Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Freydis

For a second she felt like everything fell silent around her. She only stared at the woman who was now sitting where she just had. Little Bear's eyes turned red when the woman made eye contact with her, drawing her hand back, she threw the knife, her aim on the blonde. Ivar was quick as he swooped his hand out and caught the flying blade mid air. 

The room filled with gasps before everyone turned and looked at her. She didn't look at anyone else but Ivar, his face was contorted with rage. Her hands removed her hood and looked at him, she couldn't show him any kind of fear or worry. Her lips were in a line and her eyes were narrowed as she waited for him to speak, to break the silence. 

He got to his feet, dropping the knife as he looked at the blonde who now stood at the back of the room. "Iona," he spoke her name in a loud tone, it made her shiver a little. 

Hvitserk and Harold stood up, both wanting to interject into the scene playing out before them. 

"King Ivar," Little Bear gave him a sarcastic curtsy before walking through the aisle to get to the front of the room. No one spoke as she did, everyone was unsure what was yet to come, what was going to be said next. Iona stopped at the steps and looked at the man love for, rage, love and hatred, she had so many emotions for him. 

Using his crutch, Ivar took two steps towards her. She didn't flinch back, she didn't speak, Little Bear just tilted her head to the right as she stared at him. "You come here acting disrespectful, to our guests, to our special guest. Freydis is our guest," he told Iona the name of the woman she wanted dead. There was no way Little Bear would let her live, not if it meant Ivar had her full attention. 

"She might be your guest," Little Bear spoke up. "But she is not mine. I have followed you here, I have stuck by your side-"

"I never asked you to!" Ivar snapped as he cut her off. "It was all your choice!" He raised his voice, raising one of his war picks in his hands, tilting her chin up with it. "You have one final choice," he used the pointed edge to dig into her pale skin. "And you are very lucky you are getting this."

Little Bear pushed his hand away, she stepped forward and closed the gap between them, her hand gripping on the war pick, the sharp point digging into her skin, blood seeping from her skin. "I don't need you choice. I have already made mine. Her." Her eyes looked to the blonde, Freydis. 

Ivar pulled his war pick away sharply allowing her blood to flow freely from her hand. "She believes in me, she's sees things no one else does." He stood back, proud as he reached for Freydis' hand, "This woman will be your new Queen." He announced to everyone, his eyes looking at Iona before placing a kiss on the back of Freydis' hand. 

The bloody hand of Little Bear balled into a fist, the blood dripping quickly from it as she stared at the two people in front of her. Her rage was building inside of her and as she went to step forward, a hand was placed on her shoulder stopping her from doing something stupid. 

"Now is not the time," Harold whispered in her ear pulling her away from where she stood through the crowd. There was cheers around as people celebrated the strange pairing of Ivar and Freydis. 

Iona didn't stop Harold as he dragged her out of the hall. Her hands were shaking and her rage was bubbling. "I have to go," she spoke quickly as she thrashed out of Harold's grip. "I can't stay here."

Harold looked at the blonde, she knew the look on his face, it was pity. "There is no where for you to go," he told her. "Unless you come with me." He smirked as he offered her that invite. "There is always room at my side, room as my Queen, room for another shield maiden."

The offer wasn't one Little Bear was given going to consider. She did not want that. She didn't know what she did want, but being with Harold for the rest of time was not in her future. Smiling at this man, Iona shook her head. "I believe I am destined to do what I have been putting off for so long." She knew there was really only one place left for her to go, unless she went rogue. There was so many things that could go wrong if she was alone but she didn't want to answer to anyone at this moment in time. 

She walked away from Harold, she made her way to Hvitserk's humble home. Little Bear entered before finding what she needed, an axe, a shield and a knife, once she had equipped herself she left the small hut. 

Taking a deep breath, she thought all the possibilities of the future, of her future. She stepped out into the night, her eyes looked to the skies, at the stars that shone above her. There was no one to guide her, no one to tell her where her life was going next. It was a little scary. Little Bear had always had someone who had shown her the way, someone who was there for her to follow. 

The tears flowed from Iona's eyes as she leaned against the walls of Hvitserk's hut. It all came to her at once, the truth. Ivar didn't love her, he didn't want her by his side. Those thoughts made her heart felt like it was being squeezed, made her insides churn as the bile began to rise inside of her. She bent over as she vomited her stomach contents, her hands dropping the weapons as she pushed her hair away. The poison in her veins was seeping through her, corrupting her thoughts which were once sane to her.