You make way for Kattegat to fight alongside the Sons of Ragnar as they plan to avenge their late father's death.
You are known amongst your people as a fierce warrior and great beauty. Having fought for your earldom since your father's death, you...
The inside of the tent grew dark as the clouds outside covered the sun's rays. You sat beside Ubbe facing Hvitserk, who was sat at the table. King Harald and his brother at the opposite end of the tent facing you. Drinking silently. Ivar who sat with his back to you a few paces in front, soon saw fit to break the silence...
"I know what you are all thinking, but it is not true. I didn't mean to kill him. He made me kill him." His voice cracking slightly.
Björn enters the tent, looking to you and Ubbe, his gaze shifting over Ivar as if he were not sat there. Walking to Halfdan and placing a hand on his shoulder. Before he could begin to speak to him of their plans to travel to the Medetarianian, Ivar spoke again.
"He taunted me, he made fun of me...what was I supposed to do?" Ivar questions his brothers.
Björn looks to him now. In shock. How could he say such a thing? Hvitserk scoffs, holding eye contact with Ivar, also in disbelief.
"What kind of a man turns and tells lies about his own...brother." Ivar continues. Halfdan and King Harald look to him for a second then over to you across the tent...they look astonished. Surely he cannot believe what he is saying? Shifting his blame to Sigurd, who lays dead buried on a hill just insight of this very tent he is speaking.
"What lies did he tell?" Hvitserk speaks plainly to his brother. But you notice his knuckles turn pale around his cup of mead.
"Well, you know that as well as I Hvitserk" Ivar replies, calmly.
"He said you weren't a real man..." Ubbe speaks.
Hearing his brother's comment come from behind him, Ivar leans forward slightly, clenching his fists together on the table. He breathes out, loudly, evidently angered by the comment.
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"Yes...lies!" Ivar laughs. Still facing forward, not looking back to you or Ubbe. "For someone in this very room can testify to that..."
You grit your teeth behind closed lips. As to not let anyone know of the anger building inside you at that moment. Ubbe looks to you, distrusting Ivar's words. You fumble with the dagger held between your fingers, in an attempt to look preoccupied, to avoid the looks of the others present in the room. Ivar was no doubt smirking as he faced them.
Björn clears his throat awkwardly..."Is what he says true?...Earl Sigrid?"
Before Björn had seen fit to involve you directly, you had thought perhaps Ivar's comment would be ignored. But it seemed...as you looked up from your dagger to the brothers, King Harald and Halfdan, that they were all thinking the same thing and were eager to hear your response.
"I do not see how that is relevant...or indeed why I have been dragged into this..." you stare daggers into the back of Ivars head, so fiercely that he could no doubt feel them.
"Sigrid...you can put all of this to bed once and for all" Hvitserk mentions, looking over Ivar's shoulder to meet your gaze.
You bite down on your lip in anger, your leg shaking. Ubbe seeing this places his hand over your knee to steady you.
"She does not have to speak about such things, not here, in front of all of us..." he shoots Hvitserk a look that you do not look up to see.
Hvitserk laughs, shakes his head and turns his gaze down to his cup. Swilling it angrily in his hand.
"No..." you speak, quietly at first.
"Hvitserk is right..." your voice slowly growing confident as you stand.
"All you can do is argue with each other over things, such as this..." your voice now furious, moving around the back of Ivar's chair and to the table so everyone can see you. You do not look to Ivar but you can see him staring up at you out of the corner of your eye, as you continue.
"AND I...HAVE HAD ENOUGH! YOU...ARE ALL THE SONS OF RAGNAR LODBROK! YOUR BROTHER... LIES BURIED BENEATH THE EARTH JUST OUTSIDE, BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH YOU TREAT EACH OTHER!" you take a breath, resting your hands on the table and lean forward. Your vision is blurred and breath heavy. Chest heaving in anger.
Ivar reaches across the table and puts his hand on yours. Squeezing it to try and comfort you. You pull out of his grip as if his touch had burnt you.
"AND YOU..." you scream staring into his blue eyes. "How dare you...how dare you test the love I hold for you like this?" your voice grows coarse and shaky.
You snap your eyes to meet Hvitserk's, as your temper begins to turn violent.
"Ivar is not a man. Not in the way in which you all think is necessary at least. He will have no children. But that is not to say that he is unable to please me in other ways." You turn to look back down to Ivar, his hands clenched tightly together as he burrows his eyes into the wood of the table in front of him. You did not wish to discuss such personal matter here, with these men. But Ivar had forced you with his arrogant words.
"But...none of that matters anymore..." you spit. "...he will never be that close to me again" you look him up and down in disgust. Disregarding the deep burning desire within you to kiss and comfort him, seeing the effect your words have had on him. But you refuse to appear weak to him in this situation, he must be punished for his actions. Even though Sigurd did bully Ivar, he did not deserve to die...
"I swear to the Gods and everything that is sacred, I never meant to kill him. Anger...overcame me, and I wasn't thinking" he says quietly, looking only to you.
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Björn's expression tells you he does not believe a word Ivar has said. Ubbe and Hvitserk's eyes are still fixed on you as you attempt to control your breathing.
"I am truly sorry." he finally speaks looking around the room to each of you. No one responds. Punishing Ivar with their silence and wicked gaze.
He opens his mouth to plead his case to you all once more, but instead turns slightly to pick his helmet from the corner of the chair. Looking up to you once more, your eyes fixed on the table. You bite down on your tongue to stop yourself from saying another word. Ivar sighs, and makes his way out of the tent and into the camp.
