As a hand went over Nerida's mouth her eyes shot open, Ragnar motioning for her to be quiet as he pointed to Ivar. "I need to speak to you." He whispered as he took Nerida's hand and led her into another small chamber, her body screaming in pain as she slowly sat down on the bed.

"What is it?" She asked as she placed a bandaged hand over her ribs, her breathing slow as she didn't want to cause herself more pain than needed. She watched as Ragnar slowly knelt in front of her, his shackled hands grabbing hers as Nerida looked into his tired old eyes.

"Take care of Ivar, and I do not mean how a wife is supposed to, I mean better. Love him even when it seems impossible to find love in your heart. Make sure you stay by his side, and help him become, the great leader, I know he can be. You must swear to me, on your life, on the life of the child that I know you will bear, that you will protect and love Ivar with all that you have inside you." Ragnar asked as he gripped her hands tight in his.

"Yes, Ragnar. I swear on my life, on the lives of my future children that I will love Ivar with everything that I have." Nerida said as Ragnar smiled joyfully, a sadness in her heart as she knew that Ragnar would not be going back to Kattegat. "Your sons will revenge your death Ragnar, and I will make sure it is revenge worthy of the great Ragnar Lothbrok."

"Good, I wouldn't expect anything less." He smiled as he stood, his hand taking hers as he slowly helped Nerida to her feet. "You are so strong Nerida, but you are also kind. Don't ever let your heart and mind get tainted, as mine have." He said as her hand reached for the door, a smile on her face as she cupped his cheek with her hand.

"I hope to see you in Valhalla, Ragnar." She smiled weakly as she hugged him once more before slipping out of the chamber, her hand wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. Nerida found it almost poetic, that a man she once hated to see, was now a man she would mourn so deeply for.

***

"I have something for you, Nerida. Something you want, very much I do believe." King Ecbert said as she stood in the middle of the town square. The King had wanted a private meeting with her as Ragnar had wanted with Ivar, her heart racing as she wanted nothing more than to sail back for Kattegat.

"I am not a pirate, I want nothing of gold." She said she as saw two guards emerging from the castle, a hooded and shackled man in their grasps as they tossed him to the ground. Nerida watched as the hood was removed from the man's head, her heart stopping and her blood running cold as she saw that it was her father Wrynn.

"What I have is worth more than gold. Your father was captured many moons ago, and something told me to withhold on executing him and now I know why." King Ecbert said as he handed Nerida a sword. She gripped the sword so tight her knuckles turned white and the wounds on her hands opened, her eyes blinded by hatred as she remembered every vile thing he had ever done. "I cut out his tongue, his screams will not be heard."

Nerida slowly walked over to her father, his once black hair now streaked with white, and his face now scarred from the hot oil she had thrown in his face the night she had escaped. She didn't flinch as he spit on her foot, a small smirk growing in the corner of her mouth as she looked down at the frail, weak man that she was once terrified of.

"You allowed me to get beaten and whipped. You stole me and my infant brother from our mother and then you allow them to COOK HIM ALIVE! Tanais didn't deserve to die he was a child! I was a child! I CURSE MYSELF FOR HAVING YOUR BLOOD INSIDE ME!" She screamed as she raised the sword over her head and brought it down in one swift motion taking her father's head clean off.

"Part of you will die on that sea, but part of you will return." The seer's words ringing in her ears as she dropped the sword and fell to her knees, a great weight now lifted from her shoulders. Everything around her faded away as she saw her father's lifeless body laying in front of her. She shed no tears or allowed a single whimper to escape her lips.

Moments later a guard lifted her to her feet and pulled her towards a cart, her eyes closing as a sharp pain shot through her body as she was lifted into the wooden cart. "Ivar." She whispered as she saw him being carried out only seconds later, his eyes dark and full of unending sadness, her eyes noticing that he clutched his father's armband in his fingers.

"Are you alright?" Ivar whispered as he noticed the blood that covered her face and hands, a small smile curling over her lips as she nodded her head yes. "Ecbert is handing my father over to King Aelle, so that he can kill him." Ivar whispered as he laced his fingers with hers, his head resting on her shoulder as she rested her head on his.

"There will be much to do when we arrive back in Kattegat." Nerida whispered as she kissed his forehead, a comfort falling over her as she rested her tired legs over his.

"There will be, but first, we will be married. I do not want to wait another moon for you to be my wife, Nerida." Ivar said as butterflies began to dance in Nerida's belly. She knew that there were more important matters to attend to besides a wedding, but she shared Ivar's feeling of no longer wanting to wait.

***

It took six days to sail back to Kattegat, Nerida smiling as she saw the shores in sight. Both had been sleeping most of the journey, Nerida knowing that he needed to make it seem as if he was a simple cripple, and she was just a poor injured woman. Nerida knew that even in her injured state she could kill each man and sail the boat herself but resting seemed like a better plan.

Her brow furrowed as she noticed that the colors flying over Kattegat were no longer that of Queen Aslaug, but of Lagertha, her stomach churning as she knew something was amiss. She knew that Lagertha had always harbored a hatred for Aslaug, but Nerida did not think she had the forte to retake Kattegat.

"Nerida? By the gods, why are you with Ivar?" Sigurd said as he helped her to her feet, Ubbe taking Ivar over his shoulder as they all stepped from the small fishing boat.

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later, what has happened?" She whispered to Sigurd as she looked past him at Lagertha, her mind and stomach churning as she had a feeling that Aslaug was no longer living.

"That is best kept for later, we need to get you both inside." He said as he scooped her up in his arms, Nerida wiggling from his grasp as she pushed him back and began walking with her own will. She was not going to appear weak in front of the men, or in front of Lagertha. Nerida let the nurse attend to her wounds as Ivar ate, her stomach too filled with worry to even think about eating.

She listened to Ivar tell them about how Ecbert was going to hand Ragnar over to King Aelle, which meant he was more than likely dead. Nerida knew that to be true, since Ragnar had gone to England to die, but she would never reveal that to Ivar.

"We will have to avenge him." Ivar spoke softly as he took Nerida's hand in his, his gaze hopeful as she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, that something had happened to Aslaug.

"Where is the Queen? She will want to know about Ivar's return." Nerida said as she stood, her eyes going from Sigurd to Ubbe as she saw the fear in their eyes.

"Mother is dead." Sigurd said as Nerida felt Ivar's hand tighten on hers, his eyes looking from her to Ubbe, as if either of them had the answer he was searching for.

"It is true. Lagertha killed her and assumed Queen of Kattegat." Ubbe said as Nerida gently grasped Ivar's tunic as he looked up at her, his face full of confusion and utter sadness. She gasped as he flung himself off the chair and crawled towards his bedchamber, Nerida slowly following as she felt lost in the moment. She felt so surreal, since she had just killed her father, and here the love of her life was mourning the loss of his.

"My love. Ivar, look at me." She said as she cupped his face in her hands as she knelt in front of him. Ivar removed her hands as tears began to flow down his cheeks, Nerida taking her hands in his as she rested her head to his. "I know it hurts my love, I know how much you loved her and how she loved you." Nerida whispered as Ivar pushed from her and crawled onto the bed, his body turned from hers as he sobbed into his hands.

***

"Ivar, are you alright?" Nerida asked as she walked into his low-lit chamber, her eyes scanning over his bare skin as he had removed his tunic and boots. She had spent the rest of the evening in her blacksmith shop, hiding away from Ubbe and Sigurd and Lagertha. She knew that Lagertha would ask for Nerida to pledge her allegiance to her, but she was only loyal to Ivar.

She removed her cloak and boots and slipped from her tunic and breeches and slipped into her sleeping gown. "If I lost you, I would go mad. I would pour oil on my body and burn myself alive." Ivar whispered as she scooted into bed beside him, her body shaking as she saw the look in his eyes.

"I would throw myself on my sword." She whispered against his lips, a moan escaping her as he crashed his lips to hers. "Touch me Ivar." She whispered as she placed his hand on her breast, her lips trailing down his neck and over his shoulders as his moans filled the air around them. Her leg rested over his as he pushed up her gown, her arms raising as he slipped it from her body.

"I feel as if I am looking at a goddess." He whispered as he cupped her face and kissed her sweetly, her hand trailing down his abs and under the large sleeping pelt. "Stop. I cannot." He whispered as a look of fear and embarrassment filled his face.

"Shut up. Yes, you can, I have felt it before. Close your eyes Ivar." She whispered as she slowly sat up, her eyes trying to ignore the large bruises that covered her body. Nerida felt his body tense as she traced her tongue slowly over his chest and down his stomach, his hand grasping at her hair as she took his member in her mouth.

A proud smile washed over her face as she felt him start to grow hard, Ivar gasping out as his eyes shot open. She listened as his cries of absolute pleasure filled the air, her body starting to tremble as she could no longer wait. She pleasured him with her mouth until she felt his body start to tremble with anticipation.

"By the gods! Nerida!" He whispered as she locked her eyes to his, Nerida moving her body over his as he sat up and met her gaze. "Take me, Nerida. As I take you." He whispered as he placed his hands under Nerida's arms and gently lifted her, both gasping as he sheathed his hard member inside her.

Nerida closed her eyes as the pain and pressure in her core hit her like a shock wave, Ivar kissing her lips as his hands slowly ran down her back. "Ivar." Nerida whimpered against his lips as she arched her back as he took her breast in his mouth. Ivar fell back on the bed, Nerida falling on top of him as they made love, the beautiful movement of their hips causing a surge of pleasure to rush through her body. "Nothing has ever felt this way my love, nothing ever will again." Ivar whispered as he rolled his body over hers, his hand grasping her bottom as he held her as close as he could.

"Fill me with your seed, Ivar." She whispered as she kissed his neck gently, a scream of pleasure escaping her as he began to quicken the pace. Nerida wrapped her legs tight around him, the pain in her ribs almost nonexistent as they got lost in their love making. With each kiss their bond deepened, Nerida had given herself fully to him, and Ivar to her, the moment so incredible that Nerida never wanted it to end. "IVAR!" She screamed out as they both felt their climax, his seed spilling deep inside her as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Nerida held Ivar tight as sweat covered them, both gasping for air as she kissed his trembling lips. "Are you okay?" She whispered against his lips before kissing him once more, a soreness already forming in her core as he gently removed himself.

"I should be asking you that, love. I love you." He whispered as a smile filled his perfect face. Nerida let out a breathy laugh as she kissed the corner of his mouth, her head resting on his chest as she felt a great love fill her. She knew that their stolen moment was going to reach the ears of everyone in Kattegat, but Nerida did not care, for her mind was finally calm and at ease for the first time in her life.