Summary: so sorry it took so long! This and the next chapter will probably finish this story up.
Disclaimer: Still only own OCs.
… = will be explained in the notes at the end.
*"Well, you do realize that you'll have to come home now." Harold stated. Snakes just stared at him for a moment, before vanishing before their eyes. *
"Nathaniel?!" Harold said in alarm.
"It's okay, he does this all the time." Scarlet said, suppressing a chuckle at his expression.
"He does?" Harold asked, surprised that his little Nathen had become so distant and mysterious.
~Five days later, Snake-eyes POV~
'Hey, how are you?' I asked Scarlet after I scared her while sneaking into the room.
"Recovering from a heart attack, how about you?" She asked me.
My shoulders shook with my wheezy laughter. 'I, I think I have to go. But I don't want to.' I signed to her.
"Oh Snake, I know. I don't want you to go either, but you have to." She said.
'Come with me.' I signed before I could stop myself.
"Snake, are you sure? I mean, if you want me to, I would love to. We could also say that I am only going to teach the others sign language." She said excitedly.
'You actually want to come?' I asked.
"Yes, I do. How about we go and speak with Harold in a day or two. Or are you ready to speak with him today?" She asked me.
'Let's go speak to him.' I signed to her.
~5 min later, Harold's room. ~
"I am so glad that you decided to join us. I was starting to worry that you would never agree to this." Harold said.
"He says that he is only doing this because of the honor taught to him, his wanting to remember his family, and his memories of you." Scarlet translated for me.
"Of course, and thank you for joining us. We would be hard pressed to understand him otherwise." Harold said.
"He wants you to know that he was a very good boy, but it took a long time to come home." Scarlet translated for me in a confused tone.
Harold's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "I am so sorry that you had to endure what you did. And yes, it's been a long time since you've been home." He said in an uneven voice.
I stood there and smiled under my mask. I felt tears building in my eyes, something that hadn't happened in years. I then reached up for my mask, and pulled it up. Harold gasped as he saw my face. "Oh Nathan, what happened to you?" He asked as he touched my face. I leaned into the touch, for it reminded me of how much of a father Harold had been to me.
"That's why he wears the mask." Scarlet said simply. She had traced those scars when I had been in my medically induced coma.
"How did… this happen?" Harold asked hesitantly.
"It was an explosion along with a hard life, that's all he wishes to say about it." Scarlet translated.
"How about this?" Harold asked, and traced the ropy scar on my neck.
"He doesn't wish to talk about it, too many secrets when it comes to that." Scarlet said.
I gave him an uneasy smile, then slipped my mask back on.
~One week later, airport in Alaska, author's POV~
"Well, it's been an honor." Hawk said, saluting Snake-eyes and Scarlet.
"Indeed sir. We'll keep in touch." Scarlet said for herself and Snake-eyes.
"Im losing two of my best soldiers, you had better take care of them." Hawk said, looking pointedly at Harold.
"Of course, nothing shall get to either of them. For he is the prince, and she is his guest and translator.
"I'll miss you." Duke said to both of them, but his eyes lingered on Scarlet.
"We'll miss you too." Scarlet responded.
Snake-eyes then placed his hand gently on her back, and led her away. The flight took 8 hours and 32 minutes to get to Oslo Norway. Snake-eyes was clearly excited. It took two more hours to get to the palace, everyone wanted to see the lost prince come home. It was interesting when they reached the palace…
~Scarlet's POV~
We walk up to the palace doors a man who is about six foot one or two comes out. "Well, if it isn't little Nathen. Decided to come home from you little escapade?" he asked in a voice that I instantly pegged as dangerous. "Oh, and who's your beautiful little friend?" He asked as he spotted me. I had to resist the urge to hide behind Snake-eyes.
"This is Prince Nathaniel, the rightful King of Norway. She is his translator." Harold declared with an almost venomous voice.
"Ha, he's little more than a boy." The 'King' of Norway said vehemently.
Snake-eyes started signing to me and I had to prepare myself for what I was about to say. "Nathaniel says that if you think that is so, then you can follow the ancient customs of our people and have a bout of single combat for the throne. Or you can merely step down and let me inherit what is rightfully mine." I translated.
"Why doesn't he say so himself? What too scared to so instead you hide behind her apron like the frightened child you are?!" the king asked.
"He is not cowardly, he has gone through more than you have ever even dreamed of, and one of his trials cost him his voice." I said, the threat in my voice obvious.
"Know your place, child. I am King Asbjorn!" Asbjorn declared.
"And he is the rightful heir to the throne." Arne, one of Snake's Guards, said.
"Silence! I shall NOT tolerate insubordination!" Asbjorn screamed at Arne.
"Are you cowardly enough to decline his challenge by combat?" I asked angrily.
"How dare you!" Asbjorn hissed.
"Well, what is your answer. That was a fair question." Harold said.
"Fine I will participate in your little Royal Abdiserer Kampen tomorrow." Asbjorn announced.
~The following day, one hour until sundown, Snake-eyes POV~
"The rules are simple: no weapons, no low blows, only the clothing we have dictated, and the last one standing because of the other one's death or surrender. Now let us start!" Svein, the fight supervisor, announced.
"You shall be defeated my deformed nephew, and then you will run back to where you came from with your tail between your legs." Asbjorn mocked me.
I merely gave him a glare that would have killed him if looks could kill. We were both shirtless, and had tighter pants on. I didn't have my mask; everyone had recoiled when they saw my face. I was glad of it this time, Asbjorn couldn't stand to look me in the face. I smirked, ^His mistake^.
I let the fight last thirty minutes, I was letting him try to hit me for twenty-five of those. The last five was when I attacked. He had stumbled many times, but this would be the last time. I jumped up, and did a spin kick right to his face. He went down, and didn't get back up.
"Come on, let's go look at the damage." Bjorn, the medic, said to Harold.
"Indeed, that was a good kick, never seen anything like it." Harold responded. When they got there I had no marks on me. "Wow, I'm impressed. My King." He said to me. I stiffened when he called me his king, I had always been Nathanial to him.
"He isn't dead, just unconscious. So the Crown Prince Nathaniel is now king!" Bjorn shouted. Instantly everyone started cheering, and chanting my name. Only, I didn't know what to do.
"Snake, don't vanish. Just stay calm, please." Scarlet said, appearing at my side.
I smiled and nodded. I then turned to her and mouthed "thank you" to her. She beamed at me, she had been the only one not to flinch when I unveiled my face. I gave her an award winning smile, but it fell when Bjorn made his next announcement:
"Now we must announce his engagement!" he said.
My jaw dropped. Scarlet was stunned into silence. "His betrothed is the Lady Liv of the family Kristiansen." There was an audible gasp from the crowd, but then they started cheering. I forced my jaw shut and forced a smile. Scarlet did the same when she saw what I was doing.
I then became angry when I realized why they did this, I couldn't refuse when in public, and I had to marry her unless I wished to make my personal helpers into liars. My jaw tightened, but I kept my happy façade up. Scarlet then told Harold that she and I wished to go home, get some sleep, and let this sink in. Harold agreed, and we headed home. My new home.
When we got home, Harold took us to our rooms. I ended up sneaking into Scarlet's room. "Hey Snake, how're ya doin'" she said in her southern drawl. She could always calm me with that drawl.
'I am rather nervous to be engaged to someone I don't know. Will you go home now?' I signed, worried about what her answer might be.
"Maybe, I don't know yet." She said quietly, worried about my reaction.
I gave her a sharp nod. 'I didn't expect you to stay, but I'd like you to teach my… my…' I tried, but couldn't make myself say it.
"You want me to teach your fiancé sign language." She said. I merely nodded, and she agreed.
To be continued…
Recovering from a heart attack, how about you? - this is something I decided to throw in there because it's exactly what I said after my friend snuck up on me and scared me.