GRACEFUL ━ VIKINGS

━━ TWENTY

[ act ii - burn the kingdoms down ]
CHAPTER TWENTY
( a world away )

     ALTHEA STARED AT THE SIGHT IN FRONT OF HER from the ship. Her hair was braided and pulled back from her slim face like usual, the wind sweeping up the stray hairs. Months ago they left England, the dull land never suited her, then again no land did.

She could feel it in her bones that her revenge was slowly getting closer to fruition. Soon she would have the blood of her enemy dripping from her sword and she would rejoice and smile victoriously. She relished in the fact that she would soon find her enemy at her feet, her sword at their neck. And she would not hesitate to separate their head from their body. In all the years she lead an army as vast and strong as hers, she had never lost.

Althea was finally her nickname, bloodthirsty, she could not wait for the one who killed her husband, their blood to wash over her face, the warmth of it as she would watch the life leave their eyes. Althea just had to have a child first and wait until the babe was old enough so she could leave.

By her own hand, she would watch them fall and never get back up. Althea smiled as she stared out into the abyss of the ocean. Soon they should be reaching land.

"Princess?" She heard from behind her.

"Yes, Maximus?" She said her eyes now seeing the land that she has longed hoped for in front of them.

"We should be home soon," Maximus spoke to his princess.

Althea breathed in deeply, it had been many moons since she had seen their home in the north, Vingulmark. Oh, how she longed for it. To be at the end of a river was the perfect place for such a vast city. It had become a popular trading post in recent years. The Jarl who had been there before her did not care to become a trading city. But with traders brought wealth.

She could not wait to see her friends and her people. She needed her friends, especially at a time like this. The voyage was hard and maybe she should have left sooner. When she was not showing. Her belly had grown over the months but she was still a ways away from giving birth. Her belly had not dropped yet which was good.

"Take us home." She yelled out to her ship, knowing all who fell under her command would follow.

There was a quick hustle and soon her ship was veering to the left instead of straight toward land and into the mouth of the river that would lead them all to Vingulmark.

Althea hoped with everything in her body that Ivar would come find her before he made his move against Lagertha. She had wondered how Ivar faired these days. If he was okay, because she could not wait for what she had planned. She knew that once her plan was finally set in motion he did not stand a chance.