Chapter One: The Night Begins

A/N: Hey everyone and welcome to the first chapter! If you haven't already read "Jar of Hearts", you probably should - this is the sequel, so there will be parts that don't make sense if you don't read that first. Please let us know what you think :D

The Seer was used to being bothered. It was often that many within Kattegat, and sometimes strangers too, would seek him out to find out their future. Many left disappointed and deflated by the fact that their destinies were not as great as they had hoped. Bright futures were not for all, but bleak were for many. There were few people whose destinies the Seer truly took an interest in – seeing the future was more often a curse than a blessing. The sound of light footsteps made him smile wryly.

"I was wondering when you would return," the Seer rasped, and the hooded figure hesitated before stepping into the waxing light of the candles. Small hands darted out from beneath the cloak to draw back the hood. It was a young woman with long hair that tumbled in chocolate coloured curls down past her shoulders, the prominent swell of her stomach visible even under the heavy cloak.

Karena Horiksdottir, wife of Bjorn Ironside, mother of his two sons – and very soon, a third child. The young woman cast her gaze around the Seer's hut. She had not been here in years, not since she had been carrying her first son. Her expression was grim, and it was clear to the Seer that she was troubled. Many were when they came to seek what might lie in their future.

"What is it you wish to know?" he asked.

"I have too many questions, so I'll choose a few." Karena leaned forward, dark green eyes glittering in the candlelight. A deceptively pretty girl considering the darkness that lay within her heart. "I want to know if what you said about me being Queen will come to pass sooner rather than later."

"You are not the first to ask about the death of Ragnar Lothbrok," the Seer said. The King was very ill, and it was clear that Karena hoped he would succumb to that illness. "He will die, as everyone does. The nature of his death is not for me to say."

Jaw tightening, Karena rocked back in her chair. "What else does my future hold, aside from death and children?"

"Enemies." If she wanted to know the dangers that lay ahead, he would give her a taste of what was to come. "Ragnar's family has been surrounded by enemies from the moment he became Earl. You are one such enemy, but you are also part of that family now. You know of the goddess Freyja?"

Karena couldn't help but laugh. "Of course. The goddess of love."

"Freyja was known to have many admirers. There were quite a number who sought to make her their wife."

"Until she wed Odr." Karena folded her arms, an impressive task considering the roundness of her stomach. "What are you trying to say? That I have admirers or men wanting to wed me? I am already married."

"That could be changed." The Seer pointed to Karena's stomach. Her hands rested protectively over her bump. "The child you carry now will know the call of blood. The child will know violence and war, glory and power. Yet the wolf haunts the child."

Karena bit her lip. "Another boy?"

The Seer laughed hoarsely. "A little girl."

"You said once that I would take the blood of my own." Karena's voice wavered, and the Seer could tell that she was afraid. Many were once their futures were cast before them. Like a ship on the horizon, just in sight, but too inscrutable for them to make sense of. "Am I destined to kill one of my children?"

The Seer took this fear at least away from her. "Your first kill is not of your womb."

Karena eased herself to her feet with some difficulty. Her child would be born within two months, no doubt. She took the Seer's hand and licked it as was custom, before tugging her hood back up and leaving the hut. The Seer remembered the words he had imparted to Aslaug just days before.

A woman will one day rule in Kattegat.

"Your father shows little sign of improvement," Karena declared from where she was sprawled on the bed, rubbing ruefully at her prominent stomach. This baby kicked almost as much as Erik. She glanced over at her husband, who was watching their sons play from the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at her. Bjorn had been tense lately, but she could not blame him – he was worried for Ragnar, and he had taken on a lot of responsibility.

"I am hoping he will recover."

"Hmm." Karena could not honestly say that she wished the same, and she did not want to lie to her husband, especially when such a lie would be transparent. "I suppose."

"I know that you do not," Bjorn remarked.

"Can you blame me?" Karena pushed herself up off the bed. She strode over to her husband, putting her arms around him from behind. "You would make a good King."

"I do not want to be King yet," Bjorn said sharply. It wasn't though he had much choice in the matter – if Ragnar was to die, Bjorn would succeed him. Personally, Karena thought her husband would make a fine ruler.

"It is inevitable." Karena turned him to face her, tilting her head back to look him in the eye. "One day, you will be. I can help you, I have said that. You should not fear it."

Bjorn frowned. "I am not afraid."

She raised her eyebrows. "Then why are you so against it? You will be, perhaps sooner rather than later."

Bjorn exhaled deeply, and Karena rubbed his arm soothingly. This time was not easy for him, particularly as his mother had returned to Hedeby. In fact, Karena intended to visit Hedeby herself before the birth of her child. She wished to visit her mother-in-law of course, but also Torvi. She hoped that her brother's wife was being treated well and not being neglected, yet Karena doubted it.

"Can you put the boys to bed?" She would often put the little ones away herself, but she was heavily pregnant and so lifting wasn't the best thing for her right at the moment. Bjorn glanced down at her and his expression softened slightly. Karena smiled as he went to fetch Erik and Soren. Her husband loved her, and he would do anything for her. Well, almost anything. Once he brought the boys back inside and put them to bed, Karena strode over to him.

"I am going to Hedeby for a little."

"What?" Bjorn glanced at her sharply, clearly not pleased with this. "No, I am going with you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Karena shook her head vigorously. "You have far too much responsibility here right now. I can go myself. I'll leave the boys here with you, I won't be gone for long. I just wish to visit Lagertha and Torvi."

"Can't it wait until after you have had the baby?" Bjorn's blue eyes flicked down towards the swell of her stomach. Chewing at her lip, Karena mulled over her next words carefully, not wanting to offend him.

"I was thinking it might be better to have the baby there. The birthing bed is no place for a man to be, you know that, Bjorn. Lagertha was there when I gave birth to both of our boys, and Torvi was there with Soren. You have so much you are stressed about, you don't need to concern yourself with childbirth."

Bjorn caught her by the waist and tugged her as close to him as her belly would allow. He sighed heavily, reaching out to tuck an errant dark curl behind her ear.

"I don't like this. Not knowing that Erlendur is there, I don't trust him."

Karena sighed. She should have known that her older brother would come up in conversation. She knew Bjorn did not trust him – she didn't either, for that matter – but she was not going to let Erlendur's presence keep her away from people she did care about. She just needed to placate Bjorn, for she knew how protective of her he could become. Yet every now and then, he needed a gentle but firm reminder that while she was no warrior, she was very good at negotiation.

"Bjorn. Your mother will be there, and you know she would never let anyone harm me."

The mention of Lagertha seemed to appease him. She felt the muscles in his body relaxing slightly and she looked up at him, craning up to kiss him. She smiled against his lips, knowing that she had reassured him…for now.

Karena did not understand why Lagertha was content with Kalf being her co-ruler of Hedeby, but that was not for her to question. She arrived soon after the execution of Einar, a man who had desired Lagertha for some time, and despised her because she had rejected him. Erlendur seemed unusually gleeful at his sister's arrival, something that put Karena on edge. He strode over to her with an unusual weapon in his hands.

"Karena. Look, I have been modifying the Frankish weapons."

"How wonderful," Karena responded disinterestedly. She knew that her brother was inventive, but that only gave her more cause for concern. Although Erlendur had never openly stated he had a vendetta against Bjorn, Karena felt that it was only a matter of time before her brother lashed out at Ragnar's family. She made to step past him, but Erlendur caught her by the arm. He shifted his hand to rest on her swollen belly, something that made Karena tug away from him.

"Another son, is it?" Erlendur asked, sneering, "You and Bjorn must fuck like rabbits."

His vulgar language made her lip curl. "You and Torvi must not."

Before he could comment, she swept past him and crossed over to Lagertha, who greeted her with a warm smile and an embrace. Torvi lingered not too far behind her, staying well away from Erlendur. It left Karena to wonder why the two had married – they clearly did not care for one another at all. Perhaps her brother had only shown his true colours to Torvi once it had been too late.

"It's good to see you, Karena. I am honoured that you're choosing to have your child in Hedeby."

Karena smiled. "Bjorn has many things on his mind, and childbirth is a women's affair. I thought I would be better off here."

"Of course." Lagertha glanced over her shoulder as Kalf approached. Karena examined him warily. She did not know Lagertha's lover very well, but she knew better than to trust him. Kalf folded his arms, examining her bump.

"Your third child?"

Karena nodded. "A girl this time."

"I'll help you settle in and run a bath." Torvi stepped forward to slip her arm through Karena's. She did not once glance at Erlendur, but there was no doubt in Karena's mind that she was avoiding him. She too wished to avoid her brother, so she followed her sister-in-law out of the hall without a backwards glance. Once they had exited, Torvi breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"He is unkind to you," Karena stated as the blonde girl steered her into one of the rooms. Torvi did not answer at first, busying herself with heating some water for Karena's bath. The brunette wondered whether she had gone too far, but then Torvi did respond, eyes watching the water boil over the flames.

"He can be. Usually he just ignores me."

Karena felt a surge of pity for Torvi. This girl – her friend now – deserved to be married to a man who cared for her, not someone who would ignore her most of the time and abuse her when he was not ignoring her. Karena had seen loveless marriages in the past, often the result of arranged marriages – and her own marriage had been arranged. Yet she was sad that Torvi had not found the comfort and connection in her marriage that Karena had in her marriage to Bjorn.

Once the water had been heated, Torvi started to fill Karena's bath. The Princess undressed, self-conscious of her bump, before sliding into the water. Torvi sat down beside the bath, taking a brush to the tangles in Karena's hair, snarls formed by the wind. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. If Torvi did not want to be tending to her, she would not do so. Karena thought that the blonde girl actually rather liked spending time with her. If that was the case, then the feeling was mutual.

The sound of things smashing perturbed Karena, even if it was only Erlendur firing his crossbow at clay pots. The fact that he was hitting them from a fair distance was enough to concern her. She and Torvi watched from a distance, while Kalf encouraged the younger man from up close. She glanced at the blonde, who had an impassive expression on her face as she watched her husband.

"Why does he stay with Kalf?" Karena asked softly, frowning as she noted the friendliness between the two. Anyone who could tolerate Erlendur was bad news to her. "I don't trust either of them."

"Karena!" Unfortunately, Erlendur had noted his sister's presence and beckoned her over. She walked over reluctantly, hoping that he just wanted to show off his crossbow and that he didn't have more sinister motives. He held out the bow like it was some kind of offering. "You should have a turn."

Karena forced a smile. "I don't think that would be smart, brother. You know how useless I am with weapons."

"No, I insist."

Erlendur placed the bow in Karena's hands despite the fact that she felt very uncomfortable holding a weapon. He adjusted her grip and stepped so close behind her that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. Clenching her jaw, Karena imagined the nearest clay pot balanced on the tree stump was Erlendur's face. Concentrating, she drew back and then released. The bolt missed the pot, but only just. Turning to offer Erlendur his bow back, she was satisfied at the look of shock on his face.

"As I said, useless."

"But it was very close," Kalf pointed out, and Karena wished that he had not spoken. Anger flared in Erlendur's eyes. Clearly he did not like to think of his sister as a threat, but Kalf stating that she might be a good shot made Erlendur consider her as one. Karena shook her head vehemently.

"A lucky shot." Suddenly, her hand moved to her stomach as a strange but not unfamiliar sensation took hold of her body. She gasped as her water broke, signalling to everyone present that she was about to go into labour.

"Karena!" Torvi hurried over to the dark-haired young woman, immediately reaching out to her. "It's the baby, isn't it?"

Karena nodded briskly. She let Torvi slip an arm around her waist and help her inside. Although she had given birth twice, Karena always felt the same terror at what was to come. The pain, not knowing if her child would be stillborn. Every time she'd heard her baby's cries, she had slumped back in sheer relief. The Seer had prophesised about this baby girl, but that didn't mean it would come true – some of Aslaug's visions had never come to pass, after all.

Lagertha joined them in Karena's room, carrying cloths and followed by two women with basins of water. She stroked her daughter-in-law's dark hair back from her face and offered her a small smile. This was a woman who had miscarried children in the past, who had lost her own daughter to a plague years before. Yet she was strong as ever as she slipped her fingers through Karena's.

"It never gets easier, but it's always worth it."

Karena returned to Kattegat soon after Astrid's birth, eager to show her daughter to her husband. The journey had tired her and she stayed in her room feeding the baby until Bjorn entered. She'd heard the news about Ragnar waking up when she'd returned, and couldn't say she was too pleased to hear about it. Nonetheless, when Bjorn walked into their room, she beamed at him and indicated the baby in her arms.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

Bjorn's eyes widened at the sight of their daughter, and he walked over to sit beside his wife on the bed, staring in wonder down at their child. He had been like this with their sons, and she was happy that he didn't view a daughter as any different – Ragnar had made his preference for sons clear, but Bjorn had always seemed happy with just having healthy children.

"She is very."

"I hear Ragnar is a bit better." Karena focused her attention on Astrid, although her tone was slightly cool at the mention of Bjorn's father. "I wonder how long that will last."

"Permanently, I hope," Bjorn replied, frowning slightly.

"Hmm. I suppose we shall see." Karena got up off the bed, carrying Astrid over to the cot and placing her gently down. When she heard her husband's heavy sigh, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bjorn muttered.

She folded her arms over her chest, leaning against the cot. "Bjorn, we've been married six years, I can tell when something is wrong."

He raked a hand through his blonde hair. "I was hoping you would be somewhat more sympathetic."

"I understand that he is your father, and you love him." Karena crossed over to him, taking his hands in hers. "I am sympathetic towards you. But not towards him."

He drew his hands away. "It does not seem it."

"He is my King, and I respect that." Karena chose her words carefully, knowing that saying the wrong thing could offend or anger Bjorn. "But that is not to say that I will like him. He murdered my family."

Bjorn's jaw tightened. "I am aware."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yet you don't care about what happened to them, so why am I meant to care about Ragnar? My youngest sister was the same age that Erik is now."

"It is unfortunate, what happened," he stated.

"Unfortunate?" Karena's voice was dangerously soft, but her heart was hammering fast, hands clenching into fists of anger. "Is that would you would call it?"

Her entire family had been murdered, including her toddler siblings. 'Unfortunate' was not the word she would use. It made her blood boil that Bjorn could refer to the violent incident as such, as though it had been some kind of tragic accident and not cold-blooded murder. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes," he admitted.

"I wouldn't care if Ragnar died," Karena snapped, knowing that her words were venomous.

"I'm going to leave for a little while." Bjorn folded his arms across his chest. "I need to be on my own."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Karena demanded. His shift in attitude didn't surprise her, but the knowledge that he planned to go for a time made her slightly alarmed. Was she about to lose her husband because of this disagreement over Ragnar? Her palms were damp and her hands shaking. "What about your children? Are you leaving me, permanently?"

"No." Bjorn's tone was short and he didn't soften even slightly in the face of her distress. "I will return soon."

He leaned over Astrid's cot and kissed the top of the sleeping baby's head, before turning briskly on his heel and marching out. Karena held herself together for a few moments, but she couldn't fight the tears that blurred her vision. This was the more serious argument she and Bjorn had experienced, and she couldn't help but feel afraid. What if her husband didn't come back at all?

Karena was thoroughly annoyed that Bjorn had not returned for Yol, but she supposed that there was little she could do about the matter. She knew how these celebrations went – many of the participants took hallucinogenic herbs so that they could more fully enjoy their night, but Karena had three young children to care for by herself. She watched Jakob entertaining Erik, Soren and Torah, wrapping baby Astrid more tightly in her blankets. She couldn't help but smile at the care he took. Ylva would be proud of him. One day, he would make a wonderful father, but he was only thirteen now.

Karena's gaze turned upon Ragnar, her mood souring quickly. The King had his face painted as was tradition, and did not appear too thrilled to even be participating in the Yol celebrations. Since he had woken, it seemed that Ragnar had changed – he disassociated from everyone and everything, choosing to spend more of his free time with a slave called Yidu. It was highly perplexing. Yet, that did not mean Karena had forgiven him for the crimes he had committed against her family. She did not think she ever could. Checking to make sure her children were occupied with Jakob, Karena trailed over to the King.

"You look as though you would rather not be here." She stepped beside Ragnar who was seated on a wooden chair as if it were a throne and watching the people dancing around the fire. He gazed down at her as if confused by her presence. She raised her eyebrows coolly, and Ragnar managed a tight smile.

"Ah, Karena. It is lovely of you to join in the celebrations, even if I see that my son is not with you."

The words stung, and Karena's heart hardened against him. "He will return soon."

"I hear there were some who prayed to the gods that I would die." Ragnar tilted his head back, examining Karena out of the corner of his eye. "I don't doubt that you were among them. You want Bjorn to be King. You want to be Queen, don't you?"

"You think it is about my desire to rule?" Karena hissed, moving so that she was standing in front of Ragnar, blocking his view of the dancing populace. "Nothing could be further from the truth. You might have forgotten the night that you murdered my entire family, but I haven't. I never will. I might be your son's wife, but one day, I will have my revenge."

"I do remember that night." Ragnar sat up straighter, alert. "I also remember sparing your life, and the life of your unborn son."

"For Bjorn's sake," Karena snapped. She usually kept her temper in check, but she found herself on edge of late. Perhaps it was her fight with Bjorn and his subsequent departure, perhaps it was because Ragnar had not died as she had hoped.

"Yes." A secretive smile played about Ragnar's lips, as though he had spared her for another reason, but was choosing not to disclose it. "For Bjorn's sake."

"Karena." Jakob walked over to them, his presence immediately diffusing the tension. Astrid was in his arms, a squirming, crying bundle of blankets. "She won't stop. I think that she's hungry."

"Of course, thank you, Jakob." Karena took her daughter from the boy. She shot Ragnar one last poisonous look before she marched off. One day, she might have to kill the famous Ragnar Lothbrok herself. But until the opportunity presented itself, she would have to bide her time and wait.