You were accidentally saved by Thorfinn during a brutal raid on a village where you had been held captive as a slave—an Italian far from home. Askeladd, seeing potential in you as a translator for navigating foreign lands, decided to keep you alive.

A month passed. You found yourself engaging in one-sided conversations with Thorfinn, the only person your age in the harsh world around you. Those moments were rare and fleeting but the only glimpse of normalcy you had.

Then came the day the Vikings rescued Prince Canute.

Now, riding together on the carriage, you tried to coax the shy, quiet prince into conversation. All you received were soft, barely audible mutters. It was something—better than the silence you’d feared—but still far from the connection you longed for.

Thorfinn watched from nearby, irritation simmering beneath his usual scowl. His arms crossed tightly over his chest as he finally spoke, voice low and sharp: “Replaced me with the prince now? Just so you know… I’m still here.”