— 21. Ivar the Boneless

Several days had passed since Jarl Borg had been blood-eagled and in all honesty, Tova wanted nothing more than to forget about it. It had been a horrific sight and she hoped that she would never have to see anyone else meet the same fate ever again.

As the days passed, it soon became time for Aslaug to give birth. Aslaug cried out in agony as she was in a kneeling position, clutching her belly.

A high priestess stood nearby, chanting a prayer while two servants were kneeling beside Aslaug. Ragnar stood nearby, looking horrified by the sight.

Tova stood nearby as well, beside Siggy as she became worried about Aslaug and the child's wellbeing.

Aslaug was soon placed flat down on the ground, looking to be losing consciousness.

Unable to take it anymore, Siggy walked over to Aslaug and began to whisper in her ear, clearly hoping to bring the woman back to reality before the whole ordeal killed her.

Tova watched on, feeling deeply uneasy as she watched Siggy whisper into Aslaug's ear while the midwives pressed on her belly.

After a few long moments, Aslaug's eyes fluttered open and she began to sit back up. Tova knelt beside Aslaug, placing a hand on the woman's back as she began to push.

It wasn't long before the child's cry was heard and Tova smiled in relief. "It's alive, Princess Aslaug. It's a boy," She told her, only to have her smile fade at the sight of the boy's legs. They were deformed.

The baby was wrapped in a blanket and handed to Aslaug, who tried to hide her own uneasiness. The prophecy had come true.

_____

Wanting to say goodbye to Lagertha before she left to fetch her ships and warriors, Tova ran toward the woman's boat, holding a blanket. "Lagertha!" She called out and Lagertha smiled as she turned to see the girl holding out a blanket for her, "To keep you warm."

"You are so sweet, Tova," Lagertha replied, smiling as she hugged the girl tightly.

However, as Tova went to pull away from the hug, Lagertha grabbed the girl by the hand and stared up at her with a serious expression on her face. "What is wrong with Ragnar's new son?" She asked and Tova tried to hide her uneasiness.

"Nothing," Tova immediately replied and shook her head, "Be safe, Lagertha. I shall see you soon." She stepped back and sighed, staring at Lagertha uneasily.

As her ship began to sail away, Lagertha continued to stare at Tova with a calm expression. "How loyal you are to Ragnar, Tova," She spoke up and Tova sighed in defeat, "For as long as I've known you, Ragnar could always count on you to lie for him, even when it was to me."

Tova lifted her head to look at Lagertha, but remained silent. She couldn't tell her the truth about Ragnar and Aslaug's son. No one but the people who had been in the room when the birth occurred knew the truth.

As she began to return to the Great Hall, Tova first walked through the beach to find Bjorn standing there shirtless. He was soaked from the cold and he held an ax. He had clearly just been training with the others and Rollo. They were preparing for Wessex.

Tova sighed and rushed to walk past him without Bjorn noticing, but he ended up doing just that.

"Tova!" He called out as he followed after her. He hadn't seen her since the day he fought Finnr and that had been more than a week prior.

"What do you want, Bjorn?" She asked him with an attitude as she turned to him.

"I wanted to apologize for what occurred the other day with Finnr," He replied and Tova simply shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. I've forgotten about it," She quickly told him before she began to walk away.

"I have not seen Finnr around," He suddenly commented and Tova stopped.

She turned to face him, trying to contain her smile. "What of it?"

"Where is he?" He asked her curiously as he walked closer to her.

"I let him go and he left Kattegat," She informed him in a calm tone, "Is that what you want to hear?" She asked him, only to groan in frustration at how happy he looked. She shot him a glare, just before beginning to walk away.

"Tova, wait!" He called after her, but it was too late. She was already gone.

_____

That evening, Tova found herself sitting on the beach alone, wanting some peace and quiet, away from the Great Hall. Hearing footsteps, she turned, watching as Erlendur walked over to her. She sighed, looking away as he took a seat beside her.

"I heard you bedded my mother," Tova spoke up in a calm tone, causing Erlendur to give her a weird look, "Siggy, you know?"

"Siggy is your mother?" Erlendur asked in confused and Tova facepalmed herself. It was as though no one knew that Siggy was the woman who birthed her. It was annoying at times.

"Nevermind," Tova sighed in frustration as she shook her head slightly, "I shouldn't have even brought it up."

"You are horrible at conversation," Erlendur commented and Tova smiled in amusement as she turned to him.

"You shouldn't insult people you're trying to bed," Tova retorted and Erlendur tilted her head at her.

"Who says I'm trying to bed you?" He remarked, causing Tova to smirk at him.

"I dare say you didn't sit with me because you wanted to make conversation with me since I seemed lonely," Tova responded and Erlendur smiled slightly as he looked down at the sand, "You're horrible at making advances on a woman. I wonder how you're even able to get a woman into bed. You have no skills in wooing a woman."

"I don't need to woo a woman. I am a prince," Erlendur reminded her, and Tova couldn't help but laugh.

"Being a prince means nothing to someone like me," Tova reminded him with a smile on her face.

"Then what would charm you?" Erlendur asked as he moved closer to her.

"Nothing you'd be able to do," Tova retorted and Erlendur rolled his eyes. He was on the verge of standing up, thinking she had rejected him. However, just then, Tova grabbed his arm, causing him to turn to her once more, "Just because you're unable to charm me, it doesn't mean I still don't want to have sex."

Erlendur gave her a curious look and sat back down beside her. He watched as she moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hands.

They kissed briefly before Tova pushed him down on the sand, causing Erlendur to smile at her actions. She lifted the skirt of her dress and moved to straddle him, a smirk forming on her lips. She needed a distraction and Erlendur was just that.

______

It was around dawn time when Tova woke up, finding herself lying on the beach after she had bedded Erlendur the night before. She must have fallen asleep there after he had left. She sighed in defeat and stood up, on the verge of returning to the Great Hall when she spotted Ragnar walking in the direction of the woods holding his newborn son.

Tova sighed in defeat, realizing what he was about to do. It was expected of him, after all. She didn't blame him, but it didn't mean she was going to let it happen. She took a deep breath, just before following after him while also making sure he didn't see her.

Ragnar ended up leaving the child in the woods alive, unable to bring himself to actually kill the child. Once he was out of sight, Tova walked over to the crying child.

She glanced down at the child, sighing softly before she took him into her arms. "Shh. Shh. It's alright, it's alright," She told him in a hushed tone and the baby immediately calmed down in her arms. She sat down against a nearby tree, holding him close to her chest as he cooed.

Hearing someone approaching, she jumped in fright. However, the moment she saw it was only Aslaug, she relaxed. Aslaug walked over to her, a saddened expression look on her face.

"You knew he would do it, too, didn't you?" She asked Aslaug, who nodded her head, "I could not bear for the child to be left in the wilderness to die. I didn't care what Ragnar thought."

"Nor I," Aslaug replied softly, watching as Tova walked over to her.

She smiled sadly, allowing her son to be placed in her arms by Tova. "Growing up, I always thought of naming my son, if I had one, Ivar. Perhaps you should name him Ivar."

"Ivar," Aslaug repeated after Tova in a whisper as she stared down at her son.

"Ivar the Boneless," Tova replied softly as she gradually began to smile down at the boy, "I don't care what people say. That boy will grow up to be strong. I just know it."

_____

It wasn't long before Lagertha arrived with her ships. When she did, she climbed off her boat and smiled at the sight of Bjorn and Tova standing there, waiting to greet her. She walked over to the duo, wasting no time hugging them both.

Lagertha gave them one last look before walking away with some shieldmaidens.

Tova took a deep breath and turned, exchanging a look with Bjorn before she began to walk away.

"Porunn!" She suddenly heard Bjorn call out, causing her to turn to see Bjorn running over to the slave woman she always saw him talking to.

He spoke something to the girl, just before they both began to kiss passionately.

She rolled her eyes and walked past them. It wasn't long before Lagertha and Ragnar joined her, just before Bjorn did as well after saying goodbye to Porunn.

Together, they walked toward the ships, and as she passed King Horik and his son, she and Erlendur shared a smile before Tova looked away.

Bjorn noticed their actions and frowned, giving Tova a weird look before they climbed onto the boat.

____

On the boat to Wessex, Tova walked over to Ragnar, who was smiling widely as he was in the middle of eating a piece of fish. "What is the matter with you?" She asked the man in an annoyed tone, "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Something the Seer told me," Ragnar replied with a smile on his face.

"What did the Seer tell you?" Lagertha questioned Ragnar as she looked out onto the ocean.

"That Athelstan is alive," Ragnar informed them, causing Tova's eyes to widen as she gradually began to smile.

"Athelstan?" Lagertha asked, turning to Ragnar with a shocked expression on her face, "But I thought he was dead."

"That's what King Horik led me to believe," Ragnar replied as he shrugged his shoulders, "He also said that Athelstan betrayed me."

"He couldn't have. He loves you," Tova argued, shaking her head in disapproval.

Moments later, Tova had walked away from Ragnar and walked over to Bjorn. She smiled, taking a seat beside him on the floor of the boat.

"What is on your mind?" She asked him, a curious look on her face.

"I am thinking about battle," He replied and Tova sighed in response as she moved closer to him.

"You have nothing to be fearful of," She assured him in a calm tone, "I will always be your side, Bjorn. Now and always. I promise."

"So you are not mad at me any longer?" Bjorn questioned as he raised a skeptical brow at her.

"Now, when do you remember a time where we stayed mad at each other for long?" She asked him and Bjorn smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

He sighed, immediately wrapping his arm around her. "I saw you with Erlendur," He suddenly commented, causing her to lean her head back and let out a loud groan, "Are you with him?"

Tova smiled, rolling her eyes before lifting her head to look at him. "No, but I had sex with him."

"Why?" He asked, not understanding how she could say it so easily as if it meant nothing to her.

"Because I wanted to have sex and he did too. Why else?" She replied in an obvious tone.

Bjorn sighed in response. He remained silent for a long moment, staring down at the ground in front of him. "You and my father make everything seem so difficult. You believe you choose your fate while people like my uncle believe the gods have already chosen it for us. You do not submit to the gods. You challenge them...You question them."

"Why wouldn't I?" Tova found herself asking Bjorn, a smile forming on her lips.

"So you do not believe the gods have already chosen our destiny?" Bjorn questioned, a curious look on his face.

"I believe there are many paths laid out for us by the gods, but it is our decisions that determine which path we go down in the end," Tova explained with a soft smile on her face.

"You see?" He asked, leaning closer to her with a smile on his face, "So difficult and complicated."

Tova chuckled and leaned her head against his chest as Bjorn smiled down at her.

"Land!" They suddenly heard Erlendur shout, causing both Bjorn and Tova to immediately stand up.

They looked ahead and Tova smiled at the sight of Wessex while Bjorn looked amazed since he had never been before. "And so it begins," Tova replied in a soft tone.

_____

The moment they set up camp, it wasn't long before Ragnar pulled Tova aside to speak to her alone. He ended up instructing her to ride to King Ecbert's villa to inform the Saxons of their arrival and that they were not there to fight.

"Do as I told you," Ragnar told Tova in a hushed tone, "Nothing more, nothing less."

"I know, you don't have to tell me twice," She reminded him as he handed her a rolled-up blanket.

"Don't do anything stupid and be careful," he continued on, earning an eye roll from Tova.

"Careful. I'm starting to believe you sound worried for me," Tova playfully joked and Ragnar smiled, rolling his eyes at her.

He stepped out of the way, watching as Tova climbed onto her horse before riding off.

Noticing that Tova was leaving the camp after speaking with Ragnar, Horik walked over to Ragnar with a suspicious look on his face. "Where is Tova going?" Horik asked Ragnar in a calm tone.

"I sent her to inform the king of our return," He replied as he took a sip of his cup of mead.

"Why?" Horik asked, trying to contain his frustration.

"So he knows we are here to talk and not to fight," Ragnar responded in a calm tone.

"And you did that with consulting with me," Horik complained and Ragnar simply looked amused by how annoyed the older man looked.

"I thought you would both agree," Ragnar replied as if it were obvious.

"Why should you think that?" Horik asked Ragnar with an attitude.

"Because it is a sensible policy," Ragnar answered in a calm tone, earning an annoyed look from Horik, "Fine, I will..." He trailed off and turned to look at Tova, only to find that the girl too far away to get her, "Unfortunately, it is too late to recall my daughter."

Ragnar turned to Lagertha and Horik, who were both glaring at him while he smiled.

_____

When Tova arrived back at the camp, she wasn't alone. Prince Aethelwulf, King's Ecbert's son and heir, and a few other Saxons rode with her.

Aethelwulf was the first to climb off his horse. He raised his sword before placing it on the ground as a way of saying he came in peace.

Tova smiled and rode back over to her people on her horse. Ragnar patted the butt of her horse as she rode back. "Good work, Tova."

Athelwulf glanced around, trying to contain his uneasiness until Ragnar finally made his way over to him. "Ragnar Lothbrok. My father, King Ecbert, sends his greetings. He hopes that you will be prepared to talk to him."

Ragnar turned, exchanging a look with Tova, who was the only other person there that could understand Aethelwulf's language.

He sighed and turned to Aethelwulf once more. "I am prepared. But we would have to exchange hostages."

Aethelwulf smiled slightly and nodded his head. "Of course. And my father also sends you this," He informed her, and Tova's eyes widened as Aethelwulf revealed himself to have Athelstan's arm ring, "As a token of his goodwill."

Ragnar sighed in relief and took hold of the arm ring. He smiled at the sight of it, just before turning to the rest of the group. He turned to the group standing behind him and held it up. "This is Athelstan's," He informed them in a calm tone as he placed it on, "I gave it to him."

"Then he is alive," Lagertha replied, smiling as well at the news.

Ragnar turned to Aethelwulf once more, knowing he had more to say.

"Athelstan is waiting for you at my father's villa. You have his guarantee of safe passage, as well as my father," Aethelwulf explained to him in a calm tone.

Ragnar smiled, placing a hand on Aethelwulf's shoulder. "We will all come to your father's villa," he replied as he turned to glance at Horik, Tova, and Lagertha.

Ragnar smiled and turned to glance at Aethelwulf, who bowed to him slightly before walking back to his horse.

Ragnar walked back toward the camp. As he passed Tova, he exchanged a smile with her and patted her on the shoulder before he continued to walk away.