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...
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
It wasn't long before they arrived in Wessex. When they did, King Ecbert wasted no time inviting them to his villa to negotiate.
The moment they got off their horses, they found Ecbert sitting down with Princess Judith standing on one side of him while Princess Kwenthrith stood on the other.
Ecbert soon stood up and walked forward, a large smile on his face. "Welcome, near! I bid you all welcome," He greeted them kindly as he walked over to Ragnar, "Earl Ragnar."
"He is King now," Tova spoke up in a calm tone, causing Ragnar and Ecbert to turn to her, "King Ragnar Lothbrok."
"What happened to King Horik?" Ecbert asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"He met with a...unfortunate accident," Ragnar informed him awkwardly and Tova scoffed.
"That's a nice way of putting it," She muttered under her breath, and knowing she must have been talking about whatever Ragnar had said about King Horik, Bjorn's lips curled upwards.
They turned to each other and shared a smile as Bjorn playfully nudged her, causing them both to quiet laugh.
"Then we are truly equal," Ecbert had told Ragnar after hearing of Horik's death. He smiled and immediately walked over to the girl. "Tova! How good it is to see you again! I am happy to see you have recovered."
Without hesitation, Ecbert had hugged Tova, who frowned and remained in place. "Indeed," She awkwardly answered and turned to give Ragnar an awkward look.
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Moments later, the group sat with King Ecbert, Princess Kwenthrith of Mercia, Prince Æthelwulf, Princess Judith, and countless other Saxons at a table.
"It is my pleasure to feed you and prove the bounty of our Earth," Ecbert announced to the group in a calm tone, yet other than Athelstan, Ragnar and Tova were the only ones able to understand him.
"What has happened to our people who chose to fight for Mercia?" Ragnar asked King Ecbert curiously.
Ecbert remained silent and turned to Princess Kwenthrith for her to answer.
"Unfortunately, the forces of my uncle and younger brother have prevailed," She responded in a disappointed tone, "But if Ragnar Lothbrok, and you, Lagertha, would join with us, I am sure of victory."
"What does she say?" Lagertha asked, turning to Ragnar and Tova with a curious look on her face.
"She wants us to fight for her for the throne of Merica," Tova informed her in a calm tone as she leaned back in her seat.
"We came here to farm," Lagertha complained as she glanced between Ragnar and Tova, "She asks us to fight and to die, for a quarrel which is not ours."
