#conquer you

(gif credit @stormwxthskin)

This chapter is for @stormwxthskin who said they deserved more cuddles and kisses. And of course for everyone else who’s still reading and commenting. You lovely ladies never fail to inspire me!

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl @itharley @samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement @thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @onjacks-blog @djisfantastic @kawennote09 @wantingdreamsnotreality @shondlenoodle @ducklyz @lovelynerdytraveler @stormwxthskin @readsalot73 @vixsyncynco @dina-m16 @tenps @red608 @kenzieam @the-ruler-of-helheim @nothingbuthappydays

First Chapter - Previous Chapter

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Two days later Thyra felt a lot better, at least on the physical side. It was still painful to move, but the pain wasn’t bad enough anymore to make her stomach turn and tears shoot into her eyes. Lagertha had visited her every now and then and Björn had been there as well, lightening her mood with stories about foreign lands and his adventures. Once a day the healers came to change her bandages and check on her wounds.

But all the healers in the world couldn’t ease her worst pain. It were the wounds that weren’t physical hadn’t even started to heal and were still tormenting her every second she was awake and sometimes even in her sleep as she dreamt of finding Lagertha in a puddle of blood and of Ivar laughing about her stupidity.

She still hadn’t talked to Ivar. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it. The pain he had caused her was still too fresh. She didn’t feel ready to face the possibility that he had just used her and even worse, that she had allowed him to do it. Even if that was not the case and he had really just tried to protect her, she wasn’t sure if she could forgive him for tricking her like that, for not being honest with her.

For hours now she could hear a storm raging outside, the howling of the wind and the rumble of Thor’s hammer. She remembered the first night she had given herself to Ivar. It had been a stormy night as well. Thor had been hitting his anvil just like he did today. Ivar had said that it was a sign that the goods approved of them being together, but now she wasn’t so sure of that anymore. Maybe the gods had wanted to warn her. She shook her head. Or maybe she just wasn’t important enough for the gods to care at all.

A soft knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and before she could react the door was opened. To her surprise it was Ubbe standing in the door frame, looking terribly uncomfortable.

“What do you want?” Thyra asked, finding her voice sounding even more hostile than she had intended.

Ubbe tried to give her a smile but it looked more like a pained grimace. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see…”

“You’re damned right about that.” Thyra interrupted him with a snort.

He nodded sadly. “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important. I need to talk to you.”

Thyra shrugged. “Talk.”

Ubbe shifted uncomfortably on account of her un-welcoming behavior. “I’m worried about Ivar. He disappeared into the forest a couple of hours ago and hasn’t come back.”

And as if to underline his words a gust of wind rattled on the wooden roof of the hall. Thyra could see the honest worry in Ubbe’s eyes and suddenly felt bad for acting so hostile. Despite the fact that she wasn’t sure anymore how she felt about Ivar, worry began to rise inside of her as well.

“Have you not asked him where he was going in a weather like this?” She asked.

“I tried to, but he was in one his not so pleasant moods. He just mumbled something about someone being a coward and him being the only one who truly cared for you. You know him when he’s like this. There’s no point in trying to talk to him.” He wearily rubbed his face. “I really need to find him. He hasn’t slept in days and I doubt that he has eaten properly. He’s not in a condition to be out there in this kind of storm.”

Thyra felt a wave of guilt mix with her worry. The shape Ivar was in was caused by his refusal to leave her side, even after she had thrown him out of this room. Maybe Lagertha was right and he really cared for her. If she had just brought herself to talk to him earlier…

“Do you have any idea where he might have gone?” She asked.

Ubbe shook his head. “I was hoping you knew. Do you two have something like private spot you go to regularly?”

She felt a blush on her cheeks. “Nothing I can think of.”

He sighed. “Well, it was worth a try.” He tried another weak smile. “Maybe the goods will guide me to him.”

“Wait.” Thyra said as he turned to leave. “I’m coming with you.”

Ubbe raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re still weak. You should stay where you are.”

She clenched her teeth. “That is not your decision to make.” With that she swung her legs over the side of the bed, suppressing a groan at the pain in her side and her thigh.

The doubt was still evident on Ubbe’s features. “I really don’t think that’s good idea.”

“Stop wasting time. We have to find him before it gets dark.” She said, ending the conversation and grabbing her cloak on the way out.

As soon as the doors of the great hall closed behind them Thyra started to shiver. It was freezing cold and the rain poured down mercilessly, while the storm pulled on her cloak, making it appear even colder than it actually was. The worry felt like a stone in her chest. If Ivar was out in this weather for hours, he must have been half frozen to death by now. The fact that he had had to drag himself over the wet and cold ground didn’t make it any better.

“In which direction did he go?” She yelled over the howling of the storm.

Ubbe gestured for her to follow him. Thyra was relieved to find that she could keep up with him. She was limping and it hurt like hell, but she could walk.

“This is where I last saw him.” Ubbe said as they reached the tree line. “From here on the gods will have to guide us.”

The sunlight was blocked by thick black clouds and between the trees it got even darker. It was as if they were walking into the night. The howling of the wind and the occasional sounds of braking branches combined with the all-consuming darkness, only lit by lighting every now and then, made the usually so peaceful forest appear like a place of nightmares.

“How bad is it?” Ubbe asked after a while, pointing at her limping leg.

“I’m fine.” Thyra just said, trying to ignore the burning sensation the spread from the wound on her thigh. If she was completely honest she was beginning to doubt her decision, but she would have rather bitten off her tongue than to admit that. And her worry for Ivar kept pushing her forward.

Ubbe didn’t seem convinced in the slightest but he dropped the topic. “Be careful. Some of these trees might fall.” He said instead and shifted his concentration back to his surroundings.

They had walked for almost an hour, yelling Ivar’s name every few steps, when Thyra noticed the blood soaking through her breeches. She hissed a quiet curse and wrapped her cloak tighter around her to hide it. Ivar where in Odin’s name are you? You can’t die out here. She remembered how she had yelled at him to leave and her heart became heavy with guilt, but with it came also new determination. No, this can’t have been our last conversation.

And then she heard it. It was barely audible over the raging storm but it was clearly Ivar’s voice.

Ubbe had heard it too. “Ivar?” He yelled.

“Over here!”

Thyra had to blink away tears of relief as they started to make their way in the direction Ivar’s voice had come from. When she finally saw him all the pain in her leg was forgotten. She rushed to his side and unceremoniously dropped into the mud next to him, wrapping her arms around him.

He seemed surprised for a moment but then pulled her to his chest and held her close before pushing her away at arm’s length to look at her. “What are you doing here?”

She studied his face. He still looked as weary as he had two days ago, maybe worse even. His hair was a mess of wet strands and his clothes were soaked and muddy, but other than that he seemed to be fine. “We were worried about you.”

He placed his hand on her cheek, giving her a smile. “There’s no need to.” Then he turned to look at Ubbe and his eyes narrowed. “How can you drag her out of bed and bring her along in this kind of weather. She still needs to rest.”

“I did not drag her out of bed…” Ubbe tried to defend himself, but Ivar cut him off. “It doesn’t matter. You should not have allowed it.”

“It is not his fault.” Thyra tried to calm him. “I’m here because I was worried about you. It is stupid to go out in a storm like this. Why did you do that?”

“For you.” He said, softly stroking her cheek. “The healers were out of the herbs they put on your wounds and these cowards didn’t want to go out and get new ones because of the storm. If you wouldn’t still need them, I would cut their stupid heads off.” He patted a small leather bag that was strapped to his belt. “It took me a while to find them all, but I have everything they need now.”

Thyra felt her heart warm and a tingly feeling spread in her stomach. So he did truly care for her. That realization was pure balm for her hurt soul and for the first time she was convinced that it would heal, that Ivar could help her heal it. In this moment she knew she could never hate him, not even if she wanted to.

Ubbe cleared his throat to draw their attention. “I’m really happy to see you reunited, but maybe it’s for best if we get out the rain and wind now.”

Ivar locked his gaze with Thyra’s again and gave her a smile. The look in his eyes made the tingles in her stomach seem to double. “Ubbe’s right.” He said softly. “You need to go back to bed.”

All Thyra wanted right now was to kiss him, feel his arms around her and be as close to him as possible, but she knew he was right. She rose to her feet. And immediately regretted it as dizziness made her vision blur. She caught a last glimpse at Ivar’s face and saw alarm written all over it. Then she sunk into darkness.

 Waking up felt like a déjà vu. She was in the same room as last time and Ivar was sitting in the same spot next to her bed.

“What happened?” She felt stupid, constantly having to ask him that question.

“Well, once again you took more than you could handle.” He sounded as if he was scolding a child, but then his voice turned softer. “We all know that you’re strong. There’s no need to try to prove it all the time.”

Thyra pulled a face. “That was not the reason I went with Ubbe.”

“The reason doesn’t matter. It was stupid. I don’t want you to risk your life.” A small grin appeared on his face. “Not even for me.”

She snorted. “You’re insufferable sometimes, you know that? Tell me what happened.”

Ivar shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. You were still too weak and the wound on your leg has started to bleed again, that’s why you went out.”

“How did I get back here?” She asked.

Thyra didn’t fail to notice the shadow that crossed Ivar’s face before he answered.

“Ubbe carried you.” He clenched his jaw and fell quiet.

She could sense that there was something weighting down on him and reached out to take his hand and give it a light tug. Ivar hesitated for a moment but then took the hint and pulled himself into the bed to sit next to her. She wished he would wrap her into his arms so that she could feel his reassuring warmth, but he didn’t.

She let her fingers trail along his jawline. “What is wrong? Tell me.”

His eyes were cast down as he started to speak. “It should have been me. You are my woman, I should be the one to carry you home.”

“Ivar…” She started, but he shook his head.

“There are so many things I can’t give you.” He continued. “I can’t carry you on my hands like I should. I can’t even give you a dance. I can’t press you against a wall to take you like other men do with their women.” He sighed. “And on top of all that I failed so badly to protect you. You deserve better than that. Better than me.”

It took Thyra a moment to take in what he had just said. Sometimes Ivar was still a riddle to her. Normally he could lie to people’s faces without a second thought, he could hide his thoughts and feelings better than anyone she had ever seen. And then there were moments like this when he surprised her with complete honesty, showing her his vulnerable side without warning.

She placed her hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her. “I don’t want someone who carries me on his hands. I want someone who respects me and treats me as an equal. I don’t want someone perfect. I want someone strong, like you.” She smiled. “I want you. I tried to hate you, believe me I really tried, but I couldn’t. You are my destiny. I know that now. And I’m happy about it.”

She slowly bridged the gap between them and placed her lips on his. He responded softly at first, as if he was expecting her to pull away at any second. But soon his hand traveled to the back of her neck as he took more control. The kiss became more hungry as they both had to admit how much they had missed to feel the other.

As they parted Ivar leaned his forehead against hers, letting out a content breath.

“This does not mean that I have forgiven you.” Thyra warned him. “I have just learned that for some reason I can’t go without you.”

He nodded slowly. “I will make it up to you. I promise.”

“Just promise you will never lie to me again.”

He pulled away from her to look into her eyes. “I promise you.” A smirk appeared on his face. “I’ve got something for you.”

He reached into his cloak that he had left on the chair and produced a small bloody bundle.

“What is that?” Thyra asked.

He handed it to her. “Open it.”

She looked at him questioningly as he placed it in her hand, but he just nodded for her to go on. Slowly she began to untangle the bloody cloth and wasn’t too surprised to find a cut off finger.

She raised an eyebrow at Ivar. “What am I supposed to do with a bloody finger? Whose is it anyways?”

He smirked darkly at her. “It belonged to the man who wounded you.”

“But he was one of your warriors.”

He looked at her as if she had just said something completely stupid. “What use do I have for a man who does not follow my orders?”

“Is he dead?” Thyra wanted to know.

For some reason he seemed amused by that. “Not yet. I have other plans for him.”

“What plans?” She asked, but he just shook his head. “You will see when the time is right.”

She knew there was no point in prying, if he did want to tell her yet she would not be able to make him. Instead she reached for one of the rune platelets he had made and gave it to him. “Then at least tell me about those.”

He smiled. “I asked the gods to give you the strength to survive.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. “I’m happy they granted me my wish.”

She rested her head against his shoulder. “Where was the blood coming from?”

Ivar pulled up his sleeve and showed her a healing cut on his forearm. “If you ask for something you also have to give.”

Thyra felt a smile form on her face. She was still mad that he had tricked her but everything he had since then he had done for her. He wasn’t just selfish. He truly cared for her. She believed that now. “Thank you.” She whispered.

He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “You should rest now.”

She looked up at his tired eyes. “So should you.”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.”

“I didn’t say that you should leave.” She said lifting up the blanket invitingly.

I’m sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. To make it up to you I hurried to write this one. I hope the outcome is okay.

Special thanks to @stormwxthskin for making the gif.

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl @itharley @samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement @thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @ruler-of-hel @onjacks-blog @djisfantastic @kawennote09 @wantingdreamsnotreality @shondlenoodle @ducklyz @lovelynerdytraveler @stormwxthskin @readsalot73 @vixsyncynco @dina-m16 @tenps @red608 @nothingbuthappydays

First Chapter - Previous Chapter

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The first thing Thyra noticed waking up was the pain. Her whole body was aching. She kept her eyes closed, hoping she would just drift back to sleep or unconsciousness or death, whatever would come first would be fine with her. It didn’t work.

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the light after being surrounded by darkness for so long. She saw a wooden ceiling with beautiful carvings. Letting her eyes wander, she found that the room she was in was small but luxurious. She was in the great hall, this was the private room reserved for important guests.

“You are awake.” She heard a hoarse voice beside her.

She turned her head and let out a groan as even the small movement sent a wave of pain through her entire body. It took a while until she was able to concentrate on her surroundings again.

It was Ivar who had spoken, sitting in a chair right next to her bed. Thyra was taken aback by how weary he looked. His usually tanned skin looked so pale she thought she could see through it and the dark circles under his eyes made his face look like a skull while his blue irises seemed to glow more than ever.

“Wha… what happened?” Her mouth was dry as the desert and it was hard to even form words.

Ivar’s tired eyes visibly lightened up at the sound of her voice, even if it was such a pathetic attempt to speak.

“You got wounded. Badly.” Ivar said, slightly shaking his head.

Thyra groaned. Yes, it definitely felt like that.

“Water?” She croaked.

Ivar reached for a goblet on her nightstand and gently put it on her lips. Never in her entire life had anything felt as good as the cool liquid running down her throat. She coughed a little as Ivar took the goblet away.

“You have to take it slow. You’ve been out for more than three days.” He informed her. “The healers were worried you wouldn’t make it, but I knew you would.”

“How did this happen?” She had searched her memory but came up with nothing.

Ivar’s face twisted into an amused grin. “You were stupid enough to fight half a dozen warriors at once. I now you’re a true Valkyrie, but that stunt almost got you killed.”

“How comes I’m still alive then?” She questioned.

“I stopped them.” Ivar simply said, his face turning serious again.

“You…” She trailed off as the memories began to come back. It was all a little blurry at first but then it all lashed down on her with a force that left her panting. The recollection of the events that had made her end up in this bed brought her more pain than those swords had. And then it hit her. “Lagertha!”

Ivar’s face darkened immediately. “She’s still alive.” It sounded as if it was his biggest regret.

Thyra felt as if she’d have to throw up as relief mixed with pain and anger. “You betrayed me.” She accused, feeling her heart become heavy at the realization.

She could see Ivar’s eyes narrow but he stayed surprisingly calm. “I did not. You knew that I still wanted to kill that bitch. I never told you otherwise.”

Thyra sat up against the headboard, ignoring the pain that was so sharp it made her vision blur. “You told me to come to the cabin that day to have me out of the way.” She fought desperately to keep her voice from trembling. “Was it ever real, Ivar? All that happened between us. Or was it just a way to distract me? One of your games?” She felt the tears burn in her eyes and blinked furiously. If he had just used her, she at least wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Ivar raised his chin, looking angry now. “I did that to protect you.” He hissed.

Thyra barely heard it. Her head was spinning and there was a sough in her ears. How could she have been so stupid? She felt that hurt and shame were about to overwhelm her and she would have rather died on the spot than let Ivar witness that.

“Leave.” She said, not daring to look at him. “I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Ivar did not move. Why was he even here? To mock her even further? She couldn’t stand the thought.

“Leave.” She yelled, tears now welling up in her eyes.

Ivar clenched his jaw and for a moment it looked as if he would just stubbornly stay where he was, but then without another word, he let himself down to the ground and crawled out of the room.

As soon as the door had closed behind him Thyra couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. They clouded her vision and streamed down her cheeks while her aching body was shaking from violent sobs. She hated herself for crying over her own stupidity but the sadness she felt was overwhelming and she needed a way to let it out. If she had not been wounded she probably would have raged and thrown stuff around, before going to the training grounds to kill straw filled enemies until all her hurt was replaced by exhaustion, but in her current state all she could do was to sob into her pillow.

She cried until there were no more tears left and then just lied there looking up at the ceiling, feeling incredibly lonely and hollow.

There was no way of telling how much time had passed as she heard a knock on the door.

“Who’s it?” She asked, not really wanting to see anyone.

“It’s me, Lagertha.”

Thyra rubbed her eyes in a fruitless attempt to hide that she had been crying. “Come in.”

The door was opened and the queen entered the room. She had a warm smile on her face but the worry in her eyes was more than evident. “It is good to see you awake. We’ve all been worried.” She took a seat in the chair Ivar had been sitting in, just looking at the younger shieldmaiden, before softly shaking her head. “I admire your loyalty, but promise me to think first next time. Don’t get yourself killed fighting a battle you can’t win. That is not our way.”

Thyra cast her eyes down, not knowing how to reply to that.

“How did it all end? What happened after I went down?” She finally asked.

“Ivar and Ubbe had me surrounded and I was sure they would attack at any moment. Then you yelled at the warriors you were fighting.” She smiled at that. “Ivar was distracted for a few seconds. I think before that he hadn’t even realized that you were in the hall. He told his men to stop. Only seconds after you went to the ground Björn entered and convinced Ivar and Ubbe to let me live.”

“Björn is back?” Despite all her sadness Thyra felt a smile spread across her face. She had missed Björn, who had become a big brother to her over the years. “Please tell him to come see me when he can find the time. I’d love to hear his stories about the Mediterranean.”

Lagertha nodded, but her gaze seemed to be caught on Thyra. “What happened to your face?”

“One of the warriors hit me with the handle of his sword.”

The queen shook her head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. There’s some kind of symbol…” She reached out her hand and slightly rubbed her fingertips over Thyra’s forehead. “It’s blood.”

Now Thyra touched the spot as well and her fingers came back with some small brownish crumbs. Lagertha was right, it looked like dried blood. Before the queen leaned back in her chair she picked up something from beside Thyra’s pillow and eyed it curiously. It was a small bone platelet with runes carved into it.

“What is that?” Thyra asked.

“Rune magic.” Lagertha whispered, quickly putting the thing back down as if she had just found out that it was poisonous. “It is a special way to ask the gods for favors. It’s very powerful but also dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. The only person I know who knows how to do it is Floki. He must have taught Ivar.” She looked as if that thought was truly worrying her.

“You think Ivar did that?” Thyra asked. Looking around her, she had found more of those platelets, neatly arranged around her body on the bed, they all had the brownish coloring of dried blood.

“It has to be him. He has not left this room until today and he didn’t allow anyone else in here except for the healers.”

“What do you think it means?” Thyra questioned, twisting one of the platelets between her fingers.

“I can’t tell. You will have to ask Ivar.”

Thyra pressed her lips together. “I don’t think I want to.”

Lagertha gave her a sad smile. “I know. But you would be doing me a favor. Since you threw him out of here he is sitting in front of the door, giving everyone who passes a death glare and threatening to kill whoever tries to make him leave.” She took Thyra’s hand between hers. “He truly cares for you, you know.”

Thyra snorted. “If he really did, he would not have betrayed me like that, he would not have used me like that.”

“He did that because he cares for you. He can’t let go of his hate and his wish for revenge, but he didn’t want you to get hurt, he wanted to protect you.”

Thyra looked at the queen in sheer disbelieve. “Why are you siding with him? He has just tried to kill you.”

“I am not siding with him. I would love to punish him for what he is making you go through, but I know that it would do more harm than good, to all of us. I just want you to know all the fact so that you can make the right decision.” Lagertha explained.

“What decision?”

“I will forgive both Ivar and Ubbe for conspiring against me. And you will have to decide whether or not you are willing to do the same. You’ve been happy in the past few weeks, I can tell. I don’t want to be the reason you give that up.” After that her expression lightened as an almost mischievous grin spread on her face. “And I’m still hoping that you can persuade Ivar not to kill me.” She said with a wink.

Thyra sighed. “I think the most recent events have proven that I can’t.”

“Take your time. And when you’re ready, talk to him.”

Thyra sighed again. “I will. Just give me a day or two. Can you endure him a little longer?”

I had planned to write some fluff for this chapter to give them a break before drama catches up with them again, but reading through it I realized that it turned out quite angsty.

Everytime I sit down to write a new chapter, I have a certain plan in my head and every single time the outcome is something completely different. I swear I have no control over that story!

So thank you all so much for sticking with me anyways!!

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl @itharley @samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement @thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @ruler-of-hel @onjacks-blog @nothingbuthappydays  @vixsyncynco @djisfantastic @kawennote09 @wantingdreamsnotreality @shondlenoodle @ducklyz @lovelynerdytraveler

First Chapter - Previous Chapter

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As Thyra woke up there was a weight on her chest that wasn’t supposed to be there. Her eyes flew open and she was about to panic when she realized that it was Ivar’s arm, tightly wrapped around her, cradling her to his chest. She slowly relaxed as the events of the past night came back to her mind, making a smile spread over her face. She wiggled a little to loosen Ivar’s grip and turned to face him. To her surprise he was awake and watching her, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

“Good morning, my little shieldmaiden.”

She yawned. “For how long have you been awake?”

“A while.” He said absentmindedly, his fingertips drawing little circles on her upper arm.

“Why didn’t you wake me? It must be late already.” She asked, squinting her eyes against the sunlight that fell through the windows.

“It’s been a long night and there was no need to wake you.” Then his face turned into a crocked smile. “And besides, I couldn’t move. You were sleeping on my arm.”

“I’m sorry.” Thyra muttered, lifting her head.

“Nah, it’s fine. Since you’ve shifted your weight to turn around I can feel it again.”

Thyra laughed and playfully slapped his chest before snuggling against his shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile to herself. This was a completely new side of Ivar, one she hadn’t seen before and probably one that very few people would ever get to see.

Ivar pulled the furs up to shield them from the cool morning air since neither of them seemed to be willing to get up and light a fire. He drew her even closer to him and rested his head on top of hers. Thyra was surprised by how content and peaceful she felt. She wasn’t used to waking up in a man’s arms but she had to admit that it felt good. Ivar’s warmth and his strong arms around her made her feel safe and protected.

She had to slightly shake her head. This was so absurd! She had always taken pride in the fact that she could take care of herself and that she didn’t need anyone to protect her. But here she was, feeling so small against Ivar’s broad chest, coming to like the idea of him by her side, that he would always keep her safe. She shook her head again to chase those stupid and girlish thoughts away. Nothing was worked out between them, their future together more than uncertain. She wouldn’t allow herself to become weakened by him so easily.

For a long moment neither of them spoke or moved. They were just lying there cradled together enjoying the other’s warmth. The events of the past night replayed in Thyra’s mind and made a wide grin grow on her face, but with the content happiness came also curiosity.

“Ivar, can I ask you something?”

“Hmm.” It sounded as if he was half asleep.

“Last night before we fell asleep you said that it was different with me or something like that. What did you mean by it?”

She could feel him tense against her before he started to speak. “I can’t remember. I was probably just babbling in my sleep.”

Thyra thought about letting it go, it was obviously something he didn’t want to talk about. But she was also curious and felt like after she had confessed her feelings for him so openly and in front of everyone it was his turn to give a little, to take a small step towards her.

“No you were not.” She struggled out of his embrace to look at him. “Listen, Ivar. I came here last night because I really want to be with you. Hell, maybe you’re right, maybe this is what the gods want for me. But there are still so many things that are working against us. If we want to have any chance to make this work, then we have to trust each other. So please don’t shut me out.”

For a moment Ivar just glared at her, lips pressed together, reminding her so much of a stubborn child. But then - to much of her surprise - he sighed and his features softened visibly, although by the set of his jaw Thyra could tell how tense he still was.

It still took a while before he finally started to speak. “A few months ago my brothers brought me to that slave girl, Margrethe.” He paused and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as if he was readying for something unpleasant. “With her… I don’t know… I…” He paused again, looking frustrated. “I just couldn’t do it the way I should. I don’t know why.”

In that moment he looked so vulnerable, blue eyes wide and seemingly afraid how she would react. All the confidence he usually displayed so boldly was gone and Thyra realized that it was all an act. His witty jokes and his mockery, all that he used to hide how deeply hurt he actually was. She felt the urge to wrap him into her arms, to hold him close and tell him that everything was fine. Who would have thought that she would have those feelings for Ivar one day? She definitely wouldn’t have.

But before she had the chance to do anything Ivar continued to speak. “I thought I would never be able to please a woman and I never again wanted to share the bed with one. But then you showed up.” He had spoken fast, as if he wanted to get it all out in a hurry and just be over with it, but now he slowed, looking deep into her eyes. “Whenever I looked at you I couldn’t help but picture how it would be with you, whether it would be different. That day on the marketplace when you killed that man right in front of me, his blood splattering across your face, oh my fierce little shieldmaiden, never in my life have I been this hard. And I knew the gods were giving me a second chance.”

Thyra was almost surprised by his openness, even though she had demanded it, but then she realized that she shouldn’t be. Ivar was brave in every possible way. Wasn’t that part of why he fascinated her so much?

She slowly leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Last night was perfect to me.” She whispered.

Ivar smiled at her. It wasn’t his usual cocky grin, nor the intimidating evil smirk he so often wore on his face. It was a sincere smile of happiness and Thyra wondered if she had ever seen that on him before.

He raised his hand to caress her cheek, then slid it around to the back of her neck to pull her to him again. The kiss was soft at first but soon turned more hungry and heated. As they parted for air, Ivar kept her locked close to him and leaned his forehead against hers.

“How did you become Lagertha’s little pet?” He asked after a while. “Tell me something about you.”

Thyra grimaced at his choice of words but decided to let it go because he seemed to be sincerely interested. “My father died in Paris, fighting alongside yours. When he didn’t come back my mother said that she couldn’t stand the sight of our house any longer, not even that of Kattegat. It all reminded her too much of him, so we moved to Hedeby. I was five by that time. Lagertha offered my mother to work in her household and they became close friends. When I was twelve my mother was assaulted by thieves. She wasn’t a shiedmaiden, she never carried a weapon. They did not kill her but she was wounded, soon the wound got infected and she died anyways. It took days, I could watch her become weaker and weaker, a terrible way to die.” 

She had to pause as her feelings were threatening to overwhelm her. She usually did not talk about her mother and now that she did, it all came back to her. She fought the tears that were forming in her eyes but lost the battle. As the first tear ran down her cheek Ivar wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.

“I know how you feel.” He whispered. “You don’t have to tell me more if you don’t want to.”

For the second time this morning Thyra was surprised by how safe and protected Ivar could make her feel. This time she didn’t fight it, she was too troubled at the moment.

She sniffled and waited until she felt ready to speak again. “On my mother’s death bed Lagertha promised her to take of me. And I promised myself not to die the way she did, to become a shieldmaiden and to make it as hard as possible for anyone to send me to Helheim. In Lagertha I had the perfect teacher and over the years she became a second mother to me.”

She half expected Ivar to say something nasty about Lagertha as he usually did, but he just kept stroking her back, seemingly lost in thoughts.

“What happened to those thieves?” He asked instead.

“Lagertha sent men after them, had them put in chains and brought them to me. Then she left, telling me to with them as I please.”

“And what did you do with them?” He wanted to know, eyes bright and expecting.

“I killed them. Slowly. One by one.” Even after all these years the memory eased her pain. She had done her duty, she had avenged her mother’s death. It hit her like lightning as she realized it was exactly that balm that had soothed her so many times - the knowledge that there had been justice - that she wanted to take away from Ivar. Her insides cringed at that realization but she couldn’t let him kill Lagertha, she just couldn’t.

To her relieve Ivar’s thoughts seemed to have gone in a complete opposite direction. He had his eyes closed and a pleased smile on his face.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked.

“About you.” He said, eyes still closed. “You are a Valkyrie, descended from Valhalla. All men should fear you.”

She grinned at that. “And do you fear me, Ivar the Boneless?”

“Sometimes.”  

Thyra didn’t get the chance to respond to that as the cabin door was opened. She pulled up the furs to cover herself as Ubbe stepped inside. Ivar pulled her closer to him, smugly grinning at his brother. Thyra didn’t like the thought of being showed off like a trophy, but after what Ivar had told her earlier she granted him that little triumph.

Ubbe gave an almost shy nod to greet her, then turned his attention to his younger brother. “Have you forgotten what we had planned for today? It is well past noon. Everyone is waiting for you.”

Ivar groaned. “Can we not do that tomorrow?”

“You are the one who keeps pressing about this. You are the one who doesn’t want to wait.” He spared Thyra a short side glance she couldn’t quite make sense of. “It all has to be well planned if we want to have a chance at success. You know that.”

Ivar rolled his eyes but nodded. “I’ll be there soon.”

“I’m counting on it, brother.” With that he left.

“What was that all about?” Thyra asked as soon as Ubbe had closed the door behind him.

“My brothers and I are assembling an army. It will be the largest army that has ever sail, from all over Scandinavia. And with that army we will go to England and avenge our father’s death.”

He had sounded completely calm and truthful, but the way his body had tensed against her’s left her thinking that this was only part of the truth.

She was still thinking about what he could be hiding from her as he suddenly rolled on top of her.

She let out a surprised squeal. “Ivar, what are you doing?”

He gave her a wolfish grin. “I have to practice my newly developed skills some more. I think that would be to both of our benefit.”

“But your brothers are waiting.” She objected half-heartedly, already feeling her body react to his weight on top of her.

Here it is. Thanks everyone for being so patient with me. I hope this is worth the wait.

Warnings: I really think it is time for them to get to it. At least if Astrid doesn’t get in the way again. ;o)

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl@itharley@samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement@thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @ruler-of-hel @onjacks-blog @nothingbuthappydays

If I forgot anyone or there’s anyone else who wants to be tagged just let me know.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 -    Chapter 7

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Thyra’s steps were surprisingly light as she made her way back to the great hall. There were no more secrets, no more sneaking around. She felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Still she was a little nervous about having to explain herself to Lagertha. The queen hadn’t seemed angry or disappointed when she had found out about her and Ivar but maybe she just hadn’t wanted to make a scene in front of everyone. And Thyra didn’t feel ready to discuss her feelings for Ivar with anyone yet, she still couldn’t fully understand herself why she was pulled to him with such irresistible force.

She wrapped Ivar’s cloak tighter around her body and inhaled deeply. His scent was giving her confidence, as if a part of him was here with her, helping her to get through this. She kept telling herself that once this was over she could go back to him and for the first time be with him without the nagging feeling of guilt that she had always felt before.

To her relief Thyra found the main room of the great hall deserted. She didn’t want to meet any of the shieldmaids as she was sure that after the events of this night the gossip about her and Ivar was already spreading.  

She knocked the door to the queen’s quarters.

“Come in.”

As Thyra entered the chamber Lagertha gestured towards one of the chairs.

“Have a seat.”

Thyra sat down and shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the queen to say something. But Lagertha took her time, lighting a few more candles before she sat down opposite of Thyra. For a torturous long moment the queen just looked at her, while Thyra couldn’t bring herself to meet her gaze. Instead she looked down on her hands, trying to hide her nervousness.

“So, you and Ivar?” Lagertha finally started.

Thyra didn’t know what to say and just nodded.

“I’ve been wondering for a while now who the lucky man might be.”

“You knew?” Thyra looked at the queen in surprise.

Lagertha smiled. “It was quite obvious. I know you, Thyra. You’ve been unconcentrated lately, daydreaming even. It is so unlike you that I knew there must be a reason. I just didn’t know who that reason might be.” She paused for a moment. “I’m happy for you two.”

Again Thyra was taken by surprise. “You’re not angry? He has threatened to kill you. And Astrid…”

“Astrid is still very young.” Lagertha interrupted her. “She doesn’t always understand my motives and she surely doesn’t speak for me. You are right, Ivar wants to kill me, but he has every reason to hate me. I killed his mother after all. It had to be done, but I don’t expect him to understand that. Just remember what you did to the men who were responsible for your mother’s death. It is normal that he feels this way. I hold no grudge against him.”

“So you don’t see it as a betrayal?” Thyra asked, still not quite believing that the queen would approve of her choice so easily.

Lagertha reached over and placed her hand on Thyra’s. “I see you as a daughter, you know that, right?”

Thyra nodded, feeling a lump built in her throat. She had felt as if she was failing Lagertha terribly and hadn’t expected to be forgiven immediately.

“All I want is to see you happy.” The queen continued. “If Ivar can make you happy, I’ll be the last person to take that away from you. You have to hold on to every bit of happiness you can get, for you never know how long it will last.” She said, her eyes turning distant.

Thyra wondered if she was thinking about her time with Ragnar. Lagertha never said it out loud, but by the way she talked about him, Thyra could tell that she still missed him.

She seemed to have been right, for the queen continued with a smile. “And what better match could I wish for you than a son of Ragnar Lothbrok.” She said with a wink, before turning serious again. “Ivar reminds me of his father in many ways, maybe most of all his brothers. He has Ragnar’s cunning mind and his strong will. Despite of his limitations I’m sure he will become a great man. I can understand why you are attracted to him.”

Thyra couldn’t help but smile. Lagertha not only accepting her choice, but approving of it gave her hope she had never thought was there. Maybe there was a small chance things would turn out well for all of them.

“He will not kill you. I won’t allow it.  I will make him listen. I will find a way.” Thyra said, even though she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep that promise.

“The gods decide our fate. If mine is to die by Ivar’s hands, there is nothing you can do against it. It’s not your fault, not even his. It’s just the way it is.” She smiled warmly at Thyra. “Now you should go. I’m sure he is waiting for you.”

 The way back to the cabin almost felt unreal. She would finally be with Ivar, the man she had thought would be her enemy – maybe he still was – but he was also the man she desired more than anyone else. She still couldn’t explain her feelings. Sure, he was ridiculously handsome, but there was more to it, something she couldn’t name. Maybe Ivar was right, maybe this was what the gods wanted for her.

The silvery moonlight illuminated her path through the sleeping town, making her feel even more as if she was in a dream. Thyra reached the cabin and thought about knocking the door, but Ivar knew that she was coming so she quietly opened it. To her surprise she almost ran into Ubbe and a very sleepy looking Sigurd. The older brother smiled as he recognized her but Sigurd looked at her as if a second head had just grown out of her shoulders.

After an awkward moment of silence Ubbe cleared his throat. “We’ll be in town for a couple of hours.” With that he disappeared into the dark, pulling a very displeased Sigurd behind him.

Thyra knew that he was just making excuses. It was still well before sunrise and everyone in town would be fast asleep. She wondered how Ivar had made them leave at this hour. But it didn’t matter much now anyways, all that mattered was that they were alone and would finally have the chance to actually talk things through and maybe get to something close to a conclusion.

She stepped into the cabin and closed the door behind her. It was almost dark inside and her eyes searched for Ivar. He was sitting in front of the fire place, watching her with eyes so blue that they almost seemed to glow in the dark. The fire had died down and the red glow of the coals danced across his skin, making him look even more alluring than usual.

Thyra felt her heart beat faster and her blood rush through her. Her brain seemed to have stopped working and all her logic was replaced by want. The longer she looked at him the more she abandoned her plans to talk to him. Here she was, alone with Ivar in the dark and all she could think about was how much she wanted to feel him. Tonight she would get what she wanted, everything else would have to wait. He had been denied her for too long.

She almost felt feverish as she slowly crossed the room.

“You came.” It sounded as if he had expected her not to.

Thyra just nodded and let herself sink to the floor next to him. Without hesitation she placed her hands on both sides of his face and softly pressed her lips to his. For a moment he seemed taken by surprise but then she could feel him smirk before he started to kiss her back eagerly.

Ivar surely didn’t need any second invitations as his hands slipped under her cloak and his tongue travelled along her bottom lip to demand access into her mouth. He started kneading her breasts through the thin fabric of her nightgown while he travelled kisses along her jawline and her neck.

Thyra arched into his touch, letting out soft moans. She started to tug on the hem of his shirt, desperate to reveal more of him. He raised his arms to allow her to pull it over his head. His tanned skin had a reddish shine in the glow of the coals and the play of light and shadow made his chest and arms look even more toned than usual. While Thyra still cherished the newly revealed view, Ivar started to fumble with the strings of her cloak and quickly abandoned it to the floor. He resumed kissing her and his hands sneaked under her nightgown, lightly caressing her thighs. He slid his hands higher and higher, over her hips and up her sides, never stopping to stroke and knead her flesh and lifting the thin fabric that was covering her in the process. Soon he slid it over her head and in the same motion gently bedded her on the floor.

Thyra felt a short moment of self-consciousness as she lay completely bare before him for the first time, while he towered over her, an admiring grin playing across his beautiful features. But before she had the time to blush, he bent down and covered her with his body. He caught her wrists and pinned them over her head as he began to kiss her mouth and neck before slowly moving down to her breasts. He alternated between sucking her nipple and letting his tongue swirl around it, causing her to moan and arch her back. She felt as if her skin was on fire and tried to squirm, but Ivar kept her down by resting more of his weight on top of her and refusing to release her hands. All she could do was sigh and moan, her breath coming fast and heavy.

Finally Ivar moved back up to kiss her lips again. He rolled his hips to make her open her legs so that he could comfortably settle between them. As soon as she obeyed he started to move his hips against hers and she could feel his erection rub against her exposed core, only covered by the soft leather of his pants. She sighed and arched her back to press herself against him as they moved against each other, feeling their bodies heat up even further.

Soon Ivar slipped one hand between them, but still managed to keep hers pinned down with the other. He rolled to his side and rested his weight on the arm that held her hands down to allow his other hand to sneak between her spread legs. He took his time caressing her inner thighs, every now and then letting his fingertips brush over her center, closely watching her reactions all the while. The sharp intake of breath as his index finger slipped between her wet folds made a smirk spread over his face. He started to move it up and down and every time he hit her clit Thyra let out pleasured mewls. Soon he had made it out as the right spot and started to draw little circles around it, giving it a light pinch every now and then.

Thyra could feel his eyes on her as she squirmed in pleasure. He watched her closely, studying her reaction and adjusting the movement of his hand immediately. He wasn’t clumsy at all, but he seemed so curious, so testing. Could it be that Ivar was inexperienced? He had always acted so cocky and self-assured that the thought had never occurred to her. And then there was his status and his good looks. She had assumed that the young women of Kattegat would stand in line to warm his bed.  

The next second all those thoughts disappeared as Ivar slowly dipped one finger inside of her. He pulled back quickly, but as Thyra lifted her hips to press into his hand he pushed it back inside and started pumping in and out.

“Ivar.” She moaned. “That feels so good. Don’t stop.”

He smirked and moved faster, soon inserting a second finger. His fingers were thick and calloused and Thyra could feel the heat starting to form a glowing ball inside of her that was readying to explode. Her moans turned into pleasured little screams as Ivar started to circle her clit with his thumb, while still pumping his fingers inside of her. She desperately pressed her hips into his hand as she felt her orgasm built up fast.

Ivar watched in awe as her whole body started to shake and tremble uncontrollably under his hands. Her moans grew louder and louder as she clenched around his fingers. He kept up his movements until she was coming down from her high and her body slowly stilled.

As Thyra opened her eyes, Ivar pulled his fingers out of her and brought them to his mouth to lick off her juices.

“You taste so sweet, my little shieldmaiden.” He whispered and as he bent down to kiss her she could taste herself on his lips.

Ivar finally released her hands and Thyra used the chance to let them travel over his stone hard chest, before pushing him over and rolling on top him. Her appetite for him was far from being sated.

She broke the kiss and sat up, moving down his body a little bit so that she could reach the strings of his pants. But as she started to untie them Ivar’s hand shot forward and closed around her wrist.

“Wait.”

She looked up in surprise and found him staring at her with almost panicked eyes.

“Ivar, what’s wrong?” She asked softly.

For a moment he seemed at a complete loss of words, then he bit his lip, looking as if he was considering something. Thyra could see him take a deep breath as he slowly released her wrist.

“Not like this.” He finally said, gesturing towards the bed.

Of course Thyra knew that there must be more behind his reaction, but she decided that it wasn’t the right time to ask about it. Instead she smiled at him. “If you wish.”

She stood up and watched as he pulled himself up on the bed, one more time admiring the grace he moved with and how easily he lifted up his body by only using the strength of his arms.

Ivar settled comfortably against the headboard and reached out his hand for her, pulling her into his lap. He captured her lips into another deep and hungry kiss, letting his hands roam her body. As he seemed to have relaxed again and started to trail kisses along her jawline, Thyra decided to give it another try. She reached down and began to untie his pants. Ivar leaned back and watched her, he still looked a bit skeptical but this time he didn’t stop her. Thyra could see his jaw clench as she slowly pulled his pants down. A hot shiver ran down her spine as his thick and perfect cock sprang free, hard and ready for her. She licked her lips and dragged his pants further down his legs.

Ivar just sat there, cautiously watching her, seemingly waiting for her reaction. She discarded the leather material to the floor and slowly crawled back up his body. She placed a soft kiss on his lips before whispering into his ear. “You’re perfect. I can’t wait to feel you.”

He gave her a smile that seemed a little forced. “I want you.” He said so quietly it was barely audible.

Thyra grinned at him before bending down to give the tip of his cock a long kitten lick. “I can see that.”

Ivar gave a long sigh as she started to lick him base to top. She looked up to him with a smirk before fully taking him into her mouth and slowly bobbing her head. She took him in as deep as possible, sucking and licking him all the while. Ivar’s eyes rolled back and an incomprehensible babble of shits and fucks fell from his lips. Soon he tangled one hand into her hair, trying to control her movements and make her take him even deeper. Thyra slapped his hand away and released his cock, knowing that if he indeed was lacking experience, he probably wouldn’t last very long. Instead she moved back up to position her entrance over his tip.

Her heated body told her to rush, to just sink down and let him fill her. But she forced herself to take her time. So many nights she had dreamed about being with Ivar that way and now she was determined to enjoy every single second of it.

She lowered herself just a tiny bit until her center ever so softly touched his tip and then moved back and forth, having him rub along her folds. Ivar sighed and bit his lip, looking as if she was torturing him. “Please.” He muttered, squeezing his eyes shut.

Thyra smirked at the sight of him so desperate and at her mercy. And as if he had read her thoughts Ivar’s eyes flew open and his hands grabbed her by the waist. Something in his face had changed, he looked determined now as he began to pull her down on him.

She gasped as his tip slid into her. “Ivar, gently. Please.”

He slowed a little but kept holding her tight, giving her no room to work against him. Now it was Thyra biting her lip as he slowly squeezed his way into her. She hadn’t slept with a lot of men before and he was thick. It was almost painful, but finally feeling him that way was everything she wanted and made even the pain appear pleasurable. They let out a simultaneous breath as their hips finally met, him filling her completely. Thyra experimentally rolled her hips against him and was rewarded with a low growl, while she gasped at the feeling of him slowly sliding in and out of her. She began to move more rhythmically and soon the pain fully turned into a feeling of heat and pleasure.  Ivar’s hands stayed locked around her waist, steadying her movements as he watched her move on top of him.

Soon Thyra’s movements got faster, her moans echoing through the cabin. She should have taken the smirk on Ivar’s face as a warning, for the next moment he pushed her over and rolled on top of her. He didn’t waste any time forcefully pushing back into her, making her let out a pleasured whimper. He quickly picked up his pace, his trusts becoming faster and harder. It felt heavenly and Thyra could feel the hated knot in her stomach starting to build the second time that night. She raised her hips to meet his trusts and it didn’t take long for them to find a rhythm together. Their bodies moved in perfect sync, a heated mess of sweaty skin and tangled limbs.

As Ivar’s trusts became more sloppy and his groans grew louder Thyra could tell that he was close. She took his hand and guided it down between them. He took the hint started to rub her clit while still slamming into her. The suddenly doubled sensation made her scream and tears cloud her vision. And as Ivar finally buried himself deep into her with one last forceful thrust, the feeling of his seed filling her was enough to drive her over the edge.

Both of their bodies were sweaty and shaking as Ivar collapsed on top of her. For a moment they just lay still, panting and unable to move. As their breathing began to slow, Ivar rolled off of her and pulled her to his chest.

“Oh my little shieldmaiden, I knew that you were made for me.” He whispered into her ear.

All she could manage was to hum in agreement, she was too relaxed and exhausted to speak. She found it odd how save she felt in Ivar’s arms, willing to forget all their troubles for one night. But her tired mind wasn’t able to follow the thought any further.

I got this anonymous prompt for my 1500 follower prompt party and it simply said “Ivar and Thyra in a modern AU”, so here’s what I came up with.

This is obviously based on my fic Conquer You but it’s not necessary to have read it to understand this one.

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl @itharley @samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement @thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @ruler-of-hel @onjacks-blog @djisfantastic @kawennote09 @wantingdreamsnotreality @shondlenoodle @ducklyz @lovelynerdytraveler @stormwxthskin @readsalot73 @vixsyncynco @dina-m16 @tenps @red608 @somethinginthewayiam 

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Thyra wasn’t big on dates. The whole concept seemed weird to her. In fact she considered trying to get to know random strangers and hoping to find either love or even just some fun that way a waste of time. Maybe one day she would meet the right person and if not, that was also fine with her. She had a job that she loved and that kept her too busy to be lonely. There simply was no time or need for dates.

But then somehow she had ended up here, in this fancy restaurant, clad in one of the two dresses she owned. She didn’t know much about the man in front of her except that he seemed to be quite wealthy for inviting her into the most expensive restaurant in town and that he had the bluest and most fascinating eyes she had ever seen.

They had met at some kind of political event, Thyra didn’t even know how to name it correctly. She had only been there because her best friend, who was running for a seat in the city council, had begged her to come. The whole thing had turned out to be as lame as she had assumed it to be, so she had quietly escaped to the bar to drown a few drinks. That was when he seemed to appear out of thin air. He had dropped into the seat next to her and ordered a whiskey, looking as bored as she felt.

“Not interested in politics?” She was startled by him suddenly addressing her.

And that was when she had first gazed into those mesmerizing blue eyes. She had been thankful for some distraction and soon a casual conversation had evolved. She had learned that the man who had simply introduced himself as Ivar owned some kind of company and had to at least pretend that he was interested in this kind of social event to meet people and make business deals. It had been pleasant to talk to him and he had been charming but Thyra was still surprised when he asked her to go out for dinner with him.

“Let’s say Friday, eight o’clock. I’ll pick you up.” He had said, not really giving her the chance to say no.

Many times she had half a mind to call him say that she couldn’t go and just come up with some excuse, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to pick up the phone and dial his number. She had to admit that he had made her curious, not only because he was ridiculously handsome. His effortless confidence had impressed her and there was some air of mystery around him that drew her interest.

So now here she was, sitting across from him and trying not to drown in the blue oceans that were his eyes. Not wanting to stare, she managed to tear her gaze off him looked out of the window instead. The restaurant was on the penthouse floor of one of the highest buildings in town and the windows went from floor to ceiling. They were overlooking a beautiful skyline as the sun was setting in the background. Ivar sure knew how to impress.

“You saved me that evening, you know?” He said, drawing her attention back to him. “If I hadn’t met you I would have gotten terribly drunk to even somewhat entertain myself and who knows what would have happened then.”

Thyra laughed at that. “Completely wasted in front all the important people of the whole city. What a way to bring your company forward! You’re not really a tactician, are you?”

He groaned. “Usually I would send brother to events like this. He’s much better at meaningless sweet talk than I am. I only intervene when he’s not successful.”

“Because the boss is more intimidating?” She asked with a smile.

A dark smirk appeared on Ivar’s face. “Something like that.” After a pause he added. “Let’s not talk about me so much. What do you do for a living?”

“I work in law enforcement.” Thyra said, taking a sip of her wine.

“Interesting. Is that more of an office job or do you actually go out and hunt the bad guys?”

Thyra tensed a little but decided to be honest. “I’m in a SWAT team.” Usually men reacted to that in one of two ways. They either found it funny or didn’t believe her at first.

The corners of Ivar’s mouth twitched up a little, but to her surprise he looked more curious than amused. “That sounds like fun. I’d love to hear more about it.”

Before Thyra could reply to that, Ivar’s phone started to buzz. He rolled his eyes as he looked at the display, then he gave her an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry but I have to take this one.”

She smiled and nodded, presuming it was a business call.

“Lothbrok” He said, holding the phone to his ear.

Thyra felt her mouth fall open. Had she just heard right? During her training there had been a full lecture on the Lothbrok family, who ran one of the biggest companies in the country but was also known to have direct connections to organized crime. Back then the business had been run by the infamous Ragnar Lothbrok. About a year ago it had been in all news when Ragnar had been found murdered and in police circles it was widely known that his son Ivar had taken over the company as well as his criminal activities. More than that even, as the brutality with that those crimes were executed had clearly risen during the past year. Thyra couldn’t believe she had not recognized him, for she was sure she had seen his picture on either TV or case files more than just once.

“Alright, I’ll call you back in a minute.” She heard him say before he put the phone down and shifted his attention back to her. “That was my brother. I’m really sorry but I have to call him back. I hope you’ll excuse me for a few minutes.”

She nodded, trying to hide her inner turmoil. “Of course. It seems to be important.”

He flashed her a crocked grin. “A matter of life and death you could say.”

Thyra smiled politely, even though after what she had just found out she didn’t find that funny at all.

Ivar grabbed his crutches and left the table, leaving Thyra alone with her twirling thoughts.

So she was on a date with Ivar Lothbrok, who was on the very top spot of the list of people her boss wanted convicted and imprisoned. She knew of many crimes ranging from threatening officials to murder that his family was associated with, but there was never enough evidence. Ivar was smart. And dangerous.

She knew she should have left as long as he was gone but for some reason she couldn’t. He had fascinated her too much and she was curious how he would react to her confronting him.

She didn’t have to wait long until he came back. “Sorry again.” He muttered dropping back into his chair.

Thyra raised her chin, giving him a challenging look. “So, you’re Ivar Lothbrok.” She accused.

He cocked his head to the side, a small grin playing around his mouth. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“What do you think?” She said, trying not to be affected by the almost mischievous look on his face.

Huge thanks to everyone still reading and commenting after ten chapters. You are all the best and always keep me motivated to fight to finish this thing one day.

@tomboy-till-death @ladyvampirelove @neverlands-little-lost-girl @itharley @samantha24015 @peculiarleah @skeletoresinthebasement @thenorns-themoirai @kirah31 @ruler-of-hel @onjacks-blog @djisfantastic @kawennote09 @wantingdreamsnotreality @shondlenoodle @ducklyz@lovelynerdytraveler @stormwxthskin @readsalot73 @nothingbuthappydays @vixsyncynco

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First Chapter - Previous Chapter

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The past few weeks had been surprisingly peaceful. Thyra had spent most of her time training her shieldmaidens or working on the growing defenses around the town. It was also her responsibility to ensure the queen’s safety and that task got more complex every day as more and jarls and kings arrived with their men to join the Great Army.

Ivar hadn’t promised too much, people from all over Scandinavia were gathering in Kattegat and the town was literally about to burst. It was exciting to meet all those foreign people and there were feasts and gatherings almost every other night.

Every precious minute when she wasn’t on duty she spent with Ivar. Being in his presence had become the most natural thing in the world to her, even though there were still things that stood between them, things they did not talk about. She knew that one day they would have to face those problems, but for now she was okay with pushing them away and enjoying what little time they had together. It had taken Thyra quite a while and some heated arguments to become accustomed to Ivar’s dark moments and sudden mood swings, but in between yelling and throwing things at each other, there were many happy moments, when they lay in each other’s arms and dreamt about future battles and victories. Ivar had even talked Ubbe into putting up a curtain that separated a corner of their cabin from the main area to give them some more privacy.

But times when they were really alone with each other were still rare and precious as Ivar too was busy most of the day. He had to make plans and arrangements for the growing army. Not battle plans, they were still far from that, but an army of this size required an incredible huge amount of logistic. And since it was him and his brothers who were assembling the army, he also had to be there to greet the new arrivals. Even though he left most of the talking to Ubbe, he was present every single time, watching all these kings and jarls and sizing them up without them even noticing.

There weren’t many opportunities to sneak away together and that the town was so crowded didn’t make it any better, people were basically everywhere.

Today was one of those rare opportunities. Lagertha was holding a feast and about everyone would be there tonight. Ivar had made clear that he had no intention in seeing that “usurping old whore” and had convinced Thyra to meet him at the cabin instead.  

Thyra tapped her foot on the floor. Where in Odin’s name was Ivar?

She had found the cabin deserted, no sign of Ivar or one of his brothers. At first she had been sure he would be there soon, but after waiting for what felt like hours she was beginning to doubt it. Had he forgotten? That would have been very much unlike Ivar. Maybe he was still busy. But everyone was at the feast already, the town and the many camps around it had been almost empty. She shook her head deciding that it didn’t make much sense to wait any longer. After all Ivar knew where to find her.

As soon as the great hall came into sight she knew that something was wrong. The main doors were locked and guarded by men she did not know. Thyra rounded the hall, only to find that it was the same at both back doors. Worry began to rise. Something was happening in there, and it probably wasn’t anything good. She had to find a way to get inside.

Instinctively she reached over her shoulder to pull one of her sword from its sheath, but her hand closed around nothing but thin air. She hissed a curse as she realized that all her weapons were inside the great hall, neatly hanging next to her bed. She hadn’t bothered to take her swords with her as she went to meet with Ivar. All she had on her was a hunting knife. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hand. She would have to improvise and she would have to do it fast, her mind was already running wild with various scenarios of one of the foreign kings trying to kill Lagertha to take the throne.

The back door at the eastern side of the hall led straight into the main room, so it was the one it had to be since Thyra didn’t want to be bothered with more locked doors. She walked towards the guards in a way she hoped would look casual, praying to all the gods that they would not recognize her.

“Is the feast already over? I’m dying for a horn of mead.”

That seemed to amuse them. “No, it is not over. But it will be very soon, believe me.” One of them said with an evil grin.

She gulped, feeling her worries only worsen. “Then let me in before I come too late.” She suggested, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Before the man in front of her could reply to that, the other guard nudged him with his elbow. “Don’t you see who that is? It’s her. Remember what Ivar said!”

Thyra felt her stomach turn at his words. No, that can’t be true! Ivar would never betray me like that. She tried to fight the dark premonition that was forming in her head. Desperation was threatening to overwhelm her but she couldn’t allow that now, she had to do something, they had recognized her.

She slammed her fist into the closest guard’s face and was behind him before he had fully comprehended what was happening. He held his bleeding nose, but other than that did not dare to move as he felt the cold iron of her knife against his throat.

“Drop your weapons! Both of you!” She commanded.

The two men looked at each for a moment but then their swords clattered to the ground.

Thyra used the butt of her knife to knock out her captive and hurried to pick up his sword. The second guard didn’t waste any time either and made a jump towards his sword. Thyra was faster than him and when he came back up her sword descended to the back of his neck, cleanly separating his head from the rest of his body.

Knowing that there wasn’t a second to waste, Thyra threw herself against the doors, but all she managed was to hurt her shoulder. The doors were locked from inside with a heavy wooden bar. She knew she had lost the chance of surprise but she had no other choice, she had to get inside. To her relief her sword fit into the small slit between the doors, she pressed it upwards with all her strength. For a moment nothing seemed to move, but right when she thought she had to give up, she managed to lift the bar. Her arms were trembling when she heard it slide out of it’s hold and hit the floor on the other side.

She didn’t dare to take the time to catch her breath and pushed the doors open. After having made so much noise she wasn’t really surprised to see half a dozen swords pointed at her. It occurred to her that maybe it would have been better to take the time to make a proper plan instead of running blindly into her own ruin and in the end being no help at all. But it was too late now.

She risked a quick glance at the throne and let out a relieved breath when she saw Lagertha sitting there. The queen looked unequivocally tense but seemed to be unharmed so far. She had no time to feel relieved as she had to shift her attention back to the warriors in front of her as the first started to attack. There were many of them, more than Thyra could count while fighting them. All of her shieldmaidens were held back by hostile men. Ivar’s men, she realized with a strange feeling of loss that hurt more than a sword right into her guts. She shook her head and determinedly pushed those thoughts away, they were of no help right now. All of her concentration was needed right here and now, as she had to rapidly whirl her sword around to block the blows of her many opponents. She knew that she wouldn’t last very long, she had sent three of them to the ground but for each man she killed or wounded another joined in. All she could think of was to get to Lagertha’s side, so she slowly moved sideways, step by step getting closer to the throne.

As the crowd parted a little she was able to catch a short glimpse at Ivar. Even though he must have noticed the turmoil, his eyes were locked on Lagertha. The hate and determination she saw in them made Thyra’s blood run cold. He looked like a predator that had cornered his prey and was ready to attack. Thyra wondered if he had seen her, if he knew that it was her fighting his men, either way she couldn’t tell. Her lack of concentration was quickly punished as the handle of a sword collided with her face and a split second later she felt a sharp pain in her right thigh. She stumbled but managed not to fall. Biting her teeth, she shifted her sword into her left hand, grateful that she was used to fight with both hands, and pressed the right one onto the bleeding wound.

Thyra knew that it didn’t look good for her. The wound was deep and she could feel the blood running down her leg, soaking her pants. Her arms became heavier with every passing second and it felt as if her strength was leaking out of her just like the blood.

She felt a short moment of sadness because she hadn’t gotten to achieve the fame she had always dreamed of. Had Odin even noticed her yet?

This is my last chance. I have to try harder! She thought stubbornly and with the will not to give up yet came a last flash of energy.

She spat blood at the warriors narrowing in on her. “Common you bastards!” She growled through her teeth.

What little strength she had left she put into her last attack, her blade once more whirling around mercilessly. She grinned as two more men went to the ground, only seconds after one another. Odin! Father, can you see me? Then the world began to narrow down on her. There was another sharp pain just below her ribs but she felt it only for seconds before she was drifted to far off to even notice. The last thing that entered her consciousness was someone yelling “Stop!”.