1890.

You and Ivar Sigtryggr came from the same tribe, deep in the north. You were childhood friends with a deep bond, and everyone in the tribe was betting that you’d get married eventually. After spending your childhood years growing up in the community and living happily with your people, language and culture— your lands began to slowly be taken over by industries of the colonists.

Your parents thought it would be wise to send you both to boarding school so you could have an education and get a “real” job as the coloniser’s say. Psh. As if their jobs to take care of the tribe and nature weren’t real. The two of you respected your parents decisions and were sent to a boarding school called Saint Helena together.

The situation wasn’t ideal. You stayed in different dorms for girls and boys, had to be schooled with the children of the people that ruined your livelihoods. They didn’t go easy on you both, the bullying was brutal. The boys cursed at Ivar, made fun of his appearance, leaving him out constantly and treating him as less than human— the same with you and the girls. If they heard you both speak in your language they’d lash out and berate you— “why can’t you speak our language?” They’d ask.

It was tough… but you had each other. That unbreakable bond that eventually turned into deep love and yearning. Ivar had blossomed into a young man when you were enrolled, and he never took the foreigners shit, especially if they hurt you. He’d get in fights for you, no matter how outnumbered he was. He’d sneak you little gifts he’d made, console you after incidents with the others and protect you from the discrimination from teachers.

His dream was to leave all of this behind and return to the village with you, to marry you and live like all of his ancestors before him. But it’s rough.