Blessed by the Gods

The Bath

The noise of stomping feet and screams wore on her. It had grown too much and after all the lies the queen had whispered into Aslaug's ears, Rùna wanted to hear no more. Not about her or others, not about Ivar and the alliance, the marriage they wanted to force her into, or whatever other idea should come out of the queen's mind.

Hot water burning off the worries of the day, Rùna closed her eyes in the bath the servants had drawn for her and lay back her head. A cold breeze came from the window on the other side of the room, but it felt great against her skin, calming, soothing, and freeing. With the heat from below, the cold did not bother her, quite the opposite, it gave her a feeling of being in a different place, safe from her poisoning step mother, the begging people who wanted her to foretell the future.

The only time Rùna could let herself go and fall asleep. Her knees just above the water surface grew cold from the wind as it blew against them, but not the wind alone touched her leg. Fingers brushed over her skin, along her inner thigh and in between her legs, twirling inside her.

Her breath grew stronger when the fingers reached deeper into her, but before the moan that derived from her pleasure could roll over her lips, she snapped out of it and grabbed the hand that played with her. Gripping it tight, she sat up straight, covering her front with her angled legs. A heap of warm breath blew against her face and the chuckle that followed gave away the man. Relieved yet violated, Rùna threw the hand over the side of the bath and glared at him. "How dare you, Ivar"

Still laughing, Ivar leant closer. "I saw you leave. What did you tell my mother?"

"Nothing to concern you. Now please leave"

Pressing his lips against her neck, Ivar watched as Rùna's breath grew heavier. "Do you really want me to?" For a moment, her legs parted, letting his hand slide along her thigh, but before he could continue his play, she stopped him.

"No, I do not want you inside me. I don't care how charming or good looking you might be, please get out"

"You find me charming?"

Rùna leant closer to Ivar, so close he noticed the blue specks in her eyes. "Oh, I do. A man getting on a horse as elegantly as you, with such grace" Pearls of water ran down the side of his face and dropped back into the bath as Rùna's wet hand brushed over his cheek. She made the mistake of smiling at the image that formed inside her mind and the same moment, the taste of mead hit her lips.

Stubbles tickled her chin as Ivar leant over the rim of the bath, his hand between her legs, the arm around her as his tongue encountered her mouth. In between kisses, Rùna let out moans of pleasure, the touch of his skin on hers, the fingers playing inside her.

A racing heart, Rùna moaned as she climaxed and fell back into the bath, her head leant against the rim of the bath. The light electric impulses rushed through her body, leaving behind soft silver lightnings on her skin as they streamed out of her. The body still trembling, Rùna's hand rested on Ivar's, who grinned, pleased with himself.

His eyes fell onto the lightnings that formed on her skin. Around her eyes, down her neck over her shoulder, and along her arm. "Where else do the lines lead?" he inquired, tracing them with his fingers from below her jaw, all the way to her chest and down to her legs.

"I don't see any lines" Rùna closed her eyes, enjoying as Ivar played with her body.

He got closer, leaning over her face. "They look like lightnings"

"My mother was struck by lightning before I was born. I suppose it could be that"

A slave entered the room unseen by the two, a pitcher with hot water in hand, but at the sight of Ivar next to Rùna, she turned away, left the pitcher at the door and went to inform the queen about what she had seen. The queen told her to keep quiet, but her face looked pleased.

Laughing, Ivar rested his head on Rùna's shoulder. "You mean to tell me that before your birth, the god of thunder and lightning claimed you his own?" His lips traced a line from her jaw to her chest above the waterline. "He must have found you as enticing as I do"

Not giving it any further thought, Rùna opened her mouth. "He claimed my mother rather than me. Must have wanted her more than anything, and so she left me behind and went with him at once"

"Let us see her in the afterlife, and I will stand up for you. No mother should leave behind her child"

Rùna opened her eyes and gazed at Ivar. "Stand up for me? You'd more likely fall for me then" A smirk hushed onto her lips.

"If that makes you laugh at me" Ivar caressed her neck and grinned, his breath blowing against her warm skin.

Out of the blue, Hvitserk came into the room, pointing at Ivar. "Time to leave, quick" He lifted his brother off the ground and left behind a confused Rùna. Just in time did he drag his brother into the room that the King's servants had prepared for them to stay in. Waiting behind the shut door, Hvitserk placed his hand on his brother's mouth and listened.