Early the next morning, breakfast had ended, the carriages pulled up for Ragnar and his family to return to Kattegat. Hvitserk and Ivar sat in the back of a carriage, waiting for the king and queens to say their good byes.
All the men had split the weapons among them and carried them like trophies as they walked through the town. Floki, his treasured dagger in hand, grinned at Ragnar as he headed to the king and Rùna.
"The union stands, friend. Be it between us or you and my son" Ragnar laughed as he spoke. "And princess, queen-" he leant so close, only Rùna could hear him as he handed her a dagger of his own, "-you make a fine shield maiden. So my son told me. And you will be a greater Queen" He grinned with the last words, bowed in a playful motion to Rùna and returned to the carriage.
Rùna and her maid Ingrid watched as the carriages set in motion, but it had not moved far, when Rùna chased after it and Ivar demanded them to stop. She jumped up the side of the carriage and gazed at him. "Will you still kiss me when I smile at you?" she inquired, her voice cracking as she spoke.
"Every time"
"Then I shall smile every time we meet" Rùna cheered with a smirk, feeling the touch of Ivar's lips on hers.
Before the king's eyes, Ivar lifted her off the ground, onto the carriage and rested her upon his chest, his lips holding onto hers as if it were the only thing to give him life. Their breaths grew heavy and at last, releasing on another from their kiss, both rang for air, smiled crowing their faces.
Hvitserk helped the queen off the carriage and grinned. "Will you kiss me too, if I smile at you?"
"Of course, brother" Ivar leant closer to Hvitserk, who stepped back to avoid his brother's face.
A smile on her lips, Rùna turned her head to him. She placed a kiss on his cheek and walked back to the Ingrid's side, laughing with joy.
"Farewell, King Ragnar, and future King Ivar"
Rùna remained on the road and waited until the carriages had gone so far she could no longer feel the tapping hooves on the ground. Just as she turned to walk into the house, a raven flew over her head, croaking and following the carriages. She smiled as the bird flew high into the air.
One day, the raven would fly over a battlefield, and she would stand back to back with Ivar, fighting and winning, or so her vision made her believe.