A/N: Vikings Season 4 - with some more GoT-characters appearing...
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Chapter 35 Kill the Queen
The man was wandering through the northern landscape. The snow was high enough the reach his hip and he had to fight it every step of the way. Alone, he marched through the frozen woods and over icy plains.
Finally, his eyes met a small hut, exactly where he had been expecting it. Bjorn Ironside took a deep breath. The first part of his journey was over.
Night had fallen over Kattegat. Ragnar was still awake, eating soup from a bowl, when the dogs outside all began to bark. Ragnar rolled his eyes. He had hoped it would not have come to this, but it wasn't unexpected either.
One of the guards entered and stood before him.
"Floki has escaped, King Ragnar", he reported.
"Of course he has", Ragnar commented. When the guard was just standing there, he added, "What are you waiting for? Go find him!"
The noble guest was watching as the walls of Paris grew higher in front of him. His horse was breathing heavily from the long journey. He and his companions had reached the western coast of the Frankish realm and had ever since spent their days on the road towards Paris.
"Lord Baelish?" the guard on his right addressed him, "We have reached Paris."
Littlefinger nodded slightly. He took in the overwhelming view of the city. The Queen was right, he thought, their walls are indeed higher than those around King's Landing. And if those Northmen could scale the walls of Paris, they could very well scale the walls of King's Landing. Which made his mission even more important.
Many warriors were running over the acres and fields, guided by the dogs. They were breathing heavily, hoping to catch up with Floki. Ubba and Hvitserk were amongst them.
The nobles of Wessex had been summoned by their King. Sitting on his throne, Egbert let his son inform them of the latest events.
"We have some unexpected and unwelcome news", Athelwulf began, "Queen Kwentrith of Mercia has been overthrown by several of her nobles, who have set themselves up as a ruling council. The Queen and her son have been imprisoned in a tower somewhere."
"I have already summoned King Aelle here", Egbert told them, "In the meantime, I expect you to call your men to arms. It may well be that we have to use force to overcome them this time."
Out on the piers, Sansa helped to prepare the boats for the coming winter. Oars were unloaded and stored, the canvas of the sails as well as most of the ropes had to be removed, before the winter set in. Otherwise it would rot.
Sansa had never had problems with this work, not since her arrival in Kattegat. Before, she would have been reluctant to physical labor, but having been a slave once, had cured her effectively from any arrogance, except for her shieldmaiden's pride.
She stopped for a moment to watch her daughters chasing each other along the beach. It was Arya's turn, only to be distinguished from her twin sister by a slightly longer curls of reddish hair that was flying behind her.
In Wessex, the new recruits had been given their weapons, before they were now drilled in the handling of swords, shields and spears. King Egbert watched proudly over them, the basis for his new army.
Littlefinger was having a private audience with his Highness, the Emperor Charles. All servants had been banned from the room, and in respect to Petyr Baelish's knowledge of the Frankish language not even an interpreter was needed.
"So you've come here all the way from Westeros to ask me if the rumors are true?" Charles inquired.
"I am entirely sure they are true", littlefinger smiled, "We have all heard about their attacks on the English Kingdoms. Now they have set their eyes on you."
"What do you want?" Charles asked.
"I am here to offer my condolences about the loss of so many of your men and the sack of this beautiful city", Littlefinger told him.
"I might not be as clever as you, Lord Baelish", Charles spat, "But I don't believe, the Hand of the Queen on the Iron Throne would come all the way from King's Landing, just to offer condolences. What do you want?"
"Your Highness, her Grace, the Queen Cersei, has commanded me to learn more about these Northmen", Littlefinger explained, his face official and polite, "And what we could do to prevent them from attacking our shores."
Helga was holding her daughter on her knees and sitting in the boathouse out by the shipyards. She turned around startled, when Ragnar entered and sat down next to her.
"Did you free Floki, Helga?" Ragnar asked. Helga looked afraid.
"I don't know", she stammered, "I might have helped."
"I don't blame you", Ragnar assured her, "It is your duty as a wife."
"Floki loves you", Helga told him.
"He only loves himself", Ragnar objected, "You know that better than anyone. In any case, it will soon be winter. You and your child will need to eat."
Ragnar placed a sack filled with grain in front of Helga, enough to bring them both through the winter. Then he stood up and left without another word.
Out on the chase, the group found a burned down campfire.
"Check those ashes", Ubba told them.
"It is still warm", the warrior said, "He cannot be far away from us."
In Wessex, Judith was sitting sadly on the table facing King Egbert.
"Judith, what is it?" the King asked.
"I have just seen my husband ride away into the greatest danger", Judith reminded him, "How do you think I feel? And even though you are King, you cannot force me to share your bed."
"I would never dream of forcing you to anything", Egbert told her, "Force is only necessary against one's enemies. I want you to be free."
"Free?!" Judith asked in confusion.
"I believe you have never been free since you were born", Egbert told her, "Being a princess, you lived in a gilded cage. But a cage nevertheless."
"So how would you set me free?" Judith queried.
"What do you want to do?" Egbert asked, "If you could choose freely, what do you want to do?"
Judith thought for a moment.
"I would like to be a painter", she decided, "Like Athelstan."
Sansa watched in dismay, as her father stared at the empty pole, where Floki had been chained up. She understood, why he needed to be found. After all, the King had very little power if anyone could just escape his punishment.
"They will get him", she told Ragnar as she sat down next to him.
"I know", Ragnar said, deep in his thoughts, "But I can't decide on what to do with him."
Floki was stumbling through the river. He followed its path, running through the shallow water to distract the dogs, he was sure the hunters would use.
Carefully stitching the leather pieces of her battlejacket together, Sansa was so concentrated, that she only looked up when she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked up from her work and saw Gyda standing there, showing her a big, mossy stone.
"Did you find it?" Sansa smiled at her daughter.
"presn'" Gyda managed to say, breathing heavily to keep the comparatively heavy stone from falling down.
"A present?" Sansa asked, "For me? Thank you."
"Mmmh", Gyda grinned at her mother before she dropped the rock and Sansa cuddled her. While she enjoyed hugging her daughter, she could not help but wonder how she had become like this. Once her needlework would have decorated the finest dresses, now she was patching up armor.
Rollo, Count Odo and Roland were standing around a table. Although they could not talk with Rollo, a model of the river Seine had been placed on the table. Rollo placed two wooden blocks on either side of the imaginary river.
"Two forts on either side of the river", Roland agreed.
"But how will he stop them from sailing past the forts?" Count Odo wanted to know. When Rollo looked blankly at him, Odo took the scaled boats, representing the Viking Fleet and moved it past the forts.
Rollo held up his hand, gesturing him to stop. Next he hung a small chain from one fort to the other, stopping the ships, when Odo moved them again. Odo laughed.
"Good", he complimented Rollo and turned to leave. Rollo held up his hand and waved him back. Rollo took another ship and moved it from the model of Paris towards the Viking Fleet.
"He tells us to build more boats, capable of attacking the northmen on the water", Roland understood.
In the evening, Odo was talking to Therese, his lover.
"Duke Rollo's sound and interesting advice for the protection of Paris will be very useful", Odo told her, "I must admit I am pleased twice, for Princess Gisela was so frightened to marry him. You remember, her face in the cathedral, I suppose?"
"Of course I remember", Therese told him, "It was a good sight. But I have to ask, are you not bitter that the Emperor claims all of the glory for the siege of Paris?"
"I admit, the sight of this little man sickens me", Odo admitted, "Especially when I recall how cowardly he acted during the siege."
Bjorn had left his hut and had wandered out on the frozen lake. He hacked a hole through the ice with his axe and hung a fishing line with several hooks and baits into the water.
Rollo was looking nervously at his shortened hair, hanging from his head in front of his face. A servant was still cutting it, according to the usual Frankish looks. He was also clad in a silken tunic, trying to look like a Frankish nobleman was supposed to look.
Hoping this would help him win his wife's love, he had finally agreed to this. When the servant was done with the hair, Rollo was clad in a heavy, long coat of fine fabric, decorated with beautifully stitched patterns.
The door opened and Princess Gisela entered the room, accompanied by several of her handmaids. Nervously, Rollo stood before her, acutely aware of all the eyes on him. Smiling lightly, he tried to bow before Gisela as the Franks did, his hands stretched out wide and his head deep.
Gisela stood before him in utter surprise, not knowing what to say. For a moment, Rollo thought he had won her approval, then the princess burst out in loud laughter.
Floki was drinking water from the river, when he was hearing dogs bark. Looking up, he saw the hunters closing in on him.
When the group led by Ubba reached the point, where Floki had just been, and the boatbuilder was nowhere to be seen. The men looked around, clueless, until Ubba glanced over the small basin on the river.
"He's here!" he called. Two warriors quickly jumped into the water and dragged Floki out.
"Mylord Baelish, it has been a long time", Count Odo greeted Littlefinger as they met in the Count's office in the castle.
"Indeed it has", Petyr replied, "How are you, my friend?"
"Well, thank you", Odo smiled, "Please take a seat. Now tell me, what bring you all the way here from Westeros?"
"In short, the northmen", Littlefinger grinned, "My Queen has expressed her desire to learn more about them so we can hopefully keep them from reaching our shores."
"You've come to the right person then", Odo replied, "I will later show you some of the plans we're making to prevent another attack. Wine?"
"Sure", Littlefinger replied before he took the offered goblet.
"I hear the Emperor himself was wounded during the sack of the city?" Littlefinger asked, "Did he actually turn out to be like his grandfather?"
"You mean that he fought himself?" Odo clarified, "God no! He was most craven, I have to say. I even begged him to join when the hearts of my men were failing but he refused to put himself in danger."
"Then how was he wounded?" Littlefinger wanted to know.
"He wasn't. He fainted when the northmen's king turned out to be alive", Odo explained, "The daughter of this King Ragnar let herself be taken prisoner and he was reportedly dying of his wounds. He asked us for a Christian burial, apparently he wanted to see an old friend in heaven. Then during the service, he turned out to be alive and his daughter was clued in with that ploy. They kidnapped the Princess Gisela and opened the gates of the city."
"That is an extraordinary story indeed", Littlefinger acknowledged, "So you are not pleased with your Emperor's behavior during the siege?"
"Careful now, we both know that this sounds a lot like high treason", Odo warned him, "But I have to admit, the sight of that little, weak man makes me feel sick."
"The Frankish realm needs a strong leader", Petyr agreed, "Someone like you."
Loud cheers greeted them, as the warriors brought Floki before Ragnar. His hands were tied tightly and he was dragged by several men.
"The great Floki", Ragnar mocked, "Captured by mere children. Why didn't the gods help you escape? Why didn't they hide you better? Could it be that the gods were not interested? What do you say, Floki?"
"I said it all", Floki said stubbornly.
"You made me suffer", Ragnar told him, "And now, I shall make you suffer. I have such a wonderful punishment for you – and it goes on and on and on…"
Littlefinger was looking out of the windows of his rooms. They were well placed within the castle, almost as good as the rooms of the most important members of the court. The windows allowed a great view over the river and the city.
Sighing contently, he laid down on his bed. It was indeed fortunate, that the Frankish Emperor had wed his daughter to one of the northmen. Soon he would be able to find out everything he might need to know.
Ragnar stormed into the empty great hall, kicking aside a chair. Aslaug left the bedroom and intercepted him.
"Why are you so angry?" she asked.
"Because Floki still refuses to admit why he did what he did", Ragnar shouted.
"What did he do that was wrong?" Aslaug asked, "All he did was to kill a Christian. What should he be punished for?"
Ragnar slapped her in the face.
"This is not about Christians or faith", he told her, "It's about loyalty and trust – something you don't understand."
From behind the curtain, Sansa had been watching. When Ragnar entered her room, she whirled around.
"Are you spying on me now?" he asked. Sansa was unable to determine whether his voice sounded angry or mocking.
"Wasn't it you who told me, there is nothing worse than not knowing?" Sansa recalled, "You should give her a break for what happened with Harbard."
"I will give her a break, when I decide to", Ragnar refused stubbornly.
"Does she know about that English Queen?" Sansa suggested, "What do you think mother would do if she found out?"
In Mercia, the group of Wessex' soldiers, led by Athelwulf, arrived near the tower where Queen Kwentrith was held prisoner. Two men on horses rode up to the gate of the surrounding walls, and placed hooks and ropes on the gate. Covered by archers, they rode back, pulling the gate violently open. The Mercian Soldiers attacked them right in the doorway.
In the meantime, Athelwulf and several other climbed over the walls on the opposing side. When the Mercian commander saw them, he ordered, "KILL THE QUEEN!"
Inside the tower, Kwentrith looked at the female guard in horror, as she drew a knife. Kwentrith rammed her knitting needle into her eye. The guard fell to the floor, dying. Another female guard lunged forward, ready to kill. Quickly Kwentrith grabbed a chair and smashed it over her head.
Despite the icy wind, Bjorn carefully walked out to the hole in the ice. He pulled on his line, retrieving a trout from the lake. He quickly put it into his pocket, planning on cooking soup with it later.
In the evening, Bjorn was sitting by the campfire outside his hut, watching the fish in the kettle boil. In the far distance, the wind carried the howl of wolves to his ears.
Ragnar was looking surprised, when he found Helga outside the shipyard, working hard to dig through the surface of the frozen soil.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked.
"I am trying to dig a grave for my daughter", Helga sobbed.
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A/N: So, Littlefinger cannot keep himself from playing with his allies...
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