— 37. The King Lives

In the Great Hall of Kattegat, the younger sons of Ragnar had just arrived from rolling Ivar around in his cart through the town. It was at that moment that Bjorn and Tova had arrived, which caused each of them to turn and smile happily.

"Ah, where are the little piggies?" Tova called out happily, leading to Ubbe and Sigurd rushing to hug Bjorn while Hvitserk had hugged Tova and smiled widely.

"Bjorn! Tova!" The three boys exclaimed, happy to see their older siblings.

"Let me see..." Bjorn trailed off as he held Sigurd in his arms while pointing at each of his brothers, "Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, Ivar."

"Ivar!" Ivar exclaimed, bearing his teeth as he stared up at Bjorn.

Bjorn and Tova laughed at the boy's actions before Tova walked over to Ivar. She smiled, bending down to kiss him on the head. "You are all so big!" Tova exclaimed, smiling as she wrapped an arm around Hvitserk and Sigurd, "How have I missed you all while I have been away."

Bjorn and Tova exchanged a look with each other before turning to see Aslaug walking over to them. "Queen Aslaug," Bjorn greeted the woman in a calm tone.

Moments later, Tova had walked away from Bjorn and Aslaug. She sat down beside Ivar and the other sons of Ragnar. Ubbe was explaining what occurred during her time away from Kattegat, but she was only half-listening.

Instead, she found herself too busy listening to the conversation occurring between Aslaug and Bjorn. It turned out that Porunn had left Kattegat while Bjorn was away in Paris, leaving little Siggy in Aslaug's care.

She knew Bjorn had every right to be upset about his wife leaving him and their child, but it also bothered her, too. He had constantly told her how he had planned to leave Porunn anyway to be with her so why did it matter if she was gone?

"Tell me," Bjorn insisted in a soft tone, "Why did Porunn leave?"

"Nobody knows. She just disappeared one night. It seems a long time ago now," Aslaug replied before gesturing for one of the servants to bring over Siggy, "She left behind your daughter."

Aslaug smiled, affectionately stroking Siggy's cheek with her hand. She turned to look back at Bjorn, who couldn't bring himself to look at his own daughter.

Unable to handle it anymore, Tova scoffed loudly and stood up from her seat. She walked over, glaring at Bjorn as she took Siggy from the arms of the servant holding her. "Don't worry, Bjorn. She'll be taken care of," She snapped at him coldly before she began to walk away with Siggy.

"What are you doing?" Bjorn asked Tova in an annoyed tone.

"I know what it's like to grow up unloved. If you won't care for this child, then I will," She declared and Bjorn sighed as he placed his face in his hands.

Only moments later, the Great Hall began to fill with the riches and spoils taken by them in Paris. She watched on, smiling slightly. She picked up one of the goblets and walked over to Ivar with it. "And one for you, Ivar," She told the boy, who smiled as he took hold of it.

"So Paris was everything Athelstan said it would be?" Aslaug asked Bjorna and Tova curiously.

"Yes, and everything Ragnar and Tova dreamed," Bjorn responded and nodded his head.

"And more," Tova corrected him with a smile on her face.

____

Outside, Tova and Bjorn stood alongside each other on some boulders in front of Aslaug. Servants were tossing the people standing below them gold coins. The crowd shouted and cheered, proud of how victorious their journey to Paris had been.

"Today we grieve for our dead, but we should all be proud of what we have achieved. This is a lock from the gates of Paris," Bjorn announced loudly as he lifted the large piece of wood and the crowd began to cheer, "I hacked it off myself."

"Paris has made us all rich!" Bjorn shouted out and the crowd began to cheer even louder.

"But to be rich only means one thing, my friends!" Tova called out, adding into what Bjorn was saying, "To satisfy our dreams. Nothing can stop us now!"

"Now, Ragnar is dangerously ill," Bjorn continued on, "It is true he may die. But who is our king?"

"Ragnar!" Everyone shouted loudly.

"And to whom do we owe our allegiance?"

"Ragnar!"

"And to whom do we owe our gratitude?"

"Ragnar!"

"I cannot hear you," Tova spoke up, gesturing to her ear, "What was that?"

"Ragnar!" The crowd roared out, including Ubbe and Hvitserk.

"Ragnar himself has always shown his gratitude to those who have trusted and believed in him. For example, his loyal friend, the English monk Athelstan..." Bjorn trailed off and Tova felt uneasy as she found him staring down at Floki, "Who helped him to understand many things. Ragnar always claimed we went to Paris because of Athelstan! Therefore...I order the arrest of Floki for the murder of Athelstan."

Hearing Bjorn's words, Tova's smile faded and outrage ensued amongst the crowd. "Bjorn!' Tova scolded Bjorn as she roughly grabbed him by the arm, "Bjorn, don't do this. You are using your heart in this decision and not your head! Ragnar will not like this!"

Bjorn turned to Tova and shook his head. He tugged his arm away and turned his back to her, earning a hateful glare from Tova.

People began to move toward Floki to arrest him but Floki began to swing his ax at them. Floki turned to look at Bjorn, who was glaring at him coldly while Tova felt uneasy.

"What I did, I did for the common good, for the sake of all of us!" Floki shouted out before lowering his weapon, "I have nothing to answer for."

Floki extended his arms out, allowing the men to take ahold of him. "Don't you remember, Bjorn? How we talked about that Christian priest, and how you also feared his influence on your father? Why don't you admit it? Admit it!"

Bjorn remained silent, causing Floki to look betrayed as he was dragged away.

Tova watched on, trying to hide her uneasiness. "What did you do?" She asked in a soft whisper.

______

Lagertha was walking through Kattegat with Erlendur, Torvi, and Kalf when Tova walked in their direction, hoping to catch Lagertha before she left for Hedeby. "Are you going back to Hedeby?" She asked Lagertha, who immediately turned to her.

"Yes," She replied in a calm tone, "We leave tomorrow."

"There is much to do," Kalf added in and Tova nodded her head.

"I understand, but keep in mind that we plan to raid Paris again after we have replenished our forces," She informed them as she glanced between the group.

"I can't wait, Tova," Erlendur admitted and Tova didn't even bother looking in his direction.

Lagertha sighed, moving closer to Tova before she grabbed the girl's hands. "Take care of Bjorn in my absence, will you?" She asked her in a soft tone.

Instead of Tova nodding like Lagertha expected her to, the girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That is quite hard to do when he is making rash decisions as he did today," She sighed and lowered her head, "But I shall try."

Lagertha smiled at her words and placed a hand on the side of Tova's face. "I am proud of you, you know. Of the strong leader you are becoming," She admitted and gradually, Tova began to smile.

"Someone has to take on that role around here," Tova replied, earning a large smile from Lagertha.

"And please, Tova, let me know if Ragnar lives or dies," She told her in a hushed tone and Tova nodded. The older woman smiled softly, leaning closer to Tova before she pressed a tender kiss to her cheek.

She lightly slapped Tova on the cheek, just before beginning to walk away with Kalf.

"Farewell, Torvi," Tova suddenly spoke up as Torvi was about to be led away by Erlendur, "I hope to see you again soon."

Slowly, Tova turned and smirked at Erlendur, who glared at her before walking away from her wife without another word said.

Once the group was gone, Tova's smile faded and she groaned, pressing her hand against her aching leg.

_____

Outside the Great Hall, Tova was walking alone but stopped when she locked eyes on Floki, who was chained to a wooden post. Children were standing all around him, laughing and giggling as they threw mud at him.

Helga tried her hardest to stop the children but failed miserably. There were far too many of them.

Having had enough, Tova walked over an aggravated look on her face. "Get out of here!" She shouted and the children jumped in fright. They turned to her and the moment they saw her on the verge of chasing them, they ran without another word said.

Helga watched Tova closely, a surprised look on her face.

Tova sighed, giving the woman a small nod before she walked over to Floki, who was staring up at her.

"To shame me like this, young Tova, for defending the Gods. You were raised better than this," Floki complained and spat on the ground in front of her.

Tova sighed and shook her head at Floki, not seeming bothered by what she had done. "You and I both know this was not my doing, Floki. I wouldn't do something so stupid. No. This was all Bjorn," She reminded him calmly.

She took a deep breath, just before walking forward while also trying to hide how much it pained her in the legs to walk without limping. "I was the one to find Athelstan's body, you know. And I knew the moment I saw him that it was you who killed him. I didn't hold it against you, though. I wanted to hate you but you were just doing what you thought was right," She paused, slowly looking down at Floki while smiling, "Though I must admit, it does bring me pleasure to watch you be humiliated by mere children. But if I were Bjorn, I wouldn't have done it like this. No. I would have had you punished the way Loki was in the stories after he killed Baldur, Odin's favorite son," She explained while smiling at him, "So I suppose it's a good thing Bjorn got to choose the punishment and not me. Good day to you, Floki."

Tova turned on her heel and walked in Helga's direction. She stopped in front of the woman and sighed as Helga's face softened briefly before forcing herself to glare at Tova.

"I'm sorry you must deal with this, Helga. You are not responsible for what your husband does," She told the woman calmly before glancing down at Angroboda, "You should take her home. Floki will not die or be harmed too badly in your absence, I promise you that."

She glanced between Floki and Helga, just before walking away without another word said.

_____

The following day, a slave trader stood near the docks with numerous women standing behind him in chains. "Gentlemen, do I have something special for you. Please, come in. See this, see this," He insisted, beginning to present the slaves to the many men.

However, the moment he spotted Tova walking toward them from afar, he insisted they all step back. "Princess Tova is coming. Back, back, back. The princess is coming. Step back," He demanded, smiling when Tova walked over to him accompanied by some warriors loyal to her.

He watched as she looked around, eying each of the woman and the few men curiously. "Who are these people?" She asked the man in a calm tone.

"They are from Paris and for sale, Princess Tova," She informed him, and Tova sighed as she noticed how each of the slaves couldn't bring themselves to look her in the eye, "For a very good price, by the way."

Tova couldn't help but feel bad about that. It was less than ten years prior that she was one of them, being dragged into the Great Hall of Kattegat alongside Athelstan and many other slaves by Ragnar. She was the last one left of those slaves.

And she would have never expected to now be a princess of Kattegat and the adopted daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok, that was for sure.

Tova sighed when she noticed how some of them looked beaten and covered in dirt. She was there to buy a few whom she thought she could bring home to be servants in the Great Hall. She was a princess. She needed people to tend to her that weren't fellow warriors. However, unlike everyone else around here, she wanted to treat her servants well and make sure they were well-fed and well-taken care of.

However, instead of just picking at random as she expected to, Tova found herself suddenly stopping in front of a woman that looked different than the others. She had never seen a woman look quite like the one standing before her. She was clearly not from England or France or anywhere near there. She had black hair and dark eyes that Tova felt almost lost in.

Tova smiled and moved closer to the girl, eying her up and down. She lightly grabbed her by the chin, smiling slightly when the girl glared back at her with such hate and anger. "I have never seen a face quite like yours," Tova admitted but it was more than that.

The girl wasn't a slave. Tova knew that for a fact. She knew it just by the expression she wore. She knew that expression more than anything since she had worn that same exact one when she was taken as a slave.

Her eyes were confident and not timid in the slightest. She showed no fear and had anger in her that no one born a slave would have the guts to have.

After staring at each other for a brief moment, the unknown woman looked away and sighed, pulling herself out of Tova's grip.

"I will take this one with me," Tova announced, a smile forming on her lips, "She will be a good addition to the servants in the Great Hall."

_____

In his room at the Great Hall, Ragnar found himself waking from his slumber with a loud groan. He turned to see a pair of horns lying on his beside and groaned, using all the strength within him to knock it to the ground.

The noise ended up being heard by Ubbe, who walked in with a smile on his face. "Father," He greeted Ragnar, who slowly began to smile.

"How much you've grown, little man," Ragnar replied as Ubbe sat down on the bed.

"You're awake," Ubbe stated and Ragnar rubbed his aching head.

"Nothing gets past you, Ubbe," Ragnar sarcastically commented with a smile on his face.

"Are you well again?" Ubbe asked happily as he moved closer to his father.

"I'm alive," Ragnar replied as he inhaled sharply, "Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Ubbe questioned, his smile fading as he began to look concerned.

Ragnar chuckled softly. He moved closer to Ubbe, placing his hand on his son's back. "Where is Tova? Where is your sister?" He asked and Ubbe sighed, not surprised that it was Tova who Ragnar yearned to see out of anyone else after finally awakening from his slumber.

"She is yelling at Bjorn outside the Great Hall. Something about him being a stupid fool and that it's a wonder he's survived this long," Ubbe explained, which was the truth.

He and Hvitserk had been witnessing the argument occur and while Hvitserk had decided to stay to listen to the rest, Ubbe had gone back inside. That was when he heard the noise in his father's room and decided to check it out.

Hearing his son's words, Ragnar laid back down on the ground and chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?" He commented and it was the truth.

Tova had been insulting Bjorn since they were both children and despite that, Bjorn continued to come back to her, seemingly wanting more.

"Do you want to be King, Ubbe?" Ragnar suddenly asked his son as he moved closer to him.

"Of course, Father," Ubbe replied, smiling widely as he nodded his head.

"Yes?" He asked, lightly patting Ubbe on the cheek as he nodded, "Yes? Then get me some ale."

Ubbe nodded and wasted no time walking to another part of the room to pour his father some ale.

As he did so, Ragnar groaned, using all the strength he had to sit up. It wasn't long before Ubbe returned, holding the cup out to his father.

Ragnar nodded, taking a hold of the cup. "Now, go fetch your sister," He insisted and Ubbe smiled happily, nodding his head before running off.

____

Outside, Tova was standing beside the slave trader as the slave she had bought stood naked in front of them while being bathed.

"Tova! Tova!" Ubbe suddenly called out, causing Tova to turn to face the boy, "Father is awake."

Hearing the news, Tova's mouth gaped open and her smile faded, causing Ubbe to frown in concern.

"Well, are you not happy?" Ubbe asked, a puzzled look on his face.

Tova smiled and walked closer to Ubbe. She placed a hand on his shoulder, bending down to meet him at eye-view. "Of course, but you must understand, Ubbe, Ragnar will not be happy when he sees what Bjorn has done around here in the past few days. But that's not important right now," She explained in a calm tone, "Go and tell everyone that King Ragnar lives."

Ubbe nodded enthusiastically and ran off, happy to tell everyone about the news.

Tova watched the boy run off and gradually, her smile faded as she began to feel uneasy.