Freshly married, that was what you were. Although you didn't married out of love, it became such a thing in the few weeks you spend with each other. And having a husband changed a lot for you, now you were a woman rather than a girl, you needed to take care for a home, needed to work, needed to tend a husband. And that wasn't just any husband, it was Hvitserk Ragnarsson. You knew him as a playful young man, testing borders, taking adventures. He made you live a little more. Where you used to be stuck aside your mother spinning wool after your father shaved the sheep's and washed the wool. Now you cocked, washed clothes, tend under the company of other wives in the great hall. Because being married to a Ragnarsson meant you were good enough to be around the more important men and woman of Kattegat. Not that you felt much change for yourself, but it was nice to be in the company of somebody else than your parents or little sister. Life was good, Hvitserk treated you good and beside the fact you were just married for a week, if felt that nothing really could change. You were in love, drifting above the clouds because, in comparing with the youngest Ragnarsson, Hvitserk was kind and generous. You never met his bad side and you were sure there wasn't even one.

You turned on your side, moving the arm that laid on your stomach with you under the embrace from your arms. He moved behind you, following the light change his body had to make which for he laid closer. You enjoyed his warmth in these cold days. He snuggled his nose in the wild of your hair, resting his lips against your naked back. You smiled in your slightly wakening body, listening to his breath that warmed your skin again and again. In this way life could be forever. Nothing was so joyful as waking up aside the man you loved, the man that was gentle with you. You opened your eyes, looking down to his hand closed between yours. You placed your lips onto it, kissing the knuckles one by one. You felt him react, lips curving into a smile before he place a kiss on your back. What was there to say? Nothing, nothing could replace the feeling you got, not even words. He groaned, pressing his bare chest against your back while his lips caressed your collarbone. Waking up wasn't his favorite time of the day but you always managed to clear him up. You softly turned on your back to your other side, looking to those deep going eyes of him. You rested your head aside him, the tip of your nose touching his. Your fingers traveled from his forehead over his cheek until you cupped half his face, placing your lips softly against his. He signed, almost out relief for you being here to make his morning a little more acceptable. His kiss was tender, slowly but deep going, you felt his fingers caress your body for you caressed his morning. You pulled back, smiling, while your forehead rested against his, your nose trailing his face.

'Good morning.' You whispered innocent. It was all very new for you, but he didn't complain, not once.

'Now it is.' He reacted with that wide charming smile. He stretched out on his back and you rolled onto your stomach, trailing your fingers over his chest. You crossed your arm over it and let your head rest on it.

'What are today's plans?' You asked on a loving voice.

'Surviving the cold.'

'Don't complaining.' You whispered. Hvitserk chuckled, pulling you tighter in his embrace, you giggled, embracing his neck before kissing him again. You really both got to get up, but there was nothing really stopping you from enjoying each other's warmth.

You were braiding his hair when his older brother came in. 'Y/n. Can you do my hair to.' He winked. You looked up from Hvitserk and smiled greeting towards Ubbe. Taking care of your husband meant braiding his hair, probably your most favorite part of the morning. He didn't protest against you offering for it so you both enjoyed it equally.

'Brother.' Hvitserk greeted him.

'King Harald is arriving. We spotted his ships sailing into the bay.' Ubbe announced. You looked up from the braid, knowing that King Harald wasn't that big of a deal but rather who was with him, your brother. Your brother sided with King Harald and Halfdan a few years ago, already having the reputation to be ruthless he fitted there quite well. You hadn't seen him for over a year, just as you didn't know about his life, he didn't know about yours, or the fact that you were married. One thing was for sure, your brother around wasn't always good news.

'Y/n, you gonna finish?' Hvitserk asked.

'Sorry.' You startled up out of your thoughts and finished his hair faster than you probably would. In the time preparing yourself you noticed that you weren't your normal self, and you weren't the only one noticing.

'Y/n, what is it?' Hvitserk asked you on the way out. You smiled and looked down, ignoring his question. He stopped you, lifting your head a little so you looked into his eyes.

'Not ready to see my brother again.' You answered.

'I'm here.'

'Won't matter for him.' You whispered.

'Let him try.' He reacted. And something in those three little words just pushed the shivering down your spine. You nodded, following him to the docks were the rest of his family was waiting up King Harald and his fleet. A fleet meant the journey of raiding and you asked yourself if Hvitserk would join. After a week of marriage you weren't really ready yet to let him go. With the rest of the sons of Ragnar you stood aside Hvitserk, like Margrethe stood aside Ubbe. You never felt so tensed before, not even when you got married, not even on your first night and now ... because your brother was arriving there was so much in your head that just kept spinning around. King Harald jumped from the boat with his brother, straighten their ways right for Björn. Your eyes searched for your brother and it didn't take long before you saw him jumping from another boat, flanked by two men ... he became that important over there? You swallowed looking aside to Hvitserk. He changed a little of himself, more authority, less compassion. Did he made it to impress? Or to keep you safe from the brother he hardly knew a thing about.

'Sister.' You looked back, to the tall grown up man approaching you over the docks. You forced a smile on your lips.

'Brother.' You greeted him softly. He stood still, grabbing your chin up to look down to you.

'Look how you changed.' He smiled open. He didn't felt any shame for the harsh gesture he made.

'You yourself to brother.' You complemented him back.

'What are you doing here in the front line of this village?' He asked you.

'She is married now.' Hvitserk came in between. You looked aside to him, taking a little step back so you were behind his shoulder, back in the safety of his protection. Your brother looked from you towards Hvitserk, chuckling.

'With him?' He asked you with a laugh. You looked down, not wanting to have this conversation with him. 'I thought at least you would do the family proud to marry the cripple.' He chuckled in such a way you felt the shivering go down.

'She wouldn't be able to handle a cripple.' King Harald interrupted the conversation, leading your brother away from you after Björn and the others. You just kept standing there, with Hvitserk aside you. He wrapped his fingers around your neck, placing one single kiss against your temple before following the others. Which you did to ... because you had to.

Lagertha held a feast in the great hall, ale, music, dancing. Everybody was happy except for you. You sat aside Hvitserk on one of the tables, drinking to consume your tension while you tried to enjoy the music. But knowing he was constantly watching you made it hard. It was something your brother always did, lurking, treating you in a different way because you were a woman. It was unfair, but not uncommon in this society. You pointed your attention back to Hvitserk. 'Are you going? With Björn?' You asked softly. He looked to you studying your face for a minute.

'Do you want me to stay?' He asked in return.

'You are Viking husband, I won't hold you back from the adventures to come. It's your destiny, your legacy. I would only miss you.' Those last words with a rather tender smile. He brightened up a little, stroking his finger under your chin.

'Didn't decide yet.' He answered, placing his lips softly against yours. You melted away in his sweetness, holding on to his neck with one hand while you enjoyed his love once more. 'Maybe I should take you with me.' He whispered against your lips. You smiled, pulling back in amusement.

'You would be worried.'

'I'm always worried if it comes to you,' he felt silent for a moment. 'wife.' He followed playfully. The both of your needed to get used to the married life, but for now all there was, was happiness in starting to know each other. When you turned your head away to look in the crown you saw your brother looking, he forced a smile on his cocky face and walked over to you. Hvitserk his hand disappeared under the table, squeezing your upper leg while you swallowed away your happiness from a moment earlier.

'You two seem quite happy.' He noticed your earlier smiles.

'Not all marriages need to be dreadful.' Hvitserk said, rather neutral. You started to notice the change in Hvitserk, when he was around your brother. It wasn't a good change by the looks of it. Your brother gave him a quick look before he turned his attention back to you.

'Can I have a moment alone with you sister?' He asked you. Although his voice wasn't demanding, you knew the gestured behind the slicky words. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He never demanded something from you, he just got you so far by doing other things, destroying what you loved for example. And the way he threw a glance at your husband just said enough.

'Offcourse.' You nodded, getting up from the table. Hvitserk grabbed your arm when your brother started walking. 'I'm fine Hvitserk.' You said fast, stroking his cheek before walking out after your brother. He had his two men with them, like he was expecting an attack from you. 'It seems like you grew quite important.' You noticed the men aside him.

'I have my own village, my own army, serving under King Harald and his brother. I have a wife, a child, I'm doing great.' And those lets two words were just there to mock you. He walked over to you, cupping your face in a rather harsh movement. 'You married a Ragnarsson, did you had nothing else to do?' He asked you rude.

'Don't treat me like you treat your men over there.' You warned him softly. He started laughing, letting go of you.

'You really thing I'm impressed sister.' He threw his arms open like he started to embrace the sky. 'You are still the girl I left, that insecure little child that can't handle shit.'

'Brother.' You stopped his aggressive words softly. Yes, you were a insecure shy girl growing up, he never made it easy for you, now he just came to collect the price by humiliating you.

'What? You thing now you are married with that son you can boss me around?' He titled his head, taking some very firm passes towards you.

'If you touch her, I will kill you.' A voice warned him. You hardly recognized it, but when you looked aside your brother it was in fact Hvitserk talking. Your brother let his head hang for a second before he decided to turn around to your husband, your love, your man. Seeing the both of them against each other there was a huge different. Your brother was older, more muscular, Hvitserk was slim build. You couldn't underestimate Hvitserk, you knew his strength but against your brother ... it was like fighting Björn.

'What are you gonna do little man?' He started to challenge Hvitserk. You walked in between them, looking from the one to the other.

'Please stop this, I don't want a fight between the two family I have.'

'He is not family.' Your brother laughed. Hvitserk pulled you harshly on your arm over, you pulled a painful face and looked at him in confusing. He held you beside him, not looking at you but at your brother. 'I'm almost sure you hardly can piss that far, let stand you know how to use a sword.' Your brother got further on the challenging.

'Hvitserk please.' You begged. You didn't wanted to end it like the way it looked, getting him all bruised and broken back in the worst case scenario there was.

'You will be quiet.' Hvitserk warned you in such a way you grew afraid. 'If you do talk, you will regret it. Understand?' He asked. You looked into his eyes, looking for the love, the compassion but it wasn't there. This couldn't be, he couldn't be this kind of man. You nodded, feeling how his fingers lost grip over your arm. He would be bruised in the morning.

'Not the man you thought he would be sister?' You brother asked when he saw the small amount of fear on your face. Your eyes traveled to Hvitserk his belt where his hand rested on his axe, stumbling back to create some distance.

'I won't except you treat my wife like that.' Hvitserk began. He was serious, deadly, you never saw him so serious and angry before, although he knew how to control it. But your brother, he didn't took him serious, he was laughing out loud, shaking his head on the words.

'She is my sister, I can do as pleased with her.' Your brother stated. A fraction of a second, hardly and Hvitserk grabbed his axe, throwing it right at the man at the left of your brother. You yelped when you saw how the axe kicked right in face of the poor man.

'Hvitserk,' you covered your mouth when you saw the look he shoot you. If looks could kill, his was more than just that.

'First warning.' He said to your brother. You looked at the body, the blood and you covered your mouth with your other hand to, shaking of what Hvitserk just did. He killed a man, he killed a innocent man. All kinds of things came up in your head about Hvitserk, making you more scared of him than you already were. You saw Hvitserk reaching for the knife in his belt, you wanted to take it from him but seeing how he reacted before you just were to scared. Your brother looked at the only man still standing beside him. That man chuckled, pulling out his sword while walking over to Hvitserk. Hvitserk was driven and you didn't knew by what but he disarmed that man so quickly, tackling him on the ground so quickly before he started to stab the man without even stopping. You walked backwards, looking how he kept stabbing the man, blood splashing everywhere. You turned around, started running without looking back.