NOTE: Set a day or two after HIS MERCY, HIS WRATH.

TW: Vague mentions of child abuse at the end of the post.

Away from prying eyes it was easy to lament; sulk, like a petulant child that had been refused dessert. Except the stakes were far higher here, and Magnus felt justified in his foul mood. He will kill us all. He would seek to avoid even his wives in the harrowing few hours after the drowning ceremony, though - keen for reassurance - he had opted to finally, and a little begrudgingly, accept any visits they'd issued upon him in the aftermath. His gut twisted with a vile concoction of anxiety and frustration; the rage, hot and sharp, setting into his bones and leaving an unpleasant ache. How could she? The first night was a sleepless one; the King had deliberately vacated the family den, unable to even set eyes on either of his daughters. Magnus had wished so desperately to - in the event of all four children surviving - spend their first night together, as adults, celebrating in their strength and resilience.

Alas.

He knew, though, that he would have to address it soon. He could not leave things to fester; in order to steer his girls in the right direction - as he thought he had been all along - he would have to keep them close, not push them away. Now that they were out of Obsidian and under Scilla jurisdiction officially, now seemed as good a time as any. Perhaps his father had it right all along. Neglect and terrify your children into submission. Any softness will only make room for disobedience further down the line. And of all the times to disobey.... Eerily quiet, he would stand by the shore for a long while before finally mustering up the mental fortitude to call both @Hrefna and @Voluspa to him. He doubted highly that either of them - especially his raven - would want to see him right now, but if they had any sense left they would not deny him now.

It was a secret he'd never reveal to anyone, but Magnus knew not what he would do even once faced with them both; he'd sought consult with Vellen, desperate for clarification, but had received nothing. It would not take long for the titan to come to the conclusion that he was being ignored. Ignored, for not doing as his father had before him and beating his children into terrified submission and the unfaltering compliance that came with it. Magnus did not dare consider what Ingvar would do in this situation, because the thought of it turned even his stomach.

Bite, claw, flay; abuse.

not unlike her father, voluspa had been keen and purposeful in keeping her distanced from @Magnus in the days following her failure. she was no fool — he hadn’t raised them to be fools, at least not in those ways — and she knew when her presence was not wanted nor desired. whether a blessing or a curse, her recovery had been an appropriate excuse to seclude herself away from potential sets of prying and judgmental eyes, only taking company of the visitors that cared to come and see her as she slowly, but surely, edged towards some semblance of normal. even today, however, as her father’s voice rang out across the still air of the lagoon, the yearling felt as though she had just resurfaced from the waves, her bones creaking with every shift and her lungs heaving at the slightest prod of physical exertion. voluspa wheezed — a wretched, painful sound — as she pulled herself from the floor of the den, bones trembling as she looked to find her bearings across splayed toes and shaky limbs. it took her a few moments to find strength in her stance, but once she did, she would waste no more time in setting out across the horizon, teeth clenched, as her mind ran ravaged.

what wokld she say? what could she say? still, the stubborn sigrun refused to believe that she would have been lost to vellen’s test that day. she maintained that her sister had been too impulsive, too scared, despite the potential for shared concerns amongst the rest of her family. her whole life revolved around her fealty to their family, to their cause, and to her father, after all — and so for what reason would vellen ever look to chain her to the abyss? It made no sense, at least not to her, and the mere thought brought hot, angry tears to the corners of her eyes. she bitter for the fact that she would face retribution for a wrong not done by herself — but, oh, voluspa refused to let those tears fall upon her darkened cheeks, and she also refused to let so much as a single sound escape from her stoic frame as she entered into magnus’ vicinity. instead, she settled silently before him, her head hung low and the fur along her spine bristled into taunt, anticipatory spikes. she knew that @Hrefna would be arriving soon, which would only amplify her current emotions tenfold. she hated her, loved her, and hated her some more; and, frankly, voluspa did not know which emotion would win, especially once faced with the barring, domineering gaze of their father, that was surely soon to come.

She jolted as if she had been struck when she heard her father’s call for them. He had been silent for days, and some part of her hoped for this to continue. He could not make her cry if he would not face her. She could not feel shame if she did not see the disappointment in his gaze. Dread threatening to crawl up from her throat, she heeded his call obediently and slunk through the lagoon territory, glancing out of her peripherals every so often to try and detect any traces of Voluspa.

“Father,” she greeted formally, not daring to take any intimate liberties in how she addressed him. Her silver eye attempted to meet his gaze for only a moment, the other one still unseeing ever since her own baptism. Silently, she wondered how much she would be required to give in turn for her snobbish sister’s life. The ravens had plucked the sight out of her eye, and another life would be given in exchange for hers—why, even Voluspa’s form did not seem to be the same after the incident. This had not been the deal she had made with Him, and she could feel resentment churning deep within her belly as she looked briefly upon her father and sister.

“Hail Vellen. I will make things right,” Hrefna insisted with the slightest nod.

photomanip & table by k'sariya

OOC NOTE: Bit TW for weird vague suicide mention mid-post.

@Voluspa came first. Whether it be that she were weakened by the physical onslaught or the toll of the mental trauma was irrelevant in Magnus' mind; regardless of what caused it, the sight of her slinking along, frail and a mere shadow of her former self, sickened him to the core. It was to the extent that he, blatantly troubled, would only manage to spare her a momentary glance. It was easily veiled with the guise of an angry father, instead of a terrified pawn. Thankfully. Such emotion was exacerbated by the approach of @Hrefna, and the King tensed, remaining in position for now; facing away from both princesses and staring out ahead. Hail Vellen, came the proclamation, and a low rumble vibrated in the depths of his chest.

I will make this right.

At this point he would turn, slow and deliberate, muzzle twitching into the beginnings of a snarl. The angry words sat in his chest; they threatened to come, tumbling out violently across his tongue and lashing into the space between himself and his daughters; his girls - his sweet and vibrant and strong and promising girls. He could so easy beat Hrefna across the head for what she'd done; for condemning herself, and her sister, and her brothers. He didn't even give a damn about himself at this point - he'd lived his life. If it was necessarily, he'd throw himself into the sea without a moment's thought if he thought it would spare his children.

He still might.

I could, I could, if it meant I could save them. If it meant I could get them out of this; myself out of this.

"How do you suppose you will do that, Hrefna?" Magnus' voice pitched an octave lower as he fought to control his tongue; his temper, which could so easily erupt at any given second. "You made me look a fool." Because that was what it all came down to, wasn't it? How he looked. If his fucking sister had done what she was supposed to, Magnus bitterly considered, they might not be here today. If she taken the rank she'd rightfully won from Ulla instead of being precious about it - seeking to impose the same misogynistic restrictions cast upon them by their abusive father when they'd hardly been in a position to be picky at that point, given their numbers and the enemies that had circled ever-closer - she would have been the family leader, not him. Out of the spotlight and away from the incessant obligations, perhaps he would have been a more diligent father; his fatigue, and misguided ambition, would not have got the better of him. He could have hammered further obedience into them. The regular, hours-long teachings - to four children, not just one - had clearly not been enough.

Not enough for her, anyway.

"Now we are a clan with a clown at its helm and heathens in its midst. What do you suppose we do to fix that, Hrefna?" Cool gaze shifted to Voluspa. "Any ideas? Either of you?" Come now, enlighten me.

she withheld the further trembling of her body beneath the domineering gaze of @Magnus, while his anger and his despair seeped across the air between them in a cruel and merciless sort of way. it was heavy as it splayed throughout the space that separated the daughter from her father, baring down upon taunt shoulders, until -- until @Hrefna arrived, which was enough to pull the attention off of voluspa and onto her. and oh, she is quick to speak, and equally quick to rile their father even closer to the edge. it caused the fur along her spine to prickle, ears pulling back tightly across her crown as if she was the one facing the sharp blade of his words, so cold and searing across the brine-soaked breeze. and yet, voluspa would find that she could not hold her own tongue, either, chest quaking in a hefty intake of air before her own emotions come crashing in like a tidal wave, whirling from the depths of her torn identity. what about me, hrefna? she interjected, the words pointed and hurt as they fell from her tongue, eyes fixated on her sister. "you-you didn't even give me a chance. denial, again, poignant and raw and unhinged, slowly building into a budding sense of anger. i saw vellen, he was there. he was going to bring me back, i'm sure of it. she affirmed further, glancing ever-so slightly up towards their father, for he could very well find further shame in her words, probably just as easily as he could find some sort of justification. but alas, it was not up to voluspa to make such decisions -- she had always played the part of dutiful daughter well, and vying for his approval did not stop in light of this travesty. for both her and hrefna's sake, she could only hope that there was a way to make this right. i will do whatever it takes. a promise, one to which she would surely be chained.

"Vellen has already taken His payment," she insisted stubbornly, dread turning her veins to ice as she stood there before her kin. Even in her defiance, she had not expected to be met with such hostility. She could see it in his eyes--see how he considered his daughters heathens. The rest of the family had not been shy about saying such. Her jaws parted as if to continue, but Hrefna stopped herself short the moment she realized what she was about to say. What would Magnus say if he knew his daughter made deals with their god? Would this be the final stake in her heart?
"He has taken my sight, and--and Voluspa's breath," she elaborated flatly. "If it was not enough, He would have swallowed us back into the sea." Despite the certainty of the words she spoke, the tone suggested that she was trying desperately to convince him of this truth. You made me look a fool. Her father's words hit her over the face and left her dumbfounded. Silently, she wondered if Magnus had ever been concerned over his looks before. He was larger than life itself and more feared than any other leader, not to mention of the only family keen to exact Vellen's will.
What about me, Hrefna? She shot her gaze over to pierce through Voluspa's, one brow twitching with wild irritation. You-you didn't even give me a chance. "What about you? You are the subject of this all," Hrefna hissed. "You would not have survived. We all saw it. I lent you strength you did not have," she insisted with brows knitted together. If the issue here was a display of weakness, she did not believe it to be her own.

photomanip & table by k'sariya

Vellen has already taken His payment. Magnus seethed. "And who are you to dictate that? Not even I would dare to." The titan glowered down at his younger daughter, thoroughly unimpressed by her response. Did she not know better? Had he not taught her better? A lip curled, revealing gleaming yellowed fangs. @Voluspa, to her credit, seemed equal parts indignant toward her sister and repentant towards her father and her Maker. That would spare her of the majority of Magnus' ire. @Hrefna, however.....

"Enough!"

The bickering had no place here; the High Sovereign had no time for petulance. His next response came as a boom. "You are so certain that Voluspa would not have survived? Is she not my daughter, just as you are?" Truth be told, it hadn't looked promising, but intervention was not their way. "Your actions condemned us - you may believe you saved your sister, but instead you have done the exact opposite." The melanistic brute sucked in a breath, between tightly clenched jaw. A pause - heavy and unpleasant, curdling in his stomach like spoiling milk. "I will struggle to forgive you for this, as will the rest of the clan." An exhale, sharply expelled through his nostrils. Attention, steely and unwavering, shifted between the pair. "He may still take you yet. Both of you. And while your mother and I love you, he will not be able to stop Him." Indeed - what was to stop Vellen from snatching them away for such defiance? Accidents could strike anywhere; Magnus had not seen it before, yet he had never seen this before. The blaspheming, and so brazenly too.

It appeared to him as if Hrefna did not harbour the appropriate amount of remorse; alas, it only unsettled him further.

The lines between father and family head began to blur. He turned to Voluspa - at this point, it was far easier to look at her than it was at Hrefna. "You will attend your Awakening, when we call upon you, and you will do whatever it is we ask." For he wasn't the only one involved anymore. Saga - for all her condemnation - was second-eldest in the clan and an experienced warrior. Ulla had felled their previous Jarl, and for a time wore the badge of honour for it. Sjorbjorn, while far from a seasoned cleric, was their most experienced spiritualist. All would have much to say, no doubt, and if Magnus had any hope of pulling this back he would have to let them give their input.

His attention then pulled away from the girls and to the horizon behind them. "You are dismissed," he would instruct, tone tight and leaving no room for any sort of negotiation or - Vellen forbid - back talk. "Now leave me."

her words spiked as they fell from across her tongue, defiant and bolder than she had expected herself to be. but she spoke them with vigor and with honesty, for she did not believe anything else to be true. but then came hiss wrath, causing the yearling to shrink quickly beneath the weight of it, as it shook the air around them as if an earthquake was making its way ashore. her eyes widened in a look of disbelief as she fell into an obedient sort of silence, listening wordlessly as their father spewed discontentment and shame upon their heads, making his anger all-the-more clear (as it already hadn't been).

it was only when voluspa was addressed directly that she straightened her posture anew, focusing quickly on what was going to be expected of her in order to fix what had been so badly broken. yes father. she replied simply, crown tucking in towards her chest, whilst eyes casted up towards the glowering visage above her. but it was no sooner that she spoke that magnus was finished with them, albeit the fact that voluspa still felt immeasurably confused and uncertain of what sort of retribution awaited them in the coming days. it was only then, after he had finished speaking to them entirely, that voluspa found the might to shift her attention back onto @Hrefna, tongue pressed heavily against the backs of her teeth as she asked a final, damning question. do you really think i was going to die? she said lowly towards her sister, her prior anger drained and now replaced with a sort of shocked sorrow. she had believed her triumph so thoroughly, and yet here hrefna was, defying it without an ounce of hesitation. surely, only one of them saw the truth -- but in that moment, voluspa was not sure which one of them it was. irrespective of her kin's answer, voluspa knew that their time here was through, and she had no intentions of angering their father more than he already was. and so, sparing a final glance towards her sister, the sigrun would look to drag herself back out across the sands, mental and physical fatigue wearing her down, as she sought refuge within the shadows of her den. exit.