— 33. Paris

Ragnar hadn't been the same since Tova had told him of Athelstan's death. He had taken it hard and they both knew who killed Athelstan but didn't dare to admit it out loud. Ragnar had shaved his head entirely and wore Athelstan's chain around his neck, not caring what anyone, especially Floki, thought.

On the boat to Paris, Tova sat beside Ragnar in front of Floki, the two men staring at each other intently. Ragnar tilted his head and continued to stare at Floki, looking almost taunting.

"Lord Ragnar," A voice suddenly called out, causing the duo to turn to see that they were nearing Paris

Tova's eyes widened slightly and her lips curled upwards, beginning to smile in admiration. "It's beautiful," She spoke up in a soft tone and Ragnar smiled.

"Indeed," He agreed, tucking the cross he wore, which was previously Athelstan's, into his shirt.

______

While the others were setting up camp, Tova traveled with Rollo and a large number of others on a boat to test Paris' defenses. Tova studied her surroundings closely, only to look up to see some of the Frank soldiers standing on the walls, pointing crossbows down at them.

"Raise shields!" Tova shouted out and the men immediately obeyed her. She glanced around, studying the Franks closely as they continued to shoot at them, "Row, row!"

It wasn't long before they arrived back at camp. When they did, Tova and Rollo were among those who arrived at the tent where Ragnar was to hold a meeting.

Tova ended up taking a seat beside Bjorn at the large circular table. She sighed and avoided eye contact with him. After all, she had been avoiding him ever since Athelstan's death.

"King Ragnar, we have reached Paris," Earl Kalf spoke up in a calm tone, beginning to conversation, "Now, we all want to know—"

"Up, puh, puh," Floki spoke up, lifting his hand as he tried to silence Kalf, "The King...my oldest friend has asked me to take command."

Hearing Floki's words, Tova turned and glanced at Ragnar. She looked back at Bjorn, the two of them sharing a smile.

Kalf glanced around, only to decide not to question it and instead just sat down.

"So, uh..." Floki awkwardly trailed off as he looked around at the group, "How do we best attack the city?"

Tova groaned, facepalming herself at Floki's words.

There was a long moment of silence as everyone glanced around, waiting for someone to speak up.

Unable to take it anymore, Tova sighed before deciding to speak up. "Some of us have taken a closer look at the city from further up the bank," She informed the group in a calm tone, "Those of us who have done that suggest a plan. We should mount simultaneous attacks both from the water and from the land."

"I will lead an assault on the tower and the gates of the city," Lagertha spoke up without hesitation and Tova nodded in understanding.

"We will attack the gates together," Kalf argued and Lagertha turned to glare at him.

"I said I would lead that assault," Lagertha responded in a low, stern tone.

"We may need the tools that Erlendur made," Kalf reminded her and Lagertha was quick to argue back.

"I will make that decision, if and when we need to make it," Lagertha informed him, trying her hardest to remain calm.

"I trust Earl Kalf to make it," Erlendur spoke up, earning a hateful glare from Lagertha.

"I don't think you were listening!" Lagertha snapped at him angrily and Tova turned to see Floki looking unable to process what was going on.

She turned and glanced at Ragnar, the two of them sharing a smile due to how everything was unfolding.

"At the same time as the attack on the gates, there will also be a river-bourne attack," Bjorn spoke up as he decided to break the moment of tense silence, "The ships will be filled with warriors and means of scaling, we will beach beneath the walls. We will climb up and gain entry to the city that way as well."

"In which case, Floki, you will be responsible for constructing whatever it is we need to scale these walls," Rollo explained and Floki's lips immediately curled upwards.

Floki snicked, smiling widely at the thought. "Oh, don't you worry about me, Rollo. I will make something truly astonishing. Just wait and see."

"Oh, I'm sure," Tova muttered under her breath, earning a small amused smile from Ragnar and Bjorn.

"All those who agree with the plan, say aye," Floki spoke up and among several others, Tova spoke in agreement, "Aye," Floki was the last one to say the words before rushing to stand up.

He went to walk out of the tent, only to be stopped when Ragnar grabbed his arm. Floki immediately turned to him, a concerned look on his face.

"Let's hope the gods bless your efforts," Ragnar replied, a small smile on his face.

Tova stood up and walked toward Ragnar and Floki. She gradually began to smile when she realized what the man was doing.

Floki smiled at Ragnar, who patted him on the shoulder before allowing him to walk away.

Once Floki was gone, Ragnar turned to Tova, the two of them exchanging a look with each other.

"You know there is a chance this might fail," Tova spoke up as she walked to stand beside Ragnar.

"If it does, then I suppose Floki will learn his lesson," Ragnar remarked, earning an impressed look from Tova.

_____

Later that day, in another part of the camp, Tova was making her way through. She passed by Erlendur, who frowned in concern when he saw Tova making her way toward Torvi.

"Torvi," Tova had called out as she walked closer to the woman who had happened to be the same age as her.

She was in the middle of sewing with some other ladies who had joined the warriors on the journey to Paris. She stood up from her seat and made her way over to Tova, a curious look on her face. "Tova?"

"I wanted to speak with you," Tova informed the group, a confident expression on her face.

"What of?" Torvi asked as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I would like for us to be friends," Tova confessed, a smile forming on her lips, "You are a kind woman and I can't help but feel bad about the position you are in."

"It is all the same we women," Torvi replied softly, looking down at the ground in shame, "We are married to people we do not love and have no choice in the matter."

"But you said he is cruel to you," Tova complained and Torvi shook her head slightly at her.

"Many women are married to husbands that are cruel. What makes me any different from them?" She reminded Tova, who sighed and gave her a sympathetic look, "It doesn't matter. There is nothing to worry about. I am not with child, neither am I a child. I can take care of myself. I don't need your help, Tova. I am fine with the life I live in."

"Forgive me," Tova responded as she smiled softly at the girl.

"There is nothing to forgive. You are just being kind," Torvi assured her and Tova smiled, grabbing Torvi's hands, "Uh..." She trailed off, going into her pocket before she placed a piece of jewelry into Torvi's hands.

Torvi's eyes widened as she looked down at the jewelry. She had never seen a jewel so expensive or elegant in her life, let alone owned one.

"This is for you," She informed her and Torvi gave her a puzzled look.

"A gift for what reason?" Torvi asked curiously and Tova smiled in response.

"A gift because I am a nice person and I wish to give you, my friend, a jewel worthy of a queen, which is what you absolutely are in my eyes," Tova explained and Torvi began to smile, clearly charmed by Tova's words, "Gifts such as these are nothing to compared to those of the heart. But I want you to know something, Torvi. If you never need help with anything or your husband does anything you don't like, you need only tell me and I promise that I will get you and your child out of your terrible situation."

"Thank you," Torvi told her softly, a grateful look on her face. Her eyes widened, watching as Tova pulled her into a hug and remained there for a short moment before walking away.

Torvi turned away and glanced down at the piece of jewelry, beginning to smile. She sighed at the sight of it, clearly moved by Tova's words.

"What is that?" Erlendur suddenly asked, causing Torvi to feel uneasy as she quickly closed her hand with the jewelry inside of it.

"Nothing," Torvi quickly responded as she attempted to walk away.

However, before she could get far, Erlendur roughly grabbed her by the arm and forced her to turn to him. "Let me see!" He demanded in a stern tone as he attempted to pry Torvi's hand open.

"No," Torvi cried out, tears forming in her eyes as Erlendur's grip on her tightened, "You are hurting me."

Finally, Erlendur was able to get the piece of jewelry out of her hand. He looked down at it and scoffed, an amused smile forming on his lips. "It is far too good for you," He complained, beginning to glare at Torvi coldly, "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing," Torvi quickly responded as she shook her head, "She was only being kind. She wanted for her and I to be friends."

Hearing Torvi's words, Erlendur laughed and shook his head. "Friends?" He asked her, causing Torvi to frown in concern, "You think she truly wanted to be your friend? And you are foolish to think she gave you this out of kindness as a friend."

"I don't understand," Torvi complained, shaking her head slightly.

"Tova Ragnarssdottir has no friends other than those in Ragnar Lothbrok's inner circle. And you are far from that. Tova is her father's daughter. She trusts no one. She does nothing without reason. She gifted you this to gain your trust," Erlendur explained in a venomous tone as he lifted the piece of jewelry for her to see, "She wants your trust so that she may gain information on me, Kalf, and our intentions. And you were stupid enough to think she was getting close to you out of the goodness of her heart, you foolish girl."

Torvi stared up at Erlendur, tears filling her eyes at the thought. She couldn't help but see he had a point. Everytime Tova spoke to her, she started with some kindness and charming words but it soon led to her asking questions about Erlendur.

Erlendor roughly pushed her back and with that, he walked away with Torvi's gift from Tova. She began to quietly cry and glanced down at her hand, which now had a cut from how hard she had been gripping onto the jewelry.

Just then, Torvi lifted her head, her eyes widening at the sight of Tova standing close by, leaning against a wooden post.

Tova stared at Torvi for a long moment, clearly studying all that just occurred. After a moment, Tova turned and with that, she walked away, leaving Torvi frowning in concern.

Was Erlendur right?

_____

It was nighttime and Tova walked up a small hill before she soon reached a place where it gave a clear view of Paris. She smiled in admiration at the sight, only to turn and frown when she heard someone approaching.

She turned and sighed when she saw it was just Ragnar. "Do you think we will succeed?" Tova asked Ragnar curiously.

"I hope so," Ragnar replied, clutching the cross he wore around his neck, "I must ask, though, what is this interest you have in Erlendur's wife Torvi?"

Tova turned to Ragnar and began to smile. "No interest in her," She confessed in a calm tone, "I pity her, of course, and I feel sorry for the situation that she is in. But I'm more interested in her husband rather than her," She explained, causing Ragnar to raise a brow at her, "Not like that. He is up to something, I know it. There is no way you killed his father in front of him and had the rest of his family slaughtered, yet he has come to fight alongside us as if nothing has occurred. If you had killed my father, I would want you dead."

"I killed your father," Ragnar pointed out and Tova groaned, face palming herself.

"That is not what I'm getting at here. I am saying if I were Erlendur and you did all that you had, I would want you dead. I would never side with you. And if I did, it would only be to gain access to you to find the chance to kill you and gain vengeance," Tova explained in a confident tone, "I believe that is why Erlendur is here. And what better way to get close to him than to get close to his wife and gain her trust?" She continued and began to smile, "After all, it isn't like I'm going to sleep with him after everything that's happened, which means befriending Torvi is my best shot at getting close to him."

"You're learning the game of politics and manipulation," Ragnar commented, beginning to smile, "You're becoming more and more like me."

"Is that a good thing?" Tova asked, a nervous look on her face.

"It depends on how you look at it," Ragnar pointed out and Tova sighed, "It'll keep you alive, but it'll also mean that you are corrupt."

"Isn't everyone a bit corrupt?" Tova commented, earning a smile from Ragnar.

____

The following morning, it was finally time for the Siege of Paris. Tova walked with Bjorn, Kalf, Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, and several others as they walked toward the shores of the river.

Tova looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of what Floki had built to help them breach the gates of Paris. She had never seen anything quite like it.

"Everything ready, Floki?" Ragnar asked his friend as he looked up at him.

Floki smiled, looking back down at Ragnar. "Yes! Everything is ready! Tomorrow, we attack Paris." He exclaimed happily and Tova smiled.

Tova turned, smiling as she exchanged an eager look with Ragnar.