Despite you grew up with the finest and highest of Kattegat, you hardly acted like it. Just as everybody else who needed to earn his keep for the day you did the same, ignoring the wild smiles of the Ragnarssons as you passed by the great hall all covered in sweat and a tainted skin from the sun. They loved you, almost like you were a sister. That came from growing up with them, knowing Ubbe his worst secret and Ivar his darkest desire you were the most neutral person between all four of them. And although you didn't had to work for you food, you still did it, believing that you would never be a ruler but more the kind of woman that kissed her husband to a raid while you stayed behind with the children. You looked down to the cuts in your hands from packing grains and hay inside the storage sheds. It was hard work but you enjoyed it.

'Need some help? Or somebody who can take care of that?' You startled and turned around, letting your hands fall back at your sides.

'The prince of Kattegat wants to help?' You asked, teasing him. Hvitserk moved his sleeves up while keeping eye contact, you just raised your eyebrows amused.

'You don't believe me.'

'I believe there are a lot of things you can do, but you never did this before.' You pointed to the bales of hay. You rubbed your fingers over your painful palms and looked how he loosened his belt and throw it aside. Your eyes moved with his body as he started to work. It was a nice change of scenery, seeing him work instead of him watching you work.

You stroke a strand of your hair out of your sticky face before lifting your dress, walking over the stones of a little creek that leaded towards the lake. Hvitserk stayed and you had to admit it was a pleasure on seeing him do some heavy work. You noticed yourself staring a little longer than necessary as he lifted a bale of hay and moved it the other direction, the muscles, the sweat, hearing him breath. You lost that lovely image an hour before you stopped working and you had no clue to where he was. You shook the thoughts away and walked over the last part, kicking out your shoes as you looked up to the slightly darkening sky. Aside loving the work you placed today, the peace in this quiet little bit of nature made you whole. You looked over your shoulder, scanning the surrounding before stripping down the filthy clothes and stepping into the water. It was rather cold, the goosebumps raised over your body as you bite your lips and jumped completely under to take the pain all at once. You squealed a little when you got back up, smiling like an idiot about your own behavior. You stroke your wet hair out of your face and started to clean yourself a little up, enjoying the silence that drifted through the trees and the surroundings. Beside the far off noise of an owl everything was completely silent and you enjoyed that for that only the time it took you to wash yourself. You float on the water, turning and swimming until you heard the joyful chuckle of the bastard watching you.

'Hvitserk.' You jerked your head around, looking to his silhouette somewhere between the trees. It took you a while but when he moved your eyes locked on him, sinking deeper into the water so he had less to see. 'What are you doing here?' You asked as he moved closer, looking down to your clothes before looking over the surface to you.

'You own me something.' He started, placing his feet on the rock while untying his shoes.

'For you helping?' You asked stunned. What he really expecting something for that?

'No,' he shook his head, pointing his attention to his other shoe. 'you remember that bet you lost?'

'The one you didn't collected your prize for? Is this that?' You didn't need to ask, that playful smile on his face stated the obvious. 'I thought I could just cook you something.' You began, not entirely sure to where this was going. Why was he undressing so agonizing slow to begin with?

'I saw you watching today Y/n.' He pulled on the back of his tunic and pulled it over his head. Your eyes instantly fell on his chest, a chest you saw numerous times in your life and all of the sudden it was different.

'I wasn't,'

'Hmmm?' He smiled on your lack of words. You shut your eyes when he started with his trousers and turned around.

'You are like my brother.' You protested. All those years you had a neutral position and now all of the sudden he wanted more. Or was he just pointing out what he kept behind for all those years. You heard a splash and the water that started to rock against your body and you bite your lip, turning around again. His braids drifted on the water surface as he tried to adapt to the cold.

'I'm not besides didn't you love me not always more?'

'I hate that cocky attitude of you.' You pointed out with a neutral face.

'I wouldn't do something you don't want to, I'm your friend more than I will be anything more.' He drifted closer and you studied his face. 'You are way to beautiful to not taste love and desire Y/n.' He whispered, being close enough to thought you, but he didn't.

'You are just saying that to get your part.'

'Does it work?'

'Maybe.' You laughed. He followed you in that laugh and yours died as you watched his great attractive smile. 'I had somebody four months ago before Ivar scared him away.'

'Ivar will scare everybody away who comes to close to you.' Hvitserk answered , lifting his hand above water, stroking his knuckles over your cheek. You closed your eyes on the cold and his touch.

'But not you?' You whispered. He cupped your face with his other hand and you opened your eyes.

'I'm his brother, we want to protect you.'

'I don't need protection.' You muttered as he closed in.

'Yes you do Y/n, one day the big bad wolf will enter your life and there will be no one to safe you but me, if you submit to the feeling.' He said it so softly. Big bad wolf, the feeling, submitting, it caused your body to shiver as he pressed his lips onto yours. Your hand slipped over his shoulder, feeling the wetness of the water between your lips, his body closing in. It was an overwhelming feeling you didn't expect to feel. And as that feeling started to crawl through your body that kiss grew in a short amount of time. You pressed your body against his, while his lips pulled away, placing there selves under your ear.

'Hvitserk,' you breathed out, feeling how his hand disappeared under water and roamed your skin. 'This stays between us.'

'I'm not that good in keeping secrets.' He applied, giving you a innocent look with a little of that heated playfulness. You caved on that look and just nodded, feeding yourself with his lips, feeling your body with the desire currently swirling around in the both of you. You felt his hands everywhere, leaving the beginnings of moans on the tip of your lips as he kissed you passionate. You tangled your body around his, feeling that sweet pressure onto that spot between your thighs. And just like that a whole day of work got rewarded with the prince of Kattegat rocking his hips against yours he devour you entirely. The water seemed not that cold anymore, just him, the silent lingering that feed your body for weeks now and he seemed to have noticed, pleasing you with it.