𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃 | Ragnar Lothbrok ¹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐗

SUNRISE

AFTER SIGURD's death ceremony - which was a Viking ritual Sophie had never witnessed before, she was sent back to her tent.

More than ever, Sophie felt out of place.

She was just outside her kingdom and yet she was held back, trapped with the Vikings and their King who was using her as his own pawn to win the final game.

When she finally did shut her eyes, she was eclipsed in darkness, a peaceful one at that where there were no dreams or nightmares or even visions. Just a peaceful and longing silence that swallowed her whole.

The first thing that woke her was the sound of footsteps slowly wavering towards her tent. Her eyes slowly cracked open and stayed rather acute as she listened out and attempted to interpret the footsteps.

"Princess," she heard his voice. That illusional King who never seemed to give up. He had his eyes on her all day long and there he was standing over her sleeping form. "I know that you're awake."

"What do you want, King Harald?" Said Sophie as she remained laying down with her back towards him.

"Have you made up your mind?"

"I told you," Sophie spoke. "I reject your offer."

"Have you consider-"

Sophie sat up cutting him off, her eyes filled with rage. "I told you I have!" She spat. "Now leave me alone."

"It's the last chance-" King Harald said.

"I don't care," Sophie hissed. "Leave!"

Fortunately for him and her, King Harald left without any further discussion. He was delusional to think that she would ever marry a man like him. A Viking. Let alone any man.

She preferred independence.

Sunrise. That was the deal, so it didn't take long for the guards to wake Sophie up again as King Ragnar had requested. "Come with me," Ragnar said, peeking his head inside the tent.

Grabbing the small bag that Helen provided her with, Sophie followed him outside without any protests. Oh, how much she had missed Helen.

King Ragnar stopped when they were away from the camp they had set before he turned to face her. "As much as I hate letting you go," he started. "I have to."

"But you can still come back if you want," he said. "Maybe marry one of my sons."

Sophie's wild eyes shot up to him making him chuckle. "Or me," he said with his glinting eyes catching her by surprise all over again as a shiver ran down her spine. It was too cold all of the sudden as if his voice had chilled the air.

She had three marriage proposals in the last couple of days but none did interest her. She just wanted to go home.

With a scoff, Sophie turned around to walk out, but a calloused hand wrapped around her delicate wrist before she felt his breath on her face.

Sophie froze.

In her periphery, she saw him looking down at her while she tried her best to look anywhere but at him. "A king can have more than one wife. I have heard that similar arrangements exist all over the world."

That was it. Sophie's blood boiled in her veins, and her old ways came back up to the surface. She yanked her slim wrist out of his rough hold and looked up in an instant.

"I don't care what you've heard," she spat, venom dripping from her words. "I want to go home."

He let her go.

Sophie was soon led to a horse, and on the horse was Ragnar. She counted the moments until she would never get to see him ever again. "Come on, Princess," he said, offering her his hand to help her climb the horse.

Everyone was waiting for her to move, eager to get going. But instead, Sophie stood there, still, as she glared up at Ragnar. "Your father is waiting," he urged her.

She knew that she was making a big deal out of it, but she still refused to take his hand nor get on a horse with him. The Vikings were growing impatient. "Any time now," someone spoke, and before she knew it, two rough hands yanked her off her feet as they handed her to Ragnar, who pulled her up in front of him.

"Don't be afraid," he spoke in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist to take the reins before whipping the horse to set off to their destination, the others following.

It was uncomfortable for Sophie as she sat still, not daring to move. She had ridden horses countless times, but not like that, not with someone pressed to her back, and especially not someone like King Ragnar. So she sat there, with the occasional feeling of Ragnar's hand brushing against her waist.

They didn't speak as Sophie busied her mind observing the passing bark of trees and the humming of bird songs while Ragnar Lothbrok watched her.

They soon arrived at the gates, where her brother Athelwulf and Bishop Heahmund greeted them. As soon as the horse stopped Sophie quickly pulled herself off its back and onto the ground.

"I'm gonna ask you to hand over your weapons," Athelwulf said. With a nod to his men and women, Ragnar had everyone handing over their weapons to the guards - some with more protests than others.

Sophie stole some glances at her brother as he led them towards her father. He had changed, she noted. He had gained some white hair; perhaps the past year had been hard on him, hard on all of them.

"King Ragnar," she heard her father's voice as he was seated on his outdoor throne, his daughter-in-law, and his two grandchildren beside him. His eyes drifted to Sophie, warming up at the sight of her.

King Ecbert motioned for King Ragnar to take a seat beside him on a chair that was set for him, which he did after glancing at Lagertha.

The two kings chatted, and everyone waited impatiently while Sophie's eyes scanned her people. Some she noted she had never seen before, but the others she could recognize, and it seemed that they too were looking at her as she caught some of their worried eyes.

She had spent almost a year with the Vikings, following a few months spent with the Franks, and it seemed like her people were ensuring she was still the person she used to be. The fear of the Vikings had gripped everyone.

The scraping of chairs pulled her gaze back to her father and Ragnar as they shook hands before King Ecbert handed him the paper scroll that guaranteed their claim over the promised kingdom of East Anglia in return for Sophie. Or was it?

Ragnar suddenly turned, nodding his head to Björn, who was at Sophie's side. He pushed her forward towards Ragnar, who approached her, his eyes studying her face. With one last glance at him, she turned away, but Ragnar grabbed her before she could step away from him.

She couldn't read his eyes as he searched hers while his hand caressed her cheek before letting her go.

She didn't hesitate as her feet carried her into her father's arms, who embraced her tightly, afraid to let go.

"Oh, my dear Sophie," her father whispered in her ear. "How much I have missed you."