The Red Queen (Editing)

Mercy

You and Helga had been taking turns, trying to take care of Floki during his punishment.

His hands were tied to the walls of a cave which he stood on one rock. In fact, he barely stood on it. He could barely reach it. Water kept dripping down onto his head, never letting his body to rest.

Helga was resting as you shivered and shivered, holding a bowl above Floki's head, catching the dripping water. Your arms became to weak as the bowl got heavier until you couldn't handle it. You carefully lowered it and started down the rock, spilling some water until you sat down and placed the bowl on the rocks beside you.

Exhausted and freezing, you curled into a hall, holding your knees to your chest as you silently cried.

"Astrid? Helga?" You heard Floki whisper. You jumped up in shock, looking to your father who began to cry. "Astrid! Helga! Helga! Astrid." He kept repeating.

You quickly grabbed the bowl as your mother woke up.

Helga took the bowl from you, standing on the rock and took her turn collecting the water.

"I'm sorry." Floki kept saying quietly. "I'm sorry."

"So am I. As is Astrid." Helga cried. "Believe me."

-

You held a cup of water to your father's lips carefully, trying not to fall. "Drink." You whispered

Floki did just that until the cup was empty.

You handed the cup to Helga who quickly refilled it and handed it back to you, just as Ragnar walked in, causing you all to freeze.

Floki stared down at the King as you jumped from the rock, landing on the cave ground and taking steps toward your mother who quickly grabbed hold of you.

"You haven't told him, have you?" Ragnar asked as he looked to you and Helga.

Both of you shook your heads as a small sob escaped your lips.

"He needs to know, Helga." Ragnar said. With that, he walked out the cave as you and Helga looked back up to Floki, tears falling from your eyes.

"What is he talking about?"

Helga breathing became shakier and shakier as you stumbled to sit on a rock, trying to remain calm.

"What is it you haven't told me?"

"Angrboda is dead." Helga quietly said but her voice echoed in the cave. Floki's eyes went wide as his own breathing picked up. "She caught a fever. There was nothing we could do." Helga sobbed

Floki began wailing. He screamed and screamed until you couldn't handle it and began to cry yourself. His sobs rang throughout the cave as you all cried.

-

Both you and Helga worked together to hold to bowl over his head. All of you were shivering. The cold winter air froze your bones as your lips began to turn blue. Floki was praying but you couldn't make out his words.

You froze in shock when you saw Ragnar standing with a massive axe in his hand.

"What are you going to do?" Helga asked

"You and Astrid have suffered enough, Helga." Ragnar said

Surprisingly, Ragnar got up on the rock beside you. He used the axe to cut on the Floki's arm down. Instantly, you and Helga had your arms around him, not only to hug Floki but to make sure he didn't fall for he was weaker then all of you combined. Ragnar cut Floki's other arm free of the ropes that held him in the air.

Now, Floki held the both of you tightly as Ragnar walked out, leaving the axe on the ground.

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