MADNESS | VIKINGS

19

"Is this not what you came for?" He asked her in a whisper as he gave her a curious look.

"I came for you, Hvitserk," She replied softly, placing her hands on his shoulders as she stared up at him.

"You shouldn't have come," Hvitserk replied, a part of him looking uneasy as he shook his head, remembering Ivar's threat.

"Why's that?" Freya replied as she finally looked up at him. She knew the answer. She wasn't a fool. She heard Ivar threaten him. However, Hvitserk didn't know yet that she knew.

"Ivar doesn't want us to spend time together, especially not alone," Hvitserk answered quietly as he took a seat beside her in the tent.

"I know," Freya responded, causing Hvitserk to turn to her in confusion, "You do realize even the smallest sound wakes me when I am asleep and it wasn't like you and Ivar were trying to be quiet while arguing with each other."

"Yet you still came," Hvitserk complained as he gave her an annoyed look, "You do realize you risked both of our lives by doing that?"

"Ivar doesn't own me," Freya snapped at him in an angered tone, "He needs to stop acting like he does because he doesn't."

"You're to be his queen," Hvitserk reminded her and just then, Freya suddenly threw her head back in laughter, "I didn't realize that was so funny."

"Whose choice was it to make me his queen?" She pointed out as she turned to look Hvitserk in the eyes, "Not mine. He didn't even consult me. I gave him one little speech about how he is stronger than anyone around him because of his deformity and suddenly, he's in love with me."

"You were the only one who didn't treat him differently because he was a cripple. You constantly treated him like he was some god. What did you expect?" Hvitserk explained to her with an attitude, "He's always loved you. Ever since we were children."

"It seems you and him have that in common," Freya muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Hvitserk.

"We were all in love with you. Ubbe and Sigurd too," Hvitserk retorted and Freya nodded.

"I know," She admitted in a calm tone as she shook her head, "But I don't understand what I ever did to make you all fall in love with me."

"You weren't like the other girls who threw themselves at us just because we were the sons of Ragnar. You weren't perfect and you didn't try to be perfect. You never abided by the rules and you weren't afraid to speak your mind about anything. You might have been rude to us most of the time, but there were small moments where you could be kind and even if it was for a short moment, it was worth it," Hvitserk explained, a smile forming on his lips, "And it wasn't always just sex with you, even if you didn't want to admit it. You hunted with us, played games with us, spent times with us outside of the bedroom."

"I think that is why you were in love with me, not the others," Freya commented and Hvitserk rolled his eyes at her.

"What makes you say that?" He questioned, only to watch as Freya moved closer to him until she was sitting beside him.

"Because you were the only one I was ever genuinely nice to." She reminded him with the smile on her face, "You were the only one I ever did things with besides sex when we weren't with your brothers."

"Don't start," Hvitserk complained as he let out a large groan, realizing she was trying to work her charms on him for reasons he still didn't know.

He stood up, on the verge of leaving the tent when Freya spoke up. "Getting away from Ivar wasn't the only reason I came on this journey, you know."