"Are you sure there is no other route, must we travel up the coast of Frankia?"

"Bjorn, I have sailed this sea since I was a small child, there is no way through. If you want to carry the boats, we could try that." She smirked as she looked up at Bjorn, watching as he dismissed her teasing. It had been almost a week since she had caught Ivar having sex with Margrethe, Ivar begging for a chance to talk, but Nerida would not even acknowledge him.

"We should be ready to set sail soon, but before we leave—there is something I want you to do." Bjorn said as he took the map from the table, Nerida lowering her eyes as she was not in the mood to do any favors for anyone.

"What Bjorn? I have already forged you a sword and a shield, and I have trained the men and the women. What else can I do?" Nerida asked as she crossed her arms and leaned back against the large table, her eyes looking past Bjorn as she saw Ivar waiting for her. He followed her everywhere that he could, begging her over and over for a chance to talk.

"I want you to speak to Ivar, and you will not leave the shores of Kattegat, until you do." Bjorn said as Nerida darkened her gaze at him. He had been trying to convince her to speak to Ivar for two days, but she refused to even look at him, since when she did her heart would break.

Nerida threw a cup at the large wooden door as Bjorn left, several slave girls jumping as the cup shattered on impact. She slowly turned back to face Ivar, her eyes low as she watched him crawl over to the table and into his chair. She could see that he was nervous and that he had been crying, since his eyes were red and raw.

"How was she? Could you taste your brothers on her flesh?" She hissed as she walked over to him and got into his face, watching as anger filled his eyes. "I was ready to give myself to you Ivar, ready to be with you body and soul. Why? Why would you have sex with her?"

"I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH HER!" Ivar screamed causing Nerida to step back in shock since he had never risen his voice to her. "Can we speak of this in private?" He asked through clinched teeth as he slipped from his chair and began walking towards his chamber, Nerida following reluctantly.

"What do you mean? I saw you and her right here—in this bed." Nerida asked as she felt hot tears sting the corner of her eyes.

"What you saw, was not what happened. After I could not pleasure you, I became so angry. I wanted to prove that I could pleasure a woman, but I was too ashamed to face you. It was the same with her as it was with you, I did not enter her—all I did was bring her pain. I wanted to kill her, but she swore not to tell a soul—that I cannot pleasure a woman." Ivar said as he turned away from her and crawled into his bed, his head in his hands as he cried silently.

Nerida sighed and sat down on the bed, her back to him as she felt lost, her heart and head pulling her in two different directions. She wanted to hate him, but in her heart, she still loved him, and she knew that she was fated to him no matter how angry she was.

"Do you love her?"

"I could never love anyone but you, Nerida. I loved you the moment I saw you laying in the sand that morning you washed ashore. I feel as if the gods hate me. First I am born boneless and now—I lost the only woman I will ever love." Ivar said as he reached over and grabbed her hand in his. "I know you are going with Bjorn, and I have been asked to go with my father. I do not know if we will ever see each other again." Ivar whispered as he brought his hand to her lips, a single tear falling from Nerida's eye.

"You will see me again, Ivar—we are fated." She said watching as a smile worked its way over his face, a hopeful smile. "I believe the gods are testing us, Ivar. Our journeys will be our greatest test, and if we survive and come back to one another—we will marry." Nerida said as she scooted further down onto the bed, closing off space between her and Ivar.

"When you return to me my precious Nerida, I will make you my wife." Ivar promised as he leaned in and kissed Nerida, her heart slowly mending as she knew now that the powerful storm that brought her to Kattegat was truly the work of the gods.

"If I do not return—"

"No, do not speak of such things. You will come back and when you do, we will marry." Ivar said insistently as he gripped her hand tighter, a smile warming her face as she knew he was right, for they were fated, and nothing was going to change that.

**

Nerida yelled in anger as a piece of scalding metal hit her arm, another bright red burn quickly showing as she dropped her hammer to the table and sat down to collect her thoughts. Her eyes shot up as she saw a figure walk into her shop, her gaze darkening as she saw it was the last person she wanted to see; Margrethe.

"I came to offer my apology to you, Nerida." She said in a sweet voice that made Nerida flinch as she stood, her eyes looking her up and down as she knew that darkness laid in her heart.

"No—you came to feel me out and make sure that I would not slaughter you as you slept." Nerida smiled as she took her dagger from its sheath and held it tight in her hand. "Come closer slave girl, I will not hurt you." Nerida smiled as she saw the fear in Margrethe's eyes, a fear that was justifiable, since Nerida wanted nothing more than to kill her.

"I will not tell of Ivar's secret." She whispered as Nerida saw the lie shining through her eyes, a smirk on Nerida's face as she offered a seat to the young woman.

"I know you are lying, but I would like to tell you a story. You see Margrethe, I was a pirate, and I was a vicious one. I was only 9 when I killed a small slave girl for lying to me. If I am willing to kill her, I am more than willing to kill you. If I ever see you with Ivar again, I will pull your heart from your chest." She whispered as Margrethe ran off into the distance, a smile on Nerida's face as she felt proud of herself.

"So, the stories I have heard about you are true? Nerida ." Ragnar said causing Nerida to jerk around to face her, her jaw clinching as she was not in the mood for his voice, or his presence.

"Does your presence have a point?" She asked as she looked sternly at the King, watching as a smile ran over his scarred face. She had wanted them to get along, but with his resentment towards pirates and his refusal to see her as anything else, made getting along more than difficult.

"I came here to ask you to come along with Ivar and me to England. I am not blind to the lie you told my son Bjorn. You killed Rollo's son when you raided Paris years ago, and you and I both know what will happen when he sees you. You may not be a pirate, but your reputation does not change because your heart does." Ragnar spoke, Nerida sighing as she knew he was right. Her heart still broke for the little boy she killed, remembering how he had moved in front of his father and taken her knife to his heart. The look in his dying eyes still haunted her.

"That knife was meant for Rollo. He captured some of my crew and tortured them until they begged for death. He stuck their bodies on spikes and placed them at the castle doors for all to see and witness. I do not know who your brother was before, but now he is a cowardice lying snake. Why do you want me to go with you? You hate me, Ragnar and I don't much care for you." She admitted as she grabbed her hammer and the sword she was trying to shape, her eyes watching as Ragnar walked into her shop and began to look at her completed swords.

"I do not hate you. I am envious of you, for you have seen a world that I never even thought could exist. You tell stories that I could never imagine, and your fame has reached the furthest reaches of this world. My son Ivar is deeply in love with you, and I know you are with him. We both know if you go with Bjorn, you will die and that, would destroy Ivar." Ragnar spoke as Nerida looked away from him and down at her anvil.

"Why are you going to England, Ragnar? You come back after all these years and suddenly want to go back to the land that killed so many of your people. I am not blind to the ways of the world, Ragnar, so tell me the truth." She said as she turned to face him, her curiosity something that she could not hide.

"I am going to England to die. That is all you need to know." He said simply, Nerida nodding her head as she fully understood him now. Ragnar sat in the shop as Nerida worked on the swords for the men and women, a comfortable silence flowing between them as Nerida knew Ragnar was right. She could not go with Bjorn to the Mediterranean, she had to go with Ivar. She knew that Bjorn would be furious with her, but that was a risk she had to take.

***

"You cannot back down, Nerida! You promised fealty to me, we made a pact in blood I expect you to honor it!" Bjorn yelled as Torvi took the frighten children out of the home, Nerida feeling her chest tighten as she did not like to be yelled at.

"You have my fealty, but Ivar is going to be my husband and I must be there with him! I have traveled those seas and seen the villages and homes that you dream of seeing! I will not risk my life for your ambition Bjorn! I will fight along side you in battle if ever needed but I will not sail with you!" She screamed back as she stood her ground.

"Do not yell at her!" Ivar yelled from the doorway, his brow lowered as his eyes were fixed on Bjorn. "She does not want to go with you brother, she wants to be with me, her future husband. You must accept that." Ivar said in an almost gentle tone, a smile on his face as his eyes caught Nerida's, her lip twitching into a smile as she looked up at Bjorn.

"How can you change your mind like this? I need you by my side Nerida! If you want to go with my father and Ivar then go, but—you will not be welcome back to Kattegat." Bjorn hissed as he turned and stormed from his home, Nerida feeling a wave of guilt and confusion wash over her. She knew what her heart wanted, but Bjorn was right, she had pledged her fealty to him in blood.

"Do not listen to him my love, his word means nothing. My mother is queen and If I say so, no harm will come to you." Ivar said as he crawled over to her, Nerida smiling down on him as she felt conflicted.

"I made a pact; and I must honor that. I have never gone back on any word I have given, and I refuse to do so now." She said as she knelt by Ivar's side watching as a great sadness filled his deep blue eyes. "The gods are testing us, Ivar. We will not fail them."