They Came From the North (Alvis Alendran & BMTH)

[Valkyrja]

The bone of the chicken leg was left nearly spotless in under a minute as Mae gasped, her stomach churning in discomfort as it got used to the sudden growth required to fit the warm meat. It would take a while for her stomach to get back to normal and for her to be able to eat like a normal human being but for now, the single chicken leg had filled her up completely and even pained her stomach as it expanded under pressure. The bone dropped from her fingertips and landed against the plate before her. Her eyes peered up and she greedily reached out to take the large cup of water, carefully bringing it to her lips in a delicate balancing act as to not spill a single drop. The water, Mae was more tactful with. Her sips were slow, swallowing back each mouthful with a gentleness that would quickly be replaced once more with her bark.

Once emptied, Mae brought the cup back down to the table and glared at Goðþormr with a tenacity that spoke volumes despite the silence between them. The soft words of her once-servant made her eyes flicker over to the cowering woman, then to that of her useless sister. Both of them watched on, waiting for Mae's next move. An eyebrow cocked and Mae leaned back a few inches in her chair. It was a casual move, one of disrespect. Truthfully, it just felt so damn good to be able to sit in an actual chair.

"I give you this vital information and in return, what do I get? To live? To not suffer?" Mae's arms folded over her chest and she leaned back another inch, now resting in her chair fully. "That's not enough. This knowledge offers you the opportunity to take over my kingdom with finality. You've already laid ruin to so much, threatening to do more isn't going to bid well for you."

The princess' bark was back, her confidence growing with the expansion of her stomach and comfort. Yet still, Mae seemed to fumble through the conversation with Goðþormr carefully, as if there was a flicker of fear sparked behind her vibrato.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Goðþormr gave a smile. There was the spirit he expected. Yes, he wanted her to be more agreeable, but there was still something far more interesting about her when she was defying him against all logic.
"Oh, you've barely suffered yet, it can be made so much worse for you. But no, that's not what I'm offering you. Put simply, these lands your people have governed for some time. Did you think I planned to stop there? Help me, bring yourself a little bit of cooperation, and in exchange, I can find a role more suited to your skills. And you can watch the holdings expand tremendously. The further I expand, the more prominent your own role can become. Imagine the power you would wield once I've taken control of this entire land. The more success I have, the more people from my own homeland will flock here. You could be a part of the ruling dynasty that unites these lands for the first time." He offered. It was a much much larger role than had been offered to prisoners int he past, but Goðþormr wasn't about to waste an opportunity or a resource. Mae had potential.

And if she declined, well, perhaps it was time to begin a more...spirited attempt at battering her down. He'd started on it personally once, but there were many more options for him to pursue, and what was more, if they were pursued without an opportunity to be recovered from easily, it would be a marching horror show for her mind.

 

[Valkyrja]

The unexpected smile made Mae hesitate in her chair, her head tilting slightly as her eyes narrowed, suspicious of the Viking. Fortunately, Goðþormr didn't keep her waiting for a response. Even if his response wasn't enough for Mae.

"My lands are united. And what has yet to be united... is currently being worked on." Mae quickly glanced over to her sister. Aisley had been groomed for that role, she was the key to unite the land further west. "And this is my land. I rule this land. I will never be subservient to you, even if I rule right beneath you."

 

[Alvis Alendran]

"You rule nothing now. You ruled these lands with a soft hand, and those with more strength took it from you. This belief that any place belongs to anyone other than the ones strong enough to hold it is...distressing. I thought you were smarter than that." Goðþormr all but sneered as he spoke. It wasn't something he'd expected to have to get into, not with Mae, not really. There was stubbornness, surely, but this? This was nearly madness. Could she not see all that had befallen her and her people?

But then, she came from a soft land, filled with soft foes. When death came from the north, it fell hard and fast. He steeled himself, schooling his emotions into line.
"I am offering you something far greater than your current actions would recommend. Not some loose coalition of minor powers that agree not to kill each other. True unity. A king over all, and you could be beside that. That is what I offer you. Not a return to previous heights. The chance to climb far far higher."