Freya Ironside, Gifted by the Gods

Queen Lagertha

Ragnar was getting everything ready, he had gathered old men to sail with him in exchange for his gold. Ubbe and Sigurd didn't really like to talk about that but she knew they were upset, they had found him giving his treasure away in the middle of the streets one day as if it was routine.

Freya was walking through the harbour when she saw her grandfather, she walked to him, he stopped working when he couldn't ignore her any longer.

"Freya, what are you doing here?" he asked almost upset, she sat down with her legs hanging over the boat, "I have a request" she said firmly, "You can't come with us. As much as I would like to take you, you are not ready to fight and ... Bjorn wouldn't forgive me for that" he said, "Lagertha is training me, Bjorn trained me" she burst but then said, "No. My request isn't to come with you" she said, Ragnar leaned in and put his hands beside her to keep standing. Freya lowered so that only he could listen, "Ivar. You have to bring him back to me, alive" she insisted; he stared at her then looked away, "You know I can't promise you that" he said, Freya held his hand, "I love Ivar so much, I need to know he will be safe" she begged him, Ragnar whispered, "I will do everything I can to protect him. But I can't promise you he will come back alive. He knows what he is in for" he insisted, she stood up, "Then why have you agreed on taking him with you?" she asked as she left.

"Have you told your mother yet?" she asked Ivar as they were going back to the great hall the next day, he said nothing, "I don't believe you!" she sighed, "Listen you are already whining enough without mother knowing" he said annoyed, she snorted, they were standing in front of the doors of the long house, "Are you staying or am I upsetting you too much?" he asked sardonically, she snorted and walked off to the steps leading to the two thrones. He hurried after her, she sat down on the last step while he sat on his mother's throne.

They remained in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to be alone and yet not calm enough to conversate, when his mother arrived, looking like the perfect being she was.

"What are you doing?" she asked Ivar after smiling to her as well, he smirked and said, "I am going with father", Aslaug looked stern all of a sudden, "What do you mean?" she asked with a fake smile on, "I am sailing to England" he stated calmly, his mother looked betrayed, she gave him a small smile and spoke coldly, "Tell your father I need to speak to him. He can't avoid me any longer" she said, Ivar nodded and the Princess went to her chambers.

Ragnar would have sailed for England the next day and Freya wanted to spend some time with Ivar. She walked to the brother's house and knocked on the door, Sigurd opened, "Freya, come in" he told her, "Thank you" she said seeing Ivar and Ubbe were on their beds. "I'm sorry, I know it's late" she said, Ubbe stood up, smiled warmly at her and told her, "It's never late for you, Freya" and he hugged her. She took off her coat and put it over a chair, "Actually, I'm here to talk with Ivar" she said looking at him; he looked at his older brothers and gestured them to go out and Ubbe and Sigurd left them.

Ivar still said nothing, "It may be the last time you and I see each other, don't you really have anything to say?" she asked, he looked at her, "I am going, you can't convince me to stay" he insisted, "I won't, I am here to wish you a safe voyage, despite what your mother saw ... I hope she is wrong this time" she let out, his mother had seen that he and Ragnar would have died in a storm while sailing to England.

He stared at her for a moment then invited her to sit down. She sat onto his bed and then laid next to him; she started playing with a flame in her hand, making it twirl, he smiled, that used to be how they spent their time, telling stories and watching her doing tricks. Ivar reached for her hand and she made the flame vanish before he took it. She then crawled very close to him, put her head on his chest and hugged him, "Freya...?" he wondered, "Do not talk, I want to remember this moment, just you and I, like when we were younger" she hushed him, feeling the warmth coming from his body, "This is my chance to prove myself, to prove the gods I am worthy of Valhalla, father can give me that. This is why I have to go with him" he said trying to explain his reasons one last time. Freya started to cry a little, he held her tighter for a moment, "Nothing will be the same from now on, I can sense that" she whispered, Ivar was petting and caressing her head and hair when suddenly she half got up, put her left hand on his cheek and then said, "Be safe, Ivar" and she lowered her face over his lips and gave him a warm kiss, he was too shocked to reciprocate; at the same time the two brothers got back inside.