The Cripple and The Shieldmaiden II

// 4 //

She choose a dress over her usual shieldmaiden clothes, every day, every minute closer to departure Torhild prepared herself on being a queen. And she act like one to. She walked in to the great hall towards her mother who sat on the throne and Björn who stood aside it, leaning half against it. Hvitserk sat on a table, feet resting on a chair, his eyes narrowed a little with the attitude Torhild walked in. Ubbe was saying goodbye to his kids and wife. She found it hard that she had to rip apart these families again. Freya, Ase her daughter would be left with Margrethe without a farther or a mother for the time being. The only lucky one was Raynor. 'Mother, brother.' She greeted the both of them.
'You look ready my daughter.' Lagertha nodded, looking over the dress Torhild wore.
'To take a throne in England yes.' Torhild bowed polite.
'And for the other?'
'Ivar won't be a problem. I'm not letting my feelings and emotions in the way.' She reacted, looking aside to Hvitserk for a moment. She wouldn't fail him, not after everything he had done for her.
'It seems like you already are a queen.' Lagertha noticed her confident. Torhild grew over the past four years. The girl she was back then grew stronger, more confident. She stepped closer.
'I will come back with England, I will come back with good fortune for our people. If it means I need to embrace my christian half, I will do it. I will rule England.' She promised. Lagertha nodded, fermly impressed by her strong words. Torhild bowed and walked out again. Hvitserk ran after her, embracing her from behind and forcing her to stop.
'You turn me on when you say things like this.' He whispered in her ear. Always playfull. Torhild smiled, for the first time that day. Since she told her mother two weeks ago she would sail to England she had much to prepare for, today was that day and she felt more than ready. Torhild turned around in his arms and looked him in de eyes.
'I feel different.' She confessed.
'You are becoming a queen, you are different.'
'No, not in that way, my body feels different, I felt it when,' she felt silent and looked to Raynor who ran over the beach after Eira. Hvitserk followed her gaze before he looked down to her stomach.
'Are you saying what I think you say?'
'I'm not sure Hvtiserk, I don't want to get you hopes up but yes,' he smothered the rest of her words by kissing her. She smiled, pure happiness in the moment. 'I told you.' She whispered.
'I will protect you, the both of you, I promise you that.' He said, looking over to Raynor. Torhild breathed slowly out and gave him another short kiss.
'Let's be king and queen for a while.' She smiled softly, looking to the boats that were ready to take them to England.

Raynor was sick all the time. It maked her thing of Ivar who hated water as much as Raynor hated it now. Half the time he hang overboard, he was pale, angry and it broke her heart. 'Land.' Ubbe announched. Torhild didn't stand up, she held Raynor his sleeping body in her arms, the cloak covered much of his little body. 'What do we do first?' Ubbe asked, turning around to her. Torhild looked over the egde to the other ships. Her brother gave her a hundered men to sail with her, loyal to her, ready to die for her. The closer she got the England the more she asked herself if this was all worth it.
'Getting Ivar on his place.' Hvitserk answered in her place. After four years of ruling he would have a hard time giving his rule away, to the girl he always loved and let go.
'You think he will be changed a lot?' Ubbe asked a little carefull.
'I go out for the worst. He haven't seen us in four years, he will be more drawn in himself than before.' Torhild answered.
'And Raynor?' Torhild sighned and looked down to the little boy who was sleeping. How would Ivar react on that?
'He will be jealous.' Hvitserk murmured. Torhild looked up to him and nodded slowly. She was always so concerned about Raynor his safety on this journey but maybe she should be more concerned about Hvitserk. He was fathering Ivar his child, he married the woman Ivar always loved. He had everything that Ivar always dreamed of. He killed one brother before, he could easily kill the other.
'Maybe we don't have to be concerned about Raynor that much. We abandoned him for four years, he will be angry, on you specific Hvitserk.'
'I'm not gonna provoke him but I will defend your honor love, just as I'm gonna defend Raynor.' He promised her. Torhild smiled softly but deep down she was scared, scared of losing Hvitserk to Ivar.

There was a small party on the beach when they arrived. They even maked some kind of harbor. 'Was he to lazy to come greet us himself?' Ubbe asked sarcastic to Halfdan who stood await him. But they smiled, glad to see each other again.
'Ivar attended something else.' Halfdan reacted.
'This are some fine constructions you putted here.' Ubbe nodded approvingly looking around. Torhild was impressed by the grow this beach maked. The ships that stayed here layed crossed over the sea, some docked against the scaffoldings. Torhild jumped out turning to Hvitserk who gave her Raynor.
'We are finally here.' Raynor sounded relieved and Torhild smiled to him, waiting while Hvitserk jumped out, followed by Ase.
'Princess Torhild.' Halfdan greeted her before his eyes traveled to Raynor. He narrowed his eyes and looked slowly up to Hvitserk. See, it wasn't that hard to figure it out.
'Halfdan, this is Raynor. From now on he is a little prince.' She smiled down to the boy. His blue eyes sparkled almost with those words. Eyes that spooked Halfdan a little.
'You will see he has the kindness of his mother.' Hvitserk joked. Raynor walked over to Hvitserk who putted him on his shoulders for the journey to come. His blue cloak hidding his dark hair to just above his eyes. Torhild looked aside to Ubbe and her men, he nodded confident before they all followed Halfdan.
'How are things here?' She asked him curious.
'Until a year ago everything went well, but kingdoms are challenging us, want to take power back. That legacy of king Ecbert is something they all are fighting for.'
'Has he so much childeren walking around?' Ase spotted as a reply. Halfdan laughed amused and shook his head.
'It comes with bloodlines, the oldest has the right on the throne, if she or he isn't attenting they follow the bloodlines, what puts King Aethelwulf his son in place.' Halfdan explained. Torhild thought back to the king she killed, her own halfbrother. She knew he had at least one son, despite the fact he houses two of them.
'Are they at age?'
'A little, but not enough to rule. That is why we need you princess.' Halfdan smiled to her. Torhild nodded slowly, walking up hill a little. It was quite the walk and she wished she had her shieldmaiden clothes for this, but putting power she always could do that the best in a dress.
'Does my little brother a good job in keeping peace?' Ubbe asked. Torhild looked aside to Halfdan who looked a in doubt for a moment.
'He loves to fight.'
'I take that as a no.' Torhild said. Halfdan forced a smile on his lips and it didn't look like a good one. Torhild started to shield of her heart, embraced her inner coldness for what had to come in the next hours.

The settlement had grown, a lot. They stood still before it while looking around. It had two stone watchtowers, a whole wall build around the settlement. The vikings who stood waith were better equipped, had some English weapons even. 'I'm impressed.' Torhild said stunned. Everybody was impressed, even little Raynor.
'Are we gonna fight here father?' He asked Hvitserk. Hvitserk tried to look up to the boy but it didn't really worked out.
'This is home for now.' He explained. Halfdan didn't know what to do with the situation so he walked the settlement in gesturing the others to follow. He commanded some vikings to give the small group of men that Torhild brought a place to stay. '
Tell me, where is that brother of me I'm so eager to see?' Ubbe asked.
'In the great hall, like usual.' Halfdan gave them a promesing look. Thats exactly how Torhild imagined finding him here, being all big and king alike on a throne. Arrogant as he sometimes could be. Halfdan stopped before the great hall and Torhild looked aside to Ase.
'If he says one thing wrong in the first minute you walk in there I'm willing to kill him for you.' She supported Torhild immidiatly. Torhild smiled but her confident fadded a little when she looked up to the great hall they had here.
'You need to be supportive for your mother, you understand.' She heared Hvitserk say. Torhild looked over her shoulder to Raynor who nodded stongly and looked over to his mother, smiling. She pulled strenght out of his eyes, out of the love he shared with Hvitserk. Halfdan pushed the wooden doors open before she could say something to Raynor. Her heart beated so fast in that exact moment.
'Ivar, Torhild for you.' Halfdan annouched. Torhild hided her uncertainty underneath a cold practical look. But as soon as she looked up while walking in and met those bleu eyes she felt her heart skipping a beat. Ase stayed close and Torhild didn't knew she was still walking. There he was, on a throne, with a cup of ale and some woman aside it. She couldn't read a thing out of his eyes, really nothing. Torhild swallowed when she stood still before his throne.
'Ivar.' She greeted him not as strongly as she expected it to be. He pulled in a breath as an reaction on her voice. He looked so much older, had a long braid over his shoulder, he looked ... destroyed in a certain way. It must be the longest minutes of their lives, staring at each other. And just as he was planning of speaking she heared something else. He pulled his eyes away and Torhild looked over her shouder to Raynor with both Hvitserk and Ubbe on a side from him. He looked so determined in that walk over to her and she felt so proud. He stood still aside her and pulled cloak from over his head, looking up to Ivar. Bleu against bleu. Raynor didn't flinch, not a second. 'Ivar,' Torhild began. 'Meet Raynor, your son.'