Brynhildr was sitting on the ground as the servants were running around and preparing everything for the arrival of prince Dir. There wasn't much to prepare except the guards to be ready at any moment if the attack happens, because no matter what Brynhildr couldn't trust Dir, but his political influence could be of a great help to keep her reign stable and Kiev safe from the attacks of others while her army is fighting the war in Norway. She had to be ready fr everything, just because she is fighting a war in other country, doesn't mean that her own country should stay unprotected and alone. 

"Ouch!" Brynhildr winced.

While she was thinking, Hvitserk was braiding her long, white hair into the typical Viking braid, and Brynhildr was slowly losing her patience because she hated to sit calmly on one place for a long time and Hvitserk wasn't really careful with her hair.

"I am sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you at all princess." Hvitserk said with a hint of fear in his voice. Brynhildr heard so much about this man, and she felt sorry for him, more then she could describe with her words. He had lost everything, and he was now only a shadow of the man he used to be a long time ago. She couldn't even imagine what could that feel like, if she had to go trough everything Hvitserk did, she would probably end her life to put herself away from the misery.

"It is alright Hvitserk, you didn't hurt me. I am just being inpatient." Brynhildr answered and her voice became more soft as she spoke to him. Hvitserk then smiled as he continued to braid her hair.

"Are you still angry with my brother?" 

"I don't know. What he said to me last night was really rough." 

"You know that he didn't mean that. He just says bad things when he is angry, my brother loves you princess, he really does." Hvitserk said.

"I don't know Hvitserk. Sometimes he is amazing to me, and sometimes, he makes me really sad. I thought that with him, it will be different, I expected something like a fairy tale...But that is stupid." Brynhildr said and sighed. 

"No it is not princess. Of course, there is not such a thing as unblemished, flawless love, it can always get hard at the times. But aren't we all warriors? We fight for people we love, and believe I know my brother. He would always fight for you. Maybe he is a bit hard at the times but don't worry, he loves you." Hvitserk said as he was finishing with braiding her hair.

"Hvitserk, do you think I am hard to love?" Brynhildr asked. 

She haven't spent so much time with Hvitserk alone, but most of the time she found his presence quite comforting especially at the times like this, when she was arguing with Ivar, and she needed someone she could talk to. She simply had feeling that told her that she could trust Hvitserk, that she could tell him everything and still, he would never judge her. And he would be there to help her, because he knew well what does it feel like to be broken.

Hvitserk stopped braiding her hair.

"What makes you say that?" Hvitserk asked.

"I don't know Hvitserk. Every time I love someone, I surrender myself utterly to that person, everything I am, my dreams, my feelings, everything, because I don't think I am able to love someone in any other way then this. But I then let small things hurt me badly, and I can't stop myself from that." Brynhildr let the words just slip from her lips as she spoke, at the same time she felt her heart remembering every time it was hurt by the man.

"And that is the right way to love someone Brynhildr, to completely give yourself over. And I really respect you for that. Just give Ivar some time, love was always uneasy to him, you can understand that since he is who he is. Just give him some time." Hvitserk answered.

"Thank you Hvitserk." Brynhildr answered as she turned around and hugged Hvitserk. He really helped her by listening to her, and also his words meant so much to her.

"Принц Дир и принцесса Ана прибыли" Guard said interrupting the the two of. Brynhilde nodded and got up. Igor run inside and stood by her side.

"Where is Ivar?" She asked. She haven't seen him since morning, the two of them seemed to be avoiding each other since the argument they had.

"I don't know. He seemed angry, so I didn't want to bother him." Igor said and Brynhildr only sighed. But she then put the smile on her face when her guests arrived, she didn't want either of them to see her distressed, she didn't want to show them any weakness. 

"добро пожаловать, это Хвицерк, сын Рагнара." Brynhildr said. Only thing that Hvitserk understood from what she just said was his name and he raised eyebrow making Igor chuckle.

"Он не понимает наш язык." Brynhildr added.

Anna, the princess that was beside Dir almost laughed at the confused face of Hvitserk, while face of Dir remained cold, but maybe deep inside he was scared, after all he came to her, and he had tried to kill her before.

"Then we shall speak on his language." Dir said and he smiled slightly. "I am glad to see you again princess, and I hopped we could now clear up all our disagreements in a diplomatic and friendly way." Prince Dir said.

"You didn't think that when you sent a soldier to kill her." A cold voice of Ivar the boneless echoed trough the room sending chills down everyone's spines as he spoke.

"Ivar..." Brynhildr whispered his name.

"That was misunderstanding, I didn't mean to hurt the princess, I swear I regret now for what I have done. You can trust me now princess. I will support you in your war no matter what happens!" Dir said. Anna stood close to him as Ivar watched them all with his cold, blue eyes.

Hvitserk and Igor also watched Dir with anger in their eyes. Brynhildr had three man on her side, that would do anything to protect her, she had nothing to fear.

"It is alright prince Dir, as I said I called you here to clear our disagreements. I want it to end in a friendly way so we can trust each other and fight together in this war. Also what I need is your political influence." Brynhildr said calmly. 

"Anything you need princess." Dir said.

"And I want to make sure we have strong alliance and that I can trust you." Brynhildr said. 

"You have my word princess." Dir said.

"A word is simply not enough." Ivar said.

"Then what can I do to earn your trust my princess? I would do anything." Dir said. 

"I want to have a complete control over your army prince Dir. If I do that, you won't be able to attack us, and if you are attacked, I will send soldiers to assist you. It is as simple as that. Or we could start a war, which you I tell you now, you don't have to be a prophet as I am, to know that you will lose." Brynhildr said. 

Dir seemed unhappy with Brynhildr's decision. He stood silent for a moment.

"Слушай ее." Anna said gently to her husband. Dir looked at his wife as if he is looking at her face for the last time. 

"Я люблю тебя, Ана." Dir whispered to his wife. 

It sounded as if the two of them were trying to say their goodbyes. But why? Why would the do such a thing.

Nobody had enough time to react when Dir took out a small knife he somehow managed to take with him inside the castle and throw it on Brynhildr so precisely, like this time he didn't want to take any risks, and the knife was going directly towards her heart. 

"Down with pagan queen!" Dir yelled.

Everything happened so quickly, in the blink of an eye. 

Hvitserk and Igor pushed Brynhildr on the ground before the knife could harm her.

"Look at me, look at me in the eyes you scum!" Ivar yelled as he walked toward Dir pushing his frightened wife away and grabbing Dir with his strong arms.

"Ivar!" Brynhildr yelled trying to stop him because it was more then obvious that he was about to kill this man.

"I want my face to  be the last thing you will see before I murder you! That is what you get for harming her! She is mine!" Ivar's words echoed trough the room as his arms were around his neck and Dir was fighting for air. 

"Ivar please..." Brynhildr whispered once again. She never saw him like this before, this furious, about to murder a man with his bare hands. That is when she realized, that he does truly love her, on his dark and twisted way.

"Please..." Brynhildr repeated as Ana was screaming, watching her husband about to die in front of her eyes. Ivar's anger slowly stopped as he let go of Dir, he couldn't kill that man, while Brynhildr's soft voice was begging him to stop. He couldn't show that cruelty in front of her. He let go of Dir kicking him in his face as hard as he could, making him fall on the ground.

The moment he done that, Brynhildr run into his arms hugging him as tightly as she could.

"Thank you." She whispered and Ivar warped his arms around her tightly pressing her to his chest. He never wnated to let her go.

Принц Дир и принцесса Ана прибыли (princ dir i princeza ana pribily)- Princ Dir and Princess Ana have arrived 

добро пожаловать, это Хвицерк, сын Рагнара (dobro pozhalovat', eto Khvitserk, syn Ragnara) -welcome, this is Hvitserk, son of Ragnar

Он не понимает наш язык. (On ne ponimayet nash yazyk)-he doesn't understand our language

Слушай ее (slusay yeyo) -listen to her 

Я люблю тебя, Ана (ya lybly tebya Ana)-I love you Ana 

Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!

Vote and comment, that would be really helpful.

Love you all.