Asta is a Viking raised by Saxons. When she discovers a way home to her people, she first finds her way to the family of Ragnar Lothbrok. At first, she expects to find only revenge. Little does she know, that it is love she will find instead.
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The journey across the ocean was long and arduous. Asta recalled her first time across the open water, how she'd been sick for days. This time, she had found her sea legs quickly. Edmund, on the other hand, had not. Her hung over the edge of the boat wearily, praying for the journey to soon be over. Though Asta wished to help, there was not much she could do to ease his suffering. They needed dry land for that.
It had been so long since she had been home, Asta had begun to forget so much. Many memories blurred into one, in that way they often did after many years. The place that she'd known the longest was England. But her heart had always belonged elsewhere, with her people in Kattegat. How she missed it there. How she knew that it was where she belonged.
She'd spent so many years as a foreigner, an outsider, an enemy. She just hoped that her people would not tarnish her with the same brush for her English kin. She loved them, of course she did, but she was Viking. Nothing could ever change that. As for Edmund, she wasn't so sure people would take too kindly to him. And though he came here to protect her, Asta knew that it would be the other way around.
When land first came into sight, she was blown away. She climbed up to the prow of the boat, leaning over the edge with the wind in her hair and her fingers in the ocean.
There it was. Kattegat.
She had dreamed of it many times, but it looked so different now. It was grander, much grander, than the world that she had once known. It's large walls were high above the city, and she could hear the bustling of the marketplace from where she was.
"Where will you go?" Asta requested to know, turning to the men with bright eyes and a smile. She'd not felt like this in so long.
"We go to Queen Aslaug." Arne responded. "You will come with us. We must tell her about the settlement. I am sure that she would like to see you."
"Queen Aslaug," She smiled, recalling her vaguely. She'd spent a great deal of time with her and her son's when she was young, and her mother would often speak of her, but her face was blurry in the girl's mind now. She recalled that she was beautiful, very much so, and that she cared greatly for her sons. But it had been a long time, and she was sure that much had changed since then. Slowly, Asta made her way over to Edmund, passing him some water and waking him up. When he awoke, his hazel eyes peered up at her with the faintest hints of a smile present on his lips. "We are near Kattegat." She informed, nodding over at the great city. "Near home."
She could not help but chuckle as she watched his lips part, mouth almost hung agape as he saw the huge city. It was like nothing he'd seen before, nowhere he'd ever been. In truth, this was the first time that he had left the small village that he'd grown up in. A few times he had been to neighbouring villages, but never further than that. And never anywhere so grand or huge.
It had been a long time for Asta too. A long time indeed.
"Come," Gorm demanded, hopping off the boat and onto the old wooden pier. "We must speak with the Queen."
