CH-19

"My lord, I was indeed out of town for a few days. Did you have need of me for a specific purpose?"

Rollo replied.

"Yes,"

The earl spoke pensively, a frown forming. 

He told his men, 

"The meeting is over. Keep your lips ajar and leave me alone with him…"

His important guys, his advisors, nodded and left, casting a glance at Rollo, who could sense envy and jealousy from some.

Some of them also noticed Scarlet and her beauty, their eyes widening, but did nothing. Their reactions were only slightly more exaggerated and visible than the guards all around here.

Scarlet and her ravishing looks did not go unnoticed by the earl's hawkish gaze, and he finally noticed her face under her hood, 

"Who's the woman with you?"

Rollo responded with a smile, looking quickly at the person being discussed, 

"She's my woman and my servant, lord. I like to combine the useful and enjoyable..."

"She's called Scarlet. She's more beautiful and intelligent than most women."

"She is from our Viking nations, but she comes more from the far south-east hinterlands of them."

"I hear she has Rus blood, though she doesn't speak their native tongues."

Rus, referred to today's Russians, or people from all over the east countries of what should be Eastern Europe.

They had strong ties with Vikings, and it was difficult to pin down who was Viking first, whether they were precursors or simply emigrated from Norse nations to the east.

Scarlet smiled at the earl, but Rollo was able to detect mockery and disdain in her smile.

Her thoughts and Rollo's, as well as their moods, were somehow linked because she was his summoned servant.

"..."

The earl lost himself in her lovely appearance for a moment before Rollo asked, 

"My earl?"

Earl Haraldson returned to normal after a brief cough and invited Rollo to sit, 

"Sorry. You have a rather pleasant servant... Please come and take a seat. You and I have some things to talk about."

Rollo pretended he didn't understand what was going on and asked, 

"Things to talk about? What is this about, my Lord?"

The earl said, 

"It's about you and my beautiful daughter. My daughter Thyri is approaching the age where she needs to marry and have children, and she will need to find a suitable husband soon. I was thinking of you."

"Thyri! Come and meet Rollo!"

He was pushy, and without waiting for Rollo to say yes or no, he summoned his adult daughter from the private and luxurious behind-the-scenes room.

"My lord…"

Thyri bowed to Rollo as soon as she arrived, looking delicious like a ripe but fresh apple picked from the garden. Calling him her lord. It was not said in the same way as it was used to refer to the Lord, her father. Just a sign of politeness to a future husband.

Her voice was filled with anticipation.

She didn't seem upset about this union.

Rollo was more attractive than Ragnar after a week. A lot more.

His overall facial characteristics continued to be the same and fully identifiable, but he had changed qualitatively, just like handsome cultivators who underwent changes during breakthroughs. His life form had evolved.

Rollo didn't look unsatisfied at her prospect either…

Seeing how the two looked at each other, the earl smiled and laughed slightly self-satisfiedly before standing up from the long bench and saying,

"Well. Let's let the future married couple get to know each other. Rollo, you and I will need to make some arrangements to improve your living situation now that you are going to be promoted to my right hand and chief of staff... In the meantime, would you mind if your servant and I took a short walk? We'll come back when you're finished talking."

Rollo nodded and replied, 

"I see no problems, my lord. Do you mind if I speak briefly with Scarlet first?"

"Have at it." 

The earl permitted, his hand showing his palm.

"What is it, master?" 

Scarlet approached him and asked. 

They were both standing some distance away from the earl and his daughter.

Rollo whispered to her, 

"I will need you to lead that guy to the woods and strangle him to death while I am busy; I will teleport to your rescue if there are any dilemmas with the guards, who will most likely follow you to ensure his safety. Choke him dead, but not between your legs…"

Scarlet chuckled and whispered back, eagerly accepting the command, 

"Okay, master, I like this kind of job the most."

Rollo muttered,

"Don't make it sleazy, please. I wasn't kidding when I said you're mine."

Scarlet nodded and exited the great hall with the earl and his strong guards, some carrying swords and others wielding spears.

Rollo was unconcerned about her safety and may not need to intervene. She was a little weaker than Ragnar at the moment, but she still had all of her worldly experience and memories. Her fighting skills and dexterity were identical.

She was only deficient in magical abilities and Materia, if she possessed any. Because this world was too weak to deal with the skills of her world, which were far more powerful.

"Looks like it's just the two of us now, my lady Thyri. Do you mind if I call you like this, by the way? After all, we are about to get married to each other..."

"I would rather address you by a title that I'm comfortable with."

Rollo sat down at the table and spoke with a smooth, gentle voice and a handsome smile.

He didn't act like someone about to murder her father and dethrone him.

In any case, Rollo didn't care. 

He wasn't scared that Thyri would try to assassinate him later on, when he was sleeping or something. 

He had time to tame her slowly after the trauma. 

The same was true for her mother regarding the entire situation.

The pretty girl smiled and said, visibly entertained and excited about this meeting,

"Why don't you just call me Thyri or wife? Or is it too early for the latter? I've heard a lot about you, Rollo. You are a brave warrior whom the people admire. My father seems to need a man like you by his side..."

Rollo was much more handsome than he had imagined. Much more. 

The girl, who appeared to be about nineteen or twenty-four, something in between, blushed.

Rollo smirked inside and inquired, 

"What about you? Do you believe you have a great need for me?"

Thyri hesitated before saying, 

"It could be an uphill battle to come across a husband I would like to marry… I consider myself fortunate. Above all, you are a very charming and powerful warrior."

She took on a more timid tone, and her blush did not fade, despite the fact that she sounded happy and relieved to say the words.

She joked as she continued, 

"What woman would refuse you in Kattegat? I think even my mother would readily agree if she wasn't with my father…"

"This needs to be kept between us of course… Can you keep a secret?"

Or maybe she was not joking…

Facts had proven her guess…

XX

Author Note:

I needed to update this before I start focusing on the creation of the new fics. 

I will do both. Both Smallville and Last Kingdom.

Because why not.

I ended up liking Smallville and got hooked.

I've already seen Last Kingdom twice, so deviating from the plot for that one isn't an issue.

Do you want original main characters or Clark and Uhtred?