TW: Themes of Domestic abuse. If this is a trigger, please leave now you have been warned.
A/N: My first fic that is a Oswald/Valdis ship that involves no cheating whatsoever and where Oswald actually loves her. Enjoy this rare occurance for once, as I don't do this often.
The sky was a dark cloudy grey matching the eerie atmosphere and mood of everyone. Metal was heard clanking as weapons were made, cleaned and sharpened around them.
It was now mid afternoon and their backs were aching. There was no time for rest, or even for food and drink. They knew that and had learnt that the hard way.
One newbie who was brave enough in the first few days under Rued's rule had decided to pipe up asking for a drink mid-shift. He had ended up with several bruises and a very pissed off Rued who had screamed at him in a mad-man tirade.
"And to the rest of you, let this be a message that nobody fucks with King Rued. This is my land and you do as I say. No breaks you hear me? I want you to sharpen those weapons until they're gleaming, until I can see all your ugly little miserable shit faces on it. Until your fingers bleed. Do you understand me?!"
"Yes sir" They had all replied albeit reluctantly.
Rued was pacing back and forth across the yard, inspecting their work as per usual. He approached a citizien near him who was shining a long sword or what looked to be with a stone. It was already very shiny.
Rued frowned coming closer to the citizen as he scrutinised his work.
"What is this? It's still blunt on that edge there. Are you that dumb and blind that you can't see? What do I pay you for, to sit around and sharpen air?"
The citizen recoiled gulping in fear as he noticed a few other thralls looking at him, before some of them turned away quickly back to their work in fear. Everyone knew better than to look and to mind their own business.
"No sir... Please I've been doing this since dawn. My fingers hurt. Look you can even see that I'm bleeding. I'm in pain. Forgive me" he begged
Rued looked over for a second to see that the citizen was indeed bleeding as small amounts of blood seeped out through his fingers dripping down the shiny metal surface.
Feeling fury rising within him, Rued grabbed the citizen by the ear roughly as he threw the half sharpened sword away from him, causing the others next to them to flinch involuntarily in fear.
"Your fingers hurt?! My fingers hurt holding you by your ear, and yet I don't complain. You've been nothing but a little brat, a ungrateful thorn by my side. All you do is moan, moan, moan. Look at me. My fingers are bleeding. Boo hoo hoo."
The citizien gasped before he regained his composure. In a surprising show of defiance, probably from the adrealine he did the worst thing one person could do in this situation. Argue back.
"You know what, you don't get to tell me what to do. You think you can come in here, take Oswald hostage, kill the Wolf Kissed and then tell me what to do? You can go to hell" He spat back
To his suprise instead of getting backhanded or punched, Rued laughed. A loud booming laugh as he cackled loudly throwing his head back. Only it didn't last long.
"Bad move. You don't question my authority ever. I am King here, and you will do as I say. I already gave you many chances. But you served your purpose. Goodbye" He snarled
Before the other citizien could retort any further, Rued had already killed him with his knife. With one swift motion to the gut, he fell down to the ground gurgling, much to the horror of the others as they stared.
"Let this be a warning to you all. Anyone who thinks it's a good idea to question me and my authority. That will be the result. Now I want all these weapons sharpened and cleaned by the time I come back, else I will come back and gut every single one of you. Do you understand?" he roared
"Yes... Yes we do" The other men whimpered
"I didn't quite hear that. LOUDER!" Rued barked voice booming across the air
"Yes. Yes sir!" They chanted back this time much louder
"Good" Rued grinned clasping his hands in sickening glee before he walked away calling
"Guards! Clean the body up! Dump it in the river or burn it, I don't care just get this shitstain out of my land"
"On it" The guards nodded as Rued chuckled a dark laugh before heading to his next destination.
The Church in East Anglia where his next target would be. The former King to be who was supposed to rule these lands, had Eivor not died.
Oswald stood tied up against the church's pillar bent forward in pain. He had suffered several beatings over the course of the past few weeks. His lips were dry and bloody, one eye was swollen shut due to it being blackened, and his body was aching and screaming. There was also burn marks from the rope that was tied too tightly to his wrists, squeezing all the blood out as he felt it warmly throbbing and pulsing through his veins.
He could see the altar in front of him in the distance, along with rows and rows of wooden chairs. He could spot Rued smirking out of the corner of his eye as the Dane Warrior approached him through his blurred vision.
"What do you want?" He weakly croaked, while trying to untie himself and wriggle free to no avail
Rued chuckled as he arrived in front of Oswald only mere inches from him.
"Valdis. She will be mine. I will make her mine again, and there's nothing you can do about it Sheep shit"
Oswald felt fear and anxiety rising within him at Rued's words
Noticing, Rued decided to rub salt to the wound.
"That's right... that Whore will be mine again. I will make sure of that" He grinned evilly
Losing all composure, Oswald thrashed wildly as he desperately tried to wriggle free only earning a laugh from Rued once more.
"If you ever touch her. I swear to god I will come and find you and I will hurt you so bad that even death will be a godsend to you" He gritted
This only made Rued laugh even harder as he struggled to catch his breath in between sentences.
"You... Oswald... the useless argr and Coward of East Anglia? A shitty sheep farmer... against me a seasoned Drengr? You must be nuts. Even a Wolf didn't stand a chance against me, but a Sheep? You can't be serious"
He was right, even Eivor who had been seasoned on raids and wars had lost and died against Rued, What chance would he stand?
"Just leave Valdis out of this. If it's me that you want, then just get it over and done with already. Hurt me if you must, but don't hurt her"
"Awwww" Rued mockingly cooed, only to earn a death glare from Oswald
"How Sweet. The sheep actually loves her. No. That would be too easy. You see I need you, to get her back. I could of killed you easily but than that would kill the joy wouldn't it?"
What joy? Oswald frowned in confusion as realisation dawned on him and he felt his blood boiling
"You sick fuck! Don't you dare. Don't you even think about it!"
Rued snickered letting out a snort once more as he faced Oswald's fury, not flinching one bit. It didn't bother him at all.
"Or What? She's mine and has always been. Face it. It's over, Saxon"
Rued turned and walked away as Oswald once again tried to wriggle desperately out of the restraints to no avail once again
"Where are you going? Come back here you bastard. If you touch her I swear to god!" He yelled
Ignoring his shouts and threats, Rued walked out disappearing from view.
"Fuck!" Oswald screamed as he continued to wriggle to no avail
I need to get out of here and warn Valdis before he does something. Right is there anything to free myself with here, Focus. Look around.
Nope, nothing. This is hopeless. After all What did I expect? Why would a church have anything that can free a person held by ropes?
Hopeless, he gave up to Fate. All he could do was send a silent prayer, begging the Lord to help him.
Meanwhile, Rued approached the Longhouse. He spotted Valdis sitting down by the table, glaring and frowning at him.
"Where is Oswald? What have you done to him?" She demanded
Rued tried the gentle approach first. Walking over to her, he placed a hand on hers trying to clasp it against hers.
"Oh don't worry about him my dear. I have my guards looking after him in this moment. He's well fed and looked after. Come on let us go to the bedroom and relax. I've missed you my ladylove" he soothed
Furious, Valdis shoved his hand away from hers roughly.
Seriously after five summers he has the audacity to come back and ask me to bed with him? I should slap him right now. The cheek of this bastard. I don't believe for a second he would treat Oswald that kindly. He probably has him imprisoned somewhere.
"Bullshit. I know your lying to me. You wanted to Kill Oswald before Why would you suddenly be nice to him. You want to get me into bed with you don't you, Well I'm not having it! You can go to hell!"
Valdis tried to leave, only to be grabbed roughly by Rued on the wrists causing her to stop in her tracks
"You really are testing my patience here aren't you. Yes I want to go into bed with you, or is that too much to ask for? You owe me remember. After what you did to me, running away and leaving me. I looked everywhere for you!"
"Get off me." Valdis gritted as she tried to remove herself from his iron grip, but it was fruitless he was much stronger than her
"No I will not. You either get into bed with me right now... Or else I kill Oswald right now" He sneered as he tugged at her harder
"You would never. You know if he finds out what you did to me you won't even stand a chance. Your sick" She spat back
"Oh really? Why don't we have a look for ourselves. Since your so blind and can't see it for yourself, Why don't we have a look huh?"
Before Valdis could retort any further, he grabbed her roughly dragging her by the ear as Valdis resisted making it hard for him.
"Stop resisting. Or I will put you down in a hole with Sheep shit where you belong. I'm getting real sick of you"
"Good. Then at least I won't have to deal with you anymore" She retorted back to him
Rued felt blood boiling rage at her defiance as he slammed her against the nearest wall shoving her hard against it before going inches from her face, cornering her.
"You dare challenge me? You want to die? You want to die you Whore? Do you? Answer me!" he roared spit flying everywhere
Valdis flinched as she felt Rued's spit hit her in the face as she felt fear and terror also panic rising beneath her
"No.. No I don't. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me" She rasped letting out a quiet apology
"I swear you drive me fucking mad woman. You should thank Sheep Shit that I'm even keeping you alive. Next time you won't be so lucky. Now move!" he yelled pushing her forward
Valdis bit back tears as she felt Rued's horrible hands on her once more as he aggresively dragged her all the way out towards the church.
No I must be strong. For Oswald. I can't let him see me like this. I hope he is alive.
Soon enough they arrived at the church where he was. Oswald was still in his usual place tied up against the church's pillar.
He watched as Rued entered dragging Valdis along with him, before he shoved her to the ground where she fell on her knees. She looked up at him wide eyed.
"I'm alright darling. Don't worry" He quickly mouthed to her.
"So Valdis. Still so resistant on not making love with me?" Rued started
When she didn't answer too overwhelmed by tears, he went up to her roughly grabbing her by the chin so she would look up at him
"I was talking to you, bitch. Answer me now. Or he dies. I am not messing around here"
"Don't you dare touch her. I swear to god. I will break every single one of your bones if you do that again" Oswald seethed
Valdis looked up to see a furious Oswald tied up.
"It's alright Oswald. I'm fine. It's just a scratch! Don't worry"
Oswald wasn't convinced but he let it slide, eyes narrowed in hatred towards Rued as he forced his boiling anger to calm down.
Alright deep breaths. Getting angry won't get you out of here. You need to stay in one piece to help her. So stay calm and play along for now.
"So What's it going to be? Tick tock." Rued cooed
"Your sick you are! You think you can drag me here, and tie Oswald here so you can get me into bed with you and that I would still say yes, after eveything you did to me? Your nuts you are. I should of never got with you! Your nothing but a madman. How foolish of me"
Rued chuckled at Valdis' defiance as Oswald tutted shaking his head in dissapproval
"Is that how you want to play it? Resist until the very end? I gave you chance after chance. This is on you. I didn't want to do this but you leave me no choice"
Rued got up and marched closer towards Oswald before pummeling him across the stomach, much to Valdis' horror. He continued punching as the sound of fists hitting skin could be heard echoing across the hallway as Oswald bit back the pain and took the beating.
He locked eyes with Valdis as he rasped quietly to her weakly
"Just do it Val. It's fine. Don't worry about me. I won't be mad. I love you"
Hearing his words and permission, Valdis got up from the ground despertely pleading unable to take it anymore.
"Stop. Please. Don't hurt him anymore. I will do it. Sleep with you. Just stop. If you want to make love with me, I'm all yours. Just don't hurt him please"
Rued stopped turning around to face Valdis. She looked serious and like she meant it.
"Is that a Yes I hear from you? Fine. You got lucky today sheep shit, next time..." Rued waved a finger grunting towards his direction
Maybe, Maybe if I make love with him I can save Oswald? If I give my body in return... I can make a deal with Rued. That's why he was telling me to just do it and go along with it. I just need to get through this then maybe I can get on Rued's good side and ask him to free him.
Feeling a sense of hope in her heart, Valdis swallowed before she summoned all of her courage to try and make a negoitation with him
Just as they were leaving the church, Valdis spoke up suprising both Oswald and Rued at the same time.
"If I sleep with you just this once, in exchange for me doing that, Will you free Oswald for me? Please. I'll give you anything you want in exchange for his freedom"
"Ugh. Fine Fine. Whatever you say. You win. If you sleep with me and sastify me I will free him in return."
Yes. Valdis let out a secret mental celebration at his words disgusing it with a gentle smile, after all she needed to get Rued on her side.
"Good I'm glad. Now shall we get started then" She prompted gently towards him reaching over to him and clasping her hand on his
Oswald watched them leave feeling a tiny pang in his heart, but he knew if Valdis didn't do this, there was a chance he wouldn't live to see the next day. In fact he was grateful that she was offering her body to that horrible monster for a chance to save him.
She noticed him looking at her once more giving her a nod of approval.
"I love you" he mouthed back to her
"I love you too" she whispered back to him before closing the door shut, leaving him all alone.
Little did they know it was all a lie. Rued would never stick to his end of the bargain. He never wanted Oswald alive. He wanted him dead. If Oswald were to live, it would ruin his chance of being King. One that he had worked so hard to do when killing the Wolf Kissed, he wasn't going to let it slide so easily like that. Rued wasn't stupid.
Hours later Rued woke up in the middle of the night with a sleeping and snoring Valdis next to him naked with only the sheet to cover her.
He slowly tiptoed past her to grab his gear and armour as he buckled up getting dressed once more.
He sheathed his various knives, axes and swords on his belt as he took care not to make noise through the fur carpet, gently closing the door as he quickly and quietly descended down the stairs.
Despite having a decent sex session with Valdis earlier on, Rued wasn't sastified. He wanted Oswald dead and out of the picture. He made his way over to the Church once more for the final confrontation.
The church door creaked and opened taking a half asleep Oswald by suprise, after being almost delirious from the lack of sleep, his body had finally given in and despite the uncomfortable position he was actually about to doze off and have the first decent night sleep in a while.
So he was very suprised when Rued entered in the dimly lit church.
"Shhhh. Don't make a sound. I don't want them to hear you. I'm here to free you. Get you to another place of safety where Valdis is waiting. We made a plan the pair of us after she held up to her end of the bargain. You know because since I am King here I've ordered my guards to kill you if they spot you and I haven't told anyone else. Look there's no time we need to go now"
Oswald frowned as he was hit by the news all at once. He was too sleepy and weak to fully take on the information so he just nodded as Rued inched closer hiding a knife behind his back in the dim darkness
He eventually arrived to where he was and proceeded to cut the ropes from Oswald's wrists with the knife as Oswald relaxed and loosened up now that he wasn't having something squeezing his veins all day long.
"Now just the other one" Rued cooed gently in the dark
He sliced the other bit of rope off as Oswald was now free. Impressed and stunned he touched his wrists in suprise
"Thank you. You know back there I didn't think you would-"
He was cut off mid sentence when a knife was plunged on his stomach, staining his white robes a ghastly red
"You. You bastard..." He rasped out weakly
"You traitoring fuck!" He yelled while clutching his stomach in pain
Rued laughed cackling once more
"Did you really think that I would let you go? That I would just let you live after you stole my wife from me? And my land? You really are stupid and naive. No never"
"She's not yours! When will you see that? She never was... and never will be"
Those were his last words as he collapsed on the ground on a pool of blood, eyes rolled back and lifeless as Rued let out a chuckle while wiping his bloodied blade down with a cloth.
"Good Riddance. The bastard King is now dead. About time"
He walked out back to a nearby cottage knocking on the door.
Two Dane raiders answered, suprised by the sight of Rued.
"I need you to get rid of the body. Sheep shit is dead. I don't want Valdis finding out. Do what you like with it. Just don't let her see"
A few days later, Elmenham Longhouse.
Rued sat down on his throne bored and tapping his feet impatiently. There wasn't much going on now that there was no where else to invade or raid.
He was suprised by the sight of an angry Valdis who marched over to him. He chuckled at the sight of seeing her so worked up. Before he could make a snide remark or say anything, a slap across the face broke his attention as everyone else in the longhouse stared towards them.
"I know what you did. So don't lie to me. You killed Oswald didn't you. I found the blood on the church floor, and on your clothes as well. It's his blood. I know it. I'm not stupid"
The citizens around them gasped before many of them returned to what they were doing before.
"Yes I did. What are you going to do about it? He was in the way. I couldn't just have him walking around East Anglia or like he said come back and kill me for what I did to you. I just couldn't take the risk"
"Your sick you are. I'm done with you Rued! I'm done. Don't ever ask me to sleep with you ever again because I'm not going to do that. You can rot in hell."
With that she stormed off back upstairs
"If you say so. You can run but you will always be mine. I'm your husband whether you like it or not. So run all you like!" He sarcastically called after her only to be met with a loud curse upstairs
"Fuck you!"
Rued tutted while shaking his head as he turned to his crew of raiders in front of him
"See What I have to put up with? Crazy devil Woman"
He was met by a bunch of laughter from the raiders in front of him
"You better be careful, she's feisty she is" one of them joked back punching him on the arm
"Yeah no shit. Tell me about it" He rolled his eyes back to them as he joined them by the table
Raising a mead cup in the air he yelled
"Three cheers for tyranny. Three cheers for Sweet Revenge and Three Cheers to the Death of Oswald. Long live King Rued!"
He was met with loud cheers and jeers in return as he sipped his mug of bitter mead.
This was only the beginning of a peroid of suffering for several years until Halfdan fed up of Rued's cruel antics, sent Guthrum over to sort his shit out. Guthrum challenged Rued to battle, Dane to Dane and killed him ending everyone's misery.
Having been free of Rued's grasp once more, Valdis sailed back to Denmark with her brothers leaving East Anglia behind once and for all.
A/N: And that's the end! This is how I headcanoned what it would of been like if Eivor died and East Anglia fell into Rued's hands in an AU. The citizens being enslaved as thralls was from the actual games dialogue during the Burgh Castle Confrontation. Rued says to Eivor that "They should all be made thralls" and how they should have power over them. He even tried to convince Eivor to join him in enslaving and ruling over them, to which she tells him not to "Drag her down to the Sewage he wallows in".
So obviously the first thing Rued would do when he came into power would be to enslave the entire populace and citiziens of East Anglia. Second, he would get Valdis back since he claims "She's his wife". He would also hold Oswald hostage and torture him knowing the sadistic animal he is he would do such a thing. He already held Oswald in the cage in the game, so it would be in character for him to do that.
I also kept Broder and Brothir alive in this as enough people died anyway. I didn't need the brothers to be dead too. I liked Brothir actually he didn't deserve to die so me keeping him alive in this was me fixing Ubi's mess I guess? Though I killed Oswald off in return..
Anyway I hope you enjoyed! As always nice comments are welcome! See you next time!