Ultimate Vinland Saga AU

[Chapter 1 | Part 1] Sweyn's Death

At the feast in Gainsborough, after King Sweyn demeaned Askaladd's homeland, Wales, Prince Canute was first instinctually shocked both from the fact that his father was dead and the visual of blood spattering all over as Sweyn's decapitated head fell to the ground, the crown clattering subsequently.

"Heh, well that felt great", said Askeladd with a proud smirk. Canute, regathering his thoughts after feeling the shock of the implications of the situation, quickly realised that this was all part of the plan to save both Wales and himself, momentarily composed his face and then regained his astonished look and yelled at his soldiers to apprehend the so-called assassin. Askeladd with all his skill, slashed through as many soldiers as he could and feeling joyful as this is what he has done for so long, knew he could kill as many soldiers as he could until finally letting his guard down to allow Canute to strike the blow, and so he waited. Meanwhile however, nearby Thorfinn heard the commotion and hastily peaked through the gaps in the walls to see what was happening, and didn't know what was going on and thought Askeladd had genuinely lost his mind, so he rushed inside through the crowd around the door to ask Askeladd what was the matter, while Askeladd was pinning down Floki with his pure might.

Taking the chance to use this brief moment of awkwardness, Prince Canute strenuously lifted a sword and thrusted it through Askeladd's chest, Thorfinn just in time to watch it happening, and Askeladd congratulated Canute on quickly seeing through his facade of madness and subsequently perished, falling onto Thorfinn's hands, who was not so quick as Canute to see through to the plan. Canute, after being in shock yet again for a few seconds after committing an act of direct homicide for the first time in his life, entered conversation with Thorkell who was now beside him, Thorkell telling him that Askeladd had intentinally set the stage for Canute to become king, filling Canute with a sense of duty. 

Meanwhile Thorfinn, infuriated with a strange anger that transcended beyond him now not being able to defeat and kill Askeladd in a duel, no—it seemed more like affection through sheer exposure, Thorfinn charged at the prince with his dagger with the full intent to kill him, but Canute was fortunate enough to dodge the attack and only suffer an injury to his soft cheek. Thorkell knew this was going to happen moments before it happened and quickly rushed to pin Thorfinn, who had lost his sanity, to the ground. The guards subsequently came to, ready to kill the assailant, but Canute, writhing in pain on the floor, managed to utter to the guards not to kill Thorfinn, and that he will decide his punishment.

After Thorkell's wake-up call, Canute had decided that he would from now put on a tough look in hopes of making his ascension to the throne more convincing, so when a few moments after the commotion had settled and Floki asked Canute to have his wounds mended, Canute interjected and inquired to Floki as to who was now the Danish king of England. Floki stuttered, as Canute had expected, and Canute walked up to the crown, facing it for everyone to see with gasps, and Canute picked it up, hoping it would flush out any intent for the people gathered there to usurp the role of the commander-in-chief for the invasion of England, and purposefully stomped onto the wooden steps leading to the throne and made a speech to the people, declaring that after his father died, he was now the king. 

It seems his valiant speech worked, as the people, including Floki, bowed before him.