: 1660

Björn didn't admit to it but everything laid in the hands of his younger brother, Ivar. He maked up a strategic battleplan to conquer the army of Wessex. You never really trutsted the youngest son of Ragnar, not even after all that time you spended with Ubbe. But Ubbe had faith so you said goodbye to the man you loved with the same faith in Ivar as he had. SInce you were little battle was something that always surrounded you, you lost your father in his part of the raidinggroup Ragnar always leaded and despite that ... you fell in love with a man that had to live up to his father. So when you looked how the army from Björn Ironside marched away to victory you only could think how the world would be for the little one. You rested your hand on your stomach, hardly nothing to see that could point in a direction to pregnancy, it was still to early but despite that ... you knew, you felt it and for now you held it a secret. Scared that it would distract Ubbe to much in his fight. You leaned against a tree, your hand stroking over your belly, smiling while that big heathen army walked to the battle probarbly nobody would forget.

Time was merciless for the ones who stayed behind, taking care of the wounded out the previous battle against King Aella. You cared for the wounded like they were your own. Helga offered you a fresh bucket of water. You pushed the blood soacked bandages in it, the blood leaving a red hint behind in the water while you got them clean before using them again. The man before you got worser any minute, how big and strong he may looked, his heart could hardly handle the blood loss. You kept his hand tight in you grip, comforting him with stories about the gods while he softly started his journey to Valhalla. And when you looked how he died the only thing you could think of was Ubbe and the fact that he maybe could lay there with the same kind of pain this man was in. Hopefully he had one of his brothers at his side, maybe he had nobody and would he die alone. That thought got itterupted by the horn. You looked of from the dead man before you to the army that soaked back into the forest were you maked camp.

'Have a safe journey.' You said to the man, laying his hand with the most of respect back on his body before you got up and started looking between the vikings for Ubbe. You saw Ivar canter by in his chariot, with that enormous grinn on his face that got you some kind relief. They had won this battle. But there were all kinds of wounded, covered under the blood they all streamed in and you got a little panic when you didn't immidiatly found him.

'Y/n.' You turned around and closed your eyes in a relief when he showed up with his brothers. You walked over to him and layed your hand against his blood covered face, placing your lips on his before you wrapped your arms around him.

'The gods have heared my prayers.' You whispered. Feeling his hands stroking your back was the most reassuring in that day. He pulled back and smiled down to you. 'Are you wounded?' You asked, your hand covering all of his chest to look for something that maybe could take his life anyway. He softly captured your hands in his and looked for your eyes. You looked back up, concerned.

'I'm fine.'

'You won?'

'Yes, but we need to take Wessex, we need to take back the castle from King Ecbert.' He explained to you. Another battle? He stroke a strain of hair after you ear and carresed your cheek softly. 'It's nothing compared with what we did now.' He reassured you. Your hand stroke your own stomach for a moment, before you forced a smile on your lips and pressed a kiss against the inside of his wrist.

'Be carefull.'

'There is nothing I fight more for than turning back to you.' He whispered. You nodded, he lifted your head a little and kissed you again. Your fingers wrapped around his wrists while you pulled all the love he had for you right out of that kiss.

'Be save Ubbe.' You advised him for the last time. He smiled before he walked over to his brothers again.

Afters weeks of travel and days of battle this was the end. King Ecbert died and the sons of Ragnar conquered this land, avenged their father. A feast bursted loose. All the food there could be found was brought outside for the army to have. The five brothers of Ragnar in front, Hvitserk as usual hugging his sword while eating. You smiled from where you stood, looking how they all feasted, how they all enjoyed their victory. But as much joy there was, that changed from the moment Ivar asked the attention, wanting more of this land than he already had. From where you stood somewhere behind you could see his hatered grow when he and Sigurd landed in a discussion, you barly heared any of it. Björn walked away, already thinking of his further plans. Ubbe said something to his brother but it just didn't work. The next moment Ivar grabbed an axe and trew it at his brother. You holded your breath, looking how Sigurd got up, pulling that axe out before he landed on the ground, dead within seconds. You hand covered your mouth, everybody looked in fear, hatered, concern to the three other brothers. Ivar killed his brother and their wasn't a prayer that could turn the time back.

Ubbe had picked out a room when you arrived here. You stayed in that room, not knowing what to do with the loose the brothers had to endure. You hadn't saw Ubbe ever since and you grew more concerned with the time that ticked by. You stayed by the window, looking down to the heathen army and the leftovers from the feast when Ubbe walked in. You turned around from the window and looked at him, he holded his cup, for a second you thought he was alright, until he shouted and smacked that cup with all the agression he still had to the wall. You startled, keeping on your place without moving. When he noticed that you where standing there his whole expression changed. You carefully walked over to him and he pulled your almost harshly into his embraced. You wrapped your arms around him and holded on to him for as long as you could.

'It isn't your fault Ubbe.' You whispered after some time. You felt how he snuggled his nose between your hair, taking in your sweet sente.

'I needed to be a better brother from the beginning, it wouldn't come that far if I would be a better brother.' He whispered. You pulled back, carefully cupping his face.

'Ragnar had to be a better father to begin with. If he didn't left this maybe never would happen. Don't blame yourself.' You begged him softly. You hated the guilt in his eyes, the sadness, the failure. 'You are an incredible brother Ubbe, for all of them. Ivar is just not like anybody else.' You explained, leading him to the bed so he could sit down. He stroke his hand over his forehead while you wrapped your fingers around his other one.

'He killed Sigurd, how far can we let him go before he does something else?' He was almost desperate and you hated the feeling, you felt so powerless. You softly went to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms willingly around your body and you wrapped your around his shoulders. He barried his head against your neck and the silence that followed wasn't good or bad, it was just a silence. 'You can't get in his way y/n, not for me and not for yourself. I can't bare the thought of loosing you to.' He said, pulling his head back. You stroke his beard with your fingertips and nodded slowly.

'This isn't maybe the time. I was planning on telling you after the feast but I guess, I don't know.' You looked down, troubled for a second.

'What is it?' He asked concerned. You looked back up to him and stroke your hand over your belly.

'I'm pregnant,' you began, stroking his face again. 'you are becoming a father Ubbe.' You whispered. He opened his mouth but there wasn't a sound coming out of it. And then he looked down to your stomach, laying his big hand on it. 'Say something Ubbe.' You reacted a little afraid on his silence. He looked back up to you and cupped your face with his both hands, placing his lips on yours. You opened your mouth, kissing him back on that slow and tender pace. He shifted his weight, you slipped from his lap with your back in the bed.

'You are the most amazing woman I know.' He whispered against your lips, leaving kisses everywhere. 'But you will be an even better mother.' He lowered his head, placing his lips on your dress above your belly. You smiled, fully loving him for everything he was. 'You are becomming the most lucky boy in the world with a mother like that.'

'Or a girl.' You whispered.

'Even better.' He smiled, placing another kiss on your stomach before he got back to you. You embraced his face kissing him softly back. He maybe didn't know it himself but he would be twice the father Ragnar was. Because he learned something from that man and that was never to abandon your family so you were sure, through storm and battle, Ubbe always would try to get home to you and your child.