She was displeased to see King Harald.

Brynhildr had never liked him, nor did she like his kingdom of Vestfold-Rogaland, smaller than Kattegat and filled with the dead bodies of whales, docks bloody as their ships entered the harbor. She wished Ivar hadn't wanted him for an ally. He'd help them now to defeat Lagertha, but surely he'd turn around and try to kill Ivar later on.

She supposed that wasn't her problem anymore. This was going to be her final stand, she could feel it in her bones. After this, it no longer mattered what Ivar did, where he did it, or with who. He could survive on his own and she would have to forge her own path into the future. If he became King, he would have to figure out his own way to hold the throne. She only hoped the best for Hvitserk in this arrangement.

They were led into King Harald's great hall, the ribcage of a shark hanging overhead. Brynhildr still noticed the way he regarded her with admiration, though she noticed he was no longer alone. Finally, the man old enough to be her father had chosen to settle down.

"Ivar, Brynhildr, and Hvitserk Lothbrok," greeted King Harald, surprisingly seated beside Astrid, the same shield-maiden who once served Lagertha. She seemed to his Queen. "Why did you not return to Kattegat?"

"You don't need the Seer to know that Ubbe and I fell out," said Ivar, limping forward with his cane. "We disagreed about many things. But in the end, Hvitserk and Brynhildr agreed with me and Ubbe sailed alone to Kattegat. And that is why we're here."

"A good choice," agreed King Harald, gesturing to his wife. "Surely you remember Astrid? She is my queen now."

Ivar chuckled, "I am happy for both of you."

"Oh, thank you, Ivar," said Astrid, seemingly mocking.

"So," continued King Harald, "Do I understand that you and your warriors will support me when I attack Kattegat?"

"Straight to it," said Ivar. "I like it. Yes, we will."

"But only if Ivar is made king," said Hvitserk.

This brought a silence over them. King Harald posed, "You know that I have my own plans for that kingdom."

"Of course, of course," replied Ivar. "and that is why we are here. And what my dear brother is trying to say is that in the long term, what is to stop you from ruling Kattegat when I am dead and gone? How long can that be? I'm not a healthy person. I'm a cripple."

King Harald narrowed his eyes. "And yet, your siblings..."

"Brynhildr will leave as soon as I take my throne," said Ivar. "Doubtlessly, she will never come back. All that matters to me and Hvitserk is that we reclaim the kingdom that was torn from us by that murderous bitch, Lagertha. We want to be in an alliance with you, to make that happen. And soon."

"You have a prisoner," said King Harald. "I've heard of this man. Where is he?"

Ivar called back to his soldiers, "Bring the Christian!" They dragged in Bishop Heahmund, weary from his journey. They forced him to his knees in front of the King, and Ivar introduced, "Bishop Heahmund."

The man forced himself up, staring at King Harald. "What's the point of him?" asked King Harald. "Why not just kill him?" Brynhildr gestured in agreement, finding it absurd that Ivar carried him from place to place without punishment, as if Heahmund would be useful at any point.

"Because he is a great warrior," said Ivar. "I've seen how he fights with my own eyes. And I admire great warriors."

King Harald still didn't seem impressed. "He will fight for us?"

"Maybe," said Ivar. "If he doesn't want to get crucified."

They began to laugh, but Bishop Heahmund began to chant, "The Lord rules me: I shall want for nothing."

Ivar pulled his hair back, but King Harald asked that he let him continue. "And He has set me in a place of good pasture," said the Bishop, "And fed me by the water's shore. He led me over the ways of righteousness for His name. Yet I now go in the midst of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me, Lord. Your rod and Your staff have comforted me."

King Harald straightened up. "What did he say?"

"Ah, he is praying to his God," said Ivar dismissively.

King Harald muttered, "A fat load of good that will do him." They laughed once more, but for a moment, Brynhildr felt sorry for Bishop Heahmund, who spoke his words of comfort without carrying that they jeered at him. Ivar spoke to him often, just the two of them alone, and she wondered how much Ivar had tried to torture him with his vicious words. This man, though a Christian, she admired for his fighting prowess. Beyond that, she still wanted him dead for what he'd done to her brothers. She only wished she could put him out of his misery sooner.

In the end, there was no assurance that Bishop Heahmund would fight at their side. But Ivar still thought they stood a great chance of winning, and swore that King Harald would be his heir, to take Kattegat after his death. He'd placed him above Hvitserk, which clearly angered their brother. Ivar insisted later it was an empty promise, that things could change, but Brynhildr worried that him sitting the throne would make him much worse. Again, she had to remind herself that it would not be her problem. The one she was most concerned for was Hvitserk.

They planned for their attack to take place in two moons' time, to give them time to repair their ships and let their men rest. Ivar assigned their men to these roles, but thought to himself that he could have fun in the meantime, making sport of parading Bishop Heahmund through the mud-filled streets. Brynhildr occupied herself with training instead of helping him torture a man he expected to fight for him– why did he believe that would turn him into a loyal dog? Hvitserk believed that Bishop Heahmund was convinced of it being God's will, but Brynhildr wasn't sure the Christian God operated in such ways.

King Harald's spirits were lifted in the next several weeks when he learned Queen Astrid was with child. Brynhildr didn't necessarily interpret Astrid's own expressions as her being happy about it– in fact, she appeared to be terrified of the fact. Something about Astrid wasn't quite right. Brynhildr was as suspicious of her as she was of King Harald.

Ivar was in a better mood as well, especially once it was time to go. He expected either him or Brynhildr would end up killing Lagertha, and this would perhaps give him more pleasure than becoming king. Even Hvitserk was eager to avenge their mother, not because she'd been a good mother, but because Lagertha deserved to die. He even imagined himself becoming famous by killing Ubbe. While Brynhildr wasn't entirely happy with the idea of killing her older brother, she didn't entirely mind the thought that Bjorn and Ubbe might fall in battle.

As they sailed, Brynhildr held onto the mast and looked ahead, the feeling within growing stronger as she truly believed she was nearing the end of her time in Norway. She knew that after this battle, her adventure would come. Only here would she have a proper opportunity to kill Lagertha, only here could she kill a Queen before it was time to raise another– somehow, she felt, this had to do with this dynasty she'd hold in her hands.

Their chosen battlefield was a large clearing surrounded by woods, leading towards Kattegat. She'd played in this same clearing many times as a little girl, chased around by her brothers. She'd learned to use a sword here, learned to kill men here. It felt fitting that this would be where she would make her last stand as a true Viking.

Their army lined up, Ivar in the center with his chariot while she, King Harald, Hvitserk, Astrid, and Bishop Heahmund sat atop horses at his side. Across from them arrived Kattegat's army, led by Ubbe, Lagertha, Torvi, Bjorn, and Halfdan. Lagertha's army moved first, Bjorn and Halfdan sent as lone emissaries. They waited in the middle of the clearing for King Harald and Hvitserk to meet them. They made a simple trade, Halfdan and Hvitserk as hostages. They agreed to meet again the next day.

"This is madness," muttered Halfdan once they returned to their camp.

"Is it?" asked King Harald. "You are here where you belong. Don't deny it. Why would you fight for Lagertha or Bjorn? They are not your folk."

"Bjorn saved my life," said Halfdan. "Isn't that reason enough?"

"Not really," said Ivar bluntly. "We all choose to live a dangerous life. That is part of our way. So I think that you give what happened between you and Bjorn too much importance."

"Family has a great claim," agreed King Harald. "I don't want to fight against you. I don't want to have to kill you. The world would make no sense."

"You wouldn't have to kill him," said Brynhildr, looking up from where she was sharpening arrows for the archers. "Someone else would kill him. If it came down to it, you would not have to choose to fight him. You could let him live and learn his lesson once we win."

King Harald didn't seem to like this. Halfdan muttered, "I suppose none of this makes any sense to him anyway–" He nodded toward Bishop Heahmund.

"He's a great warrior," said Ivar. "He doesn't need anything to make sense."

Halfdan grunted, "By the gods, Ivar, you are just so cynical. You just don't care, do you?"

"I care," said Ivar. "About winning this war. Halfdan, you have to choose between a friend or a brother. To me, the answer is obvious. Look at Brynhildr, see where she is."

He began to crawl away, and Brynhildr waited until he was gone to say, "And look where Ubbe and Bjorn are. Hvitserk is a hostage at the other camp, no doubt they are having this same conversation with him. Blood itself matters little at the end of the day. You choose if you care about it and you choose if you don't."

She stood, staring down at Halfdan. "Don't decide because Bjorn is your friend or King Harald is your brother. Decide because of what you hope the outcome will be on either side. I, for one, want the outcome where Lagertha is dead. If Bjorn and Ubbe die, too, then so be it."

"Whatever this new land is where you will go," murmured Halfdan, "they will fear you."

"Good," said Brynhildr. "I hope they do."

The next morning, portions of their armies met in the same clearing. Each brought twenty warriors to surround the main leadership, who sat in chairs across from each other to discuss terms. On Lagertha's side came young Guthrum, Torvi's son with Jarl Borg. Though Bjorn had ended up raising him, Brynhildr remembered being told that when Bjorn first took Torvi from her second husband, King Horik's son Erlendur, he had only wanted her to come to Kattegat with him and had demanded she leave Guthrum behind.

Bjorn started, "We all know today we have so many shield-maidens and warriors-at-arms that we must decide whether we fight or we reach an accommodation allowing us to go live our lives with integrity and honor. I call upon my siblings, Ivar... Hvitserk... Brynhildr. Let's put aside our differences, for the sake of our father. A civil war can only bring tragedy, weaken our family, and set in train a lifetime of revenge obligations for those who manage to survive. Is that really what you want?"

Ivar and Brynhildr shared a look. "Yes," said Brynhildr simply. After all, this obligation would not be hers. All she cared for was her revenge– that was the only thing she was destined to do here to make her mark.

Ubbe sighed, "I want to speak up and support Bjorn and his call for a peaceful resolution. It is true I set my face against my brother. But if you can forgive me, Ivar, let us make an accord."

"We are going to war for the Kingdom of Kattegat," said Lagertha. "The Kingdom of Kattegat was carved out by my husband Ragnar Lothbrok, and then by me. I am its rightful Queen."

"No, you are not," said Brynhildr sharply. "You chose to leave Ragnar and find your own way in Hedeby, though he was willing to have you and my mother as both his queens. She was the one who turned Kattegat into the trading center it now is. She held it in Ragnar's absence, and where were you? Not once did you try to reclaim it while Ragnar was still here, still alive. You killed my mother in cold blood to make yourself Queen. Neither of you were the rightful Queen– you were wives to the King. If anyone is the rightful ruler, it is an heir of Ragnar."

Lagertha's jaw tightened. "What we should be discussing is how we combine our great armies, and direct them out towards new lands, new conquests, new opportunities. What a terrible pity to kill our young men for a piece of land which is already ours."

"And what a terrible pity to kill a woman who was no threat to you," said Brynhildr, "for a piece of land that wasn't even Ragnar's to begin with. He took it by killing Earl Haraldson and we will take it by killing you."

"Mineri," murmured Hvitserk, beckoning her to be quiet.

Lagertha turned to her lover, "Astrid. I am happy to see you again. Whatever has happened, I... I don't want to fight you." When Astrid looked down, she beckoned, "Astrid."

"I am married now," said Astrid. "I am King Harald's wife." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Queen Astrid, I suppose," muttered Lagertha.

Halfdan called to King Harald, "Brother, let's not fight. What can we gain? Nothing."

"On the contrary," said King Harald. "We will gain the world. Join us and I will share it with you."

Bjorn threw up his hands, "It is really up to you, Ivar, and you, Brynhildr. If you decide that you cannot fight against your brothers, that you do not want to fight against your brothers, then we can find an accord. And King Harald can't stop us."

"You two have so much to lose," said Lagertha, staring down at the two youngest siblings. "If you want war, then let's have war. But win or lose, you both lose. You gain victory over the other sons of Ragnar and people will say that you, Ivar, are an illegitimate ruler and a usurper. And if you lose, Brynhildr, they will say it was by the will of the gods and the will of Ragnar, who now sups with them in Valhalla, and cries for us now."

"Do not do this, both of you," pleaded Ubbe. "We're the children of Ragnar. Is that not enough for you?"

Ivar and Brynhildr shared another look. Ivar forced himself up, leaning on his crutch, and asked, "Bring horns of mead. We should celebrate. There will be no battle today. Nor tomorrow."

Brynhildr narrowed her eyes. King Harald snapped, "What are you talking about? You cannot decide this!"

"I do not want to fight against my brothers," said Ivar sharply. "I still hate myself for killing Sigurd. This would be ten times worse. I... I can't."

Something about this didn't seem like Ivar. He continued, "I renounce my promise to kill Lagertha. She can have Kattegat. I don't want it." He limped towards Ubbe, "Ubbe, you're right. We are all children of Ragnar. Forgive me."

Ubbe gave a nod. As the horns of mead were distributed, Lagertha called, "Skol!"

"Skol!" they repeated. For once, both Brynhildr and King Harald were on the same page, pouring the mead into the grass instead of drinking. Neither were happy with this decision. Then, out of nowhere, Ivar splashed his mead into Ubbe's face.

"How blue are my eyes, huh?" snapped Ivar.

"What?" spluttered Ubbe.

"How blue are my eyes?" he shouted.

"Your eyes are very blue," said Ubbe.

"You remember I had to ask you every single morning how blue the whites of my eyes were? Because if they were very blue, I was in great danger of breaking a bone."

"Yes, I remember," said Ubbe, "it was a big part of my childhood, 'How blue are Ivar's eyes today?'"

"I might break a bone," sneered Ivar, "but I can never break a promise." Brynhildr stood proudly, standing beside him as he spat. "I can never forgive Lagertha for murdering our mother. How can you? Hmm?" He shouted, "How can you?" He slammed his hand into Ubbe's shoulder. "Our mother! Of course we're going to kill her! The Seer has already told Brynhildr it will be so!"

Lagertha spilled the rest of her mead onto the grass. "You can try."

"It won't simply be trying," said Brynhildr coldly.

"You said you wouldn't fight your brothers," said Ubbe in disbelief.

"You are no longer my brother," said Ivar. "You were once my legs, but not anymore."

King Harald began to laugh, highly amused and satisfied with the outcome. Ubbe muttered, "This was all a waste of time."

"No, not at all," called Ivar. "You can surrender Kattegat now. You've all been talking about how terrible the slaughter will be. How we will kill our nearest relations and members of our family. I don't want to do that, let us not do it. You, Bjorn, Lagertha. Just go away, leave this place. Do not put your men to the test."

Bjorn and Ubbe drew their swords, prompting the others to do the same. Lagertha held Ubbe back, muttering, "Not now." Their men began to back away slowly, retreating to their respective camps.

King Harald questioned Halfdan, "Are you sure? You're going to deny your brother?"

"Bjorn saved my life," insisted Halfdan. "I'm indebted."

"You're not his blood," insisted King Harald.

"Maybe we care too much for that," said Halfdan simply.

"Maybe," agreed King Harald. "Maybe." He reached out to press his forehead against his brother's, the two of them saying goodbye. Brynhildr supposed it was a choice they were making– they would kill each other when it came down to it. Even King Harald smacked Halfdan and promised he'd kill him. There was no question about it.

Brynhildr turned back one last time as Lagertha's army began to leave. "Ubbe!" she called. She placed a fist over her chest, knowing they would not speak again after this. "Goodbye, brother."

With a half-smile, he nodded his head. "Goodbye, sister. May the gods protect you."

Their armies marched on the morrow, filling the field. Yet, Ivar had his suspicions that Bjorn was playing a game, perhaps keeping most of his army in reserve. He wondered if this battle was a feint, if the real plan was to outflank them and try to destroy the boats. It seemed like Lagertha, and so Brynhildr, Hvitserk, and King Harald all agreed with his plan of attack.

He ordered a third of their army to pull back to protect their ships and sent Hvitserk and Brynhildr to lead a group into the woods to divide Bjorn's forces and try to outflank them. King Harald used this as a way to have Astrid go back with Ivar to protect the ships, ensuring she would not die while pregnant. It left him and Bishop Heahmund in charge of the main army. Brynhildr hoped Bishop Heahmund would die today.

As the attack began, Brynhildr and Hvitserk began funneling their men into the woods. As they went down the path, men began to fall, a sharp whistle sounding out each time one collapsed. "SHIELD WALL!" yelled Hvitserk, prompting all of them to hold up their shields to cover their heads.

"It's in the bushes," said Brynhildr, peeking out when she saw a branch twitch. "Someone is in the bushes. ARCHERS!" They stood out with their arrows drawn, "SHOOT!" They fired into the bush, but nothing emerged. They heard only a single rustle.

"SHIELD WALL, AGAIN!" yelled Brynhildr. She whispered to Hvitserk, "I need something to start a fire. We're going to have to light the arrows and burn them out."

From all around, they heard the whistling and knew that they were going to be overwhelmed. Fires could not be started so fast. A decision had to be made, even though it was one that they would not like. "RETREAT!" yelled Brynhildr, calling them back.

As they began to run, warriors started to leap out at them. The end of the pack caught the most resistance, she and Hvitserk tossed down and forced to brawl with them. They stabbed where they could and scrambled to their feet as quickly as possible, avoiding the deadly darts being shot at their men. As they ran back, they caught Lagertha leading a group of men behind the army, forcing them to be the unexpected rear flank. Brynhildr made right for Lagertha, wondering where the hell Ivar was– surely he saw by now they hadn't sent anyone to the ships. They needed to make their way back.

Brynhildr fought with as much blunt force as she could. She used her shield, her ax, she even ripped a club away from one dead Viking to kill another. One of their men sounded the horn, calling Ivar back, and still she did not see his chariot come. She could see King Harald looking around wildly, equally confused as to why she and Hvitserk were now in the field and why Ivar hadn't come. She gave him a nod, knowing they needed to sound a retreat.

"FALL BACK!" she yelled first, calling their men back in the direction of their camp. "RETREAT, BACK, NOW!" Better to call them off earlier to prevent as many deaths as possible. Let Lagertha think she won. Now that they knew someone was in the forest– the Sámi people, most likely– they could determine how to overwhelm them. As they ran back to find Ivar, who hadn't been so far away all along, they realized Bishop Heahmund hadn't come back. King Harald claimed to have seen him dead.

They retreated fully to King Harald's kingdom, where Hvitserk had the idea to go and seek help from their Uncle Rollo. Apparently, he'd told Hvitserk on their way back from the Mediterranean that he need only ask if he ever required any help. Brynhildr worried it opened a path for Rollo to take the throne for himself by weakening both sides, but imagined perhaps he did truly sympathize with Hvitserk and Ivar, both of whom felt overshadowed by their older brothers. Rollo had lived in Ragnar's shadow despite being the older of the two. As for Brynhildr, who he'd never met, he might think of her anger and find it reminded him of his.

Within two weeks Hvitserk returned with a great number of Frankish soldiers. Rollo himself had not come due to all his responsibilities, but he promised he'd come back to celebrate, so long as they adhered to a single guideline: they spare Bjorn's life.

Bjorn himself had clearly learned of the Frankish soldiers, because he came to try and find Rollo only to end up seeking out his siblings when he saw he wasn't with them. "He sends his love to you, Bjorn Ironside," said Hvitserk when asked about Rollo, "and hopes you're not willing to fight against his forces."

"Then why would he commit his forces to you?" asked Bjorn.

"He didn't tell. That's the truth. Only that he was prepared to do so."

"I can tell you," offered Ivar. "Rollo sees justice in our cause. Lagertha murdered our mother and usurped her kingdom."

Bjorn rolled his eyes. "All that is in the past now, Ivar."

"I must avenge my mother's murder," said Ivar. "And I think you would do the same if it was you."

"For the sake of our father," said Bjorn, "for the sake of our father's legacy and everything he believed in, I am asking you, Ivar and Brynhildr, do not put our people's lives at risk."

"The only reason why you are saying this is because you see all the might gathering against you," said Ivar. "If you still thought you could win, you would not be here, Bjorn. The fact is, you are afraid."

"I am not afraid," countered Bjorn. "This changes nothing."

"Well," said Ivar, motioning for his men to take Bjorn.

"Wait," snapped Brynhildr, flicking her sword out to stop their men. "No. This would be truly dishonorable and would break our promise to Rollo. I will not see it done." She gestured to the door. "Go, Bjorn. Goodbye, brother. I think this will be the last time we see each other face-to-face."

Bjorn stood, regarded her for a moment, then nodded. "Goodbye, Brynhildr. May the gods guide you to your destiny."

It was the only time she felt truly close to Bjorn, and yet she still knew she would not miss him.