…The Iron King…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, sadness, a little bit of angst, Tony finally apologizing, and Fury is here! 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 10

Anger course through Steven as he walked as far as he can, trying to put as much distance between him and the foolish king who accused him of something unforgivable. Fury still took hold of Steven every time he was forced to remember that the uncultured and brute king accused him of being a prostitute just because the queen decided to be friendly with him, accepting his friendship and rewarding it with a gift. Steven should have known though, all Alphas were the same; brutes, arrogant, so full of themselves. Steven thought that the king was different, for the Alpha seemed to see that Steven was not a delicate Omega in need of protection and shelter. Steven was even hopeful that the man would be a true friend and ally against the Stone family; what a disappointment, the Alpha finally showed his true color, and on one of the happy days that Steven experienced since a long time ago.

Glaring, Steven's hands twitched several times as he tried to calm the fire that roared inside his body; he tried to stop himself from picking the first thing his eyes fell on and breaking it into tiny pieces. A prostitute! The nerve! Alphas were so full of themselves, always thinking that a genuine offer of friendship meant more than what it really was. Foolish brute, uncultured Alpha! As if Steven was ever going to bed someone so brutish and feral, a bastard with no regard for Omegas and their feelings! Steven would kill himself than bed someone like the foolish king, even if he was the last Alpha in this damn land!

A prostitute! Just thinking about it made Steven nearly backtrack and search for the foolish king and end him; maybe if he ripped his knot and shove it down his throat, the foolish king would learn not to insult Omegas from then on. Maybe the brute would even learn some humility if he started thinking with his head and not his knot; Steve was tempting to end the useless Alpha here and now if he didn't want to ruin this day for his people.

Taking a deep breath, Steven let out a tired sigh, grumbling as he looked around the place he was in to see that he walked deeper into the force in his hast of putting as much space between him and the Alpha before he did something he would regret. A few more deep breaths, Steven managed to calm his temper down enough to start tricking back toward the village, planning on spending the next fortnight with his people and ignoring the useless Alpha as he flounders around the place.

Blinking, Steven's lips curl into a snarl when his ears caught a noise that wasn't normally associated with the forest; controlling himself, Steven huffed as he turned around and started to walk deeper into the forest, frowning darkly when the faint sound continued to follow him. Whoever was the person following Steven, the person was no doubt trying to hide his presence; any other person wouldn't have noticed the shadow, but not Steven, for the Omega spent years mastering how to catch the enemies and the shadows the Hydra king send after him.

"I advise you to show yourself; you would not like what I am to do if you continued this game of cat and mouse," Steve called out after he reached a small clearing in the forest, turning his head to the direction he last hear the shadow from. A dark look was painting his face as he waited for the person who would dare to show their face, wondering if it was one of Tyber's minions sent after him.

A few more minutes pass before the shadow finally decided to show itself, causing Steven's eyes to widen and for his jaw to fall a little; shock painted his face clearly when he saw the person in front of him. Steve blinked his eyes, wondering if what he was seeing was true, that the person standing in front of him was real and not a play of his imagination. A part of Steven couldn't help but wonder if the Alpha standing in front of him was the same Alpha his family considered a dear friend; Nicolaus Fiðr, an Alpha supposed to have died in the sea not long after Steven and his mother left Brookland.

But that can't be true, it can't be… if Nicolaus was alive, then does that mean Volundrsson is alive too? "It has been a long time, has it not?" The Alpha said casually, but Steven managed to detect the mistrust and doubt in the man's eye, causing Steven's lips to twitch. "You cannot imagine my surprise when I heard about the new Omega from the south, a Queen that goes by the name Steven; but that is not your real name, is it… Stefán Róaldr…" Another step from the Alpha, causing Steve to raise his head and glared at the man willing the emotions in his chest to still and not act out; part of him couldn't help but wonder, what Nicolaus was thinking of him that he turned out to be married (Even if it was forced) to the man who destroyed his home.

"That is a big accusation, do you not think so… Nicolaus Fiðr," Steven stated, his lips twitching into a soft smile when he saw the relief in the older man's eye. "Last time we saw you, my mother threatened you with castration if you died in the sea… it is a relief that you ended up heeding her words." Steven offered, his words banishing the last of the Alpha's doubts and causing a smile to twitch on the Alpha's lips.

"Then it is good that I have kept my promise." The Alpha smiled before his lips twitched down, already informing Steven of the line of thoughts the man was thinking. "How did you end in the south, Stefán?" Nicolaus asked the curiosity and wonder were swimming in the man's eye, causing Steve to press his lips tightly to form a thin line.

"Does it really matter?" Steven asked, a faraway look in his eyes before he let out a tired sigh, leaning on the tree behind him and shrugging his shoulder. "I think you already know, or suspect, either way, I ended up there, a slave for my enemy." Steven saw the twitch of anger the Alpha tried to suppress, and Steven could only look away from the man. "My mother is dead…" A harsh intake of breath, causing Steven to clench his hands into tight fists before crossing his arms over his chest; Steven wondered what the Alpha was thinking of when he heard this painful truth, especially when his mother was considered as a sister.

"I see…" Nicolaus ended up saying, his words causing Steven to frown, wondering what possibly the man can see. "I saw an annoying child who took it as his duty to call me an eye patch; he reminds me of an annoying lad I once knew, do you by a chance know who he is?" Nicolaus ended up changing the subject completely by asking that question and Steven couldn't be more grateful for the man's insight.

The words Nicolaus said did nothing but gain a short laugh from the Omega, Steven already knew what the Alpha meant, and he promised himself that his babe was in for a reward; any other person Steven would have punished his babe with a swat on the bum, but because it was Nicolaus, Steven would let it slide this time. "Aye, his name is James…" Steven said which only got him a raised eyebrow from the Alpha causing Steven to chuckle and shake his head. "It is not his Nordic name, but the boy is attached to it; until he decides to take his birth name, he would be called James," Steven explained, getting a nod from the man who came to sit beside Steven leaning on the tree behind them.

Steven gazed at the man in surprise, then a small smile took over his face as he lowered himself into a sitting position; it was awkward for a few minutes, both don't know what to say to the person they haven't seen in many years, a lifetime even. Other than Steven knowing that the Alpha had reached his fifties (And looking surprisingly young and alive) and few other information that Steven doubted staying the same as the years passed. Steven doesn't really know that much about the Alpha; how did he survive the seas when he was announced dead? Did he marry or was he still grieving for his dead mate? Where was Nicolaus when Brookland was burned to the ground? Many questions and so many answers Steven could gain. Nicolaus seemed to have the same thoughts as Steven because the Alpha cleared his throat and started talking, filling Steven about what happened in his life and what he missed while Brookland was still standing. A smile crossed over Steven's face, the anger he felt earlier this morning all but disappear as longing filled him when the older man talked about their home. Nicolaus was a family; he was like his uncle, seeing him after all these years brought bittersweet happiness. If only was his mother here, she would have pulled the Alpha's ears for the no doubt over-exaggerated stories the Alpha claimed to go through that gave him the title 'Fury Of The Seven Seas'.

Steven smiled as he took in the stories he heard, his eyes misted a little when the Alpha talked about how Brookland fare in his absence, and how Steven's betrothal became nothing but a pain in the behind when he reached his young adulthood. "W…what happened to Volundrsson?" Steven finally decided to ask, gathering the courage that eluded him for hours as he listens to the Alpha and getting insight into each other's lives.

Nicolaus paused at the question, causing Steven to clench his fists tightly as he looked at the tree… Please, say he is alive… kept chanting inside his head over and over again, causing Steven's breath to pick up. "He…" Whatever harsh reality Nicolaus was going to inform Steven of was cut by the sound of Petrus and James coming near the clearing, calling Steven's name as they squealed and laughed while searching for Steven, no doubt the two of them were roughhousing as they tried to find him.

"In here!" Steven called out as he stood up, shaking his head and sending Nicolaus an amused look; Steven didn't even have to wait that long for the children to break through the tree line, laughing as they raced toward Steven and throw themselves in his arms. "You seem more energetic than you were this morn, why is that?" Steven asked, chuckling when James and Petrus started blabbering at the same time.

"Eye-Patch!" James suddenly shouted as he pointed at Nicolaus, causing the Alpha to glare at the pup and send Steven an accusing look, which ended up with the Omega smiling in amusement. Count on his babe to be just like him, a blunt kid who calls them as he sees them; that was the same exact title he gave Nicolaus when he saw him for the first time, the difference was that his dam had pulled his ears for insulting the Alpha.

"Brat!" The Alpha growled as he stood up, trying to intimidate James, only for the boy to squeak and hiss at the man, calling him a 'Mean Eye-Patch' which got a nervous giggle from Petrus and a snort from Steven; that's his son. "Anyways… about your betrothal; I am sure you are away of what happened to Brookland… you see, that day ch-" Nicolaus wasn't even able to continue his speech before the sound of horns blaring out, causing Steven and Nicolaus to frown; in the back of his mind, Steven was grateful that Nicolaus was stopped from breaking what's left of his heart, because Steven doesn't need a reminder that his betroth has met his end, or that he as alive elsewhere and already mated with children. "What's going on?" Nicolaus asked, turning his question to Petrus and James when he saw the two pups jumping impatiently with wide grins on their faces.

"Father is back from the hunt! You will not believe, My Queen, but father managed to slay a bear!" Petrus gushed about the king, going on and on how huge the bear was and how it would probably last the village for months. Steven's lips twitched up at the enthusiastic look on both his babe and the king's son; the smile though fell as he glimpses the dark frown mixed with shock on Nicolaus' face…

Did something happen?

"Did you hear?"

"D-did you hear?"

"… Tyber… he… death…"

"A bear! Impossible!"

"This never happened before…"

"Is he an Oathbreaker? The Hydra Queen said…"

"Impossible, he is an enemy…"

"But I heard…"

"Quite!"

Whispers and near shouts were heard all around the village, causing Steven to furrow his brows as he gazed at the crowd that formed near the village square, no doubt surrounding the king and his party. Tilting his head, Steven tried to listen carefully to what the people around him were saying, a frown made itself known on his face when he heard the snipped conversation and shock exclamation… what happened?

"The Queen is here…"

Someone in the crowd whisper causing a hushed silence to take over the village as they turned to gaze at Steven, their eyes were wide as disbelief shine deep within them, causing the Omega to straighten and glare at anyone daring them to look at him. "Nattalegg, what is going on?" Nicolaus asked when they came near the red-haired Alpha, 'The Widow' Steven's mind remind him as he narrowed his eyes at the way the woman studied him before turning to Nicolaus.

"A bear attacked the hunting party." The Alpha explained, sending a glare from the corner of her eyes at the Stone family, causing Steven to raise his eyebrow. "It was not much of an attack, for the bear turned away to continue its path; Tyber on the other hand decided on his own to attack the bear, gaining the anger of Gods with his reckless behavior." Steven tried not to wince at the admission, already knowing that the Beta made a huge mistake going against the Gods' will and attacking a peaceful animal not seeking a fight.

"That is impossible; no bear lives in this nick of the woods," Nicolaus said, gazing around the place as if trying to confirm his words, the Alpha's eyes fell on something before it darkened and his sight returned to Nattalegg once more. "How many?" Nicolaus asked, and Steven doesn't need to be smart to hear the complete question; how many hunters died? A bear attack would likely result in many deaths before the rest of the hunters get the chance to kill the animal.

"Surprisingly, no one; the King was fortunate to react fast and kill the bear." The woman offered which cause Nicolaus to let out a relieved sigh, and even Steven managed to hide the relieved smile nearly taking over his face; for once the king was smart and managed to stop the inevitable. "I heard that Tyber pushed The King toward the bear…" Nattalegg whispered in a low voice as she came to stand near Nicolaus, her words gained nothing but a harsh frown from the Alpha.

Steven could only press his lips tightly together as he continued to hear the whispers around him increasing once more, forcing him to let out a harsh breath through his nose, especially when he saw a finger or two pointing in his direction. "Mama! The bear, I want to see it, please!" James called out, pulling at Steven's pants and causing the Omega to smile at the babe, not wanting to stay here longer, even if it meant disappointing his pup.

"Maybe another time, sweetheart; I promised Margaret to help her today, do you not remember?" Steven tried to persuade his son, which gained him a giant pout as the boy gazed at the crowd surrounding the bear before he let out a sigh and nod his head reluctantly, probably sensing that Steven doesn't want to stay here any longer. "Thank you, sweetheart…" Steven whispered before he leaned down to kiss his babe's forehead; standing Steven turned to Nicolaus who was talking in a hushed voice with Nattalegg. "Nicolaus, I apologies for my hast, but I need to leave to check on my people," Steven said, trying not to roll his eyes at the way Nattalegg's eyes widen in shock when Steven used the man's given name. "Oh, and before I forget, my name now is Steven, so please use it," Steven whispered to Nicolaus, causing the man to frown as he opened his mouth to protest, but in the end, the man just closed his mouth and nod in acceptance, he would probably question Steven about that later but until then the Omega has time.

"Who was that mean Eye-Patch, Mama?" James asked after the two of them left the crowded area, which caused Steven to relax that he finally managed to escape the whispering and pointing fingers. Hearing his babe's words caused a chuckle to leave Steven's lips, amusement coursing through him at his son pout; as much as Steven wanted his son to enjoy himself and see the bear just like he wanted, Steven can't stay one more second with the people who kept pointing at him and shying away in fear.

"Ah, do not let Nicolaus catch you saying these words or he would pull your ears," Steven warned which earned him a pout from his boy who started grumbling, which caused Steven to laugh softly and shake his head. "He is a family friend… an uncle… he was my father's Shield brother," Steven whispered, causing James to blink and turn to Steven with wide eyes, no surprise considering that Steven rarely talks about his Sire and Dam, not wanting to remember the pain of losing them because of his failure. "Listen to me carefully, James; if anything is to happen, no matter what it is, I want you to go immediately to Nicolaus and no one else." That order caused the small boy to stop in his place, scrunching his nose in deep thoughts.

"Why?" James ended up asking, and Steven can't blame his boy, not when Steven was practically asking him to trust a stranger that he only saw two separate occasions for a very short time. But out of the whole village, Nicolaus was the only person Steven can trust wholly with his son and pack, not even Loki and Thor gained his trust like his uncle who seemed to come back from the dead.

"Because he is a family, and a family protects each other; if given the chance, Nicolaus would even protect our friends." James tilted his head at those words, blinking a few times as he seemed to try and wrap his mind around Steven's logic; thankfully, his son didn't take a long time before he nodded his head, accepting Steven's orders with a happy smile.

"James!" A voice called out causing Steven and James to turn in the direction of the caller, only to see Petrus run toward them, panting as he reached them while pouting a storm at his son. "Where were you?" Petrus asked his cheeks buffed with how angry he is. "You promised you would come and see the bear with me, but you disappeared as soon as we reached the village square." This time it was a whine as Petrus gazed at James with wide shiny eyes.

The sight before him nearly caused Steven to laugh out loud at such a display; his son seemed really closed with Petrus to let the boy talk to him like that without glaring or huffing. "The bear is not going anywhere, Petrus, the two of you can see the bear whenever you like." Spoke someone behind Steven, causing the Omega to grit his teeth tightly when the king's voice filter through his ears, the anger that vanished after his talk with Nicolaus return full force when he was thrust into the dilemma that was the foolish king. "The two of you can go and see the bear if you want, I want to have a word with the queen, just wave to Jamti and he would show you the kill." The king continued after throwing a hopeful glance toward Steven who was forced to smile tightly when he saw his son and Petrus gaze at him with hopeful and sparkling eyes.

Biting his tongue, Steven forced a smile on his lips as he gazed at the pups, trying to stop himself from turning and slapping the king in the face; not only the stupid Alpha forced him into this kind of situation, but the man also tried to sway his pup away from his side by using this low trick. "You can go and see the bear, sweetheart, just make sure you behave… take Margaret with you," Steven said through gritted teeth, counting in his head to stop himself from doing something stupid like kicking the Alpha where the sun doesn't shine.

A harsh sigh left Steven when he saw the two boys run toward the village square once more, squealing in delight as they rushed to see the bear that was the talk of the village. Thinking of his options, Steven gritted his teeth as he started walking to the king's massive home, wanting to have the conversation there and not anywhere near where his people resident last he strangled the Alpha. The king seemed to catch on to his line of thoughts, for the man shut his mouth and didn't start any conversation until they reached the house, which Steven was grateful for because if the man had dared to open his mouth before Steven was ready to hear him, he would have castrated the Alpha right here in front of anyone who would see.

"Talk…" Steven hissed as they reached the workshop, glaring at the Alpha and taking a dark pleasure in the flinch the man let; serve him right! What did the man expect Steven to do after the accusation he throw in Steven's face, smile at him, and play coy? In fact, the man had a few seconds to talk before Steven rips his eyes out and throws them to the birds.

When a few seconds passed in silence and the king refused to speak, Steven let out a low hiss before he turned away, planning on leaving and admonish himself for wasting his precious time for someone who wasn't worth it. "I apologize!" The king said, causing Steven to stop in his place and turn to the king, raising his eyebrow as he tilted his head, ordering the king to continue or he would leave; the king seemed to get the message because he shuffled a bit in his place before gazing at the queen with a raised head. "I am deeply sorry for what I said earlier, I should not have let my anger control me and unleash it on you just because I was having a bad day; I promise I this would not happen again." The king said, causing Steven to frown and gaze at the man, trying to see the deception in his tone; when he saw the honestly instead of deception, Steven pressed his lips into a tight line wondering what to do.

"Some words cannot be forgiven that easily," Steven stated harshly, causing the Alpha to flinch and nod his head, looking uncomfortable as the seconds passed; Steven pressed his lips tightly at that, breathing through his nose before he thrust his hand forward. "The amulet," Steven ordered, planning on taking the amulet he made and leave this place; Steven was an idiot for giving something this precious to someone this brute, maybe the amulet would be a nice gift to someone that wasn't ungrateful as the king was. "W-what happened to the…?" Steven's words trailed after he saw what the king put in his extended hand, wondering if his sight was failing him, or if this was really the amulet that Steven gave to the king not a few hours ago.

"The bear…" The king stated, causing Steven to look at him in disbelieve that worked its way to anger as Steven glared at the man, planning on throwing the scratch-up wood at the man's face and snapping an 'I told you!' at the Alpha's face. "The amulet protected me, and for that, I am grateful to you." The harsh frown caused the man to flinch once more, especially when Steven continued to glare at him without stopping. "I am truly sorry, I truly am; that is why I wanted to give you this as my token for an apology." The king said before he nearly run into his workshop, hoping for safety no doubt from Steven who decided that breaking the king's empty head is better than going back to his people's hut. "Here, please, do not kill me; I had enough facing a bear as it is." The king stated, thrusting a Shield in Steven's way causing the man to glare at the Alpha when he stumbled a few steps back.

Before Steven managed to hit the Alpha on the head, a gasp left his throat as his eyes fell on the Shield in the man's grip; part of him couldn't believe what he was seeing, wondering if this was a trick of the imagination, another part couldn't help but walk closer to the man, raising his hand and tracing the star in his sight with wide and nearly wild eyes. "How…?" Steven whispered the question in a soft voice, not wanting his voice to break if he spoke louder than needed. How did the Alpha find his Shield when Steven spent years searching?

"It was found in the treasure room, hidden in a secret room." Steven's breath hitched at that, years of trying to search for his Shield and his weapon was under his nose all along, how humiliating… though, Steven couldn't help but swallow, wondering in the back of his mind about the price the Alpha in front of him wanted for the Shield. "I want nothing in exchange for this gift, only the hope of starting once again." The Alpha said, causing Steven to press his lips tightly as he swallowed, his eyes misting as he continued to gaze at the Shield.

"Just this once, foolish king…" Steven finally managed to choke out after what felt like forever, taking the Shield away from the Alpha and inhaling when he felt like a lost limb was back after many years passed. "If you repeated what happened early that day, the next time I will not be that forgiven, I will kill you," Steven warned, getting a nod from the king, which ended with him huffing. "You are an idiot for not listening to me… and I am staying away for the next fortnight," Steven stated with his head raised high, turning away from the Alpha as he continued to his people's house with his heart pounding loudly in his chest, many different emotions were coursing through him at the thought of him getting his Shield back after years of pain and suffering…

Maybe the king wasn't that bad after all…

So what do you think?

Sorry for the really short chapter, but I am really busy this week.

Finally, we knew Steve's real name! Who knew that Fury was such a softie?

Steve – Stefán Róaldr:

From the Greek name (Stephanos) which means crown; as for (Róaldr) it is a variant form of (Hróaldr) which meant honorable ruler.

Fury – Nicolaus Fiðr:

Latin form of (Nikolaos) which means victory; as for (Fiðr) it is Old Norse variant form of (Finnr) which meant wanderer.

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama