"Ragnar, you have not made love to me like that for quite some time," Lagertha said, resting gently on his chest, cuddling the man she loved as Ragnar's fingers ran through her silky blonde hair.
"Hahaha! I fucked you, Lagertha." Ragnar teased, he was far from gentle with her and Lagertha liked it but Ragnar only did this for times like these, making her desire it even more.
"You are so dirty, Ragnar," Lagertha said, chuckling but she knew there was a catch, there was always a catch when Ragnar fucked her like this and she was never the one to bring it up.
"I need to talk to you, Lagertha." Said, Ragnar
"There it is, the only man who uses good sex as leverage for negotiating with his wife," Lagertha thought to herself with a defeated smile, nodding to signal him to go ahead.
"How do you feel about having a second son, Lagertha?" Ragnar asked and Lagertha froze before laughing it off. They had been trying for a second child for years, to no avail, so the question seemed odd coming from Ragnar, who knew how much she longed for another child.
"It almost sounds like another lady carries your child, my dear husband," Lagertha said in a joking tone that quickly turned serious. But Ragnar only laughed.
"Don't be silly, Lagertha. I was given a thrall on the condition that I join King Askild's forces," Ragnar began. Lagertha was taken aback by this development.
"Ragnar Lothbrok, is a common thrall really that important?" Lagertha asked, her tone clearly opposed to whatever Ragnar was planning..
"He is not a thrall, Lagertha. He is to be our son. Just as the seer foretold," Ragnar said. Lagertha's curiosity spiked at the mention of the seer.
"Son? Seer?" Lagertha questioned and Ragnard nodded in response as the children laughing and playing outside brought a brief smile to his face.
"The seer said: From the sea, he shall arise like Freyr. This child carries a fate you must guide as a son of Ragnar. He will bring the end to many enemies and will herald the beginning or the end of the Viking era," Ragnar recited, excitement evident in his voice.
Lagertha was confused. If the end of the Viking era was a possibility, why would Ragnar take such a risk? This prophecy was one of the seer's more precise ones.
"Ragnar, are you sure about this?" Lagertha asked. She did not support the idea but respected Ragnar's decisions.
"If he threatens the Viking era, I will personally drive my sword through his heart," Ragnar said, his tone and expression making it clear he meant every word.
"But I am sure it won't come to that, but I want you to care for him like you do Bjorn. He is NOT a slave, he is our son starting today and his name will be Tyr." Ragnar said in an absolute tone that his wife did not have any problem with this and accepted it, she always wanted more children but had problems conceiving.
"This is fine by me, but Ragnar, how about we seal the deal another way?" Lagertha said, climbing on top of Ragnar, her husband's hands resting behind his head.
"What way do you propose, my dear wife?" Ragnar teased despite knowing exactly what Lagertha meant.
"This way." She responded with a devious smirk, Ragnar wanted to rest but Lagertha took this news in stride.
"I love you, Lagertha," Ragnar said, grabbing the waist of his wife.
"I love you too, Ragnar," Lagertha responded as both of them made love.
It did not take long for him to finish but Lagertha did not stop, she only increased her intensity.
"This is not how I want to go to Valhalla woman!" Ragnar shouted. Lagartha laughed at just how silly her husband was but this was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with
-
A couple of days passed.
Loud cheers erupted outside King Askild's throne room. The crowd chanted the name of Asger repeatedly.
"King Askild! Asger is back!" A man said and Askild gestured for the guards to open the door that barred Asger from his presence.
Asger came in, but he did not come with his men, it was a miracle he returned in the first place but did so while taking minimal casualty and taking Egil captive, this was an admirable feat by any stretch of the imagination.
Egil was bound in ropes, yet Asger treated him with respect, allowing him to maintain his dignity. Despite his defeat, Egil had earned Asger's respect as a warrior.
"Welcome back Asger." King Askild said with a half-smile because, despite this spoil, he did not authorize such a bold statement and attack. After all, with this, retaliation was inevitable.
Instantly, Asger got on one knee and Egil followed suit because Askild's cruelty was well known, even in Vestfold. He could feel the unease of his captor, what kind of king must you be to induce such fear into your men? His king was the opposite of Askild, people fight for him because they love him, not fear him.
"King Askild! I have returned," Asger said, whispering to Egil, "Do not look him in the eyes." Egil complied, keeping his head bowed.
"I see you brought the famous Egil with you. I was certain Valhalla would welcome you today," Askild said, unimpressed.
"What happened to this being just a raid?" Askild asked, tapping his finger on the armrest of his throne.
"It could not be helped. King Askild. I hate to say it but I fell right into the trap of King Asmund." Asger said with a defeated smile that King Askild looked to appreciate because the tension was there. He had essentially condemned Asger to death by denying reinforcements, yet Asger had prevailed. and he knew with Egil as a prize. King Askild might just spare him and his men for returning with gold or treasures.
"Egil Iversen, the famed and feared warrior now tied like a mere slave before me. You did well Asger, take him to the cells, and we will extract all the information from him whether he cooperates or not. Keep a guard on him at all times, we wouldn't want our guest taking his own life now, would we?" Askild said, with Asger nodding, before carting him away.
"That fool… So he is good for something." Askild thought to himself, watching them exit the throne room, this has given him the edge he needed in the scuffle with Vestfold and to think it came from something as simple as this was a blessing in disguise. He did not fear retaliation because he now had one of their best warriors as a captive.