Work Text:
Torvi's Point Of View
It was my mother-in-law who has died and it was not a natural death someone in Kattegat has murder her and I do feel a little guilty because she was only in Kattegat for me. Bjorn was not going to be happy with his mother's death, I'm not happy about it nor are my children Erik is not doing well, Guthrum is not talking, Siggy is wanting Bjorn, Hali is siting on the docks waiting for Bjorn, Asa is not leaving my side because she is afraid that she's lose me to and my little baby who has not seen this world yet when they will be here they will have missed meeting their lovely Grandmother, Lagertha.
"You are planing her funeral while you are with child and looking after all of your children because Bjorn is away, with your father." Margrethe asked me as she sat with me on at the table while I was holding a cup of water and trying not to be sick.
"Yes I have to plan it though I do not wish to have Bjorn miss his mother's funeral but I can not help it if he does not return, my children need to be able to say goodbye, the people need to, the sons of Ragnar need to as does you and I, we all need it." I told Margrethe who nodded while the doors to the Great Hall where opening and the sons of Ragnar where walking in but not my husband, I was not sure that he was still alive because he was breaking my father out of someone's hold.
"Hello Margrethe, Torvi how's the planing coming along?" Freydis asked us as she joined my table, seeing as this was my Great Hall now because Lagertha is gone and Bjorn's has been King for about a year now and I have been Queen now for that long too.
"It's going, but at the same time I'm looking after my children who just want their father and mourning Lagertha, while dealing with all of the problems that the villagers are having along with sorting out some of the trading that is now happening with Kattegat." I told them only for my niece and nephew to walk over to me, Halfdan had two children with Astride and they are both gone so I look after them and Angrboda too.
"Where's uncle Bjorn?" Estrid asked me and I just looked down at her and knew that I was going to be sick again so I ran to the doors and stuck my head out, loosing all of the food that was in my stomach.
"What is wrong with Aunt Torvi?" Gorm asked and it was Margrethe who responded,
"She has a baby inside her and it's making her a little sick when she eats food, or smells something yuck." Thank the gods that Ubbe married someone that I love as did Ivar with Freydis though Hvitserk's wife Thora i do not know much about and no mater how much i try she turns me down so I've stopped trying.
"Queen Torvi the ship has finished being built, would you like to see it?" The slave girl, Ingrid asked me and I knew that I would have to go.
"Give me one second then I will be there I just have to put Asa in her coat." I told her and she nodded then I turned around in the Great Hall and walked towards Asa's room to find one of the coats that I made the other day seeing as Hali, Siggy, Guthrum and Erik all had their own coats on.
"Asa come here." I said from her bed once she was there I put on her knew coat because I knew that the old one was getting to small but I would just reuse it with my unborn child once they are here.
"Thanks mummy." She said and then I picked her up and walked out of the bedroom to have all eyes on me,
"My children are they still out near the docks waiting for Bjorn to be back?" I asked and Angrboda and Liv said that they would go and check for me.
The ship was like one of the ones that Floki used to build before he died, it was a sad day for my family that day because we lost Floki and Hegla in the same day, Angrboda is all that we have left of them both, other then the ships Floki made for Bjorn and the toys that his made for my children over the years. I walked all the way down the hill, till I was at the ship. I put one foot on the ice wanting to know if it will hold my weight once I knew that I would be fine I walked out and onto the ship, it will need many things including someone to sacrifice themselves to go on with Lagertha because she definitely does not need help though I wish to give her help and I cannot do that anymore so I must send someone with her.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Freydis asked me as I moved Hali's chair in so he could watch what was happening, all my children where in the Great Hall, watching as someone was to be chosen to go to the next life with Lagertha, their Grandmother.
"You are all here because you wish to give your life so that you get to go on to the next life with Lagertha, a woman who changed many things for us the way we fight, the way we love, the way we look after one another and for me it was so much more for me she was like the mother that I never had, if i was anyone else I would give my life for Lagertha's in a heartbeat but I'm with child and my husband and children would not like me doing so, so now we let the Raven pick who will be going on to the next life with my mother-in-law." I told them and the Raven was let go it flew around for a little while just as it was to land on someone it changed from one to another till it was resting on a woman's shoulder.
"Who are you?" I asked her and she said a name that I have not heard in a long time...
"I'm Gyad, my mother always said that my path would cross with Lagertha because I was named after her daughter, Queen Torvi." She said with a smile.
"Do not die a death with fear, we will leave you now." I said and everyone from the Great Hall left including my family and me.
The ship was covered in flowers, leafs and berries this is the first time that I have seen it because I was to busy looking for Lagertha's crown and the necklace that Ragnar gave her, the rings from Floki and Helga and the bracelet from Bjorn and I. The dress that Lagertha was wearing was the one that I made for her to wear on the day that Bjorn was to come back, she made me a dress to and that was what I was wearing, with a wrap around my head trying to stay warm in the winter. My children, the sons of Ragnar, their wives, children and myself where all on the ship but it was not the same as it would be if Bjorn was here.
"Lagertha, you where more of a mother to me then my own mother was. You have helped me through all of my child births and now I will have to do this last one alone, if it is a girl she will be named after you. You gave me your blessing to marry Bjorn and that meant a lot to the both of us knowing that you where happy for the two of us. I love you Lagertha and you may be gone but I will always remember you and you will be with me till my last breath. You where born for being a Queen Of Kattegat and you are the mother of Norway." I said and I was the last to speak out of all of us though I knew Bjorn would wish to be here but he is not because of my father sending word for him, he lost his mother. Asa and Hali where either side of Lagertha telling her something that I could not hear, but once they where done I started singing.
We all left the ship, and just before it was lit aflame my husband walked down the pathway on the hill and sat on the snow in front of me and our children... he looked broken. Someone who was not one of our men was standing next to me, holding a crown in his hands. I put Asa down and sat on the Ground next to Bjorn.
"It is my mother?" He asked and I nodded moving his hands to my stomach because the baby was kicking at hearing Bjorn's voice.
"Queen Lagertha Lothbrok, was more famous then a lot of men are and now she is gone not being able to met my child which will be born soon, not getting to see Hali get his arm ring nor know the fact that her son is now the first King of all of Norway. You where more then a Queen to me you where my mother, my world and you gave birth to me and raised me without my father their. You lost my sisters and brother but you still kept going, you are always going to be a Queen but above all you will always be my mother and my children's grandmother. I was not here to stop you from getting murder but I promise you that I will avenge you even if it is the last thing that I do, I love you Lagertha the shield maiden my mother." Bjorn told us all with tears rolling down his cheeks, I had tears in my eyes as did all of our children and so did all of the people from Kattegat. The arrows where lit and fired till the ice broke and the ship started to burn, Asa ran out onto the ice with all of her brothers and sister, watching through the ice.
"Her death will not go without a punishment, my husband, I have missed you and so have our children. I am sorry that you lost your mother and that it happened under my watch, while you where away helping my father. I'm sorry Bjorn." I told him and he nodded moving so that he was behind me and crying into my shoulder where no one could see and his hands resting on our baby.
"It is not your fault it is who ever killed my mothers fault, Torvi do not worry about it. Stress is bad for our baby and I do not wish to lose anyone else so soon. And I know that I will she her again one day." He told me before turning my head to kiss me.
"Alright. Guthrum is not talking, Siggy only wants you, Erik is not doing so well, Hali has been sitting on the docks everyday waiting for you to come back home and Asa will not leave my side for more then a few minutes." I told him and he nodded before looking back out over the water. I wanted to ask about the man behind us though I knew now was not the time so I just stayed in the snow with Bjorn and one by one all of our children joined us and people where leaving till it was only our family and the man holding the crown.
We left after we could no longer see the ship, the Great Hall was full of people who where feasting and telling their stories about Lagertha and it was good but I knew Bjorn would not wish to be around this for long not after having done this with his father already. Our table was full of our family and the man who had a crown, Bjorn had Asa in his lap and was talking to her about something while the rest of our children where talking as was my nieces and nephew, it was Estrid, Angrboda and Gorm talking together they where all around the age of Erik, Guthrum and Siggy.
"You can leave if you wish I know that this must be hard." I told Bjorn who just looked across the hall before turning back to me and saying,
"I will stay out here for another hour or two then I will go to sleep or at least try too." Bjorn grapes my hand and then kissed it before letting go of it so he could pick Asa up off the floor.
"Okay, who is the man at our table Bjorn, you bought him back with you, the last person you did that with was my brother and he never left only got Astride with child then they both died and we started looking after Estrid and Grom." I told him and he just looked at the end of the table and said,
"Erik, his name is Erik and he saved my life. When your father found out that I was King and not him he lost it and Erik saved me so I owe him my life." Bjorn said and I knew that I would be nice to Erik now seeing as he saved my husband from my father, what a great family but I guess what more can you expect my father took my brothers wife then killed my brother and now he has tried to kill my husband too.
"Alright I will treat him with respect but if he double crosses us I kill him." I said and Bjorn nodded.
"Good night!" I said across the table knowing that my sons would stay up late and Hali was already in bed Asa was probably going to sleep in Bjorn and I's bed again.
"Good night, will'll see you in the morning." They all said as Bjorn and I left them for our bed and I knew that any other night we would kick them out but no body wants to be alone tonight.
Hvitserk was the one to kill Lagertha and Bjorn was not happy about that. He burnt him on a stick in front of all of Kattegat only to save him at the last minute he said that it was for the sake of Hvitserk and Thora's children and that he would not wish for his own children to have to see his death so he would have to live out in the woods and that he was not to come back to Kattegat, of course it was that moment when my water made the choice to break. I grabbed Bjorn's arm and he just looked at me before looking down at the water and he looked across the crowd once he found Margrethe and Freydis he yelled out to them both.
"Bjorn you have a son, a daughter and another daughter you have three knew children." Freydis told Bjorn who just looked at me with our three knew Borns in my arms.
"This one looks like your mother a little." I said and he just nodded saying,
"We name them Lagertha after my mother, then this one looks like my sister with her hair so we shall name her Gyad and then our son will be named after my father Ragnar." Bjorn said kissing all of them on the heads, then me on the lips. He took them away and put them to bed letting me sleep.