It had been 5 years since Ivar left. Since the attack, lots had changed in Kattegat. Yrsa was turning into a beautiful young girl and you were becoming an even better Queen then you were during the first year.
With Lagertha, Bjorn, Hvitserk, Ubbe and Torvi at your side, leading was easy.
Though Yrsa was a bit harder to control since she snuck away at any chance she saw. Thankfully, Ubbe and Bjorn had experience and helped whenever they could.
Currently, you stood at the docks, dancing around with Yrsa, laughing happily.
You ran to your daughter, picking her up and holding her on your hip as she laughed. "Again, Mama! Again!"
"Again?" You ask, glancing behind her and seeing Ubbe sneaking up.
"Here comes Uncle Ubbe!" He roared, taking her from your arms and bouncing her up and down. The girl giggled as he roared and bounced her around.
-
You heard the cheering of your people before you walked into the hall, seeing Lagertha holding Yrsa as you walked to the throne, people cheering for you.
"People of Kattegat!" You started as you faced them all. "I told you that when I became Queen, my rule would be different then what it was when Ivar was here. Have I not kept my word?!" You ask, earning cheers from the crowd. "When I led with my husband, we built a wall around our town to keep our enemies away. Sadly, I must admit that I supported Ivar when he discouraged foreigners and when he would outlaw free speech and dissent amongst our own people. Kattegat can only survive and grow prosperous through trade, not conquest. My belief has changed over the last 5 years!" You say, earning cheers from the crowd
"This is your meeting. Your chance to come to me with whatever you want, and I will listen. Right now, I am not a Queen, but I am your humble servant." You say, holding your hand out for your daughter. "Come now, darling." You say
Yrsa smiled as she moved away from Lagertha and grabbed your hand, following you to your throne where you placed her on your lap.
"Queen Astrid!" A man shouted
You watched as Ivar's former bodyguard was dragged into the hall. He had gone into hiding after you became the only leader but it seems your men have found him.
"Ah, I remember you." You smirk, standing with your daughter on your hip as you handed her to Torvi who had been standing beside you.
"As do I!" A drunk Hvitserk shouts. "All of these men collaborated willingly with Ivar's regime! They served as the bodyguards of both Astrid and Ivar. They did their bidding, whatever that was. However cruel. However depraved. They did it without compunction, without a thought even for their own families. They burned alive those that Queen Astrid gave the mark of death to. They burned them all alive. They burned alive a young woman called Thora, who I loved."
Sadly, after regaining Kattegat, he had gone mad without Thora and now was drunk every day and every night.
"That is enough, Hvitserk." You hiss
"You gave them all the mark of death! The mark of the Red Queen!" Hvitserk hissed
"Do not forget that while I have changed, I am still Astrid the Heartless and even if you are my childhood friend, I can still give you the same mark I gave Thora and my men will still follow my orders without hesitation." You snarl
At this, Ivar's bodyguard, the man called White Hair, chuckled. You sighed as you faced the crowd. "They are guilty, yes. That much is true. But they did it under the orders of me and my husband. But for now, take them away!" You order
-
You stood at the main gate of Kattegat, the men standing in front of you, guards pointing their weapons at them.
"The men are guilty. They committed crimes against their people upon my husband's orders but even after my husband left, they were still loyal to Ivar. And I know you all think they deserve to die. But there is something far worse then death. Far worse. I will banish them for life. They will become outlaws, Skogarmaors, men of the forests, forever condemned to live to the forest and other deserted places. Their property will be confiscated. They will be branded as Skogarmoars, and they can be killed with impunity. This is much worse then death. They will live not as human beings, but as ghosts. Outside of human society. Every day, forced to regret and remember their choices, and their crimes, yet unable to atone for them. Such is my decision. All in favour, say 'Aye.'"
"AYE!" The crowd roared
"The it is decided." You said, gesturing to the blacksmiths who didn't hesitate to place a red hot poker on the mens faces before they were thrown out of the Kingdom.
"You made the right choice." Lagertha said as the gates shut.
"I hope so." You sigh
"Ivar would've never set them free." Hvitserk said
"And I no longer think as my husband did." You say. "Besides, he is most likely dead by now. We needn't worry about him." You frown
-
"We have embarked on a new way of life here." You sigh, sitting at a table with your friends surrounding you. "That is now my commitment as Queen. Before, it was to be powerful, but now it is for the benefit of my people. We have built the most successful trading station in all of Scandinavia. But I will need your continued support. I need my family." You sigh
"Lagertha?" You ask, looking to the aging woman.
"I wish you well in your enterprise, my dear. And I'm certain that you will succeed. But in the future, you will have to do it without me." Lagertha says, glancing at her son before looking back up to you.
"I don't understand." You say, leaning forward in your seat. "Why won't you stay?"
"I've seen enough of war. I have seen enough of death. Just like you, I have lost so many. I don't want to be a public person anymore. I don't want to be responsible." Lagertha says
You frowned, leaning back in your seat as she grabbed your hand to get your attention again. "I desire to live a totally different kind of life."
"And how can you do that?" You ask
"I plan to build a farmstead. Just like the one Ragnar and I lived in when we were first married, where we were all so happy. I plan to build it in the countryside. Untroubled by the problems of running a large and prosperous town."
"Let me get this right. You want to retire and disappear. One of the most famous shield maidens in all of Scandinavia?" Ubbe asks
"The world." Torvi corrected
"Yes. One of the most famous shield maidens in the world. Will in the future you become a simple farmer, just a forgotten and private person?" Ubbe asks
"Yes. That is what I want, Ubbe." Lagertha says. "I no longer wish to be famous. You must forgive me, Astrid, but my mind is made up. Bjorn thinks it would be good for me."
"And why's that, Bjorn?" You ask
"Because 5 years ago, she went missing after battle. What if, this time, we don't find her?" Bjorn asks, watching as you fell deep in thought.
"Then I must accept this." You sigh. "The decision is yours, Lagertha. Wherever we may go, may the gods continue to love and protect us, yes?"
With that, you all continued to eat dinner.
-
"Queen Astrid." A man said as he walked into the hall, his crew behind him. "We bring news of King Harald."
Confused, you glanced at Bjorn.
"King Harald?" He asked. "We were led to believe that King Harald had died of his wounds."
"No. It is true that he was wounded in battle, but King Olaf rescued him and took him back home." The man said
"Well that was indeed noble of King Olaf." Bjorn sighed
"Perhaps not so much, Bjorn Ironside. While King Harald was sick, King Olaf claimed his Kingdom. And had enough warriors to enforce his claim."
"Well, that is a pity." You say. "Now what has it got to do with me or my kingdom?"
"King Harald is still recovering his health, but he does not want to be ruled by King Olaf. He knows his life is threatened and likely to be forfeit. He also remembers that he came willingly to your aid when you desired to avenge Ragnar Lothbrok, when he fought against Bjorn Ironside, Ubbe Lothbrok and Former Queen, Lagertha. That he let you have safe passage into his kingdom before the war that started it all. Therefore, he claims an obligation. He asks you as a true Viking, as the Queen of Queens, as a friend and ally, to help him overthrow the usurper." The man explained
"I am very sorry for King Harald's plight but I am not sure we are under any obligation to him." You say.
"On the contrary, Queen Astrid. King Harald believes that you and he have become true friends since you were a child. He could move pressed his claim to the kingship of all Norway when he had to power." The man sighed
"As a man of honour, he didn't. But now, Queen Astrid, he reached out to you as a fellow warrior of honour for your help. We heard that you had become the sole leader of Kattegat after the god Ivar left. So the real question is, are you going to be a better Queen or will you go back to being the Red Queen?"
At this, you chuckled, moving to stand in front of the man that did all the talking and grabbed his hand. "I will think on it." You say. "For now, Bjorn. Will you?"
Bjorn smirked as he nodded, axe in hand. Within seconds, the man that you had given the mark of death to was dead, staining your wooden floor with his blood.
"You. You are now the leader." Bjorn told his second- in- command.
"Guards!" You call, two immediately walking into the hall. "Get him out of here and feed his body to the dogs." You say
The men nodded and as soon as the body was moved, thralls began to clean everything up.
"Mama!" Yrsa called, running out from the back room
"Hello, darling!" You smile as she runs to you
"I'm bored." She whined
"You're bored? Whatever will we do?" You chuckle
"Tell me another story about Papa!" Yrsa exclaims
You chuckle and nod. She loves hearing about Ivar.
-
Those messengers disturbed me today." You sigh
"I know." Bjorn replied
"I did not expect it, when they asked me if I would be a better Queen or if I would be the Red Queen. I thought I had answered that but now I see that I am falling back into the old ways. The way that Ivar and I used to rule. I haven't given the mark of death in 5 years but... he made me angry and he was marked." You frown. "When I spoke to the people, I spoke from the heart. I thought it was my answer."
"I'm sure it was, Astrid." Bjorn said
"Those messengers, those unknown men, they spoke to something deeper. I'm sure they did not know it and King Harald secretly commissioned them. I know that, but still..."
"You are confusing things. Whether or not you go to the aid of King Harald will not define what you are as Queen."
"Then what will define it, Bjorn?" You ask
"Perhaps your differences from the Red Queen."
"Or my similarity." You sigh. "She was still loved as a Queen. She was worshiped."
"You must be yourself, Astrid." Bjorn says
"I want to be myself, I'm just not sure how to be. Before I was Queen, I was the crazy daughter of the crazy boatbuilder named Floki. After all, doing the right thing might just be the easy way."
"That is always the danger, to do the right things for the wrong reasons. You are right to be cautious, my friend." Bjorn said
You sighed as you stood and looking into the next room. "When I look out at that Great Hall, I see my mother and father. After all, why wouldn't I? And suddenly, I feel old. I'm not their child any longer. I'm your friend. I'm a mother and a wife. I'm a Queen. But I'm not their child."
-
Ivar sat in the Capitol of the Silk Road. In Kiev. He had been travelling for 5 years until he was captured and brought to this great city.
"I have decided to treat your arrival here as a sign, an omen." Prince Oleg said as he sat down beside Ivar.
"You see, for a long time, we Rus, guided by my brother in law King Rurik, looked to the East for trades, conquests, and expansions. Yet, even before your unexpected arrival, I was having these thoughts. Perhaps after all, it's time for us to look West again. Years ago, I hung my shield on the city gates of Constantinople, but now it's time to hang it on the gates of Kattegat. Our ancestral and original home. And you can help me. And be revenged upon your brothers at the same time." Oleg said
""I say it is a fine plan. Now I see that my arrival here in Kiev was no accident, as I supposed, but all arranged by the gods. How could it be otherwise?"
"The gods. Let us drink to Odin."
"To Odin." Ivar chuckled. "But when we attack Kattegat, the Queen. Astrid. She will not be harmed and neither will her daughter, Yrsa. They are my wife and child. They had to stay behind." Ivar explained
"Ah, yes. Queen Astrid the Heartless. Queen of Queens. Her tales were growing brighter but now they are getting darker then they were when you were leading with her. It seems as if your wife has gone mad, Ivar the Boneless." Oleg chuckled
"Which is why she and our daughter need me." Ivar said
-
You sat upon your throne, watching over the feast when you heard him.
"I'll come home one day..."
You jumped, having not heard his voice in years. Glancing around, you saw no sign of Ivar.
Confused, you sat back in your seat and looked to your right, staring at the skull of your baby boy before looking to Yrsa who sat on Bjorn's lap as they played.
Ivar was coming home...