Kari ran the ivory comb over her golden locks once more, sighing at the feeling of letting her hair down from the elaborate braids they had been twined in.

It was the end of such an eventful day and truthfully, all she wanted to do now was close her eyes and submerge into a dreamless sleep. She was dressed in a cotton nightgown, waiting for her husband to return from whatever business he was called to this late.

The door to the chambers opened to reveal Harald with a frown on his face. With nary a greeting or a smile, he fell face-first on the bed, letting out a loud, frustrated groan. She waited for him to speak but he remained silent, lying still as though he wished he would stop breathing.

"Long day?" She chuckled, looking at him through the mirror's reflection with an amused upturn of her lips.

"Why don't you ask your brother, Ivar?" He responded, looking exhausted and lifting his face from the bed to look at her.

She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the mention of the man as she continued to brush through the tangles in her hair. "What a way to ruin my evening."

He answered, standing from their bed to pour himself a drink. "It's hard to imagine that you two are related."

She teased, entertained by his frustrations. She may feel tired but it was always charming to play fun at him. "Why? Because I'm such a sweetheart?"

"Of course." He moved towards her, placing a hand on her shoulders as he leaned over to press a soft kiss to her temple. "Other than that, there's something unhinged in that brother of yours."

"Hmm, I've noticed." She hummed in agreement, turning to face him as he sat on their bed.

"You have?" He raised a brow in doubt, giving her the cup he was drinking from so that she could take a drink as well.

"You haven't?" She challenged playfully, downing the rest of the drink, and placing it on the table.

From the moment that her brother had entered the great hall, Kari had noticed an odd glint in his eyes. He would be unpredictable, that was for sure.

"Have you noticed that he doesn't like you very much?" Harald asked, his gaze turning into a glare as he remembered the words they had exchanged from their conversation near the docks.

"What? Did he say that?" She replied, eyebrows raised in shock, almost indignation. She had thought that he had been agreeable with her. It seems it was not only her who could fake a smile well.

"I assume it was implied when he called you Ragnar's impostor daughter." He gritted his teeth, the parting words from the other man lingering in his mind. If he was not concerned about the stupid alliance, he would've beaten the other man bloody.

Kari had a distinct image in her mind of herself finding Ivar and cutting off something that would make him less of a man. Granted, her father had never married her mother so she was technically a bastard but to call her a liar and an impostor. What a cunt.

"He said that about me? That cripple bastard." She cursed out angrily, wishing to steal her brother's crutches and watch him crawl around looking for them.

Before Kari could even think about doing that, Harald tugged her into his lap. As if by instinct, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair at his nape though her eyes remained fiery with intention. He found that it was quite adorable seeing her with the anger on her face.

It was not that he was against the idea of her imparting some much-needed revenge but if they were to become allies in the near future, there had to be a small bit of understanding between them. Even if it were made up of false pleasantries.

He was sure that if he had not stopped her, something terrible or perhaps even deadly would have occurred for Ivar Ragnarson. Yet in the event that their alliance falls apart in a dreadful mishap, he would surely aid her in her plans.

"What about the bishop?" He diverted the topic elsewhere, recalling the interest that flashed in her eyes when the bishop began to speak in that odd language.

"What do you think?" She peered at him curiously, wondering what had brought on such a question.

"I don't know what to think." He admitted, not sure where he was taking the conversation even though he was the one to bring up the topic.

She giggled softly, pulling the leather bands from his hair and combing through his brown locks for him. "Oh, my dear husband, let me have my fun."

He frowned, steadying her on his lap and holding her against him. "I do not doubt your merry-making but why the bishop?"

Harald would have been perfectly happy watching the two sons of Ragnar squirm and struggle under her plans but he did not like the way that the bishop watched her in fascination.

"Are you jealous?" Kari leaned against him, whispering in his ear and trying to contain the smile threatening to escape her lips.

With no hesitation whatsoever, he bluntly stated. "Yes."

She snorted at his response, enjoying the fact that he would so easily admit that he did not like the other man. Gently, she placed her hand on his cheek, making him turn to her. Connecting their lips together, she did her best to get rid of the frown etched on his face. When she felt his mouth meld onto hers and the frown replaced by a smile, she pulled away.

"You do not have to be. You know you are the only man I care for. The only one." She assured him, pressing gentle kisses all over his jaw. "Besides, Ivar admires the bishop greatly and I think I'd like to do something about that."

At that, he realized what her plan was, making him chortle in glee and anticipation on what sort of havoc she planned to wreak. "Very well. My Trouble causing trouble. You haven't lost your touch in the least. Maybe you can irritate him into an early grave."

"And when he is dead, Kattegat will be yours." Kari placed her hand on his chest, pushing him back until they both landed on their bed.

A delighted and almost comical expression filled both their faces as their lips fused together. Harald shook his head, baffling her at his disagreement until he spoke, cementing a new goal for both of them to achieve.

"No. Kattegat will be ours."

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"Why do you offer me this choice?"

Bishop Heahmund breathed heavily, turning to the other man in question. He was a prisoner, had been one for quite some time. He has heard many stories of crucifixion and blood eagles yet he had not been executed.

Now, he was being offered the choice to either die or use his abilities as a warrior to help his captor gain a victory by killing more of his people, more heathens. It was an odd twist of fate indeed.

Ivar looked down, not meeting his eyes as he looked down, his mind seemingly elsewhere. "Because I am jealous of you. I would like to be like you. Strong. And whole. A great warrior. That is why I saved you. And that is why I want you to fight alongside me."

The bishop found it more and more difficult to ground himself in the presence of the other man who wanted control over his abilities and spoke like a madman. He would never fight for such a man.

He would only fight for a righteous and pure leader, under a cause he believed in. That made him think of someone else. Someone who had piqued his interest.

"That woman. Who was she?" Heahmund found himself asking, his voice gruff, ringing out in what had been a space of silence.

"What woman?" Ivar tilted his head, confounded with the question.

"The golden-haired woman in the great hall. She was familiar with my prayers." Heahmund thought back to how her blue eyes were filled with familiarity instead of the confusion that rattled in her husband's gaze.

Even now, he could feel the soft pad of her finger as she raised his head to make him look at her. For a moment, he had thought he was dreaming. She did not belong in such a nightmare of blood, blasphemy, and carnage. Almost as if she were a mirage.

"Ah. Kari Ragnardottir. My half-sister." Ivar exhaled, his somber mood now gone as he remembered his conversation with King Harald. He was definitely someone easy to anger and it seems that he had grown to care for his half-sister, something that he could use against him.

"Your half-sister?" Heahmund's head shot up at that. He could not believe that such a woman would be related to the madman who had captured him. They were so vastly different but their eyes, their eyes held a similar intelligence in them.

Ivar rolled his eyes, irked at the thought. "Yes, my father's daughter with a woman from Northumbria. King Harald found her there and brought her back, making her his queen. No doubt, thinking that would strengthen his claim."

Heahmund turned to him questioningly. "A Christian? Does that make her one?"

Ivar cackled, pulling himself up to stand before the man in an almost mocking stance. "Do you really think a viking ruler would marry a Christian woman?"

Heahmund continued, not knowing why he kept asking, only that he felt the need to know more about their intentions here and about the mysterious woman. "Is she to sail to Kattegat? To have an alliance with you? Is that why you came here?"

"I do not see why my alliance with that ambitious bitch is any of your concern." Ivar sneered, turning to leave, his hand on the door to the cell. "Think on what I have said."

Heahmund knew that if he were to fight under that man, his almighty God would most likely smite him. He would rather die than fight for Ivar Ragnarson.

He needed to get out of here.

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Hello everyone! A bit of a short chapter just to show where the story's going! Of course, there will be more complications between everyone who wants Kattegat. Especially now with Ivar, Hvitserk, and Heahmund arriving.

Ivar and Kari will most definitely have a frenemies situation, leaning towards enemy heehee. Also, am trying to build up a sort of change in the story :>>. Anyways, stay tuned and sending you all my love