Shield maiden ~ Vikings

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This chapter is long as heck, yo. I'm putting more focus on England than I've done before.

*

Aila frowned, then narrowed her eyes in utter disbelief. Had she heard him right?

A sudden ache took form in her chest. It was nauseating, sickening, almost making her lightheaded . . . in the end, she felt a headache creeping in. It almost got hard to see properly.

She only just managed to get one small word out,

"What?"

Ivar opened his mouth to speak. Every word that left his mouth only made the ache in her chest spread and intensify.

Aila took a sharp breath and turned around, putting a hand on a nearby table for support and bringing the other up to her mouth. She turned her back to Boneless, pressing her hand against her lips to keep herself from screaming at him. "So you mean to tell me," She finally spoke. "that this- this-"

"Freydis."

"Don't speak her name!" Bloodeye shouted at him. "That this whore is to be your wife?"

Ivar exhaled heavily.

"Ivar, you begged me for a chance to save our love less than a moon ago. What is this, some kind of spell she's put over you? Oh, dear Gods!" She breathed, leaning against the table.

With great difficulty, despite the support of his crutch, Ivar walked up to her. "Aila-" He put a hand on her shoulder but she flinched away and took several steps back. "Aila, please, you must see how important this is."

"Oh, I see." She forced a laugh. "You are King now, you need heirs. Sons that will carry on your legacy. You are a cripple, Ivar! It was a wonder when I ended up with child in the first place, what do you expect will happen now with some slave girl?"

"Aila, please." Ivar pleaded.

He was not himself . . . Aila could see that clearly.

"And it's not like we can't still be together."

He could not be serious. What did he expect? That she would agree to be the second wife who was barren and only there for his enjoyment. Aila stiffened. Her face went hard.m, and her eyes cold. She spoke slowly, with a firm voice that told him she would snap him in half if he said another word. "Get . . . out of my sight."

When he parted his lips to speak, Aila only narrowed her eyes at him. So, in immense pain, Ivar turned around to leave.

"Your eyes are blue today, Ivar." Aila said, making him stop and turn to look at her for a moment. "Be very careful today, because I am in a foul mood. I may just get the urge to finally shove you to the ground."

He left after that, keeping his head down.

Now alone, Aila sat down on the bed, hand pressed against her chest. She slid off the bed to the floor, and sobbed quietly.

*

In shock at his brother's words, young King Alfred said, "I was told he was dead. Killed at York." as he thought of Bishop Heahmund.