Warlord in love

Beneath the rage

Shield maidens were still amused by the courage of Ivar's future bride, and some of them were jealous because the most powerful warlord chose her for his bride, but no one was attacking her, because they were afraid of his rage if they hurt her, knowing for his ruthlessness.

Her patience was fading away as longer she was staring in Lagherta satisfied grin. With every slow step closer to queen her heart was pounding stronger.

"What are they waiting for! Attack!" Ivar's patience reached its peak, his voice was high emitting fear, sparking the action. 

Two of girls attacked Aerlene with fists, and she let them touch her face and stomach with a grin hidden behind her hair. Pain was enhancing the anger, and Lagherta was observing Ivar's reaction, when his love fell on the ground, it was scaring her when she saw him laughing and clapping his hands. So she gestured her solders to back off, and Ivar shocked his head.

"Take the weapon!" He commanded, throwing his axe in tree next to the shield maiden who hit Aerlene first, green eyed girl was trembling under his intense gaze, but disobeying him wasn't an option so she pulled the deep buried axe from the tree with all his might and she aimed the blade at Aerlene, running her way.

Aerlene was grinning like a fool, anticipating new dose of trill, she ducked under the flying blade, sweeping the attacker with her leg, and surprise on the faces of Lagherta's girls were priceless for Ivar, he felt heat rising in his body as his love and admiration for his gorgeous warrior girl.

Realizing that she knows how to fight, girls started attacking without rest, without holding back, and she was dancing avoiding punches, jumping as the gravity wasn't applying on her flexible body, one moment she caught a glimpse of Lagherta with hand on her sword, waiting to jump in, and she decided to quit the game, knock out the maidens and focus all of her power on murderer of Ivar's mother.

The queen was in shock, looking at Ivar's satisfied face, than in beautiful bloody face of his killing machine of a girl, and she pulled the sword with anger radiating from her bright eyes.

Aerlene spit the blood, and took one sword from the floor on the way to clash her blade with a queen at least. Images of Ivar being hurt and losing his mother blurred her sanity so she stopped with holding back, nearly breaking the sword of fierce queen.

Ivar noticed that she wasn't quite herself, she was behaving like himself i moments when the anger hijack his reason, and although he enjoyed the sight of terrified and challenged Lagherta, he was worried for Aerlene, remembering how hurt she was for killing Saxon solders that attacked her.

"Enough!" his sound was high, but she was deafened now with desire to kill the queen, she was sitting over her chest punching her in the head.

"Aerlene! Stop it!" He was shouting, but without effect, so he commanded his horse to take him closer, and he jumped over them, grabbing Aerlene's hand in air right before she was ready to finish queen of with her bloody fist. She was still under influence of rage, trying to release from his grip, but even her best attempt wasn't match for his godlike strength, pain on her skin under his hand spieled across her body, and she sighted loudly looking at him confused. He pulled her from unconscious Lagherta, and he climbed over her holding her both hands pinned to the ground.

She was breathing heavily with spread nostrils, looking at him with narrowed eyes. He was frowning at her, but compassion was dominating inside the blue steel.

"Breathe!" He wasn't moving his gaze from her rage, and he was also breathing deeply slowly nodding over her head, wanting for her to do the same and calm herself.

"I must kill... her!" she said panting, again trying to mingle from his hands, but he just increased intensity and approached his head closer to hers. "No, you must calm down! And I will kill her!" He was nodding and looking at unconscious Lagherta, thinking how he is not a coward like she was, and that he wanted to take her life, but only when she is able to give her best and try to stop him.

She nodded slowly, blinking longer than usual, like the pain was becoming unbearable, so he released the intensity of his grip.

"Now tell me why you wanted to kill her, did she done something to hurt you?" with her a little calmer, and situation under control, his curiosity was awoken, why she was angry at Lagherta, did she knew her in the past?

"She hurted you, and that is far worse she could do, than hurting me!" But when she answered, his eyes filled with transparent liquid, and his heart lost its regular rhythm, she found out about his mother's death somehow, and that fact hurt her enough to awoke a vengeful murderer in her. Her feelings for him were real and he couldn't believe that impossible happened, that somebody loves him.

He couldn't speak, or breathe, or look at her again without spilling a tears on her skin so he closed his eyes, thinking to himself, this must be a dream, maybe I lost my mind... is this tightening in my chest and desire to never let her go love... and if it is... what the hell I'm supposed to do now? He felt rare aching inside, suffocating turmoil in his core... broken from fear of love which was his reality now, he let go her hands and let his body fall on the ground beside her. Sun was setting on the horizon; unconscious maidens were lying around them.

His heart was beating like he slipped through time hole into the body of young and insecure Ivar, innocent Ivar whose feelings were strong and deep like the ocean.

She knew that her feelings for him were strong, but not how powerful and overwhelming they can be, erasing her reason, turning her into his instrument of wrath ready to kill and die for her love. Was she in love before... it crossed her mind... and subconscious was telling her that even if she was, it was never strong and real like now.

"Are you ready to see the Seer?" Changing the subject wasn't brilliant idea, but he couldn't think about the better one, knowing that there is a lot they will have to face before they come to the point where love is an option.

She turned to him, watching his profile while his glassy gaze was locked on the sky.

"I don't think I will ever be! But I must go, so better sooner than latter!" She sighted and jumped to her feet, spiting the remains of blood from her mouth on Laghertas dress, and he couldn't help but smile.