MADNESS
— 14. Peace is a Dirty Word

In a chapel at York, Ivar was sitting on a chair near the altar. A smile appeared on his lips as he watched as Freya was led in. He lifted his hand, signaling for the guard to leave. He nodded and with that, he walked out, leaving Ivar alone in the chapel with Freya.

"You asked to see me?" Freya asked Ivar, smiling as she walked forward.

"It seems as though lately, everyone here is afraid of me, even my own brothers. Yet you are not. Though everyone is afraid of you. All but me," Ivar explained and Freya nodded her head in response.

"Indeed," She replied, the smallest of smirks on her face as she nodded her head.

"We are expecting to be attacked by the Saxons. They have a large army. We must ask the gods for help. We must offer them a sacrifice," He informed her and Freya smiled slightly.

"Well, I would suggest not an animal, but a human," She answered in a calm tone.

"I agree," Ivar replied as he leaned forward in his seat and tilted his head slightly, "Tell me. What if I were to ask for you to be the sacrifice? What would you do?"

"I would do anything you ask me to do, Ivar, especially something like that," She admitted, earning a curious look from Ivar.

"Why is that?" He asked her lowly and Freya smiled at him.

"For it would please not only you but the gods. And the gods mean more to me than anything," She explained as she slowly walked toward him.

"I agree," Ivar agreed, smiling as Freya moved closer to him, "You would truly do anything I asked you to do?"

Knowing what Ivar was getting at, Freya's breath hitched. She stared into his eyes, feeling a sensation in her gut that she had never felt before. "Anything."

Ivar stared at Freya closely, leaning back in his seat. "Then take off your clothes," He ordered and Freya's lips curled upwards into a smirk.

She removed her shoes first and then her pants, refusing to break eye contact with him. She removed her shirt and then the wrap she had around her breasts, tossing them to the ground.

She continued to stare at Ivar, the smallest of smirks on her face. "Come closer," He insisted and Freya immediately obeyed him. She stopped when she was standing in front of him and looked down at him. "Kiss me."

"Gladly," She spoke in a seductive whisper as she sat down in his lap. She cupped his face in her hands and gently pressed her lips against his. The kiss lingered for a long moment until finally, Freya pulled away to see Ivar staring up at her with wide eyes.

His breath was shaky and Freya smiled, realizing he didn't actually expect her to obey him. "I-I don't understand," He stammered and Freya smiled down at him.

She pressed a light kiss to his cheek, leaning closer to her ear. "How many times must I tell you?" She told him, her hand moving downwards as Ivar tightly gripped onto the arm of the chair, "Being a cripple doesn't make you weak or less of a man. It makes you stronger than anyone else around you. It means the gods favor you above anyone."

Ivar turned to look Freya in the eyes, his eyes widening in shock. He watched as Freya smiled, cupping her face in his hands. "I truly believe that and always have. You're special. Nobody else here is like you. It means you're stronger, better than them," She explained to him and Ivar continued to stare at her closely.

Of course, Freya always spoke of him like that, but it felt different this time. In fact, he felt himself looking at Freya in a different way than he did before.

She leaned closer to him, her lips brushing against his. "You are destined for great things, Ivar the Boneless. I've known that, ever since the day I've met you," She explained as she stared down at him.

Ivar continued to stare up at her, love and admiration in his eyes. "I am in love with you," He suddenly confessed and Freya smiled softly as she nodded her head.

"I know," She told him in a whisper.

"And I truly hope that one day you will love me as I love you," He admitted and Freya began to smile at him.

"I think a part of me already does," She whispered to him and Ivar gradually began to smile, watching as she stood up from sitting on his lap. She quickly got dressed, taking one last glance at him before leaving the chapel.

"I think a part of me already does," A voice suddenly mimicked her, causing her to groan loudly as she turned to see Hvitserk standing there.

"What can I say? I'm good at telling people what they want to hear," Freya admitted as she walked closer to him, an aggravated look on his face.

"So you're saying you don't love him?" Hvitserk asked and Freya wasted no time shaking her head as she scoffed.

"I am Freya the Mad. I love no one but my mother. You know that better than anyone. Of course I don't love him. But that doesn't mean I don't want to keep him happy. If he's kept happy, we'll all be happy around here. If he's not, we'll all be miserable," She complained, a cold look appearing on her face as she walked away.

_____

As the Saxons breached the gates of York, Freya stood in a tower with Ivar, Hvitserk, and Ubbe, overlooking the army. "That's him," Freya spoke up, her eyes locking on a certain man.

"Who?" Hvitserk asked Freya, a puzzled look on his face.

"Æthelwulf, King Ecbert's son," She informed him calmly, "My mother had a chance to kill him and she did not. I overheard her speaking to both Bjorn and King Ecbert about it. I believe he used to love my mother."

"I pity him," Hvitsrk commented, laughing at the thought.

"Oh, and he brought his own sons," Ivar remarked and Freya's lips curled upwards, "Like lambs to the slaughter."

"What a fool," Freya laughed as she turned to Ivar, "I want to kill them."

"Be my guest," Ivar encouraged her, smiling sadistically.

"Hvitserk, Freya, let's go," Ubbe encouraged the duo and Hvitserk was quick to follow after his older brother.

Before leaving with them, Freya turned to Ivar, smiling as she quickly kissed him on the lips. With that, she left as well, excited about the battle.

Inside the walls of York, the Saxon forces were suddenly met with numerous arrows coming their way.

They were led into numerous traps, some of them even set on fire. Due to the smoke, they were unable to see Hvitserk and Freya appearing with their forces.

Freya yelled out, slashing at any in her path. Unlike Hvitserk and just like her mother, Freya did not carry a shield. Instead, she carried a weapon in both hands. A sword in her left hand and an ax in her right.

She slashed at numerous soldiers, killing them as none seemed capable of killing her. She smiled widely as she killed them, finding pleasure in doing so.

Just then, after much chaos and bloodshed, Ivar came riding through on his chariot, a man struck Ivar's horse with his spear, causing Ivar to fall off. However, as a man came toward him to him, Ivar knocked him over before killing him brutally.

His face was left covered in blood and he crawled over to his chariot. He sat against it, smiling and breathing heavily as the Saxons cautiously moved toward him.

He began to laugh maniacally and one of the archers shot an arrow his way, only to have it miss. "Don't you know who I am?" He asked them in his native tongue, which meant the Saxons could not understand him, "You can't kill me! Don't you know who I am? I am Ivar the Boneless.You can't kill me! I am the Ivar the Boneless."

He continued to shout as Freya and Ubbe arrived with their forces. The duo exchanged a look, not understanding what Ivar was doing.

The other forces began to run toward the Saxons, only to have Freya raise her arm. "Wait!" He shouted at them and they immediately stopped where they were.

Ivar continued to shout at the Saxons and finally, Ubbe and Freya shouted out, commanding the others to charge.

Freya punched a man in the face before stabbing him, yelling out. She picked up the man's fallen bow. Without a care in the world, she drew the bowstring back and released an arrow in Prince Æthelred's direction.

The arrow glided through the air, just before finding its way into his shoulder. She laughed in amusement, watching as Æthelwulf rushed to his son's aid.

A man ran toward her and she punched him in the face, just before slashing him across the chest.

She swung at numerous others, killing them almost instantly. She watched as an unknown man pointed his sword at Ivar, who had just been shot in the leg with an arrow. He snapped it without a care in the world.

"Fight for your King!" The man shouted in his language, "Fight for your God!"

"Your God can't help you! Not from us!" She suddenly yelled back at him, causing him to turn to her with wide eyes since he hadn't expected her, of all people, to understand him.

She continued to slaughter any in her path, smiling as she watched a man being shot in the eye with an arrow.

She watched as the Saxons retreated, earning a large smile from Freya. She made her way over to Ivar as their men cheered. She laughed in victory alongside him. She knelt in front of him and despite his face being covered in blood, she kissed him.

Hvitserk and Ubbe stood from afar, watching the scene occur. They turned to each other and while Ubbe looked uneasy, Hvitserk looked the slightest bit jealous.

___

Later that day, Ubbe was sitting with Hvitserk and Freya, celebrating their victory when Ivar entered using his crutch to stand. "We did well, brothers," He spoke up, causing the rest of the men in the room to cheer as well.

"We?" Ivar questioned as he turned to Ubbe, who gave him an annoyed look.

"Yes," Ubbe replied with an attitude as he pointed a finger at his younger brother, "I saved your life."

"It was all Freya's and my strategy," Ivar replied as he sat down on a table, groaning as he did so, "And you know that."

"We all did very well, though," Hvitserk spoke up, trying to ease the tension, "Why...Why do you argue, huh?"

"I'm not arguing," Ivar complained as he glanced between the duo.

"Good," Ubbe replied calmly, "The most important thing is what we do next."

"And isn't that obvious, Ubbe?" Ivar retorted with an attitude.

"Yes. We have defeated the Saxons. Let's make good our claim to the land," Ubbe insisted, believing it was necessary to claim their land once and for all, "Let's all make peace."

"I have no interest in peace," Ivar spoke up in a venomous tone, "Peace is a dirty word."

Hearing his words, Freya quietly chuckled and shook her head. She turned and noticed the look Hvitserk was giving her, causing her smile to fade.

"More of our people can cross the water. We can all farm, huh?" Ubbe reminded Ivar, who rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Now, it is time to negotiate."

"Forgive me, Ubbe, but once again, you are wrong," Freya finally spoke up, causing the three sons of Ragnar to turn to her while Ivar seemed to be the only one smiling at her words.

"So, Freya, what do you suggest, hmm? You've been awfully quiet, which is a first," Hvitserk replied, picking up his cup of ale before he moved toward her.

"The Saxons lost the battle, but that doesn't mean they have lost the war. And if we're not smart about all this, they will win the war and we cannot let that happen," She explained in a calm tone as she turned to give Ubbe a knowing look, "That means trying to negotiate with them is the last thing we want to do. Do you agree, Ivar?"

"I do," Ivar answered, smiling at Freya as he nodded his head.

Hvitserk and Ubbe turned to each other, feeling uneasy since they knew Freya always agreeing with Ivar could never end well.

___

  That night, Freya was lying asleep near Hvitserk on the floor. Hvitserk was lying fast asleep beside her when he was suddenly shaken awake by Ubbe.

Ubbe quickly placed a hand over Hvitserk's mouth as his younger brother's eyes shot open. "Not a word," He insisted in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake Freya, "We are leaving."

With that, Hvitserk stood up, awkwardly looking over at Freya and Ivar before at Ubbe.

The moment they left, Freya opened her eyes but didn't say anything. Her lips curled upwards, already knowing for a fact their plan was not going to work.

____

That night, Ubbe and Hvitserk ended up returning. Freya had smirked at the sight of them, finding Ubbe to be beaten bloody while Hvitserk's face was covered in blood but he was not wounded.

"Welcome back, brothers," Ivar greeted his brothers sarcastically, "Ah, you look thirsty. Are you thirsty?"

"They sure do look thirsty," Freya spoke up tauntingly.

"They do, don't they?" Ivar sarcastically replied as he looked back at Ubbe and Hvitserk, causing the group around them to laugh.

"I know you shouldn't say, 'I told you so.' But I told you so," Ivar taunted the duo, causing many in the room to laugh while Ubbe and Hvitserk looked down at the ground in shame.

"Ivar, we went—" Ubbe began to say, only to be cut off by Ivar.

"No, no, no. Let me guess. You went to the Saxons and tried to make a deal. They spoke sweet words to you, hmm?" He asked them, beginning to chuckle as he slapped his hands together, "But of course you were brave. You fought back! You fought back, right? You didn't let them get away with that. Huh?"

"I was just trying to—" Ubbe attempted to say, only to be cut off once more.

"You made a bad call!" Ivar shouted at his brother angrily.

"You shoved yourselves to be weak, boys," Freya suddenly spoke up, causing Ubbe and Hvitserk's eyes to widen since she was taking Ivar's side, "In truth, the two of you are lucky
even to be alive."

"Freya is right," Ivar added into what Freya was saying, "And now it is finally time for you to recognize me and Freya as the rightful leaders of the Great Army."

Ubbe stood up and walked toward Ivar. "As your older brother..." He trailed off, unable to walk any further when two of Ivar's bodyguards stepped in his way.

He glared at the guards threateningly, causing them to step back before Ubbe turned his attention back toward Ivar. "I will never, ever accept that," He demanded and Ivar smiled as he hummed in response, "In any case, it would be a dereliction of duty...And, after all, doesn't somebody have to be responsible for the care of our people?"

"Hmm, it doesn't seem to me that you have taken that good care of them so far," Ivar commented, smirking as he turned to Ivar.

"You cannot—" Ubbe began to say, only to see Ivar too busy whispering something to Freya to pay attention to him, "Ivar? Ivar," He continued to call out and still, Ivar didn't look at him, causing him to yell, "Ivar!"

Finally, Ivar turned to his older brother, glaring at him. "You cannot continue to fight in England without Hvitserk and me," Ubbe demanded in a stern tone.

Hearing his brother's words, Ivar chuckled. "I think that you will find that more of our warriors and shield-maidens want to fight with me and Freya than go farm with you two."

Ivar smiled, glancing around to see many of the men agreeing with him. "Right? Right?" He called out loudly.

Ubbe was silent for a long moment, trying to maintain composure. "Then Hvitserk and I will go back to Kattegat tomorrow with our forces," He announced and Freya tried to contain her disappointment.

First, she lost Ylva and Bjorn to Ivar, now she was to lose Hvitserk and Ubbe? She couldn't help but feel saddened by the thought, which was a first for her.

Ivar nodded, not seeming to care about his brothers leaving. "If that is your decision," He replied in a calm tone.

Freya sighed, looking directly at Hvitserk. "Though I'm sure Hvitserk can speak for himself, can't he?" She quickly spoke up, a part of her hoping that he would end up agreeing to stay.

Hvitserk gave her an apologetic look before standing up and leaving with Ubbe, causing her to sigh in defeat.

Just then, Ubbe stopped and turned to Ivar and Freya once more. "Our father...Our father would have hated you two for sundering and splitting his family," Ubbe complained before looking directly at Freya, "And if Ylva were here, she would hate you too, Freya. Because she knows you are better than this, even if you don't believe it."

"I don't think so," Ivar replied, shaking his head as he spoke for both himself and Freya.

Ubbe shot them both a glare and Hvitserk gave Freya one last look, just before leaving.

Once they were gone, Ivar smiled and turned to Freya. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She forced herself to smile, closing her eyes as they both kissed.

Though all she could think about was the fact that Hvitserk was leaving her. Not both Hvitserk and Ubbe, but Hvitserk. She didn't want him to leave. Not in the slightest. She needed him there.

______

The following day, Hvitserk was heading toward Ubbe's boat to leave when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. He turned, finding Freya rushing to catch up to him.

"What is it?" He asked him, only to watch as she tightly wrapped her arms around him. He was shocked at first since Freya was never the one to initiate hugs like that, but soon enough, he began to hug back. Hvitserk smiled, slowly pulling away from the hug as he placed a hand on the side of her face.

"I'll miss you," She admitted truthfully in a whisper and Hvitserk frowned since she was not being like her usual self in the slightest. She never spoke about her feelings nor did she ever hug him like the way she just had.

"Must you leave?" She found herself asking and for a split second, Hvitserk was shocked to see genuine sadness in her eyes.

"I must," He replied, nodding his head in response, "I must leave with Ubbe. It's the right thing to do."

"Is that what you think or what Ubbe thinks?" She questioned as she raised a brow at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hvitserk complained, beginning to look offended.

"Ubbe treats you like his obedient little dog. He just expected you to leave with him. He didn't even allow you to voice your own opinion," She explained and Hvitserk sighed as he looked down at the ground, "But I understand if you want to leave."

Hvitserk looked Freya in the eyes and cupped her face in his hands. "Just tell me one thing before I leave," He pleaded in a soft tone, "Do you love Ivar?"

Freya quietly chuckled at Hvitserk's question. Out of everything to ask, he decided to ask that? How many times would he ask that?

She remained silent and shook her head. It was the truth, too. She didn't love him. And perhaps she never would. But that didn't change that Ivar was utterly in love with her. In truth, so was Hvitserk.

"Be careful around him. You know how he gets," He warned her as he pressed his forehead against hers and Freya nodded, "I know you'll never feel the same of me, but you must know. You must know that I love you, Freya. And I always will."

"I know," Freya admitted in a whisper, trying to contain her guilt. Unable to help herself, she leaned forward and kissed Hvitserk, which came as a shock to the young man. The kiss lingered for a long moment before Hvitserk finally pulled and walked off.

Freya sighed in defeat and walked away, over to where Ivar was standing with some of his men, laughing at how pathetic and cowardly Ubbe and his crew looked as they prepared to leave.

She walked to stand beside Ivar, who instantly wrapped an arm around her in an almost possessive manner. "Look at you!" Ivar called out to his brothers loudly, "Trying to sneak away to avoid your shame! Surely you must be embarrassed that nobody else with you! Now, why is that? I can't understand it, can you?"

"Ubbe, nobody is with you!" Ivar continued to shout and as he stood on the boat, Hvitserk found himself staring directly at Freya with a defeated expression on his face, "Everyone is with me!"

His men cheered and Freya smiled slightly. "Hvitserk will stay here with us, I know it," She muttered to herself, but it was clear that she just hoping for that to happen.

She didn't know why, but she needed him to stay. She didn't want him to leave her, not again. She couldn't bear it for some reason. She couldn't understand it.

"Why is that?" Ivar suddenly asked, causing Freya to sigh since she didn't mean for him to hear.

"Because..." She trailed off, sighing as she stared up at Ivar, "Because he is in love with me and because I am choosing you, he will think it to be the right idea. He won't be able to bear leaving me, especially not with you."

A few moments had passed and just then, they watched as Hvitserk gave Ubbe an apologetic look before climbing off the boat. Ubbe looked shocked and Freya closed her eyes, sighing in relief. She tilted her head upwards slightly, silently thanking the gods.

"It would seem you were right," Ivar commented as he began to chuckle.

Freya walked away from Ivar and rushed over to Hvitserk. He engulfed her in a hug and Freya hugged him tightly, sighing softly. He kissed her intimately on the cheek, but Ivar wasn't paying attention.

He was too busy staring at Ubbe as he sailed away. "You see?" He spoke softly, a smirk forming on his lips, "Everyone is with me."

As they pulled away from hugging each other, Freya smiled widely, pressing her forehead against his.

Hvitserk's eyes widened, watching as genuine tears formed in Freya's eyes as she stared at him. "Are you crying?" He asked her in concern as he was quick to wipe her tears. He frowned, clearly never seeing her cry, especially not in a time like that.

"I'm..." She trailed off, wiping her tears with the back of her hand as her lips curled upwards, "I am happy. That is all. It's nothing."

"Happy that I stayed?" Hvitserk asked, frowning in confusion.

Freya remained silent for a long moment. She nodded her head and pulled away from him, trying to maintain composure. "I thought you were leaving," She replied as she shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I just didn't want you to leave."

"Why?" Hvitserk asked as he moved closer to her and grabbed her hand, her behavior feeling odd to him since she never acted like that.

"Does it look like I know? I just didn't want you to leave. That is all," She complained with an attitude as she gave him an annoyed look, "Stop asking questions or maybe I'll regret ever wanting you to stay."

Hvitserk couldn't help but laugh at how quickly her mood changed. He wrapped an arm around her and the smallest of smiles appeared on her face as she rested her head on his shoulder.

There was a long moment of comfortable silence between them. However, of course, it ended up being ruined.

"Freya," Ivar spoke up, causing Freya to immediately pull away from Hvitserk and turn to him, "It's time we return."

Freya nodded, briefly glancing back at Hvitserk before grabbed the arm Ivar didn't use to hold his crutch, and with that, they walked away together.

Hvitserk sighed, trying to hide his disappointment as he followed after them. He got to remain with Freya, but that didn't change their main obstacle. Ivar.