— 35. Will of the Gods

It was morning time and Tova walked through the battle camp, a hand pressed against her right thigh as she tried to hide her agonizing pain.

She glanced around to find most of the warriors looking miserable, angry that they were running out of food and that they still had found no glory.

She sighed, feeling uneasy about the whole ordeal. People would surely not take their loss lightly. They would never look at Ragnar the same way.

Since they were waiting until dark to attack again, Tova had the entire day to do as she pleased. She made her way to Bjorn's tent and walked in.

He was lying on his cot, still recovering from the injuries he had suffered from their last attack on Paris.

She walked toward him and Bjorn turned to her, smiling slightly. "We are attacking again tonight," She informed him in a calm tone, "And I will be leading the attack with Lagertha and Rollo."

"A pity I could not join," Bjorn admitted, smiling back at her, "Though is it wise for you to fight, given your own injury?" He asked, gesturing down to her leg.

Tova's eyes widened in alarm and retracted her hand from being placed against her aching leg. She turned away, avoiding eye contact with Bjorn. "I'm fine," She quickly told him, "There is nothing wrong with your leg."

"Tova, during the attack, you could barely walk through the water and climb up the tower," He reminded her, and Tova couldn't help but sigh in defeat.

"It's nothing I can't handle," She assured him as she walked closer to Bjorn and knelt in front of him, "I've been dealing with it for years now," She paused, noticing how worried Bjorn looked when she said she had been experiencing the pain for years, "I don't tell people this, but I never fully recovered from Wessex. While I can still walk, I limp, and being on my feet for too late brings me more pain than you could ever imagine."

"Then why do you fight?" Bjorn asked, a puzzled look on his face, "If it brings you pain, why do it?"

"Because it also brings me pleasure. It makes me happy, it makes me feel good," She informed him, her lips curling upwards into a smirk, "The same can be said about sex."

"Sex pains you?" Bjorn frowned in concern, "Do I...Do I hurt you?"

"No, but as you know, I like to be on top and sometimes I must use the muscles in your legs," She confessed, smiling while Bjorn looked concerned, "And while it might bring pain sometimes, the pleasure makes me forget about it."

"You have an odd way of thinking," Bjorn commented, smiling as he grabbed her hand and held it, "But it makes me love you even more."

Tova didn't respond to Bjorn's words. She moved even closer to him, running her hand down his chest. "Does this hurt?" She asked and while Bjorn grunted slightly, he shook his head, "Don't lie."

Bjorn sighed and nodded his head. He stared up at Tova, watching as she climbed on top of him without another word said. "What are you—"

"I want to show you," She informed him with a smile on her face as she pressed a finger against his lips, "The pleasure outranks the pain."

Bjorn smiled slightly. He tilted his head to the side, watching Tova closely as she began to assist him in pulling down his pants.

"You have a problem," Bjorn commented, an amused look on his face, "You always want to have sex. You can't seem to get enough of it."

"Well, if you'd like me to stop—" Tova began to say, smiling tauntingly as she started to climb off of Bjorn.

"No!" Bjorn exclaimed, grabbing ahold of her hand before he pulled her back toward him, "I never said you had to stop."

Tova chuckled as she turned to Bjorn. She leaned closer to him, pressing her lips against his.

____

When it became time for battle, Tova stood outside with the other warriors. Ragnar had placed her in charge of the men on his behalf and Tova was more than willing to take on the duty for her father.

She looked ahead, smiling at the sight of the door on fire, which meant they could easily knock it down to get inside. She began to walk closer, gesturing for the warriors standing behind her to follow.

It wasn't long before Lagertha and another shield maiden inside the walls kicked open the doors, allowing them to enter. The men began to pile in and Tova was about to walk in as well when she saw Sinric attempting to run away.

She smiled and walked over to him, quick to grab him by the arm. "Apologies, my friend. But you're coming with us," She told him, shoving him in the same direction that the other warriors were going in, "You are our map of the city, after all."

Tova unsheathed her sword and was on the verge of walking forward, only to suddenly stop at the sight of the spiked object rolling toward them.

"No! No! Stop! Run!" She shouted at the men, quick to run away with the warriors following soon after her.

The object rolled toward them, covered in spikes that killed any man that was unlucky enough to be run over by it.

Before she could get hit by it, Tova jumped to the side and pressed herself against the wall as much as she could to avoid being run over as well.

It ended up rolling back toward the Franks, pulled by a chain. Tova sighed in relief and looked around before stepping out of her hiding spot, limping as she did so. She looked down, finding herself feeling horrified by the number of dead bodies lying at her feet.

"Now, Rollo!" She shouted out, causing the man to turn to her, "Get the hook! Attach it to it!"

Rollo nodded at the girl's words and turned. He picked up at the hook and ran toward the rolling object, climbing over it before he caused the tools of their own to stop in its place.

Tova smiled in relief and climbed over the machine to hold out the second tool needed. "Rollo!" She called out, wasting no time with handing him the second tool.

He used it to stop the object completely. The Franks attempted to pull it back, but they deemed it unsuccessful.

Tova was the first to climb over. She winced as her feet hit the ground. She rubbed her aching thigh slightly before turning to the rest of the warriors. "Charge!" She ordered and the men yelled out before climbing over as well.

She turned as well, unsheathing both her weapons before running forward as well.

As the Franks charged at them, it wasn't long before one of them slashed at Tova. She blocked his form of attack before using her ax to hack him in the chest. She turned and as another swung, she arched her back to avoid him.

As she came back up, she winced at the pain in her thigh but forced herself to endure it. She jabbed her sword forward, stabbing him in the chest before she did the same to two others who came her way. She killed all three and barely moved from her spot as she did so.

She lunged forward at another man who carried a shield. She pushed all her weight against the shield as she shoved him and the moment he stumbled back, she stabbed him.

At first, the fight against the Franks made it look as though they would win. However, it wasn't long before the numbers of Franks within the tunnel grew, making their chances of being victorious lessen.

Despite that, she yelled out, continuing to slash and swing at the numerous Franks. She glanced around, sighing as even more Franks arrived.

If there was something Ragnar taught her, it was when to accept defeat. They needed to retreat. And even while doing so, it didn't mean it had to be the end.

More and more of her men began to fall at the hands of the Franks, making her feel uneasy.

"Tova!" Floki suddenly called out from afar, causing Tova to turn to her while continuing to fight, "We can't get through."

Tova looked around and sighed, realizing he was right. "Fall back! Fall back!" She roared out, gesturing her sword toward the doors.

She stood in place and allowed the rest of the warriors to retreat first. She managed to kill any Frankish soldier who dared to try to come after them.

In the process, the bridge began to close with her still on the other side. She could hear Lagertha and numerous others calling out to her.

Tova inhaled sharply, forcing her to endure the pain as she ran up the rising bridge before jumping. She landed on the ground with a loud thud, only to end up stumbling. She cried out as she fell straight to the ground, the pain in her leg unbearable.

She ended up falling face first, groaning and grunting in pain as she clutched her arching leg.

A few moments passed before she opened her eyes, clenching her jaw as she tried to stand up. She pushed herself up and off the ground, only to stumble once more as her legs gave out.

Seeing the girl's struggle, Floki and Lagertha immediately ran over to her. They grabbed her by the arms before helping her up. She winced, wrapping her arms around their shoulders as they assisted her in walking away.

_____

In the woods near their camp, Ragnar was kneeling on the ground before he fell onto all fours. He groaned and coughed, blood spilling from his mouth as it created a puddle on the ground.

Noticing a figure walking toward him, Ragnar recognized the shadowed figure to be Tova. She walked toward him, a small smile on her face. She reached her hand out toward him and just as Ragnar was about to take it, he frowned when he noticed a second figure appear beside her.

"What...What is this?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face.

Ragnar looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of the hooded figure beside her having one eye. A raven flew by and that was when Ragnar knew. It was Odin. He frowned and looked back at Tova, just realizing that she had walked toward him without a limp.

"No," Ragnar spoke softly as he shook his head in disapproval, realizing Odin standing next to Tova meant one thing. She was going to die.

"No!" He managed to get out, tears beginning to form in his eyes, "You can't...You can't be dead."

"I'm not," Tova responded in a calm tone, frowning down at him, "But I will be soon."

Ragnar remained silent for a long moment. He stared down at the ground, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He slowly lifted his eyes, forcing himself to look her in the eyes. "Not you, Tova. Please, not you. Please, not you. If I lose you, I'll have nothing left. I will be nothing," He argued as he shook his head in disapproval, "You cannot die."

"It is fate," Tova replied lowly and Ragnar scoffed loudly.

"Fate?!" He roared out, a furious look on his face, "How is it fate for an eighteen-year-old to die! A girl with her whole life ahead of her, a girl who deserves a long life filled with happiness, children, and to be famous? Tell me, how is that fate?"

Tova stared at Ragnar in silence, Odin standing at her side.

Ragnar gradually lifted his head to look up at her, a heartbroken expression on his face. "How much time?" He asked in a soft whisper, knowing he'd have no choice but to accept it.

"Days, weeks," She informed him and Ragnar tried to contain his tears, "Perhaps months if the gods will it."

"You're wrong!" Ragnar growled as he glared at her hatefully, "This is not real. None of this is real! I am dying, not her. Take me, not her. I beg of you."

"Nothing can stop this, Ragnar Lothbrok," She replied in a calm tone, "It is the will of the gods and they have decided to take your daughter to Valhalla sooner than you might have wished."

Ragnar yelled out angrily and slammed his fist against the ground. Sweat covering his face, he began to shiver, becoming weaker by the second. He laid down on the ground, bringing his knees to his chest as he laid in a pile of his own blood.

He watched as Odin placed a hand on Tova's shoulder, just before they both disappeared into the light.

"Don't abandon me. Don't leave me, Tova. I need you. I cannot face this world without you. We are in this together," He pleaded, only to sigh when she disappeared altogether. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, finding himself drifting off into a deep slumber just moments later.

_____

Days had passed and both Tova and Ragnar seemed to be recovering. Well, at least, that was what the people around them thought. The pain was becoming worse for them both as each day passed, but they endured it. They had to. They had to be strong for everyone around them, especially each other.

Tova didn't want anyone, especially Ragnar, knowing how her legs had given out after the battle just nights before. Her legs had given out and were practically paralyzed for numerous hours that night after returning to camp.

Ragnar didn't want Tova to know he was in pain as well nor did he want her to know what he had seen in the woods. She was going to die. She knew it, too. The Seer had told her that she would die before she could have any children.

Ragnar didn't want Tova to know what he had seen because she would view it to be something that proved what the Seer had told her to be true. He didn't want her living the rest of her life fearing that she'd die soon. He wanted her to live her life to the fullest without anything stopping her. Knowing she would die soon would cause her to do the opposite and he didn't want that.

That wasn't the only reason, though. He himself refused to believe that she would die soon. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Tova, another daughter. She was the light of his life all these years and without her, he knew there would only be darkness. He couldn't even think about it, it pained him far too much.

Ragnar was lying on some sheep fur while Tova was standing nearby with Bjorn. It wasn't long before numerous Frankish soldiers arrived and caught everyone's attention. Some were on horseback while others were on foot, carrying shields. Her own men parted to allow them through, shouting out as they banged their swords against their shields.

Bjorn groaned and placed a hand on his wounded stomach, limping as he walked toward the Franks alongside Tova.

Lagertha, Floki, and Rollo walked forward as well, joining Tova and Bjorn. The group looked ahead and Tova's eyes widened as she watched one of the Franks bring Sinric toward them. His wrists were bound with ropes and one of the men was holding the other end of the rope as if it were a leash.

"Sinric," Ragnar spoke up in a mocking tone, smiling slightly, "I am saddened to see you a prisoner. After all, you're a wanderer."

The man holding onto Sinric's ropes shoved him forward, causing Sintric to nearly fall before he steadied himself.

"King Ragnar," Sinric called out, trying to hide his nervousness, "The Franks want to discuss a way to end the siege with you and your daughter, Princess Tova."

Hearing the man's words, Tova's eyes widened, clearly not expecting her to be included in it all.

"Why?" Bjorn asked, a suspicious look on his face.

"They believe it would be better for both sides," Sinric replied and Tova couldn't help but scoff.

"And why in Odin's name would that be better for us?" Tova asked, looking puzzled.

"They don't believe you are capable of breaching the city walls," He informed them and Tova rolled her eyes at him.

"I say we are!" Rollo exclaimed with a confident smile on his face.

"What will they give us if we lift the siege?" Bjorn asked Sinric curiously.

"That would be decided at a meeting between you and the commander of the city, Count Odo," Sinric informed them and Tova sighed in response.

"And where would we have this meeting?" Bjorn questioned, eying the man suspiciously as he walked closer to the man standing beside Sinric and glared at him hatefully, "Because I know if my father and Tova enter the city, they will be captured or killed."

"The Count suggested the meeting take place outside the city walls, with no weapons," Sinric responded and Tova nodded in understanding.

"Tell them they'll have their answer tomorrow," Tova announced and Bjorn turned to her with a surprised look on his face.

Sinric immediately turned to the man Bjorn was glaring at and told him what the eldest son of Ragnar had said. He glared back at Bjorn, just before he began to walk away, dragging Sinric with him.

Just then, Rollo rushed over to them and roughly grabbed Sinric's ropes. The man looked alarmed as Rollo unsheathed his blade, only to watch as he cuts Sinric's ropes to save him from being a hostage. He placed a hand on Sinric's back, leading him back toward them while the Franks left.

"Why should we make any kind of deal with them?" Lagertha complained as she walked closer to Ragnar.

"We've lost nearly a thousand men, we can't breach the city, and winter is coming," Bjorn complained to his mother, a puzzled look on his face, "Do you need more reasons?"

"Then why do they offer terms, if they are so sure we can't get into the city?" Rollo argued as he glanced around.

"They have probably run out of food," Kalf spoke up in a calm tone and Erlendur was quick to add.

"Then we should let them starve," Erlendur suggested, earning a weird look from Tova.

"Are you trying to make them hate us more?" Tova complained, face-palming herself as the group began to argue. She groaned and turned, realizing Ragnar seemed to have the same reaction. They were all acting like idiots.

"I have something to say!" Ragnar shouted as he weakly stood in, placing a hand on his arching belly, "I did not become Earl because I aspired to be one. It came about because of other peoples' actions."

Ragnar walked around and stopped in front of Lagertha, giving her a look that told everyone he was talking about her.

He turned again, continuing to walk around the group. "And I did not become king out of ambition. But once again, I had no choice, as a result of other people's actions," He paused, looking directly at Erlendur as he meant him and his father, King Horik, "But nonetheless, I am King. King Ragnar! Hmm. That is my name. King Ragnar!"

He walked toward Rollo, stopping in front of him. "What does a king do, Tova?" He suddenly asked, continuing to stare at his older brother as he spoke to his daughter.

"He rules," Tova answered after exchanging a look with Bjorn.

"Yes! Good. He rules," Ragnar responded as he walked toward Lagertha, "And as a ruler, I..." He trailed off and leaned closer to Lagertha, "...have the last say."

Ragnar stopped and turned to Tova, smiling slightly. "Don't I, Tova?"

"Indeed," Tova replied and nodded her head in response.

"Yes! Me!" Ragnar roared out loudly and Tova found herself staring at him curiously as he began to point at everyone but her, "Not you! Not you! Not you! And not you! You have all had your ideas, and they have all failed! Tova and I will not."