In the burning ruins of an ancient city, Ragnar Lothbrok's eldest son with his second wife Aslaug, Ubbe, found one lone survivor. A young girl. A girl with deep and dark and red eyes, and hair black as night with a single streak of white.
"Aila." Ha...
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"People of Kattegat!" Ivar's voice was as thunder. "We have a great sacrifice. This is Lagertha?"
His men pulled the hood off the whimpering woman they had captured. She was pretty enough, too young to pass for the famous Lagertha, though.
A woman in the crowd called, "That's not Lagertha. That's not Lagertha! Hail Lagertha! Hail Ragnar!"
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"Hail Lagertha!" The crowd cheered.
"Take her away." Ivar ordered his men. "Take them away. Take them all away!"
Hvitserk watched from a distance, disgusted by what his brother had become.
A girl approached him. "I know who you are." She said, smiling warmly. "Why aren't you at the ceremony?"
Hvitserk scoffed. Why ever would he?
Kattegat cheered for Ivar the Boneless, drowning out the cries of those who still supported Lagertha.
Ivar spoke up, "This is the witch who murdered my mother in cold blood. This is Lagertha!"
"No!" The woman whimpered.
"Shut your mouth!" Ivar hissed. "A Danish King handed her over to us. She was trying to make a deal with him, to persuade him to join her in attacking Kattegat."
"Traitor!" Yelled someone in the crowd
"Traitor, yes!" Ivar yelled. "Traitor! She would do anything for power! Thank the gods, her plans have all come to nothing."
The woman whimpered. "No, no, no, no . . ."
Horrified, Aila watched from her spot. "I can't let this happen!" She whispered breathlessly, taking off into a run. Behind her, Avan told her to wait. With two of his men by his side, he followed her.
