𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄, vikings

𝟏𝟓. 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲

Ivar had fallen asleep in a comical and uncomfortable position when Sigyn began to stir. The young woman opened her eyes with difficulty as the light coming from the window was almost blinding her. It took her a few seconds to recognize the place she was in, the bedroom Harald had granted her during their stay at his kingdom, which meant the arrogant king hadn't left her behind to die. Looking around, the shieldmaiden found the youngest son of Ragnar slouched on a chair lost in the land of dreams.

"Ivar." she called despite her dry throat.

The cripple was startled by the interruption of his sleep and slightly annoyed as well, yet once he found Sigyn's forest green eyes finally staring back at him an involuntary breath of relief left his lungs. She woke up. She would be fine. He couldn't ask for anything more.

"I was starting to worry you wouldn't wake up anymore." he disguised his genuine worry with playfulness. 

Sigyn frowned. "If you continue to talk like that, I might think you actually care." her voice was raspy due to not having been used in a while.

"Maybe I do." the Ragnarsson regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Of course, he cared about her, she just didn't need to know about it. Not when —

"Where is Hvitserk?" she asked.

Not when she was in love with his brother.

Ivar sighed and sat straighter in his seat before replying. "He left this morning." he explained vaguely. "Our Uncle Rollo might be of some help after all."

Sure they have lost a battle, but the war for Kattegat was still on. Their new game plan consisted of getting help from Ragnar's brother, Rollo, who was a Duke in Frankia. The man surely had enough soldiers and ships to assist his nephews in defeat... Well, his other nephews. Hvitserk had met their uncle before when traveling to the Mediterranean with Sigyn's parents and Bjorn, so he was the one chosen to bare the task of traveling and crying for help.

Ivar explained everything briefly to Sigyn, he also mentioned how Bjorn Ironside had just anchored on the whale kingdom's shore and was probably here to once more beg for peace. Peace... such a stupid thing. The cripple scoffed briefly before continuing by saying that his eldest brother's visit was pointless because he would indeed get his revenge as well as Kattgat's control and nothing could stop Ivar the Boneless.

Sigyn sighed. So much to wake up to peace and quiet. The shieldmaiden slowly sat up in her bed, fighting the faint dizziness that still bothered her. Ivar's evil plans were the last thing she wanted to hear. Although perhaps she wasn't in a place to judge the cripple, with the amount of Norse blood on her hands from the last battle she was certainly worse than Ivar. Sigyn glanced down at her hands, they were actually clean but all she could see was blood. Trygve's blood, she recalled stabbing her sword through his heart, much ironically as he was the one to forge them for her. Hilde and Brynhild's blood, they were one of the girls that grew up with Sigyn under Largetha's care. Andvari's blood, he had a son and a daughter waiting for him back in Kattegat, Sigyn had now taken their father from them.

What a monster she became.

War may not care about its casualties, but Sigyn certainly did. Those were only a few of the many faces that resurfaced from her memories as the effect of her injuries wore off. The guilt was eating her up.

"What is it?" Ivar inquired noticing how the woman suddenly tensed.

"I killed them." it came out in a whisper, but he heard it.

"Who?"

"I knew them yet I didn't think twice about taking their lives." Sigyn breathed out, her green orbs wide and frightened as she realized the extent of her actions. She really didn't want to cry, but the knot in her throat was making it difficult for her to breathe. "My father was right, I am fated to destroy."