"The higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down."

~Unknown

Ivar adjusted his cuff links, snapping the smooth metal together satisfied when they clicked into place.

He was dressed in a black ensemble from his bow tie to his shoes. His dark hair was slicked back against his skull, shining under the light. He smoothed his hand over his jaw, nerves making his hands shake.

Ragnar was putting on a charity event tonight. Every year, since the death of Aslaug, Ragnar held an event to raise money combating gun violence. It was ironic considering Ragnar ran a business that thrived on violence perpetrated through the use of guns but it all boiled down to the fact that he was a businessman and he needed to maintain a certain image. Running a charity against gun violence maintained his respectable persona to the public and provided him with a certain level of protection from the police.

The charity events, because they held multiple every year, served as a cover of sorts. It allowed Ragnar to operate his illegal dealings through his charity holdings. They still had to keep up appearances however and hosted several charity galas, auctions, balls, what have you, throughout the year. The Aslaug Lothbrok Foundation Against Gun Violence event took place every April around her birthday.

For the last seven years, Ivar hated this event. For him, it only served as a reminder of her absence. Today was different.

Today he was attending with his wife.

He and Aaline had only made one social appearance since their wedding and it didn't end how Ivar had hoped. Today would be different, however. He and Aaline had made significant progress in their marriage. Ivar had admitted, only to himself and to his brothers, that he was starting to fall in love with her. He was not going to tell her. Not anytime soon at least. He needed some assurances before he did. Maybe her declaration of love first. He was prepared to wait. He'd been showing her how much he cared recently so hopefully, that would work in his favor, make her admit her love sooner.

Today Ivar was looking forward to showing off his breathtaking wife to everyone around.

Ragnar had invited all the Earl's of the Northmen as well as the King's of the Saxons. Journalists were there from at least five magazines and newspapers and every family of high society was represented by at least one family member.

Ragnar's events were widely publicized and heavily attended. Anybody who was anybody showed up and you weren't an A-lister if you didn't.

He glanced down when his phone buzzed. It was Björn. It was time to go.

The women were riding separate from the men and Björn was waiting at the top of the stairs. Ivar adjusted his sleeves again and headed out.

He nodded at his brother when they met at the top of the stairs. Ivar could tell that something was on Björn's mind. He was fidgeting and he wouldn't look at Ivar.

"Is there something on your mind brother?" Ivar asked. They pushed through the heavy front doors and moved towards the limousine. Björn sighed and gestured for Ivar to enter first. He slid across the leather seats and eyed his oldest brother. Hvitserk, Ubbe, and Sigurd were already seated in the limo, talking quietly amongst themselves. Björn slid in beside Ivar and eyed him with unease.

Ivar stared right back until he saw his brother break.

Björn grunted and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. "Ivar, I've only just found out and there's nothing I can do to change it, unfortunately. If I could, I would but it's inevitable at this point."

"Björn, just spit it out." Ubbe snapped. Ivar glanced at his brothers, the tension in his frame increasing ten-fold. This was supposed to be a good night and he had a feeling that it was about to be ruined.

"Freydis is coming."

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Aaline stood at a tall round table in the corner of the room, a rapidly warming flute of champagne clasped loosely between her hands.

She felt a little out of place. The other women had long since found friends and acquaintances to talk to, leaving Aaline alone to wait for Ivar to arrive. She didn't know anyone there besides the brothers and their wives and the brothers weren't even there yet.

She watched as people mingled throughout the large ballroom, talking quietly and helping themselves to the open bar. Ragnar had arrived before his children but was waiting to speak until they appeared. There were trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres being passed around by waiters. Two open bars were available for anyone who didn't care for champagne.

There were several familiar faces in the crowd. People who had attended Aaline's wedding. She didn't know they're names or who they were associated with so she just kept to herself. She startled when someone came up beside her and gave Sibylle a small smile. Sibylle smiled back and took a long pull from her own champagne.

"The boys should be here soon. I just got a text from Sigurd. They're stuck in traffic but they're only a couple of blocks away from the hotel." Aaline nodded her thanks and went back to examining the room.

"It doesn't matter how many of these I go to, I'll never get used to them," Sibylle said. She shared a look with Aaline and both women giggled.

"Ragnar is very good at throwing parties. It doesn't matter what the reason is, he loves entertaining. It gives him a good excuse to show off." Aaline chuckled and watched as Ragnar walked around the room, chatting with everyone he came across and gesticulating wildly at every story.

"Uh-oh," Sibylle whispered. Aaline jerked around and followed her gaze. She tensed at the sight of her father slowly making his way towards them.

"Do you want me to stay?" Sibylle asked. Aaline hesitated before shaking her head. She could handle her father.

Sibylle nodded once and left her alone to deal with her father. Ives Jensen stopped at the table and cleared his throat, staring at his hands.

"Is there something that you wanted?" She asked. There was a hard edge to her voice. She was only open to his presence for a short period of time. She was not willing to deal with his hesitancy. She took a drink from her champagne.

Ives swallowed audibly and finally looked up at her. He did not look well. There were dark bags under his eyes and the wrinkles around his face had deepened considerably since she'd last seen him. His clothes were baggy like he'd lost weight and he reeked of cheap vodka. Aaline held her breath and scrunched up her nose.

"I don't have time to stand around and wait for you to grow a spine. What do you want?" She hissed. Ives flinched and looked down again.

"I didn't get a chance to talk with you at the wedding. You were very busy and I didn't want to bother you." He said. His voice was soft and could barely be heard between the two of them. She sighed and rubbed at her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

"Yes, the wedding that you arranged without my consent. I remember." He flinched back and she thought she saw tears in his eyes. She tried to sum up some swell of sympathy for him but she just couldn't.

The man before her was so alien that she couldn't even see her father anymore. He no longer resembled even the distant man who would visit her boarding schools. He was a shell of who he used to be and she was surprised he was even still alive.

"I have people I need to talk to. If you have something to say I need you to say it. Otherwise, move on." She said. Sibylle nodded once towards security but Aaline shook her head.

"Would you dance with me?" Ives asked.

Aaline rounded on her father, surprise coloring her features. That was what he came over to ask? She almost snorted but held it back at the last minute.

"That's what you came over to ask me? To dance?"

"Well, you didn't do me the honor at your wedding. I thought I'd get the chance then but it seemed you had someone else in mind." She had no idea where his sudden courage came from but she was not about to let him make her feel guilty.

"You lost that honor the second you arranged this marriage. Don't you dare stand there and act like I should be grateful." She seethed. She glanced around, hoping that Ivar had arrived but there was still no sign of her husband.

"Aaline, I never wanted this for you." He began to plead. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. He followed her though.

"Please, I only ever wanted you to be happy." She glared at him.

"Happy? You only ever wanted me to be happy? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I would've been happy at home? With you? You were all I had after mom died but instead of caring for me, loving me, you shipped me off to another country instead of having to deal with me.

"Did you even notice when I got in trouble? Did you even care? Or were you just concerned with keeping your good name unblemished? You'd rather sign a check and transfer me than bother to ask me what was wrong. And you claim you wanted to make me happy?" She shook her head, refusing to let her tears fall.

She had promised herself that she would stop being angry with her father. It took too much energy and she had more important things to focus on. Like getting to know her husband and taking over her father's company. She didn't need to worry about her father anymore. In all honesty, he hadn't even been a blip on her radar since the wedding. The fact that he was bringing forth all these emotions now only made her angry.

"I think you should leave." She said. She locked eyes with Sibylle who raised her eyebrows in a silent question and Aaline nodded. Sibylle moved to get security when Ives grabbed Aaline's arm above the elbow.

She sucked in a sharp breath and glared at him. "Get your hands off of me." She hissed.

"Aaline, please, I've been speaking to some people and I've been trying to think of a way to get you out of this."

She arched an eyebrow, stunned. "Do you mean a way that won't get you killed?" She asked. Ives clenched his jaw and tugged her towards him. He had no intention of hurting her but the act itself was still threatening.

"I'm trying to fix this." He whispered.

Aaline could see security coming towards them followed closely by Ivar. She hadn't seen him arrive.

She looked back at Ives and jerked away from him, breaking his loose hold and twisting his arm around behind him. He yelped and arched away from her. She could feel several pairs of eyes on them but she didn't care.

"I don't want to fix it." She snarled. She pushed him away from her and towards the two security guards a few feet away. They each took an arm and began escorting Ives out of the ballroom.

Ivar watched them pass and spoke softly to the guard at the door, requesting that Ives be escorted home and not allowed to return. The man nodded and followed after the group of three.

He turned to his wife and had to steady himself.

She looked like a goddess. Her floor-length black dress had a thigh-high slit up the right side that showed him an intoxicating view of her creamy skin. The neckline plunged nearly to her navel and the lights gleamed off her simple gold chain. The sleeves were long but sheer, accentuated by the gold beads that covered her wrists and shoulders. The beading collected around her waist as well, showing off her figure. Gold stilettos finished the look and made her look regal.

The fire in her eyes made him hard and he had to take several deep breaths before approaching her. He did so with delight and swept an arm around her waist, bringing her easily towards the dance floor.

"You look stunning, my dear. I hope he didn't ruin your night." His lips brushed softly against her ear and he felt her shudder.

She settled her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against his. "It's better now that you're here." She could feel his grin against her neck and he pulled back.

"I'd say the same about you, elskede." She smiled up at him and let him twirl her around the dance floor. He smelled absolutely divine and she closed her eyes, letting him consume her.

"What did your father want?" She opened her eyes and pulled back to look at him. His eyes were earnest. She sighed and settled back against his neck.

"Nothing important. He wanted to dance with me." She said, her voice dripped with contempt. Ivar pulled back, his face contorted in confusion and scorn.

"Why?" He asked. She shook her head. "He said something about not having the honor at my wedding. I told him he lost that honor as soon as he arranged our marriage without my consent."

Ivar turned her around the dance floor, sweeping her in wide circles, making her dizzy. "And how did he feel about that?" He asked. She chuckled darkly.

"He told me that he only ever wanted me to be happy?" Ivar arched an eyebrow and hummed.

"And he thinks he accomplished that?" He scoffed and shook his head. She smiled and looked at him, his eyes sparkling with joy. She didn't think she'd ever seen joy in his eyes before.

"Well, it's not all bad. I did get you." She said. Ivar's smirk was wicked. His eyes dropped down to her lips and she closed her eyes just before he kissed her.

His lips were warm pressed to hers. He didn't do more than press his lips firmly to hers but it sent shivers down her spine nonetheless. She moaned against his lips, the sound lost in the music. Ivar pulled her closer and dragged his hands down her back, settling them low. She pulled back and blinked up at him. He smiled down at her and nudged her slightly away.

"Go, Sibylle looks ready to burst with questions." Aaline turned around and smiled at Sibylle. She looked like she was bouncing on her toes, her fingers tapping against the champagne flute in her hands. She eyed the two of them with an eager gaze.

Aaline laughed and looked up at him. "I better go ease her mind then shouldn't I." Ivar nodded once and let her go, releasing her hand only when she was too far away. He watched her approach Sibylle and the two began whispering.

He felt someone come up behind him and he turned his head. Björn settled his hands on his shoulders. "Come, Ivar, the snake approaches." Ivar tensed and grunted allowing Björn to lead him away.

Aaline watched as Björn and Ivar walked away, tension in their steps. She watched as they found Ubbe and Hvitserk and the four of them started whispering. Their gestures to each other were harsh and she could see the anger in Ivar's face. She turned her head when Ubbe gestured across the room.

She narrowed her eyes as she caught where Ubbe was gesturing. There was a blonde woman across the way making eyes at her husband. Her eyes were intense and she looked like she was close to salivating.

She turned her head to face Sibylle and lifted a brow in question. Sibylle followed her gaze and hummed. Aaline tensed. "What?" She hadn't meant to snap but her sister-in-law clearly knew something she didn't.

She glanced at her and Sibylle's face looked like she just sucked on something sour. "What's that face for?" Sibylle looked at Aaline and sighed. "I can't believe she still has the audacity to show up at these events after what she did." Aaline's mouth nearly dropped open at the venom that followed those words. She turned fully to face her friend. "Who is she?"

Sibylle sighed and took a long drink of her champagne. "Her name is Freydis Eiriksdottir and she's Ivar's ex-girlfriend." Aaline sucked in a sharp breath and turned back to look at the other woman. She was watching Ivar with a gleam in her eye that set Aaline's teeth on edge. It was a possessive look that screamed ownership and Aaline did not like that it was directed at her husband.

"What did she do?" She said, taking a deep gulp of her champagne.

Sibylle waved over a passing waiter and took two more flutes of champagne, handing one to Aaline. Aaline pushed her half-empty flute aside and clasped the new one with shaking fingers.

"First off, the only reason she comes to these events is that she works for one of Ragnar's firms." Aaline shot Sibylle a look and the other woman rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look. She was working here before she started sleeping with Ivar and it would look bad if she was fired after they broke up. She was transferred as far away from Ivar as Ragnar could put her but there are the occasional events where they'll both be in attendance.

"Her presence had lessened somewhat but I think your recent nuptials got her interested again and now she's back in full force." Sibylle slammed her champagne down in one swig before she pushed the empty flute aside. Aaline's head was spinning with this new information.

In some part of her mind, she knew that Ivar had dated other women before he married her. They just never talked about those women just as they never talked about her previous men. It went unsaid that they had been with other people but now they were really growing as a couple and Aaline didn't want anything to ruin that. Especially clingy little blonde girls who didn't know how to take a hint.

"You still haven't told me what she did," Aaline asked. Her voice was soft. Sibylle shook her head and glanced over to where Ivar was still talking to his brother's.

"They were pretty hot and heavy for a while. Almost a year when Ivar found out she was cheating on him." Sibylle snipped. Aaline sucked in a sharp breath and whipped her head around to look at Freydis. She was still watching Ivar like a hawk but hadn't moved from her position across the room.

"Ivar was pissed." Sibylle continued. "He threw all her stuff out of his room, changed the locks to his office. Literally, anything you can think of to give someone he gave her and then took it back. To make matters worse, she came back a few months later and told him she was pregnant." Sibylle shook her head at Aaline's horrified expression.

"Ivar didn't believe her so he made her get a DNA test before the baby was born. He was right. It wasn't his. I think she ended up giving the baby up for adoption but…" Sibylle pulled Aaline's unfinished champagne towards her and downed it.

"Anytime there's an event where they'll both be there, Ragnar sets up special security to keep Freydis away from Ivar. She can't get within five feet of him before someone whisks her away." Aaline snorted and watched as the woman in question began to move across the room but was quickly cut off by a hulking security guard.

Aaline grabbed a champagne glass from a passing tray and downed it quickly, her eyes watering at the bubbles that stung the back of her throat. She cleared her throat and nodded once at Sibylle before making her way to Ivar.

She kept Freydis in her line of sight the entire time. She wanted to make sure that the woman saw her with Ivar. She wanted Freydis to know that Ivar was her's now and there was nothing she could do about it.

Ivar smiled when he saw her approach. Ubbe and Hvitserk stepped back to let her through and she draped her arms over Ivar's shoulders. Ivar's eyebrows rose in surprise but he wrapped his arms tight around her waist. "Hello, wife. How was your conversation with Sibylle?"

Aaline smiled and pressed her cheek against his, nuzzling against him. Ivar grinned at his brothers and their faces shared his amusement. "Better now that I'm with you, husband." She whispered. Her breath sent shivers down his spine and he tightened his hold on her. He hummed and started to sway with her, his hands stroking up and down her back.

"Not that I don't enjoy your affections but this wouldn't have anything to do with a particular blonde, now, would it?" Aaline tensed against him but held her composure. She stroked her fingers through his hair and across the nape of his neck. She pressed her lips to his ear.

"Now why would you think that?" Her voice held a husky tone that had Ivar grinding his back teeth and clenching his fingers in the fabric of her dress.

He cleared his throat and pressed a gentle kiss to the hinge of her jaw, his tongue poking out to taste her flesh. Aaline shivered and a soft whimper escaped against Ivar's ear.

"Well, she's been staring at me all night and I was just about to have her escorted out when you suddenly appear in my arms." He pulled back slightly and gazed into her eyes. She kept her face blank but Ivar could see it in her eyes. He clicked his tongue and stroked her hair back away from her face.

"You do not need to worry about her, elskling. She means nothing to me." Aaline could feel the contentment rising up in her chest and a blush painting her cheeks red. Ivar chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead. He brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek and nudged her back to Sibylle.

"Go, mingle. I'll find you later." She nodded once and turned, smiling at Hvitserk and Ubbe.

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First, I want to apologize for taking so long to update. This quarantine has done a number on my mental health and I've been trying to teach 120+ high school kids from home for the last two months. I also really struggled with the beginning of this chapter. I've had the Freydis scene written pretty much since I started this story but I was having trouble with everything leading up to it. I hope you like it. Thanks for sticking with me.

Second, I wanted to thank Sakura19Haruno95 for providing me with some more accurate terms of endearment in Norwegian. I sincerely appreciate it and I hope I used them appropriately in this chapter.