnd) said to Mathias is really: "Do you think I can look very pretty when I wear this necklace?"
(4) I just personally always felt that Norway would be one of those people who would get really loud and noisy when he is drunk, and who would get really crazy when he gets really drunk.
(5) Well, I don't think Denmark is that much better either. I feel that when he gets really drunk, he's probably pretty much the same as Norway, so I can't really blame Finland for being really scared.
(6) This bit is actually quite symbolic. Basically, the land itself knew that if she is with Norway, then she would probably go back with him, so this is the land trying to prevent her from going to them, as the land does not want to lose Canada.
Author'sNote: Now, onto something not so good…normally I am the type of person who gets all excited when I have a review. However, I actually received a review that really made me angry. In fact, I even blocked that person, which I have never done before. I guess I'm lucky in the fact that I have never had any flames, so I would never be in this situation. However, I was really mad at this review. Therefore, I sent this person a reply and then blocked them.
As you would know, I have Canada calling Norway 'oniichan' in my stories. The reason that I like using oniichan is that it conveys so much more then using 'elder brother'. For me, using 'elder brother' sounds weird cause most of us won't use that. I'm Chinese and I call my sister '姊姊', which is 'elder sister' in Chinese, and this is perfectly normal. This is just what I do. However, I would feel really weird if I call her 'elder sister' in English, because that is just not what people do. Therefore, I like to use the Japanese words. In addition, the word 'oniichan' also shows the relationship between characters. I was told that oniichan is often used by little boys and little girls, although it seems that young girls can address their brother like this too. Therefore, the fact that Canada continues to call Norway 'oniichan' is a sign of their relationship, as she could have addressed him in a more formal way. In fact, this is actually quite a common gag. The idea of an elder brother wanting their younger sibling to address them as 'oniichan' as that is an indication of the other still being your little sister/brother. A more intimate way. In Kyo Kara ma ou, Yuri's brother would often say: "It is not aniki, but oniichan." For goodness sake, that was what Norway and Iceland was doing. Denmark had laughed and said: "Are you going to call him oniichan like a little kid?" Because it is little boys that does this.
I understand that people might not agree, and that is okay. However, I felt that this person crossed the line when she said that I was being disrespectful because it is Japanese, and Canada and Norway are not Japanese. And I should use Norwegian or what Canada would have spoke. And this pissed me off. First of all, Hetalia is a JAPANESE MANGA and the characters use Japanese. France calls himself France-niichan and Italy calls his brother 'oniichan'. In addition, this person also had a go at me for using '-san' in my first story. Once again, this is what the author himself used. Spain calls Italy 'Ita-chan' while Austria said 'Italy-kun'. But it is just that I didn't want to bother with it in this story.
First of all, I don't mind it when people throw in foreign phrases in their story, as long as you provide a translation, as I think that is really cool. I personally love hearing foreign songs and it always piss me off that so many Eurovision songs are in English. But that is not the point. On the other, this story is an English story. Therefore, it would naturally be in English. People write stories that are set in other places with people talking in another language, and you don't get people only using their own language. If the conversation is in Italian, then chances are that the author would have the conversation in English, but point out that this conversation is in Italian. I find it ridiculous if every country can only speak in the language of their country. As I mentioned before, it is cool if you can do that, and I personally think that you are amazing. However, it is absolutely ridiculous if everyone is expected to do that. Because they can't. So does this mean that France can only speak French, and Russia can only speak in Russian? So we can only use English if the country is America or England, and we also have to make sure that we use American English and Commonwealth English.
So yes…that just really pissed me off. And yes, I have replied to that person's review with what I just said.
And in regard to the story I don't think that Viking women fought, but I feel that they are very tough. And I feel that like most women in the past, they probably did what they can to influence men. I think it's a bit like the scene in My big fat Greek wedding, when her mum told her that her father might be the head of the family, but it is woman who are the neck, who controls where the head goes.