Valkyrie

Chapter Seven: Season Four

Chapter Seven: Season four

Bjorn has just sentenced Hvitserk to death. The mere thought of Hvitserk sentence to death leaves me feeling hopeless. Fear swept over me like a wave as I clutched my heart. Happy memories of Hvitserk from our childhood flashed in front of me as I desperately try to engrave his image in my mind. I was fearful to lose the sound of his voice and his smile in my memory like how I'm slowly losing Sigurd's image.

"You wouldn't?" I said, searching Bjorn's face to see if he was bluffing.

"If it means getting to you, yes!" He smiled.

"Then you are no better than Ivar!"

"Ivar will be next if he ever comes back here!" He said. He would have to go through me.

"Hvitserk is your little brother!" I said. I approached Bjorn slightly. "You love him!"

"He is a common drunk!" He shouted.

"Don't do this Bjorn!" "I raised that boy, he is more like my son than Aslang's!"

Ubbe entered the Great Hall and heard the entire conversation. "Bjorn..." I said, getting on my knees, it was nearly degrading, but I did for Hvitserk.

"Just banish him, I will gladly take him out of Kattegat, you will never see us again!" "Please!" I said, breathlessly.

He chuckled, slightly smiling, "I told you I could break you!-" Bjorn gets up, "Hvitserk will still die!" Bjorn went into the back.

I put my head into my hands and gently cried to myself, Ubbe came around to me, and kneeled down. He embraced me as I leaned in to cry on his shoulder.

"You have to talk to him, Ubbe!" "Please!"

"Sigrun, Bjorn is right!" "Hvitserk has to pay for his actions, Son of Ragnar- Prince of Kattegat or not..."

I looked up at Ubbe, even though I could tell he is bothered by all this- I slapped him across the face. He turned his face back to me, still saddened and not bothered that I slapped him.

I got up and sniffled, looking down at Ubbe, "I taught all of you that you are all that you have left!" "Your parents are gone, Ubbe!" "Sigurd is gone! Ivar is gone! Ubbe- Hvitserk is all that you have left for your family!"

A sudden realization came over me as I backed away from him, my entire life's work has come back at me. "I failed you!"

"No, no!" Ubbe said, getting up. He took my hands into his, "You are grieving- you're not thinking straight..." "Sigrun, you have never failed us- you've given us everything!"

I pushed Ubbe away, letting my cold eyes look into him, "Sigrun..." Ubbe questioned. My cold gaze to Ubbe was a response in itself, yes, it's me, but it's also not me. Ubbe nodded to me and walked into the back.

Anger boiled within my veins as I trembled in my spot. Ivar, is this how you feel on a daily basis? It fuels me. I did not feel anything in my body, my thoughts raced with unimaginable thoughts of blood and death. I glared behind my shoulder as Ingrid- another thrall, came in and placed a tray of fruits on the table. I do not like her, her eyes can pierce a man's soul. Bjorn has taken a liking to her, I even suspect he is sleeping with her. She turned away and left the room.

I noticed among the fruits were apples. They were nice and shiny. Happy thoughts of cutting apples up for the boys crossed my mind. Hvitserk's smiling face was clear as day as if I'm staring right at him; as he took a bite into the fresh fruit. I took the apple in my hand and held it, it is forbidden for a thrall to even savor something as luxurious as this. Apples are forgien in Norway, and considered a luxury in itself. I took a bite into it and savored the juices that went down my throat.