Bjorn cast his gaze around the great hall. The feast had begun, but Bonnie had yet to arrive. He'd visited her keep earlier to no avail. She wasn't there. No one knew where she was, and this worried him to no end. What if some horrible fate had befell her while he spent nearly half the day imagining doing her harm? How would he ever live with himself? Better yet, how would he ever live without her?

The door to the great hall opened. Shock halted his steps when his mother and Astrid walked through the door.

Especially Astrid! She looked so attractive dressed as a woman should. "Mother, and Astrid! What are you doing here?"

"Did you think I'd allow my son to sail away to meet his fate without bidding him a farewell?" His mother smiled up at him as he pulled her into an embrace.

His gaze swept to Astrid over his mother's shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you've come. Please, enjoy the feast." He released his mother, and then moved to position himself next to her favored shieldmaiden. "You look beautiful this eve, Astrid. This attire suits you well."

She cut her eyes at him, which he'd never noticed was a matching hue of the Fjord. "Thank you, Bjorn."

The great hall door opened again, pilfering his attention away from Astrid. King Harald, Halfdan, and their warriors entered.

"Halfdan, King Harald." He clasped each of their forearms. "How fare your rest? I trust your lodgings afforded you both comfort."

Halfdan and King Harald exchanged glances. The Black gave a slight shake of the head. Anger darkened King Harald's expression. His eyes narrowed as he lifted his chin. "We must speak."

"Of course," Bjorn said, guiding him over to the great table where his brothers and Queen Aslaug sat.

"Earlier, my brother and I went exploring in the forest," King Harald began, barely offering Aslaug a nod.

"You didn't rest?" Bjorn questioned, slightly offended. They prepared this feast for him, and now he'd be too exhausted from his journey to partake in the revelry. How wasteful to Kattegat's stores!

"No, as I said, we went exploring in the forest," King Harald growled, agitation clear and present in his tone.

"Harald," Halfdan interjected.

"I don't understand. Why would you want to explore the forest after such a long journey?" Bjorn questioned, attempting to make sense of the senseless.

King Harald's eyes rolled as an exhale left his mouth long in its leave. "That matters not! What matters is while out in the forest I came across an insolent slave girl."

"Harald over exaggerates. The girl was not insolent...over much," Halfdan said coming to the girl's defense.

Bjorn gave his head a mental shake. It must've been the deranged slave Margrethe attempting to flee Kattegat after her change in stations. "What was this slave girl's offense? Did she try to deceive you into drinking her woman's blood?"

Halfdan and King Harald stared at him as if he'd just told them he was Fenrir the demon wolf. King Harald, the first to recover, shook his head. "N-no, she said I looked like," he cleared his throat and cast his gaze about, only to discover he had his brothers and Aslaug attention. He cleared his throat and attempt to lower his voice. "She said I looked like a tattered treasured dwarf."

Aslaug released an uncharacteristic snort. "What?"

"That's not what she said," Halfdan stated with his gaze trained on the floor.

King Harald puffed up. "I know what she said. I heard as I hear you now and she said that word for word."

"She did not!" Halfdan's glare shot up to capture his brother's. "She said you looked like a tatted up treasure troll and that was only after you said her skin looked as if she'd been kicked into the sun, and her hair appeared to be a product of Thor's anger."

Aslaug gasped.

Sigurd rose, while placing the hand on the hilt of his sword. Ivar's battle ax made a loud clank as he dropped it on the great table. Ubbe's and Hvitserk's expression changed from one of cheer to predacious in nature. A knotted up sickness took root deep in his gut. For he knew to what supposed slave girl King Harald referred.

"King Harald, you remember my stepmother Queen Aslaug," he said, giving the king a hard shove over to Aslaug who seamlessly engaged Harald without a misstep. Once King Harald was momentarily distracted he looked to Sigurd. "Locate Bonnie and tell her to come now are I'll happily come collect her by force."

Sigurd gave him a hard stare but nodded and marched off to do his bidding.

****

"Sigurd, oi!"

Sigurd slowed in his march to Bonnie's when he heard his name being called from the shadows between two lodgings. Pulling his ax from his belt, he crept over to the darkened pathway. As soon as he lingered on the threshold of light and dark, Margrethe stepped from the blackness. His grip tightened on his ax. An awful dung stench greeted him, before her lips had a chance to split.

He placed the back of his hand over his mouth and nose, stepping out of her grasp when she tried to reach for him. "For the love of Odin's eye Margrethe! Have you been rolling around in the horses' muck instead of shoveling it?"

"You have to help me, Sigurd!" She peered over her shoulder as if she were being followed. "Did he see you leave?"

Gods! He had no moments to spare for this. "Who?"

"Ivar!" Margrethe snapped as terror mingled with the tears in her eyes. "He's going to kill me."

Now he was thoroughly confused. "Why does he want to kill you? Did you refuse to wash yourself before laying with him? I've told you before, Margrethe. Not all are like Ubbe and Hvitserk. Some men prefer their woman's muff to be bare and have the scent of-,"

"That's not the reason he wants to kill me," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking from the force of her cries.

He exhaled, knowing he'd already lingered too long with her. "Then speak woman. I have no time for delays." That eve may very well be the eve he'd have to slaughter a king.

"He wants to kill me for what I almost revealed to you and your brothers," she lowered her voice and glanced around once more. "About him being unable to satisfy a woman."

"What?" He questioned, sure he'd misheard.

"It's true, his prick wouldn't work. Had it not been for the gods he would've killed me the night you and your brothers brought him to me," Margrethe said, attempting to grab his hand again, which he easily avoided. "Sigurd, please don't spurn me. You have to protect me."

In a single swift move he placed the blade of the ax he held to her neck. He then backed her into one of the walls. She whimpered. "I don't have to do anything, Margrethe. You are not my responsibility. If you're searching for a champion, then you need gaze no further than Ubbe and Hvitserk. The blade of my sword is already spoken for. Do not approach me again."

****

Bonnie had just finished wrapping the cloak of her dress around her when she heard a knock at the door. Her sorcery had only completed her hair minutes before, and she was late. Bjorn was gonna kill her. Even Sigurd wouldn't be able to save her from the rage of that Viking. She answered the door. Sigurd stood on the other side with his fist raised about to knock again. When he saw her, his mouth fell open. She wore her hair pulled around to the side in loose wavy curls. A thick gold jewel encrusted side laurel held it in place.

This was the first time she'd veered from her natural curl pattern, but the Gold Grecian Goddess dress she wore called for something different. The Zuhair Murad masterpiece fit her like a second layer of skin, and thanks to the beautiful but fragile hand embroidered tulle you could see most of it. Yet, the mantilla which shined from the faded golden silk snatched the entire show. She felt divine when she'd only just become eternal.

"Well, what'd you think, Sigurd? Am I doing too much?" She questioned, not daring to unwrap the cloak to give him the full effect of the dress.

"Uh, w-well-," he cleared his throat.

"Perfect! Let's go," She said, brushing pass him on her way out.

Several minutes later they stood just outside the doors of the great hall. She could hear King Harald lead the revelers in a toast. The raspy edge of his voice raked over her nerves. Ooh, she loathed that man! She lifted her hands and aloud her sorcery to burst open the doors. When Sigurd and she strolled in, every eye fell upon them. She allowed her gaze to sweep the hall. There were many faces she didn't recognize, while others she knew well enough to think of as family.

Bonnie caught sight of Bjorn leading Astrid towards the queen's quarters. Her forehead wrinkled. That situation appeared to be starting earlier than canon. Ivar sat across the room at the great table. He attempted to burn her alive with his methane blaze of a stare. Ubbe stood, then sat, then stood again. He looked as if he were debating with himself on whether to come over. She hoped common sense won out and he stayed his ass far away from her. Hvitserk, however, stared at her with a sad but tortured longing, she felt no obligation to ease. She was done with those two, whether they chose to side with her or not. Hell it wouldn't be the first time she went up against an all-star team with a squad that was the equivalent of the Bad News Bears.

She swung her gaze away from the Lothbrok brothers to Halfdan who stood with his brother King Harald the Dick. Harald was just completing his bluster of a toast when his eyes met hers.

The curved horn he held mid raise, slipped from his hand. Halfdan who noticed his brother's reaction, turned to locate the cause.

When his whiskey brown gaze landed on her genuine joy flooded his features. His response not only pleased her, but it also soothed her fucked over pride. The unadulterated pleasure she felt manifested into a genuine smile which settled itself upon her lips. All too soon though, she lost sight of him as the people of Kattegat began to vie her attention and favor.

Floki appeared next to her. He ran interference with the revelers determined to interact with their Goddess. "Is there peril in removing your cloak?" He questioned giving her an affectionate side hug.

"It unwraps," she said, distracted by all the unfamiliar faces which gawked at her from various positions around the hall.

Slowly, she spun to assist Floki in undoing the one shoulder cape. Once the sea of gold flowed down her back, the provocative merger between sheer tulle and gilded silk revealed itself.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the hall.

"Bonnie!" Floki scolded, disapproval threaded within his tone. "Will it harm you to don era appropriate fashion?"

"Floki is wise in many things yet this isn't one of them. For you are beautiful as always, Bonnie," Helga said stepping around Floki to give her a hug.

"Thank you, Helga," Bonnie smiled at the sweet natured blonde who'd probably be a hippie in another life. "You look lovely as well. My mentor is blessed to have one such as you who's willing to stay at his side."

Helga beamed as she glanced up and offered Floki a closed lip smile. "No, it is I who is blessed. Floki is the love which fills my heart. Without him, each beat would be meaningless."

"One day I wish to have what you two share," she said, darting her gaze between the both of them.

"Bonnie," Torvi's voice floated from behind her. She turned, before she could have a good look at her the pale blonde was in her arms. "I've missed you during my time away. Now I'm back, I'll be losing you in a few risings time to the Mediterranean. I believe I shall remain inconsolable until your return."

Bonnie leaned back to meet her gaze. She saw a sliver of sadness glimmer in the depths of Torvi's eyes. Her friend wasn't doing well, and her pain had nothing to do with their lack of contact. Something was amiss. "Torvi, I sense something is-,"

"Bonnie, come," Queen Aslaug, entwined her arms with Bonnie and guided her toward the elevated podium where a single throne sat. "I've had a seat placed here so you may greet all of those under your dominion without becoming overwhelmed." Her voice sounded as strained as the smile on her face.

"You've heard the words we spoke of," Bonnie stated, knowing by now Lagertha would've made her intentions known in the form of deceptively nonthreatening words.

The queen nodded once. "We're to make a sacrifice the eve on the morrow. We'll slaughter a pig so you all may receive favor from the god during your voyage." She held Bonnie's cape out of the way as she assisted on the throne. "I'd also like to make an offer to my Most High and in turn receive her favor."