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he huge double doors of Saeborg’s throne room lay unprotected, neither warrior nor shieldmaiden guarding them. A rush of anticipation ran through Hakon’s veins. He drew his sword and slipped inside soundlessly.

The room was illuminated by a strange blue-green twilight, torches lit by seier. There were no guards inside the room either. Hakon grinned as he spotted the figure lounging on the throne. This was almost too easy.

“Ready to be defeated, King of Vanaheim?” Hakon asked.

Talvi laughed. He wore the dark leather armor Hakon loved to see on him, together with his Vanir-green cloak. He looked dangerous and beautiful, and Hakon debated inwardly whether he should cut their game short by simply walking over to his husband and starting the carnal part of their evening. But Talvi had other plans.

“In your dreams, little Jotunn,” Talvi teased, snapping his fingers.

Two warriors sculpted entirely from ice materialized on either side of the throne.

“Disarm him,” Talvi said, managing to sound completely unaffected by their game. “But don’t harm a hair on his pretty head.”

Hakon was overcome with arousal and the thrill of battle. He readied his defenses.

The first warrior lunged at him, wielding a club of ice like a sword. Hakon parried, stunned that the ice didn’t break under the impact of steel. Talvi’s creation was marvelous. With each passing day, he seemed to master the forces of winter a little more easily and grow ever more powerful.

Talvi watched them fight for a moment before sending in the second ice warrior. And although the creatures were a little too slow, a tad clumsy even, it didn’t seem to matter how many hits Hakon landed. His sword didn’t even leave a scratch on the ice. He could keep the warriors at bay for a while, but how should he defeat what couldn’t be hurt?

Out of the corner of his eye, Hakon saw Talvi rise from the throne and leisurely walk over to him, his sword already drawn. Hakon grit his teeth, a little annoyed and plenty aroused. They’d agreed that they wanted to duel, to test their strength against each other. See who’d come up on top. Naturally, Talvinen had to cheat.

“Stop,” Talvi ordered. “It’s my turn now.”

With a furious growl, Hakon kicked one of the immobilized warriors in the chest, sending the ice creature crashing to the ground and shattering into a thousand fragments.

“Rude,” Talvi said, and made the warrior rise again with a casual flick of his fingers. He twirled his sword, a flashy move Hakon always made sure to drive out of the young warriors.

“Show-off,” Hakon grumbled. “Didn’t we agree on an honest test of strength and skill? Show me what your uncle taught you!”

Laughing, Talvi lunged at him. Hakon blocked his first blow with ease, but Talvi’s follow-up strike came hard and fast. Hakon admired his husband’s speed and agility, his ability to put a warrior like Hakon himself on the defensive. They danced around each other, exchanging blows and testing defenses and Hakon’s heart sang with happiness. This, right here, were his boldest dreams come to life. This was everything.

Finally sensing an opening, Hakon spun, delivering a light tap of the flat side of his blade to Talvi’s shoulder. Talvi stumbled back, and Hakon smirked, reveling in the small victory.

“You’re quick Vanr, but not quick enough,” Hakon teased, watching a determined glint awaken in Talvi’s eyes.

Fighting Talvi was glorious, the knowledge that this powerful warrior was his—his alone—intoxicating. Their attacks and parries flowed effortlessly as they moved around each other like a dancing couple at a summer solstice festival. And still, Hakon managed to make Talvi retreat step by step. He wasn’t even sure if his husband had noticed yet, but soon he would be cornered.

But Talvi only smirked, even when he was driven back, and a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes. Not good. Hakon’s instincts screamed in warning, but it was too late. Cold hands grabbed him from behind, and in seconds he was caught in the unyielding grip of the ice warriors.

The tip of Talvi’s blade came to rest on Hakon’s collarbone. If it had been anyone else, Hakon would be furious. He should hate this. The vulnerability. Being cheated out of his victory. With Talvi, however, it felt nothing short of exhilarating.

“That’s what you call a fair test of strength, vala?” Hakon grumbled as he kicked and struggled to break free. Of course, it was no use.

Talvi snatched the sword from his grasp, confident and so handsome it took Hakon’s breath away. Stepping closer still, Talvi pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth.

“Who said anything about playing fair?” Talvi mumbled against his lips. “Now, what should I do with you, dróttning?”

Slumping in the ice warriors’ grip, Hakon let himself surrender.

“Whatever you want,” he mumbled. “I’m all yours.”

Eyes lighting up with excitement, Talvi pressed close to him. “Gods, you’re perfect.”

“Do you admit your defeat, King of Jotunheim?” Talvi asked from above him.

Hakon groaned. It was just like Talvi to keep teasing him even as he had Hakon splayed out over his lap, naked and pinned by his seier. Two fingers buried in Hakon’s ass. Fingers he had infuriatingly stopped moving.

“Defeat? In the duel you refused to fight fairly?”

“Precisely.”

Bucking his hips, Hakon tried to bring Talvi to move again, but his husband stopped him with a firm hand to his back. Talvi’s seier restricted his movements even more, and Hakon was overcome by arousal. Had someone told his younger self that he’d one day find himself in this position and enjoy every second of it, he would have denied it. The embarrassment would have been almost unbearable. But now all he felt was excitement. Security. Love. The way Talvi made him feel loved.

“Don’t you know you needn’t defeat me?”

“No?” Talvi asked, distracting him with a slow pump of his fingers.

“No,” Hakon breathed, rocking his hips. “You won me a long time ago.”

Uttering a guttural sound, almost a growl, Talvi started his movements again ever so slowly, leaning down to pepper kisses all over Hakon’s back and nibble at his neck.

“Good.”

Spreading his legs a little wider, he made Hakon moan. “More. Talvi, I need—”

Moving his fingers in a tantalizing rhythm, pushing in deeper, Talvi hummed in satisfaction.

“I’ve got you, dróttning. Do you want to come undone like this?”

“Yes.”

“You’re so pretty, naked and desperate for me, willing to hand yourself over and let me pleasure you.”

“Please.” At this point, Hakon didn’t care how whiny he sounded.

“Look at you, spread out for me. I could hold court like this while having you naked in my lap.”

The image had Hakon’s head swim with lust. “I don’t mind.”

“Gods!” Talvi’s hips bucked up, Hakon could feel his hardness pressing against his chest. “You’re perfect, dróttning.”

Talvi rewarded him by speeding up his thrusts, driving Hakon insane with the pressure, the delicious friction.

“Pleasepleaseplease,” Hakon chanted, unable to control the words gushing out of his mouth anymore. His pleasure kept building until he felt like he was losing his mind.

“Good,” Talvi praised, finding that wonderful spot and pressing down relentlessly. “Moan for me. Just like this.”

Hakon’s whole body locked up, pure ecstasy making his vision white out, and Talvi fucked him through the pleasure. He allowed him only a few seconds to catch his breath before rearranging Hakon in his lap and picking him up to stand.

“What?” Hakon mumbled. He was still dizzy and a little disoriented. What was Talvi doing?

“I’m going to take you to our chambers now, and if you allow me, I’m going to fuck you, make you come on my cock again.”

Hakon buried his head against his young husband’s shoulder, groaning, but at the same time he felt new arousal build in his belly.

“Just make sure nobody sees us wandering the citadel like this,” he mumbled.

A playful smile graced Talvi’s lips. “As my King commands.”