They sailed the next week.
Eight men were already on board, like he predicted.
Bjorn, Ubbe and Lagertha refused to call it an official expedition, and they demanded that the men that would have followed them were old, not able to fight or useless to their society.
It was fine for Ivar, he needed them just to sail, he wasn't going to France to fight or to raid, just to meet Jía's family.
He was a bit anxious: what if Jía lied and she wanted to abandon him and return with her family?
A man alone couldn't do a lot against an army, if she wanted to she could have put the entire Paris army against them, she just needed to tell Rollo and Gisla that they were in France to create chaos.
But then he looked at her, charging the ship with some food, and she looked back, and in her eyes and in her pure smile he saw everything but betrayal.
-
Jía was trembling in a corner of the boat, the climate was hard, the spurts of water were ice cold, the wind stung her delicate face like sharp blades and the waves were making her sick.
She wasn't used to such low temperatures, her homeland in France was much warmer, the wind was a pleasant breeze that blew softly between the hair, the sea was a hot sweep of water and the sun always illuminated their faces.
She missed that more then everything else.
Ivar crawled in her direction carrying an extra furry blanket with him.
He looked at her, smiled softly and went sitting next to the girl.
He stretched his legs out and twisted them around hers, covered them both with the heavy blanket and put his arms around her trembling body making her lean on his chest.
He stroked her arm and her back fast trying to give her some heat.
"I know you don't like to sail in the cold, but I promise you'll just have to wait a couple of days and we'll reach the southern sea. You can grab on to me in the meanwhile": and he laughed.
They spent almost all day snuggling and cuddling together, ignoring the rest, he feared that without him she would have died frozen.
The night was even worse, without the pale sun the temperature lowered furthermore and Jía really thought she couldn't bare it.
Ivar took some clothes and put them under their heads, he laid down and she laid almost over him, her head on his chest, her hands in his stomach, her legs tangled in his.
After five days on the sea they reached the shore of Paris.
Jía's eyes sparkled with joy and amazement, she was sure she would have never seen her home again, but there she was, with her future husband.
The party was immediately intercepted by a group of soldiers that were patrolling the shores.
Ivar looked at Jía with encouragement eyes.
"Excuse me sirs, I'd like to meet with price Rollo and princess Gisla. I'm French and we're here for a marriage. Rollo is my husband's uncle."
The soldiers looked at each other unsure but they recognized Ivar and decided to settle the meeting.
They were escorted to the palace where his uncle and Gisla were sitting in the thrones.
"So, my nephew, you want to go to this girl's village to meet with her family? Nothing more?"
"As you can see uncle, I took with me just a few men unable to fight. I can leave them here if you want, all of them, but I'll need them again to sail back home. I can go to her village with some of your soldiers if you want."
Ivar wasn't there to fight, he just wanted to make Jía happy and be back home as soon as possible.
He really had changed thanks to her.
They reached the village a few days later and Jía took him to her old house.
Her mother and her older brothers were looking at Ivar with distrust, they clearly didn't like him, they thought that she was obliged to talk to them and they didn't want their little girl to marry such a heathen.
They started to talk in a strict French.
"Jía, are you sure that this is what you really want? If he's forcing you tell us now, we'll do something to save you, to make you come back home and we'll arrange a more appropriate marriage."
"He's not forcing me brother. They took me as a slave when they raided here. But then Ivar released me and asked me to marry him. I'm in love with him, so I said yes. I really love him. He's not bad as it seems. I'm finally happy."
"Sister, he's a cripple. What can he give to you? Do you really want to marry a cripple? Don't be so stupid, come back home."
"He can give me love. I don't care if he can't walk, he loves me, and I want to carry his children. You'll have to accept it. I came here just so you could know that I'm fine and well, that I'm happy and alive."
Ivar noticed their looks, they were staring at him with pure hatred in their eyes.
He didn't care, he'd never cared.
He was sweet and everything with Jía but he couldn't care less about other people, he would have killed them if it was necessary.
"I know that it's not what you wish, but I don't care brother. I'm gonna marry him, with or without your permission."
Jía gazed at her mother searching for some support but the older woman was fuming.
"Marry him and I refuse to recognize you as my daughter. You have to choose between us and this pagan. I won't have a daughter who disrespects us so much. They're people killed your brother and your father. How could you forget that?"
"I didn't, but those are also my people now. Please mother, try to see reason. Don't you want me to be happy?"
The woman got up from his chair and with a firm voice: " you either leave him or go out from my house. And if you choose him, don't bother to ever come back. Next time I'll order your brothers to kill both of you. Am I understood?"
Jía was on the edge of tears.
They didn't want her, they didn't want them.
She officially lost her family.
But she didn't care, she had her own family now.
She could have imagined a life without her lover Ivar and her best friends Hvisterk and Ubbe.
She would also have missed that idiot of Sigurd.
"Ivar, my love. We're not well accepted here. I'm sorry. You were right. They asked me to choose. And I'll always choose you."
They were off again.
The meeting was so short and Jía managed to keep her tears at least until they were out.
She busted soon after.
They were almost to the horses when they felt a voice calling her.
Her younger brother Lancel was trying to reach them.
When he did he gave a little pocket to the girl.
"I cannot disagree with them. You should find someone better. This one captured you. But if you're happy than I'm happy too. Have this."
In the pocket there was a bunch of copper and silver coins.
"It's not much, but it's all I can give to you as my blessing."
He stared intensely at Ivar.
"You're going to treat her well, make her suffer and I'll personally kill you. Make her happy and I'll be grateful to you for the rest all my life"
Jía translated and Ivar smiled.
At least the journey wasn't a total waste.
When they ride back to Paris Jía turned her head back and she saw her mother smiling softly from the house.
NOTES:
Hi everyone! I had to repost this because some readers made me notice that the chapter was just a bunch of codes! I'm sorry, now I fixed it :)
So this is part 2 of 3
Let me know if you liked it!
The last chapter will be published next Monday!