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The morning I wake to burning and screaming. I quickly get up and walk from my tent. Warriors from the Arabs bring me a blackened corpse and set it at my feet. I part my lips slightly and take it a gasp. I see Kol step from my parents tent. "Yrsa." He says and I look to his hands that have red liquid on them. I quickly move to him and see my father on the ground and my mother holding him in her arms.
"Papa." I say softly and run to his side. I kneel down and look at the knife. It's my brothers. I look to my mother as she is in absolute shock. "I'll find who did this mother. Then father will have a great ceremony to Valhalla." I kiss her forehead and then stand, trying to catch my breath. I try to not let it hurt me but it has. I have lost everyone in my family.
I walk to the mother of the child, the same one from last night and look to her. "I will find whoever has done this and make sure they pay for what they have done." I hug her tightly and try to soothe her. "He will have a great burial." I speak to her and hear horses. Every man and shield maiden hold up swords and axes towards the entrance. It's just Ivar and a few of his men. I look to them and he looks around. "Yrsa." I look to him and then speak loudly. "Find my brother and drag him from the back of your horses. And if he is not yet dead by the time you have come back, Bring him to me."
I take a breath and Ivar gets down from his chariot. "You can follow me." I speak to him and nod to Kol as well. We make our way to my tent. Ivar sits down onto my bed as well as Kol. Kol leans back on his hands as I pace slightly. "Your mother will have to rule these people." I hold my hand up. "She won't. She is going to be my fathers sacrifice. She has always said it. You know how deep their love is." I look to Kol and cross my arms. "Then it will be your lunatic brother." I look to him and then Ivar speaks up as he leans on his crutch foreword. "Or it can be you, like your father wished for you." He gestured and I make a face.
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"I could never rule these people." Kol looks to Ivar then nods. "The boy is right. They love you and they fear you. You use to tell on them to your father. But you always brought them food when he would lock them up." I bite the inside of my cheek. "I'm not a queen nor an Earl." Kol sighs and shakes his head. "My love, this is possibly the best thing that will happen to you." He gestured his hand out. Ivar makes a face to his comment and I take a breath. "They're possibly waiting for you. An army, power. All the men and women you want."
