GLORY OR VALHALLA | BJORN IRONSIDE

1

"Oh, come on. Sigurd was a wonderful friend!" Gyda shouted as she looked offended, "He was my best friend!"

"Who was our uncle. You need a friend that isn't within this family," He told her, only to quickly cut his sister off as she was on the verge of speaking up, "And don't even think about befriending Amma."

"Why not?" Gyda groaned as she rolled her eyes at Rorik.

"Because I don't feel like telling the woman I love things about me that I don't want her to know," Rorik admitted, a disappointed look on his face.

"Like what? That you bedded half of the royal staff in Wessex...Or that I could stand in the middle of the trading station in Kattegat and look in any direction and lay eyes on at least one woman you have already bedded," Gyda explained, earning a hateful glare from her younger brother.

"Shut up," He snapped at her coldly, "Things are different."

"Different?" She asked, letting out a loud humorless laugh, "Nothing has changed! You all act like it has but it hasn't. Father will not last as King of Kattegat. He wasn't meant to be King, he was meant to be exploring the world. Mother was always the ruling type, not him," She paused and scoffed, "And what is this thing Mother and Bjorn have with this woman Gunnhild, huh? It's disgusting. Not to mention, it's pathetic that Father has to share Mother with a woman. Oh, and what about the fact that they wish for us to be a family now, huh? It's a joke! It won't last. It won't be long before they leave us again like they always do."

Rorik was silent for a long moment as he heard his sister's words. Gradually, he began to glare at her as he stepped forward. "Were you always this miserable and spiteful or did this come about because you were forced to leave your little Christian pet to come home?" He suddenly asked, causing Gyda to look offended, "Mother and Father have made mistakes, but they are trying. Can't you see that? And if Mother wishes to be with Gunnhild, let her. If Father says it's okay, it's okay. He's the one married to her, not you. So get over yourself, Gyda. It's not all about you."

Rorik scoffed, shaking his head at Gyda before walking away.

____

At the gates of Kattegat, Ylva stood in place near Bjorn, watching as the traitors were brought forward as the crowd shouted and demanded their demise. Torvi, Gunnhild, Rorik, Ubbe, and Lagertha stood nearby as well, watching the scene intently.

"These men are all guilty," Bjorn announced loudly as he gestured down to the men kneeling before him, "They committed crimes against their own people, against you. And I know you all think they deserve to die. But there's something far worse than death, far worse," He explained and Ylva turned to him with wide eyes.

She shook her head at him, giving him a look that told him she did not agree with what he was about to do.

"I will banish them for life," Bjorn continued to explain, not even bothering to look Ylva's way, "They will become outlaws, Skogarmaors, men of the forests, forever condemned to live in the forest and other deserted places. Their property will be confiscated. They will be branded as Skogarmaors, and they can be killed with impunity. This is much worse than death. They will live not as human beings, but as ghosts. Outside of human society. Everyday forced to regret and remember their decisions and their crimes, yet unable to atone for them. Such is my decision. All in favor, says 'Aye.'"

Ylva looked around, sighing when everyone other than her agreed.

"Then it is decided," Bjorn finished, walking back over to stand beside Ylva while the men were branded on their faces as Skogarmaors.

"Bjorn, please, don't do this," Ylva pleaded as she walked over to Bjorn and grabbed his arm, "You will regret this."

"How could I regret this?" Bjorn complained and let out a large scoff, "This is perfect punishment."

"You are giving them reason to come back and kill us!" Ylva shouted and Bjorn tugged his arm out of her grip.

"Let them try," Bjorn responded, earning a hateful glare from Ylva.

She looked away from Bjorn, unable to stand the sight of her own husband. She had been through it all before. She had been ruling a kingdom on her own for nearly twenty-five years, since she was thirteen. She knew what she was doing and from the looks of it, Bjorn did not yet he refused to listen to her.

As each of them were branded, they ran out of Kattegat. Except one. He looked around, a furious look on his face. "Come on! Kill me!" He shouted before he could be branded, "You'll be doing me a favor!"

The man began to ran toward the gates of Kattegat. However, before he could get far, Gyda suddenly appeared knocked the man out with the butt of her ax. She smirked, spitting on the ground before she turned to exchange an impressed look with Rorik and her father.

The last one was branded and as he was brought toward the gates, he took a moment to look Ylva directly in the eyes.

Once he was out of the gates, he turned, staring at each of them as the gates closed.

"You made the right decision," Lagertha had told her son as she walked over to him.

"No, he didn't," Ylva scoffed and Bjorn turned to give her an annoyed look.

"You don't know that," Bjorn complained and Ylva avoided eye contact with him.

"Ivar would have never set them free," Halig suddenly spoke up, causing Bjorn and Ylva to turn to their son with wide eyes.

"But I'm not Ivar," Bjorn reminded his son in a calm tone.

"Nor are you me, it would seem," Ylva suddenly spoke up, causing Bjorn to turn to look at her as she shook her head, "It was a mistake not to kill them, Bjorn. I have been through this before. My mother spared her brother long ago and years later, he came back for vengeance. He nearly took the crown of Ashton away from me, nearly killing Freya, Rorik, and Gyda in the process."

"We will be fine, Ylva," Bjorn complained, looking almost aggravated.

"Of course we will," She responded, causing Bjorn to frown in confusion, "It is our children I'm worried about. Or did you get anything from what I just said? They won't come for us. They'll come for our children, our heirs."

Ylva rolled her eyes at Bjorn, scoffing before she walked away. One day in power and her husband was already on the verge of getting them killed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

First chapter!! I hope you liked it :)

this book will DEFINITELY have more content involving ylva and her children than the other books AND you will see a side of ylva you never did before. A sort of darker side and a more vulnerable side.

I mean, all the loss she's experienced was bound to take a toll sooner or later but not just that, she'll develop more as a character than the rest of the books. (This development is coming late, Ik Lmaooo) But I'll tell you know it's not all for the best. 🤷🏻‍♀️😬 but be ready to see ylva be a total bad ass bitch ESPECIALLY in season 6B. You'll see she's TWICE the man that bjorn and ragnar were. 💀💀

ANYWAYSSS get ready for one hell of a ride.