II. Chapter.

Ragnar smacked him, "What happened to you? Are you crazy?! Yes, you are!", he yelled. His eyes were now of a sharp freezing shade of blue, and Rollo knew what that meant. "The only good thing you've done is kidnapping this woman, but you risked your life. What were you thinking of?" Ragnar screamed again, and Rollo replied, "I don't really know, brother". But he knew. Ragnar called Sinric, that came rapidly.

"Sinric, can you tell me who is this woman, please? And brother, pray to the gods that she's someone of importance in this city, for your life and for hers" Rollo looked at him with rage, his protective instinct was ready to react at that provocation when Sinric's voice replied, "She's the princess of Frankia, the Emperor's daughter, Gisla".
Ragnar looked at him with a puzzled expression, "How did you know?" "I didn't".

Rollo could see from the boat the high mountains of Kattegat, finally at home.
The princess, after hours of fighting and crying, was asleep, exhausted.
Looking at her was now easier, and he noticed once again how beautiful she was, innocent and half covered by his fur.
He wished he could give her a better cover, but Ragnar was in the boat and he couldn't treat her any better, not when he was looking.
He had to pretend that she was just a slave, at least in front of the others. But she wasn't just a slave.
He was bewitched by her. He was bewitched by her beauty, her voice and her eyes.
His heart broke in pieces when Ragnar pulled her hair, forcing her little body against the boat's deck, like a flower bent by a rock. And he couldn't help.
He was planning to take her as a slave, but that would have been impossible if Ragnar, Floki or Lagertha were suspicious.
Gisla moaned in her sleep, and he smiled looking at her. She was relaxed, some tears were still on her cheeks, but at least she was sleeping, safe in her own world.
He brushed her cheek, wiping a tear and hoping to give her, in her sleep, some comfort. He knew Ragnar wanted to take her as his slave, but he could not allow it.
He could not leave her with his brother, he couldn't leave her at all.

When the boat touched the shore Rollo woke her up, and he noticed her reluctance and her wide eyes. She was scared of him.
She started to yell, although he couldn't understand a word of what she was saying he knew that she was insulting him and to make it worse she was also crying.
Rollo was sad to see her in that state. His heart broke once again, realizing that he was the cause of all that sorrow.
He had thrown her in that boat, he had kept her from her world. In Frankia she had everything, she had her home, but now she wasn't there. It was all his fault.
He took her away from her home just because he... Rollo shook his thoughts way and decided that, whatever was to happen, he would protect her.
He looked at her, and suddenly she stopped yelling, looking fearfully at something behind him.
Rollo turned and saw that Ragnar was close, so he helped her to get out of the boat with the most delicacy his position permitted.
Lagertha was already on the shore, and he could not allow to let her suspect anything, he knew that the smallest mistake would reach Ragnar's ear rapidly.
Gisla's feet were now touching the sand, and he let her have his fur, she was shivering, clearly not used to Kattegat's cold.
Lagertha came closer and said "The Frankish princess stole your fur" he replied with a small, "yes, but I have many, I really don't care".
She stared him for a moment, analyzing what she just saw and then went to Ragnar's side.
Rollo couldn't be more relieved, and he turned around searching for Gisla, and then he found her.
She was with other slaves in the charge of Aslaug, tears were streaming down her face and he knew he could not waste a moment so he went to Ragnar and asked him
"Can I ask you a favor?" Ragnar turned and nodded "Of course, brother" "I want to take the Frankish princess as my slave".
Ragnar looked at him surprised and replied smirking "That sobbing little thing?"; he was clearly joking, but Rollo wasn't, so he answered, this time with a serious tone
"I'm the king, she should be my slave". "But I was the one who took her! I have a claim on her just like you had with Athelstan" Rollo insisted, and he saw his brother's eyes wide open, filled with pain.
Obviously, he didn't expect the mention of his dear friend, Athelstan's death was still a sharp wound for him, and his eyes shut for a moment, while he whispered "I guess you're right, I give my permission".
Rollo couldn't believe it. For the first time, he won.
He reached Gisla, taking her under his arm, and said to Aslaug "This slave comes with me", then he turned and went throughout the crowd to the woods, hiding from everyone's eyes and keeping her close to him. Now nothing could come between them. He felt all the worries slip away with a deep breath, a joy so simple yet so rare.
She was now with him.

Author's notes:

After two weeks here we have the new chapter!
I hope you'll like it, and I can't wait to write
the next one. Thank you again Seersaw for your help. ^^
With,
Viv.