The King and Queen Of Kattegat

Season Four Chapter Eight

Season 4

Chapter Eight

Hvitserk's P.O.V

When Yrsa told me Brae did not give his blessing for our marriage, I was stumped. The boy spent time after time with me chasing after her, he was really for us marrying. I don't understand how our marriage will interfere with his voyage, but I want to find out.

I entered the Great Hall the next early morning, letting Yrsa sleep a little more. I was surprised Brae was up, however. He never liked getting up early.

"What a surprise to see you!" Brae said, coming up to me and hugging me. I chuckled.

"A surprise to see you up before the Gods," I said.

"I would like to surprise them with what I have planned."

I eyed him as he brought me over to the table with maps. "Look, after Frankia, I'm planning to sail south where Halfdan and Bjorn traveled too!"

I nodded, his ambitions are worse than what I thought. "When will you come back home?"

Brae looked at me, "Home?"

I sighed, "Son, you need to find a girl, have an heir for Kattegat, and Frankia before even thinking about moving forward."

Brae scoffed, putting his hands up in the air, "You've been talking to mother?"

"Yes, that is why I'm here," I said, crossing my arms. "I don't think you understand how much I love your mother."

"You've always told me your love for her is boundless..." Brae said. "Which is why I'm not worried about coming home, she'll be fine."

I was losing my patients, "You stubborn boy of Ivar the Boneless!" I whispered.

"Brae, I love you, I put you before everything else in my life....I don't understand why you don't grant me permission to marry your mother...."

"At least as our son grant us this permission!"

Brae pursed his lips as he glared at me, "Making me feel guilty is not going to help your situation!"

I banged my hand on the table, "By the Gods, you dare to defy me!" I cried.

"You are risking everything by defying me and them!" I said.

"Do not lecture me about the Gods!" He growled.

"Don't do this, Brae, don't upset your mother by not granting her this and probably not seeing her ever again!"

Brae sneered at me as he turned his back, "I'm Hvitserk Lothbrok son of Ragnar Lothbrok! Brother of Ivar the Boneless! Your father and true King of Kattegat!" I left the Great Hall as he turned to shout,

"I'm the King of Kattegat now and I'll soon be King of all the World!"

--

Yrsa couldn't help but cry on my shoulder. She hasn't cried this much since Ivar passed and I'm afraid she might fall into her sorrow again. This time I don't see she'll come out of it.

"Shh, shhh, my sweet..." I whispered. "Do not cry."

"I'm here." I placed a kiss on her head as I covered her with my cloak.

"Oh, if Ivar was here, he would've had Brae's ass in his hands!" Yrsa exclaimed. I chuckled, nodding. I remember some times Brae as a child would disobey Ivar and he would've smacked his bottom. That put Brae right back into his place. Brae was always a good child, however. Ivar would swear up and down to the Gods to Kings who would visit Kattegat how Brae was a good child. It was all true.

What concerned me was how he wanted to be King of the world. I dare not to tell Yrsa that. She would destroy every boat in his fleet. That would cause more problems and if she doesn't do that, she'll do something else.

"I curse Odin for making Brae as definite as me!" She cried.

I sighed deeply, "Our son tends to forget I'm the son of Ragnar too, and I have my own ambitions..."

She looked up at me with curiosity, I got up, and went over to my little shelf where I keep my most prized possessions. I pulled out a box and turned to Yrsa, I put my finger to my lips, hushing her. This is a secret I've kept for a while. I quietly went back over to her and sat back down.

"I've kept this to myself for a while, I was planning to sail there when Brae was older..." I opened the box and revealed artifacts from Wessex. Yrsa ran her hand around it.

"These are things from England..." she whispered.

"Yes, these are things from a city called London not far from Wessex," I said. She took out the few things such as gold, sand, and good soil I've collected and held them.

"How do you feel about raiding London?" I asked. She looked at me with confusion.

"We have no army..."

"We won't need one, the King there is old and weak, it'll be easy," I said, smiling.

"It is a nice thought, but Kattegat is our home, and I can't think of any other."

I sighed, "Yrsa..." I ran my fingers through her hair.

"No, I thought you said you didn't want to be a King..." she glared at me.

"Not of Kattegat, this place..." I looked around, "this place has so many memories, good and bad for me."

"This is your home..." she said, placing the lid on the box.

"Yes, but so are you."

She looked over to me, "Why do you think I've stayed here all these years?" I said.

"I could've picked up and left a long time ago, but no, I stayed here for you," I added.

She licked her lips, looking down, "I didn't mean to cause you pain."

I glared down at her and brought her face towards me, I brought her lips to mine and placed her on my lap.

I pulled away and said, "If I'm King of London, you'll still be a Queen, and we can live freely and start fresh."

"Brae?"

"Brae doesn't have to know we will leave once he leaves."

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" She asked.

She had me thinking. My memories are both good and bad. I could remember watching my mother give Ivar all the attention and yet running off with Harbord while leaving Ivar defenseless.

Don't cry, Ivar.

I remember my father coming home every raid and then taking us on our first raiding with Bjorn when we were very young. My gut burned from the mere thought of Bjorn tearing me apart on our own lands. I can see every smile and every tear that I've shared in Kattegat and I would do it all again if the Gods gave me a chance.

The past is in the past and no matter how much I want to bring it back, I can't. That is why I want to go to London. I know I didn't want to be a King at first, but I know I can be a good King. It'll be a life with Yrsa. Just me and her, like how I wanted at first. We can marry and I can make her happy and she won't be tortured in this place. No matter how much she says she doesn't want to leave, I know this place haunts her.

I smiled, looking at her, "I'm sure I know what I'm doing," I laughed. I placed a kiss on her head and hugged her tight. As for our marriage, we will elope. Until Brae leaves we've agreed to keep it a secret. I know it's not right to keep this a secret from our son, but he has left us no choice.