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Hvitserk watched the young woman, Reva as she entered the great hall. She looked a little different than normal, he knew much had changed in her life and he had not helped the situation. He noticed her blonde hair did not contain a single braid, instead it hung loosely around her face, her expression looked blank as her eyes looked for someone in the room. Not once did her lifeless eyes look in Hvitserk's direction, instead she settled her eyes on an empty seat before heading to sit beside a female she'd grown up with.
Reva gave everyone around the table a quick, quiet greeting before their conversation returned to their previous topic like she'd not joined them. She was not there to see these people, she had no interest in what they were saying, she really had no reason to be in the great hall, but she did not want to sit alone and dwell on the thoughts in her mind.
The hall was filled with cheer, people sung, danced, ate and drank.
Hvitserk couldn't help but keep his eyes on her though.
"You could send her away from Kattegat," Ubbe leaned close to his brother as he offered his suggestion. Ubbe knew his brother was not happy with the situation with Reva and there were a few options on dealing with it. "Banish her and you will never have to see her again."
Turning his attention to look at his older brother, Hvitserk sighed, "Sending her away will mean the problem is still out there."
Ubbe looked at the young woman, he knew his brother could not let her leave, he knew Hvitserk was like that. "Deny the child is yours. You are a Prince, a son of Ragnar Lothbrok." He only wanted his brother to be happy, who, right now, was on the edge of breaking.
"If she goes to our mother-"
"Our mother will never know," Ivar piped up. The two brothers did not know he was even close by, nor listening. "You need not worry, brother."
The night came to a close, people started to filter out slowly and Reva was one of the first to go. She slipped through the people before heading towards the docks, she was in no rush to return to her home, she did not wish to be there. The moon reflected off the water, shining and looking beautiful, still it was not enough to bring her any joy.
Standing on the edge of one of the wooden docks, her hands instinctively fell to her stomach as she thought of the life growing inside of her. It was like the Gods were playing tricks on her, she'd only wished for someone to love her and someone to take care of her, instead she faced uncertainty in her future.
"Reva."
Her grey eyes widened when she heard the voice. Turning on the spot, she looked at the younger brother of Hvitserk, Ivar. Even though he was a cripple and he would have to drag himself around on the ground, she'd heard the rumours about his violence, she'd seen the way he conducted himself when he was unhappy. "Ivar."
"I think we have a problem," he spoke calmly as he looked up at the young woman.
Reva had only spoken to Ivar once in passing, Hvitserk had warned her about him though. She kept her hands by her side refusing to acknowledge her growing stomach even though it was only natural for her to cradle her small bump. "What is it you want from me?"
Ivar pulled himself up and sat on the nearby post, his lips curled into a smirk as he watched the young woman. "I just want to talk to you, make sure you know all your options."
"Options?" The word sounded so foreign as it left Reva's lips.
"By now I'm sure you're aware, my dear brother, Hvitserk, is not ready to be a father." Ivar's words were not a surprise, Reva knew how Hvitserk felt but she'd barely had time to process the situation herself. "Your choices are simple."
Reva looked away from the cripple who took enjoyment in making others suffer. She had wondered how long it would be before she had a visit from one of the Ragnarsson's, she just had not counted on it being Ivar. "I will leave Kattegat," she spoke quietly as she tried to give her own option to Ivar.
"You can leave Kattegat," Ivar said which made the young blonde turn and look at him, she was surprised he'd agreed with her so easily. "But..." and there is was. Reva stared at him as she awaited the terms of her leaving Kattegat. "You must first take this."
Watching closely, Reva saw him pull a little glass bottle from his tunic, it was full of a green liquid. She wasn't an idiot, she knew exactly what was in that bottle. "This isn't what I want," Reva confided in the youngest Prince, although she knew it was not worth the breath she was wasting. "I will leave, he doesn't need to ever see me nor the child again." She didn't ever think she'd need to beg for her life or the life of her child, she thought Hvitserk and herself were happy, that maybe they could even be a family. She took a few steps back from Ivar, she knew she could outrun him but she'd never outrun the truth nor the Ragnarsson's catching up with her.
"Take it, Reva," another voice from behind her made the young woman jump. Turning her head, it was the last person she expected to see teaming up with Ivar, Sigurd. He walked closer to the young woman, her eyes widening as she realised she could not step back any further due to the water.
She shook her head, she refused to take the bottle but Sigurd and Ivar had a plan in place. They would not let Hvitserk carry the burden of an illegitimate child, a child who might pop up at any moment. Sigurd moved towards her, grabbing her quickly and using his feet to trip her and put her on the ground. He was much stronger than the young woman, straddling her and using his knees to keep her hands by her side, leaving his hands free. The brothers worked well together, Ivar throwing the bottle to his older brother who would force it down Reva's throat harshly, holding her nose to ensure she swallowed every drop of the vile liquid.
