He was the conqueror. She was the sacrifice.
He was powerful. She was unexpected.
He was certain. She was uncertainty.
He formed a nation. She formed his world.
Together they would make history.
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xii. Ghost
Victory had never been so easy.
King Harald was sure that the Wessex soldiers did the best they could but at the end of the day, their loss had been inevitable. Just like the army in Northumbria.
For all their talks and battle strategies, it seems that the Saxons were no match for the Great Heathen Army, a result of their own actions when they decided to have Ragnar Lothbrok killed.
Their soldiers were weak and cowardly, running from battle once they saw plenty of their countrymen fall. It reminded him of the people who had abandoned Kari and left her for dead. Their retreat only enlivened his anger and he found himself cutting down men twice as fast.
There was just something in him that always seemed to come alive whenever he thought of her. May it be feelings of anger, of passion, of joy, he felt it twice as much when he would imagine her bright blue eyes staring at him.
Before he could further distract himself, he pulled Halfdan into an embrace, laughter booming from both their chests at their swift victory.
"Behold brother, the seat of Wessex. Ours for the taking." Harald regaled, pointing to the gated kingdom.
"It's ours!" Halfdan roared, the others cheering along with him. All of them were practically salivating at the thought of the riches and forged weapons that lay within.
Harald felt his heart pump with exhilaration as they pushed forward into the large structure, tearing apart the wooden gate like scraps. The adrenaline from the battle was still flowing through their veins, as well as the victory they gained.
His battle cries ceased once they had fully entered to see everything abandoned. Not the type of abandoned that was too organized, rather the type of abandoned that one left behind when they were in a hurry.
Everyone realized just after he did, the shouts abating and descending into a flood of murmurs. They all had a theory on what they were faced with but there was only one way to find out. If they pressed forward and there was no way they wouldn't.
"Be careful. It could be a trap." Bjorn warned them, his eyes wary at the empty space.
Harald and Halfdan nodded at the same time, taking the warning in stride. They would watch each other's backs as they've always done.
"You! Follow us." Harald called out to a group of men in their army as they charged toward the open gate.
His eyes scanned every inch of the place but there was nothing. No sign of life. Everything that was once here was gone. Truly gone. There was nothing left. The people of Wessex had abandoned their seat of power. They had fled.
Harald picked up a small chest before using his ax to break open the lock. A smile spread on his face as he saw its contents. It turns out, they did not take everything when they left.
