The Iron King…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, a little bit sadness, mention of violence, fluff, kissing, Tony having inappropriate thoughts about Steve, things getting a little bit steamy, and Tony has a major realization! 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 13

To say that Anton was having the most challenging time of his life, was not far from the truth; specifically when people were shouting left and right and all around him, rattling his head since the sun graced the earth with its presence. Was it really that much for Anton to ask for a peaceful day without the elders sticking their noses in something that does not concern them? It seems impossible considering that he was pulled by Magna and Jamti to a meeting with the elders about what took place yesterday during the whaling, which then turned to be about him and his inability to marry and settle down.

It all started when he woke up in the morn; hoping that after the stunning events of the previous day, he will manage a calm festive day to enjoy and take his mind off the astounding truth he learned (He discovered that the queen was more than just a fierce hot-headed Omega who refused to back away from a fight, but in fact, the queen dangerous warrior in his own right, who if wanted, can level all of Mantta down) what Anton gain instead was not the calm wake up he wanted for the last day of festivity. Instead of Petrus jumping in his bed and pulling the furs away from him in hope of waking him (Or as he secretly wished for; the sound of the foolish queen going through his kitchen to prepare the morning meal for the children, annoying Anton and giving The Alpha one of his mischievous looks as he served him an overcooked meal, and ignoring Anton's tantrum about wasting food) Anton awakened to Magna and Jamti knocking on his door, telling him with gloomy faces about how the elders were asking for him.

Stupid Tyber, stupid Sunset, and stupid, stupid elders! Anton could be home right now enjoying a quiet morn, or he could be out with his son enjoying the festivity around them; Anton could even be bothering the queen and thanking him for what he did the previous day, no doubt getting chewed by the queen in return because he let Tyber come with them. So many good things Anton could be doing at the moment and enjoying his time, the elders, though, did not seem to get the message; mainly because the Stone family seemed to be dragging them around by their knots.

To Anton's disgust and annoyance, the elders summoned him about the rumors that started going around the village of him being involved with the queen while his betrothal (Wait what?) was in the village. To stay Anton was furious and disgusted about what the elders implied would be putting it lightly; in particular, when one of the elders, a warrior that was Bótey's father insulted the queen by calling him a harlot… needless to say, Anton spent his morn screaming, hissing, and threatening useless elders who thought it was within their own rights to control Anton as they wanted. Just because they fought to protect the day Brookland fell, didn't mean they have the right to decide for Anton.

Surprisingly, a few elders took Anton's side, even Fury did, which only made the shouting and screeching get louder and louder when Fury also stated that the Stone family are the one at fault here; this was a nightmare through and through with the elders being divided into two sides. One side that was worshiping the Stone family and believing in them even when everything point to their deception, that side was ordering Anton to marry one of the Stone siblings and end this farce of a play by banishing the Queen back to Asgard with Loki since his identity has been known, which only got a growl and shouted threats from Anton. While the other side was telling Anton to marry the Hydra Queen, not only because of the blessing they will receive considering the Queen was blessed as 'Bringer of Life' but also to stop the chain of misfortunes that the Stone family created by coming to their village; which as anyone can notice, this caused the other side to explode with fury and rage… needless to say, this was one of the worse days Anton had the misfortune of witnessing.

In the end, when the sun rose high in the sky and after so much screaming, hissing, threatening, headaches, and Anton promising to execute every elder in the room if they continued this farce; it was agreed that Anton had until the end of winter to choose a mate of his own. Be it one of the Stones siblings who were not being thrown out of the village base on superstitions of the mad queen (And Gods above, Anton's Alpha had roared in madness and fury every time he heard those useless pig-headed elders insult his Omega; as for Anton, he had a hard time convincing his Alpha to shut it because the queen was not his) or someone else completely, which made Anton bite his tongue harshly, especially when the time of his freedom was reduced from the autumn solstice to the end of winter.

And to think that Anton was optimistic about today considering that he planned on finding the queen and maybe convincing him that he was not a complete fool after yesterday. Gritting his teeth, Anton tried to swallow down his roar when he was informed not a few moments after the meeting was over, that Sunset had gone and attacked the queen in the market.

This day was the worse day Anton experienced in a while, not only did the elders start acting out, but the Stone siblings started to act like they are the rulers of this place while discarding his laws… they do what they liked without Anton being able to do anything because of the elders, but to attack his Omega (Not my Omega! Anton snapped, which went ignored by his Alpha) just like that? This was unforgivable and Anton will kill regardless of what the elders were to say!

"The elders will not allow it!"

That was Sunset's voice as she barked out loudly, causing Anton's face to twist into a scowl as he pushed away those who were standing between him and his Omega who was getting harassed by the bitch who dared to raise her hand at his mate! (Not my Omega, not my mate! Anton hissed, again and again, battling against his Alpha that continued to ignore him and chant Omega, Mate, Mate; Mate! Over and over again)

"Do you want to bet?" Those were the words Anton heard as he broke through the crowd, his blood boiling when he saw the traces of blood on the queen's lips and how his lower lip seemed to be spilled… he was going to destroy the harlot who dared to raise her hand at his Omega! Whatever Anton was going to do was erased as he saw the queen head-butts the bitch who dared to assault him, causing Anton to raise his eyebrows in surprise when Sunset went down without much of a fight, passing out from the queen's hit. "Did she just lose her conscious?" The queen asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Sunset who was making an ugly mess on the ground, Anton though, couldn't help shut his mouth tightly before he start laughing at the funny sight in front of him.

"See, I told you Mama will kill her!" That was James, who piped not far from the queen making Anton bite his lower lip at the pride and happiness dripping from the child's voice. "Mama, always kill annoying people like that! He can even break stones with his head!" James boasted, and Anton was equally intrigued and terrified by how the queen managed to achieve such a fate, was it in the Valkyries' training regime to break stones and mountains with their heads? Nonetheless, the image of the queen doing just that made Anton lose it and start laughing, partly because it was a funny image, and partly because he was frantic, especially when the image doesn't seem so far-fetching considering Sunset was already unconscious on the ground with a broken nose.

"Oh Gods above, this is gold!" Anton laughed and laughed, trying to regain his breath and ignoring his friends as they ordered him to stop this display for the elders had arrived and saw the whole scandal taking place; Anton didn't take them seriously, not when both Jamti and Magna were trying to conceal their laughter and humor as their eyes fell on the ugly sight gracing their ground with its presence.

"The elders must really hate you if they are making you mate such… pitiful creature," The queen stated with a deadpanned look, curling his lips down and raising his head high, his nose scrunching like he smelled something nasty. That display only succeeded in making Anton laugh louder and shake his head; it even got a chuckle from Magna and a snort from Jamti before both of them regain themselves when one of the elders throw them a harsh look.

"Well, after such display, I am sure they will realize their mistake." Anton chuckled, finally regaining himself enough not to fall in another fit of laughter, throwing the elders a smug look when he saw some of them looking in disgust at Sunset and how weak she was that she allowed herself to pass out without defending herself. Serve them right! That was the bitch they wanted Anton to mate, a weak and useless Omega that spent all of her life being pampered and carried around, spoiled rotten and can't even defend herself when it came to it, so how would she defend her mate and children?

Anton couldn't help but send the queen a grateful smile, his face no doubt getting soft as he took the Omega who was running his hand gently through his pup's messy hair; their eyes met for a few moments before the queen turned around, face dusted with pink (A residue from his anger at the one who attacked him no doubt) and a small victorious smile on his lips. And if the queen's actions resulted in the elders holding another meeting not a few minutes later so they can scream and argue once more…

Well, it was worth it if it meant the foolish queen will smile like that again…

Anton didn't know how he ended up in this situation…

He doesn't even remember the events that took place until now, wondering how he ended up in his room with a warm body beneath him, moaning and pleading for more. All Anton remembered was that it started with his hands running over the soft and slender body; feeling the silky soft skin with his roughened hands. It took away his breath when soft and small (Not small?) hands clenched tightly on his shoulders not allowing him to move farther away from the mysterious person below him… the melodic breathless gasps of his name made the Alpha shudder as he returned to his quest of marked the milky white skin underneath him, leaving as many marks of ownership on the Omega that was calling out to him. An Omega he doesn't know… an Omega that was not the one he fancy but found himself taking to his bed.

Blond hair like the sun; pale milky skin, and bright blue eyes… small and familiar (Not familiar?) body that bear no scar and no scratch, showing Anton how the owner of this body never once entered a fight; showing Anton that the owner lived his life sheltered and pampered like a royalty… when his eyes fell on the bright blue eyes, he froze in his place, the horror and the realization of who this person was flooded him… How? How is that even possible? Didn't this Omega disappear out of his life decades ago?

"Anton…" A soft sigh left the Omega's lips and Anton hide his face in the Omega's neck, not wanting to see the face of the Omega he was bedding; not wanting the horror of the realization to sink further in him, informing Anton how he messed up. Against his better judgment, he tried to scent the Omega below him, to find his soothing scent instead of the blankness that greeted him, which did nothing but make his heart hammer in his chest and for fear to take hold of him.

Anton wanted to call his name… he wanted to call out the name of the Omega bellow him and ask him where he disappeared to; he wanted to ask him about his life and if he had found someone he loved and cherish more than Anton that he broke their promise and oath for… Anton wanted to call his name, but he is afraid that he will summon a curse by doing that, afraid that the person under him was not the one he thought he was… so Anton kept his mouth shut, hiding his face in the Omega's neck and giving him the pleasure he seeks; hoping in a distant part of his mind that if he finished quickly the Omega would leave Anton alone, leaving him to wallow in self-pity and humiliation.

Anton doesn't even know how this all started, with him in his bed under his furs; a beautiful Omega he loves and despises underneath him, smiling and pulling him over, trying to kiss him and wipe his worries away as they shared their pleasure… part of Anton was horrified, wondering if he missed the news of a new traveler in their village, wondering if the Omega he was mating with was married and had children. Anton should be over this Omega, he should be over him, he shouldn't be bedding him… it had been twelve summers since their oath was broken, and ten before that since the Omega went away with his mother back to their village and home… Anton should be over this torture…

"Anton…" The same voice whispered in its familiar (Not familiar, never familiar!) melody, causing Anton to close his eyes tightly and try to block this nightmare… as soon as he is done giving the Omega what he wants, he will escape his room, burn his bed even, he was just going to leave the Omega and escape someplace safe where he is going to hate himself for bedding a no doubt mated Omega who had a life away from him.

"Do not you dare ignore me, Foolish King!" Growled a completely new voice (A welcomed familiar voice that made his heart race suddenly and a gasp to leave him in astonishment) before Anton was flipped on his back, letting out a choked noise as he opened his eyes to the newcomer who dared to defy whatever God, Goddesses, or reality to appear in the place of nightmare that was under him.

"Foolish Queen…" Anton whispered, relief coursing through him as he opened his mouth to say something, anything, maybe even start his mock fight with the queen that saved him from further pain and humiliation; unfortunately for Anton, his breath got stuck in his throat when his eyes finally took in the sight of the Omega that was comfortably seated in Anton's lap, a wild smile stretching his pink lips as he caught the sight of Anton gazing at his image with a mind-blown look.

"Ah… did something catch your fancy, foolish king?" The Omega asked leaning down a little and causing Anton's breath to stutter in his chest when he felt their bare skin make contact with each other. Naked; Anton flushed and the queen's voice snapped him out of his trance, causing his eyes to raise from their gaze at the naked flesh in his sight to the blue eyes of the Omega on top of him, ignoring the smug and knowing look the queen gave like he already knew that even when Anton was struck speechless his eyes still strayed over the Omega's battle hard body before stilling on his breasts for a bit… granted, Anton had only seen the queen's naked body once, but he couldn't help remembering the fascinated and strong body, covered in scars and burns from his years in the Hydra king's clutched; a body of a warrior that even when holding so little of the softness Omegas possess, was still attractive and jaw-dropping… Gods above, this was embarrassing… Anton started to doubt if this was the true nightmare and not what took place before, because surely no one can feel this embarrassed in their life, or do they?

"Foolish Qu…!" Whatever Anton wanted to say was cut by the Omega laying on top of his chest causing his breath to hitch when he felt the Queen's soft breasts between them, a fact Anton only had a few seconds to think about before the Omega started kissing him, taking his breath away as he felt rough lips against his. Unconsciously, Anton's hands went to the Omega's waist and stilled there, not knowing if he wanted to pull him closer to devour him, or push him away and try to run and forget all about this, forget about the Omega he fancy kissing him... Their kiss lasted an eternity… or maybe it was a few seconds? Anton doesn't know nor care, not when he lost himself kissing the Omega that caught his fancy when he swore not to look at another Omega with interest after he got his heart broken.

"Steven…" The queen mumbled after pulling back, leaving Anton gulping mouthful after mouthful of air, looking more like an Alpha who was saved from drowning, than one who spent his time being fiercely kissed by a hot-headed Omega; Anton shivered when one of the Omega's hands raisin from its perch on Anton's chest to tug playfully at his beard. "That is my name, foolish king, use it…" The Omega hummed with a playful and dangerous smile that Anton always caught him wearing when he was planning something devious.

"I…" Anton whispered his breath hitching when Omega hummed leaning down to softly kiss the corner of his mouth, the hand that was playing with his beard went to caress his cheekbone gently; like the two of them were lovers who enjoyed each other's embrace when nightfall and not complete strangers who spent their time together disagreeing and fighting. "I… I c-cannot…" Anton stuttered when he felt the Omega's other hand tug one of Anton's hands from their deadly tight grip on his waist, only to guide it to one of his breasts, causing Anton's breath to be stolen from him when he felt the soft flesh contrast by one of the harsh scars under his palm.

"Use my name… Anton…" The queen whispered causing Anton to swallow tightly, his eyes refusing to leave the stormy blue eyes that gazed at Anton with want and challenge, causing the Alpha's heart to skip several beats as he took in the beautiful and equally dangerous creature on top of him… In the back of his mind, Anton couldn't help but notice how differed the queen called his name, so different from the sickly sweet melodic voice of the Omega he was with before; instead, the queen called him with a soft yet strong voice, equally demanding and commanding, making Anton burn with the want to comply and challenge.

"Steven…" Anton whispered, taking in the smug smile that took over the… (No, not the queen, not the foolish Omega… Steven, Steven, Steven!) Steven's face who closed his eyes and leaned down intending to kiss Anton once more… Anton's breath hitched as he swallowed, leaning up to close the space between them, wanting to feel Steven's lips once more; Anton couldn't help his other hand that was gripping Steven's waist from wondering lower toward the Omega's behind and then…

.

…

.

Anton gasped, his body tense and his hand clutching the furs underneath him in a deathly tight gripe… shaking, Anton couldn't help but let out a confused noise as his mind took several minutes to clear from its lustful haze; taking a few more moments to gather himself, Anton let go of the furs below him. Letting out a stuttered breath as he uncoiled his tense body and maneuver it into a sitting position; slowly Anton blinked as he surveyed his room, trying to find where Steven had gone to when just a few moments ago he was in Anton's lap, kissing the Alpha and allowing Anton to worship him and show him what a good Alpha he can be.

Moving from his place to go and search for his Omega, Anton froze in his when he felt damp coldness under his furs; horrified, Anton raised the furs covering his body. Hands shaking and face beet red as he saw the mess he no doubts made in his bed for the first time in many years since his first rut. "Oh…" Choked Anton, eyes still refusing to believe what he was seeing, as embarrassment took hold of him making him slam the furs down to cover himself when he realized what took place not a few minutes ago…

… Oh…

To say that Anton was in shock was the lightest someone can descript the state he found himself in. Waking up, Anton had thought that today being the last day of Yule, it would mean he will manage to get some enjoyment and rest, maybe even participate in some festive games while finally having the free time to give his friends their gifts that were forgotten because of him being busy; Anton thought that after twelve long days of arguing with the elders, going on hunting trips with the hunters, trying to stop wild Alphas from fighting, he will get a happy relaxing day with his son before he was forced to prepare for the Winter's games that would take place in a fortnight.

What Anton got instead of his wish was the shock of his life as he sat near the hearth in his home, gazing at the fire in a daze hoping that it would contain all the answers that Anton was seeking. Shock and horror couldn't even cover what he felt when he was forced to take his own furs for washing earlier this morn, sneaking in the cover of the night to the river, leaning more into burning furs and getting rid of them than washing them (Maybe if he burn them it would mean nothing happened and he can go on with his life?) in the end, Anton had to man up and wash his furs, ignoring how his mind flashed to the dream he had and the embarrassment he felt all the way until he finished hanging his furs outside to dry and managed to make some herbal drink to calm his frazzled nerves that still thrummed with heat.

It must be a nonsensical dream, that's it, that must be it! Right? Anton doesn't think Goddess Niorun would be so... insane... as to show him such madness of him and Steven mating, when both Anton and the Goddess knew that the Omega is to marry another. Anton swallowed as he raised his mug, taking a long sip of his herbal drink, his eyes not leaving the flames as he tried to snuff the deafening buzz in his head. This was madness; an insane, nonsensical, embarrassing, horrifying dream, that was it… it didn't mean anything other than that.

Anton swallowed, closing his eyes tightly, trying to banish the feeling and thoughts slammed into him as images flashed behind his eyelids; the image of Steven on top of him, smiling and challenging him, allowing Anton to touch and kiss and worship him without a snarl or a growl clouding over his face. The playful smiles and actions Steven made in the dream realm, made Anton shiver and shift in his place, especially when he remembered the possessive kiss the queen bestowed him with… Anton should really stop thinking about the dream…

"Oh, I see that you are already awake…" Someone said behind Anton causing him to shriek and jump from his place, heart pounding in his chest as he whirled around to the person who spoke behind; his mug slipping from his grip and falling on the floor and splashing his drink around.

"I did not do anything!" Anton choked, trying to explain desperately, eyes wide and horror taking hold of him as he saw Steven (The Queen damn it to Hel!) standing behind him, raising his eyebrow and gazing at Anton like he lost his mind, which was not that far from the truth if he was honest with himself… do the Gods and Goddesses above hate him so much that they put him in this position?

"I… see?" Steven said slowly (The Queen! He was the queen, not someone Anton should say their name lightly!) Eying Anton suspiciously before pressing his lips tightly; Anton gulped, thinking that he had offended the Omega, but the amused snort he heard, informed him that Steven was finding his dilemma amusing and was trying to control his laughter... this was humiliating.

"W-what are you doing here? Did you not say that you would spend Yule with your pack?" Anton asked, trying to save his face before he embarrassed himself in front of Steven even more… why? Just why did the queen decide to visit now of all the time? The amused look the Omega throw his way informed Anton that he was not as successful in changing the subject as he would have hoped, which was embarrassing, to say the least.

"I came to give you this," Steven said before he extended his arm, showing Anton an amulet of Goddess Eir, a new amulet, finely crafted and lacking the scratch marks the previous one had. "This is your gift this year since you seem to attract troubles in the form of the Stone siblings… like moths to flames," Steven stated, causing Anton's heart to beat fast, and no doubt his face was flushed red; Anton never expected the Omega to give him any gift this Yule, considering the two of them always seemed to be in disagreement one way or another. "Well, are you going to take it?" The queen huffed, causing Anton to raise his head and gaze at the queen who was looking away with a flushed look on his face.

"Thank you…" Anton cleared his throat, mumbling his thanks as he took the amulet from the Omega's extended hand, this time tracing the amulet and taking in the beautiful and amazing craft he missed last time because of his blind jealousy and fury, promising himself to give the queen a nice gift by the end of the day even if it meant his humiliation. "So, why are you here early in the morn?" Asked Anton after a few minutes of embarrassing and tense silence on his part, as he tried to regain his barriers once more, being grateful that his mouth didn't say something foolish once more and anger the queen

At his question it was Steven's turn to clear his throat, a soft flush taking over his cheeks, causing Anton to nearly swallowing his tongue when the image of the naked queen on top of him flashed before his eyes. "I gave my word to Petrus I will celebrate the last day of Yule with the two of you," Steven stated after a while, causing Anton to gulp as he tried to open his mouth and say something, anything because Anton can hardly believe Steven will agree to celebrate the end of Yule with Anton even if his babe begged him and cried for days.

"I brought Petrus with me!" A cheerful voice called out, snapping Anton's mouth shut, which the Alpha was grateful for the saving when it meant he wouldn't end up messing up and destroying the perfect morn that took place by saying something that will anger Steven. Turning to the happy and cheery voice, Anton blinked his eyes when he saw James (Who was too energetic and cheerful in the morns) skipping happily with one hand holding Petrus's hand in a deadly grip.

"James… what did I tell you about waking those who sleep late at night?" Steven questioned in a low voice, causing the babe to stop skipping and turn to Petrus who was still rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, looking sleepier by the second as he swayed while standing.

"But the sun is up," James stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world that people should be up when the sun is up; while Anton admire James for the truth he said when it comes to Yule or any other festivity, no one really cares about when you wake up or fall asleep, mainly because most children are exhausted from playing all night, and the adults are intoxicated from the mead and beers being served at every available moment.

"'ssssss f… ine…" Petrus mumbled swaying one more before managing to open his eyes, blinking several times not looking awake in the slightest. "I told him… to… w-wake me up… earlier…" Petrus managed after letting out a big yawn, moving around the place before going to Anton and hugging him. "Good m…" Petrus said only to go quiet not a few seconds later making Anton blink his eyes and push Petrus away a little.

"He… fell asleep…" Anton said after a while, only to shake in his place before he started to laugh, catching the sight of Steven who shook his head in amusement before giving James an ear pull, causing the pup to squeak before pouting harshly. Anton couldn't help but smile softly when he saw the queen turn to the hearth and put a few more logs into the fire, no doubt planning on starting the morning meal. Anton's heart fluttered and he clutched the amulet in his hand tightly as he bites his tongue hard to stop himself from letting out a possessive growl at the sight in front of him… when his Alpha hissed and whispered 'Mine' over and over throughout the morning meal…

Anton didn't discourage him…

"You seem to be lost in your head, is there a reason for that, Anton?" Magna spoke, snapping Anton out of his intense staring at Steven who was sitting with Petrus, James, and the rest of the children in his care; Anton blinked several times before raising his hand and wiping his eyes, planning on telling Magna that he was just tired since it was late at night and want to leave the festivities to the solitary of his own room. Turning to tell Magna just that, he found the Alpha glaring at him harshly, as if knowing what he was planning to do, which made Anton press his lips tightly, knowing that there is no escape now after Magna caught him.

Anton let out a sigh and turns his gaze to his people, his lips twitching as he saw the people around him dancing and singing, enjoying the last day of Yule and greeting the New Year that was to come in the morrow. "I dreamed about something…" Anton stated causing Magna to blink, excitement filling her eyes at the tale Goddess Niorun must have shown Anton; no doubt, Magna was thinking that the dream he saw meant something fortunate and not a nonsensical dream especially if he seemed lost in thoughts. "It is nothing, a nonsensical dream that can go either way… but it got me thinking about something." Anton continued after a while, lost in his thoughts, his gaze never strayed far away from the queen; his eyes catching the sight of the Omega even when he tried to force them away only to fail once more. His Alpha on the other hand was rumbling happily inside him, refusing to stray his attention far away from the one that catches its fancy… something that was both fascinating and dangerous, especially when the last time Anton felt this way he got his heart torn out of his chest and stumped on. Such feelings should repulse or even scare him, some would have probably been embarrassed by it if such feeling like this came from nothing but a dream that made no sense; but for Anton, who usually didn't dream that much, he was interested when he dreamed about someone he did nothing but bicker with ever since they meet, even the nature of the dream was curious since Anton did not have those type of dreams since he popped his first knot. To top it off, both sides of him; his conscious mind and his Alpha (Who were always repulsed and expected nothing but betrayal and pain if he sensed someone's love interest in him) were intrigued by the queen, not even feeling repulsed by their interest in Steven. Which to Anton was a big step of moving on if he saw any.

"About what?" Magna asked, curiosity coloring both her voice and her face, as she took her fellow Alpha in, no doubt wondering what could have made the Alpha seem so lost in thoughts with no way out. "I do not believe that a nonsensical dream would cause such a reaction unless there was a hidden meaning or desire in it, was there something Anton?" Magna continued, wanting to know what kind of events made Anton change his line of thinking so suddenly.

Anton hummed, taking in Steven as he braided the hair of the young girl sitting near him while James and Petrus waved their arms around, telling contradicting tales no doubts; the sight causing his Alpha to rumble happily and for possessiveness to take hold of Anton when he saw 'Daniel' walking toward the queen with the mouthy woman always attached to Steven's side. "Can you be honest with me Magna?" Anton asked instead, causing his friend to give him a harsh look and a raised eyebrow as if telling him 'Really?' Anton knows that his friends never lied to him and they would always tell him the truth even if it meant gaining his ire and anger. "Without being biased, because both of us know you are biased when it comes to our friendship." He continued, which made her tilt her head a little, studying Anton for a little while before letting out a huff and nodding her head, which brought relief to Anton's heart. "Do you… think I have a chance courting The Foolish Queen?" Anton asked suddenly, causing the woman to choke mid-sip and start coughing harshly, hitting her chest several times to clear her airway from the mead.

"O…o-oh… OH!" Magna managed to choke out after she managed to catch her first breath, her eyes wide and her jaw nearly dropping on the floor; for several minutes Magna gazed back and forth between Anton and Steven before biting her lower lip in deep thoughts. "I see…" Magna whispered the shock was clear on her features before she blinked it away and an amused smile took its place. "Why… I never thought I will see the day the Great Iron King himself will ask such a question!" Magna laughed, ignoring the growl that Anton let out as he saw how amused his friend was becoming. "Tell me, Anton, what did the dream you saw contain that you started to see The Queen as a potential mate?" Anton continued glaring, hoping that Magna won't see how red his face was as his dream was brought to the front of his mind once more; unfortunately for him, Magna was always the more empathetic one of their friends, able to tell what Anton was thinking and the reason behind his action, so it was not a surprise when her eyes widen before she started laughing loudly, turning everyone's heads toward them before Anton's harsh glare made them flinch away.

"You seem to be having the time of your life, dear wife; care to share?" And that was Jamti who came to them, his arms carrying more meat to be roasted on the fire burning not that far away from the Magna and Anton. Anton twitched at that, and glared harshly at his friend as if daring her to inform Jamti of what took place just now… Anton should have known better than to tell his friend something like this, especially if it would end up embarrassing him like this.

"Our dear, Anton, has grown up!" Magna said after she finally gathered herself enough to stop laughing until her breath left her; at Jamti's confused noise and Anton hissed, the woman grin happily and pointed to Anton and then to the queen. "Our King wants to court The Queen!" Magna nearly shouted if it wasn't for Anton jumping her and slapping his hand on her mouth, stopping her from shouting his intention to the whole village to hear.

That didn't help in the end, as Anton heard Jamti choke before looking at Anton with wide and disbelieving eyes that turned to Steven before coming back to Anton; whatever Anton wanted to say to save his face went with the winds as his nose scrunch in disgust when Magna licked his palm. "Really mature of you…" Anton grimace as he snatched his hand away from Magna, grimacing at his palm before wiping it with his fur coat. "Disgusting." Anton hissed, ignoring the shared laugh between Magna and Jamti as they grin happily.

"To answer your question…" Magna said after she and Jamti finally calmed down and stopped teasing Anton who was a step away from strangling the two of them to death. "… I do believe that you have a chance with The Queen." Reassured the Alpha, causing Anton to send her a doubtful look; so far, two of his trusted friends had nearly gone into shock and then laughed themselves silly when they heard about his plan of courting Steven, and part of him couldn't help but wonder what the Omega's reaction would be when Anton asked for his hand in marriage and issue a mating challenge to his betrothal… the queen would probably laugh at him just like his friends… which was sad.

"Magna is right, Anton." Jamti butts in, which gained him a dark scowl from Anton that did nothing but make the man smirk and lean to his wife to hold her. "Out of every Alpha from our village; The Queen only fights and bicker with you." That… that actually made Anton feel even worse than Jamti and Magna laughing at him; was his relationship with Steven this bad? Did the two of them only fight and argue and nothing more? He was sure there was a moment or two where their bickering was nothing but light teasing, and he even managed to gain a smile or three from Steven. "Do not worry, Anton, on the contrary, this is a good thing!" Jamti reassured, causing Anton to send a dry look his way, his lips curling down dangerously becoming close to a pout before Anton managed to reign himself.

"It is true, no Asgardian wanted a mate that will bore them to death; especially Valkyries, they are the type to seek strong-headed mates who can take it and push back." Someone said behind Anton, causing the Alpha to groan and nearly curse out loud; how many people out there knew about Anton's intention of asking for Steven's hand? Even while feeling humiliated and embarrassed, part of Anton couldn't help but rejoice at the words he heard just now.

Anton didn't even need to raise his head to feel Loki sitting down on the opposite side of Anton to study him. "And why do you think so? It was years since he was a Valkyrie, maybe he would like a boring mate after being forced to be with Johann." Anton ended up asking while glaring at 'Daniel' from the corner of his eye when he saw the man's face turn red as he stutters something to the queen; part of not wanting to know how long Loki was here listening to his conversation because knowing him the man was here before Anton even opened his mouth to Magna about his plan of courting Steven.

"Even if The Queen stopped calling himself a Valkyrie, he never stopped being one... that and boring Alphas usually died after sharing one heat with a Valkyrie..." Loki stated in his non-challenged way, causing everyone to shiver and look at the man in horror at what he said... death? Was Loki serious or was he joking? "But I am curious about why you are glaring hatefully at The Queen's daughter's betrothal like you are planning to kill him…" Loki changed the subject quickly when he saw Magna and Jamti look at Anton with concern, his words causing Anton to still and for his eyes to widen a bit… Steven's what? Blinking several times, Anton tried to understand what Loki just told him, wondering if his ears had failed him or something along the lines of Loki playing another trick on him.

"The Queen's… daughter? What? Everyone knows that The Queen only has one child and that is James." Magna came to Anton's rescue, saving him from asking something along the line, of 'Are you sure?' because if Loki was telling the truth then it meant that Steven was unattached and Anton can ask for his hand in marriage without having to make a spectacle out of it… it meant… it meant that Anton had accused Steven of being something when he was not while destroying the happiest day for him and his daughter! Oh, Gods above! No wonder Steven was always angry with him after that day.

"You are right; he only birthed one child, James…" Loki started, and Anton doesn't correct him by saying that Steven birthed two children, that was not his story to share. "… But from the information I gathered, The Queen took charge of the mouthy woman, and raised the Beta from childhood alongside James as his sister." Loki pointed at the Beta and even Anton had to turn his head and see the mouthy one 'Margaret' was her name if he heard Petrus and James right.

'Six in total… Three of my own womb and three I raised; all of them are dead except for two.' Suddenly Steven's voice rang inside his ears, reminding him of what the Omega told him on the day of The Stone clan arrival; Anton glanced at Steven, studying how he interacted with the mouthy one and then his interaction with James, only now noticing that the way he treated the two was the same. Anton never questioned Steven when he told him only two children survived out of six, fearing that his grieve will sit him off somehow and make the Omega do something foolish… the constant visits to his people, the way the mouthy one always followed James or the Omega, going as far to scream and threat Anton with death after what happened with Hamar; all of it was finally adding up, informing Anton of how desperate Steven was in his protection of Margaret when he didn't disclose the identity of the second child but acted like it didn't exist… Omegas don't raise children they did not birth, and those who did, never cared for the said children as they considered them rivals to their own babes' fortune and wealth; an Omega who raise a stranger child and cared about them is an anomaly that would be met with a lot of spectacles and unsavory rumors… some rumors that could go as far as to result in the death of either the child, Omega, or both unless there was a proof that the child was not secretly the Omega's own who they had out of wedlock.

"Maybe… maybe she is his…" Jamti trailed off, gaining an angry growl from Anton who glared at his friend, daring him to continue with his words if he value his life; Jamti on the other hand just shifted in his place, gazing at Anton and Loki who were growling at him. "Think about it this way… no one knew about the existence of The Queen until after we raided The Hydra Kingdom, no one knew about his past, his clan, or about how Johann got his hands on him… what if… what if The Queen was from one of the northern villages Johann destroyed? What if he had a mate and the girl was their child? It would not be far from the truth that Johann destroyed his village and took him as a spoil of war after killing his Alpha… we know that James is at least six, and seven years ago we know how The Hydra king tried to wipe as many of our villages as he can." Jamti mumbled, his words gaining nothing but silence from everyone because they know how possible these words were; because there were many similar stories that took place when the Hydra king was still alive.

'Three of my own womb and three I raised...' James and his twin, and the stillborn child are the three babes Steven meant, they were the ones he carried in his womb; the one he raised was the mouthy girl, and two others that Steven never mentioned to him, he said nothing about them other than they were dead. Anton though didn't open his mouth to tell Jamti that he was wrong, because even then his words may be true; maybe once upon a time before being a prisoner in the Hydra king's hold, Steven had a betrothal, a family, and a village, all of which he lost to the Hydra king who wanted everything to be under his rule.

"To think I asked you about my chances with The Foolish Queen… if I knew it would end up like this I would have not opened my mouth." Anton grumbled, deciding to change the subject before the jealousy of Steven's unknown (Possibly dead) Alpha got out of control; his words seemed to snap everyone out of the dark mood that befallen them, causing them to turn to Anton with wide eyes as if they forgot the real reason of why they were here. "You really know how to encourage someone to confess by darkening their mood." Anton stood up, ignoring his friends who snapped out of the last of their shock and they tried to get him to come back; as if Anton was going to sit and listen to more stories that will do nothing but make him angry and cause his jealousy to flare… if the reason for his hast to escape his friends was because he saw Steven leave and he needed to follow him…

No one needed to know…

"Wait for a moment, Foolish Queen!" Someone called out, and Steven didn't need to pause in his steps and look back to know the person who called him was no one other than the foolish Alpha who called himself a king; instead, Steven twitched as he continued his way, grumbling about 'Foolish Alphas who do not have any respect…' all the way until he reached the well he was planning acquire some water from.

"What do you want, Arrogant Alpha?" Steven asked after he stopped in from of the well, taking the bucket and untangling the ropes, throwing the bucket down the well as he prepared to pull some water; with all the festivity going on, you would think someone would probably think that people would be smart enough to bring water with the barrels of mead and beers they serve, but as always they were not that smart to think of such things.

"To talk mostly…" The foolish king replied, thankfully not trying to act like an arrogant Alpha, and take the ropes from his hands to bring him some water (Steven hated how Alphas just assume that because he was an Omega, it meant that he can't do a task as simple as pulling water from the well) the Alpha's words though caused Steven to pause a little before he returns back to his task.

"Talk about what?" Steven asked after he finished pulling the water, pouring it into the waterskin he has on him, glancing at the Alpha now and then, and tilting his head when he saw the man lost in thoughts, finishing with his task, Steven tied the waterskin around his belt and secured the bucket so it will not fall down the well.

"I heard that congratulation is in order… that the mouthy one is engaged…" The king said, causing Steven to still before he let out a soft chuckle; the mouthy one? Did the foolish king still call Margaret with that name? "She is one of the children you talked about… the second child that lived…" The Alpha suddenly said, causing Steven's hands to tighten into fists momently before he relaxed them to look at the foolish king, waiting for what the man was going to say next, what he was going to demand next; but when the Alpha didn't demand a thing or threat Steven with something, he relaxed and give a small nod to the Alpha.

"She is; although the engagement was a long time ago, it only became official as of yesterday," Steven said, changing the subject and shutting any attempts the king was going to use to question him further. "Is that the only reason why you followed me all the way here, Foolish king?" Steven asked when the Alpha continued to stare at him silently like he was lost in his own world.

"Your gift…" The foolish king said suddenly before shifting in his place, looking embarrassed; which intrigued Steven and caused him to lean a little to hear what the Alpha was going to say. "I forget to give you your gift this morn…" Mumbled the Alpha, which made Steven tilt his head in amusement, especially when the Alpha shifted more and more; his eyes darting around like he was getting uncomfortable by the second.

"You already did, the Yule tree and Yule log were enough of a gift; everyone was happy with the tree, I thank you for that," Steven stated, smiling as he remembered the tree that still dominated the living space in his people's hut, the children still go and play near the tree every morn with happy smiles on their small faces.

"That… that was not your gift; every year I cut trees for those who cannot bring their own, this is my duty so please do not mistake it for a gift." The Alpha said, causing Steven to blink and let out a soft 'Oh…' part of him disbelieving these words that the king before him would do something as kind and generous as this, considering the rumors and fearful words whispered about him behind his back.

"Even so, you did not have to force yourself to get me a gift…" Steven said, not knowing why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed; gift-giving was normal, especially with it being part of Yule traditions to give gifts to friends and family members. Maybe it was the thought of the foolish king thinking of him as a friend that brought such embarrassment; the two of them barely tolerate each other, and if it wasn't for their children being friends Steven knew he would have strangled the foolish man a long time ago.

"I was not forced; I did it because I wanted to." The blunt way the Alpha said these words, like it was the most obvious thing in the world made Steven pause in his place; gazing at the Alpha for a long time, studying if the man was lying, when he saw no insincere in the Alpha's eyes, he gave a slow nod, accepting the Alpha's words for the truth. "Will you please come with me? I will take only a few minutes from your time." The foolish king asked, causing Steven to press his lips tightly.

Thinking over his options, Steven decided to give the Alpha the benefit of doubt, not wanting to turn the last night of this year and the start of the New Year into a sour affair. "Lead the way, Foolish King, but make it quick, the children are waiting for me." The Alpha gave a small smile and lead Steven to his house, his actions causing the Omega to blink and follow him.

The silence between the two was not tense or awkward to Steven's surprise; instead, it was almost… comforting… a word he hardly could associate with the foolish king, considering everything between them and the bad blood underneath them. It was a few minutes of silence, were the two of them walked to the king's home, Steven couldn't help but throw several glances the king's way, wondering what the Alpha was up to; reaching the house Steven went inside with the foolish Alpha, standing in the living space and looking at the Alpha who was shifting in his place.

"Please wait here for a moment…" The king mumbled, shifting in his place before hurrying away, leaving Steven alone as he gazed at the man who was acting more… strange… than usual, which caused Steven's concern to increase, wondering if the king's actions were caused by the Stone clan and how erected they were acting since his encounter with one of the Stone siblings. "Here!" The king's sudden shout nearly caused Steven to jump and let out an undignified noise of surprise, when Steven turned to glare at the man behind him, he paused when he saw the king carrying a large package.

"What...?" Steven let out his voice trailed off when the Alpha put the heavy package in his arms; confused, Steven gazed at the package and then the Alpha, repeating the action several times, when Steven noticed how shifty and uncomfortable the Alpha was becoming Steven cleared his throat. "Thank you…" Steven said instead of calling the man on his strange behavior, his hand coming from underneath the package to pull at the knotted string tying the package neatly; a stuttered breath left Steven's mouth when he removed the sheet covering the gift, his heart started to pound loudly in his chest at the white fur he saw, his hand that was frozen mid-air touched the fur, after a few minutes and he couldn't help but shiver at the softness of it. When the king said he had a gift for Steven, he had thought that the Alpha had something simple in mind. Money, jewelry, an amulet, even a sword or another Shield! That was what Steven expected when the Alpha said he had a gift for him, he didn't expect the Foolish king to give him an extravagant gift like this; a type of gift that a king only gives to his most trusted warriors or those who brought honor to the village. "I… I cannot accept this gift…" Steven stuttered, his eyes turning from the furs to the king, who was looking even more embarrassed than him.

"Please do not…" The king whispered, stopping Steven from giving the furs back to him, which made the Omega still as he waited for the next action the king was going to take. But there were no words spoken, no movement, no whisper of breath; just the king's hand on top of the fur near Steven's, causing the Omega's heart to pound loudly at the strange shift in the air.

"Why?" Steven asked in a soft voice afraid if he said the words out loud, he will break the spell that seemed to befallen over them; in the back of his mind, Steven wonder if the foolish king was the one who lost it or it was him. After all, the two of them hardly see eye to eye, so why would the Alpha waste such a beautiful gift on him when the two of them do nothing but fight?

The Alpha opened his mouth several times before closing it, giving Steven a strange (Was it lace with sadness?) smile as he pulled away. "Just a gift… and if you are not convinced, then consider it as a 'Thank you' for not killing me after all the times I nearly made you rip your hair in frustration." The king teased, causing Steven to snort involuntarily looking at the furs in his arms with wonder, wanting to know what the real reason for such a gift was but not wanting to pray into the king's matter when the Alpha looked torn between something.

"Thank you…" Steven mumbled his thanks, not knowing what to do other than covering the furs with the sheets and tying the string once more; part of him was still insisting that he return the furs back to the king, not wanting to take such an expensive gift that the foolish Alpha could give to others more deserving of such honor, another part of him… the Omega part… shifted for the first time in a long, long while; interest and curiosity radiating off it in waves, which made Steven still uncomfortably in his place, trying to push that part of him away as he studies how the king moved a step forward toward him before turning around and leaving Steven alone... Something was going on with the Foolish King, and Steven would find what it was one way or another; though Steven couldn't help but look at the package in his hands…

The white furs would make a lovely cloak, no doubt…

So what do you think?

Happy (Late) Valentine's Day!

Finals kicked my ass but I live!

And my, oh my! Anton is in looooovvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee!

Now for the fun facts!

Why was Tony so worked up about his… lovely… dream considering its nature?

The reason being that the Norse took dreams quite seriously (Like WAY seriously) While they acknowledged that some dreams were random and meaningless (and called them draumskrok, "dream-nonsense" or "nonsensical"), other dreams were held to possess enormous significance. They believed that dreams could sometimes foretell the future which went hand in hand with the Norse view that all events were directed by fate.

In Norse mythology Goddess Nótt (Old Norse for "night") is night personified, grandmother of Thor (Some even believe her to be the Goddess of dreams) While Goddess Niorun, or Njorun, is a minor Norse goddess about whom practically nothing is known from the primary sources. She is listed as a goddess in the Skaldskaparmal, but nothing else is said of her. However, it is said that the Duergar (dwarves) refer to the night as Draum-Njorun, or Dream-Niorun. Some modern folk began to contact her, and their personal gnosis is that she is the Goddess of Dreams. Niorun can bring the gift of lucid dreaming, or prophetic dreams. That doesn't mean that the dreams will necessarily be clear and decipherable, just that they will have information in them. (Unfortunately, that's the only thing I found when searching these two, or maybe they are just one Goddess? I don't know other than poetry verses, this is everything I found; shame)

Now for Steve's reaction to the gift:

During the Viking era, the environment was cold, harsh, and unforgiving. It is these conditions that naturally influenced the type of clothes the Vikings wore. The cold and hostile conditions meant any clothing had to keep them warm and protect them from the elements in those colder months. But they also had to be practical and flexible to wear for the everyday tasks they had to carry out. In Scandinavia, fur continued to be an important raw material, it was also given as a gift from kings to trusted and strong warriors; bear furs was even more valuable as it was given to kings. Other types of fur Vikings used were fox furs, otters, and the furs of small prey and animals, that were used to make clothes, shoes, and sheathes for the swords.

I hope you enjoy these fun facts!

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama