"So how was your day, Annie?"

She and Ragnar sat at the small table in the small antechamber leading to his bedroom, eating dinner. A pair of lamps provided all the light they needed.

Thinking about Ragnar's question, Annie had to say that it had been a good day. She hadn't had to fight, or kill, or be kidnapped and held hostage, so an alright day. She and Eleanor had slipped out of Arnolf's unnoticed, and picked up several other… things at Annie's request.

She'd returned to Vanirhaus to find Ragnar cooking, his eyes blurry and his cheeks rosy.

It looks like he tried to drink to keep up with Tyr.

"It was good, Eleanor is an… interesting woman."

Ragnar nodded, his mouth full of chicken.

"Yeah, she's really been the closest thing I've had to a mother," He said, swallowing, "She's been there for me just as long as Luigi has." He smiled, "So, Annie, Who are you? I'm curious to know more about you."

Unlike Eleanor, Ragnar seemed genuinely curious about her, and she had already made the decision to tell him the truth… well most of the truth.

"Well, I'm from a village called Raion. It's pretty small, my family and a few others, all of them linked by marriage."

"Siblings?"

"I had an older brother, but he disappeared just after I was born… when my mother died in childbirth…"

Ragnar looked at her, his eyes wide.

"So, we both lost our mothers…"

Annie nodded, her thoughts drifting back to her home.

"Ragnar," She said tentatively, staring down at her plate, clutching the necklace Ragnar had given her, "What is your father like?"

"He is… like a mountain, cold, hard and unfathomable. He's at least a hundred years old now, although since he's a Jotunn, aging hasn't affected him quite as badly," Ragnar paused, his eyes flashing with the past, "I have spent very little time with my father, usually only during ceremonial duties. The last time we spoke was two years ago at the Founding Festival… Which happens to be a week from now."

"Founding Festival?"

Ragnar nodded, pushing his plate away.

"Yeah, it takes place every two years to celebrate my father's founding of Jotunheim. All of the nobles and the Princes must swear their loyalty once again. Then there is a two day long celebration, a number of Balls and Gala's, followed by the Ceremony of Lights. Annie, would you go with me to the dances?"

"Of course. On one condition."

"Name it."

"Eleanor told me about the… Atlas Falls, I think she called them," Eleanor hadn't, she'd heard someone refer to them though, "I want you to take me to see them, tonight."

"The Atlas Fall's, Annie? Tonight?"

"Yes."

"We won't make it before the morning, okay, comeon, I'll saddle the horses."

He stood, stretching his arms.

Annie's heart swelled. But her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You… you're really going to take me to see them now? No, arguments?"

Ragnar laughed.

"You said you wanted to go, and I want you to see them. At least, the ride will give us plenty of time to talk, and it's better than sitting here."

Annie grabbed a pack that she had just so happened to have sitting near the door and followed him out.

They let themselves out of the room quietly, tip toeing past Luigi and Eleanor's rooms.

It took Ragnar only a few moments to saddle their horses, but it took them nearly five minutes to get past the guards at the gate.

"Please, My Prince, we cannot leave you unprotected," One of them pleaded, "At least allow us to send a few riders with you."

But Ragnar waved them aside.

"No, I wish to have some time to myself. I order you not to inform Chief Guardians Eleanor or Luigi until tomorrow morning."

And then they rode past them through the gates.

They were silent until they passed the final bit of farmland, beginning the climb up the hills that surrounded Vanirheim, when Ragnar stopped his horse and looked back. Annie followed suit.

Vanirheim was lit up by the hundreds of lamps that lined the streets. They twinkled like the stars above them.

"It's very pretty."

Ragnar nodded, but remained silent. They traveled on in silence.

Suddenly he sighed, hanging his head.

"What's wrong, Ragnar? Are you tired already?"

"Annie… I'm afraid."

Shock must have played across her face, from his lips quirked. Annie recovered and moved her horse closer to his.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Many things… what the coming war will entail, having to see my Father again, and most of all… myself," He held his head, "I've been having a terrible dream, Annie. It started not long after I met you, and it's only gotten worse."

She reached out, putting her hand on his shoulder. Then, feeling awkward, withdrew her hand.

"Annie, in this dream… I kill you. I…I…" She felt him shiver, "I don't want to hurt you. It may be best if… if, you stay away from me. Whatever is inside of me is growing stronger, I can feel it."

His usually voice seemed so small when he said that, totally desolate. She had to say something…

"Ragnar, I don't care. I want to be with you. We are partners, and we will continue to be. So stop fussing and let's go."

It came out a bit harsher than she had wanted it too, but he looked up, seeing her back as she led her horse forward down the path.

He caught up, slipping his hand into her own.

"Annie, I have one request," He said, not looking at her, staring down the path, "If I ever lose control, like I did at Muspelheim, don't let me hurt you. Run… or kill me."

Annie just turned and looked at him. She pulled her hand free from his.

"No." His eyes slowly turned to her face, as her tone of voice caught him, "I will not hurt you. Nor do I think you will hurt me. S,o please… let's drop this train of thought and have an enjoyable evening. Please."

Miles passed under their feet, as Ragnar guided them towards their destination.

Annie felt an awkwardness begin to form between them, and she couldn't allow that. So she began to tell Ragnar more of her home.

"Well, my father is a lot like what you described you father as… Except I spent most of my time with my father… training. He wanted me to become a Myrmidon, one of the Council's pet warriors, so I trained until my knuckles bled and my body was raw."

"And when I was ten," She continued on, watching Ragnar out of the corner of her eye, "They chose me and three others from Raion to become Myrmidons. For a price. We had to complete a very important mission for them."

Ragnar looked up.

"Destroying the walls. Why?"

She didn't note the hint of hostility that had entered his voice.

"They didn't tell us," She remembered the number of old, hooded eyes staring as they stood before them, "Simply told us to go and do, and we did. Bertoldt, who is a sixty meter titan, destroyed the gate in the outer wall, while Reiner, who is armored, destroyed the inner gate. In the confusion we slipped into the stream of refugees. Setting ourselves up for destroying the second wall, Rose."

"So you blindly followed the orders of this Council," He spat the word, his eyes hard as she turned to him, feeling the venom with which he said the words, and feeling a strange pain in her heart, "And let untold numbers of Titans into the walls… but for what purpose!"

His face was changing, and she saw… she saw his Jotunn behind those bronze eyes… that terrifying visage. But then it was gone, as he snatched his face away.

"I'm, sorry for that Annie," He said after a moment, "I have no right to judge you. I've killed men, woman and children with no mission to guide me, simply the rage in my heart..."

She looked at him, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She knew what she'd seen, his face had taken on the characteristics of his Jotunn form… But no matter, she'd been warned.

He is powerful, he stopped a transformation before it could happen. Impressive. But still terrifying.

"Ragnar…" She began tentatively, finally stopping her horse. She dismounted, and Ragnar followed suit. "I wish you to see the reason I want to return home."

Turning her back to him, she unbuttoned her shirt, her brassiere came next, dropping them to the ground. Ragnar looked away immediately, the gentleman that he was.

"Look, Ragnar. Look at what my own Father did to me."

Scars covered her back… seeming to crisscross in an unintelligible pattern.

She looked over her shoulder at Ragnar, as he tore his eyes away from the ground. A look of horror took hold.

"Annie… why?" He approached her, his hand tracing a few of the scars, she shivered at his touch. "Why would your own father do this to you?"

She remembered.

"Annie, you must become a Warrior," Her father said, holding the whip as she held the tree, "You cannot do that with your frail body alone. Now, attain the position that your brother did before you!"

The whip stung, as he hit her, and pulled back for another hit. She hadn't even grunted in pain, but the second and third strikes came fast. She collapsed at the fourth hit, but her father continued a fifth, six, and seventh time before stopping.

"Once again!"

And she was up, tears falling along the sides of her face, as she began to strike and kick what had just been her whipping post.

Her memories dissolved as she felt Ragnar's hand against her… It was warm on her back, and began to grow warmer, she felt steam floating by her.

"What are you doing?"

She turned with the speed of a cobra, as Ragnar stared in shock at her face, contorted with anger.

"I'm, I… I can heal the scars for you!"

Her hand snapped out before she could stop herself, slapping him across the face. A noise not too different from the noise of a whip striking flesh…

Ragnar retreated, averting his eyes from her exposed chest.

"Sorry, Annie… I, I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help," Again, she couldn't stop herself, "Why do you always try to help me! Why do you love me? I've done nothing to earn it or warrant it! Why can't everyone just leave me alone?"

Ragnar, seemed to swell, his eyes locking with hers. Her heart wrenched in her chest as she saw the anger, the bitterness that seemed to coat him.

"Because," He yelled at her, tears forming in his eyes, "Because you don't try to force your love on me! You don't try to curry favor with me! You're beautiful and independent! And because I just do! Why can't you just give me a chance? There doesn't have to be a reason!"

And then he stormed off into the woods, a thin stream of steam following him.

I'm such a fool! I don't have to be that person anymore... I can just be Annie. Not Annie the killer, Annie the traitor. Just Annie.

Retrieving her clothes and returning them to their proper position, she followed Ragnar into the woods. She found him sitting on a log, his head in his hands, steam rising above him. Sitting down next to him, she put an awkward hand on his back.

"Ragnar, those scars are all that I have left of my father, except for silly empty words about hating humanity…" She said. He looked up, and she saw that his face was lined with tears like the ones drifting down her own face, "They are all that I have left to remind me… that I must return to my village, and destroy it. Wipe it away from this world."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Annie, it's just so frustrating," He said, "Whenever I try to help people… I end up hurting them," He paused, wiping his face with a sleeve, "I… I…"

But no words came out, he simply sat there, staring at his feet, his eyes filled with sadness. Until Annie's hand reached up and stroked his cheek.

"You are a remarkable man, Ragnar Mosher," His eyes drifted down to her, "A man who possesses great power, who wields a nearly unimaginable strength… Who can care about a person like me. You are a kind, caring and loving man, and… you are my friend. And I am yours, so I trust you."

She turned to straddle the log, and once again removed her top.

"Heal my memories, Ragnar… Please."

Warmth danced across her back, as his hands made her shiver and steam once again billowed upwards into the sky. Quickly, it was over.

She reached a hand around and felt… smooth skin. Smooth skin.

"How did you do that, Ragnar?"

She looked back at him, as he averted his eyes.

"I just do it," He said, "Like how you can heal parts of your body faster... I just will it, and it happens. It only works on Jotunn as far as I know though."

Then he was silent, and looked as if he wished he wanted to remain that way for now.

They sat that way… a strange looking couple alone in the woods, for a long time. Until Ragnar handed her shirt to her and walked back towards the horses, never even peeking as she once again put her shirt on.

"Ragnar, wait!"

He turned, and suddenly found her in his arms, her arms around his neck…

Less than a second later, Annie push him away, looking up into those imposing bronze eyes, as his arms wrapped around her protectively.

"Thank you."

She felt his body stiffen as they stood there.

They parted in silence, and rode the final hour to the Falls, arriving just as the sun rose up past the cliffs.

They were massive, the cliff face that the water roared down was far taller than the Walls. It fed into a massive lake that seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see. Ragnar led them to a clearing near the water.

"So, what would you like to do?"

His question was answered as she leapt from her horse and began to remove her clothes.

"I've never seen a lake this big," She felt, happy, "Let's go swimming!"

Ragnar turned his attention to securing the horses to a nearby stump. When he looked back, all he could see of her was her head. Seeing the pile of clothes on the beach, he swallowed.

"Annie, are… are you sure? There could be something in the water that could hurt you!"

He heard her laughter, clear and sweet chime up from the water. It shocked him to hear it, she was usually so cool and reserved…

"With a man like you to take care of me? I think not! Now get in the water! I want to see the top of the cliff!"

And so they found themselves an hour later, barely clothed and panting, atop the cliffs, beside the great swelling river.

"That's the Jormungandr," He said, leaning against a small boulder, "It runs far to the north, passing near Yggadrasil before forking. I believe that it runs through the Wall's also."

She filed that information away, and remained silent. Her muscles were sore from the hundreds of feet they had climbed, and so she decided to stretch.

Ragnar sure must be getting an eyeful.

This time, she caught him stealing a few peeks… but she didn't feel embarrassed. He apparently did, though, as he reddened and turned away every time he peered at her.

She on the other hand, had never had any qualms about admiring the male form… And Ragnar was a specimen indeed. His blonde hair fell over his square jawed face, with its wide nose that seemed to stand guard between his eyes.

When she had first met him, she had compared him to Reiner Braun, and as she looked at him standing at the edge of the cliff, she knew she'd judged too soon. His torso, packed with muscles, was longer than Reiners, while his arms and legs, equally heavily muscled, seemed to be a little shorter than they should be… But he still cut an impressive figure.

Especially with the sun silhouetting him.

They stood their together, looking out at the lake below them, at the trees that lined the shoreline.

"Annie, listen… I swore to you that I would take you home, you remember that, right?"

He looked down at her, smiling.

"Of course I do."

"Well, if you wish to return to your home and destroy it," He turned to her now, "Then I shall be at your side. I love you, and will for as long as I live."

She looked up into those eyes of shining bronze, and felt the cold mechanical gears that worked in her heart even now, melt. They fled away, and was replaced by a heartbeat… a heartbeat that could know affection.

"Ragnar, you're a good man," Annie pursed her lips, "But I still don't love you. So don't put that on me, please. Can't we just be friends?"

She watched his cheeks darken, and his eyes fall. Her hand shot out and caressed the side of his face.

"I do like you, though, don't doubt me on that."

Annie leaned in, and their lips met. Ragnar's arms

This kiss lasted for much longer before they pulled apart slightly to watch the sun heave itself all the way up into the sky.

"Make way, make way, for the Prince of Vanirheim!"

The city of Yggdrasil was massive, a dozen times the size of Vanirheim or most of the cities within the Wall. It sprawled outwards, out onto the hills that surrounded it, and in some places even past the hills. Several parts of the city went right up onto the shore of the Jormungandr.

Ragnar rode at the head of the column of his men. Annie was beside him, while Luigi and Eleanor rode behind.

Suttungr and his family, who had been forced to hide out in Vanirhaus so as to not alarm the servants, rode slightly behind the two Guardians wearing heavy hooded cloaks. The thirty guards Ragnar was allowed to bring with him to the capital rode behind in a line two by two.

The newest of his recruits, the short dark boy, rode out front as his herald, carrying the flag that held his crest, the valknut, the symbol of death. Three triangles were intertwined, forming several smaller triangles where they connected.

Hard, angry eyes were not uncommon to see when he was forced to come to the capital every few years, and they were not absent when he rode in on this day.

Each and every one of his guards, and himself and Annie, wore the same thing. A long black cloak with golden piping, the valknut in the center of the back, although several of the men had the sleeves cut off, including Ragnar. A pair of bracers on the arms and legs, a golden shirt, and black pants with matching black boots.

A baggage train, led by Afi, was following a few miles behind them, he would take a different route so as to avoid the inevitable crowds.

"Ragnar," He heard Annie whisper from his right, "Is this the usual welcome you get?"

The angry eyes were throughout the crowd, as the Death Prince who had killed so many members of their family rode before them.

"When I was eleven, someone threw a rock at me," He said, rubbing the side of his head, "It took quite a long time to talk Luigi out of killing him."

They rode on in the silence of a bellowing herald, and the clacking of hooves upon the paving stones of the road. No one cheered, they just stared as he went by. Periodically he saw a few of the men spit and turn on their heels.

Luigi growled when he saw them, but held his tongue and blades when Ragnar looked back.

As they crossed onto the main street, another column of horsemen met them, in the deep blue that his father's royal guard wore. The man at the front of that column was familiar.

"Hello, Prince," Head of the Royal Guard, Dugan MacArthur, said, "Your father the king awaits your arrival at the palace. We shall escort you."

The Royal guards took up positions around his own guards, and they picked up their pace to a trot.

The main boulevard led directly to the Palace of Yggadrasil, which his father reigned from, and he could see the vaguely familiar shape of the massive building.

"Yield, yield," He heard the guards calling from the front, "Yield for the Death Prince!"

Annie looked at him out of the corner of her eye, judging his reaction to someone calling him the Death Prince.

He had heard it enough now that… It was his title. And people seemed to spring out of the way much faster than when he was simply Prince Ragnar.

They rode through the massive stone walls that protected the Palace, and were immediately surrounded a large number of people. High born nobles by their style of dress.

"It looks like your father has already started the proceedings without us," He heard Luigi say from behind him, "Another insult…"

He and his men dismounted, although only he, Annie, the Guardians and Suttungr and his family made a move to enter. They were immediately barred by MacArthur.

"They," He said, sweeping his hand towards Suttungr, "Must remove their hoods to enter."

Griselda and Arnora held the children close to them, afraid of what would happen, while Suttungr stood in front of them. Ragnar and Annie moved to his brother's defense immediately.

"MacArthur, unbar are path immediately."

"Those six shall remove their hoods, or my blade will be unsheathed!"

The ruckus drew the attention of many of the other nobles filing into the Palace, they stopped to watch. Most things that happened with the Death Prince around were interesting.

"If you unsheathe your blade," Ragnar said, his eyes cold and threatening, "I shall see you meet your end in a duel. Now stand aside, MacArthur!"

Bronze eyes bored through the brown eyes of the old man, and he stepped out of the way. But Ragnar did not move until his brother and his family were safely past, only then did he follow.

The palaces throne room was nearly a hundred meters long, done in marble and granite, with row after row of pews stretching towards where his father sat.

Ragnar stopped and pulled Annie, aside.

"Remember, any problems and you transform and run."

Annie shook her head.

"There won't be any problems, Ragnar," She said, her icy blue eyes full of warmth, "We shall reveal all we know and I shall be by your side through it all."

He nodded, and began the long walk to his position in the throne room, Annie by his side, their Guards behind them and his brother's family once again trailing behind.

Eyes followed them the entire way, as they were the last to enter. His father sat upon his throne, carved so long ago by Woodruf, the great Jotunn stone carver.

Eyes of blue watched him as he approached the steps that led upwards to where his father sat. Any who would have seen he and his father, and Suttungr for that matter, would have known in an instant that they were of the same blood.

Ragnar shared his wide frame with his father, although now he was actually a few inches taller. But his facial feature were subtly different, much more like Suttungr's.

All of his party took a knee before the throne, pressing their right fists to the ground.

"Glory be unto you, King Hoenor."

His father waited a full fifteen seconds before responding, another insult.

"Rise, my son," Ragnar stood, while the others remained. His father's voice was deeper and more gravelly than his own, and echoed about the hall so that all could hear, "You were not to come back to Yggadrasil from your exploration of the wall for another three months, at the time of the coming of spring. I ask you why."

Ragnar felt his hands clenching as his father took a condescending tone with him.

"We reached the wall, and found it deserted, father," He forced himself to keep his voice even and deferential, "Inhabited by nothing except feral Jotunn. We pressed on through, and found that the second wall was still inhabited by men."

He paused, catching his breath.

"My men and I went to survey the wall, and found a battle underway," He was stretching the truth, but so be it, "Between the men in the wall, a group of feral Jotunn," He turned to Annie, sweeping his arm towards her, "And a female Jotunn."

His father's eyes, and the eyes of everyone else, darted to Annie, who did her best to maintain her composure. Then they shifted back to Ragnar, and he noted that they shined with anger.

"Is she from within the walls? Is she, boy?" He yelled, his fists clenched, "Did you disregard my edict?"

"Yes, father! I did," Ragnar's fists were balled also, as his own angry voice bellowed, "But not in the way you think! Though she lived in the wall, she is not of the walls! She is from the other side of them!"

A pair of guards placed themselves between Ragnar and the king with drawn steel, as Ragnar took a step forward.

"What did you say, boy?"

"I said she is not of the wall! Though she did reside in it for a time! She is an enemy of those within the walls, and she is my paramour!"

He felt the rage inside him growing, he stamped down on it, but it whispered its power to him…

Let us kill, the throne is yours…

Shaking himself, he looked up to his father, who stood with narrowed eyes. MacArthur stood beside him, whispering in his ear.

"Ragnar," His father said, his voice calmer now, "We shall set aside your affront to me for a moment. I would like to discuss why you brought a traitor into my palace. One who tried to kill me the last time I saw him."

Suttungr stepped forward, throwing his hood back. Ragnar moved back, standing beside Annie.

"Father, I was wrong! I let my anger cloud my mind, and I apologize for that" His brother pleaded, coming to his knees at the first step, with several guards drawing and coming towards him, "My life is yours, but do not hold it against my family!"

Griselda, Arnora and the children removed their hoods, revealing themselves to the king, whose eyes darted back and forth.

And he began to speak, to spin the tale that had been the last few weeks, of Ragnar's capture at the hands of the Surtr, of the ordeal that he had been forced to put Ragnar through, and of the battle that he and Ragnar fought against the Surtr. Of the journey to Vanirheim, of Ragnar's death and revival.

"And all through it, Father, Ragnar showed my family nothing but kindness, when he has known only fear and anger from us. Do not judge him, or his companion, Annie."

His brother ended, and a silence fell across the room. The king finally broke the silence.

"Do you all swear that what has been said is true?"

"We swear it on our lives." They all said in unison.

"Guards, take Suttungr and his family to the royal apartments to await my word. Not a hair on their heads are to be harmed."

His brother and family went along without a fight, and Ragnar and Annie approached the throne once again.

"Ragnar," The king's voice was flat, "I welcome you to Yggadrasil. I forgive you of any trespasses against me," He turned to Annie, his eyes studying her, "I welcome you, Annie Leonhardt, as well."

A cry went up from the crowd, Ragnar turned to see a woman a few years older than himself striding towards him on long legs. She was breathtakingly beautiful, long, straight black hair falling past her shoulders.

Oh shit, I forgot about Gersemi Hninga…

She curtsied as she neared the throne.

"My king," Her voice was high and sweet, like honey, "You cannot seriously consider allowing Ragnar to renege on the marriage which you yourself agreed too."

The king eyed her, and Ragnar felt the beast inside him growling.

Finish this before it starts, the blonde one is true to you. This one is not, she wants your power! Kill!

"Ragnar has made his choice," The king said, "I cannot coerce him into marrying you. You have only the right of a duel to decide."

With little hesitation, Gersemi turned and slapped Ragnar.

His head barely even moved, for he had locked his neck muscles, knowing it was coming.

"I declare my right to your hand," She said loud enough to carry throughout the hall, her family clapped loudly, "I shall never be the second wife to a foreign whore."

Ragnar almost struck her then, the rage flowing through him, but Annie beat him to it. She came around him and drove her hand into the taller woman's stomach, then when she bent over, she brought her hands down in a rather poor attempt at copying the Way of the Mace. Gersemi slumped to the floor, unconscious

The Hninga family was in an uproar, and it took a squad of the royal guards to keep them from attacking Annie, who simply stood over Gersemi, her eyes cold.

Only those close to the throne heard what she said next, but for many, including Ragnar, it would stick in their memories for many days. She looked at the king, about the crowd, and then settled on Ragnar.

"You are unworthy of Ragnar Mosher, woman," She said coldly, as Gersemi regained consciousness, "He is mine, and will be mine alone. I shall see you on the field of battle."

Ragnar watched, his cheeks heating slightly, as Annie took her place beside him, interlacing her hand with his.

The king looked down from the throne, watching with fascination.

"So it seems you have found someone like yourself, Ragnar," He said, looking at Annie, "The duel shall be held tomorrow, before the Founding Festival begins. It is customary for the accused oath breaker to also fight, so both of you will have to fight. Now go, guards, escort them to the royal apartments!"

Ragnar, Annie and Luigi were soon rushed out of the throne room. Their guards formed up around them, and they marched towards the royal apartments, the western wing of the palace.

The room which they were given was large, but plainly furnished. The bed also happened to be rather smaller than Ragnar's own.

A side room with a pair of bunks, along the hallways that led to the bedroom, was where Eleanor and Luigi dropped their small packs.

"Annie, why in the hell would you do that?"

Eleanor looked at Annie with eyes that mixed horror and respect.

"She slapped Ragnar, and insinuated that she was good enough for him! That woman was full of fakery!"

Ragnar held up his hand, as both Luigi and Eleanor began to respond.

"It matters not anymore," He ordered, "What's done is done. Now we must prepare. Let's be about it."

So the four of them took chairs and began to discuss what a duel for the hand of someone would entail. When they reached the end of the explanation, Annie almost regretted hitting the older woman.

"If you defeat her," Luigi said, "Then you will be considered Ragnar's wife in the eyes of the kingdom. We don't know how far your relationship has progressed in these past few weeks, but we doubt you are ready for marriage."

Eleanor waved him off.

"It is true that you are technically married, but the true marriage doesn't happen until it a ceremony is performed, we could put that off for years! You would have to consider yourselves engaged though."

Ragnar held his head in his hands, something he'd had to do too often lately.

"Annie if you don't want too…"

"Ragnar, you heard what I said, right? After I beat her?"

He nodded.

"I meant it. I am yours, and you are mine. That is final, take it or leave it," She sat back in her chair, "I shall defeat her, and you may have my hand, one day."

Three sets of eyes looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure, my lady?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, I have never been treated better than now," Doubt seemed to cloud her eyes, though, "I am very confused, everything is happening so fast, but I do not want to lose you, any of you."

They spoke for hours, the four of them, about many things, about Gersemi, her fighting style and her Jotunn's abilities. Annie wasn't impressed.

Then, with the sun sinking through the sky, they all retired to sleep. And Ragnar held Annie close to him as they slept.

This is, almost too much to fathom. But I shall persevere. I will win this duel, she will win hers, and then I shall go out and defeat the Surtr. I shall bring our suffering to an end.

Updated 11/17/13