One day, when Rollo was discussing about recent briton attacks and how he should crush their army, Gisla, who was 8 months pregnant, came to find him. She looked very pissed off and angry, and Rollo knew something was really wrong as he began to know his wife really well.

- Your PIGS raped a dozen of women from a small town near the castle! It's the third time this month! I'm getting REALLY tired of you BASTARDS !

She said it in a breath and her tone was all the more menacing. She was so furious, Rollo's warriors stepped back. But Rollo remained in his chair and raised his sight on her beloved wife, as calm as she just told him what she planned for dinner.

- And what do you suggest ? Have you got solutions for this problem ?

- Actually, I have, he said proudly.

- And what is it ?

- You should execute the guilty ones.

- But what about the pregnant women? Who will take care of them and feed them and their babies ?

- You're rich! You will pay for them.

- No.

- Then you'll just be standing there doing nothing when hundreds of women suffer from the behaviour of you pagans ?! You really are as weak as my father!

She meant it to make him angry, to hurt him and out of sheer spite. It should have worked because Rollo stood up and looked at her eyes to eyes. It was quite frightening according to Gisla but she endured his sight.

- They will sustain the needs of all their children and these of the mothers.

- And if they don't ?

- Then, I'll turn them into eagles.

- What ?

She was confused at first, but then, she saw his carnassial grin and immediately regret asking. According to her husband's face, it was extremely painful and sounded like something no one could endure. She was brutally fightened by what appeared to be a mean of torture. When Rollo, saw her face, he immediately turned back to his usual face: smiling, reassuring toward her and calm. He called a servant and told her to bring back something from their room. Then he turned back at her.

- You and I will go hunting this afternoon. I have you prepared a horse and an outfit to be more comfortable than your dresses.

- I'll never wear anything coming from you!

- Yes you are.

- No, It will hurt the baby!

- Don't worry, back in my country, pregnant women fight as well as men.

When the servant came back she was holding a pair of pants, leathered boots and a large blue tunic embroidered with golden thread. She glanced at it full of disdain and spat to Rollo:

- I hope I will DIE this afternoon!

- I can't let you die and you know it, he said with sad eyes.

She was so taken aback when he looked at her like that. She usually blushed and her defenses weakened all of sudden leaving her as vulnerable as a lamb. But she didn't hated it though.

When Gisla changed herself, she and Rollo got on their horses and headed toward the forest. Rollo specifically asked not to be followed nor escorted and watched by Gisla's knights. He wanted some alone time with his beloved wife and he would have done everything to get it. As they went further and further into the forrest, Rollo noticed a wild boar and thus the hunt began. Things happened fast: the boar fled as he heard their horses walking by, but soon, Rollo and Gisla managed to surround the animal. Rollo aimed at the boar and shot an arrow, but he missed and instead of his vital points, he only managed to hurt him. Taking advantage of Rollo and Gisla's confusion, he escaped again, an arrow stuck in his spine. He lost a huge amount of blood, allowing the hunters to track him. They drove the animal to a small glade overhung by a white cliff. Then, Rollo shot an arrow which went right into his head and asked Gisla to finish him with her knife. He told her to aim for the heart, but the princess who had never hurt anyone, nor anything hesitated to do so. But as compassionate as she was, she couldn't let the animal suffer from his several wounds, so she dismounted and grab the knife that was hung on her belt. She came closer to the boar and looked at him with a sight full of remorses. As if the animal knew what was his fate he lay down on on the grass, letting Gisla stick her knife in his flesh. When he stopped breathing, Gisla turned to her husband:

- Is that what you wanted me to do ? To kill an innocent beast? Do you want to turn me into some kind of murderer?

- There is nothing to be angry about. Besides, it wasn't innocent. The boar is our meal for today.

He dismounted too and began to tear limb from limb the animal with his axe and his knife.

Rollo lighted a fire and put the boar to roast. While the boar roasted, he attached the horses to a tree and sat next to Gisla who was leaning against the cliff. They stayed, like that, without a word for what seemed an eternity before Rollo talked.

- I didn't want to turn you into a murderer, he whispered.

- What ?

- I don't want you to become a murderer, he said facing her.

- Then why did you made me kill that boar, she asked puzzled.

- I needed to know if you were able to kill if you really needed it.

- Why ?

- To defend yourself and the baby if I'm at war.

- Oh …

They both remained silent for a few minutes.

- How was she, Gisla asked.

- Who ?

- Your former wife.

- Siggy and I were not married. I loved her, she loved me. That was just it.

- How was she ?

- She was, he said in his deep voice, she was … Really beautiful, strong, bright, clever and so loving. Gods ! She was loving. She helped me when I lost everything even the feel like living.

- How is that, she asked intrigued.

- I was fool enough, once, to go against my brother and our former king. I killed and hurt many of my friends and I paid it. I even wanted his wife. How pathetic is that ?!

- So that's what you meant by "a difficult past".

- Yeah. I was a pretty horrible person before these incidents. I went by a very difficult phase. I drank. A lot. I usually spent my times drinking ale and I was found the morning, sleeping in my own piss and vomit alongside with pigs, cows and shit. I was only trying to step out of my brother's shadow but I lost everything trying. Siggy is the only one who never stopped believing in me. She encouraged me, stood by me, took care of me. She showed me the light. Thanks to her I was able to change. I began to raid and fight again, but this time I dedicated my strength to Ragnar and his family. He is my brother and I don't ever want to loose him, nor my nephews.

- Did you have any child with her?

- No. She lost her sons and her daughter, and she didn't want to live it again. That's why we never had any child.

- Life in your country seems pretty harsh.

- It is. We fight, we raid, that is what we do. But in the end, life goes on.

Gisla was surprised, for a brutal pagan, he seemed pretty wise. She wondered where he learnt all that when he said:

- That's why I must protect what is important to me. Because if anything happens to what I cherish the most, I might never be able to live again.

- Wise, she muttered.

- What ?

- Oh … No … I was just wondering were you learnt all these life lessons.

- I've experienced many things in my life, so I learnt some conclusions to it. You only get what you deserve. I deserved to be punished for what I did and I deserve to be right here next to you.

- You know that I'll never fully acknowlege you as my husband. You know I hate you pagans for what you did to my city, my people and myself!

- I know. But as I told a friend of mine, this, us, is the future. You can either live in the past or build a better future.

- Based on what happened in Paris ?

- Yes. Because in the end, this is evolution. Who will I be to my gods if I didn't make advantage of what they have given to me ?

- Your GODS again! And I thought you were baptized! You really fooled us, my father and I.

She looked angry and Rollo moved his hands nervously.

- I was baptized. But I couldn't let my gods down. Could you stop believing into something you believed your whole life just like that ?

- No, she confessed.

- Exactly, he said.

- But, still, I can't call you by your pagan name. I swore it in the name of Jesus and I already broke my oath once. I don't want to break it twice.

- Call me Robert then, he said. They gave me that christian name when I was baptized.

- Robert, she said carefully. Robert, yes, I could call you Robert.

The silence came back. Rollo stood up and went to check on the boar. He came back with a plate full of roasted meat. He gave Gisla her's and told her to eat well for the baby and thus, they began to eat quietly in silence. They could hear the sound of birds, bees, and several other animals in the forest. The sound of nature was fascinating. When they finished eating, Gisla asked:

- Why this bed? How is it important to you ?

- This is a reminder.

- A reminder of what ?

- Of how things are related. This way I think I can always be with my family.

- Then, why did you stay ?

- There was nothing there for me but sorrow, emptiness and loss. And someone predicted me that something great would happen to me if "the bear marries the princess".

- You people are strange.

- And if I didn't want to force you before we arrived at the castle, it's because I wanted to concieve an heir in this bed carved in the wood of a great tree. In my country, we call it Yggdrasil, the tree of worlds. I wanted to do it in that bed so our sons and grandsons can built a very strong tree.

- What do you mean ?

- What I mean is that I want them to build a family, to build cities, castles, kingdoms. I want their names to be eternal, just like Yggdrasil.

- Why are you so eager?

- It is normal for a father to want their children to experience success.

- I guess so … My father never considered me like this. To him, I was just a political tool. Someone he could marry to gain lands or titles.

- Is this like that for all women in your country ?

- Yes.

- Man, you chistians are really weird.

Gisla fulminated.

- Oh sure! It's not like you barbarians who only use women to have sex!

- In our country, he said calmly looking straight at her, women are allowed to divorce, they run the house, and while the king is gone, his wife takes care of the kingdom. They are also allowed to fight in battle and to raid alongside men. But there is only one thing only women can do.

- What is it ?

- To count.

- To count?

- Yes, he said dead serious. Back north, it is considered as witchcraft and women are the only one who can handle this.

- You northmen, really are weird.

He laughed. She noticed his eyes were doing some little folds on the outside. She also noticed his smile, which, she never noticed, was bright and rassuring. His laugh was so contagious, she smiled for o bit. She didn't disliked the way he talked to her, he was going straight to the point and usually spoke with widsom. He was kind of interesting and his voice … God! His voice! She could almost fell for that voice. So deep, so warm and a little je ne sais quoi of natural joy. They stayed like that, laying against the cliff while their horses grazed, looking at the sky who was slowly turning yellow. Then Rollo stood up.

- It's getting late. We should head back home.

- I agree.

They both mounted on their horses and began their trip back to the fortress. They brought the remaining of the animal they killed. Rollo said he was going to keep the skin to make a carpet and the rest of the meat to be eaten by some of his they entered the yard, a stable boy came to take care of their horses. They dismounted and went to their room. Rollo left Gisla at the door. She was already entering the room when he said:

- I've got something to ask you.

- What is it ?

- Do you like me ?

She paused for a second as she seemed to think about it and finally said:

- I don't hate you.

Then, she closed the door at a Rollo as confused as happy.

HEY! I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for all your views, and as always, don't forget to write me a review (I love that)

Brace yourselves, vikings are coming.