The King's Choice — Ivar the Boneless x Reader
Pairing: Ivar the Boneless x Reader
Word count: XXXX
Genre: Fluff | Romance
Warnings: Jealous Ivar, possessive behaviour (non-toxic), canon-typical references to violence.
Summary: After years of friendship, Ivar finally realizes that he cannot imagine becoming king without you by his side.
"You are staring again."
"I am not."
"You are."
A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you sat down beside Prince Hvitserk, watching his younger brother argue with one of his warriors in the middle of the Great Hall.
Ivar looked terrifying when he was angry. Everyone in Kattegat knew that.
He was loud, cruel and merciless when someone dared to question him.
"He looks like he's about to kill someone," Hvitserk laughed before taking another sip of his ale.
"He usually does."
"I heard that!"
Of course he did.
Ivar's blue eyes immediately found yours amongst the crowded hall, narrowing suspiciously when he saw the amused expression on your face.
"You are both insufferable."
"You wound me, brother," Hvitserk dramatically placed his hand over his chest.
"No," Ivar answered as he made his way towards the two of you, "if I wished to wound you, you would know."
You couldn't help but laugh at his response, something that immediately softened his expression.
That was another thing everyone in Kattegat knew.
Ivar liked you.
Nobody knew when it had happened, not even you.
Perhaps it was during one of his endless conversations with you about battle strategies or foreign lands. Perhaps it had been when he discovered that you were one of the few people in Kattegat who wasn't afraid to disagree with him.
Or perhaps it had simply happened without either of you realizing it.
What everyone did know was that Ivar the Boneless became considerably less terrifying whenever you were around.
He was still arrogant and impatient.
Only slightly less terrifying.
"I heard you won another argument against Ubbe this morning," you smiled as he sat beside you.
"He was wrong."
"You didn't even let him finish speaking."
"He was still wrong."
Hvitserk snorted beside the two of you before standing from his seat.
"I suddenly remembered I have somewhere else to be."
"You don't."
"I do."
"No, you don't."
"Ivar, even Odin himself could come down from Asgard and tell you that you're being obvious."
Silence immediately fell over the table.
"Obvious about what?" you questioned curiously.
"Nothing," Ivar quickly answered.
"Everything," Hvitserk corrected with a grin.
Before either of you could question him any further, he disappeared amongst the crowd, leaving an amused Bjorn sitting only a few tables away laughing into his cup.
You looked back towards Ivar, raising an eyebrow.
"Should I be concerned?"
"No."
"Are you lying to me?"
"Always."
For once, his answer made you laugh instead of worry.
It wasn't uncommon for the two of you to spend your evenings together. Sometimes he would tell you about the raids he wished to lead one day. Other times he would ask about the kingdoms you had travelled through before arriving in Kattegat years ago.
He enjoyed listening to you speak almost as much as he enjoyed arguing with you.
He would never admit that aloud, of course.
"You are smiling again," he suddenly pointed out.
"Am I not allowed to?"
"Not when I do not know why."
"Perhaps I simply enjoy spending time with you."
He stared at you for several moments before looking away.
If anyone else had said those words to him, he would have dismissed them immediately.
When they came from you, however, he found himself thinking about them for the rest of the evening.
_____________
Weeks passed before either of you spoke of it again.
The Great Hall was unusually loud that evening.
A group of warriors from another village had arrived in Kattegat earlier that morning and one of them had spent most of the night attempting to gain your attention.
Ivar had hated him immediately.
Which, admittedly, wasn't particularly unusual.
Ivar hated most people.
Still, seeing the warrior smile at you throughout the evening was becoming increasingly irritating.
"He seems nice," Ubbe commented innocently.
"He seems dead."
Bjorn nearly choked on his drink.
"You cannot kill every man that speaks to her."
"Why not?"
"Because that is frowned upon."
"By whom?"
"Everyone."
"I disagree."
Ubbe sighed tiredly before placing a hand over his face.
"You are jealous."
"I am not."
"You threatened to throw him into the sea."
"He cannot swim."
"THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT BETTER!"
Across the hall, you laughed softly at something the warrior had said before excusing yourself and walking towards Ragnar's sons.
Immediately, Ivar's expression softened.
The warrior did not follow you.
Wise choice.
"What are you discussing?" you asked innocently.
"Murder," Hvitserk answered honestly.
"Again?"
"Again."
You sat down beside Ivar as naturally as you always did, smiling when he silently offered you his cup.
The action didn't go unnoticed by his brothers.
Neither did the fact that he would allow nobody else to drink from it.
"You should have stayed with your new friend," Ivar commented quietly.
"Oh?"
"He seemed rather interested in you."
"He was."
Silence.
"He wishes to marry before winter."
The grip around his cup tightened considerably.
"I see."
"And he asked me if I would consider travelling with him."
Bjorn quietly pulled Hvitserk away from the table before things inevitably became interesting.
"You are not going."
"I am not?"
"No."
"And why is that?"
His eyes finally met yours.
"Because I said so."
You laughed quietly before shaking your head.
"I am afraid that is not how these things work, Prince Ivar."
"It is when I am involved."
"And what if I wished to go?"
"You do not."
"And if I did?"
"You will not."
You couldn't tell whether his stubbornness amused or frustrated you most days.
"And why," you questioned softly, "would I not wish to go?"
For once, he didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he remained silent for several moments before quietly speaking.
"Because I do not wish for you to."
"That is hardly a reason."
"It is to me."
His voice was softer now than you had ever heard before.
"I have spent years imagining all the places I would conquer one day and every single one of those thoughts had you standing beside me."
Your breath caught slightly at his confession.
"I do not care about this warrior or any of the others," he continued. "If someone is going to sit beside me when I become king, then I want it to be you."
"You make it sound less like a confession and more like a royal decree."
He smiled slightly at that.
"It is both."
"And if I refuse?"
"You won't."
"You are very confident."
"No." He gently took your hand in his. "Only certain."
For perhaps the first time since meeting him, Ivar looked nervous.
He was a prince, a warrior and one of the most feared men in Kattegat.
Yet somehow asking for your heart frightened him more than any battlefield ever could.
You smiled softly before intertwining your fingers with his.
"Then I suppose it is fortunate that I never intended to leave."
For once, Ivar the Boneless was left speechless.
A rare occurrence indeed.
