DIVINE [HVITSERK RAGNARSSON]

33: TO THE DEATH

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE— 'TO THE DEATH'

"My lady, he says he is here to speak with you." One of Jarl Thorfinn's men said as he stood tall in front of Hvitserk, ensuring that he wouldn't move any closer to the throne platform.
"My lady," Hvitserk scoffed with a smirk, "so you are married now?"
"That is none of your business." Asta spoke sternly, still clenching her jaw. Hvitserk shrugged cockily, the smirk still plastered on his face.
"I just want to talk." He licked his lips and Asta rolled her eyes, tutting at him. The Jarl's guard looked at her with raised eyebrows and she sighed, waving her hand and nodding her approval. The guard stepped aside with a foul and disapproving look on his face as Hvitserk approached the throne platform, telling his men to stay in the square.

"We will go somewhere quieter." Asta muttered as she turned away from Hvitserk and began walking away from the square and the longhouse. They walked for a few minutes in complete silence, the tension between the pair thicker than the furs around Hvitserk's shoulders. Finally, they arrived at a small clearing in the woods where a large, flat rock sat proudly. Asta perched on the edge as Hvitserk stood awkwardly before finally taking a seat next to her. He sighed as they remained silent for a few moments.
"I am sorry about your brother." He said, staring at the floor. Asta couldn't even believe that he had the nerve to mention Erik, but she stayed calm.
"What are you doing here, Hvitserk?" She sighed, not wanting to discuss Erik with him.
"Hoping that you'll leave with me, if you want me to be honest."
Asta snorted in shocked laughter and finally looked at him. "You better be joking."
"Ivar is a tyrant. He is running Kattegat into the ground. I am travelling to meet a King, King Olaf the Stout? I want his to raise his army against Ivar."
Asta didn't know whether to believe him or not, but she looked at him in disbelief nonetheless.
"You have finally realised how truly awful your brother is, then?" Asta didn't want to admit to herself that she loved being here, alone with him and talking with him as if nothing else in their lives mattered.
"I think I always knew, deep down. I have already told you that I do not know why I made the choice that I did."
"That doesn't make it okay, Hvitserk." Asta snapped.
"Just come with me Asta, please. Even if you won't accept me again, you will have your home again. You will be a shield-maiden again. I bet you have not touched your sword once since being under Jarl Thorfinn's control."
Asta said nothing because she knew Hvitserk was right.

"Don't you think I want to, Hvitserk?" She suddenly breathed after a few moments, "because I would do anything to love you freely again. I have continued to lie to Jarl Thorfinn because for some reason, there is still a tiny voice in my head that tells me that you are the one I should be marrying, not him." She said sternly.
"I am the—
"Don't say it, Hvitserk. How can I go with you and know that you won't betray me for Ivar again?"
"Anything you ask of me, Asta. I promise on all of the gods. I love you."
And when she heard those words, her heart ached for they were the words she had been waiting to hear from his lips for months.