𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 | Vikings²

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

K I N G D O M O N F I R E

SOPHIE'S UNYIELDING determination always landed her in trouble during her childhood, as she was never one to heed a piece of advice. Her actions were always driven by her thoughts, defying anyone's attempts to restrain King Ecbert's favoured child.

"Be careful," a voice drew nearer and nearer to where the young Princess was concealed. "It could be a trap."

The Heathens had breached the walls, and yet there she stood, armed with her sword as her sole line of defence, prepared to ambush them.

One could argue that she had taken leave of her senses, challenging a heathen army. But in her mind, it was fueled by rage, and her body surged with the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Nothing would deter her.

"You! Follow us," she heard his voice. King Harald was barking orders at his men. She held great disdain for that man.

"It's deserted! They've fled!"

"Set it ablaze! Ransack everything! Destroy it all!"

Numerous voices. She couldn't identify them all, but a few were familiar.

"Allow me! Useless! That one's valuable, for me! Oh, this is worth something!"

They pillaged all the treasures of the vacant castle abandoned by its inhabitants. Sophie was relieved they were all gone. She couldn't bear to witness them meeting their end before her eyes.

Those monstrous, bestial, loathsome creatu-

"What do we have here?" A voice inches away startled her, and she turned, thrusting her sword into the man's chest.

She froze, the rush of adrenaline escaping her as she beheld, the blood now staining everything - a sight she could never grow accustomed to.

She had taken a life. She had become a killer.

Sophie felt herself being hoisted by the neck of her dress along with her sword. Initially passive, she eventually snapped out of her trance, kicking and lashing out against the imposing Viking.

That wasn't part of the plan. Perhaps, she had been too proud of her combat skills to realize the Vikings were formidable fighters, and she stood no chance against any of them.

The man chuckled at her attempts to free herself from his grip as he continued to pull her along while she swung her sword weakly. He allowed it.

"Release me, you Pagan!" she hissed in her native tongue, causing the Viking man to chuckle once more.

The commotion they were creating caught the attention of the others who had been preoccupied with their hunt for treasures.

"Who is this?" a Viking asked, his eyes scanning Sophie's face and form in an unsettling manner.

"A princess?" another asked, inspecting her clothes from a distance. Indeed, she did look like a princess in her bloodstained dress.

"A killer," the Viking holding her stated.

"What's happening?"

There he was. Björn Ironside. He appeared to promptly identify her, a brief pause preceding the parting of his lips. "Release her," he commanded the man who still had her in a tight grip. Sophie was forcefully propelled toward him, causing her to stagger briefly.

"She killed Harbord," the Viking told him.

In a single deft motion, he disarmed her, taking a moment to examine her sword before handing it to Ubbe, whose gaze remained fixed on the young lady in astonishment.