Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the tv show Vikings.

"Talking"

'thinking'

*spells*

$parseltounge$

Unknown Pov

Before the wedding

'Another day waking up to an empty bed' i thought as I turned over to see the untouched side of the bed.

I twist my body back around so I was now lying on my back, as I stare at the wooden tiles over my head. Ever since my husband returned from the war, things have been different between us. I tried to comfort him, after the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of the Götar Queen.

Hjörvardr was quick to dismiss my affections, as he was having a hard time accepting his new reality. The fear that has always surrounded our court was starting to lift as the people were no longer as afraid of my husband after hearing his defeat at the hands of a woman. '

He was quick to dissuade the populace of that notion, by going around the Kingdom and crushing any whisper of dissent along the way.

In the meantime, I was busy trying to find a way around the Seidr´s control over my husband. Hjörvardr might no longer treat me as he used to, but once he realised the restrictions the Seidr put on him to retaliate, he was quick to seek out my counsel.

Originally I tried to include my husband in our future plans against the Kingdom of Alfheimr, however, any attempts made to talk about our negative intentions against the King or Queen caused Hjörvardr to start grabbing his head and scream out in pain.

The effects of the Seidr´s evil magic on my beloved was heartwrenching to watch, as the revelation of how powerless he truly was caused Hjörvardr to fall into a deep state of melancholy. Leaving me to take up the reins of our Kingdom to ensure no one deserted us in the King´s absence.

Unfortunately, there were several things that needed to be taken care before I could take revenge on the now, Queen of Alfheimr for what she has turned my life into.

First, because we attacked the former Kingdom of the Götar unprovoked, our credibility on the Scandinavian stage was at an all-time low. No, if we wanted to attack again we needed a just cause to take the fight to our enemies. Luckily, I had already found a solution to our problem as the former Jarl of Dal Oddr was a notorious womanizer.

It was not hard to spread a rumour throughout the Kingdom, that one of his various concubines escaped the horrible fate of the rest of Uddr´s family to seek refuge in our court. Then I had to find a woman that could fit the description of one of his concubines. Ensuring that the woman became pregnant was the tricky part, but some gold in the pockets of a few guards made sure that the woman was soon with child.

'It was not an ideal solution but this world that the gods fashioned for us is cruel and serves as a test to see who amongst their children are the strongest.'

As soon as the woman had given birth, I started spreading a rumour than an heir of Oddr still lived and won´t stop until they take revenge for the death of their House and reclaiming the lands of their ancestor.

With a claimant to the throne of the Götar secured, there was nothing stopping me from supporting the new baby´s claim and gain a justifiable reason to take the fight back to the Seidr and his whores.

However, unlike last time the Seidr was no longer outmanned by the forces of our Kingdom. So I had to look elsewhere for allies to gather the men necessary to take the Seidr from his self-appointed pedestal.

I did not have to wait long, as apparently, i was not the only one with a grudge against the King of Alfheimr. I received a discreet message one day from a man who approached me as I had just finished up with court proceedings. It was an offer to join a big coalition of Norse leaders who wanted the Seidr´s influence on Norse traditions to end.

I was sceptical at first, thinking it might be a ploy from the Seidr to see if we were holding our end of the peace agreement. However, after sending out some spies to the various Kings and Jarls that she knew had an issue with the growing power of Alfheimr. I was able to determine that the offer was coming from the former King of Sjaelland Horik´s son Erlendur.

The confirmation put a smile on my face, as I sent a message back to Erlendur agreeing to join their coalition. But I was not done, it was not enough for us to attack from one side in force. My husband had already tried that and failed, so I sent out messages in Erlendur´s name to the disgruntled Jarls just north of Alfheimr´s border. Making sure that when the attack came from the south, an equally devastating attack will come from the north.

One of the men were quick to respond to my enquiry, eager to join anyone who was willing to take the fight to the Seidr. I was not overly surprised by his response, as this jarl was a staunch supporter of the old ways and disliked the heavy dependence his jarldom now has on the Kingdom of Alfheimr.

The other Jarl, however, was much trickier as he had a reputation for being a just and fair ruler. Having no interest in indulging himself in this kind of intrigue.

'No worries, I was an expert in incentivizing people to see things my way.'

I came out of my thoughts as a knock was heard on the door, I pulled myself up from the bed and searched for something to cover myself with.

Grabbing the first thing I could find I turn to the door and say "come in!"

As the door slowly opened, I was holding on to a glimmer of hope that it was Hjörvardr on the other side. Unfortunately, the gods were not on my side, as the man who opens the door and takes a step inside was no one other than the spymaster Valdemar.

He takes a bow "My Queen, our men have completed their task."

A small smile reached my lips, as I thought of the poison that was currently circulating through the Jarl´s only daughter.

'Oh, the poison was harmless as the girl would eventually recover. But with an anonymous message sent to the Jarl, "that next time his family will not be so lucky" should make sure that he will see the how fortuitous it is to stay on my good side.'

I look Valdemar in the eyes "I commend your work, Valdemar. Now, please leave me! so I can put on my clothes and start my day."

Valdemar´s eyes widen as he says "Of course, my Queen." Before scurrying back to whatever hole he spends his free time in.

As I search through my drawers, looking for the ideal clothes to wear for today I started thinking of ways to return Queen Torvi´s favour for the mutilation of my beloved Hjörvardr.

The upcoming wedding of the Seidr and Queen Lagertha was the talk of the entire Scandinavian court. Hjörvardr and I have received an invitation to the event, however, neither of us had an interest in spending time in the same hall as those heretics.

But the event does open up a lot of options for us, with so many guests it would be hard for any ruler to keep track of all their comings and goings. The more i thought about it, the more a plan started forming in my mind. The problem was that any actions taken at the wedding, will almost assuredly point fingers at any rulers who did not attend as the "sacred laws of hospitality" will be in effect.

No, in order to pull this off. I need to convince my husband to go to the celebrations, so no immediate suspicion falls upon us. Should the scheme succeed, I will have the satisfaction of knowing that the Queen has suffered for her insult.

Even if the scheme should fail, it won´t matter in the long run because the incident will still serve to rattle the Seidr up. Turning him paranoid and emotional enough to make a mistake. Once our forces have triumphed, I will have plenty of chances to take out my displeasures on his precious Queen.

'Now I just have to make sure to tell my husband that if he does not go to the wedding, he will regret it for the rest of his life.'

As I was finally dressed in my everyday form of armour, I walked out of the bedroom fully prepared for another day on the battlefield.

Vindlér Pov

It was finally that time again, King Haraldr has asked me to once more escort the princess around the city. After observing last night festivities, it did not come as a surprise when the King decided to declare for a day of relaxation to spend with his loved ones before returning to the wedding celebrations.

During my walk to the princess residence, I could not help but think back to the first time I ever met the woman.

Flashback

I had been called back from Nerike with the rest of my fellow stewards to attend the celebrations of the King and his new Queen. However, when we arrived the King was quick to order us to take turns guarding a very special guest until the wedding preparation could be made.

It was a very odd request for Haraldr to make, he asked us to abandon our duties to protect everything we have fought together for in order to ensure the comfort of one individual.

After the meeting was over, we all discussed it between ourselves and agreed that something did not add up. However, we were all brother`s in arms and loyal to the King, so we reluctantly kept silent. As we devised a schedule to ensure that one of us, was always looking after the princess. While still making sure that one of us was always by the King´s side.

It was now my turn to deal with who the rest of my fellow brothers considered "an insufferable twat". I was very surprised by the use of that word, as it was only something that only came out of the King´s mouth when he was particularly frustrated with someone. I am not even sure any of them are even aware of its meaning as no one in Borgund has been able to completely translate it.

In any case, as I approached the home of our elusive guest. I knocked on its wooden door, the sound of someone moving around inside reached my ears before the door opened with a hard pull.

I watched mesmerized, as the most divine woman I had ever seen in my life stepped over the threshold to her door. Hair with the shade of spun gold and eyes so blue that they could not help but hold up the sky.

I was forced out of my observations of this divine creature by the sneer that formed at her mouth at the sight of me.

She took up a contempt pose and said: "So, you are the brute who was chosen by the King to be my next entourage?"

As if a bucket of cold water fell over my head I took a rigid pose and replied "Yes, Princess Ellisif! I am apparently the only one left of the King´s men who can still stand the very sight of you."

She huffed and answered, "Well, at least you seem to have more balls than the last man who came to see me."

Ellisif slowly started walking away from me before turning around and looks at me with one of her eyebrows raised "Are you coming or what?"

I sighed internally before I started following her thinking ' it is at times like this, I wish I could take my fist and throw it in King Haraldr`s face'.

As I observed the princess walking around the market, I was surprised to see so many of the people in Borgund staring at Ellisif with dislike in their eyes.

I walked over to her and ask "How many people have you insulted of with your "high and mighty" attitude?" before gesturing to the staring crowd.

Ellisif turns her head and follows my gestures with her eyes. I can see a grimace forming on her face as she answers "I am used to it" before going back to observing the different merchandise on offer.

I frowned at her reply, however as I tried to inquire further one of the merchants approached me and says with a smile "here, it is on me. I caught it fresh this morning."

I look down to see the man´s outstretched hand has a mussle on it. Pulling my head up, I smile to the man and reply "Thank you, my good man" before taking the mussle from the nice gentleman.

The man claps me on the shoulder "There is more where that came from, I look forward to seeing you in the games again next summer."

I give a small acknowledging nod to the merchant before turning my eyes to Ellisif once more. The sneered was once more on her face, as she turned around after her eyes had made contact with my own.

Ellisif starts walking away, forcing me to make a quick goodbye to the merchant before following after her. I did not have the heart to tell the man that I never gained the acquired taste for Mussles.

She did not talk much after that, deciding instead to ignore me as she walked around the marketplace acquiring different food items as she went along. I was not sure what I had done to offend her, as once she was finished with each purchase Ellisif started treating me like a pack mule dragging the weight alongside me.

As the day grows longer, it started to feel more and more like we were going in circles for the women´s own sick satisfaction in seeing me punished for some unknown slight. She eventually stopped outside one of the greenhouses, as she moved around like she was looking for something.

Having enough of being reminded of my old life, I placed the purchases on the ground and started watching what Ellisif was up to.

A small creature with black fluffy fur and a long snout appeared out of the greenhouse and headed in Ellisif´s direction. I watched with fascination as she walked over to the food she bought and picked up a piece of hard cheese before returning to the little creature. Holding out her hand with the cheese at the tip of her fingers.

The small creature slowly started to crawl forward and sniff the food item as Ellisif starts petting it. I heard her reply "I know, I know. If you eat the things I brought for you, I will give you this in return."

I saw her remove a shiny bracelet from her wrist and showing it to the creature who was quick to devour the piece of cheese offered to him.

I could not stop myself from saying "So, you do have a soft side to you. As one of the creatures the King brought with him from his own world has taken a shining to you, there might be hope for you yet."

Ellisif smiled as she stroked the fluffy creature´s fur. It was quick to grab the bracelet from her hand and putting in some sort of pouch before running back inside.

Ellisif turned to me and replied with sarcasm "Well if the great Vindler thinks there is hope for me. I must be one lucky girl."

I frowned once more before asking "What is your problem with me?"

Ellisif stared at me with anger in her eyes as she says "Oh, I don´t know maybe it is the fact that everyone here looks at you with admiration while all I get is scorn."

I nod with my head as I can´t help but recognize myself in her anger, I ask her in curiosity "Why do they have such a big problem with you?"

Ellisif frustrated answers "I am surprised you were not aware, but my father brought me were with consumption. Hoping that the King could help cure me of my affliction, some in Borgund is afraid that my Father brought me here on purpose to spread the disease to their families. With my father abandoning me here, I have become the easier target to take out their anger on." the sadness in her voice was easy to identify.

I could not help but look at her sympathy as she was not the only one to have been abandoned by the ones who were supposed to be family.

I reply "I know some of your pain, my family abandoned me to my fate when they sold me off to a slaver."

Ellisif stares at me with envy "Well, at least you have your freedom now and the admiration of the people".

I could not help but laugh at that "Admiration? yes, the people of Borgund has been very kind to me. However, during the games, there was a lot of visitors from other parts of Alfheimr that called me unflattering slurs like Dökkálfar."

It was now Ellisif turn to wince as I continued my story with my eyes firmly on hers "It got so bad, that King Haraldr told the Hofgothi that the old sagas were mistranslated and there was no such arbitrary distinction between light and dark elves in the mythological realm of Alfheimr. There were just elves and any reference to svartálfar in the sagas should be interpreted as meaning one of the dvergr or one of the different species that live in Niðavellir."

I finished my tale, to see the first positive expression on her face since we meet. She looked at me with sympathy as she says "My father will not accept your King´s deal."

My eyes grow hard as I ask "Why?"

Ellisif gives a sad smile as she answers "My father has dreamt about uniting the danish people as long as I can remember. He tried for many years to produce a son that could help him secure the support needed to be declared King of all Danes. Unfortunately, i was the only one of his children to survive infancy.

Ever since I can remember, my father has only looked at me as his one chance to achieve his goal within his lifetime. He has been searching for numerous danish jarls to marry me off to, so they could help him tip the balance in his constant struggle against the late King Horik. When Erlendur approached him about an alliance, he saw his chance to cement our families legacy. My father sees Erlendur as a fool that could easily be disposed of as soon as i carry the heirs of both houses inside of me. He would rather see me perish than allowing his family to turn into puppet rulers under your King."

Her eyes were now glistening, as small droplets started falling from her face. I did not know what came over me at that moment, as I slowly walk towards the crying Ellisif before putting my arms around her and holding her tight. It did not take long before the situation became overwhelming as she grabs on to my shoulder as the tears stars falling down heavily on my tunic covered chest.

I did not know how long we stood there for but it became the turning point in our relationship. As the months flew by, I had been assigned as her official escort as I allowed her to drag me around to whatever struck her fancy.

End of flashback

I was now nervously approaching the familiar door holding a set of purple flowers gently in my hand. I knocked on the door, as I had done so many times before. The door opened to the most radiant smile in existence. Ellisif´s face lit up like the sun as she saw me standing there waiting for another day of adventure.

Knowing it was now or never, I take a deep breath before putting a firm grip around the purple flowers and then I gently start slapping them across her face back and forward.

With a face now covered in flowers, she grabs on to my hand before looking me in a strange way "What in Frigga´s name are you doing?"

Confused I replied, "King Haraldr told me that it was an ancient custom for Norse men to handpick a set of purple flowers before bringing them to the woman that you have affections for and slapping her face with them."

Ellisif stares at like I am crazy before a small snort comes out of her mouth, then came a chuckle and not long after she was lying on the ground laughing so hard that people stopped doing their daily routines and look at the crazy woman holding her hands over her stomach.

Realizing what had just happened, I groaned out loud before thinking 'Oh, how I wish I could take my fist and swing it straight between Haraldr´s eyes. No matter, I know just how to pay him back for this humiliation.'

A smirk starts forming on my lips, as I imagine the King´s future suffering.

Haraldr Pov

A shiver was felt in my spine as I was sitting in my study waiting for my next guest to arrive.

'Weird' i thought as I heard a knock on the door signalling that they have arrived.

I straightened up in my chair and replied "Enter"

The guard outside was quick to hold up the door for the newest individual, looking to make a deal with Alfheimr.

The man who entered had the complexion of a man who has passed his prime but still held his head high, not willing to go into death´s embrace without a fight.

He had blonde hair that was losing its fight to the grey hairs sticking out of his scalp, there where two braids hanging of to the side of his face and he was also sporting some freckles on both sides of his cheek.

I made a gesture for him to take a seat, which he took gladly without showing much deference to my office.

'Not one of my vassals then?' i thought as the man was moving around on the seat, trying to find his prefered position.

I put both hands on my desk and ask "So, what business do you have with me?"

The man still looking uncomfortable in his seat, put his hand to his mouth and took a small cough before answering "I am Gunne the Jarl of Järnberaland and i have come to ask for your assistance."

My eyes narrowed as i watch the man carefully "Well, from what I heard you are considered a just and fair man by your peers. So I am more than curious to see what you could possibly help me with."

The man frowned "I was given a message recently that offered me a substantial amount of coin to take my men and attack Alfheimr from the North when the time was right. However, with the number of benefits my people have gained from trading with your Kingdom and my own aversion to schemes, I was quick to throw the note away."

I was not pleased to receive such news after last night´s attack on my family. I could see on Gunne´s face that he has more to say, so i decided to hold off on saying anything until he finished.

Gunne continued "I thought that would be the end of it, but a week later my youngest daughter became weak and was confined to her bed. I did not think much of it until a message arrived for me in the form of a note. It was an explicit threat! one that insinuated that my daughter had been poisoned and if I don´t agree to follow their lead. That anyone else in my family could be next."

I narrow my eyes before replying "So, what do you want from me?"

Gunne`s anger was so fierce, that his hands were slowly crushing the wooden armrest on his chair. The man answers " I do not cower to threats, but that does not mean I don´t love my family. I am asking for your help in protecting my family!"

I keep a neutral expression trying to give nothing aware "You do know, that as long as my Kingdom exist. There will always be enemies that will try to persuade you to join them."

Gunne sighs "I am well aware of my precarious position. However I will not abandon my people, that is why I came here to pledge myself to you as my King, in exchange for protection."

I tried to allow a smile to appear on my face as i reply "How many acres of land do you rule over?"

Gunne was confused by the questions but answers nonetheless "I don`t know the exact number but it is in the millions."

I nod up and down as I add "Yes, and it is all mostly covered by mountains and sparsely populated."

Gunne narrows his eyes at the perceived insult "It is a beautiful piece of land and every person there is a hard-working individual!"

I pull hands up in surrender "I did not mean to offend, I just feel that a man of your character deserves better than that."

Gunne stares at me with suspicion in his eye "I was under the assumption, that you could make my lands suitable for farming with your precious gifts?"

I put up a calming smile "I could do that, but why do that when I can offer you something much better."

Gunne now looks at me with intrigue "Oh, and what is better than my beloved homeland?"

I smirk at him before replying "You are aware of the 5000 acres granted to us by the Anglo-Saxons?"

Gunne nods "I am aware."

I keep the smirk up as I continue "Well, the 5000 acres are located on a 20000 acres large island just north of the former Anglosaxon Kingdom of Kent. It was most likely chosen to appease the people of Wessex, however, after killing the Prince of Wessex with my own hands after the King broke his oath to our people. The remaining Anglosaxons peasants have abandoned the island out of fear, I need a Jarl to oversee my lands there and to fortify the rest of the island in my name.

Gunne looked at like I was crazy "You want me to give up millions of acres of land for a paltry 20000?"

I put my finger to signal that he allows me to explain, after getting the go-ahead i answer "First of that is 20000 acres with enough farmland to feed your entire populace. Also when I finally take my revenge on Ecgbert for his crimes against our people, I will make you the Jarl of the entire former Kingdom of Kent. That is close to a million acres of the most fertile land of all Anglosaxon England. Your family will become one of the most powerful in the land, as you will serve as the "breadbasket" for all my territories in the region."

The shock on Gunne´s face was priceless as he nervously asks "why would you give up so much precious land?"

I closed down my Occlumency shields as I answer "As you have said, I can procure good farmland when I ever wish. But what I can´t procure easily are just and competent men to oversee my territories. I believe you and your families continued loyalty to my crown is worth the price I am offering. Besides this helps secure my Northern border as the mountains will serve as a natural defensive barrier against any ambitious jarls further north."

Gunne has finally calmed down from his shock as he looks at me and says "I know I should feel lucky to have been allowed to live this long. However, even with two sons and a girl to continue my legacy. I was always concerned that they would have to suffer through similar struggles i have faced in ruling such a vast and barren land."

Gunne stands up from his chair and goes down on his knees "You have given me a chance to make my mark in the eyes of the gods and for that, I will be eternally loyal to you. I Gunne pledge my fealty to the King of Alfheimr Haraldr Stormbringer in perpetuity."

I light formed inside the room as I answer "It seems the gods have accepted your pledge, and while I trust in your loyalty. You can not speak for your future descendants, that is why I ask that you return to me before the end of the festivities to sign a blood oath. This will help connect our two families together for centuries to come."

Gunne stood back and with stared at me with conviction "Yes, my King" bowing in deference before turning around and leaving the way he came.

As soon as I heard his footsteps leave the vicinity of the door, I put up a silencing ward and sigh out loud, while putting my hands on the desk. " I can´t believe I had to do that to a man, whose reputation is respected over our entire world. Not to mention that one day his family can become our most valued allies in the west."

In the corner of the room, a glimmer suddenly appeared. It did not take long for the disillusionment charm to drop, revealing that Torvi and Lagertha have been in the room all along.

Torvi took her place in the chair that Gunne just occupied, while Lagertha decided to stand against the wall with her arms across her chest.

Torvi moved one of her hands over the desk to place it over mine. She gave a caring smile before saying "It is not your fault, that the Nifflers found several deposits of gold in the mountain ranges in his Jarldom. So much wealth in the hands of one family would have tipped the balance of power in the Kingdom."

I smile back "I know, I would never allow anyone that much influence over the economy of our Kingdom, but he is also one of the few Jarl´s in our world that I actually respect."

Lagertha decided to add her thoughts "my love, you have never been afraid to get your hands dirty for the sake of your loved ones. There has to be something else that is bothering you!"

I could not help but give a loving smile to one of the few people who knows me so well.

Lagertha´s eyes widened as she realized something "you found something more, didn´t you?"

I could not help but remove my hands from Torvi´s and drag on through my hair in frustration "I can not say if that man was born with best luck in the world or the worst. Yes, i found something else!"

I made eye contact with Lagertha before continuing "You know those black rocks of iron ore, that were used to create your current weapons?"

Both women could see where this was going as Torvi suddenly jumped out of her chair in exuberant joy and says "Does this mean, I can finally have armour made from the same metal?"

Lagertha shakes her head with a caring mind "You really have a one-track mind, think about everything else we can accomplish with this new steel besides weapons."

I smile at the reaction of my first Queen "Yes, the amount of the black iron ore I found using surveying spells was enough to equip an entire professional army whose only loyalty will be to us. With this new steel, our warriors will the most feared in the west."

Torvi´s eyes lit up like stars, as she imagined the possibilities.

Unfortunately, i needed to give my Queens a reality check as I continued "However, we will not be able to utilize our findings for some time."

Torvi´s excitement quickly vanishes as she asks with a pout "Why not?"

Lagertha started rubbing her face "Torvi if we come out with this news right away. How do you think our world will react?"

Torvi no longer distracted by the fantasies of her new armour stares at Lagertha with cunning in her eyes "Well, most will think that Haraldr robbed an honest man of a huge amount of wealth that the King was aware of but kept from him."

Lagertha raised an eyebrow "meaning?"

Torvi sighed as she replies "The people´s perception of Haraldr will change to that of a greedy man that took advantage of one of his new vassals. Meaning that both our enemies and allies will lose trust in their King to keep his word in any future negotiations or trade deals that we might want to pursue."

Lagertha then turns to me and says "How do you want to handle this?"

I give them both a serious look "we will start to discreetly mine the gold and ore in small quantities. Jarl Gunne is an older man and won´t be long for this world, so we will wait for him to die in battle or of natural causes. Then I will proclaim national mourning for the loyal man that had valiantly defended the Kingdom´s western border from the heinous Christians. During the mourning period, I will release our findings and spread the word that in honour of Jarl Gunne unshakeable loyalty in the face of our enemies.

The gods have granted the kingdom of Alfheimr a gift to ensure the Kingdom´s continued prosperity. I will make the man´s name synonymous with the word loyalty and have him stand as a beacon to our people that the gods will reward them for their continued service to us and by extension the gods."

Lagertha removes herself from the wall and walks over to my chair. She puts a hand on my head and says "I know this makes you uncomfortable, but it is all for the greater good of our people."

I winced as I heard that accursed word, Lagertha took both hands and encircled my face with them before saying "I am sorry, I know how you hate those words. But you are not the same as that Seidr King you mentioned from your old world"

'I had given Lagertha and Torvi an abridge version on my feelings regarding Dumbledore. I still hated those words though, they made me feel like I was turning into the man that ruined my life.'

As if reading my mind, Torvi had taken the other side of the chair during my introspection and says "You are nothing like him, from what you told me the Seidr King had all the power he could ever want to improve the lives of your people and yet he did nothing."

I was going to retort but before I could, Torvi put her finger on my mouth and asked: "Will you keep your newly acquired wealth to yourself?"

I gave her an affronted look as I replied "No!"

Lagertha catching on, turned my head in her direction and asked: "Are you going to share the wealth with the people?"

I glared at her for treating me like a child as I answer "Of course, I will!"

Torvi pulls my head back to her and says "Then, you are nothing like that man." the love was heavy in their eyes, as the tried to make me feel better about my choices.

I slowly pushed them away and say "I still have more meetings for the day, so if you still want to help me with your assessments of our current guests. Then get back under that disillusionment charm."

Apparently, very interested in sniffing out our potential poisoners. The wives were quick to return to the corner of the room, as Torvi once more casts a disillusionment charm over the pair.

It was not long until another knock was heard on the wooden door, however before I could even give my permission to enter the door was violently opened by the man on the other side. I could see that the guard standing outside put his on hand on his axe, ready to remove the troublemaker.

I gave the guard a signal to stand down, as the impertinent man took a seat on the other side of the table. But instead of giving his name, the man started observing my study with calculating eyes.

Having enough of this man´s disrespect, I put as much authority in my voice that i can before saying "You have until my hand touches the desk to tell me your name and purpose here, or I will remove you from my study personally."

I slowly lower the hand that i had just used to tell the guard that I will handle this, The man was quick to take my challenge head-on, as he stared at my hand as it was closing in on its target. In response to his arrogance, i slowly filled the room with my magical aura causing the man to show genuine discomfort on the pressure being placed on his body.

It does not take long before the man grimaces and says "I am Haukr, the Jarl of Värmland. I am here to enjoy the lovely scenery of your Kingdom and determine if you are truly worthy of my allegiance."

I start observing the man more closely now, he was a younger man in the prime of his life with long red hair and a big red beard on his face. He also had light brown eyes that showed no emotions and even though the beard hides it a little, you could tell that the man enjoyed his food.

I was well aware of the man´s reputation, so I was not about to leave anything to chance. I send out a Legilimency probe to read the man´s mind more thoroughly.

When I was finished I internally frown before a forced smile appears on my face as I ask: "Oh, and what is your conclusion?"

The now named Haukr smirks as he answers "I will acknowledge that your little schemes have paid off, and Värmland is now dependent on the trade coming in from Alfheimr. So I can admit that my Jarldom is for all intents and purposes subservient to your Kingdom. That is why I am willing to pledge the Jarldom Värmland to the Kingdom of Alfheimr at this very moment.

However, that does not mean that you have earned my respect. So, therefore, I will not agree to take a blood oath with you until you have shown me that you have my people`s best interest at heart."

I narrow my eyes at his wording, 'There is no way he knows that magical contracts only work if the person signs it with their own volition. He is also protected by the laws of hospitality while he still in my domain, so I can not get rid of him without breaking a sacred law.'

I stare at him intently before replying "I can not start a partnership on such shaky grounds if you will not sign a blood oath. I have to ask you to make a public display of your new-found vassalage under my crown."

I could see the irritation in his eyes as he puts on a hard smile "That I can agree upon, my King" making a half-assed bow in the process.

I make an arm gesture that he is dismissed, Haukr stands up from his chair and takes his leave. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me as he closed the door behind him.

I turn to the empty corner in the study and say "Torvi"

Torvi removes the disillusionment charm once more and asks "Yes, my love?"

I give her a hard look when I answer "That man can not be allowed to return home with his life, Haukr has already allied himself with Erlendur´s coalition. After the festivities are over, I want you to take Buckbeak and journey across the border to Värmland. Wait on the main road for his party to arrive and then make it look like an accident."

A glint formes in Torvi´s eyes as she replies "I will show him what happens when you anger the she-wolf."

I turn my head back around and stare at the wooden door to my study, 'There goes another man who will suffer for misinterpreting my softer approach for weakness.'

Björn Pov

'I can´t believe I called Uncle Haraldr, Father.' I thought as I was standing on my longship as we were approaching the shores of Kattegatt.

Sure it was only in my head, but it still feels like a betrayal towards Ragnar. My father might have changed a lot since I was young, with his love no longer feeling unconditional like it used to. These days it feels more and more like I am doomed if I do and doomed if I don´t.

If i fail at a task my father has handed me, he looks at me with disappointment. However, if I go beyond the call of duty to try and impress him, the only thing that I see in his eyes is jealousy. It has been a hard balancing act, that has been slowly draining for me to encapsulate.

But that does not mean that my brothers have to suffer the same, it was one of the reasons I wanted to return to Kattegat.

The port town no longer gave me the feeling of coming home, as everyone I have ever known there are either dead or have moved on to join Uncle Haraldr`s Kingdom.

As we arrive I put my foot down on the wooden dock and make my way through the town. After seeing the marvel´s of Borgund it was hard not to look at Kattegat like it was an antiquated mess. Everything here was still made of flammable and soft materials like wood, It was also not hard to grimace at the poor display of commerce on sale.

I ignored the pitiful scene at the moment, as I felt the urgent need to see father and ask what exactly he has been doing with the wealth we procured from Paris? if it was not to uplift his Kingdom.

I arrive at the great hall to two guards who bows before opening the door for me, once inside it was not long before I spotted Ubbe and Hvitserk playing in the corner. I decided to surprise them buy slowly moving towards them and ready to pounce, Ubbe spotted me sneaking up on them but I put my finger to my mouth to ensure he stayed quiet.

Ubbe smiles as i closely move in on Hvitserk before quickly pouncing, grabbing him under his armpits and throwing up in the air. A laugh escapes out of Hvitserk´s mouth as I start tickling him underneath his armpits.

I position Hvitserk underneath one of my armpits before pouncing on Ubbe with a smile on my face hoping to grab him underneath the other. Ubbe screams as he starts running around the room trying to escape my grip.

Unfortunately for him, I was to fast as I grab on to his stomach and throw him over my shoulder instead. I start tickling them both at the same time, making laughter echo through the great hall as the two boys were yelling "Stop it, Björn" in-between the laughter.

The laughter was quickly silenced as I heard the sound of Queen Aslaug coming into the throne room and saying "Why have you decided to come to bless us with your presence?"

Hearing the disingenuous tone, I return the question with some snark "can I not spend time with my beloved brothers?"

Putting the boys down on the ground, as I could see that frown on Asluag´s face to my question.

Aslaug answers "If you truly loved your brothers, Björn. You will stop interacting with that gods forsaken Seidr immediately."

I narrow my eyes "Uncle Haraldr is a great man who has been good to this family. He even gave Ubbe and Hvitserk their own training swords."

I look down at Ubbe and Hvitserk who had lowered their heads at my statement as Ubbe replies "Mother made us get rid of them."

I look back at Aslaug as she sneers "They were tainted with his foul sorcery!"

Feeling my anger rising, I pull my head away from the horrible woman and go down on my knees to reach Ubbe and Hvitserk´s level.

I give them a smile and say "Tell you what, I will make sure to talk to the local smith about making you some blunted axes to train with. So you will become powerful Northmen in the future, how does that sound?"

Both boys lifted up their heads with a smile and tackled me with a hug "Thank you, big brother."

I return their embrace before whispering in their ears "can you leave me alone with your mother for a minute? I need to speak to her."

Ubbe takes Hvitserk´s hand and pulls him along as the two boys leave the great hall together, leaving me with alone with the least favourite person in my life.

I push myself up from the kneeling position and stare harshly at my father´s Queen before asking "where is Father?"

Asluag scoffs "He is with his new favourite slave, a woman from the east that has struck his fancy."

Confused I reply with another question "Do you know where they are?"

Asluag sneers "Ragnar has been spending time with her in his private home in the woods."

'What is my father up to now?' i wonder as I give a small bow to the insufferable woman before taking my leave of the great hall and head in the direction of the forest.

I arrive at the small hunting lodge when my nose is suddenly assaulted with an awful smell. Seeing smoke coming out from underneath the door. I spun into action, as I ran up the door before I started kicking it trying to make my way inside.

The door breaks at my third attempt at kicking it, causing the smoke from the inside to engulf my face. I started coughing as I slowly moved inside the wooden lodge, it was only when I was further inside that I realised that I could not hear the sound of wood burning.

My confusion was shortlived however, as the smoke slowly dissipated leaving me with the vision of my father lying on a bed with massive bags over his eyes. While the woman beside him who shared slightly similar facial features to Uncle Haraldr´s foreign retainer sat on a pillow below the bed.

She was holding a pipe of sorts, with something burning inside it.

'most likely, what my father has been inhaling all this time.'

I run over to the bed trying to shake my father out of his self-induced trance.

"Father" I spoke gently, hoping from some sort of response.

The woman beside me decided to speak up "It is medicine."

I turn my head and glared at her before returning my focus back to my father and his unresponsive state.

Not knowing what to do and with fear that my father might be in some sort of danger, I grab the axe from my belt and aim it in the unknown woman´s direction.

I snarl "Don´t move"

I take a breath and say out loud "Dobby"

A pop was heard inside the room as the grey-skinned creature made his appearance "young master, call for Dobby"

I look down at Dobby with a smile knowing that it was quite benevolent in nature "Dobby, can you bring Uncle Haraldr here. Ragnar has taken something and I am not sure if it is dangerous to his health."

Dobby popes away before appearing a few seconds with a confused Uncle Haraldr. He looks at me confused before surveying his surroundings, seeing Ragnar on the bed in his trance-like state. Uncle Haraldr was quick to connect the dots as he walked over to the bed to examine him.

I observe as Haraldr start making gestures in the air before a frown appears on his face. He turns to me and asks "Who gave Ragnar, the opium?"

Not understanding the terminology, I point to the woman still being held at axe point. Haraldr looked over to the woman and stared at her intently.

The woman became uncomfortable as he starts talking "So, what is a Tang princess doing as a slave for a Scandinavian King?"

Shock formed on the woman´s face "How did you know? are you one of the ancient Wu?"

Uncle Haraldr nods "Something like that, but I doubt your shamans have the same capacity as me. Now, what I want to know is why the drug is slowly poisoning him even though he is magical." narrowing his eyes

I could see the rage in her eyes as she replies "The King asked me to help heal his pain, I could see he was mourning someone so I obliged. But then he wanted more and wanted physical pleasure as well. I am a princess but this man treated me as like his exotic whore, so I wanted to see him suffer."

I grimaced at her description of what my father has become, a part of was also ashamed that my father has fallen so far. If it was not for my deal with Harald Finehair, Kattegat would have stood alone against the might of the Kingdom of Vestfold.

Uncle Haraldr looked at her with suspicion "The question is, did your anger at Ragnar´s behaviour make you unconsciously strengthen the power of your drugs with magic. Or were you aware of your gift all along?"

The woman looked incredulously at Haraldr "Are you saying that I have the power of the Wu?"

This time Uncle Haraldr smiles "Yes, and while you can no longer stay here in Kattegat since you have caught poisoning the King. However, I no longer feel morally obligated to waste a perfectly good magical for the sake of Ragnar´s sensibilities."

Uncle Haraldr´s eyes turn hard as he continues " Now, don´t get me wrong the only reason I do not kill you myself is because you have potential. The only way to save your life at this point is if you come with me and agree to sign a contract in blood, that you are now bound to my family for the rest of your life."

The woman narrows her eyes "So. i exchange one form of slavery for another?"

Uncle Haraldr smirks "Yes, but in my Kingdom, you can rise high even as a slave. You just need to prove yourself to the community and its people. Also, leave any drugs you brought with you from Tang, I do not want that kind of filth in my Kingdom just yet."

The woman stands up and looks Uncle Haraldr in the eyes like she is looking for something. She eventually sighs and says "I will go with you."

Uncle Haraldr smiles and replies "Excellent"

He turns to me and hands me a vial of liquid before saying "That is a flushing potion, it will get rid of everything harmful in his system. However it will not be pleasant, it should also serve as a lesson not to get addicted to this particular drug."

I watch as Haraldr puts his hand on the young woman`s shoulder before looking at me with a hard stare. "If there is a next time, I am coming for Ivar" not waiting for a response the two disappear with a pop.

I should feel angrier that Uncle Haraldr allowed the woman to live, but a small part of me also felt that my father deserved it for neglecting his people´ safety. In exchange for wallowing in his own sorrow.

I stare at my father still lying on the bed completely out of it, thinking 'What am I going to do with you, Father?' before moving towards the bed and preparing for my father´s agonizing recovery.

Unknown Pov

The hustle and bustle of the kitchen was a rare sight, as the Jarl did not tend to have many guests since his father died. But today was a special occasion as the Jarl´s new allies who have gathered here for the sake of avenging his father death have finally arrived.'

Normally I would not be privy to this information, however with all this activity going on. Nothing was stopping the gossip from spreading throughout the servant staff.

A loud voice made me jump up in fright. "Boy, get out there and serve our jarl and guests something to drink"

I was quick to grab one of the trays with the jug of water and some clay mugs to go with it. Manoeuvring around all the other servants that were running in and out of the kitchen, I make my out of the area and out to the courtyard following the muddy walkway to the great hall where the big meeting was taking place.

Excitement filled my body as I was about to serve drinks to the largest gathering of Scandinavian powers in Sjaelland´s history. Like any young man, I was fascinated by the adventures the Vikings take on their journey west. The tales of King Horik raids into the lands of the west have been spread far and wide to the young boys of Sjaelland.

The fact that King Horik´s journey to glory was cut short by the puppet Ragnar Lothbrok and the devious Seidr was not enough to discourage me to one day join Erlendur and his brave warriors in seeing new lands.

There were others in Sjaelland who disagrees with me, thinking that Ragnar Lothbrok and his Seidr master have been a boon to our society.

I could not help but smirk internally at that 'Just you wait, the brave men of Sjaelland will prove the doubters false soon enough'.

I had finally reached the great hall, where two of Erlendur´s men were guarding vigilantly.

One of them approached me and asks "What is your business here?"

I gulped at the intimidating figure the man posed as I answer "I am here to serve the jarls inside something to drink."

The guard gave a suspicious look and says "pour one for yourself, so I can see that it is not poisoned."

Not, wanting to gain to draw any suspicion of disloyalty, I take the jug of water and pour my self some water before taking a tasting sip. The guard stood there for a whole minute until he finally made a gesture to the other guard to open the doors and let me in.

Scared of failing in my duty, I walked past the guards with haste. Eager to finally get inside and see this historical moment for myself.

Inside was a massive round table were three men were sitting while having a heated argument. Stopping myself from making any unnecessary noises, I decide to make my way around the table to pour the men their water.

I started with the first man, who was not currently part of the argument taking place. He did not look particularly intimidating with his soft features and a thick red beard without any hair on his upper lip. No discernable scars on his face, nor any great muscle mass to indicate a life of hard labour.

'This man was no warrior' I thought as my interest in the man lessened.

I walked over to the next man that was arguing with our Jarl, the vitriol in his words were easy to discern as he shouts "The Seidr is holding my daughter hostage, your future queen and you are telling me to calm down. I heard reports from my men who attended the wedding that the man drank a powerful poison and did not even flinch."

My jarl was not so easily cowered as he replies with heat in his voice "You might be my future father in law, but in my great hall I expect you to treat me with respect."

The other man huffs and returns to his assigned seat, I take this opportunity to fill his cup with water and place it in front of him."

The man looked inside the cup and says "Bah, water! where is the mead? You poor excuse for a Northman"

Fear engulfed me as the big brown-haired man with a proper beard and the eyes of true Viking raider stares back at me.

Luckily for me, my jarl intervenes by saying "I asked for only water to be served to ensure that clearer heads prevailed this day."

I run over to Jarl Erlendur and the safety of his presence before I start pouring him some water as well.

As I am continuing my duties with determination, my jarl decided to turn to the soft-looking man and asks "How many men were you able to procure for our campaign?"

The softer man sighs and says "Unfortunately, it is worse than i expected. The people are up in a frenzy over the Massacre of Verden, even though most of the young men are too young to remember those dark days. I have only been able to convince 900 men to follow me in our quest."

The man with a temper stands up one more and points at the man in anger "That is only one-fourth of the men that the Saxon High Chief can call upon. With so few men, we won´t stand a chance against Seidr."

The soft man replies in frustration " Don´t you think I am aware of that. My people are convinced that Thor is on their side. It does not help that when any Christian now approaches Irminsul with torches, they suddenly lose their minds and comes up with some strange excuse of why they can not burn it down that day. With Torvi Stormbringer by my side, I can finally claim to have the gods favour on my side and declare myself the King of Saxony. Only then will I have the men to challenge the Kingdom of Frankia´s rule over the continent."

The soft man then turns to my jarl with cool anger in his eyes "Which brings me to another topic. From what I have been able to find out about the poisoning, the apparent target of the poison was not the Seidr himself but his Queen, Torvi. My Queen Torvi! do you happen to know anything about this?"

Jarl Erlendur takes a sip of water before answering "Yes, I know who is responsible. I had to make contingencies, in case you failed to bring enough men in our campaign against Alfheimr. It was done by our newest allies, who have more reason than most to see the Stormbringers be put down for good. They have even secured allies on the northern border to Alfheimr, ensuring that the Seidr`s forces will be stuck from multiple sides."

The man with a temper seemed to be mollified by the news, while the softer man starts glaring at Jarl Erlendur "You, just make sure that Torvi survives your little crusade. Or I promise you that you will have made an enemy for life!"

Jarl Erlendur nods "I can agree to that, only as long as Haraldr and Ragnar die. I could not care less about what happens to his whores."

My jarl stands up from his chair and says "Before, we get into the details of our plan. I think we need some refreshments, you Boy! come here." Indicating with his hand that he wants me to fill his empty mug.

Eager to please I start filling the now empty mug with water. I look down at the mug to see that the water was slowly turning red, feeling myself having a harder time to breath I grab on to my throat with both hands as I feel the sensation of a warm liquid engulfing them.

As I slowly feel myself grow weaker, I look up to see my jarl standing there with a bloody dagger in his hands.

He smirks at me and says "I can´t allow you to divulge any of the secrets you have heard here today."

Not understanding why he would do this to me, I lean my body towards him so I fall into his warm embrace.

I could feel his arms encircling me as he is making shushing noises in my ear, the last thing I hear before succumbing to my fatigue is the sound of my jarl whispering in my ear "when you see my father, tell him that his inglorious death will soon be avenged."

Unknown Pov

I was standing in the courtyard as the men were getting ready for the perilous journey ahead. Fall had come to our home, which meant that the land and roads were covered by the cool embrace of the goddess.

As I was making sure that the straps on my skíð were attached properly, the sound of a young boy of 13 summers running towards me was enough to distract me from my task.

"Father" the boy shouted as he jumps into my arms and grabs on for dear life.

Normally I would have frowned upon this kind of behaviour, but after almost losing my life in captivity. I could understand my son´s reluctance in allowing take another risky journey for the sake of our people.

I look up to see that my wife Katarina staring at me with sadness in her eyes, I knew she disapproved of my actions but after seeing the aggressive expansion of the Southern Kings. I knew it was only a matter of time before they made their way to our lands. We might share similar gods, but here only the toughest men and women can survive the severe winters of the north.

That is why most of us here no longer worship the weaker gods of the Aesir but instead focus on the gods that have allowed us to survive in these harsh lands like the goddess Skaði and her husband Njörðr.

I will not allow those weak southern Kings to come to our lands and corrupt it with their soft ideals. No, the north should unite behind a strong leader and push back the encroaching southern influence. Unfortunately, the northern Jarl´s are as stubborn and proud as they come, which means that they will have to be persuaded with the stench of blood.

I look down at my son and say "You are a man now, son. The goddess will watch over you while I am gone, like she always has. Now, go to your mother so I can get ready for my journey."

My wife was now standing right in front of me as she pries our son from my arms and into her own.

As a woman who was born to a tribe even further north than ours was quick to hide her sadness behind a stone-cold expression as she says "I wish you good fortune, husband."

I give her a small smile as I reply "I will return to you, Wife." before pulling up my thick woollen hood and grabbing on to a set of staves to pull myself forward on the skies.

If it was not for all my newly acquired wealth, there was no way I could have paid to equip 400 men with the equipment needed for this endeavour. I have to make sure to move fast enough, that the cold winds do not freeze the river where are long boats await to take us to our final destination.

I made my way over to my commander Faste, who was making sure that the rest of the men are getting equipped and ready to go.

"Faste, how are the preparations going?" I ask

Faste turns to me and replies "It is slow, my jarl. If we leave now, the men that are carrying our supplies will only be a few hours behind. I must say, it takes a real mad man to plan an attack in the coming of winter, but I love it!" saying the last part with a big smile on his face.

I could not help but chuckle at his comment as I give him a pat on the shoulder. He was not wrong, no one would be expecting an attack at this time of year but that is why it will succeed. With the whale oil that we will be bringing with us, it will be easy to burn down the gates and take jarl Hroarr completely by surprise.

Not wanting to wait any longer I look Faste in the eyes and say "We can not afford to waste any more time, the men who are ready will follow me to the boats."

I put the staves on the ground and push my body forward once more to gain momentum. Using the strength in my legs and the staves beside, I was able to glide across the snow in the direction of the longboats.

The journey to the boats was estimated to take most of the day, meaning I will have to take breaks in between as I traverse the completely white covered landscape. As I feel the pain in my legs, I remind myself constantly of the reasons why I am doing this, keeping my wife and son in my mind. As I pushed myself to overcome those harsh slopes, that I had to utilize all of the strength in my legs to see myself through.

However, it was worth it as I was now staring down the valley to the top of the river Ljusnan. Which would carry our longboats downstream and all the way to our final destination. In my excitement, i allowed the sweet and cold embrace of the goddess to overcome me as I travelled down the final slope to my new destiny.

Arriving at the camp of the men assigned to guard the boats, I and the men who kept pace took our seats by the fires to warm ourselves up and wait for the others.

Seeing the men looking a bit unenthusiastic about the journey ahead, I stand up from the fire and address the crowd "Men, we are about to embark on a quest that will change our lives forever. No longer shall the northern tribes be dependent on the south, No longer shall we fear that they will come and destroy our forest in the name of prosperity."

The men rose up "aye"

We will make our own mark, as men of the north, the sons and daughter of the goddess Skaði will now take control of our own fates. We will unite the northern tribes into one powerful Kingdom who can stand against any southern invader, it is time to show these southerners that this is our land. The land of the mountains and rivers, the land of forests and snow, the lands of winter and frost. The land of the hard and strong, the land of survivors who can conquer any element in their wake."

The men respond "Aye"

"The land of the true Northmen, the Kingdom of Norðri!"

The men around me went ecstatic as they shouted out the new name of their beloved homeland.

As the men eagerly start to embark on to the ships and head downriver. I can not help but smirk, as I think to myself

'The northern winds are rising'

AN: That was chapter 18, now I have an announcement to make. I have decided to stop doing weekly updates of my story, as the continued stress of pushing out 10k+ chapters a week has made me neglect my family and friends and sometimes even my health.

Now I want to make something clear, this story is NOT going on hiatus, I am NOT taking a break from the story. But for the sake of my sanity and the fact that summer is now over, I need more time to write each individual chapter. I apologize for any inconvenience this might have brought on the reader!

In other news, someone asked me about giving Harry more lovers? and to that, I say: while I am not against harems as I have seen some very well made ones on this site. I do not feel comfortable juggling more women around Harry, it is hard enough for me to balance Trovi and Lagertha. So even if I wanted to add more girls, I do not think my current skill as a writer is up to the task. I also think that any good harem should flesh out each individual participant equally, which as I said is hard enough as it is. Besides, I think a guy like Harry, who takes his relationships very seriously and loves with such intensity would not really settle for someone he loves to be considered a lowly concubine.

Also, any side paring in this story will not be heavily featured unless otherwise specified by the readers. However, I do feel that every pairing in a story at least deserves an introduction.

Co-author: Pont1ac-Band1t