Kari slumbered on peacefully in her bed.

She had long since gotten used to sleeping on her own. It was a good thing, an advantageous thing even, especially in her state now.

The servants had been very accommodating, with others coming to visit her to give advice as to how to ease her discomforts. She was grateful to them as she had been irritable as of late, going so far as to snap quickly at those who came to deliver their grievances.

They had understood when she wished to be alone. They had understood when she refused to leave her chambers in the morning. They had understood when she would tear up in the middle of conversations, shedding tears for a man she knew did not deserve it.

It was of the hour when the moon was highest in the sky. Everyone slept peacefully in their own beds, exhausted from the events of the day prior. That was, everyone but Kari as she felt a sharp pain twinge in her abdomen.

Wincing, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she pushed herself up from her bed. She pressed a hand to her belly, running her hand over the spot comfortingly, hoping that the pain would reduce so that she can return to her slumber.

Unfortunately, it returned even more painful than the first. It came in slow progression. The bouts of pain crashing like waves upon a shore. Kari thought to give it some time before she could go to sleep once more.

She was proven wrong as the pain only seemed to increase as she calmed her breathing. Deciding to stand from the bed to walk around eased the pain a little so she continued to do so.

All of a sudden, she felt wetness gush down her legs. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She lifted her dress to see a puddle of water on the floor, her mind waking up instantly as she called for help.

A servant rushed into the room to find out what was happening, only to gasp when she saw that the other woman was going into labor. "I-I will call the healer, Queen Kari!"

"Yes, please hurry!" Kari answered, calming herself down and forcing a smile so as not to rattle the already nervous servant.

She let out shaky breaths as she returned to the bed, her own nerves overwhelming her. She never thought that she would ever have to go through childbirth alone and yet there she was.

There have been countless stories about complications in childbirth, the loss of the mother, the loss of the child, or even both. Those stories returned to her then, her heart rate spiking as she began to consider the terrifying possibilities.

Before she could dwell on them, the healer came running into the chambers with a few women with her. The women who had spoken to her these past few days, offered her comfort and kind words.

"We are here, Kari. Not to fear." One of them assured her, taking a place by her side and holding onto one of her hands.

With tears in her eyes, Kari squeezed her hand, looking at everyone else in the room. "Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am."

She knew then that she may not have the one person she wanted here but she was not alone. She had people who cared about her and she was about to have a child, her child. At that moment, she felt a semblance of what her mother must have felt.

Because even though she had not yet held her child in her arms, Kari knew that she would have done anything for his or her happiness. Anything at all.

After hours of pain, tears, and reassurances, the cries of an infant filled the room. There were relieved exhales and happy smiles as all the women looked down at the bloodied child in the arms of the healer.

"A healthy boy, Your Majesty." The healer informed her as she handed the child over.

Kari held him to her chest, sobbing as she did so. There were infinite words to describe him but the only thing that came to mind was perfection. He was perfect.

His tiny eyelids were shut and he had a tuft of brown hair atop his small head. He had been turning red from crying but once she held him to her chest, he calmed instantly as if he recognized his mother.

By the gods, she could not fathom how much love she had in her heart for this child. For a moment, her heart faltered with longing as she could only imagine how Harald would feel about learning of their son. But he was not here by her side. She had no need of him.

Shaking her head, she only held her son closer, knowing in her heart that she would give him the world. Pressing the softest of kisses on the crown of his head, she whispered with all the love in her heart. A silent promise that she would be the best mother she could be for him.

"My dearest Eric, you are loved. Never forget that."

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Harald had been drinking more than he should.

In the midst of such a happy celebration, a wedding, he had never felt more alone and miserable. Such laughter and joy only served as a reminder of his own wedding, a time that seemed like a dream now when it had been his reality months ago.

He grabbed another cup of ale, downing it as quickly as he could. He wanted nothing more than to drown in his sorrows, forgetting everything. Yet it was impossible when all he could think of, when all he could dream of, was her.

Today was a more painful day than others. By his calculations, she would already be close to birthing their child. She would be bringing a child into this world any day now. A child that was both of them combined.

He could picture the small child now, a perfect combination of them both. A wise soul with a dreamer's ambition. A child that would love their mother but despise their father, just as he was sure Kari did.

Distracting himself from such thoughts, Harald raised a cup to the happy groom. "Congratulations. She is a fine woman. It is indeed a virtue being a son of Ragnar Lothbrok. I really don't know why."

"Of course, you know why. You're not stupid." Bjorn answered, not liking what the other man was insinuating, that he had only gotten a girl because of his parentage. "You always wanted to be Ragnar Lothbrok. You felt like his equal. I know that. There was nothing you couldn't do. You didn't understand why people followed Ragnar and not you. Isn't that true? But you will never be Ragnar and you will never be king of Norway. Do you want to know why?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Harald gruffly said, masking his anger as he drained his cup.

Bjorn shrugged, his tone suggesting that the answer was obvious. "It has nothing to do with power, or titles, or your army, or your wife. It is in the gift of the gods."

It was extremely arrogant, to assume that a person's efforts are all for naught, simply because he wasn't chosen by the gods. Yet it was how Bjorn thought, it was how he was raised, how he was taught to believe. His superiority was a part of him and he did not know any better.

Harald replied, tipping his cup to the other man. "And yet the gods have given me the finest of women as my wife. I am happy for you today, Bjorn. You have married a beautiful woman. Of course, some would say that will be the greatest curse of all but I don't believe that."

Bjorn's eyes flashed. "But of course. I don't plan on making the same mistake as you. Still, that does not stop us from working with each other and trusting each other. Does it?"

Harald's fists tightened around the cup he was holding. The anger within him only rose at the other man's words. But it was no matter. He knew how to fake a smile and pretend not to harbor any ill will.

"Of course not. There are far greater things at stake than just a woman." Harald forced out, even as his sobriety was starting to return to him in waves, crashing painfully against him.

Bjorn retorted before walking back to his bride, capturing her lips with his. "I don't think you believe that. The man you were before would have given it all up for my sister. It is a pity how things have changed. She definitely deserves better."

Harald sighed, wishing to prove Bjorn wrong. His words were rash and reckless. He was a boy who needed to be humbled. Even so, he was right about one thing.

Kari definitely deserved better.

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Hello everyone! Definitely thought long and hard about the baby's name but decided to base it historically since in history, Harald had a son named Eric who was supposedly the son of a Northumbrian woman hmmm. It seemed like the perfect coincidence.