"I'm taking bets, so far we are ten to one in favor of the fair maiden!"

Ragnar felt his skin crawl as he watched the bet taker walk throughout the crowd. He knew that his own odds were considerably worse than Annie's, since he had to face Feyd Hninga, Gersemi's older brother and one of the deadliest duelists in all of Jotunheim. It was a hundred to one against Ragnar.

The duelist field was a flat plain some distance away from the city, where a large circus like affair had been set up, with large wooden stands arrayed around the actual dueling ground. As Ragnar looked about at the thousands of people who had made the short journey.

Ragnar and his party, including Suttungr and his wives, were standing at the far end from the Hninga family, who vastly outnumbered them. Royal guards were stationed between them to keep the two parties apart in case a fight broke out.

His father's chief councilor, Georg Sanderson, walked out from the temporary throne his father sat upon. He called out to both parties.

"Will the duelists please present themselves?"

Annie and Ragnar walked forward, both splendid in their clothes, but paling in comparison to the Hninga, who wore clothes that seemed fit more for a dance than for a duel.

"Prince Ragnar Mosher," the Councilor began, eyeing both parties, "Do you acknowledge that you have reneged upon an oath that your father made on your behalf, that you would marry the Lady Gersemi Hninga at the time of your coming of age?" He paused, then began again, "Do you willingly acknowledge that you have taken into a relationship the outsider Annie Leonhardt? And in doing so caused this duel?"

Ragnar nodded, his eyes hard and full of anger.

I had no part in that oath, he thought darkly to himself, It was simply a way for my father to curry favor with this nobles and the Hninga in particular. The bastard.

"Annie Leonhardt, do you acknowledge that you have entered into a contract to duel with Gersemi Hninga, that she believes you have wronged her? So that the winner shall receive Prince Ragnar Mosher's hand in marriage?"

Annie nodded imperceptibly, her eyes driving into Gersemi, cold and seemingly carefree. The noblewoman seemed incredibly uncomfortable, even as she tried to keep up a façade of

"My lord and lady Hninga, do you see any possible recourse that will resolve the situation? So that no blood will have to be spilled on this beautiful day?"

"Only the blood of the oathbreaker and his whore shall satisfy us," Feyd said coldly, "Now comeon councilor, my breakfast is getting cold…"

Ragnar had met the older man only a few times, and had ever liked the man. He was the stereotypical turn-his-nose up noble, who looked down upon everyone else. His sculpted features, his long lanky limbs and tall frame, only added to the caricature.

But his reputation as a duelist was something that was well known to most of Jotunheim. Thirty times he had walked onto a dueling ground, and thirty times he had walked off, the corpses of his foes lying behind him.

Some called him a hired murderer, but never to his face.

"Fine then, this will be a duel to the death or until complete pacification of your opponent. Sparing of the opponent is allowed. No use of your Jotunn is allowed. Now, take up your positions."

Thousands of eyes watched at the four walked directly away from each other, until five meters separated them in each direction. Ragnar's twin short swords, their blackened steel blades sharp and glinting, came out of their sheathes.

"On my signal!"

Ragnar attempted to calm his swiftly beating heart, but found he couldn't. He risked a peek over towards Annie, and found her holding her own pair of shortswords. Her form was excellent, as he expected it would be. He'd had time to examine the gear that she had been wearing when first they met, and she had briefly explained to him how it worked and its usage.

The Councilor raised a red handkerchief, and the crowds held their breath as Ragnar put his hands upon his blades.

The handkerchief dropped, and they charged. Feyd was taller than he was by a good three or four inches, but Ragnar was much heavier than the lanky man. The main advantage Feyd had was his experience, he was twenty years Ragnar's senior, and he had been trained with the sword, while Luigi had always concentrated upon the Way of the Fist, and let his swordplay take a distant second.

The crowds cheered as Ragnar and Feyd's blades met, a raucous clanging as they spun and slashed and hacked at each other. Slash, parry, and lunge. Ragnar was mainly parrying at the moment, as Feyd slammed forward against him.

First blood went to Feyd, as his longer blades slipped past Ragnar's defenses, and slashed across his chest. But Ragnar landed a blow as he spun and swung low, catching the older man's knee. He stepped back, his face contorted in rage at the young upstarts wounding him. Blades flashed, and Ragnar wheeled away again, a deep gash running across his face. Lashing out, he nicked Feyd's right arm.

Again they came together, and he felt a jab of pan as Feyd's blade stabbed into his calf, even as his fist smashed his swords hilt guard into Ragnar's face. Ragnar stumbled backwards, shaking his head, trying to clear his vision as blood flowed from the cuts.

The cheering crowds redoubled their volume, and he looked over to see Annie standing over the now headless corpse of Gersemi. She didn't even seem to be breathing hard… Her hair fluttered in the wind as she turned towards him, her eyes widened as she noticed he was looking at her.

At least she'll be okay…

His inattention cost him dearly, as Feyd drifted forward, bring one blade in a horizontal swipe aiming for his neck. Ragnar easily countered that, but he didn't count on the second blade, which stabbed up and through his chest, sprouting from his back.

"Boy, don't die too soon, your whore killed my sister," Feyd was close to him, his face only a few inches away, "I want you to watch as I disembowel her!"

Feyd twisted the blade. Ragnar roared, a billow of steam escaping his wounds.

Ragnar reared back, and brought his head crashing into Feyd's with bone shattering force, feeling himself grow dizzy as he was able to disengage himself from Feyd's blades.

"Ow, you little bastard," His blow had broken Feyd's aristocratic nose, "I will kill you!"

He charged, not noting in his anger that Ragnar was not nearly as hurt as he thought he was.

Ragnar swung low, his blades slicing cleanly through Feyd's legs, even as the older man's blades cut down into his shoulders. As he fell, Ragnar brought his blades around for a backlash, burying themselves in Feyd's side.

Silence hovered all about, except from the tiny group that were Ragnar's guards and friends who were cheering, as Feyd fell to the ground.

Ragnar stood, looking down at him, as steam poured from both their wounds.

"Your life is not worth taking, Feyd Hninga," Ragnar said, sheathing his blades, and watching as Annie walked over, "I spare your life."

The defeated man's green eyes seemed desperate. His honor was at stake… To be bested by someone who was clearly inferior to him. That was the greatest stab that Ragnar could take at the Hninga.

"Kill me you motherless bastard! Kinslayer! Murderer! You piece of shit!"

His insults would likely have made another man turn around and finish him off, but Ragnar walked back to his men in clear defiance of what most men would do.

"You fucking bastard!"

The crowd gasped, as Feyd produced a small throwing knife, and launched it, not at Ragnar but at Annie.

She went down as it lodged in her back, grunting in pain.

What…

Ragnar turned, seeing Annie lying on the ground, the hilt of Feyd's knife sticking out of her back. Steam immediately began to billow at double the rate it had been, and he felt the beast within him straining against its chains.

Kill.

He stomped down on his rage, thinking of Annie first. He ran towards her, sliding down next to her.

"Annie," He said, bending down to look at her face, she was still breathing, "Annie, look at me!"

Her eyes darted to his face. Ragnar saw that she was scowling.

"Get the damn knife out of my back!"

He ripped it out, swearing as she grunted in pain.

"I'm sorry!"

She waved him away, standing.

"It's…"

You are weak, I am strong! KILL! SLAUGHTER! DEATH!

"…Fine. Just worry about…"

Annie stopped, as she felt something pulse near her.

What was that? It felt like it was in my head…

A second later, she felt it again, this time much stronger. That was when she noticed Ragnar was shaking, his face strained. He saw her gaze fall upon him.

"Run….now." He ground out, his eyes pleading, even as the next pulse came and his body convulsed. She also noted that all of his wounds seemed to have healed, but steam still billowed from him. Strange dark lines were spreading across his body like veins, although she was only able to see his face and arms well. "Go!"

The last came out as an order, and Annie felt herself unwillingly obeying, as if his shout had resounded both from his lungs and his mind.

Annie turned and run towards the crowd. Luigi and Eleanor met her halfway. Another pulse, this one felt like she had been physically slapped.

"Shit, he's losing control," She heard Luigi say, "Annie, stay with us. We'll likely need you."

Another pulse hit her, and she could have sworn she heard something within it. She turned back to Ragnar, seeing him kneeling on the ground, the crowds all about running for their lives.

This is the fear that Ragnar has lived with his whole life, and the power.

A guttural roar sounded, Annie noting that it was too loud for a human throat to produce. Clouds of steam burst from the center of the dueling grounds.

Ragnar's Jotunn stood there, along with an even larger titan, a colossus that looked suspiciously like Feyd Hninga. Feyd's Jotunn was at least forty meters in height, although she could already tell her was terribly unsuited to the combat that was about to ensue.

"Eleanor, what just happened?"

Eleanor watched the two titans square off, the wild, animal like movemnts of Ragnar's Jotunn so unlike Ragnar's usual movements. Annie noted that Ragnar's Jotunn had a pair of spikes on it's back that hadn't been their before. Steam lazily drifted away form them

"You know what happened," She said, "Ragnar lost control, the beast inside him was able to overpower his consciousness… Although he fought it, which is the first time I've seen that. Usually he just transforms unexpectedly…"

Annie watched as Ragnar grappled with the larger titan, seeming to be quite disadvantaged by the height discrepancy, but Ragnar held his own. He deflected the seemingly lazy attacks that Feyd threw at him.

The crowds, now at what they assumed was a safe distance, stopped and peered back towards the fight, watching as Ragnar was batted aside by a particularly fast slap. She even noted the King was watching with great interest, Suttungr by his side.

Ragnar went on the attack, and she saw that his eyes glowed like the day that he died… His skin was cracking, and steam seemed to turn to flame.

He lashed out with one of his fists, pummeling Feyd's knee, until with a gut wrenching crunch, it collapsed under his immense weight.

"Oh god, Annie, Eleanor, be ready to intervene in case…"

Ragnar swarmed over Feyd's now helpless form, until he was standing upon its back, looking down at where Feyd's mortal body resided.

The first punch slammed into the weak point, followed by a second, and then a third… The rate quickened until all four of his arms were striking in a hard to identify patter. Flames engulfed his fists as he pummeled the Colossus, while mixed steam and fire billowed out of the two spikes that had appeared on Ragnar's back.

"He's got Feyd!"

Eleanor called out as the colossus stopped struggling, and Ragnar's Jotunn held a tiny figure between its fingers. Then it squeezed, ripped and tore, slamming the remains on the ground and stomping its feet repeatedly down on it.

Well, the bastard got what he had coming to him. She rubbed the still smoking wound on her lower back, But Ragnar...

"Annie, transform now," Luigi was pushing her from behind, towards Ragnar, "Let him see you, trust me!"

Stunned, she turned and looked into his cold eyes.

"Trust me, girl! Go to him!"

Without another moment's hesitation she began to sprint towards Ragnar, a clear purpose forming in her head…

Her titan form burst into life, as she skidded to a halt in front of Ragnar.

His eyes stilled glowed, and at his first sight of her he roared, pounding all four of his arms on the ground like an animal.

But… she noted that once he took a good look at her his stance… changed. The tension that seemed to radiate slackened.

He recognizes me even in this berserk state… Why must I always attract the guys with rage issues?

But she banished the memory and stepped forward, raising her hands with her palms outwards. Ragnar backed up, confusion clouding his eyes.

The last thing she expected was for him to turn and began to sprint away, his Jotunn taking long strides and leaping over the crowds. She immediately followed, slowly catching up to him.

She turned back momentarily to notice that no one was following them.

Strange… I'd think that Luigi and Eleanor would be following us too. Unless they're dong damage control with the King.

For miles upon miles Ragnar ran, until finally she pulled up alongside him. They were surrounded by trees, shorter than they were. Then he stopped, and turned to her. The glow had gone from his eyes.

Please Ragnar…

The massive Jotunn roared at her, the trees about them whipping about as they would during a hurricane, and stepped towards her…

Taking up her fighting stance, she was wholly unprepared for the Jotunn to crumble, its hands going to its head as it struggled and convulsed. Trees all about them were broken and uprooted as it rolled upon the ground, screaming.

Finally it lay still, and she saw Ragnar emerge from the nape of its neck. She watched as he vomited and shook, curling up into a ball upon the rapidly disintegrating body of his Jotunn.

She felt pity for him as he writhed, and reached down, cradling him in her hand as she made her way back to the dueling grounds.

It seemed that no one had moved in the few minutes she had been gone, but they all watched her approach. Annie walked as carefully as she could through the crowd, placing Ragnar in front of his guards. She leapt down from her Titan's form, which began to steam into oblivion, and race over to where Ragnar lay.

"Ragnar, are you alright?"

Pushing people apart, she looked down at his now still body. Ragnar's eyes were open, and he was looking around, tears on his face. She heard him sob loudly.

"Oh fuck," He wrapped his arms around his body, seeming ready to vomit, "By the sky, no, no, no… Luigi, what happened? How many people did I hurt?"

It took her a moment to figure out what he was talking about, but then it hit her.

He doesn't remember anything… He thinks that he lost control and killed people again.

She bent down beside him and cradled his head, feeling awkward with thousands of people watching.

"Ragnar," Annie began, whispering to him, "You didn't hurt anyone… Except Feyd."

His tears didn't stop, but he looked up at her, his eyes opening wide. She noted that his pupils were dilated massively.

"I… I didn't hurt anyone?"

She shook her head.

"Thank the sky…"

Several more people joined the gathered crowd, and she looked up as King Hoenor and Suttungr pushed their way through. The King inclined his head towards them.

"I would like to congratulate both of you on your victories today," He paused looking down at Ragnar, "Even if it is tainted by a dishonorable opponent. You have put the Hninga in their place. You best keep a watch for their retaliation."

He looked over at Annie.

"And, it is an honor to welcome you to the family, daughter-in-law."

She blushed as he turned and walked away, his advisors and guards trailing behind him like a useless tail. Suttungr remained, and, walking over to Ragnar, crouched beside his brother.

"Ragnar," he began, a look of profound respect on his face, "You are truly terrifying when you are angry. I am glad that you're okay," His hand patted Annie's shoulder, "I'm glad that you're okay too, honored sister. You brought my brother back from the brink… There are no words I can convey that would do your actions true honor, so… thank you."

They truly take this all so seriously… Daughter-in-law, sister, what have I gotten myself into!

When Suttungr had left, Annie helped Ragnar to his feet, grunting as he stumbled.

Damn, he's got to weigh at least to hundred and fifty pounds!

"My lady Annie, please, allow us!"

Nick led Tyr out of the crowd, and together they helped Ragnar walk onwards back towards the city.

Halfway, he pushed them off of him and began to walk on his own.

"I can do it, damn it!"

They hovered about him, watching his every move to make sure he didn't fall, but when he finally did, Annie was there to catch him.

It took them a half hour to get back to the Royal Apartments, and get Ragnar into bed. At Luigi and Eleanor's urging, everyone left, including themselves.

"You suck at using a sword, you know that right?"

Her blunt and mildly rude questions snapped Ragnar out of his funk. He smiled as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"Yeah I know," As he usually did when he used his Jotunn, he looked like most of the 104ths trainees did after running around the training field for a day. "You'll have to teach me some of your moves… I'll show you mine if you show me yours, so to say."

He winked at her, and she looked away as he chuckled, her cheeks heating.

"Your innuendo is uncalled for, Ragnar! Look at the state you're in," She gestured towards him, "We've known each other for less than a month! And this is what, the third or fourth time I've had to drag you to bed because you pushed yourself too hard?"

"Third time! And you know you enjoy it!"

"Whatever," She coughed, feeling his hand creeping up her back, the tenderness with which they moved belying the awful power that they could unleash, "Ragnar…"

She decided to head him off, suddenly laying down next to him. He immediately reached out and dragged her petite form against his own. Rotating to look at him, she noted that his eyes still seemed to glow in the darkness slightly...

I wonder if the other personality has taken over, she mused.

"Annie," He said a moment later, his voice quivering as he nuzzled against her ear, "Tyr told me what you did. Thank you. Anything. Anything you want is yours that I hold within my power to give you!"

A shiver ran up her spine as his breath fell hot across her neck, she felt… something strange…

Her purpose solidified.

"I know what I want, Ragnar."

"Name it."

"I want," She rolled around in his grip, bring her face to face with him. "You."

And then they were gone, locked in the embrace of love.

"Well, the King seemed slightly more impressed with Ragnar than he usually does!"

Eleanor looked at Tyr as they walked down the long hallway that led to their room, which was only a few doors down from the Princes.

"Did you see how badly he tore apart Feyd," Eleanor asked, as she and her oafish husband walked back from a meeting with the King, "And he beat him in a fair duel. After being cut, how many times?"

Tyr nodded.

A scream echoed down the hall.

"Did… did you hear that, honey?"

"Yeah… what the hell… Oh, fuck!"

Steam billowed out from under the door of Annie and Ragnar's room, and another scream made them pick their pace up.

She cracked the door quietly, unsure of what she would find, and was met by the musk of young love… peering past the door, she saw a pair of shapes moving in rhythm together.

Closing the door quietly, they slipped down the hall to their own room.

Before they closed the door, they caught sight of Luigi, who was nearly running down the hall towards Ragnar's door. They signaled him before he could bust the door down, and he slunk past and over to their room.

"What the hell is going on?"

She explained what she had seen.

"So, Ragnar's finally pushed the issue?" Luigi said, rubbing his eyes, "Where does that boy get his energy?"

Eleanor chuckled.

"It didn't really look like it was he who was… pushing the issue."

Tyr laughed, while Luigi scowled.

"This is not unexpected…" He shook his head, "But, I thought it would take longer to reach this point. We must be careful that this doesn't get out for now. Prince Ragnar must get back into his father's good graces, or else this war may go on for much longer than we could hope for."

"Oh lighten up, you little midget," Tyr poked Luigi with his ham like hand, "The Prince is in love! And I for one am happy, especially that he found such a nice girl! And I'm thinking that the King favors Annie pretty well now that she's killed one of the biggest thorns in his side! Now stop it and let's go get some drinks!"

Eleanor and Luigi unwillingly followed her giant of a husband out.

I can't agree with you more, my love. The Prince deserves this love.

Well, I apologize for taking so long with the last few chapters. Had to celebrate my birthday and all that jive. The chapters should start to get longer from here. So, some who have read this before, may notice that I've changed the title a few times. This is due to the fact that the original scope of the story I'm writing has expanded quite a bit. The war that keeps getting referenced isn't just between the Jotunn and the Surtr. So be ready for more OCs, more funny words I've stolen from mythology, and the possible return of the characters from SnK that you know and love! Enjoy!

Feyd- 'Fade'. For anyone who's ever read or watched Dune, you know who I'm talking about.

Jotunn- 'Yaw-ton'

Jotunheim- 'Yaw-ton-hyme'

Tyr- 'Tear'