Ivar's POV
I looked for my family for weeks, it was horrible, not knowing where were they. I was alone looking for them, it was faster, I went to every city nearby, but no one saw them.
I went back to my city, I didn't told my brothers about Steena. I was trying to get her first, for them to see her in person. And I didn't want to admit that I lost my family again, it was too painful.
When I got to my city, my brothers were waiting for me. They looked worried.
"Brother, where were you?" Hvitserk says with a worried voice, while I got off my chariot.
"I need to tell you something, call Sigurd and Ubbe." I told him.
He nods and went to call them, I looked and saw Bergljot running towards me. She is so big now, and she has green eyes now, just like her mother.
"Father, I missed you." She hugs me and kiss my legs.
"I missed you too, I need to tell you something." I said to her, she always puts a smile on my face.
"What happened father?" She said curios.
"I found them, they are alive." I whispered at her.
"Really, father? Where are they?" She says with widened eyes.
"I will get to them, and I will bring them here." I promised to her.
"I can not wait to meet them, father. Does my father know?" She was talking about Ubbe, she calls him father when he is not around.
"I will tell them today." I kissed her and she got back to her friends.
I entered the Great Hall and I sat on my throne, Hvitserk, Sigurd and Ubbe entered. It was a miracle that Ubbe wasn't drunk today.
"What is it, what happened?" Sigurd asks me, they were full of curiosity.
"I found them." I said looking at them.
"Found who? Who are talking about?" Ubbe asks me, he is angry already.
"Steena and my sons, they are alive, I saw them in that city." I told them and their mouths open.
"No, that is impossible, Endre killed them." Hvitserk says.
"No, I saw them, they are alive. I met my youngest son, his name is Halstein." I smiled, remembering my son, he is so intelligent and beautiful.
"Are you sure? It could be another woman." Sigurd says to me, he is scared that is not Steena.
I get it, he doesn't want to be hurt again. But it is her, I saw her, I touched her.
"I saw the scar, Sigurd." I told him, the scar that I made a long time ago.
"Are you serious?" Sigurd asks me and I nodded.
"So why she never came back?" Ubbe says something for the first time.
"I think that Endre threatened her." I say, it's probably what happened.
"Where are they now? Why are they not here with you? Where is my little sister?" Ubbe asks, he never called Steena like that anymore.
"They left, our army raided the city and she must have got scared." I said looking down, it was my fault. I should've got to them earlier.
"This is why you were gone all those weeks, you were looking for them." Sigurd stated.
"Yes, I will get some rest and I will look for them again." I said to them.
"We will go with you, we will prepare and we all go next week." Ubbe says, he is motivated, I never saw him like that in years.
I didn't want to wait a week, but Ubbe is motivated and I won't discourage him. He needs this, and will help him be the Ubbe he was.
"Alright." I nodded and they left.
In every city I warned the Earls to warn me if they saw my family, I hope that they see her.
I took a bath and laid on my bed, thinking about my Steena. I grabbed her wedding band, she will be able to use it, I never thought that it would be possible.
"I missed you, my love. I missed your touch, your kisses, your love, I love you so much. You be my wife properly, and we will be a family, the gods gave us a chance to be together again. We will be a family, we will be happy together. You, me, Brynjar, Eirik, Halstein and if you won't oppose, Bergljot." I whisper to myself, closing my eyes to sleep.
.........................................
Three days passed since I got back, I couldn't wait any longer, if wasn't for Ubbe I would be looking for them.
I was playing with Bergljot, when a man entered running. I told the slave to left with my daughter.
"My King, we say your family." He says out of breath, putting his hands on his knees.
"Where are they?" I screamed.
"They were at my village my King, but Queen Lagertha took them to Kattegat." He said to me.
Immediately my fists clenched, Lagertha took my family away. But at the same time I was relieved, they were safe and alive.
"Thank you, I will get them." He nodded and left.
Ubbe, Hvitserk and Sigurd entered the Great Hall.
"Who is he? What did he wanted?" Hvitserk aks me.
"Steena is in Kattegat, Lagertha took her there." I said to them.
"We will go there, it does not matter. We will have them back." Ubbe says to me and we nodded.
We went to sleep, I was impatient to go to Kattegat.
..................................
It was morning and we were getting ready to go to Kattegat, I decided to took Bergljot, I want that Steena knows her and with time she will be able to love her.
"Are you ready?" Sigurd pats my shoulder and smiles to me.
"I am, we will get them back." I said to him and he nodded.
...............................
We arrived in Kattegat and people were staring at us, they know that I want to kill Lagertha. We arrived at night, it was a nice trip, especially with Bergljot with me.
We entered at the Great Hall, and I saw my family. My Steena, she is even more beautiful than I remembered. My sons are running through the Great Hall.
"Father." Halstein screamed and hugged me, I grabbed him and I kissed him.
"I missed you, father." He whispers to me.
I started to cry, my sons and the love of my life didn't die. We will be a happy family.
Steena came to me, she smiles at me and my heart melted. She is my life, I love her so much.
"Can we talk alone in my room?" She pointed at her room and I crawled following her.
I sit on her bed, she kneels in front of me.
I put my hand on her cheek, how I missed the softness of her skin. She smiles at me and leaned to kiss her, I need to kiss her.
I closed my eyes to kiss her, but I stopped when I felt the blade of the dagger on my throat.
I looked at her confused, why she was doing this?
"Do you think that I am your whore? The only reason not to kill you now, are my sons, your crippled." She says angry, I never saw her like that.
"My love, I." I tried to speak but she marks my skin, and I didn't speak anymore.
"Never called me that again, you are nothing to me. You will suffer, I will make sure of that. And you brought your daughter? The daughter you had with your whore? You want to humiliate me that much? Make sure that everyone knows that my sons are bastards? I hate you with every force on my body, the love I felt for you? It is only hate now, I am glad that your wife is dead. You can suffer, and do not even think in getting close to MY sons. Get your daughter and leave Kattegat, forget about my sons. The gods know that you never cared about them, I hate you Ivar the Boneless, you do not deserve Vahalla." Every word she said to me, cut my body a thousand times.
What happened to Steena? Why she is like this? She was so pure and innocent, and know? She is full of hate and anger. How can she says that? I love my sons and her more than anything. Don't do this to me, my love. I can't bear your rejection.
"Leave, and never come back here. Because if you do, I will kill you, I will not hesitate." She takes the dagger off my throat.
I was about to say something, trying to explain to her. But she looked at me and screamed.
"LEAVE."
I left, with my heart broken and determined.
I will never give up on you, we will be a family. I am not going to leave Kattegat without my family.
I love you my Steena.