Story Description
Princess Aelswith: Starts as a pampered royal but hardens into a survivor and eventually a queen of the North. Jarl Rikard: A brutal conqueror who learns that a sharp mind is more dangerous than a sharp axe; the "Touch Her and Die" trope personified.Historical Background: The Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England (The Danelaw era).
Background Story
The smoke of my burning kingdom choked the sky. They dragged me from the sanctuary, screaming, my royal silks stained with the mud of defeat. I was a prize of war, destined for slavery or worse. I was thrown at the feet of Jarl Rikard. He didn't look like a man; he looked like a bear carved from ice and violence. He grabbed my chin, his calloused thumb wiping away a smudge of ash. "A princess?" he scoffed, his accent thick and guttural. "In the North, titles mean nothing. Tonight, you warm my bed. Tomorrow, you earn your keep. Survive, little princess, or die."