The Iron King Chapter 14, an avengers fanfic

The Iron King…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, sadness, mention of violence, fluff, Tony having inappropriate thoughts about Steve, and Steve may have put himself in a tricky situation! 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 14

The next day after Yule ended and the day after it continued the same as if Yule was still around; with festivity and happiness and too much drinking, but at a modern pace this time. Steven couldn't help but contain his amusement and laugh as he saw the people (Especially, Alphas) dragging themselves to their work, faces taking a green color as they continued their day. The village that was filled with noise and loud children and adults was so quiet, even the marketplace that was usually filled with shouting sellers and talkative Omegas was deadly silent as people walked around silently, glaring at anyone who dared to make a loud sound to cause them further pain. Twenty-two years of absence and you would think that people would stop overindulging in drinking and partying when Yule came, especially when this was going to be the result that greeted everyone after the end of Yule; another part of Steven was amused and a little happy to see that this because it informed Steven that no matter how long he was away from his people and home… they didn't change that much in their ways.

"Why is everyone crawling on the ground, Mama? Are they dying?" James asked, his eyes darting around the place taking in the people that seemed more dead than alive as they went about their day, some were even sleeping on the ground, and others were about to fall asleep in their shops. But Steven know that if something bad was to happen, everyone would snap out of their dazed state and defend their home fiercely.

"Fortunately, no, everyone just forgot themselves and partied hard last night…" Steven stated causing James to let out an 'Ohhhhhh!' sound as he gazed at the people around him with a new light as if he was contemplating something (Probably shouting out loud and asking if they were doing fine; which Steven would encourage wholeheartedly) before he shrugged his shoulders like it wasn't worth it, and started skipping while holding Steven's hand tightly in his, a big smile on his face as he saw people grunting and complaining about their heads hurting.

"Why are we in the market today, Mama? I wanted to be with Margaret and Daniel; Angela said that if we annoyed them enough, they would have given us nuts and berries." James stated causing Steven to still for a second before letting out a laugh as he shook his head, counting on his son to annoy his sister and embarrass her; Steven could only be thankful that he brought James with him to the market. Knowing his son, he would have already started to blackmail his sister to give him what he wanted, and if she refused to, Steven knew that a fight would have broken out which would result in him pulling their ears and scolding them until sunset.

"Well… we are here because I need new sewing equipment for… something." Steven ended up saying, his mind straying to the white furs the foolish king gave him at the end of Yule that were tucked safely in the room he occupied in the king's house. Thinking about the gift he received reminds him of the face the king made when Steven asked him about the reason for giving the gift; the smile that was laced with sadness that Steven still couldn't interpret or ignore completely. "Besides, I told you countless times to stop annoying Margaret, James; she is older than you, so you should respect her," Steven stated, changing the subject before his son asked him about what they needed the sewing equipment for, which knowing his son; the pup would ask a thousand question if he felt Steven hesitated to tell him.

"But she is the one being foolish, Mama!" James pouted, as he started going on and on about how foolish Margaret was when she wanted to be and how she acted like she was five summers old, so that meant James was the oldest and wisest between them so he had the right to annoy her. Steve couldn't help but laugh at his son and the reasoning he used, which was not that far from the truth if you asked Steven.

"She is still taller than you," Steven stated when his son stopped talking to take a deep breath and start once more; his words doing nothing but causing James to squeak in betrayal and rage as he started swearing that he was the normal one and everyone else is a giant. His babe's voice got louder and more heated as he tried to prove his cute point, as Steven only laughed and shook his head; ignoring the glares they received for how loud his son was when everyone was still suffering from their actions of last night (Serve them well, who told them to drink themselves to death and then glare at anyone who was smart enough not to drink?) which result in Steven giving them a warning and dangerous smile, causing them to grumble and look away from the two.

"Your brat is as loud as you were when you were a brat!" Someone grumbled behind Steven causing the Omega to roll his eyes and turn to face Nicolaus who was rubbing his forehead and walking toward Steven; his walk was normal but a little shaken which informed the Omega that the Alpha before him spent last night drinking no doubt, but he managed to do better than half of the people in the market who look a step away from meeting Hela in the flesh.

"I will refrain from saying that when you are the one responsible for the dilemma you are in… you spent the night drinking, did you not?" Steven asked as he raised his eyebrow watching in amusement as James's eyes widen when he saw Nicolaus, and point at him while calling out loudly 'Eye-patch!' which did nothing but make the Alpha grumble something under his breath harshly before pulling a sheepskin from his belt and drinking little sips of water to calm the nausea he was feeling no doubt. From the corner of his eye, Steven noticed that his interaction with Nicolaus seemed to gain unwanted attention, which only caused Steven to glare harshly at the noisy people who kept staring.

"You can say that… yesterday… I had a good cause to celebrate." Nicolaus said after gathering himself enough not to get sick in Steven's presence, which was a mighty fate considering that Steven counted at least 37 person who lost it and got sick in the past twenty-minute alone. "That and you are not your dam, brat, so stop giving me that disapproving look like you are planning to pull my ear for misbehaving." Grumbled the old Alpha causing Steven to snort and hide his smile behind his hand when he remembered how his mother used to punish his father and Nicolaus when the two of them would drink their days away, needless to say, it was amusing watching huge Alphas cower like kittens facing a dragon. "Mentioning your mother, do you know the remedy she used to make at the end of Yule to beat drinking sickness? Gods know I need it right now to feel human once more…" Nicolaus complained, falling into steps with James and Steven, glaring at anyone who seemed to eye the three of them strangely as they headed to one of the markets that sold sewing equipment, and rolling his eye as James continued to call him 'Eye-Patch' and ask him a thousand of questions at once.

"Yes, I know… but I am contemplating if I should make it or not; knowing you, you might go to challenge some fool to see who can drink more right after taking the remedy," Steven stated, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he studied Nicolaus up and down, ignoring the way the man's eye twitched at his words. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before; Nicolaus going to drink right after taking the remedy, only to get sicker than he was at the beginning, which ended with his mother screaming and nearly ripping the Alpha's hair off… before he decided to shave his hair completely to keep his dignity…

"I am too old for that, brat. I would have you know, that yesterday was the first time I touched mead since spring's solstice." That was the Alpha's dry reply, which gained a hum from Steven who rolled his eyes at the Alpha, not wanting to believe him but refusing to let him suffer when he knew the remedy to prevent that. "By the way, what are you doing in the market? I thought you would have stayed with your pack for three days after Yule ended to avoid drunken idiots and annoying people." Nicolaus suddenly asked, causing Steven to pause for a second before continuing his way, wondering if he should tell the Alpha or not.

"We are going to buy sewing equipment so Mama can buy something to sew clothes!" That was James who stated out loud, ignoring the sigh Steven let out at the middling the little pup did just now; Steven knew that Nicholas would probably manage to put together the reason for him to be here, but now, after what James said, the Alpha would probably think that someone dared to come to his pack's home and ruin their clothes, and not Steven wanting to buy the equipment for something else.

Turning to Nicolaus, the suspicious and harsh frown on his face informed Steven that what he just predicted was taking place in the Alpha's mind, which was so annoying on so many levels. "I received a gift from someone," Steven stated, cutting Nicolaus from his plan of finding the imaginary person that ruined Steven's linings and clothes and castrate him. thankfully, his words stopped the dark scowl from taking over the Alpha's face, instead, a surprising look took over as he gazed at Steven with a face that ordered him to spill everything out… so embarrassing, and here Steven was trying to keep the king's gift a secret because he didn't know how to handle the situation without overthinking things, and getting suspicious of the king's intentions.

"And?" Nicolaus asked after a while when Steven stayed silent and didn't complete his story, making him sigh and open his mouth to continue, only for him to press his lips into a tight line when they reached the shop he seek; Nicolaus seemed to know that because he too shut his mouth and waited until Steven finished shopping for what he needs from the seamstress, who seemed to be a little too invested in Steven and Nicolaus, gazing between the two with wide eyes and cheerful smile like she caught the wind of great gossip.

Steven went through the collections of threads and accessories that would go great with the cloak he painted in mind; already thinking that the cloak could be a perfect gift to Margaret when she was going to get married next summer, or maybe he should make it for James who no doubt was planning on spending the Winter playing outside in the snow. The image of the foolish king's sad smile flash in Steven's mind quickly once more, making him purse his lips tightly as he remembered that the king gave the furs as a gift for him, and a gift is never taken lightly as to be given to another or given back, which left Steven in a tricky spot. In the end, Steven stilled on blue threads and many colorful accessories, deciding to make the main colors of the cloak white and blue, with a color to balance or break the monotone. Finishing the chore he came for, Steven paid the seamstress and nodded to James and Nicolaus so the three of them can leave.

Steven waited until they finally left the crowded part of the market (And the noisy people within it) to answer Nicolaus's question, because the Alpha was making it known that he wanted to know the story desperately if the intense look on his face was anything to go by. "So… who was that someone? And what kind of gift was it? Fabric? Cotton? Something else?" Nicolaus asked when he finally lost all patience he had, which was never much, to begin with, making Steven grumble something and nearly pout.

"The Foolish King…" Steven ended up mumbling, causing the Alpha to raise both of his eyebrows in surprise and shock, looking at Steven like he couldn't believe what the Omega just told him, but the look in the Alpha's eye told Steven to continue. "At the end of Yule, he gave me a gift I do not know what to make of," Steven said in a low voice so that James who was running and jumping around doesn't hear them and go spread the word out, because Steven was certain people would take what James was going to say in the wrong way, no matter how innocent his words were. "And the gift is white furs, not fabric, I do not even know from where The Foolish King managed to get his hands on such a rare find." Steven hummed, only to jump slightly when he heard a harsh gasp coming from Nicolaus's direction; turning his head to the side, Steven was greeted by the Alpha whose eye was as big as orange from how wide it was and how shocked the man was.

Though Steven felt dread taking over when he noticed how a grin widening and taking over Nicolaus's face, causing the Alpha to look insane as he gazed at Steven with satisfaction and victory in his remaining eye. "Finally! And here I thought that foolish brat would not make his move unless he is six feet under!" Nicolaus stated, laughing loudly causing Steven to furrow his brows in confusion as he gazed at the Alpha with a look that ordered him to explain because he clearly lost Steven along the way. "Oh, at least, I have been waiting for this day for decades! Look brat, use the furs wisely, a coat, a cloak, a dress, I do not care what you make of it. Make sure to show up in the public wearing it, though; I cannot wait for the faces the Stone clan would make when they realize. They are dead, I tell you, dead!" Nicolaus laughed joyously, abandoning Steven as he went in the direction of the town's square, leaving Steven confused and lost as he gazed at the Alpha's retreating back.

"The Eye-Patch went insane! Did you see it, Mama? He laughed!" James suddenly whispered in awe snapping Steven out of his confused state and turning his attention to his babe who was gazing at the Alpha who was walking (Skipping?) down the streets with joy and victory… a sight that's more concerning to Steven, who was thinking that the Alpha's drinking sickness was getting the best of him, maybe the man was finally losing it with old age? Steven doesn't know, and wouldn't want to know, better keep his sanity intact if everyone was going to lose it like Nicolaus… though Steven does need to ask him to clarify his insane rambling when he sees the Alpha next time; especially, when the Stone clan was brought to the light.

"Yes, baby, I saw…" Steven said slowly, picking James up in his arms as he started walking in the direction of his home, hoping not to encounter someone who lost it like Nicolaus has, because surely if Nicolaus had lost it then it meant half of the village was suffering the same as him and the strange drinking sickness. Steven would have to make sure to give Nicolaus the remedy for the drinking sickness later because surely the Alpha was so going to hate himself for what's going to take place later when he return back to his mind… but what froze Steven in place and made realization surrounding him was the whispers of the two Omegas behind them as they giggled and started to whisper…

"Did you hear?"

"Father… where did you go?" The voice of a child snapped Anton out of his daze, causing him to abandon his work by the fire (Not that he was doing anything other than staring at it in silence) and turn his head to Petrus, who was sitting at the table swinging his legs with one of the finished helmets Anton was working on in his hands. "I called you over a thousand times, but you did not answer… where did you go?" Petrus asked once more, tilting his head to the side as he gazed at Anton with wide blue eyes, causing the Alpha to blink and let out an 'Oh' when he realized that he didn't even notice that Petrus entered his workshop and talked to him, having been lost inside his head for the past hour or so.

"Sorry, pup, was lost in my thoughts for a few moments…" Anton answered, not giving his son the satisfaction of explaining as he went to take the helmet from the boy's hands only to put it on his head, letting out a chuckle as he saw his son pout harshly when the helmet continued to slip and obscure his vision every time he pushed it up. "So what were you talking about? I remember something about skiing?" Anton questioned which made Petrus's face light up as he started talking about the Winter sports and how he wanted to participate in it with Anton this year.

Anton listened to his son ramble with a smile on his face, not correcting the boy by telling him that he was forced to participate in the Winter sports; not out of love and want to shine, but because the elders force him to, in the hope of him attracting a mate by showing off his strength. While the game was open to anyone who wanted to participate no matter how old or young, Alpha, Beta, or an Omega if someone didn't have the strength and wanted to show off, then the games are not for them. Winter sports were just that; show-off games to attract Omegas and Betas spouses, mainly designed to show the Alphas and their strength to prominent families in hope of gaining their favor to have an arranged marriage their way. Those between 13 to 23 years of age always wanted to participate in these games, mostly to appease their parents and secure a good enough arranged marriage of their own; while those who are older participate for two reasons… the first was because of their love to show off and love for sports, gaining fun and enjoying themselves in the games... and maybe even think about gaining a second spouse or a mate if they showed off enough… the second reason was so that the widows who lost their Omegas and spouses and those who still haven't mated even at their age, may have a chance in marriage if they wanted; which unfortunately Anton belonged to this category, and thus forced to participate.

So far Anton avoided the last few seasons when the games took place, stating that he had something far more important and then disappearing until the games ended and he was forced to come out of his hiding place to congratulate the winners and give them their prizes. Unfortunately, Anton can't escape the games this year, especially when the elders were breathing down his neck to find a mate before winter's end or he would be forced to marry Sunset and live the rest of his life in misery. Part of Anton could only sigh dejectedly, cursing his fear of rejection and conscious for not asking Steven the chance to court him; too scared to lose the tentative ground he gained with Steven, and too self-conscious to try and open old wounds if the Omega was really mated but have lost his mate a long time ago. An action that left him utterly alone as he faced the elders who finally snapped and ordered him to participate in the Winter sports and attract a suitable mate; a thought that no matter how much Anton tried to banish, it wouldn't leave him no matter how much he tried.

"Ah, I see. Unfortunately, pups under the age of thirteen cannot participate in the Winter sports." Anton said, smiling as his son pouted harshly and started demanding to play in the sports that were taking place in a fortnight or so; his flushed face and buffed cheeks caused Anton to snort and a smile to take over his face.

"Not fair!" Petrus whined, waving his hands around before squeaking when his movement made the helmet slide down his face and cut his vision off, causing the boy to growl and for Anton to laugh and shake his head, picking the helmet off and putting it on the side of the table, letting his son rant all he wanted until he finally calmed down with a pout, accepting the defeat of not participating in the games to come.

Anton gazed at Petrus from the corner of his eye, lost in thoughts as he wondered what Petrus was going to do when the Alpha was planning to go with his original plan of courting Steven as his intended mate. it was true that Anton had taken the cowardly way out by refusing to tell the queen his intention and running away as far as he can before he lost it and spill everything out to Steven; which would no doubt make Steven throw the furs at his face, something that Anton doesn't want to happen because he knows for certain that the queen needed warm wear for Winter but never bought or treaded anything for it because he got busy providing for his pack and forgetting about himself in the process. "Tell me, Petrus… what do you really think of The Queen?" Anton asked suddenly, trying to remove his line of thoughts from the flushed and confused face Steven made when Anton presented the furs to him.

Petrus paused at the question before he started to fiddle with his hands seeming to be content to ignore the question completely as if Anton didn't ask; Anton waited though, not talking as he waited for what his son would say next because his son's word would be taken with value, for they would decide his next course of action. "He… he is nice…" Petrus mumbled, still fiddling with his hands as he seemed lost in thoughts just as how Anton was not a few moments ago. "And he… he is nice…" More mumbling, causing Anton to swallow as he saw the sadness shine in Petrus's eyes before the pup blinked it away and turned to Anton, pasting a huge (Fake) smile on his face. "You will not even believe it, though! James told me about how The Queen managed to defeat a hundred warriors alone! Is that not amazing?!" Petrus tried to change the subject, causing Anton to swallow harshly, regretting ever opening his mouth and asking his son if it meant that the pup was going to act like this.

"I see…" Anton managed to choke out, gazing at his pup who turned his head and started rambling once more, before pausing and jumping off the table, running away from the workshop and leaving Anton alone to his spiraling thoughts that took a darker turn by the second.

Anton knew that he was the one to be blamed for all of this, having never let Petrus know the warmth and love of a mother because of his constant refusal to marry; but when every candidate the elders selected was more interested in securing themselves and their future child's lives and forsaking Petrus, going as far as trying to hurt him with words and nearly action. Anton thought that the best way was waiting it out and raise his son on his own until the boy was strong enough to defend himself from those who want something bad to befall him; but now… now was the first time Anton doubted his decision, especially when his son restored to running away from Anton and their safe place… if this was what his son would do every time he mentioned the queen, Anton wondered what Petrus would do when he was going to bring up the matter of him having to marry by the end of this winter; would the pup be happy to finally have a mother figure? Or would Petrus be angry about such a thing? Let's not forget about Steven who Anton wanted as a mate but didn't know how to open the subject, what Anton feared the most was what if the Omega was not like how he portrayed himself? What if he was going to hurt his pup just to get to Anton as an act of revenge? It was true that Steven was nice to his son and even treated him like how he treated James and the other children of his pack, but what if it was going to change when Anton made his intention known? As much as Anton wanted to deny that, he knew there were Omegas who killed their pups for less… just the thought of Petrus being hurt caused fear and sickness to grip his heart tightly, as Anton took deep breaths through his nose trying to calm himself; for the first time in forever…

Anton wished that things were different…

"Did you hear?"

"…The King… chooses his mate by the end of winter!"

"Is it one of the Stone siblings?"

"I heard it was…"

"Really?!"

"The elders will not allow it!"

"They already did…"

Petrus scrunched his nose as he continued to listen to the people, his hands clenched into tight fists as he continued to hear everyone talk about his father's mate-to-be. Walking fast, Petrus managed to go unnoticed by most people around him, which enable him to gather as much information about what was going on around the village without anyone paying him attention. For the past few weeks (Especially after Yule) Petrus had noticed that his father was acting strangely (Well, more strange than he usually acts) but he still knew for a fact that no matter how much Petrus plea, his father won't tell him what was going on with him, because no matter how much Petrus stated otherwise, his father still thinks of him as nothing but a small babe who wouldn't understand.

It was wrong; his father was wrong. Petrus can understand and help him in whatever occupied his mind; he knew he can even if he was nothing but a babe in his father's eyes most of the time. Knowing that his father won't allow him to help, Petrus took the matter into his own hands to discover the reason why his father was acting strange; which turned out to be because of the elders telling him to marry by the end of winter, which was so annoying and bad situation all around that nearly made Petrus cry and go to his father to demand that he stop the elders from doing just that. It wasn't that Petrus didn't want his father to be happy and have a wife or a husband, it was just… the Omegas and Betas that came for his father were so mean! They didn't like Petrus, they always sneer at him when he came to see them, and when no one was around, Petrus always heard them talking about how when they married his father, they would throw Petrus out of the house, or force him to work in the fields or relocate him away so that their children can flourish without Petrus competing with them for his father's attention.

It was so not fair! So not fair! Why does Petrus have to compete with strange people for his father's attention when his father was his? Why does Petrus have to accept for his father to marry and have other children when he knew that not one of them would accept Petrus back? Petrus hates that he was forced into this situation, he hates that his father is going to marry by the end of winter; he hates the people in this village! If only his dam didn't die, if only she (He?) was here, then they would have already married his father and they would be a real family without the elders of the village trying to force his father to marry.

As fast as he can, Petrus slipped away from the marketplace and started walking away from the crowds; not wanting to hear the people talk about his father and the one he is to court and marry came summer. Moving fast, Petrus didn't pay enough attention to where he was heading, which caused him to collide with someone, causing him to trip and fall on his butt.

"Ouch…" Petrus mumbled, sitting up and turning to the person who he pumped into only to be greeted by the sight of James who managed to stand up and turned to Petrus, causing Petrus to swallow, not knowing how to act around his friend when his head was still drowning under the unpleasant reality the villagers were whispering about.

"Petrus!" Squealed James, when his sight fell on him, skipping to Petrus and helping him stand up as he started to pull him away from the marketplace and to their hideout in the forest; saving Petrus from talking and trying to explain himself, or worse crying as he remembered how the villagers said that his father was going to marry one of the Stone siblings, which were the ones who hated Petrus the most. "OK, talk, why were you crying?" James asked after the two of them were far away from the village that no one was listening to their words.

"Wha…? What do you mean? I was not crying or anything!" Petrus stuttered his free hand went directly to his cheeks and wiped them, only to see to his horror that they were wet and not dry as he hoped they would be. "It is… I… nothing! I was not crying or anything, it was the melting snow!" Petrus defended, which only made James cross his arms over his chest and raise his eyebrow, so much like the queen that Petrus started to sniffle suddenly and cry, causing James to squeak and try to calm him down.

Petrus didn't even know why he started crying and how long he cried; he just saw James acting like how his dam acted and it reminded him of when the queen would scold James for doing something stupid and then end up sighing and ruffling the boy's hair fondly before hugging him… Petrus doesn't even know why he was crying about such a stupid thing, it wasn't like the memory is related to him or anything, so that didn't give Petrus the right to feel the painful feeling in his heart accompanied by jealously. So what if the queen was nice to Petrus and treated him just like he treated James, Angela, and young Philips? It doesn't mean anything at all, even if Petrus wished that everything was different and that he was in James's place for once; a thought that made Petrus feel so bad and cry so loud at how ungrateful of a friend he was.

Petrus didn't know how he managed to calm himself down, but when he finally managed to wipe the tears away, he saw James sitting beside him and hugging him tightly, shushing him gently which caused Petrus to let out a sob, not wanting his friend to be nice to him when he always wished to be in his place half of the times. "My Father is to choose a mate by the end of winter…" Petrus managed to mumble those words, which were muffled by his knees when he decided to curl around himself and push James away not wanting his friend to be nice to him when Petrus was anything but a good friend. "I mean… it is… I… I am happy that Father would have someone to be with and that I would have a mother too but… but they are all so mean, James, and when no one is there, they would talk about how they would send me away so that I will not cause their babes' downfall… which is so foolish because I do not want money or anything… I just want… just want Father to stay with me and not leave like how Mother did…" Petrus's breath hitched as he admits to some of the fear that had tormented him for a long time now; the fear of him being all alone in the world without his father to be there for him. Even if his father was absent half of the time during summer with their raids over the seas (And the last year when his father had to go away for four seasons and leave Petrus with Magna and Jamti) at least he was there; he was not in a faraway place that Petrus can never go to.

In all of this, James stayed quiet, letting Petrus rant as much as he liked, nodding his head now and then, his eyes not leaving the small stream that was going to be frozen over when snow was going to fall tonight. "Can you not tell your Father to not do it?" James asked suddenly, causing Petrus to pause for a second before shaking his head.

"I cannot… Father has been refusing to choose a mate for so long that the elders decided to choose his mate for him if he does not act fast and choose one… The elders wanted one of the Stone siblings to be my Father's mate, and those two are the worse…" Petrus mumbled, touching his right wrist as he remembered when Tyber squeezed his wrist tightly when he was small, only because Petrus tripped and pumped into him… his hand had hurt him so much and he wanted to tell his father when he saw the bruises, but Tyber said that the elders were going to take him away from his father if he opened his mouth… Petrus still fear that he was going to be taken away by the elders if he told his father about how mean Tyber and Sunset were when no one was looking.

"I see…" James mumbled, drawing on the ground with his finger before scrunching his nose. "And who is the person your Father is going to choose? Does he have someone he likes? Or is he going to marry one of the oathbreakers?" James asked, causing Petrus to swallow tightly and clench his hands on his knees, not knowing if he should tell James what he heard the villagers talk about, or ignore it completely.

"I… I do not know…" Petrus mumbled gazing at James from the corner of his eye before swallowing once more and wetting his lips, wondering if he should say something. "What… what would you do if… if you were my place and someone came to ask The Queen for his hand in marriage?" Petrus asked in a small voice, wanting to know the course of action his friend was going to take if he was in Petrus's place, because if it was up to Petrus… if it was up to him then he would… he would…

"I will kill them…" James stated darkly and simply, shattering the tentative hope that was building inside Petrus at the idea of his father marrying someone who would accept Petrus as his. "I would never allow Mama to live as he did with that… that monster… I would never… so I would kill them to make them stay away from my Mama, even if I had to die trying." James hisses, causing Petrus to shake and turn his eyes toward his clenched fists, taking deep breaths so that he won't start crying all of a sudden once more.

"What if they… what if they liked The Queen? Liked The Queen enough to want to court them? What if The Queen fancies them back and wanted to marry them?" Petrus whispered, hoping the desperation wasn't apparent in his tone and that James didn't hear the choked sobs that lodged themselves in Petrus's throat.

"There is no such person as that because Mama told old man Philips when he thought I was asleep that the man he fancies and wanted to marry had died many years ago when their village was destroyed by the Hydra king's hands," James growled, punching the ground near him, not noticing how Petrus flinched and nearly backed away from his friend. "Even in Hel, that monster still made Mama sad and made him cry, so I would never let that happen again; I do not care who the one who would come to ask for Mama's hand, I do not care how much they pretended to care and love Mama, I will kill them… you too, you should tell your father that you refuse for him to get married if you do not want it, even if it meant angering the foolish elders." James huffed, unaware of how defeated Petrus was feeling and how shattered he was at his friend's justified but harsh words…

Petrus deserved it though, he was a bad friend and a bad son for wishing that he could have switched places with James even if it meant he would have to leave his caring and loving father alone because of the idea of having a Mama of his own was too beautiful and amazing and it made Petrus so jealous when he sees Omegas holding their children while Petrus was all alone forced to watch but not know what it would feel like. Because of that, because of his selfish wish, his father was going to marry and was going to forget all about Petrus as he got busy with his new mate and the children they would bring, forgetting that Petrus existed as he was going to be sent away; because of his selfish wish, Petrus knew that James would abandon him if he knew what Petrus was hoping and wishing for, no doubt his friend would be angry and betrayed when he realized that the person he thought of as a friend wanted to take his mother away from him when he had no one but him… Petrus should have known better, he should have known…

Selfish wishes never come true…

"Did you hear? The King asked for The Queen's hand in marriage! Oh, look it is The Hydra Queen; I heard that The King asked to court you on the last day of Yule, is it true? Oh, no, no, no, no! The King is going to marry one of the Stone siblings, it is impossible for him to give the foreign Queen his courting gift! The damning white furs from the bear he hunted!" Steven mocked under his breath, anger and fury coursing through him as he walked to the foolish king's workshop, planning on giving him the dress down of his life for keeping Steven in the dark while he heard those words coming from the mouth of the gossips when they saw Steven walk to the king's house to start on his project to sew the cloak... If only Steven knew that the innocent present he had hoped for was for something else entirely!

Steven should have known! No king in their right mind would give such a valuable gift to someone they don't know unless they want something of it… let's say, the Omega's hand in marriage? The foolish king seemed to have forgotten to inform Steven of this before giving him the gift, because if he did, then Steven would have thrust the furs in the Alpha's ungrateful face and choked him with it. How dare he? How dare he think that Steven would even think of him like that? How amusing and infuriating?! The Alpha who (Even if it was indirectly) killed his children and took him and his people as workers in his land was fancying Steven as a mate when he did nothing to endear the Omega to him at all.

Steven was so going to kill the foolish man when was going to find him; throwing his gift into the fire before kicking him where it hurt. "You foolish brute of an Alpha; show your face!" Steven snarled when he reached the workshop, kicking the door open as he glared inside, only to hiss when he didn't see the king in his workshop. "You…" Steven growled, his hands clenched into tight fists as he changed his direction to the king's house, planning on taking the furs and burning them in public just so that the people would get it into their pea-sized brains that Steven was never going to marry the stupid king even if it meant death.

Marriage… people think that Steven was going to marry the foolish king; the Alpha that Steven was teetering between despising him and trying to forget his existence. An Alpha that Steven doesn't care if he lived or died as long as his pack wasn't affected by it; an Alpha that if it wasn't for his own child, Steven would have killed him as an act of revenge. Asking for his hand? As if Steven was going to fall for the foolish king's stupid fancy! The Alpha probably thought he would gain the favor of Asgard if he managed to make Steven his husband, which wouldn't be far from the truth.

Marriage… such a stupid and laughable notion; Steven marrying his enemy once more, but this time in the form of The Iron King... Steven would die laughing from this thought… marriage… such a repulsive word that caused Steven his happiness and more than half of his life and sanity; rending the Omega disgusted by every Alpha that came too close to him with interest and a hopeful spark in their eyes…. Marriage… something he promised to someone a long time ago, with many hopes and dreams for a better future, only to be told that someone had died years and years ago while he was captured and forced to marry another…

Marriage… a poisonous title that carries so much suffering, humiliation, and pain in one word…

Was Steven overreacting? Maybe. Was he happy about what he heard the people say behind his back? As if! Was he angry that Nicolaus seemed to be happy when he learned of Steven receiving the furs from the foolish king? Oh, he was! He was so going to chew and spit Nicolaus out for this kind of betrayal without caring for what the man was going to say.

Reaching the king's house, Steven opened the door and closed it behind him loudly; making his presence known to every worker and warning them silently to leave if they do not want to be the victim of his anger if they cross his path. Walking to the room the king gave to Steven, the Omega stilled in place when he saw the door of one of the forbidden rooms open, making him still in his place for a second before anger took over him at the thought of the foolish king hiding in this room and ignoring the rumors he managed to spread out to the entire village.

Steven's plan was simple, find the foolish king, scream at him, and give him a few smacks before throwing the gift back at him, while leaving the house and returning to his pack, never crossing paths with the king again if he could help it; a plan that was so simple and manageable, but it vanished as soon as he reached the room and gazed inside. Whatever sight that Steven thought would greet him, didn't include the king sitting on a chair and looking at the table in front of him with defeat and surrender so painfully clear both in his face and eyes. What Steven expected was not the sight of the king gazing at a set of Hnefatafl as if they carry the answer to the problem that was his life; what Steven had not expected was the pain and acceptance on the king's face as he put the final piece on the board, defeating what looked like a lone king…

"A game of Hnefatafl tells you more about a person than anyone else can…"

Those were the words his father always told Steven when he and Nicolaus used to play that game at night, his father smiling as he let him watch how even when he played to defeat Nicolaus, he still made sure to protect his opponent and not do any necessary sacrifices, which can't be said for the king who put his head in his hands in defeat.

Steven shouldn't care about the sight in front of him, he shouldn't even care about what the Alpha before him was feeling or the scent or misery coming out of him; what Steven should do was storm the room and scream at the man and how foolish and pitiful he was for thinking that Steven would ever consider him anything more other than his children's killer. Too bad that Steven was never in the habit of kicking someone who was down; he was never someone who accepts bullying even if the one who undergo it deserved what happened to them.

"You look as if you had found the answer to an unpleasant question…" Steven called out as he entered the room, not caring that he nearly made the king jump from his seat and fall to the ground; he just went and sat on the chair opposed to the king, gazing at the table in front of him with a raised eyebrow as he took in the board, grimacing eternally at the carnage that depicted the imaginary battle inside the king's head. "You sacrificed nearly every piece on the board to reach the king… tell me do you feel as if you were going to be the reason for everyone's downfall if you stayed in your place?" Steven questioned as he started rearranging the pieces, frowning at the places he found some pieces, and how clearly the foolish king had sacrificed the king to keep the rest of the pieces out of harm's way of the invading army… interesting road the foolish king choose, but it was one that would be filled with many disappointment and heartache… as much as Steven wanted to deny it, he can't because, in the end, his father was right…

You can learn about someone from a game of Hnefatafl more than you can from seeing and hearing…

"You are not supposed to be here." The king said without the bite that usually accompanied his tone when he wanted to rile Steven up, and with an undertone of tiredness that the Omega managed to catch. "Why are you even here? I thought you were going to spend your time with your pack until after the Winter sports ended…" The Alpha stated, his eyes not leaving the board that Steven managed to arrange at the restart point. "That and I do not know what you are implying." The king dismissed, finally seeming to remember what Steven implied when he came inside.

"I had to finish something that needed to be done…" Steven stated, the anger returning back only to dash once more when the king did nothing but nod his head and gaze at the board. "It can be postponed for now until we are done playing the game," Steven said in a demanding voice, wanting to see what the king was going to do; to Steven's shock and concern, the Alpha did not argue or do anything other than nodding and wait for Steven to take the lead, which never before happened when Steven ordered the king to do his bedding. Slowly, Steven took the initiative and move one piece of the army line, waiting for what the king's next action was, which to Steven's surprise, was pulling away from one of the king's defense lines leaving him in easy reach for Steven's army. "You have… given up… why?" Steven asked slowly, studying the board and the one action that the king did which turned everything in Steven's favor, his fingers twitching as part of him refused to believe what he was seeing, when he knew for a fact that the foolish king before him was too arrogant and confident to do such a stupid thing.

"Are we talking about the game, or are you implying something by your words?" The king answered his question with a question, causing Steven to frown and make his move on the board, ignoring the easy access the king had given him to win and choose to move another piece from another squad; which to Steven's irritation caused the foolish king to take away another line of defense.

"Neither… both… it does not matter when you seemed to have made up your mind…" Steven stated, leaning back and studying the king this time, trying to ignore his raisin hackles when the Alpha continued to gaze at the board with empty eyes. "Where did the arrogant Alpha who gave me the furs disappear to?" Steven questioned, curiosity coloring his tone as he studied the man in front of him, wondering if the subject of marriage was heavier than Steven gave it a thought other than the king being delusional for thinking that Steven was going to accept him.

"He is taking a rest…" The king mumbled, once again taking another line of defense, leaving Steven with a straight path to win if he wanted to end this stupid game and leave the king alone. Steven wetted his lips before pressing his lips tightly, gazing at the Alpha before bringing up the reason that made him storm to the king's house in anger.

"Why did you give me the furs when they were a courting gift to your future mate?" Steven questioned in a neutral voice, taking pride in how he didn't let the anger and hate to color his voice; Steven just looked at the man who stilled for a second before making another move, finally countering Steven's advance on the board and pushing him away a few paces; no doubt trying to distract Steven with his next move, but Steven didn't care, he just waited until the foolish king gather himself enough to talk before making his next move.

"From where did you hear that?" The king finally spoke after what seemed like forever, causing Steven to close his eyes in annoyance when the man encountered his question with another one.

"I would have you know, that the market is full of gossiping people who love talking about everything under the sky," Steven stated, ignoring how the king let out a tired curse followed by a sigh as he questioned further. "The furs were supposed to be a courting present, and you wanted to give them to me… tell me, why did you lie about your intentions?" Steven continued to gaze at the king's face, moving another pawn as he continued to study the Alpha.

"I did not lie; I wanted to give you the furs from the start…" The Alpha admits, causing Steven to pause in his place and for him to bite his tongue to stop the harsh words that wanted to leave him. "It is true that everyone kept talking about how the bear furs would make such a wonderful courting gift to my future mate…" Spate the king, causing Steven to raise his eyebrow at the venom that left the king's mouth as he said the word 'Mate', not flinching when the king more or less slammed the next pawn in the place he wanted. "But the furs were never intended to be a courting gift… but a gift I choose to give to you as an offer of friendship." Steven hummed as he tilted his head to the side, knowing that there was something deeper than the king refuses to talk about.

"You speak the truth… but not the whole truth." Steven wet his lips as he said that, gazing at the board to see that if the two of them continued at this pace then it meant that he was going to win. "You wanted to ask for my hand in marriage… you wanted to court me like an Alpha does to an Omega… but something stopped you and made you change your mind, what is it?" Steven pressed, wanting to know the truth, even if it was an unpleasant one, even if it meant that he would end up knocking the table upside down and punch the king in the nose… even if…

Steven waited and watched, studying the many emotions flickering in the king's eyes before the Alpha seemed to gather himself and made his move on the board, and with it came the king's answer. "Beside the knowledge of you killing me if I made such a move?" The Alpha joked a little, trying to lighten the mood that was turning tense as the seconds passed, suffocating everyone in the room as the two stopped their game to study each other. "Tell me… were you married to someone before the Hydra king?" The Alpha suddenly asked, causing a hitched breath to be trapped in Steven's chest at such a sudden question that turned his life upside down in seconds. "It was the 'What if' that mainly did it… what if he used to be married? What if the Hydra king came to his village and killed his husband? What if his family was alive somewhere? What if The Queen only accepts marrying you to take his revenge by hurting your son? I wanted to ignore them but I…" The king shrugged his shoulders, returning back to the table, leaving Steven lost in his head before he managed to control himself enough to move a piece on the board.

"I was promised to someone when I was young but they died when the Hydra king destroyed our village… I only knew after I came here with my pack." Steven whispered, his words gaining a nod from the king whose eyes flicked to Steven before turning away. "And you are really a fool to think I would hurt your son to get to you… I am not in the habit of hurting the innocent; if I wanted, I could kill you right here, right now without anyone knowing who did it." Steven continued, gaining a smile from the king who seemed to find his words amusing. "I still do not understand how you started to fancy me though? I thought that with all of my obvious hate and me always humiliating and defying your words, you would hate for me to be near you, not fancy the thought of me as your spouse… unless you are the type who gets aroused by such thing." Steven replied dryly, not caring how vulgar his words were, which to Steven's surprise only made the Alpha laugh with joy apparent in his eyes.

"Gods… never a boring moment with you…" The king laughed until he finally managed to calm down enough, the smile though refused to leave the Alpha's face as he gazed at Steven with a look that made him cross between uncomfortable and flushed from how warm and sparkling the Alpha's eyes were. "Who knows why I fancy you? It may be because your words were true, or it may be another reason completely… but we like who we like…" Steven pressed his lips into a tight line at the king's admission, not knowing what to say to such words. "What if… what if you gave me until the end of winter?" The Alpha suddenly asked causing Steven's eyes to dart to the king's face, raising his eyebrow at the determined look on the man's face. "If I managed to catch your fancy by the end of winter... and manage not to die in the process… will you accept being my husband?" Steven's breath hitched at these words, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek as he saw the king gazing at Steven with hope in his eyes, gazing at Steven like he held all the answers.

Steven should say no… he should tell the Alpha to not tire himself with such a fruitless quest because Steven was never going to accept the king's request… Steven should say no… but the way the king was looking at him now reminded him of someone he thought he had lost decades ago; those hopeful wide brown eyes gazing at Steven were similar to the ones who sparkled with joy when Steven accepted the pendant around his neck years and years ago… maybe that way why Steven gave in, maybe it was why he pasted a challenging smile on his face and said. "Until the end of winter, you say? We will see…" Steven could only watch silently as he saw the king make his last move on the board, the surprise and shock made Steven's breath hitch when he noticed…

The king had won…

So what do you think?

Finally an update! Yay!

And I still don't know why this fic always gets the short stick in the updating poll… oh well… I can't help it.

But at least Steve and Tony made a progress! Right?

Poor Peter, though, I want to hug him… T^T

Hnefatafl:-

Is a type of chess that Vikings played which is called "Hnefatafl" it means game or king board, where "King" refers to a particular piece in the game. This board game was like modern-day chess, yet some believed that it mimicked a Viking raid, and the object of the game was interpreted as defeating the opposing king.

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Nazaki-Sama