In which Freya Ylvasdottir has been prophecied by the Seer to be destined to betray her mother, Queen Ylva the Dread and Bjorn Ironside, her mother's husband, and no matter what she does to try to avoid her fate, all roads lead back to the betrayal...
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Outside, Sigurd walked out of the Great Hall and toward Gyda, who had a frightened look on her face. Out of all his nieces and nephews, the only one Sigurd seemed to be close to was Gyda but that was only because they were so close in age.
They grew up together and when everyone, including his older brothers, went off to Paris alongside Freya, Gyda and Sigurd were left behind. They had become friends during that time while Rorik was still young and Ivar never left his mother's side.
"Did anyone see you? Did Freya see you?" Gyda asked Sigurd worriedly as he walked closer to her, "Did they see you leaving?"
"No, no. Why?" Sigurd asked Gyda in concern.
"Ivar is crazy, Sigurd. Freya didn't tell you all, but Ivar tried to kill her," Gyda informed Sigurd in a hushed tone as she looked fearful.
"Ivar?" Sigurd frowned in confusion, "He's just a cripple."
"He is far more than that and despite what he had done, Freya is protecting him," Gyda explained to Sigurd in a hushed tone.
"Why did he want to kill her? Do you know?" Sigurd asked Gyda, frowning in concern.
"I heard them talking about it, but I shouldn't tell you," Gyda replied as she shook her head in response.
"Tell me what?" He questioned her in confusion and Gyda remained silent, refusing to answer in fear of Freya, "Tell me what, Gyda? You can tell me. You know me, Gyda. I can keep a secret."
Gyda stared up at Sigurd and sighed. "That he cannot satisfy a woman," She informed him in a hushed tone and Sigurd's lips immediately curled upwards into an amused smirk.
Gyda roughly grabbed ahold of Sigurd's arm, beginning to glare at him. "Stop smiling like that. You mustn't say anything," She demanded in a low tone, "You won't, will you, Sigurd?"
"I won't tell anyone," Sigurd assured her and Gyda gave him a pleading look.
"Do you swear?" She asked him, fear in her eyes, "If either of them find out...It won't matter that I am your brother's daughter or Freya's sister, they will kill me."
"I won't tell anyone," Sigurd assured her, but it was clear he that didn't take her seriously, especially the part about Freya killing her. Little did he know.
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That night, after the feasts, Ubbe and Hvitserk sat together, listening to what Sigurd had learned from Gyda. "Poor Ivar," Ubbe spoke up, clearly feeling bad for his brother while Hvitserk laughed and Sigurd smiled.
"Poor Freya," Sigurd commented, smiling up at his brothers as he sat on the ground.
"The mark on her neck makes sense now," Hvitserk replied, seeing as though they had all noticed the bruises on Freya's neck that she claimed to be from sparring with her mother, "She said it was from training, but I knew it must not have been true. It seems I was right."
