Valkyrie

Chapter Seven: Season Five

Chapter Seven: Season five

I’ve decided to make Igor, Ivar and my adopted child. The very idea pleased Ivar and he made a point that just because he does not have a drop of Viking blood in him, doesn’t mean we can’t teach him about the Gods. Just because he doesn’t look like us, doesn’t mean we can’t love him unconditionally. I’ve made it my own mission to spend as much time as possible with him, and remind him that he is loved and he will be a good King one day. 

He has a golden heart. A kind and giving child. Igor has a knack for wood carvings and he made one for me. It was the first time ever that someone of royal blood has given me a present. I cherished it and held it close to me as we walked around Kiev. The snow has completely melted away and it has grown slightly warmer. It was comfortable. Unlike their harsh winters.

“Then I’m going to build a tower for the needy to seek sanctuary…” Igor said. “It’ll be in place of the dungeon that Oleg has placed.” 

“You’ll be a wonderful King!” I exclaimed, patting him on the head. 

“Ivar tells me that I own the sky and this Kingdom…” Igor said, “He too, feels I will be a good King.” 

I stopped and looked at him, and remembered telling Ivar the same thing when he was a child, younger than Igor.

--

The sun was shining bright on this particular day. It was warm enough to allow the crops to bloom. Freya is certainly on our side this coming Spring and we will have a bountiful harvest come Fall. I walked to the Great Hall with a basket full of goods for the boys. I especially brought little Ivar a special treat, hoping it would cure his sour smile. 

I walked inside to find Aslang’s throne vaccinated (not surprised). The three older boys were playing with Ivar; wrestling with him in his little wagon. It turns out, they weren’t wrestling with Ivar. They were torturing him. They pulled him out of his wagon and dropped him on the floor.

Boneless!

Boneless!

Boneless! They mocked. They intagazied. They bullied.

I turned, simply cleared my throat, and crossed my arms. It was enough to get the boy's attention. They knew I was greatly displeased especially with Ubbe being the oldest.

“We were just playing with him, Sigrun-” Ubbe said, “I don’t want to hear it, away!” The boys rushed out of the Great Hall, leaving Ivar on the floor.

Ivar grunted angrily to get himself up from the floor. I strode casually to him and stood by him. He looked up with quivering lips and helpless eyes. I gently bent down and picked him up and placed him back into his wagon. Then he did something unexpected to him. He began to cry. It broke my heart, because really, Ivar has no one but me.

“Shh, shh, there there, Ivar-” I said, wiping his tears with my thumb. 

“They were instigating that I would never be King of Kattegat because I’m to die young!” he whimpered, his voice masked with pain and utter fear of his mortality.

“We cannot predict the future, Ivar, only the Gods know your fate!” I said, “But I have a secret!” 

Ivar turned to me, “I spoke to Odin, myself last night…” I lied. 

“Lord Odin? Allfather?” He asked.

“Mhmm…” “And he has informed me you will one day be a great and noble King!” 

“I will?” 

“Yes!” “You will own everything including the sky and the sea!”