A/N: What if Ragnar had not executed Jarl Borg, but instead truly reinstated their old alliance?

This is set during the good old times of Vikings Season 2.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vikings. It belongs to its rightful owners.

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01 Allegiance and fealty

"My brother doesn't hold grudges", Rollo explained, "Ragnar is strange that way…"

Not that he thought this mission of gaining their worst enemy for an ally had any chance of success. Nevertheless, he had followed his brother's orders.

"He does not want revenge?" Jarl Borg doubted, "I know that I would, after what I did."

"Ragnar looks beyond", Roll tried to reason, "Men like you and I will always look for revenge, but Ragnar is able to see what can be gained…"

The Geatish Jarl looked at the other man. The proposal seemed too good to be true, yet there was of course the possibility of him walking into a trap.

Ignoring his newly-wed wife Torvi, he looked at the table where he had placed his first wife's skull. The one he could never forget, no matter what was going to happen.

"What do you say, my love?" he asked the skull. Jarl Borg tried to imagine what she would have said, were she still alive. Then he turned to Rollo.

"She says I should go", Borg declared.

Kattegat's great hall was filled with people as King Horik, Jarl Borg and Earl Ragnar Lothbrok celebrated their reformed alliance. In the middle of the room, the flames on the hearth were tingling high, while servants were roasting meat and pouring ale. Although most of Kattegat's supplies were running low after the hard winter, for once there was enough for everyone.

"I must say, Earl Ragnar, in all honesty, you are a greater man than I am", Jarl Borg said as he sat down next to Ragnar, "I would have never forgiven any man who did to me what I did to you."

Ragnar smiled at the other chieftain, "Well, if I am being honest, it was King Horik who argued for the renewal of our old alliance. As you can imagine, I was less enthusiastic at first, but then I realized what could be gained by inviting you here."

"It seems King Horik is the man who broke our alliance, and who now reforged it", Borg laughed, "I know I don't deserve the chance you've given me. Since it was your land I invaded, I am mostly in your debt for forgiving me, not King Horik's. So I swear on my armring, I will never give you any reason to doubt my loyalty to you and our common cause – in fact, let me pledge my allegiance and fealty to you."

"I did not expect you to submit to me", Ragnar told him, "But as you are trying to make good for the past, I accept your pledge. You may keep you lands, as long as you keep faith with me."

The feast lasted until late in the night, skalds were singing and girls dancing. Everyone was happy, especially King Horik. Inviting Jarl Borg back into their alliance had been his idea, and not only had he an ally to attack Wessex, but also someone who could potentially neutralize Ragnar, should the need ever arise.

Jarl Borg's eyes flew open, as he heard footsteps in his sleep. Outside his room, someone was walking. Carefully, Borg's hand moved sideways and felt for the hilt of the sword hanging from its bandolier. He drew the blade and stood ready before his bed.

The doors flew open with a loud rumble, enough to cause Torvi to wake up with a shrill cry. Borg shrugged to greet the unwelcome visitors.

"Good evening, Jarl Borg", Rollo greeted him, "I told you, I always look for revenge."

Panting heavily, Jarl Borg awoke from his nightmare. His wife was still sleeping peacefully, his sword was hanging next to him, and outside the room, everything was silent.

The next morning, Aslaug turned around in her bed, facing her husband.

"The last night, we had the perfect opportunity to kill Jarl Borg", she told Ragnar, "Have you forgotten what he did to us?"

"No", Ragnar sighed, still half asleep, "But King Horik is right. We need an ally."

Aslaug shot him an angry glare.

"But why him?" she raged, "There are many Lords who would be glad to sail with you and King Horik."

"I know", Ragnar agreed, "Many of them have not the power to join us, though. We would have needed several of them as allies. And Jarl Borg would still be threatening us – By forgiving him, he no longer poses a threat."

Jarl Borg had settled himself in the hospitality of Kattegat. To him it was obvious that he was not at all welcome. Hardly a miracle, considering that he had attacked the town and killed many of the warriors during the feud with Earl Ragnar Lothbrok. But still, no one acted openly hostile towards him, a sign how well Ragnar had persuaded his people to accept their new ally.

Carrying the skull of his first wife, he walked towards the great hall, where a council between the Viking Leaders had been arranged, to plan for the coming raid on Wessex. Ragnar and King Horik were already waiting for him, he noticed. Rollo was also present, reinstated into Ragnar's trust for saving his family.

"I am sure, you all have heard how the English King Egbert betrayed us", Horik began, "He acted as if he wanted to negotiate with us, and when Ragnar left he treacherously attacked us."

"He certainly should be punished", Rollo agreed, "When do we set sail?"

"I will prepare my ships", Borg told them, "It will take a while. In the meantime, I am prepared to stay here, to prove there is no reason to mistrust me anymore."

"How long?" Erlendur, the King's son wanted to know.

"A few weeks, likely", Jarl Borg mused, "I believe, you have to do the same, King Horik?"

"My ships are almost ready", Horik informed them, "They will arrive here within the next two weeks, I hope."

"My ships are almost ready as well", Ragnar told the others, "Although a week or two wouldn't hurt.

After the plans had been made, Borg sent word to his lands in Götland. The warriors and ships were to be prepared in time to join Ragnar and Horik in the raid on Wessex. For the meantime, Borg himself stayed behind in Kattegat in hoping to cement the alliance by being the hostage of his former enemies.

King Horik had returned to his own lands, content to have gained a new ally. He was preparing his ships and warriors as well, at least the ones who had survived the catastrophe in Wessex.

It was in early spring, when a messenger to Kattegat created a new problem. Prior to the armistice with Jarl Borg, Ragnar had sent word into the land, asking for allies to defeat Jarl Borg and aid in the raid on Wessex.

The messenger came into the great hall, when only Ragnar and Thorstein were in it. They were playing a drinking game, although one that involved throwing knives and shooting arrows at each other.

"Son of a whore!" Ragnar muttered as he looked down on the knives stuck in his shield. He picked up the bow, while Thorstein placed a cup of ale on his head.

Swaying a little, Ragnar nocked the arrow to the sinew, then stared at Thorstein.

"Is your shield up?" he asked, "It is so dark in here…"

He took aim and loosened his arrow, hitting the cup of ale on Thorstein's head. Just in that moment, the doors opened and Rollo and another man entered.

"Who are you?" Ragnar wanted to know. He was certain that the man was not from Kattegat, and from the looks, he had traveled some distance.

"You sent word that you were in need of an ally", the man began, "My Earl asked me to tell you that he would be willing to join you. Earl Ingstad has enough men and ships to make your raid a great success."

"You are a little late, I am afraid", Ragnar grinned, "I have already found another ally."

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A/N: Well, it's been a while since I actually published a new story. I hope you like the idea – for a change, Jarl Borg is a (mostly) positive character in this one…

I've also created a video trailer for this fic: youtu. be/ pzNCHcd1- RI (you know how it works, just copy the URL in your rowser and delete the blanks)

Don't forget to review!