Heart of A Viking

Chapter 5

-------Lír's Bed Chambers-------
Lír stood in her bed chambers crying in fear, hating her father, and resenting her mother for letting it happen. She turns around when she hears a knock at her door. "You may enter." Lír managed to say in between her crys. The door opened, it was King Ragnar.

"How are you feeling, Lír? Ragnar asks her.

"How do you think I feel? My father is shipping me away to a new land, with strangers, and my mother cleary doesn't care. I am terrified beyond words."

Ragnar walked over to Lír and wiped of her tears. "Do you know why I agreed to take you back with me?"

Lír shook her head "no."

"I saw the look on your face, how scared you are, and how your parents were just letting it happen. I felt bad for you. And I thought that no one should have that done to them." Ragnar's words made her feel somewhat better and less scared.

"Come" Ragnar said "the boats are waiting."

"Oh, one moment I must pack my clothes."

"No, princess you won't need those ridiculously huge dresses. I'll get you better clothes when we get back to Kattegat." Lír smiled as he lead her out of the room.

-------Viking Encampment------
Ragnar and Lír walked down to his tent to wait. The boats where being loaded with the gold, silver, and slaves.

"When we get to Kattegat, I will be a slave, what all will I be doing?" Lír wonders.

"You will be a slave to me and my sons. So unless I or my boys need me you will be in the great hall with the other slaves." Ragnar answerd.

"You and your sons." Lír said with a worried look on her face.

"No, not like that Lír, unless you want to. We have concubines for that." His words reassured her.

--------Sailing to Kattegat--------
Not too long later they set sail for Kattegat.

Lír peered out over the ocean and watched the water dance around the boat. "When will we be in Kattegat?"

"Soon, half a day at most." Ragnar answerd.

Lír looked back at the ocean, layed down head and fell asleep. She was awoken a few hours later by Ragnar shaking her arm. When she opened her eyes she saw a kingdom that was nothing like hers. The closest thing to a castle was the great hall. Most of the people she was lived in small huts, and were farmers with dirty clothes, yet everyone seemed happy. She stood up and followed Ragnar off the boat, they walked into the great hall where Ragnar was greeted and huged by three young men. Soon after another man crawled into to hall, he had Ragnar's bright blue eyes.

The man said hello to Ragnar. He then noticed the girl behind him, while his brothers were already staring.

"Who is that girl behind you, father?" The man on the floor asked.

"This is Lír of Deira, it is a story for later, but she is our slave for the time being." Ragnar told his sons.

Lír learned their names. Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar. After that moment Ivar continued to stare at her. Lír didn't know if she should be scared or flattered that he gave her the attention.

After she met the sons of Ragnar, a slave showed Lír her new bed chambers. Later that night is when she would start her duties.

--------------Great Hall--------------
That night there was a feast to celebrate the safe return of King Ragnar, Lord Rollo, and their men. Everyone was laughing and drinking, Lír, despite being terrified, loved it.

She was told to stand behind the Ragnarsson family, and fill their cups with mead whenever they needed. Not long after after the feast begun, Lír noticed that Ivar was, again, staring at her. She didn't know anything about the man, so she didn't know what to feel.

Ivar lifted his cup, Lír went over to him to fill it, his eyes followed hers the entire time. Lír looked over at him for a small second and gave him a slight smile before trying walking way.

"Wait," Ivar called "what was your name."

"Lír." My prince.

"Lír, my father said you are a princess in Northumbria, what are you doing hear?"

"The first time your father raided my lands, I took an interest in the viking way of life. My father noticed and decided to send me hear, he thought it could correct my ways."

"Your father seems like an ass."

Lír chuckled while looking down from Ivar. "Yes, I suppose he can be, forgive me but I must return to my duties." Lír bowed before walking away. Ivar didn't stop looking at her the whole night, for he knew that one day she would be his.