I opened my eyes slowly, it was a little hard to do it. My head hurts and I don't know where I am, what happened to me?
I looked around and I recognized the place, it's Ivar's hut. But why I'm here? I looked at a chair and I saw Hvitserk and Sigurd, they were sleeping, they looked really uncomfortable.
"Hvitserk, Sigurd?" I called them.
"Steena? You are finally awake, how are you?" Hvitserk told me with a sleepy voice.
Both of them sat on the bed with me.
"What happened?" I asked them.
"After your children were born, you slept and did not wake up. Ivar and Lagertha thought that it best for to stay here until you woke up, we were so worried that you were not going to wake up." Sigurd told me.
"And Brynjar, Eirik and Halstein came here every day, they were always asking to wake up." Hvitserk told me with a smile on his face.
"Wait? Children? I had children?" I asked surprised.
"Yes, a boy and a girl." Sigurd said to me.
"Sigurd go tell Lagertha and Ivar, they need to know that Steena woke up." Sigurd nodded and went out of the hut.
All what I was thinking is my children, I had a boy and a girl. I couldn't be more happier, it's the best thing to me, I gave Ivar a daughter.
After a few minutes, Lagertha and Ivar entered the hut, and she was holding my children. Brynjar, Eirik and Halstein came running to me.
"Mother." All of them screamed and hugged me on the bed.
"Be careful with your mother." Ivar warned them, but he didn't come close to us.
"This are your babies." Lagertha put them on my arms, they were sleeping.
"What are they names?" I asked, I was crying already.
"Balder and Audhild." Ivar said but he didn't look at me in the eyes.
Lagertha and Hvitserk looked between us and they started to leave, bringing Brynjar, Eirik and Halstein. It was only me, Ivar, Balder and Audhild.
"Ivar, come to bed, please." I asked him, but he didn't do anything.
"Ivar." I called him again.
"What it is Steena? You did not wanted to be with me when you where in labor, you wanted Lagertha. You broke my heart, I almost died thinking that it was my fault, I wanted to be there for you, help you and you refused." He wasn't angry, he was hurt, deeply hurt with me.
"Ivar, I am so sorry. I was mad at you, but I am sorry. Can you forgive me?" I begged him.
"Of course I can, I could never be mad at you. You are the love of my life, and I will always love you." He crawled to the bed and sat behind me, I put my head on his chest.
"Did you like the names?" He asked me, and he kissed my cheek.
"Of course, I love them." I said to him.
"I was so scared that you were going to die, I could not lost you again." He whispered in my ear.
"Ivar Ragnarsson, you are not going to get rid of me that easily." I chuckled and he laughs.
"Good, I hope not." He chuckles.
"They are so perfect, thank you so much." I said to him.
"What for?" He asked confused.
"For taking care of them while I was sleeping, and I could not be there with all of you." I said to him.
"My love, I would do it again and again. But I do not have to, we are going to do that together." He whispers to me and we slept right there.
.....................................
I entered the Great Hall with Balder and Audhild on my arms, I must speak to Lagertha.
"Steena, how are you?" Lagertha came to me and hugged me.
"I am feeling better." I said to her.
"Lagertha, what happened while I was sleeping?" I asked her.
"I confronted Astrid, she confessed why she lied to you. She was working princess Alfhild, she was the daughter of the King that Ivar killed. I killed both of them and I made a funeral to Astrid." She looked down and and tried to stop crying.
"But why?" I asked confused.
"Because she thought that Ivar was going to kill me, and she wanted him away. And the princess wanted to marry Ivar, but I stopped their plans." She looked at me and smiled.
By the gods, me and Ivar need to get marry as soon as possible, every one wants to break us apart.
"My love." I looked at the door and I saw Ivar and our sons.
"Ivar, I want to get married with you." I said to him.
"We will my love." He caress my cheek.
"I want to get married with you today." I stated to him.
"Then let's get married today." He smiled to me.
"I will prepare everything for your wedding." Lagertha said and left the Great Hall to prepare everything.
"I will warn my brothers." Ivar smiled and left the Great Hall too.
I entered my room and I grabbed a dress that I made, it was beautiful. I will use this dress to marry the love of my life, to marry my Ivar.
I entered the forest and it was everything so beautiful, Lagertha made sure of that.
Every body was there, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, Björn, Torvi, Floki, Helga, Lagertha, and every child.
I was smiling the whole day, I couldn't stop.
The woman started the ceremony.
"I hallow this horn of mead
To Gods and Goddesses
High and Holy
Aesir and Vanir
First known in the North
Frigga and Odin
Thorr and Sif
Freya and Freyr
Balder and Nanna
Dissir and Alfar
Bless this Wedding
Wassail!"
She told us to say our wedding vows, Ivar started first.
"With this ring,
I give you my heart,
I promise from this day forward,
you shall not walk alone,
may my heart be your shelter,
and my arms be your home."
And then it was my turn.
"I love you enough to fight for you,
compromise for you, and sacrifice myself for you if need to be.
Enough to miss you incredibly when we are apart, no matter what length of time it is for and regardless the distance.
Enough to believe in our relationship, to stand by it through the worse of times.
Enough to spend the rest of my life with you, be there for you when you need me or want me, and never, ever want to leave you or live without you.
I love you this much."
After the ceremony we were at the Great Hall, we were feasting. After some time Ivar leaned close to my ear.
"Let's spend the first night as husband and wife, I want you now." He whispers in my ear.
I nodded and we went to our hut, to spend our first night as husband and wife.