#ivar loves igor

[princess-from-another-galaxy]

Summary: He thinks Ivar would have enjoyed the chaos he is causing without even being present. It would certainly give him a laugh. One day he will tell him.  For one thing he is certain of, he will see his youngest son again. Ivar the Boneless is not a man to go down quietly. If he had died the whole of the world would have known about it.

AKA

After disappearing for years, Ivar returns to Kattegat with Igor, a boy he considers a son. The family has missed him terribly, but are thrown off by the changes in him and this quiet sullen boy that only seems to care about Ivar.

[princessandshildmaiden]

𝓔dda 𝓐slaug 𝐋othbrok

The warrior queen of Northumbria and all England.

Edda the Fearless, a Queen, Ivarsdóttir, Princess of Kattegat, leader of the shieldmaidens, a warrior, a leader.

» This is Edda the Fearless, the famous daughter of Ivar the Boneless, his most precious possession, his greatest treasure. And as beautiful and gentle as she looks and attracts everyone's attention, she is also hard. Her mind is as sharp as the blade of a sword that pierces you. The War Princess, leader of the shieldmaidens, a fighter. Never to be underestimated.

Edda Aslaug, Princess of Kattegat, is the only daughter of King Ivar the Boneless and Queen Xenia, proud mother of Xena Lagertha, younger foster sister of Cailan, twin sister of Vidar and big sister of Iwan. She is the niece of Igor, to whom she is like a daughter and whom she loves dearly, Bjorn Ironside, Ubbe, Sigurd, Caya and Hvitserk and cousin of Ragnar, Leja, Illian, Marlena, who is also her soul mate and Ellinor and aunt of Ragnar Ivain, Lidija and Ranva. As Ivar's only daughter, she is considered his most guarded, most precious treasure, which is why the little princess was always spoiled by her father and spent most of her time with her father. He therefore included his little princess early on in his plans, strategies and tactics regarding Kattegat and the war. Edda, who had her father's head and intelligence, always interested and attentive, not only learned but quickly became her father's closest confidante alongside her mother, advising him on tactics and strategy and accompanying him in all discussions and negotiations. Although Edda has an excellent and pronounced talent for strategy, traps and tough negotiations and does not haggle, her father forbade her from ever going into battle or taking part in raids in order to protect his precious daughter. However, just like her father, she has his stubbornness and her own strong will, which she follows and ignores everything. Since it became clear early on that the young princess was a born warrior as well as a leader and had already mastered sword and shield as a little girl, she was taken under Lagertha's wing despite her ban, who recognized Edda's blazing strength and initiated and taught her the art of fighting. Despite Edda's dislike and initial hatred towards Lagertha. Despite her cold, superior facade, Edda has a lot of heart and gives her family all her warmth and love, tries to protect and support them in whatever way she can and always advises them wisely and skillfully. She is the only one who is able to curb her father's anger with her gentleness and care as well as her strong loyalty to him, to stop him from doing something and to look after him in his weakest and most painful moments, which she always does. Edda also has a particularly close relationship with her younger brother Iwan, advises him and stands by him, but is the only one who uses her sharp tongue to reprimand him before he acts impulsively and guides him. And not just the men of the family, because the young princess with the sharp mind of a sword and the strength of a leader knows how to control her father's men and judge orders. After it becomes known how skilled and confident Edda is with sword and shield and the princess turns into a magnificent, fearless and combative, cold warrior, she not only receives Lagertha's sword but also becomes the new leader of the shield maidens, who she leads determinedly and strongly without regard for losses, always ready for battle. Due to her unstoppable fearlessness, the beautiful princess is now only known by the name 'Edda the Fearless', the princess, the warrior, leader of the shield maidens. The proud wife of her beloved warrior, her only love, Cailan and proud mother of her beloved daughter Xena Lagertha. ( Vikings )

[lothbrokheir]

Iwan Hvitserk Igor

He is known as Iwan the terrible, King in the North, Ivarsson, King of Kattegat and all Norway.

"I am the Sword in the darkness."

Iwan Hvitserk Igor is the youngest son of Ivar and Xenia, the Prince of Norway, brother of Edda, Cailan and Vidar, nephew of Hvitserk from whom he takes his middle name and Caya, Björn and Ubbe and cousin of Ellinor, Marlena and Illian. He is the grandson of the great Ragnar Lothbrok and Queen Aslaug, as well as nephew of Igor the King of the Rus, from whom his second middle name comes from. He's the uncle of Ragnar Ivain, the son of his brother Vidar and his cousin Marlena. Through his mother's roots, Iwan carries Rus blood in him, giving him her natural arrogance and dignified demeanor, which he clearly displays. However, he also bears a striking resemblance to his father, having inherited his intelligence and talent for tactics, as well as the art of hiding his emotions beneath the surface. As the son of Ivar, he, like his father, has inherited something from Ragnar, which is reflected in him as Ragnar's more destructive side. Iwan is cunning, can be manipulative and does not care for feelings, which he rarely shows, just as he rarely shows his gentle side. He is direct and knows exactly how to get what he wants, as well as how to entice others to achieve his goals. He is a good speaker, eloquent and knows exactly what and how to say something. Iwan carries a lot of anger inside him, which is always bubbling to the surface and which he always tries to hold back so that it does not break out. While he has a distant relationship with his father, he has an even closer relationship with his mother, who knows how gentle her son is. He also has a close bond with his siblings, Vidar who understands his little brother very well and Edda who is her brother's gentleness and reason. Because he grew up with Ellinor, he has a connection with her that he doesn't have with anyone else. She is his calming influence and the gentle and loving nature that he needs, just like his father and uncle. Despite all his anger and the darkness within him, which is similar to that of his father, he also has a gentle side that loves his family more than anything and would do anything to protect each of them, but he rarely shows this to anyone because he believes that as the heir of the Lothbroks and future king of Norway, he cannot allow this kind of weakness. His faith in the gods and his fate dictates his path because he is completely convinced that the gods will show him his way. However, Iwan is more than he seems from the outside. There is a depth within him that is just waiting to come to the surface, but first the hard, unbending shell that surrounds the soft core of himself must be broken.

[bravo4iscool]

vikings masterlist

masterlist overview

unconditional love (ubbe ragnarsson x fem!reader; ragnarsson/lothbrok family & fem!reader)

save a mermaid (bjorn ironside x mermaid!reader)

my child (bjorn ironside x fem!servant!reader)

how dare you (bjorn ironside x wife!reader)

bigger person (bjorn ironside & siggy bjornsdottir!reader)

i love you. that’s enough. (sigurd ragnarsson & siggy bjornsdottir!reader

vikings/call of duty crossover

part two

please stay (ivar the boneless x katja; ivar the boneless & prince igor)

i’m sorry (bjorn ironside & hvitserk lothbrok)

a new life (hvitserk lothbrok & king alfred; hvitserk lothbrok x original female character)

loose you to love you (modern!ivar lothbrok & modern!bjorn ironside)

give him your heart (hvitserk lothbrok & king alfred)

more to come…

[kingoftherus]

Igor Rurikovich, the great King of the Rus, heir to the throne of Novgorod.

"Some might say that his eyes are so blue, just like an ocean, that everyone gets lost in them. And that his heart is so pure, nobody would every believe that he carries a hardness."

Igor is the son of the late Prince Rurik and the little brother of Xenia, who helped raise the young prince after their mother's death and not only acts as a mother figure for Igor, but is also like a mother. He has a close and loving relationship with his older sister, which is the most important thing for the prince. He is the nephew of Oleg, Dir and Askold and the uncle of Cailan, Edda, Vidar and Ivan. The boy is given guardianship to Rurik's brother-in-law Prince Dir, Prince Oleg and Prince Askold, into whose hands he is given. Prince Oleg, known as the Prophet from Kiev, is the cruelest and most determined of the brothers. And he knows that the boy will one day be the key to power in the Rus Empire. Since his brother Askold has great influence on the boy, he kills him and takes Igor for himself. From then on, there is a power struggle between Oleg and his older brother Dir. Ivar the Boneless, a Viking and Oleg's accidental ally, gets caught up in this brotherly struggle and quickly realizes that Igor is the real ruler of the Rus. And so he learns his language from him and befriends the boy. At some point he confesses to him that his guardian Oleg actually has no power and Igor is the real ruler of the empire. Together with him, Xenia manages to get rid of Oleg and make Igor the rightful ruler of the Rus. Through Ivar and his sister, as well as the events, Igor learned early on to be an adult, but also gave him a toughness that allows him to be the king for Novgorod and his people that is needed. But beneath his toughness, Igor has a gentle and good heart that loves his family more than anything and only wants the best for his people. His niece Edda is the most important thing for the young king, she is the apple of his eye, everything that is dear to him, everything that he values ​​and that counts most for him and above all, Edda is the daughter that he himself never had.

[princessoftherus]

𝓧𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓪 𝓛𝓸𝓽𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓴 𝓫𝓸𝓻𝓷 𝓥𝓲𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓡𝓾𝓼

Xenia the Great, as she was lovingly called by her people, was the first Queen of Kattegat and all of Norway, supporting her husband Ivar's side and born Xenia Rurikovich, Xenia of Novgorod, Viking Princess of the Rus and comes from the ruling house of Rurik. Mother of her beloved treasures, Cailan, Vidar, Edda, Iwan, Finan and Caye, proud aunt of Illian, Marlena, Ellinor, Baldur, Ragnar and Leja and Grandmother of Ragnar Ivain, Lidija, Ranva and Xena. She is the daughter of the former King Rurik, ruler of the Rus and older sister of the young Igor. From an early age, Xenia knows how to get what she wants, always insists and can easily wrap others around her finger when it comes to getting her way. From an early age, her father Rurik took her on raids, negotiations and taught her the gods and life as a Viking, whose beliefs she has always kept and, despite the Rus people, has always remained a Viking. So the young, intelligent girl not only learned quickly, but quickly understood business and rule, took part in planning and the affairs of the court and tactics of battles and was the only woman among her father's men who advised her, still a girl. After her brother was born, she helped raise Igor, becoming his loving, caring mother substitute, but the tragic death of her mother made her withdrawn and cold. After their father, who wanted to ensure that his children were safe in Oleg's hands, died, both siblings were separated. While Igor stayed with Askold, Xenia grew up under Oleg, who took over the kingdom of Rus. Nevertheless, Oleg was like a father to the young princess, took advice from Xenia and was not just his little favorite, but his daughter, closest confidante, secret weapon and yet enemy. Over time, the cold princess not only grew, but also gained self-confidence and a sharp intelligence and talent for leading and having the upper hand. She enjoyed great respect from the people, who both adored and feared the Viking princess. After Oleg's power grows after hunger, Xenia secretly begins to turn against her uncle, who realizes what a great danger Xenia is to him and his quest for power and his rule over the Rus, and begins to distrust his formerly beloved daughter, as he always called her, and wants to get rid of her, while he oppresses the Rus and Igor. Although Xenia resembles Oleg in her hardness and arrogance and is feared, she finds allies and plans for her and Igor's freedom, and finds a confidant in Ivar the Boneless. Because unlike Oleg, even though Xenia also has a hard time letting others get close to her and knows how to control the cool, self-confident facade despite her temperament, she, like her brother, has a pure, good, soft heart and would give anything for those she loves and cares for them tenderly. When the Rus are freed from Oleg, Xenia stays with her brother and Dir to prepare Igor for the throne, but knows that her fate lies elsewhere, which she finds in Ivar and Kattegat. After she and her husband hand over the throne to their youngest son and his wife and give up her crown, Xenia lives with her husband, simply as the loving, caring mother, the strengthening force of the family with her advice and fully supporting her family and takes care of her beloved husband like the rest. ⸻ Vikings.

[thepaperpanda]

A Little Snowball Fight || Ivar the Boneless x fem!reader

Masterlist ❄

Summary: Your friendship with prince Igor dates back to when you cared for him as a child. One day, he introduces you to Ivar, the Viking prince from the far north. After first courtesy, a little snowball fight ensues. At the end of the meeting, Ivar makes a very interesting offer that you cannot refuse

Warnings: none

Word count: ~ 2215

Authors: Fenrir & Cass

A/N: today’s prompt: Snowball Fight

Ice skating was one of your favourite pastimes, so you couldn't say no when young Igor invited you to skate - skating was especially fun when you had someone to skate with.

"Do you want to meet my new friend?" Igor asked, holding your hand as you glided across the ice together.

You glanced at him while humming softly. "Does this refer to this Viking prince? What was his name again... Ivar?"

After nodding immediately, the boy raised his head up and waved at Ivar.

Standing on top of a deck that provided a vantage point, Ivar nodded gently at Igor who was ice-skating below. Despite spending almost an hour outside, Igor was far from fatigued; Ivar was impressed by his stamina. The wooden railing was a perfect place for Ivar to rest his folded hands while watching Igor and rethinking his own matters.

In the same way that Igor did, you waved your hand to attract strangers' attention as well. Despite hearing about Ivar, you never had a chance to speak with him personally.

He kept his face straight, attempting to stay polite as he waved his hand back at you.

Soon, Igor pulled you off the ice so the two of you could join Ivar on the deck.

Ivar's lips were tinged with a smile as Igor and his female friend joined him. "Hope you are tired now, my boy," Ivar said as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "There is nothing better than returning to the warmth of the indoors when you are freezing."

"Who said I was freezing?" Igor asked, raising his eyebrow and tilting his head as he looked at Ivar. "I am fine, but I would like you to meet Y/N. I used to be cared for by her when I was younger."

Ivar's blue eyes inspected your face and features with ease. A tone of pride permeated his introduction, "My name is Ivar, Ivar the Boneless."

"My name is Y/N. It is nice to finally meet you in person," you said, bowing your head a little. 

The smile on Igor's face was contagious. "You see, Ivar? I told you I have a very pretty friend."

In response, Ivar nodded his head a little, his smile growing wider. "There is no doubt in my mind that you did not lie in the slightest."

As Ivar's eyes slipped over your body, he met your gaze and had no choice but to admit you had the most stunning eyes he had ever seen on a woman.

You gazed at Igor, then grabbed some snow to rub into his cheeks, causing him to whine and laugh simultaneously. "As I told you before, Igor, be careful not to say things like this. It is rude to suddenly speak in such a manner."

It would have never occurred to Ivar that you would be the first to initiate a fight. He watched the scene with amusement. His question came out of the blue moments later, "Are you Russian, Y/N?"

A smile spread across your face when Igor hugged you, hugging him back you looked at Ivar "Как думаешь, красавчик?"

"My first impression of you was that you're one of the most temperamental women I've ever seen."

Laughing softly, you bend down to whisper something into Igor's ear; a smile spread across Igor's lips. Looking back at Ivar, you smiled. "Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate them."

Observing Igor interacting with you, Ivar slowly cocked his eyebrows. "My lady, aren't you aware that whispering in company isn't considered polite?"

"Aren't you aware that strangers shouldn't listen to certain matters?"

In spite of a temperature way below zero, Ivar's soft chuckle that escaped his lips was accompanied by a little cloud of steam. "That's right."

"Don't worry, I didn't say anything derogatory about you, or did I?" You teased, looking directly into Ivar’s eyes.

"She said she loves your eyes," Igor revealed your little secret without hesitation.

Ivar observed the two of you and decided not to comment on what Igor said, instead he nodded his head. "Maybe we should take a stroll back inside?"

Igor shrugged and said, "The two of you can go inside, I'd like to stay a little longer."

As you sighed, you looked at the boy and shook your head; he was impossible to get fatigued easily.

After politely waiting for you to move, Ivar followed you to the stairs and down on the ground level.

Taking a look at Ivar, you asked, "How's it going here for you? I hope Igor isn't bothering you too much."

The man shook his head eagerly, "No, he isn't bothering me at all. Igor is such a wonderful young man. He reminds me of myself when I was his age," Ivar's tone faded into silence. "Are you from here or did you come from somewhere else?" He asked, smoothly changing the topic.

"It's funny how you are so curious, aren't you? I was born and raised in this place, so I can truly say that I am from here," you replied politely, raising an eyebrow.

While walking through the ice and snow covered path, Ragnarsson listened to your words. A crutch-dependent person found walking in such conditions to be a challenge, so Ivar was stopping from time to time.

A worried look crossed your face as you looked at the young man. "Ivar, I am sure all the snow must be a great burden for you. Can I help you in any way?"

Your polite pleas for assistance went unanswered. Who did you think he was? Although he was crippled, he was capable of walking on his own, so he didn't need any kind of assistance. "Isn't our winter beautiful?" He asked, again changing the topic.

The hint was taken and you did not press any longer. "Despite the cold, it's beautiful. As usual."

"Do you like winter?"

"Well, not really. It's cold, and I don't really like skating because of it, but it's still fun."

"What other winter activities do you fancy?"

As you walked behind Ivar, you quietly grabbed some snow and moulded it into a ball and threw it at Ivar's back. "Snowball fights."

The moment Ivar was hit in the back, he turned around to look at you. "Seriously? Have you thrown a snowball at me? Isn't it kind of silly for someone like you?"

"You asked what winter activities I enjoy, so I showed one to you," you gave him a shrug in a form of response. "You don't have to be so stiff."

Ivar stuck his crutch in a snowdrift and slowly leaned forward to collect some white fluff, which he formed into a ball before throwing it skillfully at you - the ball hit your left shoulder. "I'm not stiff, Y/N, as you put it. I just prefer observing and planning."

"Isn't that exactly what you called? I observe and plan how to..." You threw another show ball at Ivar, hitting him in the stomach, "... Successfully throw snowballs at you."

Observing you, Ivar cocked his eyebrow and threw another ball of snow at you, hitting your cheek with it this time.

You gasped and wiped snow off your face. Your response was, "Oh, you! You're dead!" By saying this you made a big snowball and got ready to aim it.

When Ivar observed you making a snowball, he wondered how a dodge could be made.

The snowball was thrown right at his face as a way to pay him back.

As Ragnarsson couldn't dodge, snow got into his eyes when the ball struck his face. With his vision blurry, Ivar took one tiny step back and flopped on his butt in the snow as he tried to wipe his eyes.

You ran up to him, whispering, "Oh, gods! I should have been more careful!"

Ivar's facial expression initially displayed anger and disbelief; eventually, these emotions dwindled and he laughed as a smile spread over his lips. "Okay, that wasn't what I expected. It was a strong hit, Y/N."

As you wiped snow from his cheek, you quickly began to apologise. "Thank you for not being angry with me, but I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have... Your legs..." Your voice was nothing more than a tiny whisper as you looked at his face. "Forgive me, please."

He caught himself staring bluntly into your eyes - they were huge and had the most beautiful colour he had ever seen. He had a burning sensation in his cheeks from your hands as you slowly rubbed snow off of him; he discovered your palms were so warm and felt cosy. "It's fine."

"You seem to be getting warm... Are you feeling sick? Oh! I shouldn't keep you out too long today, it's cold," suddenly, you started to panic.

Your sudden solicitude surprised Ivar, who raised his hand to signal you to remain silent for a moment. “First of all, it is cold, yes, but I am accustomed to it, so no worries there. Second thing, stop worrying, nothing wrong is happening. Deal?"

Biting your lip, you nodded slowly, still feeling bad and hoping you didn't hurt him. "Let me assist you with getting up."

After a moment of thinking, he accepted your hand and slowly stood up. "Thanks."

A smile of apology appeared on your face as you squeezed his hand. There was still a feeling of guilt in your heart.

Another snowball aimed at Ivar's shoulder struck him suddenly. "For Valhalla's sake, what was that this time?" The young man grunted, looking around, only to see Igor gathering snow into his hands already, forming another ball with a smile on his face.

Looking at Igor, you blinked and shook your head. Before a snowball hit you right in the face, you managed to utter only a quiet, "No, Igor, don't..."

Using his forearm to block another snowball aimed at him, Ivar shouted, "Better stop it now, dear boy!"

"Come on, Ivar! It's fun! You can practise your combat skills with me now! Let's fight!" Igor shouted enthusiastically.

Ivar, instead of responding, slowly leaned down, made a huge ball from the snow he gathered, and then threw it at Igor, hitting him in the face. "It's for aiming at the lady."

A snowball thrown by you hit Igor before the boy could prepare another snowball to throw at Ivar.

"It's time to show the little one what it's like to start a fight with the adults!" You briefly looked at Ivar, a mischievous grin dancing in the corners of your mouth.

Ivar was throwing ball after ball at Igor, occasionally chuckling to himself as he did so.

As soon as you did what Ivar did, poor Igor was scrambling to surrender.

Ivar slowly limped closer to you with his crutch in hand and asked you quietly after leaning closer to you, "Y/N, are we accepting his surrender?"

Keeping your eyes on Ivar, you hummed softly. "It seems like it might be a good idea. What do you think?”

"I agree."

"Then I agree too," you nodded at Ivar, then looked at Igor. "It's time to get inside before we get sick."

After looking at you for a moment, Ivar gave you a nod of approval. Although Ivar wore a thick fur coat and a hat to keep himself warm, he began to feel cold under the clothes. "The idea is good, Y/N. We could get some warm drinks."

Before Igor joined you, Ivar offered you his shoulder after shaking the snow off his thick fur. "Shall we, Y/N?"

In response, you accepted the offer, wrapping your arm around his shoulder and discovering with surprise that his shoulder was very well-built and seemed to be very strong, even with the fur covering it. 

Biting inside of your cheek, you tried not to get distracted by thoughts that crossed your mind. "With pleasure, Ivar. Also, I’d like to point out that your combat skills are also impressive, you have a very sharp eye,” you praised him, feeling the blush spreading across your cheeks.

In spite of his crippled appearance, Ivar was far from being an idiot, and he immediately noticed a slight change in your behaviour after you got closer to him. He suggested politely, "I was wondering if we could enjoy a pint of mulled wine and discuss our likes and dislikes a little more?" 

Your eyes never left his as you tightened your grip on his shoulder and gently nodded your head. "It will be my great pleasure, Ivar the Boneless."

Both of you didn't seem to notice Igor standing right beside you, hands resting on his hips. "It is not my intention to interrupt your lovely exchange of views, but I am hungry, and I know Oleg will send guards looking for us if we don't return inside soon. I know you two get along really well, but let's leave it for later, shall you?" The young prince gasped and walked to the front door of the palace. “I can’t handle their teeth-rooting sweetness,” he whispered to himself.

Ivar rolled his eyes after listening to Igor's rant and led you back to the palace. "Having Igor between two fires tomorrow might be a wise idea if he continues to behave this way."

[dazed-poltergeist]

Facing death with a descendant of Allfather

Pairings: Ivar the Boneless x Reader

Summary: The reader is on Ivar the Boneless' side and loves him, but never has the chance nor the courage to tell him. Both the reader and Ivar die side by side on the battlefield in Wessex.

Warning: A lot of spoilers. There will be mentions of a lot of important events in the series, so I highly recommend not reading if you haven't finished the show.

Add. Notes: Ragnar and his sons claimed multiple times in the series, in one way or another, that they are associated with Odin/the Æsir in general, so I rolled with that it the title. It feels kind of weird to watch a TV show and meanwhile write fanfiction about another; I finished watching The Last Kingdom on the day I started writing this. The Coccham squad will always have a place in my heart 🥹

Masterlist ✧⁠*⁠。

You were a great warrior, who officially joined Ivar's side when the Ragnarssons divided. You worked a lot with the brittle-boned man, discussing battle tactics when the times came, and simply fighting alongside him during those times. You fought with the brothers when they avenged Ragnar, you fought with Ivar when he defeated the Saxons in York, and you were also with him during and after the battles of Kattegat. You went along the Silk Road with Ivar when he fled Kattegat, and were on his side when he was held captive in Kiev by the Rus.

You had been through a lot with the youngest Ragnarsson, and you realized that when you caught yourself having him on your mind often through the years with him. As the time went on, you started thinking about him more; worrying about him and his health, the things you wished to do with him if it weren't for his disability or the things happening around you, and finally the thoughts that were not the most... appropriate.

You didn't recall when exactly you began having romantic feelings for Ivar the Boneless; you concluded that it was a long time ago, since you didn't remember anymore. But you never got the chance nor the courage, even as a fearless warrior, to tell him of your love for him.

Even though you didn't like the idea, you stayed quiet about the said feelings, and kept working for him while constantly showing your thoughts and feelings to the back of your mind. In the past you had made a few vague attempts at confessing to the cripple, but they hadn't worked because of your body failing you or because of some other form of interruption.

Your first attempt was similar to the first reason; you were in York with him, and you thought it was the right time to tell him. You tried to talk to him about it, but words refused to come out of your mouth when you got to the love part. You ended up embarrassing yourself infront of Ivar, Hvitserk and a few of his men, causing you to avoid him for a while from the agony of said embarrassment.

The rest of your attempts failed were because of the latter reason, much to your relief and surprise. One of them was also in York, but this time you were interrupted by Freydis' emergence, as Ivar asked you to leave them alone. The last two times were in Kiev; the first time you were cut off by Igor, and the second time a guard came to tell Ivar of an invitation by Oleg to watch a puppet show.

You were surprised when Ivar proposed to invade the Saxon lands shortly after his return to Kattegat. You questioned if he had another motive behind that proposal, but you decided to follow him to Wessex either way. You forgot the potential ulterior motive almost entirely, until you were halfway on your sailing journey to Wessex with only your thoughts occupying you.

"Ragnar went to England before his death, right after coming back to Kattegat, even though he had been gone for ten years. Ivar has been gone for a while as well, and now is also heading to England. Could his death be near?" Such thought came to your mind, and immediately you were concerned of Ivar's safety. You were not ready to lose him, not with the feelings you had for him.

The forest battle against the Saxons was successful, but it cost Harald's men their leader's life. Harald hadn't returned to Ivar's campsite from the now foggy and bloody woods, making the Danes conclude that he was dead. It was mildly upsetting, but you liked to think that now he got to reunite with his younger brother, Halfdan, in Valhalla.

You overheard Hvitserk make a comment about the white parts of Ivar's eyes; he said that they were blue. You had heard in the past about the whites of Ivar's eyes turning blue when he was at risk of breaking his bones, but you never genuinely believed that. You were now looking at Ivar's eyes, and they were indeed blue in and around the pupil.

Hvitserk was trying to persuade Ivar to not fight while he was at risk, but Ivar was not listening to him; he kept insisting that he was fine and fit for battle. You were starting to think that the risk drove him to fight the Saxons more, which reminded you of the thought that crossed your mind on the boats. But you were sure that if even Hvitserk couldn't convince him to rest, you couldn't either, so you stopped eavesdropping and walked away.

Ivar had offered peace to Alfred and the soldiers of Wessex, but they refused, which lead to Ivar's and formerly Harald's men preparing for battle. Ivar was still determined to fight even with the state he was in, so you proposed that you will try to be near him at all times to protect him. But he scoffed and claimed that the Saxons couldn't kill him, since the Gods were by his side. You frowned upon his response, and said that you will still try to be close to him in case something happened to him.

You had seen the deaths of many, in battle and elsewhere; it wasn't supposed to shake you anymore, and yet it still did every time. You saw the deaths of Sigurd, Halfdan, Bishop Heahmund and Björn. But losing a person dear to you would hurt you much differently. You were convinced that Ivar was going to die in that battle and wished to shield him from all harm that came in his way.

But you got separated from him as the two of you went around killing Saxons, both of you getting bad injured in the process. Then you heard a yell of agony that sounded like Ivar. You were frantically looking around the battlefield, trying to locate Ivar and Hvitserk, who you believed was likely with the brittle-boned man. You finally spotted the two Ragnarssons, and started limping in their direction.

As you were getting closer to them, you began to see the lethal wounds Ivar had gotten; multiple stab wounds in his torso, and what seemed to be broken bones. Hvitserk was helping Ivar down on the ground, as the latter was bleeding out and hurting.

When you were barely a few feet away from the two brothers, you felt a painful shot through your shoulder. Then you felt a more painful one in you back, making you almost fall face down on the ground. You didn't have the strength nor the determination to turn around and see who the Saxon archer was; you were focused on Ivar and his older brother.

You took the last few agonizing steps in their direction, and fell on your knees next to the younger Ragnarsson. You landed on your side on the ground next to him, and he turned his head to look at you.

"I don't want to die, Y/N, I don't want to die-" was all that he was saying. You did not know how to comfort him, for you were dying as well and didn't know how to comfort a man on the verge of his death.

"Death is inevitable, Ivar. We can't escape it, even if we hope we could. We can only wish for dying in a good and honorable way." You were convinced that your attempt at comforting him wasn't doing anything better, because you now saw tears coming from his eyes, and you could feel tears coming from your own as well.

Alfred ordered his soldiers to a halt. He began walking to you, Ivar, and Hvitserk. But you chose to ignore him, because you wished to finally said the words that got stuck on your tongue on that day in York.

"Do you remember the day in York when I tried to tell you something, but stopped halfway, left and avoided you for days?" You asked from Ivar, though you were not expecting an answer from him; he seemed to be using every ounce of his strength to just stay conscious and listen to you.

You were using every bit of your strength as well, but to talk to him instead of listening. You could feel Ivar and yourself losing consciousness at any moment now, so you used you last ounce of strength to say your last words;

"I love you so much, Ivar the Boneless. It has been an honor to serve you."

And so you felt life slipping out of your grasp, and you were sure Ivar did aswell. Yours and Ivar's limp bodies were surrounded by soldiers of Saxon and Dane origin, with Hvitserk and King Alfred among them. Hvitserk started crying for his little brother; Ivar was one of his only family members left to him, and even though Ivar wasn't the last one of Hvitserk's brothers to die, the third eldest was sure that he would never see any of them again.

I kind of want to mark the day I started writing this, because as I said in my notes, I finished watching TLK. I really liked that show, so I kind of want to remember the day. Although, I think I'll remember it for both finishing the show and accidentally dropping a bowl of guacamole...

-Eero, Dec 10th 2022

[nrilliree]

TB, I hate Aegon, but I don't quite understand why Ivar is pathetic. In general, it is strange to compare Aegon, who has eight minutes of screen time in the first season with Ivar, who had one of the main roles in several seasons and a huge plot. And why is he pathetic? Like, he's a man with a very strong character, despite his physical disability, he was able to achieve a lot thanks to his mind, he sincerely loved his father and the only one of the brothers was ready to avenge his mother, he went through a wonderful arch of redemption with Igor and really changed a lot by the end of the story. I don't really understand - he's a much more complex and interesting character.

I'm not just talking about Aegon from the show, but also from the book, who had more material than nine minutes of screen time. Ivar is just an ordinary little psychopath who was spoiled by his mommy because of his disability. As a small child he murdered a other small child and what…? And nothing. Mom was proud. Nothing happened. That's why he grew up to be a mentally unstable, insecure narcissist with a god complex. He wasn't even a strategic genius. In his case, the "any other character than him lose 80 IQ points" method worked. I don't know about others, but on Polish discussion forums for this series, Ivar is listed by many as one of the stupidest, most irritating and worst characters in the history of this series, with each season getting closer to the podium. I guess it's in our blood ;P I don't find it interesting or complex. He is rather a mentally unstable psychopath who couldn't decide what he wanted. For me, only Hvitserk was the worse of the brothers. That's why I don't want to talk about Ivar, because for me he's such a miserable character that I'd rather use the keyboard even on pathetic Aemond than on Ivar, lol.

[ivarthebadbitch]

Can i cry in your inbox again, plz? I'm rewatching 4-6 seasons and it just pisses me off so much that Hirst spent so much time on general weirdness but never gave Ivar any decent character development! Ivar (and Alex's talent) carried the show after Ragnar kicked the bucket, but in the end the whole journey was... pointless. The "redemption" arc was so half-assed it felt like an insult. I wish Ivar either got a real redemption arc, or went off a deep end and even madder than the whole "i am a god" thing. But no. And the death...god, he deserved an epic death, not just "bonding time with Hvitsrek gone bad" shit. If I had god powers, I'd rewrite it and have Ivar patch things up with brothers he hasn't killed yet, and maybe redeem himself by returning to Kattegat and saving it or the whole North from something like outside invasion. Something that would cement him into a legend. Maybe even give him a love interest that doesn't look like his dead wife or a psychotic priest. Ugh. So much potential squandered in favor of absolutely dumb decisions and weird kinky foreplays.

If you could, what would you change in the later seasons story arc?

oh I totally welcome crying in my inbox, by all means go ahead lol. that said...I have my gripes with hirst (of course), but I actually really liked the overall thrust of ivar's arc? to me, he's ultimately a tragic character and his major theme from 4b-6b is this process of self-annihilation, a form of very slow suicide, if you will--and I find that a lot more poignant and compelling than a straightforward heroic/redemption arc. in the second half of 6b (one of his best seasons imo), he gets the thing he says he's wanted this whole time--to be famous and have a legacy that outlasts him--but it isn't a happy ending, it comes with a cost and he dies afraid, and I felt it was very...human, much more so than e.g. bjorn's big heroic death scene at the beginning of the season. ivar dies chasing after ragnar's ghost, after the father who abandoned him. it is TRAGIC.

this is not to say that I don't take issue with the way his entire storyline played out! I think the ivar the god/ivar in kievan rus plots from 5b-first half of 6b were a MESS. I attribute a lot of this to hirst's misogyny problem (compounded by his ableism problem) and his failure to really work through the ivar/freydis relationship in a thoughtful way. I think that hirst struggles with writing female characters--even those like lagertha that he clearly is fond of--because he fundamentally views them as an extension of his male characters (wives and mothers), and not really as characters in their own right. this is a major, major weakness in his writing, and I think it really comes out in the ivar/freydis relationship. like, ivar kills his wife and child in 5b. that's some bleak shit! that's really fucking dark! and then 6a/first half of 6b never meaningfully deals with the fallout, it sort of tries to sidestep it with the igor and katia...thing...but it just doesn't work for me. so that's the big thing I'd change for ivar's arc. either he works through the 5b fallout or he doesn't, but it cannot be half-assed.

[nothingtolosebutweight]

Convention babbling

Last weekend, I had another chance to meet some of the Vikings cast. We germans are quite lucky, aren't we?

In comparison to the Vikings Con last month (that was really really crowded [Alex himself said it was fcking mental 😂]) it was so much more chill this time (at least in regard to queues in front of our beloved Vikings).

There wasn't really a queue in front of Alex on Saturday morning. That never happened before in my convention experience 🤣 So we went straight to him and gosh. I think everybody knows by now what an absolute sweetheart he is. So kind, so welcoming, so touchy. He already greets one with such a big smile on his face that even haters must be melting by then :D

He also most of the time stays next to his table (and not behind) to be nearer to his fans (maybe it's also more convenient because of all the selfies).

He said something about my hairdo and looked at it more closely and I said I have a question but might be too nervous to read it (from my phone) so he said oh don't be nervous and he laid his arm around my shoulder and squished me nearer against him - as if this would help to not be nervous anymore 🤣🤣So I gave him my phone so he could read the question: Which part of your character would you have loved to explore more in-depth.

He said oh it's a good question and I said..I know (in a joking way)...and he mimicked me and snorted :D (gif 1 ♥)

Then he said...maybe the softness...and I asked if he meant this in regard of his brothers or his wife and he said, in general because there was not a lot of love with him...I threw something in about Igor (that he was soft with him after he got humbled down in season 6) and he went on saying Ivar deserved the most to get some love and Alex proposed the idea for a romcom for Ivar to me. He would find this hilarious (and gosh he spoke this part with a smile on his face - gif 2 ♥) :D...and then he got serious again and said he would have loved to see Ivar experiencing some true and heartfelt love...I chimed in and said, but he did love Freydis though, right? He said yes, but it was also soooooo toxic..it was a toxic relationship for sure...and maybe the love for himself /selflove would also be a good answer to my original question. That would have been interesting for him to portray more in-depth--because if you don't love yourself you can't love others (he said it).

And then it was Selfie time :) I put my arms around his waist, squeezed into his arm, and got my photos and some funny scenes. Thanks to @vaire-gwir who recorded the whole encounter ♥♥♥

Afterward, I went to Clive and pretty much asked him the same question after I thanked him as well for being here again and always being so kind and engaging with us fans. He also took his time answering and I could ask a few additional question and tell him about my own opinion. I !of course! have this encounter recorded as well, thanks to the wonderful Vivi ♥♥ Who would never forget to record a special moment (I got forced to write this now xd)

Clive would have loved for Rollo to explore his story with Lagertha more. They had this scene when they talked about Bjorn being his child (i chimed in and asked..is he??? and Clive said YES!! but he nevertheless wasn't his father because for that it means more then giving sperm) and he would have loved to go back and showing a few more scene with Lagertha and him back in time, because it is somehow important to understand Rollo as a character, cause he always gets things taken from him (like his first love by Ragnar, his ambitions by Ragnar and so on. He would have loved to have something of his own, not always be in the shadow of someone else like it was with Ragnar. He always was overlooked in his ambitions and Clive would also have loved to see more of Rollos later achievements or the ones of his son - as in making a Sequel for what is going on in Frankia. We talked a bit over that...if there is a sequel planned or any mentions in Vikings Valhalla, but he doesn't know but might pitch the idea to Leo Sutter (who was there as well) XD At some point the conversation led to Siggy and Gisla (I can't remember why it happened), but we ended up agreeing that he treated Siggy poorly and that he deserved a wife like Gisla who had him somehow under control :D

When it came to the Selfie we started figuring out the pose and suddenly there was a wild Alex with us in the picture 🤣🤣 He photobombed us and I so don't mind XD When you do a Selfie with them, they often have the power over the phone (they are pros in doing Sefies xd) and they push the button not just once so I still have also a Selfie with just Clive 🤓

Jordan: Oh gosh, he is also such a charmer ♥ and his thick Australian accent sounds so soo good. First thing he said after the hello how are you, was, that my eyes are pretty cool and my mind went blank 🤣🤣🤣 I bounced it right back at him and we talked a bit about why he had the surfboard with him at the airport (he's going to Australia after the weekend) and he wondered how many people knew of this and I said..yeah I mean you posted it on your Instagram?? (Why is he wondering, right XD) And he said he never thinks about that people actually watch his stories 😂

A changed the question a tiny bit and asked him if there was anything he wished Ubbe could have done more.

He answered that he would have loved to act out Ubbe's aggressive side more / he wished he could have done more violent scenes. Ubbe was always the responsible one and he would have loved to just slice some more people xd Especially for him, Jordan, that would have been fun. Also, a bit like Clive, he said that he wanted something that Ubbe had for his own. Not always be just a part of something his brothers did, but taking his own space instead.

He was also so kind to allow another selfie after the paid one, where my friend could also squeezed in ♥♥

I went back to him on Sunday as well to get the selfie signed by him (printed it as a photo). The Vikings panel was before that and one question there was if there is any scene they shot that didn't make the cut. He talked about the scene where he is sitting at Sigurd's grave, talking to him. Originally Sigurd talked back to him, but it ended up looking weird. So when I went to him afterward, I told him that this scene is an extra on the DVD and he was so surprised and asked me how it turned out and I told him it's 'just' him talking to Sigurd but no talking back and that I always wondered why they deleted this scene cause it's so important in my opinion and it's also kinda nice to see that at least one brother cared about Sigurd (Jordan didn't even remember Sigurd's name during the panel XD) and he said he needs to check it out. And then he started the signing and I asked him in the meanwhile if he remembers the scene in York when Ivar is sitting in front of his chariot, screaming and Ubbe comes into the place, but holds all his warriors back for a minute - why did he do it?? And Jordan said he also wondered about it while shooting the scene but he thinks that Ubbe already sensed that Ivar lost himself a bit and that it would only get worse. He went on a bit philosophizing about his answer :)

During explaining his thoughts about it, he pointed the open pen at me and made a gesture like scolding me and out of reflex I chimed in and guided the pen down what made him laugh (luckily 🙈) and he went on thinking about the scene and at the end he kind of thanked me for this good question 🤓🤟🏻 He also asked me if I wanted a hug as well when I was about to grab my photo and of course I went for a hug with him XD Who would have said no thanks 😂😂

For Alex, my friend and I went to the Meet & Greet with him and there were only 3 more people so we had a great experience and I again could interact with him some more (asking questions, just holding a conversation, sharing a laugh and so on). Last time in Düsseldorf were over 20 people so it wasn't that interactive. It was such a great experience ♥♥ He is just such a sunshine ♥♥

Sorry it got so long (not sorry at all xd) and I could go on and on about it, but I don't want to bore you all to death. Don't pay too much attention at spelling and grammar...I wrote everything in a rush :P

[teddyniffler]

Mercy in Defeat

Chapter 8

As Alfred said, the villa was quite the next week, most of the leftover food had been dispatched to the local townspeople, and most of the household staff were absent on a break granted to them by the king.

On the last day of the year, Alfred sat on his bed, he knew this day had been coming, but to finally get here was another thing, today he needed to ask Hvitserk what his wishes were, either to join the Christian faith and become a Saxon prince, or stay a Pagan and be reunited with his family in Valhalla. Alfred put his hands on his face and rested them there for a moment. If it came to it, he would pick the fastest, least painful method for his friend, he had tried to arrange a way he could keep Hvitserk alive should he refuse, but there was always the risk of him fleeing back to his people.

Outside the Villa in the royal courtyard, Hvitserk walked alone among the Roman statues. Alone, because Alfred had told the guards to stop following him, he was free to walk anywhere, do anything he wanted all on his own. He still wasn’t allowed to go into certain areas, but Hvitserk had no interest in running away now, either way he knew his destiny was tied to Alfred, either by his side or dead by his hand. Hvitserk paused by Venus, the goddess of love, the Romans brought her to England with them, then they turned Christian, then the descendants of Alfred’s people arrived once the Romans had left, with their own version of the gods that Hvitserk knew well, until they too turned Christian. Looking at the statue of the beautiful woman, Hvitserk wondered if the Romans would ever believe all their gods would one day be replaced by a single god. How long until Christianity reached Scandinavia? It was going to happen sooner or later, Floki always warned them that the Christ was coming to slay their gods, but their mother told Hvitserk and his brothers that Floki was just scaremongering and being typical Floki, but now all of them were gone and Christianity was still spreading, it had reached the Rus, who were Viking once. He looked up, the sky was white, perfectly matching the snow still on the rooftops. If the gods were up there, they were blocked off under this continuous cloud that covered the entire sky, not even the sun shone through it, but it was up there somewhere.

“Hvitserk”

He turned, Alfred was standing behind him, his dark hair contrasting against the white snow, so it was time.

“How about we go to my chambers and talk in there, it is cold out here” Alfred suggested and Hvitserk nodded, he walked to Alfred who then turned and led the way back into the villa. Hvitserk’s heart pounded, he still hadn’t made his mind up. Join Alfred and live but never see any of his loved ones ever again, or refuse to give up his gods and go to Valhalla to be with his family. He could be back with Ivar again, maybe even tonight, he could hug his mother, his father. Kiss Thora and ask her to marry him, but what if it were all a lie? What if Valhalla was just more suffering at the hands of the gods, would he be giving up his life only to arrive in Valhalla to find him and Ubbe at each other’s throats, forced to fight each other because the gods wanted it. Did Valhalla even exist? If he joined with the Christians, would their god even want him there? He wasn’t anything like Alfred or Elsewith, he wasn’t like Bishop Heahmund, he wasn’t like Prince Igor or Prince Dir. He was an ex-junkie, a recovering alcoholic who was hiding the fact he had killed somebody dear to him in cold blood, he had hurt so many people of Alfred’s religion he was still surprised the Christ god allowed him to wake each morning. The bishop he had murdered in cold blood in this very villa, the sister he had attacked in the church in York, when Ivar horrifically killed the holy man, Hvitserk had cheered from the corner of the room, bathed in the blood from the sister he had just butchered. There was no way Alfred’s god would want him.

If he tried to join their religion, he knew where he was heading.

Hell.

Bishop Heahmund had told Ivar and Hvitserk on many occasions that they would burn in hell, condemned to the pit, and each time they laughed at him, while Heahmund described to them the torments they would suffer, they roared in glee and mocked his words. Now however it was all too real. If he joined the Christians, he would go to their hell and there he would only find more pain, he had enough experience with pain to last a life. If he went to Valhalla, he would be forced to fight everyday and be at the mercy of the gods who had caused his suffering. There was no good choice for him.

They entered Alfred’s room, it was a warm and cosy room, Alfred led the way over to the fire and asked Hvitserk to sit down with him upon some furs by the fire. Hvitserk sat, but didn’t speak, he waited for Alfred to say something.

“I need to know your answer, Hvitserk” He said calmly. “Will you agree to being baptised and join my faith or will you be staying a Pagan?”

Hvitserk looked down at the furs on the floor.

“I can’t join your religion” Hvitserk said. “I’m not who you think I am.”

Alfred’s head dropped slightly, he was devastated but he tried to hide it.

“I understand, it must be hard to give up your way of life” He said reassuringly “But why say you’re not who I think you are, what do you mean by that?”

It was time to tell the truth, Hvitserk was going to die by Alfred’s hand anyway, there was nothing really to lose by telling Alfred what he was, but maybe by telling another person, it would ease his guilt, the one that had been eating him alive for over a year. He could die with a slightly lighter conscious. His checks went warm and his mouth felt dry, he wished Alfred had offered a drink. Hvitserk always felt so ashamed whenever he thought of how bad he had gotten, how low he had sunk, but he had never been able to tell anybody what happened with Lagatha truthfully, he had always had to put on an act, either to Ubbe, Bjorn or Ivar. He remembered lying in bed and sobbing uncontrollably, only then had he been truthful with himself.

“I’m… just a son of Ragnar in name alone, my rest of my family, all my people except for Ivar disowned me. You’ve only kept me alive because I have influence among my people, you believed you could use me, but I don’t have any influence among Vikings, my own people hate me. I did something bad.”

Hvitserk looked away from Alfred, he watched the fire burning, so similar to the flames he once stood in. “I got sick, really sick. I was told by the seer that I would do something nobody else could, but the price would be high. I started hearing noises and seen things nobody else could, I went mad. The only thing that helped was alcohol, I drank until I couldn’t see or hear the horrible things in my head. The alcohol stopped working, so I turned to drugs. Mushrooms. I spent all my money on drugs and Ale until there was nothing left, I started telling the drug dealer to chase Ubbe down for the money. In the end he refused to serve me, so I sold my arm ring. The arm ring is sacred and I sold it for drugs. It’s like you selling your father’s cross for drugs.”

He rubbed his face with his hand, he hadn’t noticed the tears starting to well up in his eyes. He held his hand over his mouth for a moment, scared of the things he was saying, half expecting to be sick. Alfred didn’t say anything to him, Hvitserk was sure the king was furious at hearing he had been keeping a junkie in his villa, Hvitserk had let him believe he was useful for months, but now Alfred would know it was all a lie. Hvitserk was hated, not loved, he was tainted when Alfred thought he had somebody important in his home.

It was ok, he could hate Hvitserk if that made it easier for the king to kill him. Alfred was certain to hate Hvitserk even more soon enough.

“Ubbe and Bjorn noticed, but Bjorn had to go away, he left Ubbe in charge of me, he thought I was insulting our father’s memory by laying in the mud, covered in my own vomit, screaming because I could see my dead mother, I could see the woman I loved who had murdered, I could hear Ivar always calling me, I could see him all around town. I had betrayed Ivar and, in my head, he was promising to come back to town to kill me. It got so bad Ubbe asked for me to be kept in my room, I kept escaping no matter what he tried. I had so much mushrooms and ale in my body I was sure I was going to die but I kept going back for more. My sickness got worse, one night I believed Ivar was coming, so I escaped my home, it was really late and it was storming, I ran and out on the street I could see Ivar in front of me in the form of a giant serpent, he was making his way to my home to kill me, so I ran out and stabbed him.”

Alfred still sat in silence, Hvitserk didn’t want to look at him. He looked down at the furs, pulling his fingers through the fur, he couldn’t even look up because of his shame.

“When I looked down, it wasn’t Ivar who I stabbed” His voice was shaking now, hot tears ran down his face, he just allowed them to fall onto his arms.

“I had stabbed Lagatha” Hvitserk said in little more than a whisper, he noticed Alfred shifted slightly from the corner of his eye. “I killed her. It was an accident, she said as she died that she always knew a son of Ragnar would kill her, the seer had told her so. Only after she died did the madness in my head lift. I ran away but they found me and made me come home, Ubbe knew it was me, Bjorn returned home and they knew. I confessed and Bjorn sentenced me to death, I was to be burned alive. I think Ubbe may have tried to speak up for me, as Bjorn let me go at the last second before the flames reached too high, but he wanted me to go die in the woods away from everybody else, I couldn’t tell them it was an accident because the gods had willed it, I had to take full responsibility, but I would never hurt Lagatha otherwise, it was an accident, I promise.”

His sobs were almost as bad as they had that day in his bed, he knew he would be killed for sure now, but at least he had told Alfred the truth and not waited until Alfred had found out himself from another person.

Hvitserk lifted his hand to clear his face of his tears, he was shaking.

There was movement from Alfred next to him, Hvitserk flinched, but-

Alfred’s arms moved around him and pulled him gently into a hug.

One of Alfred’s hands touched the back of his head, guiding Hvitserk down slightly onto his shoulder. There was a hand just stroking his back, trying to calm him.

A moment passed.

What was this? Why was Alfred holding him? Wasn’t he angry? Didn’t he want to kill Hvitserk?

Hvitserk remained still, his arms held tightly to his side, one of his hands stopping new tears from falling. Alfred just held him as Hvitserk slowly calmed down, his mind raced. He could feel Alfred breathing, could feel how warm he felt, how soft his fur coat was. He was being comforted by somebody he had been raised to believe was his enemy. For a moment Hvitserk closed his eyes, he could almost believe it was Ubbe holding him except it was too gentle to be Ubbe. He kept his eyes closed; his arms relaxed but he kept them by his sides.

“Hvitserk” Alfred said, slowly letting Hvitserk go once he stopped crying. “How open are you to hearing a different perspective?”

Hvitserk looked at him

“What do you mean?” He asked quietly.

Alfred looked at him in concern. “In my faith we are warned against false gods, they are often demons, fallen angels who have misled people with the intention of condemning them to hell after they die. They come to people with the intention of getting people to worship them and not the true God. My Lord Jesus Christ was once approached by the devil himself, trying to alter his mind. Once they get followers, they led souls directly into the pit for eternal damnnation, the pit is where they live with the devil, in a frozen lake in a hellish waist land. When you said you seen a serpent, I knew, you had been led by the devil to kill Lagatha, he often takes the form of a snake. It has long been my people’s belief that your religion is led by false gods who are trying to condemn all your people to hell. Valhalla I fear is the pit, Hvitserk, the signs are all there, constant murder, suffering, fighting…I fear your gods have been toying with you and your family, your people for a very long time.”

Hvitserk put his head into his hands, he then rubbed his hair.

“I’ve thought that myself” Hvitserk said in no more than a whisper “They killed everybody who ever loved me. Margrethe, my mother’s slave, I cared for her a lot. Thora my first love, she died a miserable death. Amma, the only person who cared for me when I was sick, she was killed in battle. They killed my mother and father, they killed my brothers…”

Alfred held his arm near the top.

“I know I asked once before, but what happened to Ubbe and Bjorn? Your gods did something to them?”

Hvitserk rubbed his eyes again, Alfred stood up and went to a table, before bring back a small cloth of fabric, he handed it to Hvitserk who looked at it in confusion, wondering why Alfred had handed him it.

“When I went back to Ivar, he had been staying with the Rus, they are Christians now but they used to be Viking, they wanted to end Paganism in Scandinavia and put Ivar on the throne as their puppet. There was a battle, I wasn’t well enough still to fight in it, so I stayed on the boat, Ivar went to shore and ran Bjorn through the back with his sword. As for Ubbe, I don’t know if he’s dead or alive, he left after I was banished, he went out to sea, but he never came back, nor did he ever send word he was safe.”

Alfred watched Hvitserk, he had suspected Hvitserk had been hiding things for him, but he never guessed it would be this. Hvitserk looked distraught, not meeting Alfred’s eyes or even looking up.

“Have you been able to speak about this to anybody else? Ivar even?” He asked.

Hvitserk shook his head

“It’s not a thing Vikings do. Even growing up, my mother told me to never show weakness, we were meant to be strong, with a father like Ragnar, she would always remind us that my grandfather killed a dragon so we all had to be equally as strong.”

“You told me the other night I didn’t always need to be strong” Alfred said, remembering his words “That you couldn’t ask for help, this was about your sickness, wasn’t it? You needed help from your brothers when you were sick but you couldn’t ask for it. You couldn’t even talk about the people you had lost?”

Hvitserk nodded.

“Ubbe wanted me to go on a trade mission but what I really needed was him. I wanted to get clean but I couldn’t do it alone. When Ubbe found me dosed back up on that stuff, he just started shaking me, I was seconds away from being sick on him. He never wanted to see me again, and he got his wish, I didn’t see him again until after Lagatha’s death, I was in my bed but he knew it was me, he was angry. Bjorn also, the last memory I have of him is him screaming at me. Yet I really miss them, I remember the times we were happy together. I love my brothers still, it’s why I still want to go to Valhalla, just so I can see them again. If you could see your brother again, talk to him, wouldn’t you want to go to him?”

More tears ran down his face, Hvitserk rubbed them away automatically, leaving the cloth untouched.

Alfred was torn between his promise he had made with himself on letting Hvitserk make his own choice and his heart that didn’t wish for this young man to die only to condemn himself to more suffering. Whatever he had done in this past, it still could all be forgiven, he could start again. He decided in that moment he was going to try and change Hvitserk’s mind, he could hate himself afterwards.

“Hvitserk, I don’t think you should condemn yourself just to be reunited with your family” he moved slightly to the side of Hvitserk so he was facing him rather than sitting beside him, he reached over slowly and took hold of the hand Hvitserk wasn’t currently using to dry his eyes. “I’ve never told anybody this, but one of my deepest fears is I will go to heaven and find none of my loved ones there. My grandfather was corrupt, he said it often himself, he wore it as a badge of honour. He cheated his way to be king of Mercia and killed their queen. My mother did the actual killing, the fatal blow came from her hand, you see the Merican queen was trying to kill my grandfather in his bed, and my mother was having an adulterous affair with my grandfather at the time, she was his mistress, everybody knew it, it was the worse kept secret in this villa. My mother killed the queen from behind and my grandfather took her throne for himself. My mother also committed adultery with my father to conceive me, then my grandfather claimed I was chosen by God to justify my birth because he liked my father. My other father, Aethelwulf, was also rumoured to have had an affair with the Mercian queen, many times, I once heard tales that he visited the Mercian queen the same time my mother was visiting my grandfather.

Then my brother. My dear brother. I told you a few days ago about him and his plot, and that he died, but not of my mother. When my sickness returned and I was in bed sleeping, my mother took it upon herself to murder my brother, she poisoned him. I woke on the day of my brother’s funeral, just in time to say farewell to him. None of my family, I fear, are in heaven, they are all in hell, yet I have little doubt in my mind that they would want to me join them. They would want me to go to heaven so I can be with my real father.”

Alfred kept holding Hvitserk’s hand, Hvitserk’s fingers curled around Alfred’s without thinking, his hands were warm, holding it comforted him.

“Your god” Hvitserk reminded him “He wouldn’t want me. Not the way I am. I’ve killed and hurt people, I’ve done terrible things. If I so much as see ale I want to drink it badly. The mushrooms you eat for dinner sometimes, just seeing them makes me want to take them all over again. I’ve tried so hard to be sober, but I fear its only a matter of time”

Alfred gently squeezed his hand

“One of my Lord’s most beloved and loyal followers was a prostitute.” He said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“What’s a prostitute?” Hvitserk said blankly, that was a word he was unfamiliar with.

“A prostitute” Alfred repeated, slightly hesitating, faint signs of pinkness coming to his checks and his voice dropped quieter. “It’s a woman who takes money from men to do duties normally done between a husband and a wife, they can have many visitors, day and night.”

“Like a whore?” Hvitserk said “There were many in Kattegat”

Alfred’s checks were really going pink now, something Hvitserk noticed. Why was the king so embarrassed about this? To Hvitserk it was just something that happened every day. Despite his tears, a part of him cheered up slightly when he noticed Alfred looked mortified trying to explain this topic to Hvitserk.

“Well, she was one of my Lord’s most loyal followers and he loved her a lot and she was considered unclean and the lowest of society, yet she was allowed to do honours for him nobody else was allowed. His other followers did all sorts of actions that would have got them condemned, they were just normal men who drank, gambled, probably lay down with whores. The thing is, my God does not hold this against a man, Hvitserk, he doesn’t hate you for having a drinking problem or for taking those mushrooms, my God doesn’t hate you. My own father Athelstan broke his vows not to ever be with a woman and he went with a married woman, a queen even and everybody says he was the most holy man they ever met, and he lived among your people, worshipped your gods for a while, yet he’s in heaven now and his illegitimate son rules Wessex. What does that tell you about my God? He’s accepting of things, nobody can truly know how the Lord’s mind works, but if somebody wishes to be saved, then my God welcomes them” Alfred said, pressing slightly on Hvitserk’s hand.

Hvitserk sat thinking what Alfred just said, if it were true, then maybe he could keep on living. The thought of joining the Christians made him feel physically sick, it would anger his gods so much, he would be at their mercy entirely if he left them, their vengeance would be great, but how else could they hurt him? They had already taken everything from him. Rollo was still alive and the Christian god was protecting him, he had a family, he lived in a castle, surely it couldn’t be that bad? He wanted to live!

He closed his eyes and took his hand out from Alfred’s and covered his face on the pretext of rubbing his eyes, but he was thinking of them all, those he had lost. If he agreed to this, he would never see them again. Ivar’s face swam into his mind, Ivar died to save his life, he wouldn’t have been on that battlefield if it wasn’t for Hvitserk, if Hvitserk turned up in Valhalla just months after Ivar give his life to save him, then Ivar would have died for nothing. Hvitserk put his hands down and focused on the fur they were sitting on, he wasn’t sure if he could meet Alfred’s eyes right now, he was scared to even face himself, he had never felt so exposed in his life, as though he alone sat in an opening surrounded by dark space where anything could watch him unseen. There was a moment of silence in the room were only the fire made any noise as both men tried to make sense of their own conflicting thoughts.

“I will join your religion” Hvitserk muttered. “Although I don’t really know much about it”

Alfred’s heart sored, relief ran through his entire body. He had saved Hvitserk from throwing his life away. A smile broke out on his face as he reached over to Hvitserk and touched his arm.

“It’s ok. I will learn you” He told Hvitserk, if Hvitserk looked up, he would see that Alfred looked relieved, more happier than he had in a long time. “In my faith, anybody new to our religion has a sponsor, somebody who will stand for them and teach them how to live in accordance to our God. I will be your sponsor, your Godfather, that means I will be the one who learns you about God, our ways, everything you need. It also means you will join my family; you’ll be a Saxon prince, it would be as if you had been born into my family. Would you like that?”

A new family.

Truth was, he liked Alfred a lot, they was something warm about him that drew Hvitserk to him. He knew Hvitserk’s past and didn’t turn against him, Alfred had only ever tried to help him.

Hvitserk looked up at Alfred and nodded.

“I would like that”

Alfred smiled and then paused, he looked at Hvitserk seriously.

“There’s also the matter of your name” He hesitated as Hvitserk looked confused. “You see, when people are named before God, they are so with a Christian name, my other grandfather, king Aella told me he had given your uncle a Christian name -“

Alfred paused, there was a grin on Hvitserk’s face.

“Back home people used to call him Rolf to annoy him, it used to make him roar and throw things” Hvitserk giggled, the memory coming back to him.

Alfred smiled too. “Yes well with Ubbe, he didn’t get any other name as it was just a matter of convenience for the both of us, it was not a true conversion, but I was thinking with you, we should change your name, for two reasons. If you are going to be a Saxon prince and then one day a king, you will fit in better with a Saxon name and secondly, I think you may feel happier with a new identity. To carry on calling you Hvitserk will only remind you of your old life, a new name can help you move on from everything.”

Hvitserk thought about that, he never thought he would have to give up his name. His mother had given him this name, she thought it was adorable and fitting for him. Yet Hvitserk was also a down on his luck Pagan, it tied him to his past.

“Ok, that doesn’t sound so bad, but what will my name be?” He asked “Please not Rolf”

That made Alfred laugh, he looked over at Hvitserk and then his eyes went over Hvitserk. There was movement from the corner of the room, Alfred caught a glimpse of a figure. A monk’s robes, dark hair just like his and a small silver shine of something around his neck, in a blink he was gone. Hvitserk noticed Alfred looking and turned himself, but there was nothing there.

“No, not Rolf” Alfred agreed, eyes still on the spot across the room. “I will get back to you on that, but it will be a good name, I promise”

Hvitserk nodded, he started playing with the fur again, he felt so strange. He knew he had just made the biggest choice of his life and felt as numb as the day he jumped ship to leave Ubbe.

“You’re making the right choice” Alfred smiled at him.

Hvitserk nodded. “I just hope I don’t disappoint you, I did my own family”

Alfred shook his head. “You won’t, you’ve already made me proud. I can’t imagine the amount of strength it takes to leave behind something you’ve known all your life, to see its errors and try to do better, just talking about what you’ve been through must have taken a lot of strength.”

Hvitserk looked at him, stunned. Nobody had ever praised him like this before, he didn’t feel brave or strong, there were dried tears on his face, yet the king of Wessex was proud of him? Nobody had ever said they were proud of him. He smiled at Alfred slightly, wishing his own family had just once told him that they were proud of him too.

“Come here” Alfred said, he held his arms out to Hvitserk, and Hvitserk knew what Alfred wanted to do, this time he also put his arms around Alfred as the young king hugged him again. It was as warm as the first time, just as comforting, but this time it felt like a hug between family, welcoming.

Alfred would be his family now and he would leave behind his past, his gods, his hurt. He would start afresh as a Saxon.

[thegeekiary]

Queer Drama "Norwegian Dream" is Multi-Layered But Rushed - Movie Review

Robert and Ivar in ‘Norwegian Dream’ (Image: Trailer) From director Leiv Igor Devold, Norwegian Dream tells a multi-layered story that handles the complications of young queer love, homophobia, racism, Unions, and a whole lot more. However, it did leave me wishing the film ran just a bit longer to do each narrative thread justice. Continue reading Untitled

[philomaela]

Vikings 6.03 | “Ghosts, Gods, and Running Dogs”

[bravo4iscool]

the brainrot is real guys🤪

(ivar the boneless x katja; ivar the boneless & prince igor)

tag list - @bumblebeesfromvenus

(masterlist overview | vikings masterlist | join my tag list!)

REQUESTS/ASKS OPEN!!!

“you can’t leave me,” igor sobs into ivar’s chest, the boy hands gripping his tunic. “you can’t go. what am i supposed to do without you?” ivar feels wet spots forming on his clothes as he holds the boy to his chest and he needs to force himself to keep his composure.

he also didn’t want to leave. he loved igor. and he loved katja. he found a family in the rus empire, together with hvitserk. but his task there was finished. oleg was dead, dir would take care of igor now and once the boy was old enough he would become emperor.

what even was ivar supposed to do if he’d stay? just live from day to day? no. he didn’t know if he wanted that. his heart was craving kattegat. his soul was calling out for his home…

“i can’t stay here forever,” ivar mumbles while caressing igor’s head. “i don’t belong here…”

“but you do belong here! with me; with katja…” igor sniffles as he tightens his arms around ivar. “please don’t leave me…”

-

ivar stares at the cup in his hand, the slight reflection of his face looking back at him. he wanted to leave. at least that was what he thought.

“you have that look on your face,” hvitserk interrupts the thoughts of his little brother. he looks at ivar, his head slightly tilted. he wanted to know what ivar was thinking.

ivar lifts his head and huffs, “what look?”

hvitserk laughs. “you always have that look on your face when your heart is battling with your head.”

“huh?”

hvitserk sighs and sits up properly. “you’re used to thinking rational. you make decisions based on your brain—“ hvitserk jabs his finger against his temple. “—you ignore your feelings when making decisions. but sometimes you don’t want to listen to your head so you battle with yourself. and right now is that moment.” hvitserk plops a piece of bread into his mouth while ivar only stared at his older brother.

“your head tells you to go back to kattegat. that’s your home. that’s where you were born. it’s only logical to return and something inside you yearns to get back but you also don’t want to leave igor and katja. but staying here doesn’t make sense to your head,” hvitserk further explains, ripping off another piece of bread with a shrug.

ivar opens his mouth to disagree but hvitserk cuts him off, “katja is having your child, ivar. igor basically is your child already and everyone can see that you both love each other very deeply. you found a family here, ivar. something i’ll never have and you’d be a fool to leave it all behind.”

there’s a hint of sadness in hvitserk’s eyes and a heavy sigh escapes his lips. “you don’t want to leave ivar. you think you need to leave. that’s a big difference.”

“you have me, hvitserk,” ivar says in a quiet voice, suddenly shy. hvitserk had ivar. ivar was his family. why would he need anyone else?

hvitserk lets out a breathless laugh. “maybe. but i don’t have a wife. i don’t have children. i have nothing. unlike you. you always had everything…” he averts his gaze, embarrassed by the way he was laying himself and his feelings bare in front of his little brother.

ivar watches his brother as he stands up and stretches his back. when hvitserk walks past him, ivar grabbs his leg. the older one stops and looks down.

“i am sorry,” ivar says, his voice trembling. “it’s my fault—” a tear rolls down his cheek. “it’s my fault you’re alone. and i still don’t understand how you could forgive me…”

hvitserk blinks at ivar, not used to the youngest to be so emotional. then he crouches down and grabs ivar’s neck to pull him closer. “no matter what, ivar�� i would always forgive you. you’re my brother.”

another tear rolls down ivar’s cheek as hvitserk presses a kiss to his forehead. “i love you.”

-

it’s almost midday when katja slips into igor’s room. “you need to get up,” she softly says while sitting down at the edge of the boy bed. “you can’t stay in your room forever.” her smile is gentle as her hand finds the way into his hair.

“i don’t want to get up,” igor mumbles and turns around, his back facing katja. “why should i get up?” his voice was trembling and she could see that the boy was close to crying again.

katja lets out a weak sigh before pulling her hand back. “there’s someone in the throne room who’d like to meet you. i’ve been told it’s urgent…” she says, waiting for any reaction from igor but he doesn’t move.

she stands up with another sign and walks towards the door. “please igor. he’s someone important.”

igor only moves when katja’s gone. he turns onto his back and stares up at the ceiling before he sits up in his bed. he should get up and get ready. if that someone was really that important he shouldn’t let him wait.

he quickly orders a servant to get dressed and walks out of his room.

-

“i told him someone is waiting for him but i don’t know if he’ll come,” katja mumbles as she comes to a halt beside ivar. “he’s…very upset about your alleged return to kattegat…” she looks at him, but his eyes were trained on the throne.

ivar doesn’t answer. he just stares ahead and hopes that igor would come and that he wouldn’t regret not returning. he told hvitserk he should go back to kattegat without him but his older brother refused. ‘where you go, i’ll go,’ hvitserk said. ‘it’s always been that way and it’ll stay like that.’

then the heavy doors open. “katja,” igor’s voice sounded. “who—” he stops dead in his tracks when he sees who was standing beside katja. “ivar?” his voice is quiet and weak and slowly ivar turns around.

he look at igor, a slight smile playing around his lips. “igor,” he says, waiting for any reaction from the boy.

for a few moments ivar and igor only stare at each other before a sob escapes igor’s throat and he runs towards ivar to throw his arms around him. ivar lets go of his crutch to properly embrace the boy while igor cries into his chest.

ivar feels tears in his own eyes while he hold igor close, pressing a kiss to the prince’s hair.

“i thought you left,” igor sniffles as he pulls back from the hug, confusion written all over his face. “i thought—”

ivar shakes his head and cups igor’s face. “i couldn’t leave you…or katja.” he glances at her with a warm smile. “you’ve become my family igor and soon, i will be a father again. i’d be a fool to leave all that behind, no?” that’s what hvitserk told me.

igor sniffles again before he nods. “and—and what about hvitserk? did he leave?” igor liked the older brother. he was fun, he was laid back. and he always accompanied igor to raid the kitchen at night.

“he didn’t leave,” ivar smiles, pulling igor against his chest again again. “he didn’t want to.”

igor slightly shifts in ivar’s arms and waves his hand at katja, motioning for her to join their hug. she hesitates for a second before ivar looks at her, a pleaded expression in his eyes. slowly she walks towards both of them before also embracing igor in a hug, leaning against ivar.

ivar puts one arm around her and pulls her in. “i love you,” he whispers in her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple afterwards. there’s a small smile playing around katja’s lips as she stands in the middle of the throne room, her family embraced in her arms.

[dynakacchan]

Oleg is so extra I’m already in love 🥵