Sunlight shone from the windows, the gentle rays breaking into the dark room like a thief in the night. The fire roared in the hearth, its tendrils crackling, almost like an animal waiting for its release to pounce and stalk its prey.

Kari stared down at the board game, her eyebrows furrowed in thought as she looked at the wooden pieces atop it. For every move that was made, she tried to think five steps after it to see its results. A good exercise, if you will, when the wooden pieces became symbols for living soldiers.

Ivar and Heahmund continued to play the game silently with both cautiously taking looks at the woman, seeing her mumble moves for the game. If Ivar was being honest, he had been moving according to her advice which is why he was currently at an advantage.

After some time, Heahmund broke the silence. "We will be fighting your brothers. Yes?"

"That's right." Kari answered, taking a sip of ale from her cup, not once lifting her gaze from the board.

"Perhaps even our brother, Bjorn. If he returns from his travels." Ivar added, meeting the bishop's gaze, only to see him looking at the woman at their side.

"Do they frighten you, your brothers?" Heahmund asked, looking between the two of them.

Ivar spoke thoughtfully. "No. Maybe Bjorn just a little. I don't find him very smart but he is a great warrior. They call him Bjorn Ironside."

Heahmund questioned, having heard of the viking woman many times. "And the woman, the one who killed your mother?"

"Lagertha." Ivar responded, a grimace appearing on his face. "I've sworn to kill her."

At the mention of the woman's name, Kari's head snapped up, her attention far from the game. Lagertha was a woman defending her kingdom but Kari could never forget what the woman did to her. What she did to Harald.

They were prisoners at the time but that was no excuse for what she did. There were some things that Kari did not agree with in their world, one of which was that sort of crime. There would be no excuse for rape, may it be affecting a man or a woman.

Now that she was queen, she was planning to make changes. Vikings raid and conquer but she would never allow such a thing to happen under her rule. She was sure that Harald would agree with her.

It had bothered him, to be sure. She could still remember the first few nights after their escape from imprisonment, how he flinched at her touch no matter how much he tried to hide it. She would never wish that sort of feeling on anyone and she hated that Lagertha did that to him.

"I have some affairs to discuss with her before her timely death." Kari carried on, thinking of the ways that she could get back at the woman.

"You will not stop me?" Ivar put forward, curious as to why she was agreeing with him, even helping him, for the first time in her life.

They had many difficulties with them trying to outdo each other, with both of them playing an endless game. Only in their game, it was not wooden pieces on a board but people in real places.

"Why would I? You are avenging your mother, I am avenging someone else. Let us call it a sibling's fair share." Kari offered, raising her cup to his.

"A sibling's fair share." Ivar smirked, drinking from his cup as she drank from hers.

"Where will you fight?" Heahmund moved a piece on the board.

"I don't know. Perhaps they'll blockade themselves in Kattegat." Ivar shrugged, responding in turn with another move.

It was silent for some time until Kari tilted her head, looking at the bishop. "What do you think?"

He was a brilliant strategist and a great warrior. Now that he fought for them, he would be a good asset to their army. Why shouldn't she take advantage of it?

Heahmund admitted, wishing to show his extensive knowledge of warfare. Normally, he did not care but he wanted to make her see that he was devoted to her cause. "That would be foolish."

Before he could add anything to that, Harald entered the room boisterously. His eyes fell on Kari immediately as he approached her.

"Harald, what are you doing here?" Kari asked, stunned at seeing him there.

"Excuse me but I will be taking my wife from here now. We have some duties to attend to." Harald said, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek, looking pointedly at the bishop afterward.

Kari shook her head, not agreeing at all. "Harald, we are discussing battle strategies. I cannot just-"

Without giving her a chance to say anything more, Harald captured her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. "Ivar. Hvitserk."

After acknowledging the two men, he moved to exit the room with his wife over his shoulder. Everyone could hear the two of them bickering until they reached a compromise loudly.

After all, the ships of their earls would be arriving that day. Harald did make sense when he said that the earls must know their queen.

"Maybe you can help us think of a strategy." Ivar spoke up, capturing the bishop's attention who looked lost in thought.

"Why would you trust me to do that?" Heahmund asked, reverting back to the game in front of them, no longer distracted.

"I thought that you would be motivated by the sheer need to be the victor but I see now what truly made you want to fight for us. I see the way you look at my sister." Ivar confessed.

Hvitserk's head turned to them upon hearing that, a scowl forming on his face. He did not like that the bishop was fascinated with his sister. Ivar rolled his eyes at his brother's reaction, after all, was it not obvious to everyone?

"And how do I look at her?" Heahmund questioned, trying to hide what he himself could not control.

"You are not so sly, Bishop Heahmund. You look at her as if you like her. A heathen? For shame." Ivar tutted amusingly.

Ignoring him, Heahmund continued. "Why did she marry King Harald?"

Ivar finished the cup of ale before scoffing. "Because he loves her and she loves him, or so she says."

Hvitserk cut in, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why would that be so hard to believe? Everyone knows that he saved her from Christians after they tried to kill her."

"And somehow she fell in love with him?" Heahmund asked, aghast. He could not believe that such a brute of a man could capture the heart of someone as pure as Kari.

It had to be forced, their marriage. Or perhaps even witchcraft. There was no reason for her to abandon her faith or her people unless she was forced to by a viking.

Learning of this strengthened Bishop Heahmund's resolve even more. He had to do something. Anything.

"There is a lot you don't know about our sister but you have to remember, she is a viking. By choice and by blood." Hvitserk reminded him, having grown tired of the conversation.

Ivar shrugged, not adding anything else as if he couldn't care less. He had made his point and more or less convinced the bishop to help them in further strategizing for battle.

While Harald and Kari were outside welcoming earls and tallying the number of men and ships they would have, they remained completely oblivious to another piece being pushed into place.

After all, a man who thinks himself a hero would always wish to save a supposed corrupted mind.

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Kari glared furiously. Her hand was itching to grab her sword and run it through something. That was if she could find it.

It seems that Harald found it funny to hide everything she was supposed to bring for that day, the day they would embark on their journey to Kattegat. She wanted to throttle him but she knew that she would just be wasting time.

There was also the fact that he might even enjoy her berating him and she refused to give him such satisfaction. He was an odd man indeed.

She looked through everywhere she could think of, under their bed, within their clothes, even where his ale was stored. Nothing. He put a lot of thought into it.

Finally, she opened the large cabinet and rummaged within it to see a suspicious wooden box. Underneath it was her armor and weapons, which she grabbed gratefully. She strapped them to her body as quickly as she could.

However, the content of the box still piqued her curiosity. Besides, if he placed it with her armor then he was probably planning for her to find it.

Shaking her head at the effort he would put into something when he could've simply just given it to her instead of making her go through all the trouble.

Flipping open the lid, she felt her heart warm at the object inside. Leave it to him to do something special right before they left. Even when she had insisted that she did not need so many things from him, he still gave her everything that made him think of her.

In this case, it was the bejeweled dagger he had given her when they were in Wessex. Only it was unsheathed, on its blade the true gift. It was shined and cleaned but on the blade, runes were carved into the metal.

ᚺᚨᚱᚨᛚᛞ ᚲᚨᚱᛁ

Harald. Kari.

She chuckled at his ingenuity fondly. Only he would think about gifting her such a thing right before they would go on a journey. She had no idea why he had a fondness for giving her blades but she was sure that he had his reasons.

Taking the dagger, she strapped it to her waist and moved to leave before the ships decide to depart without her. Not that Harald would let them.

Kari greeted everyone who came across her way, all of them bright and excited about the journey that their people were about to go on. Everyone was ecstatic for even a piece of glory.

Before she could find Harald, her eyes came across her brothers, bringing a smile to her face. They had not seen her yet, but she could hear their conversation over the bustling crowds.

"I'm ready to avenge our mother. Not because she was a good mother to me, but because Lagertha deserves it." Hvitserk mused.

"That's good enough for me." Ivar shrugged, looking mildly entertained as he added. "But are you ready to deal with Ubbe? Will you kill him even if he is your own flesh and blood?"

"If I kill Ubbe, won't my fame be assured?" Hvitserk retorted calmly, his eyes falling upon his sister. "Kari!"

Kari felt a smile grow on her face as she approached the two, leaning over at their boat. "Hvitserk, it is always good to see you. Ivar, you look more malicious than usual."

Ivar rolled his eyes. "Why, thank you. I work very hard to maintain it."

"Try not to kill each other." Hvitserk advised, heading off to help a man load up more cargo.

"Hvitserk seems to think that we cannot be friendly with one another." Kari considered.

"I do not think that is true. I think we know when to put petty things aside and focus on more important things." Ivar remarked, giving her a meaningful look.

Ever since they had met, they had always been clashing with one another. Their pride and ego getting in the way of their supposed alliance. Although they were siblings, they were also intent on one-upping the other.

"Like what?" Kari questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Revenge. Power. Glory." Ivar declared slowly, his face in ponder.

Kari nodded, thinking about what the other man was offering. Offering her hand to him, she offered. "Truce?"

For the first time since they met, he gave her a genuine grin. Ivar reached out to clasp her hand, the two of them coming to an agreement then. "Truce."

They both knew that there were still some disagreements between them, regarding the rule of Kattegat, but they also knew that they were stronger together.

They were brother and sister, after all. Two sides of the same coin, with traits inherited from their father. They might try to deny it but they were similar in many ways, the root cause of why they are always fighting.

They would fight together and they would win together. They would trust one another in this fight and when all this is over, they would talk about what comes next.

They were family and they were allies, united by a single goal. At least, for now.

Until power rears its head and renders the meaning of family null and void.

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Hello everyone! This took a really long time since the past week has been so hectic but hopefully, I am back to regularly updating. Especially since we're getting closer and closer to the fighting :0