1830

You didn't find any comfort but you wanted to give it Hvitserk all so you just kept still in the bed, gazing into the darkness while the little life inside of you twist and turned around. Despite he always said that you were the one who needed the rest, you just didn't listen. In the past nine months everything changed, you came from nothing, just a lonely slavegirl with a cabin in the woods to this ... nine months pregnant from the boy that took a bet on you. That first month was hard, you couldn't put youself over the truth that he really loved you. After that, with the moodswings this pregancy brought you really saw how much he did for you. It was hard for you to adjust in this world, you still were that insecure girl, afraid for the opinions of others, shy with the jokes his brothers maked. When there was a conversation you sat by paying attention without saying a thing. But people started to notice, you belly grow and Hvitserk was more around than usual. The whispers going around scared you for a big part, afraid that you won't be enough in the end, still afraid that he would leave you now you finally start trusting him again. The alone time was all about sitting around and telling stories to your belly, hoping that a son of a daughter one day be better than you, hoping that he or she would have a wonderfull life. So you told your belly about everything, you told how famous his or her grandfather was, how handsome his or her father was. You never told about yourself, not wanting that your child turned out just like you.

You moved, sitting up, a hand carrying your belly while you pulled yourself out of the bed, walking over to the little window, gazing outside to the rain. You never left your little cabin, even now you stayed here. This was the one thing you owned. Hvitserk tried to convince you to move closer to Kattegat, in case of but you spoke for the gods, your faith laid in their hands. You looked down to your belly, feeling your unborn child kick like crazy, it almost hurted. He or she would be a fighter, or at least that was what you imagined. Passing was something that maked the child calm again, so you started to walk around, slowly, your back killing you from the heavy weight it had to pull. Any moment now, you could give labor any moment and only that idea scared you almost to dead.

'Y/n?' He pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked over your shoulder to Hvitserk who pulled something on. 'What are you doing?'

'Passing, someone didn't want to sleep.' You smiled tired, looking down to your belly.

'You should rest more, you need your strenght.' Hvitserk reacted, placing a kiss against your temple. You closed your eyes and rested your chin on his shoulder, feeling his warm breath against your skin.

'I can't really rest if our child wants to be awake all the time.' You whispered, looking back up to him. He caressed your cheek and you smiled softly, enjoying the little attention he gave you in the middle of the night.

'We have a fighter on our hands.' He said with a promesing look, crouching down before your belly. 'Don't do that, your mother needs her sleep.' He placed his lips on it and the smile on your lips grew with the second. It got a little more silent in your body and you nodded towards Hvitserk, approvingly.

'If he or she will listen so well to you in the futher, i will be happy.'

'You are already happy.' He guessed, leading you back to bed.

'Not completly.' You protested, lying down again, signing out of exhaustion.

'I will be glad if our child is born.' He said, laying down aside you his hand rubbing your tensed shoulder.

'I'm not really looking forward to it but yes, I will be glad to.'

'I'll be there, I promise.' He promised you. Now way you would pull labor off without him being around. You still were to insecure to depend on the words or acts from another, if he would be there to encourage you, you maybe would make.

'Won't get anywere without you.'

'Now rest love, I will keep watch for sudden movements.' He winked. You chuckled, pulling him closer and placing your lips on his. He was your viking, the viking you always dreamt of. And while you slowly got on the way to your dreams you heared him talking, long stories about the gods and the fights his father fought.

Aslaug didn't really liked you in the beginning. When you had dinner with the sons of Ragnar and their mother you always felt so akward all the time, just sitting there and hardly touching your food while Hvitserk drank a little to much and got all free and enthusiastic. Around you he was always carefull, so you loved to see him like that. But with the birth coming he didn't drank much, keeping a close eye on you and it that way his mother saw he was becoming a man more than he was the boy you fell in love with.

'You took a bet over her, maked her pregant and expecting a son or daughter any minute, when will you get married?' Ubbe asked joyfull, taking his cup and drinking back his ale. You looked down, like usual not getting in the conversation with them.

'Don't you want to marry my son?' Aslaug asked you. She knew how to challenge your insecurity. You looked up to her, smiling in the best way you could before you looked over to Hvitserk.

'I would.' He reacted, getting you enough to nodd for yourself to. Aslaug smiled, glad by the reaction you gave. You felt a small pain getting through your stomach, squeezing your eyes a little to endure it. It passed by without anybody noticing.

'I'm happy for my son, at least one of my sons is wise and big enough to commit.' She announched.

'That isn't wise.' Ivar protested, throwing you a meaningless gaze.

'You are saying that because you are jealous of her Ivar.' Ubbe smiled towards his youngest brother.

'Don't bet with me next time.' Hvitserk winked on his turn. You looked towards Ivar and his already hard expressions, he did like he didn't care but somewhere deep inside he needed to, right? He needed to feel something other than always taunting his brothers around, pretend like he didn't care.

'You will wish you didn't bet if that little thing inside her belly waked you up every hour of the night.' Ivar reacted, a little heated. You felt the sharp pain again and closed your eyes, tensed.

'Y/n, are you feeling alright?' Aslaug noticed. The disscucion stopped within seconds, everybody around the table looking at you.

'It's alright.' You tried to smile. Hvitserk came from his seat and walked around the table, crouching aside your seat.

'Don't hold back because my brothers are around, or my mother. What do you feel?' He asked concerned, on a low voice.

'I feel like I'm going into labor.' You whispered back, scared. Hvitserk turned to his mother and she nodded, sending her sons out.

'We will take good care of you Y/n.' Aslaug said. You nodded, looking to Hvitserk back.

'I'm scared.'

'Me to, but let's keep focus on the little one.' He said, carefully resting his hand on your belly. You nodded, taking a deep breath when you felt that pain again. Your water broke and then you were sure ... you were turning into a mother.

It was the most awfull thing, giving birth. You felt your body extent in so many ways you even could imagine before. And the pain, you where exhausted from yelling half the time, handling the pain. Sweat transparent on your body while you rested your head in the pillow, panting, exhausted.

'I can't.' You whispered, tears from before running over your cheeks again.

'You have to Y/n.' One of the woman said who were present in the room. You head shifted a little, looking aside to Hvitserk who looked concerned from your belly back to you. This was taking hours, scared that the actually labor would take some hours more. 'One last time, I see the head already.' The woman said. A new pain got up and you grabbed the last of your energy, screaming out the pain, clenhing to Hvitserk his hand while your little one got his or her first breath in this strange big words. The little cry weakened your body entirly, Hvitserk left your side when you closed your eyes, relieved that it was over.

'It's a daughter.' Somebody announched. A girl ... a fragile little girl like you were. The cry she shouted out, pulled a tired smile on your lips, a girl ... and she was already twice the fighter you were. You turned your head, looking for her, finding her in the arms of her father. Hvitserk turned around, something so little pressed against his chest maked your exhausted body feel alive again. She stopped crying from the warmth he spread while he sat aside you on the bed. You tried to sit up a little but he protested.

'Don't.'

'Let me see her.' You whispered, looking over his arm. He turned her around, so carefull, a little clumsy even before you had a full sight of your daughter. She was gorgeous, already having some dark hair, wrapped up in a blanket, the blood still covering some places. You rested your head against Hvitserk his arm, sinking your eyes away in that tiny little body she represented. 'We have a daughter.' You whispered, still in disbelief that after those horrible hours this was the result of your pain. You almost forget it right away.

'I'm so proud of you Y/n.' He whispered, placing a kiss on your forehead. You slowly looked up to him.

'I love you Hvitserk.'

'It will be hard to split my love in ecually pieces.' He smiled.

'As long as you love her it doens't matter what happens to me.'

'It matters to me.' He protested. You closed your eyes, tired when you felt that tiny little body contact with your chest. You opened your eyes, laid your hand over that little body. She snuggled, curled up almost, fingers formed to fists. The tears left your eyes again, so happy in the moment. Althrough your body was so weakened, you felt so exhausted, this would always be the perfect moment in your life. Laying here, with her on your chest while Hvitserk sat aside you, placing his lips against your hair and smiling proudly. She would be fierce, she would be loved, she would be exacly how you dreamed a daughter to be. You would make sure of that.