The Young Seer |Vikings|

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hedwig

Hedwig's POV

I've hidden under my covers, unable to believe that I admitted my feelings like a fool.

I was ashamed with myself. How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have left my bed.

I heard a bang on my front door. I heard shouting on the otherside, I knew it was Ivar. He wanted to talk, but I didn't.

But the banging on the door didn't cease. I could tell Ingrid was growing anxious. I forced myself out of my bed and walked to the door. Ingrid looked relieved. She ran to her room in the loft of the hut.

I opened the door and peeked to see Ivar with his crutches. He looked around his surroundings, trying to not look desperate. But he was.

"Hedwig, can I come in?" He asked softly.

"No." I replied flatly. "I know you do not feel the same way. How could you?"

"I-I don't know how I feel." He admitted.

"That's okay. You don't have to pretend that I am on your mind."

"B-but you are." He blurted out. "I keep having dreams about you. My mother keeps warning me of a wolf. What wolf? You are always in my dreams-"

"Dead?" I questioned.

"Yes." He sighed.

"I will die. I accepted my fate." I croaked.

"No, you are supposed to guide me. You are supposed to be my conscience." He stated desperately.

"I failed you."

"No, no you didn't."

"I let the wolf in your life."

He knitted his eyebrows together. "Who is the wolf?"

"Goodbye, Ivar." I shut the door and locked it before he could stop me. I could hear him swearing at me and I heard a loud bang on the door that could only be described as his rage building up.

He left, I knew that because there was no more disruption on the otherside of the door.

I sit on the edge of my bed. I had contemplated whether or not I should bury my dagger into my own heart. I don't want to die a terrible death from Freydis's doing. I want to die from my own hands.

I picked up my dagger and analyzed it. One swift move and I could be dead. I just need the strength to do it myself. Maybe I can get Ingrid to do it, no, she'd never do it.

Once again, there was a knock on the door. I sighed and put my dagger down and unlocked my door and peeked to see Idun. I opened the door wider and let her enter.

"I have been thinking!" She greeted as I shut the door behind her.

"Oh no." I muttered.

She gave me a dirty look. "I think you need to stop shutting yourself away." She pulled the curtain back, letting light into the room, blinding me. "You are not letting the gods kick you while you're down. You deserve to be happy, ignore Ivar. Just forget him for just one night and let your hair down."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I cannot forget him, he's all I think about, that and how I will die and how sad I am."

"Pretend to not care, we are going to make you look like the gods tonight. You are going to the feast and you will speak to no one closely associated with Ivar- but Sigurd doesn't count." She rushed to my chest and sorted through my gowns. "You will make him wish he had you."

"That's ridiculous, no one would favor me over a perfect, beautiful and obedient slave." I stated sadly.

"Shut it, Hedwig. You are a Völva, you could eat that slave for breakfast if you wanted to. You are more important than her, she will never be good enough for any man of high rank." She preached. "You can murder her and no one would say a word."