A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers, it may seem like some of the lot points have just been left hanging but DO NOT WORRY I am planning on them having follow on effects in the story.

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Agnarr stared numbly into the sapphire blue ocean, the deep waves lulling the boat into an uneasy slumber; each man on board slumped wearily down trying to rest in the half light of the early morning. The rhythmic creaking and groaning of the deep-set oak filled the hull of the boat, wounded men lying in regular cots in the cramped hallway. The sea sang to him, memories of forgotten innocence in the wake of the war. The sea reminded him of Iduna, her sapphire eyes filling his memory and pushing out the grief, the horror and the torture of the massacre he and a few others survived.

"Your majesty, we're nearly home" a deckhand said, bowing curtly before heading back to his post. Agnarr closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, the salty air stinging slightly as he felt the warmth of home drawing nearer. He looked up from the deep abyss and took in the sight of Arendelle, its gleaming spires and cobbled streets glinting brightly in the sunlight. The young man sighed, absorbing the look if his kingdom that no longer felt like home. The creaking of wooden boards made him look around. Amundsen leaned over, chest cocooned in a white dressing, faint darkness underneath revealing the bleeding.

"Never gets old" he says, looking wistfully at the city.

"This is my first time coming back from war, and I pray it is my last" Agnarr looked back down into the waves, stiffness growing in his throat.

"As do I sir, as do I"

XXX

The boat shunted as it encountered the dock, its heavy wooden frame lurching as it met the worn stone. The gangplank was lowered and the injured were escorted off first. Multitudes of stretchers and limping men poured out of the ship and into horse drawn ambulances, of which a steady stream swam in and out of the unloading area. When all the wounded had been carried off, the few unscathed men wandered down the gangplank and into the crowded docks. Amundsen was off first, hugging his wife and daughter with a quiet intensity that shook Agnarr. Around him families looked for their loved ones, hugging deeply each other as they were thankful for the return. No one celebrated, the multitude of losses they had felt was too high, the cost too dear for such a bitter war. Agnarr wandered aimlessly in the crowd, his gold and green uniform too stiff for him in the mild northern summer. He glanced through the crowd, seeking the sapphire blue eyes that he fell in love with. Scanning and searching he checked the faces of every mother, wife and child of the soldiers, some now drifting away from the harbourfront and back to their homes. The crowd further thinned, the only thing pouring from the ship now were wooden coffins, clad in a green and purple flag flung hastily over them like a beggar's cloak. The odd weeping mother or wife would run to a wooden box and cling onto it, the naval ratings looking uncomfortable at their howls of pain in the summer wind. He looked around once more, distracting himself from the smaller coffin being handled off the ship.

And he fell into her sapphire eyes.

Clad in her lilac dress, red shawl draped over her shoulders, unshed tears pooled in her eyes as they Sapphire met emerald once more. Without knowing it he was running, his legs numb, her figure growing in his vision until he ran into her, scooping her up into a crushing embrace, tears now streaming down both of their faces. He inhaled her scent, the sweet perfume of lavender and rose crashing into his senses like shrapnel. He broke their faces apart slightly, cupping the back of her head and gazed into her teary sapphire eyes, the warmth of her body seeping through the stiff fabric of his tunic. Her breath hitched slightly under the intensity of his gaze, before he reached down and closed the distance; their faces locked together in the loving kiss. Her tender arms snaked around the back of his head as she deepened the kiss, bodies pressed together tightly. They finally came back up for air, breathing deeply as they stared into each other's souls.

"I cannot tell you how much I've missed you" Iduna said, tears still pouring from her eyes.

"I love you so much Iduna" he pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin atop her chocolate curls, breathing her in once again whilst she was nestled against him. The two broke apart and hand in hand walked back to the castle. The gates opened, seeming so alien to Agnarr now, and the ceremonial guards bowed down to the young king. The couple ran inside the great hall and Agnarr looked up at the vaulted ceiling.

"I just can't believe this is all real" he whispered to himself, gazing at awe at the pristine gold leaf above them.

"Come on slowcoach I have something for you!" Iduna shouted, a playful glint in her eyes, her arms slung around the bannister leading up to their rooms. Agnarr dutifully followed, ignoring the creeping sensation in his chest and focusing entirely on her. She ran upstairs, throwing a glance over her shoulder as he chased her upwards. Soon the two were in his bedroom, eyes locked once again as sapphire and emerald swallowed each other whole. Unflinching Agnarr took off his scabbard, sending the sword clattering to the floor. She hopped on the bed and pulled him into a deep kiss, fireworks spreading through her stomach as he cupped her head, sighing into the warmth of her. She pulled away and lay down on the white sheets, beckoning him over. He threw his boots off and joined her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she craned her neck into his chest.

"I cannot tell you how much I missed you" he whispered to her, tracing gentle circles along her back which sent shivers down her spine.

"And I, you" she replied. "I was terrified of losing you" she confessed.

"I'm not going anywhere, I made a promise remember" he kissed the crown of her head once again.

"I know, it's just..." she choked herself off and buried her head in his stomach.

"what's the matter?"

"Every day a ship would come back with a list of the dead. There were so many, I was dreading the day I finally got a letter saying you had been killed over there Agnarr, I was so, so scared." the stiffness in her throat suffocated her words as she broke out in sobs, racking her entire body as she clung onto him.

"Shhh, it's okay. Iduna look at me" he put a solitary finger under her chin to look into her reddened eyes. "I'm here, I'm alive" he whispered, before closing the distance between them and kissing her gently. "What were you going to show me?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, close your eyes" she said, laughing gently, making his heart soar and burn. He did as he was instructed, feeling the warm weight on his chest leave, instantly missing it. Iduna stepped behind a screen and undid the back of her dress, leaving it slightly open. Heart pounding in her chest, a deep warmth spreading throughout her she plucked up what courage she had.

"Open them and come here"

He did as he was told yet again and looked around the room, trying to locate her voice. "Iduna where are you?" he asked, getting off the bed as fear began to rise in his chest.

"I'm behind here" she said, a purple flush filling her cheeks as she waited eagerly for him to find her. He rounded the screen and saw her with her back to him. A long line of tanned skin traced down her back as her cheeks reddened under his gaze. He took a step towards her and placed a shaking hand on her exposed back, his warm breath on her neck making her shudder. "Can you help me?" she said, a warmth in her eyes.

"Not yet love" he whispered to her, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek.

"Why?" she asked, her cheeks now red with embarrassment as he pulled away.

"It's not proper" he replied, tying her dress back up.

"What do you mean not proper?" she asked, now annoyed that her plan failed.

"We have to be married before we can do that." he said, taking the stiff green tunic off and replacing it with a thick woollen jumper.

"Since when did we care about being proper?" she asked, joining him in the centre of the room again. She rubbed his shoulders softly as she spoke, making his coiled back unwind under her.

"I've just learnt to appreciate the traditions... of our lives" he chose his words carefully.

"What do you mean by that?" she sat him down on the edge of the bed, joining beside him.

"I know this sounds crazy but the night before we were supposed to attack some woman came and put a curse on me" he winced as the words came out of his mouth.

"Oh"

"Oh indeed" he rubbed a calloused hand through his auburn hair. "She said that the attack would be a disaster, which it was, and put a curse on me personally" the colour drained from his face as he recalled the nights events.

"What did she do?" Iduna grew increasingly concerned now, remembering tales of curses and spells from the Shamans of the Northuldra.

"She said that our children were doomed to hate me, and that the real curse would not come from her but from our children" a silent tear ran down his cheek.

"Look at me" she placed a soft hand to his cheek "Our Children will love you. You'll be a great father" she kissed him warmly, their lips lingering together for a second.

"Another thing, when we were in the defences we came under heavy bombardment. I thought I was going to die" his gaze settled on an uneven plank in the centre of the room, eyes turned to glass. "The noise was so loud Iduna, I can't tell you just how... Frightening it was" he rubbed his brow once more. "I turned to prayer, a man had given me this bible the day before and told me to use it in times of fear; it would keep me safe" he pulled the tattered book from his pocket, handing it to her. "The only reason why I'm alive is because god let me live. We had ten bunkers in our section, ours was the only one that didn't have any deaths" the plank became his focus once again. Stunned silent Iduna fingered with the tattered binding of the book, flipping mindlessly through the pages.

"Well whatever was looking over you that day. I'm grateful for it." she handed the book back to him and kissed his neck, standing on her tiptoes to reach. "It's getting dark, we should have dinner. I asked the chef to prepare something special" She heaved herself off the bed and pulled him up with two arms. Intertwined they found themselves in the dining hall, two chocolate cakes placed neatly in the centre of the oak table. Agnarr went up to one of them and inspected the piping on it. Rosemaling trimmed the sides and a matt light dark chocolate cap had the words "Welcome Home Agnarr" stencilled on it.

"I helped with the cakes. Now sit! It's not every day a dashing young warrior comes home to his beautiful beau" there was a clear playfulness in her voice, but Agnarr flinched at the word Warrior, nonetheless he plastered his face with a fake smile that convinced her he was okay. He took a seat next to her and received a generous serving of the cake. A second later they received mugs of hot chocolate, the steam rising lightly from them.

"Do you remember when we first met" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"How could I forget" he answered honestly.

"it seems like a lifetime ago" she commented, sapphire meeting emerald.

"It was a lifetime ago" he commented, lowering the mug into his lap and stroking the smooth ceramic softly, revelling in the faint burning spreading through his fingertips.

"What was it like?" she asked, looking worryingly at him.

"What was what like?" he dodged.

"the war" the silence loomed between them.

"The tempest, Act one scene two" he replied, plopping the mug down onto the table.

"What?"

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here" his gaze faded, the light draining slightly. Iduna placed a warm hand on his, pulling him out of his faded state.

"It's over, you're home now" she kissed him. She pulled him up and headed to his room, pulling him on the bed when they arrived. She curled up into him, her body naturally complimenting his in the soft bed. They stayed like this, her head resting on his chest, breathing in sync until they both drifted off together.

XXX

Silver moonlight cast a dire shadow over the bloodied landscape, the scarred grass had been churned into a muddy soup under the boots of charging men. Water from the days of rain clung to the bottom of shell-holes, cracks and ditches in the field; hanging like a still mirror on the bottom. The water was tinted a faint crimson by the rain of blood that assailed it during the day, running down through the cracks in the wet mud and seeping into its mirror; forming some twisted grim soup of human agony. Agnarr wandered through the trenches, now mere faint dips in the landscape, and searched the twisted faces of the dead. White flesh shined angelically in the moonlight, silent save for the groaning wind caressing the broken ground and bodies. The smell of death hung around, flaring now and then with a soft gust of cool wind, its sweet aroma blinding his other senses. The faint ditch dipped again, and he felt lukewarm water around his ankles. He looked down to find a red-brown liquid lapping at his legs. Unperturbed he moved on, wading through the thick liquid with a holy apathy. Numbly he looked up, and the air was choked out of his lungs. The Gallic officer stood above him, bayonet drawn out into a vicious glinting spike aimed at his chest. His bloodshot eyes seemed demonic in the half light, ugly black bruises stretching around his neck, mirroring the outline of Agnarr's hands. His mottled skin looked even paler in the silver light of the moon, inhuman and yet in the twisted shape of a man bent double over Agnarr. The steel barb glinted in the light as it sank towards Agnarr. Agnarr felt his lungs burning, muscles aching for an escape from the plunging metal diving down towards him. He felt the steel pierce his chest, the searing pain coursing through his body like an electric shock.

Then he grabbed onto the warm mass lying next to him in bed.

The moon streamed through the great windows of the dark room, shadows stretching out on the carpet floor, the lining of the windowpanes crawled throughout the room, its lattice morphing into razor daggers spreading through the silvery moonlight. Agnarr hit the floor with a loud bang, the shockwave rippling through his mind as he rushed to the wall, back hitting the wood panelling with a loud thump. His throat was hoarse with panting, the itchy thickness within it burning with a ragged intensity. In an instant a warm light filled the room. Iduna held out a lit candle, eyes squinting from the rude awakening.

The sight shocked her.

Agnarr lay scrunched up against the wall, a madness of fear in his eyes, head darting around the room as his dark eyes squinted with the offending brightness now filling his vision. He was still panting, ragged breaths wheezing loudly, his chest rising and falling like a broken marrionette. She rushed over to him, placing soft hands on his face.

"Agnarr it's me, you're safe" the hoarseness died a little "You're safe" she repeated, pulling his head into her chest as she cradled him. His hoarse gasps turned to bitter sobs, racking his body as he wept into her. Eventually desperate hands wrapped round her, the sobs continuing to shake the two of them together. "I'm here" she whispered; soothing circles being rubbed into his back. "I'm here for you"

XXX

A/N: the drama has only just begun. Please R&R!