Heart of A Viking

Chapter 8

1 Year Later - Takes place when Ivar is King of Kattegat.

It had been just a year since the last time Lír had been back to england. Sadly though, Ivar and Ragnar had gone back, but only Ivar had returned. Though despite their preparations and efforts, Ragnar was sent to Valhalla. But when Ivar returned it wasn't to a happy sight, he was happy to see his wife of course, but the other woman in his life, his mother had been killed by Lagertha. It only made him more angry, even to Lír, he was short and cold with her. He always left when angry for fear of hurting her or their child.

Their child, yes, was the only thing Ivar could truely love. He discovered later that, yes of course he loved Lír, but he wasn't in love with her as he knew he should have been. But he kept that to himself, for who else would want a cripple? He knew it was wrong but he realized it too late, for they were parents. Lír had noticed that Ivar was different, but she figured that it was because of the death of his parents. He promised he loved her, and she belived him.

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Lír walked down the hall with her son, who she named Leif. Six months old and such a beauty. He smiled every time his mother spoke to him, the same couldn't be said for his father. And Lír couldn't blame him.

Ivar wasn't there when she gave birth, he was too drunk to even notice her screaming for help. Though, being herself, Lír forgave him but she was still occasionally angry about it.

She entered their bed chambers and put Leif down in his crib, before laying down next to Ivar.

"Where have you been with my son?" Ivar said in an exhausted voice.

"Taking a walk, trying to make him sleepy," she looked over at her son "it worked." She smiled.

"So... you weren't visiting my brother"?

"Where you spying on me?!" She practically yelled.

"No, I had my guards follow you. I am King now, but I still have many enemies. What would I do if something bad happened to my wife and son"?

"Nothing will happen to me Ivar, certainly not with Hvitserk. Please don't do that again". She rolles over as far away from her husband as she could get.

*Flashback - Hvitserk's hut.

"Ohhh! There's my favorite nephew". Hvitserk said as he lifted Leif into the air, bringing him back down to kiss his cheeks. Lír was laughing, thinking that Ivar used to do this too, but now it seems that being King is the bigger priority.

Lír snapped out of her memory when she remembered why she came hear.

"Hvitserk." she said in a bearly audible whisper.

"Yes"? He heard her but his eyes were still on her son.

"We need to stop this, Ivar is my husband, your brother, and king. If he finds out, he'll kill you". She was almost crying, she didn't know who she was anymore.

"I thought you have been enjoying it".

"I-I did but ... ughh. I am married, I have a son, yes, you would make a much better husband than Ivar, but this is wrong. I don't know what is happening to me right now, I know why though". She couldn't look him in the eye, but she felt his eyes upon her.

"What do you mean, Lír?"

"I am with child." She looked up and grabbed her son. But she couldn't tell the look on Hvitserk's face.

"Don't react, even if it is yours, I couldn't tell Ivar that." she tried to leave, grabbing the door handle, but Hvitserk shut it back.

"You cannot do that, have you even had sex with Ivar lately?! If it's mine, Ivar will be nowhere him!" He yelled in her face.
She freed herself from his grasp and stormed out of the house.

"Do you know a woman named Freydis?!" Hvitserk yelled at her. She didn't respond and left.

*End of Flashback- Back in their chambers.

After the memory, she realized that Hvitserk was right. It had been too long since she and Ivar were together for it to be his. She hated herself right now, but Ivar had been nothing but horrible to people.

Killing his brother, continuously threatening his other, taking York, killing the priest with his burned cross. It was hard for her to believe he had it in him, Hvitserk knew that too. He was there for her. With all he's done, she didn't regret sleeping with his brother.

Lír came back to reality and turned over to Ivar and kissed his neck.

"What are you doing?"

"I want my husband. Is that so wrong?" She sat up and took her gown off, revealing her naked body.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I want you." she whispered with a smirk.

He grabbed her and pulled her down to him....

*Next Morning

She hated herself for what she did, with Hvitserk, with Ivar, but what choice did she have? If she told Ivar she was pregnant now, he would know it wasn't his.

She layed in her bed with her son, trying not to cry, she loved her life. It had been great. She was born a princess, then sold as a slave but treated with respect, and now she was a queen. But she couldn't help but think about her old English life, and while she wouldn't go back to it, she wished she had taken a different path since that day they all attacked Díera. Maybe make Ivar take another path.

"What difference could it make?" She thought to herself.

Her efforts not to cry failed her, she kissed her son before leaving to take a walk by herself, hoping to run into Hvitserk.

"Why did I do this to myself?"