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Hvitserk and Alfild sat together. Outside, troops were being prepared and assembled. Her plan was originally to attack Ivar and his men. Though the Prince was clever, Alfild was equally so. And both their pride's stood too strong to ever allow themselves to give in first. Their stubborn egos called for war.
Hvitserk had remained trying to reason with the pair, much to his exasperation. Though he cared about Alfild, he knew that he was fighting on Ivar's side of this foolish quarrel. And he did not wish for it to come to that.
Alfild knew that she was the one in the wrong here. She knew that all she had to do was talk to Ivar. But she could feel her power slipping from her grasp, she could feel all that she'd fought and killed for being torn away as more began to follow Ivar. Her love for him had made her weak, and that weakness would cost all that Brunhilde had built. Alfild refused to allow her legacy to be the death of her mother's Kingdom. It was not something she could even fathom. To be queen was to be alone. And so, she had decided this was all she could do.
To begin with, she had conceived returning to Ivar. She'd even thought of apologizing, of swearing her allegiance to him. But her advisors fought against it. A queen could not do such a thing. They had told her of how Brunhilde refused to love and to marry, as it would put her power at risk and potentially harm her people. She must focus on leading and nothing else. Brunhilde had never married. She'd never had children or even loved someone. She was married to her country, and all else was a distraction. Alfild's advisors had informed her that to lead, she must be willing to make that same sacrifice. Ivar The Boneless had to die.
"What are you doing?" Hvitserk asked, concerned by the mass of warriors.
Alfild turned to look at him and then back towards her advisors. "Leave us." She spoke calmly with a firm authority. The men did as she asked and she walked over to her friend, offering him a drink. "I'm attacking your brother and taking control of this army."
"Why?" Hvitserk questioned, completely tired of this entire situation.
She shrugged, taking a sip of mead, "I don't trust him."
"You can't just kill everyone that you don't trust." The man argued desperately.
Alfild stood tall, taking one step closer with an intimidating glare. She still stood much shorter than Hvitserk, but her glance was enough to make anyone tremble. "Yes, I can." She pushed past him, signalling that the conversation was over. But it wasn't done yet.
"Are you doing this because you don't trust him or because you're scared of your feelings towards him?" Hvitserk spoke up with courage.
Alfild turned, mildly shocked. No one had ever spoken to her in such a way. "I'm doing this for my people, like I always do."
"You're doing this for you." He interjected. "Because you think that you're weak for having feelings. But that's not what makes you weak."
Alfild raised her brow, intrigued by what he could possibly have to say. "So what does?" She asked. "Enlighten me."
"You're weak for hiding from them." He answered plainly before leaving.
The girl sat alone, her thoughts speeding through her mind.
Who should she trust? Her advisors? Hvitserk? Could she really trust any of them?
