Heart of A Viking

Chapter 9

It was a muggy day in Kattegat, as Lír tracked through the mud on her way to see Hvitserk. She walked up to his house, taken a deep breath before reluctantly knocking.

Hvitserk got up to answer. Lír was the last person he was expecting to see on the other side.

"Can we speak"? She tried to smile.
He didn't say anything but nodded and opened the door.
She walked in and sat on his bed, shaking,  with her hands together,  trying to relax.

"Before I left y-you mentioned the name Freydis, who is she"?

He sighed "Freydis is a slave that Ivar freed in York... because she seduced him". 

She stood up, trears falling from her eyes. "No, that can't be true. H-he wouldn't do that".

"Hm. It's like you don't know him at all, " He sat her back down "when we were together for the first time, I thought I was dreaming. You were the last person I was expecting to have an affair".  He looked her in the eye, took her hand,  and gave her a smile.
She realized what he was doing and stood up. " Please don't come near me anymore, you don't know how hard this is". She walked towards the door.
"So I guess, you will tell Ivar the the baby is his? Just lie to him.. and keep my child from me?"
"Hvitserk, what do you think will happen if I tell him the truth?! He'll kill you and me an whoever else he wants to take it out on." She grabed his hands and looked in his eyes. "You will be a part of its life, just not as a father." He didn't know what else to say, he knew she was right. She turned around and walked back to the great hall, there she saw Ivar and a man whom she hadn't recognized.

"Ah, Lír come here my love. This is Rollo, my uncle." He smirked and looked up at her.
"It's lovely to meet you, Rollo. On behalf on Kattegat, I welcome you".
"Thank you, it seems so different from the last time I was here. But we should get to business."

"What business?" She looked at Ivar nervously while shaking.

"Rollo is going to help us locate Lagertha,  Björn,  the others in exchange for..." He looked back to Rollo.

"A yearly tribute, 600 pounds of silver,  2000 Roman solidi in gold, 5000 pounds weight in fur, also 1000 slaves, 200 tons of meat,  and every year 300 stones. And 100 pounds of silk and 500 of your best soldiers,  you must swear this on your arm rings".

"You are asking for an insanely high price."

"I am in position to do so".
...

While Ivar was away for the afternoon trying to find Lagertha, Lír hoped to get some time without stress,  just her and Leif. He sat on the center of her lap smiling up at his mother, who under her large smile and tears of joy,  was miserable. She loved her life as queen, as a wife, as a viking, and finally as a mother, but she knew that if her secret got out she would be nothing. She asked herself
"is it worth it"

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Ivar rode eagerly to the farm and found nothing before he turned around to see someone he despised.

"Ah, I remember you". He gave his famous evil smile

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Lír slept in her bed, with Leif in her arms,  he laughed and pointed up at the ceiling while his mother dreamed about a day that she had been regreting for some time.
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Lír walked through the streets, almost crying when she ran into Hvitserk.

" I'm sorry sir," She looked closer "oh, Hvitserk" she smiled.

"It's fine... What is it? You seem stressed." He looked her in the eye.
"It-it's nothing, I have to go". She tried to walk away but he stopped her.
"Wait, come home with me. It's dry" he gave a sweet smile.
She nodded in agreement.
He lead her into his cabin and gave ger some cloth to dry off with.
"Thank you". 
"It is my pleasure, please tellmy why you are so upset."
She sighed. "I just visited the seer to ask of my future. He said that.. someone I love will betray me,  and that I would do the same, it wouldn't end well for anyone involved. I can't help but feel that person is Ivar." She couldn't look him in the eye, instead she sat staring at the warm fire in front of her. Shivering.
Hvitserk got upand put a fur blanket around her cold body, sitting inches away from her.
"Why do you think it is Ivar?"
"I don't know, I just have this terrible feeling that something will happened to us. And further more, who else could betray me, I have no one other than Ivar, Leif, and You. And I don't believe that you w-
She couldn't finish her sentence as Hvitserk's lips pressed against hers, silencing her.
He pulled away and looked her in the eye before looking back down, not believing what he had just done. She sat in shock trying to believe what he did and why he was the one to stop it and not her. 'This is what the seer ment' she thought. She started to breath heavy, trying to gain control of her thoughts. Her thoughts of tearing his clothes off and- she stopped when she realized her thoughts were becoming actions. She stood up, grabbed his hand, and led him to his bed, removing her wet clothes, revealing her naked body to him. He was still in shock, not moving,  when he looked down at her hands removing his pants, he didn't want to stop her, nor would he.
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She jerked in her bed as if she was having a nightmare, even though she enjoyed it, it was.
Ivar walked into the bedroom frustrated and sat on the edge of the bed, taking of the braces on his legs. He dragged himself on the bed, laying on his side across from Lír,  as she awoke from her dream. She was startled,  not expecting to see Ivar.
"Oh, my love. I didn't think you'd be back so soon. Did you find them"?
He reached over and grabbed Leif to put him on his chest. "No, they had fled before I arrived. Rollo got to them first. They did leave one person though. A slave girl named Margrethe. Ubbe and Hvitserk used to share her, and I had my time time with her".

She sat up "do I have anything to worry about".
"No, Hvitserk can have her."
"I-Ivar, I have something to ask about?"
He gestured with his shoulders to go on.
"W-who is Freydis?" She was terrified to ask it.
He sighed "Freydis is a woman that I freed in York. And... the woman that I hade been unfaithful to you with."
"That is what I thought",  She could only whisper. "As long as we are married, promise me you will never see her again".
He sat up and kissed her cheek. " I promise,  as long as you promis never to see my brother again."
"I-i don't know-"
"Do you think I am stupid,  Lír?! HM?!, tell me!
"No!"
"Then why did you do it?! Why did you lie?!" She didnt answer. He put Leif beside him, move up to her,  and got close to her face.
"I know about all of it. I was told by a servant about the two of you, I had soldiers follow you to be sure. I know you had sex with him, I know he loves you, and I know that you are pregnant with his child. Now, I  won't punish either of you if you agree to keep away from him and raise the child as my own."
She looked away, disgusted with herself.