Freya Ironside, Gifted by the Gods

Ragnarssons back to Kattegat

After four months of mourning, it was time to anoint a new Queen. Everyone wanted it to be Freya but she remembered what she had seen perfectly clear; King Harald and Ingrid were to be King and Queen. All she could do was waiting for King Harald to return and in the meantime, offer the people of Kattegat her full support for whatever the future held in store.

Thus, Gunnhild and Ingrid began to fight for the throne, the majority supported Gunnhild but Ingrid was telling everyone that she was pregnant with Bjorn's child. Completely untrue as Freya knew it was Harald's child, from the rape but she was still trying to decide which would have been the best moment to let everyone know the child wasn't her father's. Gunnhild knew but she was better than Freya, she would not tell although it hurt her knowing she was using the pregnancy as a strategy to win votes.

Then, one day, they were deciding who would have been Queen of Kattegat between Gunnhild and Ingrid, still people murmured Freya's name, hoping she would suggest herself at the last second. There was a huge scale for people to put rocks onto and the heavier would have been the winner.

Then warriors began to walk among them, "What is it?" asked Gunnhild standing up immediately from her chair, "It's nothing, everything is fine" said Erik dismissively, Gunnhild looked at Freya, she said nothing, unperturbed, "Ingrid? What do you see?" asked Gunnhild, "He's come back" said Ingrid hopeful, "Who? Who's back? Tell me witch!" roared Erik, "Witch?" asked Gunnhild dazzled, "Who is it?" continued Erik, "I told you, it's him" said Ingrid and as the crowd parted King Harald showed up. Freya hid herself among the people but could clearly see he was not who Ingrid had hoped to see.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt this election" he said chuckling, Gunnhild sat down again; he was his usual charming self, "I like elections. I approve of elections. Oh, by the way, for those who don't know who I am, my name is Harald. But my people call me King Finehair, I used to be quite a player around these parts. I was a friend of Bjorn Ironside, I had a relationship with his beautiful mother, Lagertha. Me and his daughter are good friends. I know Ragnar's son, no one better. I actually feel like this is a homecoming" he said and then continued, "But things change, of course they do and so, I have a new ally, his name is Skane. Not difficult to remember and as you will discover, hard to forget" he said looking at the crowd around him, a tall and surly looking young man stood tall.

"I have come to rescue you all. I loved Bjorn, no one can deny that" he said, Freya could deny that, "It's written in the sagas, it's written on the walls. I came to claim what is rightfully mine" he continued and then he saw Erik and laughed, "Skogarmaor, a pirate and a murderer – we shall see what to do with you" he said turning to him, "Gunnhild, my esteem for you could not be higher" he said to her, "You are a beautiful and extraordinary woman" "Thank you, but your timing could have been better" she said, "On the contrary, my timing was, as usual, perfect – you have all gathered here to elect a new ruler. Well, you don't have to worry about electing a new king of Kattegat because I was and still am the elected King of all Norway! And so, I am still your King" he said, "And I promise to be a just and fair-minded ruler, a strong ruler. A famous ruler for I want my name to be remembered for as long as the name of Ragnar Lothbrok and Bjorn Ironside's are remembered. No one has to be afraid, there will be no killings. Skane's men they mean you no harm, they just want to belong here. They want to be a part of the life of this great town of yours" he said and walked to a child, lifted him up and turned to Gunnhild and Ingrid again, "We just have to learn to love each other, right boy?" he said handing him back to his mother.

Gunnhild was adamant to let him have the throne as was Ingrid.

Freya made her way through the crowd, with whispers following her like a shadow, and went to stand near the platform, by Gunnhild's side, and when King Harald saw her, he cracked into a welcoming smile, "The grand Freya Ironside" he said walking to her with arms akimbo and a big smile, "Your deeds against the Rus have become legend in such a short time" he added as he kissed her hand. Freya surely wasn't going to disrupt the future she had seen causing another internal war, so she bowed a little and greeted him, "King Harald" she said warmly, he chuckled.