Romance Fan Fiction ❯ Stay With Me ❯ First Meeting ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Josie Litton does. I only own the heroine, Robin and adult Olav.

 

 

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A beautiful morning in midsummer found a lovely girl at her window. She was renowned for her beauty and her family was also well known. She had bright topaz eyes shining with intelligence and spirit. Her hair was like a sun-bathed wheat field, but more golden. She was tall for a woman and strong though she had a small built. Suddenly, she smiled a smile that could have enslaved many men. Her happiness was caused by the feel of the sun on her face, warming her. It had rained for about a week, so she was glad that the sun had finally come out. Leaving the window, she took off her night robe. The cool air made her shiver slightly as she put on the gown that her maid had chosen for her. It was light brown and obviously made for comfort and everyday wear. She also brushed her hair. That was a rather long task since her hair fell halfway down her thighs.

 

She went to the great hall and ate breakfast with her family. Her parents, Dragon and Rycca, lord and lady of Landsende, and her twin brother, Robin, were in a deep conversation with her aunts and uncles who had come for the summer. Her father's brother, Wolf, and his wife Cymbra, had come from the nearby port-city of Sciringesheal with their son Hakon, or as he's always called, Lion. Cymbra's brother Hawk and his wife Krysta were also here for the summer from the fortress at Hawkforte with their son Falcon. Their conversation turned around their recent visit to see Alfred, the king and the subjects discussed there.

 

She thought this was all very dull and wished something interesting would happen. Little did she know that that was exactly what would happen.

 

After breakfast, she went to the weaving shed to help out the women but they kindly shooed her away, telling her that she should instead enjoy the beautiful day, since there were always enough rainy days for sewing. She followed their counsel and headed out into the town, away from the compound.

 

She went to the quays and saw that a ship had arrived bringing trading goods, although if she was correct, the flag atop the mast indicated that it was a Danish ship. This was quite odd, since it was well known that the Danes were not happy because of the alliance between the Norse and the Saxon. Their displeasure had been `heard' by the frequent skirmishes and at some point they had come close to an all-out war. Well, in any case, she was quite sure that her father knew everything that was going on, so if this ship was allowed to be there, then there was no reason to be scared.

 

She left the quays and wandered around town, hearing rumours about the Danish ship. Some said that it was probably a mistake; others said it was a friend of Lord Dragon from his many voyages. Tired of all the noise, she left the town searching for a quiet place to wile the day away.

 

She finally found a tree and sat under it, enjoying the shade it provided. As the hours passed, she fell asleep only to be woken up by her maid, telling her to come back to the lodge to get ready for supper. She followed her maid, Kirsten, to her room, where she washed her face and hands, and donned a new gown, royal blue, that accented the golden hue of her hair and eyes. Finally, she went to the great hall for supper, her stomach growling for the lack of food.

 

At the great hall, she sat down next to her brother at her left and to an empty chair at her right. Usually, at the head table, everyone was seated at one side but because of the great number of guests, it wasn't the case. The parents sat at one side of the table, facing the rest of the hall, while the children were seated on the other side, facing their parents. The empty chair to her right was an extra chair since all the children were already sitting down, ready for supper. Her father hadn't arrived yet, and as everyone was starting to get impatient, the door opened.

 

Her father walked in leading another man unknown to her. She looked at him and at the same time, he met her eyes. She gasped. The man was definitely the handsomest she had ever seen. He was tall and well built like her father but there was an air of wildness about him. His jet black hair fell to his shoulders in soft waves, while his face was almost chiselled in stone. He wore a black velvet tunic with gold bands on his forearms, symbols of his power. But what held her attention, were his eyes. They reminded her of a wintry blue sky or of ice floating in the sea. But, now she felt his heated gaze as he examined her.

 

She was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had such beautiful golden eyes outlined with thick, long lashes and high cheekbones. She had a small straight nose above full red lips. She had large breasts above a small waist that enlarged into wide hips. He lowered his gaze to her legs. She had incredibly long legs and he wandered what it would be like to lie between them. Her hair looked like gold sprung to life. All in all, in the light of the setting sun that came in by the windows, she resembled an enchanted creature, all golden and beautiful.

 

She saw him approach her and sit in the empty chair next to her. Her father also sat down and explained the presence of the man.

 

“Everyone, this is Olav Ragnarson of Hedeby. He will be staying with us for a while.”

 

Well, that certainly explained the presence of the Danish ship at the quays. Hedeby was the largest trading center in Jutland; therefore, the man was clearly a Dane. She also remembered a story her mother used to tell her when she was young, about a young Dane who had been falsely accused of stealing. It was the story about the goblet, as it was known in these parts.

 

It seemed, by the conversation, that everyone at the head table had already met Olav. But instead of entering into a long conversation with her parents about what he had been up to, he turned towards her and said with a deep sensual voice:

 

“Hello, beautiful, we haven't been introduced. I'm Olav and you are?”

 

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A/N: Hmm, I like this chap. Well, please review. I have great ideas for this but I need some help. I've been thinking about it and I don't know what to do…. I don't know if you've noticed but the heroine doesn't have a name. O.O I know, right? I would greatly appreciate your help in this. I was thinking of Laurel but that's not very Viking-ish, if you know what I mean. If I don't get any suggestions, I'll just call her Laurel but it won't fit as well as I would like it to.

Also, I'd like to know about pairings. Obviously, she'll be paired up with Olav, but if you think of other pairings that would be interesting, let me know (but not with the parents or her brother… too weird for me).