In which Ragnar Lothbrok raids England for the first time and in the process, he not only spares a monk named Athelstan, but a slave girl he ends up naming Tova. However, he soon learns that things involving the girl are not what they seem and she i...
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Several days had passed since Jarl Borg had been blood-eagled and in all honesty, Tova wanted nothing more than to forget about it. It had been a horrific sight and she hoped that she would never have to see anyone else meet the same fate ever again.
As the days passed, it soon became time for Aslaug to give birth. Aslaug cried out in agony as she was in a kneeling position, clutching her belly.
A high priestess stood nearby, chanting a prayer while two servants were kneeling beside Aslaug. Ragnar stood nearby, looking horrified by the sight.
Tova stood nearby as well, beside Siggy as she became worried about Aslaug and the child's wellbeing.
Aslaug was soon placed flat down on the ground, looking to be losing consciousness.
Unable to take it anymore, Siggy walked over to Aslaug and began to whisper in her ear, clearly hoping to bring the woman back to reality before the whole ordeal killed her.
Tova watched on, feeling deeply uneasy as she watched Siggy whisper into Aslaug's ear while the midwives pressed on her belly.
After a few long moments, Aslaug's eyes fluttered open and she began to sit back up. Tova knelt beside Aslaug, placing a hand on the woman's back as she began to push.
It wasn't long before the child's cry was heard and Tova smiled in relief. "It's alive, Princess Aslaug. It's a boy," She told her, only to have her smile fade at the sight of the boy's legs. They were deformed.
The baby was wrapped in a blanket and handed to Aslaug, who tried to hide her own uneasiness. The prophecy had come true.
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Wanting to say goodbye to Lagertha before she left to fetch her ships and warriors, Tova ran toward the woman's boat, holding a blanket. "Lagertha!" She called out and Lagertha smiled as she turned to see the girl holding out a blanket for her, "To keep you warm."
"You are so sweet, Tova," Lagertha replied, smiling as she hugged the girl tightly.
However, as Tova went to pull away from the hug, Lagertha grabbed the girl by the hand and stared up at her with a serious expression on her face. "What is wrong with Ragnar's new son?" She asked and Tova tried to hide her uneasiness.
"Nothing," Tova immediately replied and shook her head, "Be safe, Lagertha. I shall see you soon." She stepped back and sighed, staring at Lagertha uneasily.
As her ship began to sail away, Lagertha continued to stare at Tova with a calm expression. "How loyal you are to Ragnar, Tova," She spoke up and Tova sighed in defeat, "For as long as I've known you, Ragnar could always count on you to lie for him, even when it was to me."
