It had been written that the daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok was taken to Valhalla as a young girl.
But what if the gods didn't take her? What if the gods spared her?
Gyda Ironside, the only daughter of Ragnar and Lagertha rejoins her family as a train...
When I was a girl my mother told me something that had stuck with me ever since.
"We're women. Our choices are never fair or easy. They fall to us because only we're strong enough to handle them; because we're brave enough to decide the right thing to do—knowing the consequences and pain that comes with it. That is the honour of a woman and the burden of one."
Her words were all that hollowly echoed through my thoughts. They were the only thing that kept my head held high during the whole meeting. I agreed to the treaty, just as the three leaders did. There was no going back now, I was to be married to an Englishman. I was to leave my family and homeland—my everything.
A condition of my marriage agreement was that I was to be allowed to return home with my family, to say goodbye and to settle my affairs. In turn, I gave my word that I would return back when the leaders come back to build the settlement in the land that was gifted to us— then my wedding would be held.
While this plan seemed so simple in my head, the reality was much more complicated. With the finalisation of the treaty and the meeting, everyone in my convoy has spoken not one word towards me.
I knew what they were all thinking. They'll see me as the one who eagerly jumped on the chance to marry a Christian and betray her gods.
Both my brother and father had not spoken a word towards me. Mother on the other hand, was my silent support. She was not thrilled about this but she was not hostile—she understood. Nels would not even look at me. I tried to speak to him as we rode back to camp but he only pulled his reigns tighter and rode ahead of me.
As we made our way back to camp, tents were already being pulled down and ships were being loaded. The king came through on his promises, we were granted chests of silver and gold; right before my eyes I watched our giddy warriors load the cargo.
I watch on as all the people rush around doing jobs, I couldn't help but feel so on the outside of it all, like all of a sudden I didn't belong with my own countrymen anymore—Thanks to this treaty, that seemed all too true.
"Gyda!"
A running Eira comes bounding over towards me.
"What happened? How did the talks go?"
The look on her hopeful face was enough for me to walk away in response, as the thought crossed my mind of how much longer I had with her.
Of coarse this was not enough to defer her. She followed close behind me spitting her questions and demands. I walked into the tree line, away from listening ears. Just as she goes to spit another demand for answers, I blurt her one.
"I am to be married to an Englishman!"
She looked as taken back as I thought she would. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she search my face for any hint of deception. She finally speaks after a few moments.
" I...I don't understand...Why!"
While her first few words were confused, her last word was seethed through her teeth—she wasn't sad, she was furious.
With my head held low I answer her, "It is one of the condition of the kings treaty we have forged. Because I'm doing this our people will be united, there will be no more battles. No more deaths." I was trying to convince her but really I was trying to convince myself.
"But why you Gyda? There were so many others the king could have chosen!"
"Because I am Ragnar's daughter. King Ecbert speaks to me like it is some great honour but I know he chooses me because it's a way to control my father."
Exasperated, I walk a little further into the trees, wanting to get far away from everyone. Eira does not follow as she allows me to walk it off. After some time the sun was lower, the breeze a little colder and the faint sounds of our people packing the ships had become silent.
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As Eira and I boarded a ship, I was taken back by the figure that was readying the sails.
"Athlestan?" When he turned to me, he had parted ways with his priest clothes and his gods symbols.
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He was back to our Athlestan. Wearing our clothes, his hair left out with a sharpened axe resting on his belt as well as his golden arm ring that father gave him.
I take his hands as we meet in the middle, "You are coming with us?" He smirks as he lightly kisses my hands.
"I go wherever my family does."
I offer him my most genuine smile as I patted his shoulder and walked to the front of the ship to sit with Eira. We were seated and the ships began to leave the shores. For a second everything felt like it would be okay and that nothing had changed but I was wrong. Everything had changed.
With the feeling of some kind of coldness, I look over my shoulder to the adjacent ship and meet the cold eyes of our king. How long has he been watching me?
While some of my problems were being left here in England, I was evidently on my way to meet new ones waiting for me at home. Everything is about to change.
