WRATH OF THE NORTH [BJÖRN IRONSIDE]

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Vál quickly sat up in her bed, sweat covering her body and she kept panting, like the air she breathed wasn't even close to be enough. She quickly looked around, probably looking like a distressed animal. She placed her hand over her stomach as she remembered what had happened. She slowly made her way out of the bed, her eyes widen when there was a smaller patch of blood on the bed. Guilt spread in her body, and sadness.

A servant had visited her the night before but she had quickly rejected her, asking her to leave yet leave the two buckets of water she had brought with her. Vál had washed her pants and they hung by the fire to get dry. She took a cloth and slowly washed herself between her legs, getting rid of the dried blood in the inside of her thighs. When she was all clean again she got dressed then she sat down by the fire.

Vál couldn't wrap her mind around what had happened, yet the blood between her legs made it real for her. In a matter of minutes she had gotten a baby and lost it. She wondered if it was Vidar's kick to her stomach that caused it or if it was bound to happen anyway. She wondered how long she would be bleeding. She knew she wasn't to far in and she didn't bleed a lot anymore but it was like her period. Then she started to think if she wasn't pregnant and she had gotten her period late. However the pain she had experienced and the amount of blood the other night said otherwise and Helga seemed sure about it. She let out a loud groan before kicking one of the empty chairs to the ground in anger. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and she froze. Her eyes glued on the door as she kept still.

"Vál!" Björn said and knocked on the door. "Open up I know you're in there." He said as he knocked once again yet Vál didn't say anything. She knew he didn't walk away and after a while she got up and walked to the door.

"Vál—?"

"What do you want?" She asked, trying to sound like her normal self, keeping herself from letting the sorrow to linger itself in her voice.

"You just disappeared yesterday, I got worried but Helga told me you wanted to be alone to rest your back after the fall." Björn said and she closed her eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked and she shook her head, knowing he couldn't see her.

"Can you open the door?" Björn asked after a while and she obeyed after some thinking. Björn smiled when their eyes met, it was kind and loving. It made her heart ache. "Much better, I prefer looking at you when I speak to you." He mumbled and smiled wider when he saw the light shade of pink on her cheeks as she looked at the ground.

"Sorry I stayed in yesterday." She began. "I guess me losing a battle took its toll on me." She lied which Björn seemed to buy.

"Don't be embarrassed. You're the best warrior I know." He said and she peeked up at him.

"Even better than your mother?" She said and raised her brow.

"Yes, at least when she's not around." He admitted and she laughed. "It suits you." He mumbled and she raised her brow.