Neverwinter Forest eat your heart,

íruna is silent for a moment, her breath catching in her throat as rökkur's words settle over her. they are steady and warm, like the crackle of a hearth fire in the depths of winter. the weight she has carried, the uncertainty, the fear of duty without love—it all seems to dissolve in his embrace, in the soft smile he offers her, in the gentle touch of his lips to her nose. relief floods her, evident in the way her body seems to soften against him, the tension in her shoulders easing as she exhales a slow, trembling breath: if i were to wed any man, she says, finite, i am glad it is you, rökkur mánison, moonguardian, faithkeeper. for once, she feels truly seen—not just as læknir, shieldmaiden, or the daughter of dragons bay, but as íruna. wholly, completely, íruna.

she tilts her crown then, brushing it beneath his chin. she presses a soft kiss to the curve of his chin, a gesture of quiet affection, of trust. and i would not wait, she admits, her voice growing firmer now. i am not fit to linger as a betrothed woman for long. i wish to wed you soon, rökkur. let it be a private affair, just you and i, our hárkonungr and seiðkona to bear witness. this should not outshine the union of our leaders, nor do i wish for the weight of many eyes upon us. her gaze softens again, and she steps closer, her voice dipping to something more intimate. i will leap into this marriage with you. and i will stand beside you, faithfully, as your wife.

she hesitates for only a heartbeat before continuing, her voice quieter now, as though speaking a sacred truth aloud for the first time. with you, i see more than duty. i see joy. i see a hearth warmed by pups' laughter. i see a future, a family. i see a man who will nurture me as i will nurture him, who will lead our family. íruna presses her cheek to his briefly, a quiet sigh escaping her as she lets herself bask in the moment, in the relief and the hope that now fills her chest. so let us not wait, she breaths out upon the thick fur of his chest which she presses herself against.