Ultimate Vinland Saga AU

[Chapter 1 | Part 2]

The now-king Canute is resting in the royal infirmary with his wounds being taken care of by nurses. He was not afraid to let out his weak side as the men who had previously been with him in the feasting hall were outside and he was surrounded by women who thought nothing of Canute's disposition as they were unaware of his recent shift in public persona. He squealed in pain as one of the nurses applied a herbal remedy to his cut and wiped the blood off. His resolve to become tough collapsed after realising he wasn't—no, he couldn't become the tough standard of a king like his predecessors. It simply wasn't him. His mind raced for other paths to take that would still lead him to his goal of eventually creating a paradise on earth. Yes, a paradise. He almost forgot after such violent chaos. That was his ultimate goal. He was going to take up what God was supposed to do from the very beginning. Canute stared down at his bare body and observed the difference in size and musculature between his chest and those of the nurses. Sure—he was outstandingly feminine for a man, even a boy his age, but he still wasn't as feminine as any of these regular women. He didn't know it at that moment but it was envy. He wanted to be more feminine. He thought back to how he exclaimed that he never wanted to be born a royal, let alone a prince, back when Ragnar was still alive. After having travelled many outskirts with Askeladd and his crew and seeing the general suffering of the populace, he no longer disdained at his regal life, but still hated the gender roles that came with being a male royal. Was Ragnar the cause of all his femininity? Canute pondered...no, it couldn't be. How were all these women, and women in general, so feminine even having been raised with figures that could very well have been a complete opposite to the caring temperament of Ragnar? Perhaps if he were born a woman, he would have led a life of ease and never mocked for his passions. But still, he felt a disconnection from women as well—how simple minded and unaspired they all seemed to be. He wasn't like that, he wanted to do stuff, he had actual goals in mind, even before his apparent awakening by the hands of Askeladd and Willibald the monk, he was just too mindful of the consequences of making the wrong move, perhaps the result of his upbringing consisting of a back-and-forth between his father's wrath and Ragnar's kindness, not that he still wasn't mindful, but such severe circumstances caused him no choice but to break away, at least temporarily, but he knew it changed him. Before he hoped that by praying daily to God he would be freed from his adversities by God's eventual succumbing to pity, and besides that he was also passionate with the art of cooking—not the common rote cooking, but also a desire to pioneer and innovate. But he knew now that the former was simply the product of an ignorance of the human condition. How many more trials did the millions of people on this Earth have to face for God to finally come down his throne and grant them the salvation they so deserve? Would an infant who suffered only a brief moment in life be given the same rewards as those who have suffered for their entire lives? How would someone like him, if ever successful in creating a paradise with their own hands, be judged by God?

His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden and terribly painful prick of a needle against his cheek, and another. Canute let out an incredibly high pitched scream that he was sure the men in the other room would have heard. "Your majesty, please close your eyes for the suturing process so that the pain may be more subtle", spoke one of the nurses, who gently clenched his mouth open so she could insert a rag there for him to bite into. Canute obliged to the nurse's request, and in doing so reinforced his body's call to pass out.

A few hours elapsed, and Canute awoke to his injury fully stitched and bandaged, although the pain was ever pulsating. He lay resting for a few more moments observing the now empty room before gathering the strength to put back on his obligatory facade, however repugnant it may be. As he put on the crown set aside for him by his bedside and stepped near the door, he heard a muffled conversation between a few of presumably his men outside. He couldn't make out what they were saying, so he opened the door and the men immediately ceased their conversation, greeting the king. "Ah, Canute, you're awake." said one of the men. Canute imposed "Where is Floki and Thorkell? And what of Thorfinn?"