The Iron King…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, a little bit of sadness, a little bit of violence, animal hunting, fluff, Steve being protective AF, and Tony having inappropriate thoughts about Steve! All reviews are appreciated.

P.S: This is an Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic story, it's also a Medieval story with Viking Tony ^o^

"Character talking"

"Character thinking"

…Flashbacks…

Chapter 12

The first day of Yule arrived bringing with it joy and happiness, spreading with it the spirits of celebration. Part of Steven couldn't believe that he was in his homeland after many, many years, celebrating Yule with his friends and family. Eleven years, nearly twelve? Steven doesn't know anymore when was the last time he celebrated one of his people's holidays, or when was the last time he was even in his people's land to celebrate such an occasion. Steven was excited and hopeful this year, wanting to celebrate this holiday even if a small portion of it. His people being all Christians and some are believers in other religions did not under the meaning of Yule, or have a different definition and celebration for it; though that didn't stop them from wanting to celebrate Yule, wanting to see how this time of year is celebrated by the people everyone called barbaric and bloodthirst.

The first day of Yule was spent with his people gazing at everyone hauling and dragging evergreen trees to their huts and houses, confusion coloring their faces as they saw Alphas, Betas, and Omegas cheering and laughing happily as they dragged trees inside their homes, children cheering and adults are happy. Steven imagined that he was going to go to the forest and cut down an evergreen with some of his people, he even imagined Nicolaus bringing him a tree to annoy him with it and make him hiss and spite just like his mother used to do when Nicolaus teased her. Imagined Steven surprise when he saw Petrus running to him with a wide grin on his face, dragging him and James to the forest, where he spent the next twenty minutes saying that the foolish king had prepared a tree for Steven and his people.

At first, Steven was skeptical of the whole affair, wondering if Petrus was making all of this up or if the poor boy was dreaming about his father actually doing something as simple as cutting a tree without making one of his workers or servants do it for him because he was busy. To Steven's surprise, when he and the children reached the clearing, Steven was stumped when he saw the king already cutting a huge evergreen while two smaller ones laying not that far away from where he was standing.

Steven raised his eyebrow as he gazed at the scene, a smile twitching over his face when he saw Petrus jump around and rush toward his father with a huge grin over his face. "Father! I brought the queen and James!" Petrus squealed as he pulled James toward the tree, ignoring the confused noise the king let out as he stopped cutting the tree, raising his head to gaze at Petrus with confusion that turned into shock and later embarrassment; Steven could only smirk at the king who glared at Petrus softly.

"What? Why in the name of Odin did you bring them?" The foolish king snapped, his face going red with embarrassment as Petrus ignored him and pulled James to the tree that was supposed to be theirs; causing James to 'Oh' while touching the evergreen leaves.

"So… you intended to bring me a tree…" Steven asked after he came to stand near the king, smiling smugly at the red face the king was sporting; Steven never imagined that the foolish king would be phased by anything, but to see him floundering when being confronted about a kind gesture was almost… endearing.

"I did not!" Stated the king so fast that Steven knew he was lying trying to cover it up, but he let the king try and elevate his embarrassment, raising his eyebrow as the king's hands moved wildly as he tried to explain why he cut down another tree. "…And then Petrus had this insane idea of going to call you on his own; nothing more, nothing less…" Steven hummed as he continued to hear the king babble unnecessarily; his face was so red even his beard could not hide the discoloration caused by embarrassment.

"I see…" Steven hummed, nodding his head to show the king that he was paying attention to his flustered words and not the children that were running around the tree giggling and pointing out; from the corner of his eyes he saw Petrus get a runes ornament and present it to James, causing his babe to touch with wide eyes. He caught the words 'From where?' and 'Magna made this.' causing Steven to hum and wonder about the many ornaments he can make with the help of the children, maybe then they would enjoy their time instead of complaining about the snow.

"…You are not listening to me, are you?" Steven heard the king ask after a few more minutes, which made the Omega blink his eyes and turn to the Alpha who was looking like he wanted to disappear from here the longer Steven kept staring at him; part of Steven wanted to gain revenge on the Alpha and keep making him squirmed where he was standing, but in the end, he pitted the Alpha enough to give him an answer. After all, the Alpha did cut down an evergreen and planned on giving it to Steven.

"I would, but when you keep repeating the same sentence over ten times…" Steven let his words trail, enjoying how the Alpha wince and turn around to hide his face that was burning no doubt… Gods, when was the last time Steven enjoyed himself like this? He really needed to find more amusing ways to spend his days and annoy the foolish king to death, maybe even embarrass him if the Alpha is going to act this bashful… it was endearing… in its own way that is.

It ended with the king opening and closing his mouth several times (And is that a pout on his face?!) before he huffed through his nose, turning back to the huge tree he was cutting before to continue his job. "Well, if that is the case you can take one of the trees lying on the ground." The king grumbled to himself and Steven had to contain his chuckle as he saw the king grumble a few more times before stopping for a second. "You should come to the house today, take a few logs and coal from last year… a new start with Yule fire…" The Alpha stated, causing Steven's breath to hitch and for his eyes to widen a little as he gazed at the man who return to his job of cutting the tree while ignoring Steven who swallowed harshly.

Gazing at the children, Steven twisted his hands together as he saw the kids sitting on the tree's trunk and wave a wreath from the evergreen's leaves (Petrus was waving one, James was busy handing Petrus the leaves and learning from the little boy) part of Steven couldn't believe what the king was offering, another part of him thought the king was making fun of him. A glance toward the busy king caused Steven to turn his sight away and turn them to his hands; to part with a Yule log and coal from last year, to give a little fortune from last year to another was almost unheard of. Giving to a family and Shield brothers and sisters was the norm, but to share your good luck with a stranger… nearly an enemy on the worst of times… was… it doesn't happen at all.

"I… Thank you…" Steven ended up whispering with a blush dominating his face, the kind gesture the king handed to him once more, caused a soft smile to twitch over his face; a smile that got bigger when Petrus and James ran toward him with a wreath in their hands and happy grins on their faces as they told Steven about putting the wreath on top of the tree once they finish decorating it. Steven couldn't help but glance at the king once more from the corner of his eyes, a thoughtful look crossing his face…

Maybe Steven misjudged the foolish king…

Bringing the tree back to his pack caused many surprised and appreciated reactions from his family, and later brought happy squeals and laughter from the kids as they spent their time decorating the tree with anything their hands get on; mainly the decorations that Steven, Falsworth, and Timothy managed to engrave from wooden logs. Steven could only smile as he saw the joy on the children's faces as they decorated the tree, laughing happily as they listen to the stories about Yule and the celebration that was going to take place in the next 12 days and end at the start of New Year.

What really made Steven happy was the smile and carefree spirit everyone seemed to have this time of the year, he loved how even old man Philips seemed to soften a little and let his guard down, even his glaring and scowling had lessened, which was a win Steven appreciated. Everyone enjoyed the festivity and games that took place in the village for the past ten days; eyes wide and jaws dropped as they saw the food and drinks everyone shared in their celebration, the sports games that took place in the fields, the stories told around fires at night or the board games that old and young participate in… even the gift-giving, left everyone in high spirits.

It was the tenth day that things got more interesting, even Steven had a hard time believing that such a thing could take place, but he can admit that it was the most amusing day he had in a very long time; it all started with Steven walking through the market with James, Petrus, and the rest of the children trailing behind him as they took in the festive and happy atmosphere surrounding the village. The children hung from Steven's arms as their hands moves around as they told Steven about the fun they experienced.

"A whale! A whale is spotted on the shore!"

It all started with that cry, causing people to stop what they were doing and rush to the shore, cheers, and laughter increasing as everyone rushed to see the whale that came to them in the Winter. A blessing, that's what Steven could think of because whales don't travel this way normally, especially this time of year; but what Steve was hearing was different, and if the villagers caught a whale it meant that the village and everyone in it would be secured throughout this Winter with the meat and fat the great animal would provide.

"Come on, let us go and see the whale," Steven said when he noticed how fired up the kids were, and when he gave the permission to the children, Steven had to run after them when he saw them rushing toward the shore where everyone gathered. Reaching the shore, Steven looked around hoping to find the children, only to frown when he noticed them sneaking between the adults' legs and going forward, leaving Steven behind.

Rolling his eyes, Steven huffed as he looked around, hoping to find a high place to watch all the drama and keep his eyes on the wandering children who refuse to obey; from the corner of his eye Steven notice a watchtower, and a smile took over his face as fond memories flashed before his eyes. Once upon a time, Steven and his mother (And later Volundrsson) used to climb the watchtowers in Brookland to gaze at the sea, waiting for his father to return after a successful voyage with Nicolaus. Making up his mind, Steven walked toward the watchtower and started climbing the ladder, a smile stretching his lips as he wondered about the sight that would greet him when he stand on the top.

"Oh, Hello…" Someone said when Steven finally reached the top, which made him still in his place, and turn his gaze to the person who was perching on the rail of the watchtower munching on an apple and looking at Steven with a surprising look on his face.

Steven blinked, wondering to himself if he should climb down or continue his way; studying the blond man who has a look of surprise on his face while still munching on his apple, Steven decided to proceed with what he was doing, especially when he caught the scent of Omega coming from the blond. "Hello…" Steven said back, finishing his climbing as he stretched a little before going to stand near the rail, a little far from the other Omega who seemed to study Steven while still munching on the apple that doesn't seem to be reduced in size.

"We have never met before, but my name is Klint, Nattalegg's mate," Klint stated as he hop off the rail and waved a little, thankfully not offering his hand; the introduction caused Steven to pause and turn to the Omega with a tilt of his head, wondering where he heard the name Nattalegg before when it clicked Steven couldn't help but raise his eyebrow in surprise before giving a short nod.

"The Widow's mate… I see…" Steven mumbled, getting a surprised noise from Klint who blinked fast before nodding his head slowly, as if unsure what to make of Steven's knowledge. "My name is, Steven…" Steven offered, in hope of breaking the awkward silence that fell on them and it seems to work because the Omega smiled happily and hopped toward Steven to stand near him.

"So, you came to enjoy the adventure?" Klint asked, pointing with his chin to the party that was trying to lead the whale to the shore to complete their no doubt successful hunt; Steven turned his head as Klint remind him about the whale, and he couldn't help but check on the hunting, nostalgia, filled him as he remembered when his father and Nicolaus used to hunt whales and bring them to the village when the migration season starts.

To Steven surprise, he caught the sight of the foolish king leading the hunting party, and he was impressed with how the king seemed to be handling the whaling pretty well with the small party he had; what made Steven's lips twitch down was the sight of Tyber on one of the boats, which no doubt would end with a bigger mess later. "Some, but I am after another catch that sneaked away," Steven said, pointing to the children who finally broke away from the crowd and stood near the shore to see the hunting.

At that, Klint laughed and shook his head, mumbling 'Children' while taking in how the children seemed fascinating with the king and the other hunter men. "I can see why everyone is excited; after all, whales do not come here around this time of the year, you know? Must be a blessing from the Gods… or something else completely." Klint said giving Steven a pointed look, which caused Steven to raise his eyebrow before rolling his eyes.

"I do not know what you mean, things like this happen, every now and then," Steven said, ignoring what Klint implied by his words; a harsh frown took over his face though when he noticed how the hunting party was having a hard time with the whale which made him press his lips tightly at the thought of losing such an impressive catch that would last the village all through winter. Steven couldn't help but roll his eyes when he saw Tyber making a nuisance out of himself once more, nearly causing everyone to lose the whale

"He would be the reason for losing such a catch… too bad no one could stop him before he hopped on the boat with his guards…" Hissed Klint, which informed Steven what the Omega think about Tyber, the disgust, and anger look on Klint's face told Steven what the Omega was feeling at the moment.

"Can you not use your bow to help?" Steven asked as he pointed to the bow and arrow with a tilt of his head, causing Klint to blink his eyes before a huge grin took over his face, shrugging his shoulder and returning his sight to the hunters.

"I could, but everyone is squirming too much, not to forget how unpredictable the sea is today; my chance of hitting someone is the same as hitting the whale, and I do not want to be at the end of a screaming match with Braes when he receives a new patient today." Klint pouted, huffing in anger when Tyber missed a clear shot with his harpoon, making the whale dive underwater before emerging a few meters away from the hunters.

"How unfortunate…" Steven said gazing at the people from the watchtower, taking in how they are cheering the hunters, taking in the children that were jumping in excitement; Steven was impressed with what he saw. The foolish king was really managing his village and people well, not one of them was wearing ripped or dirty clothes, there wasn't even one beggar or an orphan, and that by itself told Steven how much the king took care of his people. Thinking about the tree the king cut down for him and the Yule log he gave, Steven smile before shaking his head, mumbling something to himself before looking around for another weapon other than the bow and arrow. "Do you have a long rope or a spear?" Steven asked suddenly, causing Klint who started to snap order at the hunters in loud voice to shut up and give Steven a confused look.

"I… think so? Why?" Klint said as he tilted his head in confusion before an amusing look took over his face when he realized what Steven was no doubt planning to do. "Do not do it, you cannot hit a whale with a spear from this distance, and even if you did, you need to have an impressive strength and eyesight," Klint said, not mockingly, but stating a fact, something that made Steven give him a challenging smug look.

"Do you want to make a bet?" Steven asked innocently, causing Klint to look amused by the second like he was going to laugh but was holding himself back; but Klint only walked toward the rail and shouted to someone to throw them a harpoon, which he caught not a few seconds later.

"Ten sheep saying you would fail, I will even add a cow in the mix since the whale is about to escape," Klint started mockingly now, giving Steven the harpoon and the rope, looking more amused by the second as the whale was getting farther and farther away, escaping the hunters.

"Well, it seems I will be ten sheep and a cow richer." Steven grinned at Klint, after tying the rope to the harpoon, turning toward the sea as he took his position, tilting his head to the side and licking his lower lips. Closing one of his eyes Steven calculates the distance between him and the whale, smiling smugly when he found the perfect moment.

"Oh yes…?!" Whatever Klint wanted to say, was lost after Steven throw his spear, his eyes widening at the strength Steven displayed and he whirled his heard toward the whale who was swimming away, but not as fast as the animal wanted because the spear hit it in the back, sticking deep and causing the animal to squeak and scream as it started to thrash.

"I would be expecting the animals tonight," Steven said with a smug grin, giving Klint the rope and causing the Omega to squeak when he had to pull on the rope before the whale pull it and escape. "Goodbye for now…" Steven said as he walked toward the ladder, ignoring Klint's shouts and curses as he tried to pull the rope to give the hunters enough time to catch the whale that it was too injured to swim away. Steven couldn't help but laugh and shake his head when Klint screamed to the people down there to catch the rope and pull with him…

It seems that Steven didn't lose his strength, after all…

Anton finally let out a relieved sigh when he reached the shore with the hunters and fishermen, thanking every God there is that they have not lost the whale because of Tyber foolish stunt that driven the whale away; Anton glanced at the watchtower and grumbled, he would have to thank Klint for helping them catch the whale and knowing the Omega he would make a scene out of the catch, forcing Anton to sing his praise if he wanted the Omega to give him peace of mind. Knowing Nattalegg, she would enjoy this too much to stop her Omega; she may even encourage him to go insane in his demands. Looking at his left side, he saw Nattalegg, smiling smugly, no doubt she knew what Anton was thinking about, not only did she throw the finishing shoot to the whale, but her mate was the one who gave them the chance to catch their prey.

Anton couldn't help but throw Tyber a nasty glare that was mirrored by every hunter and fisherman there is; because of Tyber, a perfectly crafted plane failed and their whale almost escape if it wasn't for Klint's quick thinking and strong aim they would have failed. They were true when they called Klint 'Hawkeye' and with a successful hunt like this, everyone would no doubt praise Klint until the end of the New Year.

It doesn't matter though; the whale was caught and brought to the shore, a treasure that would provide valuable meat and fat for the rest of Yule, and the rest of the winter if they dried the meat, even the bone would be used for craft, no part of the animal would be left unhonored. Anton could not help but look around subtly, hoping that the foolish queen was not present to see the spectacle that took place because of Tyber, knowing the Omega, the man would scream at him for being stupid, and by then not even Anton would discourage his rage.

Instead of catching the sight of the Omega he secretly hoped was here, Anton caught the sight of the Klint climbing down the watchtower ladder and walking toward them. "Good job, Klint…" Nattalegg called out when she spotted her mate, a grin stretching her lips as Klint managed to make his way toward them but with a dazed look on his face.

"Anton, if you do not marry Steven, then by the Gods I swear I will ask for his hand in marriage!" Klint exclaimed as he reached them… loudly, Anton may say… making everyone within earshot to still in their place and gaze at Klint like he lost his mind, it was a known fact that the Omega was crazy but not this crazy! As for Anton, the Alpha could only choke and pale dangerously, eyes darting around the place, hoping that the queen was not here to hear Klint's shouting to the village about his fascination with the queen; if the queen learned of that, the Omega no doubt would castrate him or refuse to come near him!

"What? Tired of me, already, dear mate?" Nattalegg stated after regaining her barriers, an amused look crossing her face as she gazed at her crazy mate who had a dreamy look on his face, a grin stretching his lips as he turn to Nattalegg, eyes wide and begging.

"You will not believe it; the queen was so amazing…" Klint sighed his eyes begging as he clutched Nattalegg's hands in his. "The same confident swishes of hips you have when you complete a mission, the same smug smile, a challenging personality, and stubborn attitude… an amazing behind… do you not think we would make an amazing triad, sweetheart?" Klint said, ignoring the awkward laughter and amazed whistling from the crowd.

Anton's jaw fell down and nearly hit the dirty ground underneath at the way Klint described the queen shamelessly in front of everyone in the village, and he tried desperately to stop his Alpha from unleashing its fury and attack the crazy Omega that was making advances on his intended (Not intended, not intended! Anton screamed at his Alpha) "If I may ask, what brought such fascination with the queen?" Loki asked cutting Klint's rumbling as he glared at the Omega darkly, daring him to continue to descript the queen sexually more than he did already, which Anton shared the sentiment with dearly; even if Klint was an Omega, he should not descript the queen in such vulgar way in front of the whole village!

Nattalegg did nothing but smile and shake her head, but the dark look in her eyes informed Klint that he needed to talk or he would be sleeping in the stables no doubts; Klint for once did not feel threatened, instead, he let out a happy sigh as he swoons and started his tale of woo. "So I was atop the watchtower gazing at the spectacle that was the whaling!" Klint said in his best storyteller voice, making Nattalegg roll her eyes, but smile at her mate, this time her smile more genuine; everyone stilled in their places as they leaned a little closer to hear Klint better… the Omega always had the best stories to tell. "Suddenly out of nowhere, the queen came; climbing the ladder not only to see the whale hunting but also to catch the little gremlins escaping him!" Hearing that, Anton couldn't help but paling, the thought of the queen seeing how helpless he was when catching a stupid whale was enough to make his Alpha lower itself in embarrassment. "We talk, we exchange names, and Steven was very disappointed when the whale made his attempt to escape… so very bad Anton, and go to Hel Tyber for embarrassing every hunter and fisherman out there, the queen is very disappointed in you lot," Klint said as he shook his head, his words causing Anton's face to turn red as for the hunters and fishermen they turned to Tyber and glared harshly at him, accusing him of being the reason they embarrassed themselves in front of a foreign Omega.

"Is that so? I still do not see the reason for falling in love with him after exchanging a few short words." Nattalegg stated, this time curiosity coloring her voice, and even a look of interest crossed over her face as Klint let out a burst of happy laughter, a wide grin stretched on his lips.

"The queen was so disappointed in the hunting failing that he asked me to give him a spear and a rope!" Klint said his grin stretching wider when Nattalegg seemed to catch what he meant and her jaw dropped a little, and just this action made dread take hold of Anton as he caught on to what Klint meant. "The queen was going to catch the whale, and the animal is far away, no one but the Great Hawkeye can make such a shot, but the queen wanted to do the impossible and with a heavy weapon! I felt a little bad, but a bet was issued, ten sheep and a cow if the queen won… sorry, sweetheart, but this is the only bet I am happy to have lost!" Klint continued his tale, hands moving wildly as he describes what took place, only to stop at the end and give Nattalegg a sheepish look, and even then Nattalegg didn't look angry at losing, intrigue and fascination colored her face instead. "So the queen took the spear, and tie the rope at the end, he took his position, and throw the spear with so much strength and speed it left me speechless, the spear made its way across the air and the sea until it hit the whale! And do you know what the queen did after he hit the whale? He gave me a smug and challenging smile and throw the rope at me, hips swaying as he left me alone to delay the whale for the hunters… it was exactly what you would have done, sweetheart…" Klint said as he swooned, and even Nattalegg had a look of astonishment and amazement on her face. "The queen had not only won ten sheep and a cow from my flock, but he also won my heart… I swear if I was not married to the love of my life, I would have already asked for his hand." Klint put the back of his hand on his forehead and leaned on Nattalegg, his words caused silence to come over the audience as what Klint said made sense.

"So you are telling me… that it was the queen who hit e whale and not you?" Anton asked slowly, his Alpha letting out a whine at the thought of not only did the queen see his failure in catching the whale, but he decided that Anton was too helpless to do it himself and took the matter into his own hands… Great! Just great! The queen was probably laughing at his failure and how useless Anton's plans were because Tyber decided once more to stick his nose and destroy everything.

"Yes! And it was an amazing sight to behold!" Klint stated, a grin stretched his lips as he took a strange position and gazed at Anton with mischief. "The queen took this strange stand, and when he moved to throw the spear, the weapon shoots so fast! The only time I saw a weapon move like this was when I shot my arrows." Klint said, demonstrating what the queen did, which got a confused exclamation from Thor and Loki.

"Are you sure this was the stand he took?" Thor asked suddenly as he appeared in front of Klint so fast the Omega had to blink a few times before he realized the Alpha in front of him; it ended with Klint nodding slowly, and that caused a huge argument between Loki and Thor to break out. 'Impossible!' '…Forbidden to leave…' 'How can…?' 'Could it be?' 'No weapon on him!' 'How did Johann…?'… Was what Anton managed to gather from the panicking and low whispering argument Loki and Thor were in the middle of.

"Can you explain, please?" Anton finally snapped, wanting to get this over with and go search for the queen, maybe if Anton tried to play what happened today in a non-challenged way, or even thank the foolish queen, the Omega won't think less of him for nearly failing to catch a whale.

"The Queen is a Valkyrie!" It was Thor who stated, his booming voice caused Anton to lean back a little and gaze at the Alpha like the man had lost his mind; it was only him remembering that Thor was not from their village and that his home village is not like any village out there, made Anton recover from his shock and confusion. Anton though blinked and started to follow Thor and Loki as the two of them rushed through the crowd, no doubt trying to find where the queen went to, or rushing somewhere else.

"I… I see?" Was Anton confused replay as they finally left the crowded area, leaving Jamti to handle the whale they left with the hunters as he continued to match his pace with the other two alpha not knowing what to make of Thor's words; not only had the Alpha compared the queen to a Valkyrie, but the man looked trouble by this piece of information. What was Anton to do when Thor just pointed out that the queen was a chooser of the slain? Or does the word Valkyrie have another meaning from where Loki and Thor come from?

"No, you do not see! Now that we knew the Queen is a Valkyrie, it meant that we can narrow down how Johann managed to get his hands on him." Loki said, stopping suddenly as he turned to Anton, his eyes wild… wilder… than Anton saw them. "You must know, Valkyries are the strongest warriors in our village, one Valkyrie can by themselves bring a whole village to ruin; what I do not understand was how Johann managed to get his hands on one when the Valkyries are forbidden to leave Asgard," Loki explained, his words getting a blink from Anton as Klint and Nattalegg who decided to follow them let out confused noises.

"And… you learn all of that after I showed you this strange stand?" Klint asked with furrowed brows, looking at Loki like the Alpha lost his mind, which was not that far from what Anton was thinking of. Forbidden to leave Asgard? Really? What kind of strange rules did the village Thor and Loki come from having?

"Valkyries training are different than others, Shield Brother. Their training is brutal and contains fighting stands and positions only they knew; the position you took was one of them, which is used to increase the strength and speed of the spear thrown by its holder. I only ever saw this stand once, and it was when a Valkyrie was hunting a mountain lion." Thor said his hands moving wildly as he tried to explain more about why he thought the queen was a Valkyrie. As for Anton, the Alpha could only follow Thor and Loki in a daze, stopping in front of their shared hut and going inside to hear more about their theories, wondering how his life turned like this…

Anton shouldn't have left his bed today…

Steven hummed to himself as he walked through the woods, gathering herbs and everything of use; smiling when he heard James and Margaret bickering as they helped him in his quest. Shaking his head, Steven huffed as he saw Margaret pulling James's ear when the boy stick his tongue at her; for a girl who is seventeen summers old, his girl is spirited and a trouble maker if given the chance. "Stop fighting you two or you are on laundry washing duty," Steven called out which caused James and Margaret to pull away from each other, but not before glaring at each other as if accusing the other of being the reason for their trouble.

"It is not my fault that Margaret is foolish, Mama!" James cried out as he run to Steven, escaping another ear pulling from Margaret. "She refused Daniel's marriage proposal for the hundred times!" James exclaimed, pointing his finger at her, a pout on his lips as he ignored how huffy Margaret was becoming, as she continued to gather logs in her basket.

"Again?" Steven asked as he turned his sight to Margaret who was pouting and continued with her assigned duty while trying not to catch Steven's eyes. "Margaret…" Steven sighed as he put his basket down before going to Margaret, ignoring how her pout getting bigger by the second. "We both know you fancy Daniel, sweetheart, why are you rejecting him still?" Steven asked as he took away the basket from Margaret's hands, his question causing the Beta to still before shrugging her shoulders. "Margaret…" Steven said slowly with narrowed eyes, his firm voice causing her to flinch and huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I do not want to marry, is all…" Margaret ended up mumbling, causing Steven to raise his eyebrow, his sight turned to James who let out a huff and glared at Margaret like she was an idiot who needed an ear pulling; Steven had to press his lips tightly at that to prevent himself from smiling, his baby was taking after him too much to be healthy.

"Really? So your refusal of marriage does not by a chance entangle with your fear of leaving me alone." Steven stated with a raised eyebrow, causing Margaret to flinch and try to look away from Steven's knowing eyes. "Sweetheart, we talked about this…" Steven let out a sigh when Margaret continued to refuse to look his way, causing Steven to lead Margaret to set with him on a fallen tree, leaving James to jump around not far away, picking anything he fancy and throwing it in Steven's basket. "Margaret, we both know you fancied Daniel since the two of you were children, why are you torturing yourself and the poor boy?" Steven asked his words made the Beta look at her lap with trembling lips.

"Daniel cried today when you said no." James suddenly piped, causing Steven to glare at him, but his boy just huffed and cross his arms and give a stubborn scowl. "What? Margaret made Angela cry too! She said no too much, Angela even told me that Daniel will stop asking Margaret for her hand in marriage!" James shouted, turning back to his job of putting sticks in Margaret's basket, ignoring the sniffling Margaret let out as she tried to contain her tears… great, just great! James had to hit where it hurt the most; like mother, like son (Though part of Steven was a little proud at how stubborn and spirited James was, and Steven knew he was to blame for his son's persona. If his mother was here, her hair would have turned white from how to trouble James was as if Steven wasn't enough as is)

"… I do not want to leave you alone…" Margaret whispered after a long period of silence, her words causing Steven to break his harsh glare and turn his gaze from James to her, taking in how Margaret was clutching her hands into tight fists in her lap.

"Marriage is not the end of things, Margaret," Steven stated, his words causing Margaret to swallow and look at him from the corner of her eye before darting back to her fists. "Do you think so little of me that you are going to forsake your future?" Steven suddenly asked, making Margaret choke and shout 'No' her horrified expression causing Steven to smile and huff. "Then believe me when I say, everything is going to be fine. Now, go to the poor boy and tell him about accepting his proposal." Steven stated as he stood up, going to pick the baskets and shooing Margaret when she protested. "Everyone knew you two have been waiting for this day for ages, do not make me regret giving Daniel my blessing, Margaret, the poor boy deserves better than this." Margaret paused at these words, looking between Steven and the direction of their hut several times before swallowing and standing up, going to hug Steven tightly before running in the direction of their hut.

"Does that mean, Margaret would stop being foolish?" James suddenly piped, causing Steven to snort and turn his sight to the boy who by the look of it found a frog and was holding it between his hands, causing the Omega to scrunch his nose at the sight of the animal.

"James… five seconds to let go of this creature before you gain another ear pull." Steven hissed, causing James to pout and let go of the animal, wiping his hands with his tunic and causing Steven to grimace at that, sending his son a look that stated 'Really?' which made his boy give him an innocent smile (Doubtful) "And to answer your question; yes, Margaret is going to stop being foolish." Steven stated before starting to walk with the baskets in his arms.

"Good!" James exclaimed as he rushed after Steven with another stick in his hands, and going on and on how Petrus begged James to come with him for the start of the winter sport that was coming soon, gaining a hum from Steven who nodded his head at what James was telling him, laughing when his son switched his story to the sheep that nearly trampled young Philips when he went messing with them and how the cow always gave Angela strange looks and tried to chow on her hair. As Steven continued to hear his son going on and on about his tales, the birds chirped and flow over, the sound of leaves crunching under their feet caused Steven to smile…

He hoped this peace would last…

"You are a Valkyrie!" Someone shouted when Steven was in the market with Petrus and James to buy Margaret and Daniel a gift; Steven stilled as he heard what was shouted and he turned around to see the person who called him, and surprise, surprise, it was Thor, whose face turned red when Steven glared harshly at him. "…Sorry…" The Alpha ended up mumbling as Steven continued to give him a harsh scowl mixed with his scariest glare.

Steven and Thor spend a few minutes standing in the market with Thor looking like a kicked puppy and Steven glaring at the foolish Alpha like it was his job before it ended with Steven letting out an annoyed huff. "Is there a reason for you to shout what I am out loud?" Steven asked after a few more moments of letting Thor stew in the tense silence.

Steven's words seemed to cause Thor to look at the Omega with wide eyes full of wonder. "You did not deny it…" Thor mumbled his words had a disbelieving and relieved tone in them, causing Steven to roll his eyes and turn his sight to the kids who were frozen in their places and gazing at Thor with a frown of confusion.

"I am not in the habit of denying the truth," Steven said as he turned to the children, urging them to return back to what they were doing and choose the best gift they had for Margaret and Daniel; it didn't take a few seconds before Thor was standing beside him, causing Steven to study him from the corner of his eye. "How did you realize it?" Steven asked, causing Thor to shift in his place a sheepish look on his face.

"Klint is not a subtle person… he had been singing your praises ever since the whale hunting," Thor explained which got a groan from Steven, so this is why Klint and the Widow came to his people's hut last night and pestered them (Klint especially) about this and that, even asking for Steven's hand in marriage, which caused an uproar from his people. Steven even tried to protect those two from dismemberment by old Philips's hands; the Beta started screaming and cursing the minute those two brought marriage, probably that was the reason Margaret refused Daniel today before Steven managed to convince her otherwise.

"How many knew?" Steven asked, trying not to grimace at the headache that would no doubt be his life from now on, it would be hard trying to live peacefully after everyone knew he was a Valkyrie, and if the news reached Queen Frigga, and Hela, it would be a nightmare.

Thor looked like a child caught playing with his mother's jewelry, which made Steven close his eyes tightly and take a deep breath, knowing that the answer he would get he won't like. "The king and the advisors only?" Thor said in an unsure voice causing Steven to open his eyes and give him an unimpressive look until Thor broke and spilled the truth. "Nearly everyone who saw the hunting yesterday…" Mumbled Thor, causing Steven to bite his tongue to stop from cursing, only because the children were pulling at his tunic, and pointing to a lovely necklace with red stones decorating it; a lovely gift indeed.

Steven pressed his lips tightly, only to shake his head and huff at how annoying his life was going to be from now on. "I see." Steven sighed, deciding to not pay attention to the annoyance that would no doubt take place now that people know who he was; he needed to focus on important things, like the end of Yule and the start of the New Year, and the gifts he was planning to give his pack… that kind of things, not what people are going to do and say after learning what he was.

"I am sorry?" Thor asked more than told Steven which made the Omega roll his eyes; Steven should have expected this, after all, it was Thor son of Odin, and if Hela's words were to be trusted, he was helpless and never could keep a secret to save his life. 'Foolish, loud-mouthed Alpha, as subtle as a buffalo in the treasure room, but with a heart of gold.' that's what Hela said when she tried to sell him her brother, hoping that Steven would fancy him enough to consider marriage.

"It is fine," Steven said after a while, shrugging his shoulders in defeat and deciding to forget about this stupidity, it would solve itself in the end, it always does. Steven could only hope for the best, knowing his luck he doubt it, especially when Thor continued to sing praises to his status as a Valkyrie from the look of it.

"You!" Someone screamed from the crowd causing everyone to turn to the shouter, other than Steven who decided to ignore the ruckus behind him and inspect the necklace Peter and Bucky kept pointing at; what Steven didn't expect was being pulled back by his tunic and being punched (A weak, useless punch, but with enough strength to split his lower lip) "You stole him from me! The king is my intended and you stole him!" The screaming continued, and when Steven removed the grip on his tunic he turned to see one of the Stone siblings, Sunset.

"How dare you?" Thor snarled, nearly attacking the Omega who raised her fists and drew blood, only the dark look Steven send him made him back away from attacking the woman and drawing blood from her, maybe even teaching her a lesson.

"Stole him from you? Do not make me laugh, I did not steal him at all; everyone knows that he finds you and your oath-breaking brother repulsive." Steven stated dryly causing the other Omega to snarl in anger, but Steven ignored her as he ran his tongue on his lower lip and scowled harshly as he tasted the blood. "Not only were you stupid to accuse me of something I did not do, but you also dared to attack me and drew blood… you must really wish death because I am sure you know it is within my right to draw blood from you for this stunt," Steven stated darkly with a dark grin stretching over his lips, causing the woman to flinch and back away; no doubt scared from the sight in front of her, and how deranged Steven no doubt looked.

"The elders will not allow it!" Sunset huffed, glaring at Steven as if she was daring him to raise his hands on her; like it was completely normal for her to start fights with everyone else but no one is allowed to touch her. Which made Steven's blood boil and for his eyes to darken.

"Do you want to bet?" Steven asked, making the woman let a startling noise, but Steven didn't give her enough time to think his threat through before he head-butts her across the face… harshly… which broke her nose and made her fall to the ground with a squeak. Steven huffed and glanced at the woman that was still on the dirty ground, nose bleeding and hair in disarray; but her eyes were closed and mouth slack. "Did she really just lose her conscious?" Steven asked with disgust coloring his voice, gazing at the woman the elders wanted to appoint as the future queen… was this weak woman really the elders' favorite? The woman couldn't even stay conscious after a soft head-butt, how would she protect her pups and Alpha when needed?

"See, I told you Mama will kill her!" That was James, who piped not far from Steven which made the Omega sigh and grumble. "Mama, always kill annoying people like that! He can even break stones with his head!" James boasted, making a smile twitch on Steven's lips when James runs to hug his legs tightly.

A loud booming laugh broke through the crowd causing everyone to turn to the person who seemed to have the time of their life laughing at the event that took place; to everyone's surprise and horror, the person who was laughing was the king himself, who seemed to be losing himself and having a hard time regaining his breath. "Oh Gods above, this is gold!" The king said after gaining his breath, only to lose it once more as he start laughing again at the sight Sunset was making on the dirty ground.

"The elders must really hate you if they are making you mate such… pitiful creature," Steven stated with disgust curling his lips down, which only succeeded in making the king laugh louder and shake his head, ignoring his advisors' hissing at him to calm down; it did not work, especially when the king's advisors looked like they were having the time of their lives gazing at Sunset making friends with the dirt…

"Well, after such display, I am sure they will realize their mistake." The king chuckled, finally regaining himself enough not to fall in another fit of laughter, sending Steven a grateful and warm look that caused Steven to huff and run his hand through James's hair, grumbling something under his breath as he tried to ignore the warm feeling in his stomach; Steven had to say though…

Hitting that bitch made him feel satisfied…

Finally, I am back…

Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year will become a good year for you all!

Tony is crushing on Steve! And our Stevie is warming up to him. Yay!

And Clint has a man-crush on Stevie… nice!

As much as I wanted to post this chapter on Christmas, life decided to stick its nose and stop me from doing it… that and rewriting this chapter for the 8th time is too much I decided to gloss over many things or remove them.

(Not so) Fun Fact!

Norwegians caught whales off the coast of Tromsø as early as the 9th or 10th century. Vikings from Norway also introduced whaling methods for driving small cetaceans, like pilot whales, into fjords in Iceland. Despite a moratorium on commercial whaling that was issued in 1986, Norway, Iceland, Japan are among the countries that have continued whale hunting; Norway alone has killed more than 9,500 minke whales since 1993.

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Nazaki-Sama