In which Ylva Sigefridsdottir, also known as Ylva the Dread, had been an earl since she was a young girl, despite having two brothers, following the death of her mad father and power-hungry stepmother.
Hearing of the girl's feared reputation and...
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Ten years had passed since the Second Siege of Paris. Things in Kattegat and Ashton hadn't been the same since. While much had gotten worse, there were some matters that had resulted in some good.
Ylva and her men had conquered some lands near Ashton besides Kattegat and her people named her Queen because of it. Kattegat became a powerful trading station and Ashton did as well.
Aside from Freya, Gyda, and Rorik, Bjorn and Ylva ended up having three more children together. Halig, who was nine years old, Erik, who was six, and Thyra, who was three. Gyda was fourteen and Rorik was thirteen and like Freya at their age, they had committed to training in the same way their mother had. Bjorn had been hesitant to let his children endure the horrendous training that all children born on their mother's side had taken part in, but he knew it would make them strong so he allowed it.
The group of children and Bjorn were sitting at a table, eating their morning meal. Thyra was sitting on Bjorn's lap and like always, Halig and Erik began bickering, much to Bjorn's annoyance.
"Halig, Erik, enough fighting. Your mother will be here any moment," Bjorn scolded them, and as if one cue, Ylva entered with a smile on her face.
"Already here," She announced, only to have her smile fade as she glanced around, "Now, where in Odin's name has Freya gone this time?"
Gyda and Rorik exchanged a glance with each other before Gyda smiled and looked up at her mother. "To the cabin with Sigurd, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Ivar."
"Of course she has," Ylva replied in an aggravated tone, "It is just so hard for that girl to have even just one meal with her family. Instead, she would much rather spend all her time doing Gods know what with those boys."
Hearing their mother's complaint, Gyda and Rorik turned to exchange a look with each other, beginning to laugh, much to Ylva's confusion.
"What am I missing?" Ylva asked her children, who remained silent, "Speak."
Rorik sighed and turned to his mother, beginning to smile at her. "There's no need to worry, Mother. Freya is being well cared for."
"Especially by Ubbe and Hvitserk," Gyda muttered under her breath as the duo began to laugh alongside their younger brothers.
"Enough," Bjorn scolded his sons and oldest daughter in a stern tone, "Don't say such things, especially when they are not true."
"But they are true, Father," Gyda complained as she gave her father a puzzled look, "Why would we lie?"
"How about we stop talking about it and eat?" Ylva suggested as she sat down beside Bjorn.
As they all began to eat, Ylva sighed, turning to exchange a look with Bjorn as they thought about Freya. She was going to be the death of them.
