GREATNESS
— 5. Forgiveness

Soon after her argument with both Bjorn and Freya, Ylva had returned back to Ashton for several weeks until it was time to leave to avenge Ragnar.

Sihtric had decided to stay in Ashton to rule while she was away and Ylva was glad. It wasn't safe for the place to be left without a ruler for so long.

When she went to Ashton, she had taken Thyra, Erik, and Halig with her, but now, she had returned.

Ylva climbed off the boat and stepped onto the docks of Kattegat. Bjorn stood several feet away, clearly being informed that she had returned. After all, he hadn't spoken to her since he lashed out at her about Freya and left in a fit of rage in a similar fashion to Freya's.

"Father!" Her children had exclaimed once they laid eyes on Bjorn. They ran past their mother and over to their father, who hugged them and lifted them off the ground.

Ylva sighed and made her way toward them. She watched as Bjorn set her children back down on the ground and turned all of his attention to his wife.

"Ylva—" He began to speak up, only to have Ylva glare at him and walk away without saying anything to him. He sighed in defeat, turning his attention back to his children.

____

A few nights had passed and it was finally the night of the sacrifice being made before the trip to England to avenge Ragnar.

Ylva was standing alone while Bjorn was standing near Torvi and Gyda.

"Brother! I envy you!" One of the men walking forward exclaimed, "Tonight, you will die and feast with the gods. You will see Odin and Thor face to face."

"Thank you, my brother," He responded, hugging his brother before he walked up to the platform.

He grabbed the ropes, patiently waiting for Lagertha to arrive. She soon did, two owls on her shoulders. She was handed a sword and turned to the man she was to sacrifice, the slightest of smiles on her face.

Ylva then heard a loud gasp was heard before everyone looked up, noticing a ball of light flying through the sky.

She only looked for a moment before turning, seeing Bjorn was eying her intently from afar. She looked back at him before she turned, walking away without another word said.

As expected, Bjorn followed after her, but Freya acted as though she wasn't paying attention as she entered the Great Hall.

Bjorn walked up to Ylva, whose back was facing him. "What do you want?" Ylva asked Bjorn with an attitude.

Bjorn moved closer to Ylva. He grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him. Her breath hitched and she stared up at Bjorn, her lips parting.

"Forgive me," He insisted and Ylva tilted her head as she continued to stare up at him.

"For what?" She replied as she tilted her head slightly, giving him a teasing look.

"You know what. Our argument about Freya. You've been avoiding me ever since. I should not have snapped at you as I did. Forgive me," He explained and Ylva smiled as she nodded her head.

Just then, before he could react, Ylva had struck him across the face at full force. Bjorn's head whipped to the side at full force as he let out a large groan. He turned to look at her, her eyes wide in shock. "What was that for?"

"I don't know, I've just wanted to do that for a while. You can be quite the idiot sometimes, if you haven't noticed," She admitted and Bjorn moved closer to her, smiling slightly in amusement, "In truth, I'm already over it. I have been for a while now."

"Good," He responded, stopping when he stared down at her. He eyed her up and down almost hungrily, causing Ylva to feel a familiar sensation in her stomach that she felt as though she could never get enough of. A sensation she loved more than anything. Bjorn never failed to make her feel that way, even after all these years.

She stared up at him confidently and he stared down at her. He grabbed the top part of her dress and ripped it open, exposing her breasts to him.

She slowly pulled her dress down, allowing it to pool at her feet. She watched as Bjorn began to untie his pants, a satisfied smirk forming on her lips.

He eyed her hungrily, running his hands down her body until he roughly pushed her against the wall.

Ylva gasped softly, the smallest of smiles appearing on her face as she stared into his eyes, the ones she had always loved so much. Bjorn stared back at her, not saying a word.

He slowly began to lean forward and his lips brushed against hers. Ylva went to lean closer to him to deepen the kiss, only to have Bjorn turn her body around and push her against the wall.

A small gasp escaped her lips and she smiled, feeling Bjorn's arms tighten around her. She turned her head so that her lips nearly touched his, her chest pressed up against the wall.

He pressed himself against her backside, his large hands tightly gripping her hips. One of his hands remained at her hip while the other found its way to her throat. She gasped, feeling him give her throat a light squeeze.

She felt his cold fingers touch her inner thighs, causing her to close her eyes and bite her lower lip to contain a moan.

He lightly bit her earlobe and guided himself at her entrance. Ylva gasped in pleasure as she felt him roughly thrust into her without warning. His hips slammed against hers while his grip on her throat became tighter.

His lips brushed against her shoulder, giving her only a short moment to adjust before he slammed in her again.

Ylva panted, trying her best to keep quiet. She lifted her hand, reaching to wrap her arm around Bjorn's neck as he kissed the crook of her neck.

Bjorn's chest pressed itself more against her as his thrusts only became harder, which caused them both to take heavy breaths and moan in pleasure.

He pounded into her like an animal, in a way Ylva wasn't quite used to, but it felt good. Better than good.

Moans and the sounds of smacking bodies filled the silent room, yet neither of them cared if they were heard.

His thrusts became sloppier as he became closer to his climax. Ylva's body started to shake as a loud gasp escaped her lips, finally reaching her own high. Her body practically went limp as Bjorn gave his final thrusts until he finally finished as well, letting out a groan in pleasure into her shoulder as he came inside her.

The two of them panted for breath as they came down from their highs. Ylva kept her eyes closed, letting out small breaths as Bjorn loosened his grip on her neck.

He remained inside of her a short moment longer before he finally pulled out and pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Bjorn suddenly asked as he leaned his chin against her neck, causing Ylva to let out a small laugh.

"All the time," She replied softly as Bjorn backed away slightly and allowed her to turn to face him.

He moved closer to her again, affectionately stroking her cheek as he gently kissed her. Slowly, he pulled away and Ylva smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you," He spoke up softly to her and Ylva smiled.

"And I love you," She replied, leaning forward to kiss him once more.

_____

Before leaving for England with the rest of the Great Heathen Army, Ylva entered the Great Hall alongside Bjorn. They were found Lagertha sitting on her throne, Torvi, and Astrid standing near her.

"You came to say goodbye?" Lagertha asked the duo with a small smile on her face.

"It is time," Bjorn informed his mother calmly as he and Ylva walked over to them. He sighed and hugged his mother before Ylva hugged Lagertha as well, "Take care of Kattegat."

"Farewell, my son, Ylva," Lagertha told the duo as she glanced between them with a smile on her face, "Your children will be well taken care of here, I promise. Again, I place you and Ylva in the hands of the gods."

Ylva made her way over to Torvi, smiling at her. "Farewell, Torvi. Take care of my brother. He means the world to me and he needs you to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Always," Torvi promised, smiling as she nodded her head.

"I pray to the gods I will see you and him again. There is no one in this world I trust more than my brother. But if not—" She began to say, only to have Torvi cut her off.

"There are no 'ifs', Ylva. We shall all see you and Bjorn again," Torvi reminded her and Ylva smiled as she stepped forward to hug her.

Just then, Bjorn and Ylva turned their heads, watching as Erik, Halig, and Thyra entered together.

"Father!" Halig called out and the duo smiled as their youngest children ran over to them.

Bjorn smiled, lifting Erik off the ground. He threw him in the air and caught him, causing Erik to giggle while Ylva hugged Halig tightly.

"Farewell, my son," Bjorn told his youngest, smiling softly at the boy as he held him in his arms. He playfully let go of Erik and acted as though he was slipping from his arms. He caught him again and Erik laughed loudly before being placed on the ground.

Erik rushed over to his mother, who hugged him tightly while Bjorn turned to Halig and hugged him goodbye.

"Take care of the little ones while we are gone. You know how Gyda and Rorik get," Bjorn told Halig, who smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Father," Halig replied calmly as he watched Bjorn picked up little Thyra and hold her in his arms.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and Thyra smiled at her father.

"Farewell, my children," Ylva spoke up, wrapping an arm around Halig as she walked over and pressed a kiss to Thyra's forehead, "Your father and I will return soon, I promise. With many stories to tell."

Once saying their goodbyes, Bjorn and Ylva gave the group a parting look before making their way outside.

The moment they made it outside, Ylva was cornered by Sihtric. She smiled at her brother and moved closer to him.

She placed a hand on the side of Sihtric's neck and he did the same to her. They pressed their foreheads together, smiling at each other.

"May you wet your blade with Saxon blood," Sihtric commented and Ylva laughed in response.

"Don't I always when I got to England?" She retorted and Sihtric playfully rolled his eyes.

"May the gods be with you, little sister," He told her and Ylva lightly patted his cheek before stepping back, "Until next time."

"Until next time," Ylva replied, sending her brother one last smile before she walked away.

_____

On the journey to England, Freya was laughing as she conversed with Hvitserk and Ivar. However, her laughter died down when she turned to see Ylva staring at her from afar. She sighed in defeat, whispering something to Ivar and Hvitserk before stood up and made her way over to her mother.

"Forgive me..." She sighed out and tried to hide her uneasiness, "For the way, I acted at breakfast."

"You are my daughter and I will love you no matter what you do," Ylva assured Freya, a smile on her face as the girl sat down beside her, "I forgive you."

"I'm just so angry all the same and I can't help it," Freya admitted in a whisper as she stared down at the ground in shame, "It seems as though everyone is always afraid of me because of it."

"I'm not afraid of you and I never will be. No matter how far gone you become, I will always remember the girl I raised to be the strong, powerful shield maiden you are now and behind that hard shell, you are kind and caring. I know it," Ylva explained, smiling softly as she grabbed Freya's hand and held it.

"I never told you this, but the day you took me in and decided to raise me as your own was the best day of my life," She admitted, smiling sadly at Ylva, "You accepted me when no one else would and still, you do. You gave me the strength to be more powerful that I could have ever imagined."

"I didn't make you strong. You were already strong," Ylva argued as she shook her head, "I just made sure you embraced it as you were always meant to. It doesn't matter what happens in future, Freya, just know you'll always have me. I love you. Always remember that."

"I love you too," Freya whispered and Ylva smiled, pressing a kiss to Freya's forehead before she hugged her tightly.

______

In Northumbria, King Aelle appeared on the battlefield with his army. He smiled in satisfaction when he saw only a small numerous of Northmen on the battlefield.

However, the smile faded as he saw even more arrive up the hill, causing him to try his hardest not to look uneasy.

Ivar came rushing by on his chariot before Bjorn, Ylva, Freya, and Bjorn's younger brothers stepped forward, unsheathing their weapons.

Ylva yelled out, raising her weapon, causing numerous others to follow after her and bang on his shield.

"Ragnar!" Bjorn shouted out before they all began to charge at Aelle's poor excuse for an army.

_____

The Great Heathen Army had gained victory over King Aelle and his forces at ease. When it was over, they King Aelle to Ivar's chariot before dragging in the direction of where Ragnar was said to have died.

Freya was laughing in amusement at the sight, walking over to the man alongside Ubbe, Floki, and Bjorn to untie him while Ylva found herself standing in place.

Bjorn and Floki lifted him up on the ground and Bjorn leaned closer to the man, glaring at him. "Show us where my father died," Bjorn demanded in a low tone.

He didn't answer, leading to Bjorn backhanding him across the face. "Show us!" He shouted angrily.

Aelle fearfully nodded and they brought him forward, where he pointed to a pit that had been covered by wood.

"This..." Bjorn trailed off as he pointed downwards, "...is the place?"

Aelle nodded his head and the group immediately pulled it open. They looked downwards and sighed, a saddened look appearing on each of their faces.

"This is where our father was killed," Ivar stated and Freya nodded in confirmation.

"How the little pigs will grunt, when they hear how the old boar suffered," Bjorn spoke up as he shot Aelle a glare.

"How much gold and silver do you want to spare my life?" Aelle asked pleadingly, "Name your price. Anything. Anything!"

"You are mistaken," Ivar answered in a calm tone, "My father was worth far more than gold and silver. That is not the price you must pay."

Floki moved toward King Aelle, glaring at him hatefully as he grabbed ahold of the terrifying man. "I've been told your god is a carpenter," Floki spoke in his native tongue, "And guess what? So am I."

That night, Aelle screamed in agony as he was nailed to a wooden log by Floki and Bjorn. Bjorn then walked to stand behind him, prepared to blood eagle him.

"The longer I spend time around Saxons, the more I find how weak they are," Ylva spoke up as she let out a large scoff, "It hasn't even truly started yet and he's already screaming. Jarl Borg was blood-eagled and we didn't hear a peep out of him."

"Well, it wasn't like this fool was a good warrior to begin with. Look how easily we caught him," Bjorn commented, earning a smile from Ylva.

"You have a point there," Ylva replied, continuing to smile at her husband.

Bjorn wasted no time ripping open the back of Aelle's shirt, causing the man to whimper in fear. He placed his blade in the fire, allowing it to heat up. He lifted it for everyone to see before he stabbed into Aelle's back.

Aelle's screamed loudly and Freya began to smile widely in satisfaction as she watched the blade cut through the king's back.

Ylva smiled slightly as well, but not as much as her daughter as they watched Bjorn peel back the skin on Aelle's back.

Bjorn looked horrified as blood splattered across his face and Ylva stepped forward, handing him an ax. He hacked into the man's back and Aelle's screamed in agony.

Ivar climbed down and moved closer to Aelle, wanting to see more.

Bjorn continued to hack into Aelle's back, looking horrified by it.

Ylva turned her head, seeing that Freya, Ubbe, and Hvitserk were all smiling at the sight of Aelle being blood-eagled while Sigurd looked disgusted.

By the end of it, Aelle was dead and Ylva sighed when she saw the look on Bjorn's face.

"Let's string him up, for all the Saxons to see," Ylva spoke up, placing a hand on Bjorn's shoulder.

The group nodded in agreement and by the time sunrise arrived, Aelle had been strung up for all to see.

Freya smiled widely at the sight, knowing Aelle deserved it.

Ylva sighed as she walked over to Bjorn, wrapping an arm around him. He turned to her and pulled her closer to him, leading to Ylva resting her head on his shoulder. It was only the beginning.