It was a busy day in Kattegat. A ship full of slaves had just arrived at the docks and the town was abuzz. Seventeen-year-old, Inga, exited the ship she had been contained on and stepped foot on the wooden platform. She felt a strange feeling overcome her. It had been almost four years since she had been in Kattegat, and she dreaded returning. There was nothing there for her, but somehow, she found herself back home. It seemed that she was meant to stay in the town of Kattegat for forever.
She released a sigh before following the other slave girls in a single file line. She was used to the process of being bought and sold and had grown used to constant changes in her life, but a part of her hoped that she might be found and freed by someone she once knew. She doubted that she would be so lucky but sent out a silent prayer to the Gods anyway.
She continued to follow the girl in front of her until they made it to the center of town. The first stop would most likely be at Queen Aslaug's Hall, so Inga followed the other girls eagerly. She had known Queen Aslaug when she was a young girl; long before she had become a slave and long before she had lost her parents. Perhaps Queen Aslaug would recognize her and take her in.
After weaving through the crowd and taking several turns, Inga and the other slaves appeared at the hall. The man who was to be presenting them opened the door and allowed them to walk in, making sure to remind them to behave themselves and to answer any questions they were asked.
Inga nodded to the slave keeper, agreeing to his requests, and entered the hall. Seeing as though Inga had been much younger during her last visit to the Hall, everything seemed very different; oddly familiar, but smaller and somewhat strange.
On the throne sat Queen Aslaug. She wore a heavy crown and a fancy gown that complimented her features. She seemed to be almost as beautiful as Inga could remember, but something about her also seemed slightly worn out; she seemed drastically older even though Inga had only been absent in town for four years.
The Queen waited for all the slaves to get themselves in line. Once they were situated, the slave keeper approached the Queen and explained his order of business. She appeared to be grateful for his offer to allow her to have first pick at slaves and she handed him a small leather pouch that most likely contained coins of some sort.
Slowly, she descended the throne. There was grace in each step she took, and she was anything but quick as she began examining the slave girls before her.
The Queen stopped by each slave girl and examined their features. She asked for each girl's name and their skillsets before moving on to the next woman. For some of the slaves, the Queen didn't make an effort to even look at them; Inga was unsure as to what the Queen was looking for in a slave and hoped she fit the criteria.
Before long, Queen Aslaug had made her way down the line of girls and was moving towards Inga. The young slave girl held her breath as the Queen approached and stood in front of her to look her over. Inga watched as the Queen's eyes flitted over her body, noting the blue-green eyes, the wavy, coppery hair, and the worn expression that Inga possessed. Something flashed in the Queen's eyes. Perhaps, she remembered Inga.
"What is your name?" the Queen asked. Inga responded by staring back at the Queen, debating if she should reveal her name. She knew that by saying her name, the Queen would remember who she was, but at the same time, Inga hated her name. It reminded her of the girl she used to be; the innocent, small child who once led a happy life. She was no longer that same girl.
Inga took a deep breath before speaking her name in a low, hushed voice. As soon as her name left her lips, the Queen's entire face lit up. Endless memories of the once young child fled through the Queen's mind.
"So, it is you," She responded with a smile, "I wondered what had happened to you. There was news that you left town a few years back. It seems that you ended up in the wrong clutches." She looked the girl over once more before staring over at the slave keeper.
"I want this girl," She stated, pointing a finger to Inga.
"That one?" The man inquired, "You have yet to see the one's after her."
Queen Aslaug shook her head, "I do not need to see them. I want this girl."
The man gave her a sharp nod before walking over to Inga and unbinding her wrists. Once her hands were free, he nudged her to step out of line so that she might stand closer to the Queen. Inga felt her heart begin to beat heavily. Perhaps the Gods did care. They had granted her the chance to live a safe life and to reconnect with family friends.
The slave keeper led the other slaves back out of the hall, leaving the room vastly empty. Now alone with the Queen, Inga watched as the woman's gaze fell over her and a light grin flickered across her face.
"Tell me, what happened to you?"
Inga felt her face heat up and she quickly looked down at her feet. Her story was a long and painful one to tell. She didn't know if she was quite ready to face it yet.
"I'd rather not say," She responded quietly. The Queen gave her an understanding nod.
"Perhaps another time," Aslaug told her, "For now, I think it'd be best that I show you your quarters and help you to readjust to life in Kattegat."
Inga gave her a slow, but firm nod, "I will do any work that you ask of me. I know that you are a kind woman and that I can trust that any task you give me will be a reasonable and painless one. I will work outside or inside, just as long as I am granted safety, shelter, and food."
Another smile grew on the Queen's face, "How would you feel about working here in the Hall for me and my sons?" She inquired. Inga urged herself to agree, but at the same time, began to worry. It had been so long since she had last seen the Queen's sons. What had become of them, and did they even remember her?
Before Inga could ask any further questions, she heard the doors to the Hall begin to open and she watched as four men entered; the Ragnarssons.
The first man to step foot in the building was a tall man who was almost identical to the absent King Ragnar. He had a long dirty blonde braid and a beard, complimented by light blue eyes. Inga assumed that this man was Ubbe, Aslaug's oldest son. He had always been kind to her when she was younger, but she had never been overly close with him because he was often out training. The few memories that she shared with him mostly consisted of him showing her the new moves he had learned with a shield or sword; they never really took the time to converse or get to know one another. Still, she was fond of the memories all the same.
After Ubbe, came another man who was of similar height. He had hair that was slightly shorter and that was braided back and accompanied by hazel eyes and light facial hair. Judging by his height, Inga guessed that he was Hvitserk, the second oldest son who was closest with Ubbe. He was the brother that Inga found to be the funniest. As a young child, he always seemed to be very lively and mischievous. He always snuck Inga sweets and tried to make her laugh by telling her silly jokes. The man Inga saw before her appeared to be no different than the boy he once was. His expression was still playful, and his eyes seemed to be searching for something fun to do.
Following Hvitserk was a man who was slightly shorter and who had curly blonde hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were a dark blue and he had a bit of facial hair covering his face. Unlike the other two brothers, Inga immediately recognized him as Sigurd. As children they had gotten along well. Sigurd always had a love for music and would often play songs for her on his lute or teach her fun dances. They had both cared for one another, but it was clear that Sigurd cared for her as more than just a friend. She wondered if he still remembered her and cared for her as he once did.
The last man to enter the room was one she most definitely could not mistake. Ivar.
Ivar Ragnarsson was Aslaug's youngest son. He was only about sixteen years of age and he was a bitter young man. He had been born with thin, deformed, and useless legs, causing him to be in constant pain. Because of his condition, he spent the first couple years of his life being carried and wheeled around. He was babied by his mother and either pitied or hated by others. Inga was always intrigued by him and had attempted to befriend him as a child. He wasn't all that interested at first, but eventually she got him to open up.
Usually, the pair would sit and talk about the myths to pass the time, or they would play Tafl. On certain occasions, Inga would join Ivar's lessons with Floki, but most of the time, they would just sit together in silence. There was something about it that Inga enjoyed, but she could never quite understand why. Still, she treasured the time she had spent with him and regretted not being around him enough. Even though she had only left town four years ago, her connection to the Ragnarssons had stopped years before, when she was only about seven or eight.
Inga broke her train of thought, and instead watched as Ivar crawled into the Hall through the doors. Despite his austere expression and his cold and piercing blue eyes, Inga hoped that he remembered her and that the two could rekindle their friendship.
A few moments passed before anything was said. Instead the four sons all stared at Inga dumbfounded. It had been so long since they had last seen her. Why was she here in Kattegat again?
A look of remembrance flashed through each son's eyes. Sigurd appeared to be the most overjoyed to see her again. He could not help himself from smiling broadly and rushing forward to embrace her. She was surprised by this but allowed him to hug her anyway.
Once he pulled away, he stood back to admire her. Ubbe and Hvitserk came closer to do the same, but Ivar hung back, still unsure about the whole situation.
"Where have you been all this time?" Sigurd asked breathlessly. Inga's blue-green eyes met his and she gave him a gentle look.
"It is a story I'd rather not tell," She explained. She could see that he was somewhat concerned about her secrecy, but he did not push her to answer any questions. Ubbe and Hvitserk both welcomed her home. She was surprised that they seemed as glad to see her as they did considering that she had never been as close with them as their two youngest brothers.
Once the three elder sons had finished welcoming Inga, Ivar pulled himself up into one of the dining chairs. Unlike the others, he had no interest in talking with her. As children they had gotten along, but since then he had changed into an unhappy man who no longer had an interest in women or in having close friendships.
He had tried to lie with a woman once before and it had ended in embarrassment, so he forbid himself from warming up to any woman of any kind. He wasn't looking to befriend Inga either. He wasn't one for small talk and he always found himself quarrelling with his other brothers, especially Sigurd, so he did not wish to acquaint himself with anyone new. In his eyes, he did not belong or fit in with other people. It didn't bother him much, though. He found people to be weak and not worth his time.
Inga could tell that he was trying to distance himself from the group, but she knew not to drag him into the conversation. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't because she was slave and didn't want to risk angering him. The Queen approached her sons and quietly explained that Inga was now of the status of a slave. The sons, especially Sigurd, were glad to know that she was going to be working in the Hall, and they were all equally delighted to know that they had possibly saved her from having to serve an unkind and demanding master.
Ivar, who was still sitting far from the crowd, grumbled something under his breath. Sigurd turned his head in the direction of Ivar. The two had never gotten along, even as children, and they were both always looking for ways to annoy one another. Seeing as though Inga had been one of Sigurd's only close friends as a child, he cast his brother a hateful look and sneered, "What is your problem?" He snapped.
Ivar's eyes narrowed like a snake and his words began to drip venom, "I don't understand why you are all so ecstatic. She is a slave now. Why should her life story and well-being matter all that much to us?"
Ubbe shook his head at his brother's unkind words, and Hvitserk appeared to be biting his tongue, trying to act as though he was unaffected by Ivar's words. Sigurd, however, became enraged with Ivar's unkind treatment to Inga's return. Although Inga was not hurt by Ivar's un-enthusiasm and sharp words, Sigurd continued to try and argue with him, claiming that Ivar was heartless and ignorant, but he was eventually stopped short by Aslaug, who approached Ivar and tried to cheer him up and encourage him to be kind.
Although he had more cruel things to say, he bit his tongue and flashed Sigurd a glare. He picked up a stray pitcher of ale and poured himself a glass, still trying his best to avert his attention from Inga. She could not understand why he was being so cold towards her, but she continued to act calm and collected. If she wanted to befriend him again she knew that she would just have to wait for him to warm up to her, just as she had to wait as a child.
Even with Ivar's harshness, Inga found herself in good spirits. Queen Aslaug may not have freed her but being back in Kattegat with people who cared for her was an overwhelming, but also relieving thing. She had initially been afraid to return, but now, all that fear was gone. She had finally made it home.
For anyone who doesn't know already, this is a rewrite of my first fanfiction (which is also called "Trapped in Her Eyes.")
I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. I don't find it to be my best work, but I think that it does a good job of setting up the story (cause in the next chapter I am going to skip like a month or two ahead because I don't feel like explaining Inga's chores and lifestyle and blah, blah, blah.)
Feel free to comment, favorite, or follow my story. I always love feedback and I love to know people's predictions and to get other's opinions. Also, how would people feel about me asking a "chapter-ly" question like I did in my original fanfiction. Personally, I enjoy asking questions because I like learning more about my readers, but if no one is going to actually answer them then there is no point in me asking them to begin with.
Anyway, I hope that people enjoy this and that everyone is having a great day. Peace out!