— 5. Strangers

"He's dead, isn't he?" Earl Haraldson had impatiently asked one of his men the moment they arrived back to Kattegat.

Tova stood off to the side, listening closely to the conversation.

"I don't know, lord," The man replied, an uneasy look on his face.

Earl Haraldson sighed in frustration and looked around at the rest of his men. "Seize his boat."

"Yes, Lord."

"He's a criminal! He's not entitled to property," He demanded in a stern tone, "And if you come across his family, bring them here so we can talk to them."

"Yes, Lord Haraldson."

"You let him escape," Earl Haraldson growled as he leaned closer to the man, "I will not forget that."

With that, he turned to Tova, gesturing for her to follow him out of the room. She sighed in defeat, glancing around before she did just that.

"Come. It's time to meet your mother," He insisted and Tova couldn't help but roll her eyes.

It wasn't long before they entered a room where Siggy stood. The woman turned, her eyes widening at the sight of Tova. "It is her, Siggy. It is our daughter."

Tears began to fill the woman's eyes as a small gasp escaped her lips. She gradually began to smile and with that, she ran over to Tova. She knelt before the girl, placing a hand on the side of Tova's cheek.

The girl flinched, unable to grasp the fact that these people were her true family. She had spent years longing for a family, but now that she had it, she didn't want it. She wanted to live with Ragnar, Lagertha, and the others. They had become her family. The people standing before her were strangers to her.

Tova remained in place as Siggy lunged forward to hug her, beginning to cry. "My beautiful baby girl. My Skadi."

Sighing, Tova pulled away to look the woman in the eyes. "My name is Tova, not Skadi," She corrected the woman who happened to be her mother in a calm tone.

Siggy frowned at Tova's words. She turned to look at Haraldson, who nodded in encouragement. She nervously smiled and looked back at Tova, affectionately stroking the girl's cheek. "Our baby girl is finally home."

____

That evening, a feast was being held and Tova sat at the main table with Earl Haraldson, Siggy, and Thyri.

She sat beside the girl who happened to be her sister, only half listening as the older girl talked her ear off about what had occurred in the last six years. She didn't want to be rude to her so she acted like she was listening, but in truth, she couldn't care less.

"It is so good to have you back, Skadi," Thyri spoke up, smiling widely, "I am happy to have a sister again."

"My name is Tova, not Skadi," She corrected the girl in an aggravated tone, "I don't know how many times I must tell you people that."

"We are not just people, Tova. We are your family," Her father commented and Tova simply hummed in response as she stared down at her food, "Do you think otherwise?"

She smiled as she lifted her head to look at him. "I didn't know my real family was still alive until yesterday. Forgive me if it takes me time to adjust. A day ago, I only knew you as the greedy earl that took all of Ragnar's treasures that he had gotten from England. Not to mention, the man who killed some of his closest friends, imprisoned Ragnar for defending his wife, and was a miserable bastard in general," She explained, beginning to smile, "I liked Rollo more than you all and I don't even like Rollo."

The group fell silent after hearing Tova's words. Siggy and Earl Haraldson exchanged a look with each other, both of them looking uneasy.

Just then, an unknown man entered with some other men, causing everyone's head to turn.

"We must bid welcome to our guest," Earl Haraldson told his family in a calm tone.

"Guest?" Siggy asked in confusion as she was forced to stand up alongside her husband and Thyra, "You didn't tell me to expect a guest!"

Tova was confused at first, but immediately noticed the way Thyri gestured for her to stand as well. She sighed in defeat, just before doing just that.

"This is Earl Bjarni. He is a Swede," He informed the group in a calm tone, "This is my wife Siggy and my daughters Thyri and...Tova."

Thyri awkwardly smiled at the man, just before looking away.

"You are welcome, my lord," Siggy told the man, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Thank you. It was a very hard crossing, I must say," Earl Bjarni informed the group as he glanced around at them.

They sat down and Bjarni looked directly at Thyri. "She's very pretty, my Lord Haraldson," He commented, smiling down at Thyri.

Siggy and Thyri frowned, turning to give Earl Haraldson a questioning look. "Come, feast with us," He encouraged Bjarni as he gestured to the seat between Thyri and Tova, "Sit over here. So that you may get to know each other a little better."

"Forgive me, but why would they get to know each other better?" Siggy asked her husband, a puzzled look on his face.

"Because they are being married," He informed them, causing Siggy and Thyri to look absolutely shocked while Tova smiled in amusement.

"But he's—" Siggy began to say, only to have her husband cut her off.

"It's arranged," Earl Haraldson replied in a stern tone.

"May I?" Bjarn asked politely as he held his hand out to Thyri.

The girl slowly turned to face him, forcing a smile onto her face as she allowed him to hold her hand. "You will have no regrets, my dear child. I will make you a good husband and you will provide me with many sons, of that I am quite certain."

Unable to hear anymore, Siggy stood up before storming out of the Great Hall. Tova awkwardly glanced around, sighing before following after the woman since she didn't want to be there any longer.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the woman's room. She knocked, slowly walking into the room with an uneasy look on her face. "I see it is normal for young girls to get married to old men, just as it is in England."

"He doesn't care," She cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks as she turned to face her daughter, "He stopped caring for many things when you went missing and your brothers were killed. He loved our sons, he did. But you..." She trailed off, beginning to cry, "Skadi, you were the apple of his eye. He adored you. You were so lively as a young girl. You could never sit still. He didn't care, though. You could do no wrong in his eyes. The death of your brothers broke his heart, yes, but when you went missing, it broke something inside of him that never repaired. He loved you more than life itself, but you were gone. Because of that, he grew cold and distant."

Tova remained silent and stared at Siggy as tears filled the woman's eyes.

"Your father and I loved you more than anything. You were our little girl, our youngest child," She explained, her bottom lip quivering, "I bore you and I raised you, but the bond you and I had was nothing compared to how close you were with your father."

"I don't remember any of this, I'm sorry," Tova awkwardly told the woman, an uneasy look on her face as she turned on her heel and left the room.

____

Days later, at Thyri's wedding celebration, Tova sat at the head table with Earl Haraldson and Siggy. She watched as Thyri unhappily danced with her husband in the middle of the room while many others danced around her.

"Why don't you go dance?" Tova's father asked as he turned to glance at her, "Wouldn't you like to?"

"I don't know how to dance." Tova replied as she shook her head at the suggestion, "There was never any dancing in the monastery."

Earl Haraldson sighed and turned away from her. He exchanged a look with Siggy, both of them disappointed that Tova had lived with them for days now, and still, they were getting nowhere in their attempts to get to know their daughter better after being separated from her for several years.

Tova glanced around, only to sigh in relief at the sight of Rollo, of all people, entering the wedding celebration. She immediately stood up and walked in the direction of the man.

The older man immediately stopped and frowned when he saw Tova standing before him. "You are the last person I expected to see here," He commented as he rolled his eyes at her, "What are you doing here?"

"That is not important right now," Tova argued as she shook her head, staring up at him worriedly, "Where is Ragnar? Is he alive?"

"I sent Torstein after him. I assume he is at Floki's," Rollo answered and Tova briefly closed her eyes as she sighed in relief.

"Good. They won't find him there," Tova replied as she nodded in understanding.

"Now, answer my question," Rollo demanded in a stern tone, "What are you doing here?"

"As it turns out, Ragnar was right. I was born a Viking and not the daughter of just some ordinary man," She informed him as she gave him a knowing look, gesturing toward Earl Haraldson and Siggy.

"You must be joking," Rollo commented as he stared down at her in annoyance.

"I am not. They act as though I have been here the whole time," Tova scoffed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance, "They call me Skadi and shower me with affection and attention. I do not like it. I do not know these people."

"Well, you'll have to deal with it. At least until Ragnar recovers," Rollo responded, but before Tova could respond, her father had walked up to them.

"Tova, may I speak to Rollo alone for a moment?" He suddenly asked, causing Tova ti sigh in defeat and nod.

She exchanged a look with Rollo, just before walking away without another word said.

Moments had passed before Svein spoke up loudly to the crowd, demanding silence.

Once the hall fell silent, Earl Haraldson glanced around. "It is time for the husband and wife to go to the matrimonial chamber," He announced loudly as the crowd cheered.

Tova rolled her eyes since she now knew what it meant thanks to Athelstan and Bjorn. She walked over to Thyri, leaning closer to her. "Good luck. You'll need it," She whispered to her and Thyri sighed before walking away with her new husband.

"Will I ever have to be married off?" Tova found herself asking as she turned to Siggy.

"A day will come where you will be arranged to marry someone, but I will make sure it is not an old man you marry like your sister has been forced to do," Siggy explained and Tova nodded as she tried to hide her uneasiness.

"At what age do I marry?" Tova asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Usually a year after you have your first bleeding," Siggy informed Tova, who frowned in confusion, "You have not already had your bleeding, have you?"

"Bleeding?" Tova replied, looking puzzled, "What's a bleeding?"

Siggy stared down at Tova, not understanding how the girl didn't know what she was talking about. She sighed in defeat, recalling that the girl had lived with only men for the majority of her childhood. Of course, she wasn't taught about her monthly breedings or anything involving it.

___

A day had passed and Tova walked into a room, feeling uneasy when she found Rollo tied to a table. He was shirtless and beaten bloody, causing her to feel worried.

She was on the verge of freeing him when she heard approaching footsteps, causing her to jump in fright. She turned and sighed as she watched Svein, Earl Haraldson, and Siggy entered.

"Why did you do this to him?" Tova asked, a worried look on her face as she looked down at Rollo.

"Do not ask questions. Just stand back," Her father argued, earning a glare from Tova.

She hesitantly backed away and walked to stand beside her mother as her father stepped forward. Another man walked forward, throwing a bucket of water on Rollo.

Rollo gasped as the water hit him and he immediately looked up. He struggled in his chains, staring up at Earl Haraldson angrily.

"Where's Ragnar Lothbrok?" Haraldson asked in a low tone and still, Rollo didn't answer, "Where is he?"

"He's dead," Rollo answered in a calm tone.

"Are you sure?" Earl Haraldson questioned, nodding his head slightly as he stared down at Rollo.

Rollo chuckled, beginning to smile as he shook his head.

"You said you always tell the truth," The man complained as he stared down at Rollo, who remained silent, "You seem to have a little trouble opening your mouth. Perhaps I could, uh, make that a little easier for you."

Hearing a dagger being unsheathed, Tova turned her head as her eyes widened in alarm. "No!" She exclaimed loudly, watching as Earl Haraldson was handed the blade, "Please, don't do this! Don't hurt him, please!"

She went to rush forward, only to have Svein grab ahold of her as her father cut into Rollo's face. "No! Stop! Don't do this to him. Please! Stop!" She pleaded, beginning to cry out as she was pulled back and away from Rollo, "Please! I beg of you. Stop! You're hurting him!"

____

At Floki's cabin in the woods, Ragnar was sitting near the fire as Lagertha examined his wounds. Torstein had been brought in by Floki, beaten severely.

"I found him wandering around the marshes," Floki informed the group in an alarmed tone.

"I got lost," He grunted as he took a seat in front of the fire, "I was visited in great secrecy by Tova."

Hearing the mention of Tova, Ragnar's eyes widened, immediately becoming interested. "What did she say?" Ragnar asked, desperate to know more.

"She told me that Earl Haraldson played a trick on Rollo and imprisoned him, trying to find where you were. They are suspicious of her now as well because she tried to save Rollo. They tortured him right in front of her," He explained and Ragnar's lips curled upwards slightly as he tried to process the news.

"He tortured my brother?" He asked in a low tone and Torstein nodded, "What of Tova? Is she alright? Is she safe?"

"Yes. They are suspicious of her, but she is safe. Though she is sure the Earl means to kill him because Rollo will not, in any way, admit to where you are," Torstein explained and Floki turned to Ragnar.

"It's a trap for you, Ragnar," Floki told Ragnar, clearly not believing anything Tova said after learning she was Earl Haraldson's daughter.

"Tova is family," Lagertha spoke up as she turned to look directly at Ragnar, "Earl Haraldson might have fathered her, but he is not her father nor is Siggy her mother. She does not know them, but she knows us. She loves us. She would not betray us."

Ragnar remained silent. He didn't respond to what Lagertha had said. He stood up, grunting in pain as he walked over to the door of the cabin, trying to think of a plan.