Chapter 17

Disclaimer: i do not own Harry potter or the tv show Vikings.

"Talking"

'thinking'

*spells*

$parseltounge$

Björn Pov

It has been a month since we returned from Paris and father´s mood has not improved. The recent fallout between father and Uncle Haraldr has spread quickly throughout the Norse world.

Whether Father wants to admit it or not, one of the few reasons Kattegat has not been overwhelmed by the forces of Vestfold. Is the fear of having to deal with the far-reaching presence of Uncle Haraldr.

Not that my own feelings on the matter have not been difficult to deal with. I have always had a special place in my heart for Ragnar, the man was always the epitome of what I wanted to be like when I grew up. However, Uncle Haraldr has done so many things for me and my family. He has been like a second father to me and Gyda, always being there to ensure our continued welfare.

His presence has saved my marriage to Þorunn, as with the removal of her scar, our romance has been rekindled. She has become much more enthusiastic about Siggy and her future prospects in life. In fact, Þorunn has been hounding me recently about joining with me to explore new lands together.

I can´t help but look around Kattegat as I walk towards the great hall after being summoned by my father. The reticence of the populace was overbearing, their postures holding a sense of doom over them as they went on with their daily lives.

When we returned from the Paris raids, Floki was the first to condemn Ragnar publicly for abandoning Haraldr´s friendship over such petty grievances.

The people feared that the loss of Haraldr friendship would lead to troubling times for the Kingdom. It probably did not help, when word came from Floki and Helga that their daughter Angrboda had come down with a sickness.

Floki and Helga were quick to grab their stuff and leave for Borgund, seeking Haraldr´s help in ending their child´s maladies.

A raven arrived in Kattegat not long after and was most likely the reason father summoned me. It was common knowledge, that Alfheimr used ravens to send long-range correspondences to settlements outside our border.

'What no one has been able to figure out though is how uncle Haraldr has convinced the ravens to obey his every command'.

Arriving at the great hall, I open up the doors to a surprisingly empty room. As Father was sitting on his throne with a parchment in his hand.

I walk over to the foot of the raised dais and ask "Why have you called me here father? and why is the great hall empty?"

Father stared at the parchment with anger in his eyes as he turned to me and says "I asked everyone to leave, so they could not see my outburst as I read the message in my hand."

He throws the parchment in disgust towards me and turns his head, taking a silent pose of contemplation. I bend down and pick up the parchment of the wooden floor, I grab the ends with both hands as I start reading over the message.

Fylke King Ragnar Lothbrok, you and your family are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of King Haraldr Stormbringer and soon to be Queen Lagertha the shieldmaiden.

This will be a magical event, where every corner of the Norse world is invited to take part in the happy occasion taking place in Borgund on the summer of next year.

Haraldr and I look forward to seeing you all again, especially Björn and little Ivar who I am sure is enjoying his newly given freedom from the cold bosom of Fylke King Aslaug.'

Signed sincerely Torvi "bane of Frankia", Queen of Alfheimr

I could not help but wince at non-subtil remarks made against the House of Lothbrok. Ever since returning from the Paris raid, Torvi and Mother`s fame has skyrocketed as the two warriors mostly responsible for the fall of the city. Torvi for finding a way into the city, and mother for duping the Frankish forces, moving the entire army to the other side of the river in the cover of darkness. They had earned the moniker "banes of Frankia" for the achievement by the men and women fighting beside them.

The second part, was in reference to Queen Aslaug´s new attitude against Ivar since my brother took his first steps. The woman has been distancing from her son ever since, focusing all her attention on Ubbe and Hvitserk. Þorunn and I have tried to give the nourishment that Ivar craves from his mother, but with the possibility of more children in the future. We will have our own family to take care of.

That is why this wedding, might be the ideal for me to inform Haraldr of Ivar`s new standing in his mother´s heart.

Father came out of his contemplative mood and says "Do you see how she mocks me? rubbing it in my face that I have not only lost your mother but that our success in Paris can be laid at their shoulders and not mine."

I was having a hard time not to comment on the fact that father was not so innocent in Mother´s decision to move on. She could do a lot worse than Uncle Haraldr that´s for sure, the missive from Torvi also made me think back to two weeks ago. When Mother decided to pay a personal visit to my home.

two weeks ago

I was sitting at the table, thinking over my newly improved relationship with Þorunn when I hear a knock at my door. I push myself out of my seat and head towards the door to see who it is.

I open the door, to find mother there with the biggest smile on her face as she pulls me in for a hug.

She says "Oh, my beautiful boy. How are you? and how is my grandchild?"

I reciprocate the hug before answering "Both Siggy and Þorunn are as healthy as they can be. Why have you come here, mother? you know Father is still upset about your perceived betrayal."

Mother removes herself from my embrace and frowns "So, he can not accept the fact that our marriage was over a long time ago."

She looks at with caring eyes and removes a piece of jewellery from her finger, putting it in her hand and moves it into my field of view. It was a gold ring with a big red stone on top, it had a depiction of an animal carved into the stone. The animal depicted was not one I was familiar with, it had the head and claws of an eagle, with the body of a furred animal with paws and tail.'

I raise my eyebrow at her, conveying my confusion over the ring in her hand.

She replies to my befuddlement "This is the ring your Uncle Haraldr offered me as a sign of marriage. It has been in his family for generations, the stone is called a ruby and the animal carved in the centre is a gryphon. Haraldr explained that they existed in the world in which he came from, but he was unable to save them."

I could not even imagine a world where such beings exist when my mind finally registered what she had actually said.

I look down at her and ask "marriage? What about Torvi?"

Mother, replies with fondness in her voice "Torvi is like the little sister I always wanted. She could see how unhappy I was after Father´s betrayal. I did not expect to fall in love with the same man as her, but I could not help it. The only thing from stopping me from reconsidering this was you Björn."

I could not help but smile at my mother´s tone as it has been a long time since I have seen her being truly happy.

Confusion returned to the forefront as I asked: "Why would I be the one holding you back from being happy?"

Mother put her hand on my cheek and replies " I know how much you idolise your father, I did not want you to feel like I was betraying him by moving on with my life."

I felt a stab in my heart, as my mother´s explanation reached my ears. Hearing that I might be behind her reluctance to move on from Father was a horrendous realization to discover.

I stare into her eyes with determination and answer back "I can not deny, that father betrayed your trust first. You should not feel an obligation to protect my feelings over your own happiness. Besides if there is anyone I trust to look out after your best interests, it is uncle Haraldr."

A true smile appeared on my mother´s lips, as she put the ring back on her finger and gave me a backbreaking hug in response to Schleswig my endorsement of her upcoming nuptials.

Present

Coming out of my reminiscence, I turn to my father and ask " So, how are you going to respond to the invite? Also, what are you going to do about the ongoing threat of Halfdan the Black?"

Father grimaced at the reminder of our precarious position before answering "As you say, son, I am too busy to attend this newest betrayal of the people closest to me. I will have to strengthen my position in preparation for the growing pressures that Halfdan is under to take this Kingdom for himself. I will be reaching out to the other Jarls in the region for an alliance. Our combined might should be enough to discourage Halfdan from pursuing his campaign against us. "

I stared at the bitter man that was now my father, I could not help but think 'Why do you hold on to the idea of Mother so tightly? does she remind you of a simpler time, when circumstances did not pull everyone you loved apart? Was it the only time in your life that you were truly happy father?'

I did not have the nerve to say these things to his face, so instead, I reply "I will be going to the wedding with Þorunn, Father."

Father sighs "I am sure you want to see your sister again. But I need you here, with Rollo and Floki gone. There are not many men left I can trust to lead my men into battle."

I can´t help but feel my anger bubbling up at the emotional manipulation that father is trying to coerce me with.

I respond with some heat in my voice "You do not even trust me enough to go on my own raids, and yet you claim you trust me to lead your forces against Halfdan the Black?".

Father stares at me harshly " Yes, you have forgotten the harsh life we used to live before Haraldr´s arrival. You have become soft in the process, but I was planning on sending you out on a trial into the wilderness, to once more prove that you are truly the son of Ragnar Lothbrok. Not the son of Haraldr Stormbringer, I am sure you will succeed and once you returned I was going to appoint you the commander of my forces for the conflicts to come."

His words felt like acid in my mouth, as I was once more reminded that my father does not think I have what it takes to follow in his footsteps.

Instead of lashing out, I decide to reply "Alright father, I will succeed in your trial father. However, when summer comes I am going to the wedding to represent our house in the biggest event of the season. It is the perfect opportunity for us, to find allies against the House of Yngling. As rulers from across the entire Norse world will be most likely attend the festivities or has your jealous riddled mind forgotten about that detail."

Tired of arguing with my father I storm out of the great hall with greater ambition in mind.

'I am tired of always chasing my father´s shadow. No, the name of Björn Ironside will become greater than even yours father, in the name of Odin, this I swear.'

Unknown Pov

'I am starting to regret this' i thought as I was once more swinging my hammer on to a chisel, removing some of the stone in the local quarry.

When we sailed up the river Seine to our new settlement in the town of Rouen, I was not expecting to be approached by the King himself and asked to keep an eye on Rollo for him. So here I was, working in the local quarry to keeping up my disguise for the new Jarl of Rouen. The first thing we needed do after returning to the town was to repair the houses for us to live in.

It was slow work, as most who decided to follow Rollo were still living outside the city in simple camps as the people worked hard for their new home.

It was almost time for my only meal of the day, as Rollo did not adhere to Haraldr´s methods of working in shifts with proper breaks in between. No, the new jarl did not have any respect for the common man and instead showered his warriors with favours. Rollo said that he needed them fresh, as he was planning on partaking in more raids before winter arrives.

He had been gone for a few days now, as Rollo had explained to the settlement that he wanted to scout out potential location along the river for himself. I was not completely convinced by his excuses but I was not much of a warrior, instead, King Haraldr had chosen me for this job because I did not stand out amongst a crowd.

The King told me that a new warrior in Rollo´s camp would have been easily spotted by the man but that he had a tendency to ignore the people who did not fit his view of what a Northman was like.

I agreed to this assignment because King Haraldr has changed my life and the lives of my family. Living under his rule has allowed me to see my children grow up with improved prospects and my wife had a very lucrative job as a rune designer. At first, I feared like many others that we would be treated as second-hand citizens by the elevation of the blessed ones.

However, it turns out my wife has a head for seeing patterns in things and after learning the theory behind the language that the gods left us. She was given a high paying job designing new ways to use it.

So with my wife being so successful, I decided to join the siege of Paris as a camp follower. Hoping to receive some of the spoils from the summer raids. I wanted to repay the King for everything that he has given us and he assured me that accepting his offer will mean that my family will want for nothing.

Coming out of my thoughts by the foreman of the quarry taping me on the shoulder, I turn to him and ask "Yes?"

The foreman replies "It´s noon, you can take your break now."

I nodded at his words and put down the hammer and chisel before heading to the camp outside the city for some food.

Arriving at the camp, I can see other labourers sitting around the fires eating and being merry. I take a seat amongst a group of men having a chat, as I grab a wooden bowl and some stew that is being cooked over the fire.

I pick up a wooden spoon and grab a piece of the stew and stuff in my mouth. It was not a particularly tasty stew but it was hearty and filling after hours of work.

I turned to the man sitting next to me and ask "Where do you think Jarl Rollo is going to raid next?"

The man was a bit tipsy as he gave me a drunken smile and said "Oh, the Jarl will most likely take us to the western side of the river. Letting us loose on the populace, just like the gods intended!"

I raise my eyebrow and ask "Is that why you follow Rollo instead of Ragnar? Because he adheres to the old ways of raiding?"

The tipsy man swings his mug around as he releases a bellowing laugh, before spitting out "Have you not heard? Ragnar is nothing more but a puppet for that gods forsaken Seidr."

I gave a confused look but on the inside, I was fuming " Did the Seidr not help make Kattegat what it is today?"

The tipsy man reluctantly nodded "Aye, he has done much for us". He stands up and removes his sword from his sheath and holds in front of his body "However, real men settle their differences with steel, not Seidr magic. It is a tool for women, that is why I do not hold Odin close to my heart and why I can never respect Haraldr as a ruler. At least, Rollo handles his affairs like a real Northman."

The men know listening into our conversations started nodding their heads "aye", "aye"

The women, on the other hand, started frowning at the man´s reasons for disliking Haraldr. He was not the first person who felt resentful for not being chosen as one of the gods blessed people. However, unlike me who holds on to the hope that living under the gods' grace will allow my descendants to one day inherit the gift. This man has chosen to take out his resentment on the King himself.

I frown at him "So, you will still follow Rollo if he decides to abandon the gods and become a Christian."

The man angered by my words grabs on to my tunic and snarls "Who are you, to question Jarl Rollo´s faith in the gods?"

I give the man a hard look "I am sure you have all heard the rumours? Rollo allowed himself to be baptized into their faith and now has a Christian name, Robert."

The camp stayed silent as the man stared into my eyes with anger before letting go with a huff.

He sneers and says "So what? What have the gods ever done for me?"

I looked at the others listening in who all shared the same expression of awkwardness at the man´s bold proclamation.

I was about to answer back with a retort when the sound of an arrow flew through the air and hit the man in the neck. Mayhem ensues, as everyone in the camp scrambled to grab their weapons and armour. However, the arrows are flying from all directions, as more and more men fall to the hail of arrows.

I turn up to see Jarl Rollo walking slowly towards me, with Frankish forces following close behind in a shield wall. It does not take long for me to understand what was actually going on, as Jarl Rollo swings his sword cutting down one of his own countrymen in the process.

Knowing that my death is imminent, I start thinking about everything I am leaving behind and put my hands together giving a small prayer to the King.

'Avenge me, bring your Holy Lightning on to the flesh of the cursed one."

I open my eyes to see the Jarl standing in front of me, in my anger at his betrayal of the true faith I gather phlegm inside my throat before spitting it out all over the man´s face.

I end my defiance by saying "You fool! the only thing you have accomplished here is to anger a god. One day, he will come here to drag your cursed body back to Helheim where it belongs."

Jarl Rollo smirks at me before replying "I will be waiting for him!"

The last thing I saw, was the jarl picking up his two-handed axe and swinging it over his head before bringing it back down onto my head.

Unknown Pov

Staring out the window into the heart of the city, I can help but think of my predecessor`s attempt at regaining the authority of the Catholic church.

A knock was heard on my chamber door, I do not turn around as that would be unseemly for a man of my position.

Instead, I put on a firm voice and say "you may enter!"

I could hear the footsteps of someone walking over the threshold to my room. The man stops a few paces away from me before he opens his mouth "Holy Father"

The sound of his robes moving as he takes a bow reaches my ears, still not turning away from the view I ask "what have you got for me, cardinal?"

The man responds "Holy Father, the former capital of the Frankish Kingdom has been raided by Northmen and two of King Charles´s sons are now in open warfare with each other. The Frankish Empire is on the verge of collapse."

I sigh as I finally push myself away from the relaxing view and turn to the cardinal "This could not be happening at the worst possible time. The Saracens have annexed the Iberian peninsula, the Western and the Eastern church is fractured, the only thing standing between the Saracens and Rome itself was the Empire of the Franks."

I start walking back and forward inside the room in frustration "My predecessor was a fool to alienate the Byzantine royal family against us. How is the rule of the Saracens seen on the Iberian peninsula?"

The cardinal starts fidgeting "They have been seen favourably by the Jewish population, who had been treated very poorly under the rule of the Visigoths."

I could see the cardinal's reticence in bringing me this news as if I did not already know that we only have ourselves to blame. Ever since the Visigoths joined our church, the jews have been prosecuted severely in the region. So it is no wonder they welcomed the Islamic invaders with open arms.

Many members of our church would be offended by their actions but I can recognize the hardships of the Jewish people. Christ himself was a Jewish man, so my fellow contemporaries disdain for their faith astounds me. We should have been working together from the beginning to push out the Saracens out of Christian lands.

We need more men to fight this threat, I turn to the cardinal and ask "you said Northmen raided Paris? Have any measures been taken to enlighten these pagans of the true faith?"

The cardinal let out a sigh of relief as he answers "Yes, Holy Father. The Northmen took a Frankish princess hostage and left with a bounty of 472 stone of gold and silver. The Frankish soldiers who fought at the siege claim that foul sorcery was used to enter the city."

'Peasant superstitions' i thought

The cardinal continues "One man named Rollo, who know goes by Robert has agreed to convert to our faith in exchange for lands on the entrance to the river Seine. He has also been offered the princess Gisela´s hand in marriage."

With an idea in mind, I ask the cardinal "these Northmen are said to be great seafarers, correct?"

The cardinal replies "Yes, Holy Father."

Now smiling I say to the cardinal "reach out to this Northman and see if he would be willing to serve as a mercenary in our war against the Saracens. The Byzantine emperor Nikephoros has told me that Saracen ships have been spotted off the coast of Sicily. If the Saracens take Sicily, then they are only a stone throw away from our Holy city."

The cardinal answers "Yes, Holy father"

The cardinal starts to exit the room before I say with intrigue in my voice "wait! send a few priests from our holy city to the Northmen kingdoms. I want to see if more of them are susceptible to our wishes like this Rollo character."

The cardinal bows and exits the room, as I return to my window overlooking the city.

'This church will not fall under my leadership.'

Haraldr Pov

As I pull myself away from the embrace of my future wife, I can´t help but think back to yesterday when Lagertha returned from Kattegat after having received the ring that signalled my intentions to marry her. She had accepted the ring right away, but asked for my patience in receiving her son´s blessings first.

yesterday

I was sitting on of the chairs inside the great hall having breakfast with Torvi while entertaining our baby Helga with different facial expression. When Valdar comes running down the stairs with his new toy.

After being taught by Björn how to carve figurines out of wood, I decided to make one for both Helga and Valdar. The difference was that I had used animation charms to make the toys more life-like. Case in point Valdar was currently chasing his figurines across the room, It was similar to one of the animated dragons I had to pull out of a sack in the Triwizard tournament.

A cry was heard from across the room, as Valdar started running towards me with a small bite mark on his finger.

"Uncle Haraldr, the dragon bit me." holding out his finger as proof

I turned my body towards him and sigh before picking him up and placing him on my lap. I take a look at the small bite mark on his finger, but it was not even deep enough to break the skin.

I stare Valdar in the eyes and say "What have i told you about upsetting the dragon?"

Valdar starts pouting "Not to do it"

I point towards Helga and replied, "Look at Helga, her Thunderbird is sitting quietly on her shoulder."

Valdar looks over at his pseudo-sibling and says "hey, it is not my fault that little Hedwig is so nice. It is just as nice as the real one, but dragons are so much cooler."

I smile down at him before responding "I know you like dragons, but maybe you should choose something less dangerous if you intend to play so rough with it?"

Valdar starts turning his head side to side "No, I will be a dragon! just like you and Papa."

I can´t help but laugh at that before ruffling up his hair " I am sure you will, why don´t you go show your dragon to Helga?"

Valdar smiles as he jumps down from my lap to go grab the animated dragon. He picks the figurine up and runs back to the table, all the while the figurine hisses and tries to bite him.

'Maybe I made it to realistic?' as I watch the little dragon refusing to come down

Valdar approaches Helga with the dragon figurine and holds it up to her face. The sight of the hissing dragon scares her as she starts crying for dear life. Torvi and I both react immediately as we try to calm her down.

Torvi starts giving me the stink-eye, for creating something that scares our daughter. Helga keeps crying as I start feeling a build-up of magic in the air before a wave of magic unleashes from Helga's core expanding outwards and throughout the great hall.

As if a switch was turned off, the animated dragon figurine stops hissing and becomes completely docile.

Valdar not understanding what just happened, starts jumping up and down "Look, Uncle Haraldr and aunt Torvi. The dragon is not angry anymore."

The excitement of what had just occurred was too much for the boy. As Valdar takes the dragon and runs out of the great hall to go look for his mother Rögnfrid, so he can share in the good news.

It took a bit longer for Torvi and I react to what just happened, as Torvi turns to me and says "Is it what I think it is?"

I turn my head to her and nods before grabbing Helga of the table.

I start moving around the room with Helga in a poorly choreographed dance as i scream out "My baby, just had her first bout of accidental magic" the laughter and smiles refusing to leave my face.

Torvi started smiling as well, as she joined in the dancing. Causing Helga´s mood to increase significantly. The door to the great hall opened up showing a smiling Lagertha staring at me with lust in her eyes.

She asked, "What are we celebrating?"

I stopped the dancing with Helga, as I turned to her with a smile "Our little girl has used her first piece of magic."

Lagertha walks up to Helga with a smile and kisses her on the forehead to the little girl´s delight.

She turns to me and says "it looks like we have two things to celebrate then, My son Björn have given us his blessings. It would seem I am to be your wife, as soon as it can be arranged."

My heart soared as i pulled her into our embrace for a loving kiss, then we all took Helga back to her crib before retiring for the night to celebrate our new union.

Present

I slipped out of the room to take a bath and start my day. The day started out like any other, however by late afternoon i received a message that I had a few guests who had arrived in Borgund to come to see me.

Apparently one was even important enough to demand an escort, so I told the guards to escort the guests to the great hall. Where I would receive them alone without any disturbance from the outside.

I was now sitting in my throne, waiting for the men and women who were so desperate to have an audience with me. The doors to the great hall opened up as two men and a woman entered the room.

I was surprised to see that two of them were very dear to me, without thinking I blurted out "Helga?, Floki?"

Floki and Helga did not have their normal carefree attitude, as i could see the effects of stress on their faces.

I walk out of my throne and approach them "I can tell from both of your faces that something is very wrong. What is the matter?"

Helga breaks down in tears, as she answers "Angrboda has caught the fever, and there is nothing we can do to save her."

Helga grabs on to me and says in desperation "Please, save my baby!"

I put my arms calmly around the woman before saying "Of course, you are my dear friends. Go to the clinic and I am sure they can cure whatever ails your daughter. I will be with you in soon, I just have to see what this other gentleman wants."

I say with authority in my voice " is anyone out there?"

A guard opens the great hall doors and says "Yes, my King?"

I point to Floki and Helga before replying "Take this two to the clinic, they have a very sick child. Tell the healers that the King orders them to use the full extent of their knowledge to save this girl. I will pay for everything."

The guard stands straighter and answers "Yes, my King" before giving Floki and Helga a gesture to follow.

The seriousness of the situation was not lost on me, as Floki does not do anything but give me a nod before taking Helga in his arms and takes her to the clinic without saying a word.

I turn to the other man in the room and asks "What is it you want from me?"

The other man is on bended knees as he replies with a desperate tone "I am Brynjar and my daughter Elisif is suffering from consumption. My own healers say there is nothing they can do, but rumours have it that the healer´s of Borgund can cure anything. So I beg you to save my daughter!"

I stare at the man with a hard look "Do you take me for a fool? I am well aware that you are the King of Jylland and you have the audacity to come to my shores with a very contagious disease that could easily spread to my people and you ask for help?"

Brynjar stopes the performance, as he stands up with his back straight and asks "So if you know who I am? What is it going to take for you to heal my daughter?"

Angry at his blatant disregard for his daughter´s life, as he seems to be treating it as a business transaction. I reply with a heated voice "I am sure Erlendur has already approached you with an offer, that will secure your legacy by making Ellisif the first Queen of all the Danes. If you are asking a foreign King´s aid for your daughter´s consumption, then you must be truly desperate. I am sure, Erlendur blames Ragnar and me for the downfall of his Father Horik, as I know about the Tre-pronged alliance that he has arranged with you and the High Chief of Saxony.

I can even understand your motivations, with no male heirs of your own. Elisif is the key to the continued line of your family, and with her now weakened health. Her future value to you is slowly diminishing, as your men would prefer a man like Erlendur on the Danish throne. Then a woman with a "weak" constitution like Ellisif. However, what I don´t understand is the motivation of the Saxon High Chief. With the weakening of the Frankish Kingdom, I am sure he is under a lot of pressure from his people to exact revenge on the Franks for the slaughter of 4500 Saxons by the former King Charles for refusing to convert to his faith."

Brynjar face started twitching a bit before replying "You are well-informed, as to why the Saxon Chief is interested in this alliance has to do with your wife Torvi."

The anger started to rise inside me as i accidentally enriched my voice with magic "what did you say?"

I could see Brynjar gulp as he replied "Your wife´s exploit in the siege of Paris has spread far and wide. Especially her gift for the arts of the Seidr, High Chief Hessing wants Torvi for himself. As he hopes any future offspring of their´s will be born with her gifts, solidifying his family as the true rulers of Saxony."

My anger was now so palpable that my eyes started brimming with magic as lighting travelled throughout my body I replied: "He will have her over my dead body."

The force of the magic leaking out flew in an arch pushing Brynjar of his feet, landing hard on the stone floor with a thud.

Seeing this, I look down my Occlumeny shields hard, wrestling back control over my magic.

I look to the man on the floor and say "I am not sure if you are deliberately trying to provoke me, but I am well aware that my biggest obstacle in this three-way alliance is you, King Brynjar. Erlendur does not have the men to threaten me with, especially after losing his Skåne and Blekinge when trying to take back his father´s throne. Also, Hessing might be able to rally more men than you but as a Chief and not a King, his authority is more decentralized than yours. Meaning that he can not count on every one of his vassal´s to turn up for a conflict that the man started for his own ambitions and against a fellow leader of the Asatru."

Brynjar holds on to the back of his head, as he gets back up and stares at me with both hate and fear "Fine, what is it you want from me?"

I smirk at him "You will sign one of my contract that stipulates that you will stay neutral in any conflict that affects my interest in the future. This is a real blood oath, so no matter what you do the gods will enforce the terms of our arrangement."

Brynjar face became apoplectic as he heard the outrageous demands "You think I will accept a deal like that."

I stare at him angrily "Did you think I would allow such a powerful alliance to exist so close to my southern border? Should you refuse my offer, I will just have to keep your daughter here as my permanent guest."

Brynjar gives me a hateful glare "What are you planning to do with my daughter?"

I reply with a scoff "don´t worry whether you agree or not, I will make sure to save your daughter´s life from the consumption. It`s not her fault after all for having such a horrible father, besides you would not have come here unless she was already in the later stages of the sickness. Which means she has lost a lot of weight and muscle mass, even with the disease out of the system, it will take time for her body to fully recover. So i tell you what, i will give you to the end of my weeding to sign the contract or i will take your answer as an act of WAR." saying the last words with as much force as i could produce.

Brynjar looked like he wanted to take a swig at me but in the end, he was able to hold his temper in check, as he storms out of the great hall with hatred in his eyes.

Exhausted by the encounter, I take a sigh of relief before thinking 'Thank Merlin, i expanded my "spy network" in time or I would not have been able to use this incident to my full advantage.'

However, i realised quickly that this was not the time to relax as i still had two important lives to save. With a quickness in my step, i hurry on over to the clinic to make sure that my dear friends do not lose their only child.

Fall and Winter passed by quickly, as Lagertha and Torvi made preparations for the wedding. Angrboda and Ellisif were now guests of Borgund after going through such a troubling ordeal. if it had not been for my knowledge in potions, the two would most likely not have survived to see there next summers.

Something that Floki and Helga were well aware of, as it seems they setting up a permanent residence here. Floki had already taken a job as a shipwright, excited to once more be designing ships that would travel across the world in our trade caravans. Helga was more interested in the magical knowledge that was on offer at Borgund. After seeing her daughter being cured by the power of potions, she decided she wanted to learn everything about them.

Ellisif was another matter though, as she has been feeling depressed by the fact that her father decided to leave her here for the time being. While negotiations between the two Kings were taking place, the truth was that keeping her father in check was not the only reason why I wanted her as my hostage.

No, I had Dobby send for all my stewards to spent as much time here as possible in the time leading up to the wedding. My former housecarls did fully understand my reasoning for this, but should Brynjar reject my offer and side with Erlendur. Then Jylland will be needing a new ruler, and even though Ellisif seemed like a sweet girl. I was not about to let her loose on her own.

If I am going to install her as the ruler of Jylland, it would have to be with a man loyal to me by her side. However, I did not want to force anything so should no man in Alfheimr strike her fancy. I will have rule those lands on my own until I can find some way to delegate my responsibilities in the region.

It was not until spring when more and more guest arrived for the upcoming festivities where i received my next few surprises. I was walking through the town, to stay in touch with the inhabitants. Most of them looked happy and content, as they bowed deeply when I walked by.

As I reached the harbour, I discover the unfamiliar symbol of a stag on one of the boat´s sail settling into the port. I approach it to find unfamiliar men offloading their goods, I make my way over to them before asking "Where do you hail from?"

One of the men peaked their head up and answer "We are the personal guards of the Prince of Vestfold, Harald Halfdansson."

'I did send an invite to all the important rulers of Scandinavia but why is he here so early?' i thought as I stared at the men unloading their things.

I ask "Where is your Prince then?"

The same man replies "He went ahead to the great hall, hoping for a private audience with the King"

I say my thanks and farewells before heading back to the great hall, to see what this meeting has in store.

I arrive at the great hall to the sound of my guards shouting at someone "get down from there, you vermin"

Intrigued to find out what is shacking up my guards' sensibilities, I walk inside the great hall to find a man sitting on my throne with one of his legs over the armrest, acting as if he belongs up there.

I put my hand on one of the guard`s shoulder, who turns around to see who was disturbing his righteous rant against an interloper.

His eyes grow wide as he says "my King?"

I smile at the guard before pointing at the man sitting on my throne "Who is he?"

The guard takes a more relaxed stance before saying "This infidel walked in and dared to place his ass on your throne, my King"

I squeeze the man´s shoulder and replies "I can see that and while I am very pleased with how seriously you take your job, I would like you to leave me alone with this man."

The guard stared at me apprehensively, not wanting to obey this particular order. However, his sense of duty won out, as he gestured to the rest of the to clear the great hall. I waited until the door closed behind them before turning to the young man sitting on the throne with a smirk on his face.

I stared at him with contempt in my eyes before saying "Harald Halfdansson, i presume?"

As if done with his theatrics for know, Harald removes himself from the throne and walks down the dais to stand in front of me.

Harald stares at me with intrigue in his eyes, as he responds "That would be me"

He walks around me in a circle, as if he is admiring an animal he would like to tug with.

I could not help but sigh at his childish display, as I reply "I was told by your men, that you came here to see me specifically. So, no more games what is your purpose here?"

Harald stopped with his playful demeanour and answered seriously "Fine by me, i want to go on a raid with you!"

'is he serious?'

After no more words left his lips, I realised he was and I could not help but release the biggest belly laugh of my life.

I did not know how long I kept on laughing, but Harald´s expression turned into annoyance as he could not understand what was so funny.

I pulled myself together before replying to his unasked question " I know your type, even if I agree to ally with you now. I know that one day you will try to fulfil your prophecy, and that means that you will do whatever it takes to conquer Kattegat.

However, I am not about to allow Kattegat to fall into the hands of another fate-driven man. The last time I trusted a man like that, he decided that his fate was more important than our friendship. So, you see i have no interest of ever allying with you. Now get the fuck out of my great hall."

Knowing that i have made an enemy for life, Harald gives me a cold stare and says "You will regret this."

Without waiting for a reply, he turns and casually walks out the great hall. Annoyed at sharing more of my feelings then I intended to, I walk up the stairs to bedroom to discuss something that had been on my mind for a while now.

Arriving at my bedroom, I find Torvi and Lagertha having a conversation about different sword techniques.

I knock to the side of the open door and ask "do you have a minute?"

The two women turn away from their own conversation and pay attention to what I have to say " I have been thinking about this for a while now, but I think it is time we create an elite group of 12 shieldmaidens to defend you two on the battlefield."

I could see frowns growing on their faces as I continued "Look, I have the housecarls to protect me. So unless you want me to get rid of them as well, please accept my request to keep you and our future kids safe."

Their replies were stopped before they could be formed, as their mouths only had the time to open before my threat of removing the housecarls for my protection detail stopped them in their tracks.

Torvi instead asked, "do you have any ideas who will be training this group of women?"

I smirk "well, there is one specific skill that will require a foreign expert but I will not reveal how they will be trained as I want the final product to be a surprise."

'Thank, Merlin for madame Maxime' I thought before noticing that Lagertha had been quiet for a while.

Lagertha gave me a concerned look, as she walked up from the bed and stood in front of me. "I have news of my own, Haraldr. I was at the healer recently for some morning sickness and they are convinced that I am carrying your child."

I had never seen Lagertha with such a vulnerable expression before, as I embrace her in my arms replying "This is fantastic news, why are you acting as if you're whole world is falling apart?"

Lagertha stared into my eyes and said: "The oracle told me that he could not see any more children in my future, what if I lose our child?"

I never wanted to kill the oracle more, when I saw such a foreign expression on one of the strongest women I knew.

I pushed her further into my arms and says "Our child will be born, i swear to you. I will fight the gods themselves to ensure that you will hold another happy and healthy baby in your arms."

I could feel Lagertha´s bodies fall further into my embrace as Torvi joins in i can not help but have thoughts of a bright future ahead and what I was willing to do to see it come to pass.

'Never again'

Björn Pov

I decided to make my way Borgund with Þorunn and Siggy a week earlier than the rest of the party from Kattegat. After going through the gruelling trials of the Scandinavian wilderness in the dead of winter, I finally had enough of my father´s presence.

So, here I finally was in the heart of Uncle Haraldr´s Kingdom and if I had to describe it in one word it would be magical. Everything from the harbour, to the houses and the massive arena that now houses the famous Alfheimr games felt like you had stepped into a new realm.

As I looked over to my wife Þorunn I could see she was just as amazed, that this place existed in their corner of the world. My beautiful daughter was busy, trying to grab on to anything she could get ahold of.

Þorunn had to comment on the vision in front of us "Is this what Asgard looks like?"

I could not blame her for the question, as Ravens were flying all over the place in an ordely fashion to deliver packages to different individuals. The markets were filled with jewellery and embroidered clothes. The hardest thing to swallow though was that the people of Borgund were practically giving away such an important product as salt for free.

People were carrying around heavy loads as if they weighed nothing, making it seem like everyone in Borgund was as strong as a giant. The city was just filled with so many vibrant colours that it was hard to look away.

There was so much to see that I almost forgot why I came here in the first place. I grabbed on to Þorunn`s arm as we travelled past what seemed to be a massive glass garden where you could see frost blue, birds entering and exiting through an open ceiling.

I ignored all other distractions, as I reached the great hall. At the door, we were stopped by a guard wearing a full set of armour asking "Who are you? and what is your business with the royal family?"

Annoyed at another obstacle in my way, I replied with a bit of contempt "I am Björn Ironside, son to your future Queen Lagertha."

The guard straightened his back at my name and says "my apologies, Prince. There have just been a lot of people wanting to come in and see the King. One of the guests even had the audacity to sit on the throne in the King´s absence" The last part was said with pure malice in his voice.

'Who could possibly be that reckless?' I thought as the guard let me into the great hall.

The great hall was empty for the moment, the only one here being Uncle Haraldr who was sitting down on one of the benches in the hall while having something to eat in his hands.

Uncle Haraldr turns to the sound of me and the family approaching "Björn" he says with a smile.

Uncle Haraldr puts the plate of food on the table and stands up before embracing me in a fatherly hug.

I embrace him back as I can smell his usual scent of earthiness and warmth. Haraldr gives Þorunn and Siggy a kiss on the cheek before we take our seats at the previously mentioned wooden bench.

Uncle Haraldr grabbed me by the shoulder and asks "why did you not arrive with Ragnar?"

I winced at his enquiry and reply "Father and I had a disagreement on whether to come to the wedding or not. I also wanted to inform you that you were right, Asluag has started distancing herself from Ivar. I am telling you this because I fear for my brother´s future childhood."

Uncle Haraldr pulls his hand through his hair and sighs "I was afraid of this, however, I can not raise Ivar as long as Ragnar keeps being a devoted father. Our friendship might be in ruin but I could never do something like that to him."

I was not surprised by his answer, as we had discussed the possibility of this happening earlier. However, at least i can be assured that should something happen to father. Ivar will have a second home here in Borgund.

Uncle Haraldr gives me a serious look and says "Tell me truthfully, are you guys safe within the walls of Kattegat?"

I was not sure, how to answer that. So I went with the truth "It´s not great, Father is at least aware of the growing threat of Halfdan the Black. But I am afraid that he is underestimating the man´s will to make Kattegat to the new capital of his Kingdom."

Uncle Haraldr frowned "Yes, I just had a run-in with his son. He wanted us to raid together, but I could see the convictions in his eyes, Björn. He is not a man who can be bargained with, Harald will be coming for Kattegatt eventually. Should the town fall to that man and I have to use my resources to reclaim it. Then I promise you, Björn! I will not return the town to House Lothbrok once again. Don´t get me wrong I will be there to help you in any way to ensure you can carve out a legacy for yourself. However, if I have to save Kattegat, one more time I am keeping it."

'I wanted to protest, but in his shoes, I would probably do the same. At least Uncle Haraldr was willing to help me to live like one of the great heroes of the sagas, even if I am currently sitting right next to one.'

As I come out of my introspection, I heard Uncle Haraldr say "Þorunn, I have to put together an elite guard of 12 shieldmaidens that will protect the Queens of Alfhemir. As long as Kattegat is under threat from Halfdan and his sons, you could stay here with Siggy and compete for one of those 12 spots."

I could see my wife´s eyes light up at the prospect, it does not take long before she replies "I will do it."

Keeping my family safe here in Borgund, while I am fighting in my father´s wars was not the worst idea in the world. We spent the rest of the night catching up with mother and Uncle Haraldr as we were offered a personal tour of the city in the morning. My wife was quick to agree as the next day my mother took me to all the fantastic creatures and wildlife that lived inside the glass gardens of Borgund.

It was a sight that I would remember for the rest of my life, as the rest of the week turned into an impromptu break from the chaos in my life. However, the day before the official wedding was set to start, I was approached by the very person I dreaded meeting.

"Björn Ironside?" I heard coming from a man standing against one of the walls inside the great hall.

I looked at the man in suspicion "I am Björn Ironside, who are you?"

The man smirked as he replies "Harald Halfdansson"

I raise an eyebrow as I ask "Is there something I can do for you?"

A smile formes on the man´s face as he says "I am so glad you asked, however, it is not what you can do for me? as much as it is what I can do for you?"

I stare at him incredulously "and what is it you can do for me?"

Harald respond by saying "My father is planning to attack Kattegat very soon!"

I can't help but snort "tell me something I don´t know."

Harald frowns at me before saying "You and I are a lot alike, we are both trapped within our father´s shadows. The only difference is, that you do not hate your father enough to do something about it. However, I am!"

Interested in hearing what he has to say, I feign interest "Let´s hear your proposal"

Harald smirks once more "My father is getting up in age, and with the growing number of supporters telling him to seize the entirety of Norway he is getting desperate. My father does not have the wealth to pay for a campaign into Kattegat, but he is desperate enough to pay his troops with any of the spoils they are allowed to take. He is giving them his men free reign to burn the countryside, maybe even the town of Kattegat itself and then rebuilding it from the ashes."

Feeling my anger growing at his words I ask "so what is your solution?"

Harald stares at me with zeal in his eyes, as he says "Help me overthrow my father!"

Staring at him as if he was mad, I reply " why would I do that? I am well aware of were your true ambition lies."

Harald smirks " I am young, the Norns have already proclaimed me the future King of Norway with my beloved Ellisif by my side. If you help me overthrow my father, I will swear a blood oath that I will leave Kattegat alone until I have dealt will all the other Fylkir Kings of Norway."

This deal might only buy Kattegat time, but it also means that we will have the time to gather allies against Harald Halfdansson.

I look at him with true intrigue this time as I ask "How?"

Harald answers "my father might not be a martial man but he does know how to make friends in the right places. I have the support of the young and eager men of our Kingdom, while my father still has the support of the old guard. If I am to succeed in convincing the old guard to abandon my father, I need to prove to them that I am ready to lead. When you and your father go raiding in Frankia once more, I want to be with you!"

I was confused "What is stopping your father from attacking Kattegat while we are away in Frankia?"

Harald sighs "one of the reasons for my father´s desperation is because of my growing influence in his court. If I leave for Frankia, it will give him time to gather up support and the proper funds to attack Kattegat with the city intact. Which is something my father really wants! With the fame and fortune of our raid I can finally buy up any support I need to bring the old man down." saying the last part with steel in his voice

'I will need Uncle Haraldr´s help to make this agreement airtight'

I stare at Harald and say "come with me"

I take Haraldr to my uncle´s study where is busy making the final preparations for tomorrow.

I gain his attention by saying "Uncle, I need your help with something."

Harald joins me in my Uncle´s study as we iron out the details of our agreement. With the magical contract in front of him, Uncle warns him "This contract will hold you to your word, the gods themselves will stop you from breaking your oath."

Harald signs the document with his blood and smirks at my Uncle "So, this is why I failed to bribe any of your officials for information. Even the ones who might have considered it seemed to be held back by some unseen force that stopped from agreeing." staring at the contract with hunger in his eyes.

Harald leaves the room after having to get the final word in "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

My uncle looks up to me and says "are you sure about this, son?"

I look back towards the door thinking 'only time will tell, father.'

Unknown Pov

As I looked over the crowd of people inside the great hall, something stood out to me. There was an unknown slave carrying a tray of the new drinking glasses around the ongoing festivities. There was something on the inside telling me to follow the man.

I catch up to him in one of the corners of the room and arrive just in time to see the man pour something into one of the drinking glasses placed on the tray. The man had not noticed my approach, thanks to the ongoing sounds happening all around us.

I keep my distance, as I follow the man across the room to his intended target. I was still an unknown to these people and could not just accuse a man of poisoning, someone, without catching him in the act.

I follow the man as closely as I could, hoping not to tip the perpetrator off that someone was on to him. The man brought me to the most crowded area of the room, as I almost lost him to the chaos of the festivities. Luckily for me, the man has apparently reached his destination. As he puts down the glasses at one of the tables and places them in front of three individuals.

The one most likely containing the poison was put down last and placed in front of the worst possible person.

My heart starts pounding inside my chest, as my feet carry me across the room. Shoving the guests out of the way, as I try desperately to reach my target.

Not caring anymore about social etiquette, I grab on to the victim´s hand and yank the glass away from his lips.

I hold on to the man for dear life, as I try to catch my breath. Eventually, my heart rate settles down as I turn my head up and stare at the man before saying "My King, I believe that your drink has been poisoned."

Gorgeous green eyes stare back at me with intensity before replying back "What is your name?"

I sigh in relief, as I pull myself up and take a more dignified posture "I am Astrid, my King."

The King puts down the glass and repositions himself on his chair before saying "can you point out for me, the individual who you claim was trying to poison me?"

I tried to keep my act together as I point to the servant I had been following this whole time.

The King turns in the direction of my finger before saying in a calm and deep voice "seize him."

The guards around the act quickly, as the now panicked servant tries to fight back as the guard pushes him down on his knees.

The King gives the man a dark look as he asks "Do you honestly believe that mear poison is enough to take me down?"

The now terrified servant says nothing as the King replies to his own question "I have survived far worse, than any poison you can put in front of me. I once had the deadliest snake venom in existence flowing through my veins. The thing was massive and almost took my entire arm off with just a swipe of one of its fangs."

The King stands up and removes his shirt, causing the entire room to gasp. A massive circular scar could be seen going around the entirety of the Kings left arm. The scar was not hideous, but the contrasting skin colour between the scar and the rest of the King´s very fit upper body was an easy thing to distinguish.

The King now shirtless continues with his presentation "I could easily get rid of this scar with the help of my magic. However, I keep it as a constant reminder of what I have been through and the only time I have ever been close to death in my time on Midgard. You should be lucky to know that this particular serpent no longer resides in this world."

I could hear whispering across the room throughout the presentation "Jormangudur", "Look at those muscles.", "It can´t be true"

What came next silenced the entire room, as the King picked up the poisoned glass and swallowed the content whole.

The seconds ticked by as the inhabitants of the room waited with bated breath for something to occur.

The King ignored the baffled audience as he turned to the servant once more "Search him, He might have more of the poison on him."

The faithful Borgund guard searched through the man´s possessions and found a small clay jar which they shook a bit to ensure that there was a liquid inside. One of the guards brought the jar to the King´s table and placed in front of him.

The King picked up the jar and removed the cork, he put his nose up to the open jar and took a sniff. The King decided to then put the jar to his mouth and take a sip of the liquid inside.

He put the clay jar back on the table and turns to his guards before commenting "It is the same taste. Hold him down while i administer the Verita serum."

The servant was in shock as he stares at the King before pushing against the guards that are restraining him, screaming out loud. "That is impossible, the man assured me that the Eitr was strong enough to kill the gods."

I snorted internally at those words, the only Eitr strong enough to kill gods is the blood of Jörmungandr.

The King was not far behind as he snorted out loud before saying "If this was truly the Eitr than surely I would be dead by now."

The King then took out a small glass vile of clear liquid as he walked away from his chair and across the table to stand in front of the perpetrator. He removes the cork and pours 3 drops on the man´s tung.

The man goes completely still as his eyes become clouded and unresponsive. The King asks "Who sent you?"

The man started speaking in a monotone voice "I do not know, the man´s face was covered by a hood. He just presented me with a coin purse and the liquid, telling me how to administer it. Warning me about not getting anything of it on me, as it is as strong as the Eitr. He hands me the coin purse and says that there is more of what that came from as long as i succeed in killing my targets."

The King frowns before asking "Why did you agree to a random stranger´s proposal?"

The man replies "I am a poor gambler, I made some lousy bets during the Alfheimr games and needed the money."

The King sighs before asking with heat in his voice "Were the cups of my queen´s poisoned as well?"

The man replies "I was going to put poison in all three glasses but I could not shake the feeling that someone was watching me. So I decided to focus on the one that my contact was most adamant about being taken care of."

The King eyes had now turned into steel as he stared at the perpetrator "Who was the main target?"

The man replies back in his monotone voice "Torvi Stormbringer."

'What?' i screamed internally.

I thought the King had been the target. As if answering my internal debate, the King turned to his wives who were now staring daggers at the poisoner.

The King walks over to the Queen and holds his hand over her stomach and smiles "Thank Odin, you had the morning sickness. Otherwise, I would not have been forced to drink your alcohol for you.

Sure your ring might have protected you and the child from the poison anyway but I can´t help but feel fortunate that we did not have to find out the hard way."

The Queen stops staring at the perpetrator and smiles at her husband "Yes, our little miracle child" before putting her hand over her husband´s that was still on her stomach.

The King removes himself from their public display of affection, as the new Queen Lagertha takes over for the King as they share in an embrace over the possible close call.

The King whose focus was now back with the perpetrator, had the eyes of an angry predator as he gracefully strides back towards the man on the ground awaiting his judgement.

He takes out a white stick of some sort and tells the man "Think of the entire conversation you had with your contact."

The entire room watch, as an ethereal liquid strand removes itself from the man´s head. The King places the strand in a glass vial before pocketing it inside his pants.

The King then stares menacingly at the man before removing a dagger from his belt and says "If you had been under duress, I might have considered taking this dagger and stabbing your right in the heart. However, that is too merciful of a punishment for a man like you. I might even have been more lenient if I had been your intended target, but when you go after someone I love the only thing you deserve to feel is PAIN."

The King pushed both of his hands in front of his body, as lightning started to form around his fingertips. The lighting travelled from his fingertips, through the air and in a continuous stream slammed into the poisoner who started to scream in unimaginable agony. As arches of lighting were seen travelling throughout his body.

The man´s cries were heard throughout the wall, as the man was slowly cooked alive by the ferocious powers that were flowing through the King`s fingertips.

The two queens were quick to join their husband´s side, as they embraced him from behind as Queen Torvi says "That is enough Haraldr, the man has suffered enough."

Queen Lagertha replies "We are here, my love and we are safe."

The King´s icy cold expression starts to thaw, as the lightning stops travelling from the King to the poisoner. His expression eventually returns to their warm emerald colour as the lighting completely disappears from his fingertips.

The poisoner was lying dead on the ground with his body entirely covered in boils as he was no longer recognisable from the first time I saw him.

The King turns his attention back to me and asks "How old are you, Astrid?"

I feel a gulp in my throat as I answer "18 summers, my King."

The King gives me a warm smile as he replies "You have saved a piece of my heart and for that I am grateful. I want you to meet me at the arena entrance first thing in the morning, I have a proposition for you."

I could not believe my luck, as I have been singled out by the royal family. A huge smile appears on my face as I reply "I will be there, my King"

The King keeps his warm expression as he answers "Good, now I think this little incident has taken up to much of your time. Now drink and be merry, Skål!" he shouts to the rest of the great hall.

The rest of the hall raise their drinks and shouts "Skål!"

I was uninterested in partying at the moment, I was too excited about what tomorrow will bring as I returned to my temporary lodge in one of the inns in the outer ring of the city. I put my head on to my uncomfortable pillow as I turn back and forwards, trying to get as much rest as I could for the beginning of tomorrow´s adventures.

The next morning could not have come fast enough, as the excitement of last night was still etched into my mind. Affording me little sleep, as I drag my exhausted body out of bed and put on some clothes before heading to Borgund´s famous arena.

I arrived to find a group of women and two men waiting for me. One of the men was a foreigner of unknown origin. I had never seen a man in this part of the world before, observing them as I quietly took my place among the group of women and waited for the arrival of the King.

I did not have to wait long, as the King arrived with a smile on his face as he took his place in the middle of the two men.

He looked out over the crowd of young women and says "I am sure, you are all wondering why you are here? Well, I have gathered all the women here, for a very special assignment. You.."

The King stops mid-sentence, as he looked out over the crowd of women and says in exasperation "Gyda, come up here."

A young woman of extraordinary beauty separated from the pack and took centre stage in front of all of us.

She asks the King with a smirk "Yes, father?"

The King starts rubbing his nose in frustration as he replies "What are you doing here Gyda? do you mothers know you are here?"

The woman now identified as Gyda answers with a smile "Of course they do, they even supported my decision in joining this prestigious group of warriors."

The King sighs as he says "Of course, they did. I will be having a discussion with your mothers after this. But for now, return to your place in line, there will be no preferential treatment afforded to you."

Ignoring the King`s words the girl grabs the King in a big hug and says "Thank you, father!" before returning to her place in line with a hop in her step.

The King was now sporting a small smile as he continues "You have all been chosen because you share something in common. The gods have gifted you with the blessings of magic, now normally you would not be singled out over something like this. However, I am putting together an elite force of 12 women, who will serve as both a source of inspiration on the battlefield and as the personal guards of my Queens.

This means that you will need an edge against your opponents, and while the blood runes work fine on women without the gift. It is more effective on someone who already has magic flowing through their veins."

The King then puts his hand on the man to his right and says "This is Magni, one of my berserkers and currently one of the stewards of the realm. He will be teaching you everything you need to know about fighting with different types of weaponry because whoever survives his training will be one of the strongest women on Midgard.

To my left we have Nekun a nomad from the east who does not speak our language very well, that is why I have given him a magical object that will allow you to understand him. And in turn, he will understand you. Now this man will teach you a very important skill that is needed, should you be chosen as one of the twelve. He will be teaching you the art of horse archery, and accurately throwing spears from horseback." The King allows his words to sink in, to the group of women eagerly listening in.

I was so excited by the King´s words that all the morning fatigue I had felt earlier was all but gone.

'Becoming one of the personal shieldmaiden´s of the greatest women in the Norse world is like a dream come true.'

The King stares at seriously for a minute as he starts talking once more "I want to give you an incentive to ensure, you work your hardest for this position. So I need you to follow me outside the city gates to one of the fields, where I will show you the symbol that will announce your presence on the battlefield to our enemies."

The King does not wait for any form of approval, as he starts walking in the direction of the city gates. Not one to take a challenge lying down, I and the girl named Gyda were the first two who eagerly followed the King to our new destination.

When we arrived in the fields outside Borgund, the King stood there patiently waiting in all the candidates that were lagging behind.

I turned to the beautiful girl with the dark blonde hair and blue eyes named Gyda before asking "Are you really the King´s daughter?"

Gyda turns to me and pulls her long hair behind her ear before replying "Of course, maybe not by blood. But in every way that counts, he is my father."

I reply " My name is Astrid!, as the King´s daughter are you aware of what the King is about to show us?"

Gyda smirks and says "I do, but I hate to ruin the surprise."

By this point, the entire group of young woman was gathered on the field of green, as the King made took two of his fingers and put them next to his mouth before blowing out a whistling noise that reverberates throughout the valley.

The next thing I see is a blue dot on the horizon that is getting bigger and bigger as it moves closer to our destination. It took me a minute to realize that the blue dot was not travelling on at eye level but was, in fact, floating in the air.

'What in Freya´s name is that?'

As the outline of the dot became clearer, I realised that the blue dot was actually wings and that it was attached to a horse with a cream coloured body with hairs on its mane and tail.

The winged horse makes landfall, as it moves towards the King and starts rubbing its head against his hand.

The King then turns to us and smirks "Do not worry, these horses were domesticated on my own world. They are very docile if you treat them with respect, It is highly unlikely that they will throw you off the saddle while you are in the air. Now, who wants to come and pet the Abraxan?"

Every woman in the group was quick to take their places around the beautiful creature as they start petting it.

I was mesmerized by its size as the King continued his introduction, "Congratulations ladies, you have all now taken the first step to becoming the new Valkyries of Midgard."

The only thing I could do was stare at the Abraxan as my mind was only filled with one thought

'You will be mine'

AN: That was chapter 17, there is now information on my profile that should hopefully allow you guys a better perspective on my story. If there is anything you want me to add, that does not spoil anything for the rest PM me or leave a review with your thoughts.

The twelve Valkyries will be named eventually, but I can not guarantee that all of them will be completely fleshed out.

p.s: The salt is not free, just extremely cheap for someone who sees it as a precious commodity.

p.p.s: I am not trying to bash Ragnar! however one of the reasons King Aelle eventually captured him, was because he was too reckless with his raids. One of the factors for this was the growing fame of his sons, that drove him to take more and more risks.

Teenage Gyda is played by Millie Brady from The Last Kingdom

I now have an unofficial co-author in Pont1ac-Band1t. I am still the one writing and editing but our brainstorming sessions have been very productive and I felt that he deserves the title.