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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By the time Hvitserk and Freya made it back outside, they learned that the men had found King Ecbert. Bjorn ended up ordering his men to take Ecbert to a certain room, where they locked Ecbert in a cage that hung from the ceiling.
She sat near Ivar, smiling in amusement as Bjorn decided to bark orders to his younger brothers and Freya while Ylva seemed to agree with him on everything, just as she always did.
Freya would be lying if she said it didn't aggravate her. Bjorn could be an absolute fool most of the time and Freya knew for a fact her mother wasn't, yet still, she always agreed with Bjorn, which clearly ended up making her look dumb most of the time.
"We have to decide what to do with King Ecbert!" Bjorn announced loudly as he stared up at the man who happened to be locked in a cage above them.
"I don't understand," Ivar complained as he gave his oldest brother a puzzled look, "What is there to discuss? We Blood Eagle him. Ecbert is as guilty as Aelle so we should do the same thing to him. I've told you this too many times, brothers. I was here!"
"How could we forget?" Ylva retorted with an attitude, "You've only reminded us every chance you get."
Ivar sighed in annoyance, turning to glare at Ylva. "I saw Ecbert hand Father over to King Aelle."
"We all understand those feelings, Ivar!" Bjorn snapped at his brother angrily, growing frustrated with him, "No one is denying what you are saying. But sometimes..." He trailed off as he walked toward him, "Sometimes...We have to consider things beyond our feelings. And think of what is best for our people."
"I know what our people want, Bjorn," Ivar argued with his brother calmly as he pointed at Ecbert, "And they want what I want."
"We have to consider our position of strength, Ivar, and use that to our ultimate advantage!" Bjorn spoke up in a loud, stern tone.
"Perhaps he's too arrogant to see that," Ylva spoke up, earning a glare from Ivar.
Hearing her words, Ivar began to laugh. "You always like to complicate things, Bjorn. You think it makes you clever. But we all know the truth," Ivar commented, causing Bjorn to stop and turn to face him, "Ylva is the true brains of your usual duo."
"I could say the same of you," Bjorn shot Ivar as he gestured toward Freya, causing the girl to avoid eye contact with them all.
"And if what we kill Ecbert, Ivar? Huh? What then?" Ubbe finally spoke up, adding into the conversation.
"Well, then he's dead, Ubbe," Ivar answered without a care in the world.
"We are in the middle of an enemy kingdom," Bjorn snapped at Ivar as he moved toward him, "How long will it be before the Saxon forces gather up another army and drive us away?!"
