"Bjorn—there is something you should see." One of the pirates whispered as Bjorn lifted his head from Nerida's arm. The battle had been won and they had taken over the house of Wessex and secured King Ecbert in a cage where he belonged. Everything seemed hallow and in vain as the love of his life was lying lifeless barely breathing in the Kings bed.

"I will not leave my wife." He growled as he shot the man a dark look, his eyes red and raw from the tears he had shed. Nerida was barely alive, her chest rising and falling so slowly that Bjorn had to constantly check if she was still breathing.

"This slipped out of Ivar's boot, I grabbed it before he had a chance to notice it was missing." The man said as the pirate showed him a very thin and extremely sharp blade, it looked almost like a large sewing needle. "We think he used to stab Queen Nerida." The man said in a hushed voice as he knelt beside him, Bjorn's heart starting to race as he carefully pulled the fur from Nerida's body and gently rolled her over.

Bjorn's face went white as he saw a small puncture wound on her right shoulder blade, a wound that barely bled but no doubt was the reason for Nerida being close to death. He took a deep breath as he felt an anger burn inside him like nothing he had felt. Ivar had not come to Nerida's aid, he had used her weakness to try and kill her.

"Tell no one else what you have found—all will reveal itself." Bjorn said as the pirate tucked the blade into his armor and quickly left. Bjorn allowed the tears to flow down his face as a mixture of anger and betrayal filled his heart. He knew that Ivar was conniving but never had he thought his own brother would try and murder his beloved.

"Nerida please come back to me. I cannot live without you, please my love. Nerida please." He begged as he held her hand in his, his sobs drowning out in the bed as he screamed out in pain and anguish. He carefully climbed into the bed next to her, his arm resting gently on her belly as he could not pull himself from her side.

He simply could not go on, until he knew that she would survive. His heart was filling with pure malice as he thought about Ivar daring to harm her. He wanted to stab his sword into his heart and watch as the life left his body, but he also knew that he needed to be careful since he had to think of his brothers.

Bjorn's head rose as Nerida stirred, her head slightly moving along with her hands and legs. "Nerida? My love?" Bjorn whispered as gently brushed some hair from her face, his eyes watering as her good eye slowly opened. "You came back." He whimpered as he gently kissed her hand.

Her breathing was still shallow, but she was alive. He watched as her eye slowly opened, her lips parting as Bjorn noticed she was trying to say something.

"Just rest, don't speak love." He whispered as he gently brushed his fingers over her face, his heart racing as he silently thanked the gods for giving her back to him. Nerida should not be alive but the gods had chosen to spare her life for reasons that were still unknown.

***

Nerida opened her eye once more, her body heavy and aching in pain as she tried to bring anything into focus. She had been drifting in and out of conscience for days, unable to comprehend anything around her. She remembered Bjorn's face and his kind loving words, but in that moment, she remembered Ivar.

She remembered seeing his face after the pot exploded around her. She remembered the searing pain after she stepped from him and not being able to breathe. Nerida slowly and painfully sat up, her head spinning as she felt vomit move through her throat.

She doubled over and vomited onto the stone floor, her body feeling heavy as she mustered all her will and strength to finally stand. After a few moments of leaning on the large wooden bed post, she took her first step, her legs feeling like rubber as she slowly made it towards the door.

Nerida slowly made it outside, the light hurting her eye as several people stopped in their tracks to look at her. "Bjorn?" She asked in a hoarse voice as one of the shieldmaidens pointed toward the stables, Nerida taking as deep a breath as she could before finally moving forward. Nerida knew that Ivar had tried to kill her, since she felt something pierce her skin the moment Ivar came to her aid. Before she could tell Bjorn, darkness had taken over, but now she knew what must be done.

"Nerida?" Bjorn gasped as he came rushing to her side the moment he saw her, his eyes full of worry as he slipped an arm around her waist and gently carried her towards his brothers. She gently pushed herself from Bjorn despite his protests, her eyes locked on Ivar as he received his battle tattoo. Her heart was racing and her eyes stern as she grabbed him by the throat and pushed him to the ground.

"NERIDA?" Hvitserk said as he tried to pull her from him, Nerida punching him hard in the groin sending him down to the ground.

"You. Tried. To. Kill. Me." She said hoarsely as her eyes locked to his, a smirk on his face as he tried to remove her hand, Nerida gripping him harder as his eyes got wide with fear. "I challenge you Ivar, to combat. I will have my legs tied to make it equal for you, but just know—that I will take your life." She hissed as she let go of his throat and slowly stood with the help of Bjorn.

"No, Nerida. You must rest—I"

"I have rested enough! I will not live my life in fear or allow Ivar to cloud my dreams and fill them with dread! I challenge you Ivar, in a fight to the death." She said again, a small crowd gathering as she watched Ivar climb back into his seat, a red mark forming on his neck as his eyes bored into hers with a red-hot anger.

"You were supposed to stay by my side! You were sent to me!" He yelled as Nerida held her arm up, blocking Bjorn from attacking Ivar. Nerida smirked, her head still feeling dizzy as she tried to contain her anger.

"I will not apologize for walking away from you and finding love with Bjorn. You do not deserve me Ivar, you never did. You are a child and no leader, and you will never be King of Kattegat." She said harshly watching as his smirk drained from his face, and worry filled it.

"I thought I was sent by the gods to you Ivar, I thought that my heart could only be yours. Now I see that I was sent to kill you. It is all so clear to me now, and my blades will run red with your blood. When I kill you, is when I will finally be at peace." She said as she leaned up against Bjorn, his arm gently wrapping around her as he kissed her forehead.

"When will this combat take place?" Ivar asked smugly, Nerida wishing she could kill him then and there, but she knew that Vikings had rules and they must be obeyed.

"I will let you choose Ivar, for it will be the day die."

***

"Do not do this! Let me handle Ivar!" Bjorn yelled as Nerida slipped on her leather wrist cuffs, her mind and body nearly healed after weeks of being forced to rest. During that time, Bjorn, Floki and even Helga had begged her not to fight Ivar, but she had ignored them all.

"Ivar did not try and take your life; he did not shame you and embarrass you! Ivar broke a sacred vow and has betrayed me, and for that he must die." She whispered as she carefully sheathed her daggers.

"What if he is successful and he kills you and I have to watch you die! I cannot risk you or my unborn child." Bjorn said as he rested his hand on her belly, his eyes watering as Nerida cupped his face in her hand. Two days prior, Nerida had begun to show the signs that she was carrying a child, a bittersweet moment for them both.

"I love you, Bjorn and if I am killed then you finally have a right to kill Ivar which I know you will do. I will not die this day, and I will see our child be born into this world." She smiled as she rose on her toes to kiss her husband, a fear flowing through her that she might succumb to death.

"Bjorn is right, you are risking your life and your child for vengeance." Ubbe said from the doorway, Nerida sighing as Floki and Helga followed.

"None of you know the ways that Ivar has hurt me, and when he tried to take my life was the final betrayal. Before I knew you, I was a pirate and a ruthless one, I killed with no mercy and today—I will show that side to Ivar. He will know fear and he will know pain and when he is dead and defeated, I want it to be a lesson to all those to dare try to challenge me." She said in a harsh tone, Floki embracing her along with Helga as they shared what could be their final moments.

"I look to you as I look at my own child, I cannot lose you either." Floki said as he kissed her forehead, Helga holding her tight as Nerida felt her loving spirit surround them.

"Fight well, we cannot lose you." Ubbe said in a stern tone as he hugged her tight, Nerida returning his hug as she felt his fear for her. Bjorn motioned for everyone to leave them, his hands cupping her face as he kissed her passionately.

"I love you Bjorn." She whispered as they both breathed heavily, her eye closing as she felt the tears start to well up. "I will protect myself and our child. I feel it will be a boy." She smiled hoping that Bjorn's other children would accept her and their new brother or sister.

"I know you will my love." Bjorn said as he hugged her tight, Nerida pushing from him as she knew that if she stayed in his arms any longer, she would not want to fight Ivar. Nerida walked with Ubbe, Sigurd and Bjorn towards the fighting circle, Nerida sitting on the soft muddy ground as Ubbe fastened her legs together with leather straps.

Her eyes were locked to Ivar's as his face was stoic and almost calm. Nerida had no idea that her path with Ivar would lead to this moment. She thought they would spend the rest of their lives as husband and wife, but there they both sat, with hatred in their eyes and death in their hearts.

"Begin!"