Note: It's been a while since I've seen these earlier episodes so I am taking a lot of creative liberties from here until the current season. 

Life in Kattegat had gone on as normal for everyone save for myself and the Queen. It had been a month, give or take, since Ragnar and Ivar's departure. Aslaug had no issues saying goodbye to her already estranged husband but knowing she would never see her son again was the thing that pushed her fully of the ledge and into her downward spiral. She barely showed her face in public and when she did she was dressed in all black with a veil over her face. Her absence not only in public but also in the towns politics has started to bring a sense of unease to its people.

I no longer stayed in the great hall. It was awkward to say the least walking around Ivar's home and in front of his remaining family without him, especially since my friendship with Sigurd has ended. Instead I slept in my old house, in my old bed, alone. The days were easy, I spent my time cleaning and repairing my home, hunting or just walking the town. The nights were what killed me. I lay in bed tossing and turning thinking that if I willed it hard enough he would appear in my bed. But with every turn I was made more and more aware of how alone I was.

From my time serving the family, I became a master of both sneaking in and out of the great hall. Slipping in through one of the back doors I tip-toed through the home and to Ivar's room. His bed was left unmade while cups littered the tables. Seeing Ivar's room like this made it seem like he was still here in Kattegat. I curled into his bed, gripping his pillow tightly against myself, burying my face into it and breathing in his scent. Before I could stop myself, I started to sob.

"How long have you been sneaking into my home?"

My eyes shot open and then instantly shut. The morning sun stabbed at my eyes as I tried to adjust my vision to the bright light. I groaned, wiping the sleep from my eyes with the heals of my hands.

Aslaug cleared her throat, annoyed I hadn't answered her. "Are you well, girl? I asked you a question."

"I, uh..." I trialed off, propping myself up on my elbows to look at her. "This is the first night,"

Aslaug just stood there, looking me over. I felt like an ant under her scrutinizing gaze. Not quite knowing what I should do, I took the blankets from my legs and got out of the bed, running my open hands over the fabric of my dress to flatten out the wrinkles.

"I miss him," I said in a whisper, still not looking at the woman.

She scoffed, opening her mouth to speak but then instantly closing it. She could see the sincerity on my face and her smug smile slowly faded. "You truly care for him?"

Without hesitation my head bobbed up and down. "Yes, Queen."

Her lips turned up in a sad smile while her eyes dropped to the ground. "As a mother, I am happy that my son has found someone to love and to love him back." She paused for a moment, sniffling back tears. "I am sorry for what I've done to you, Briet." Her attempt at holding back her tears failed as they started to flow freely. "But Ivar is gone and he is not coming back. You are young, do not throw your life away on hoping that he will come back. Find someone who will give you many sons and treat you like Freyr does Freya."

Before I could speak, foreign horns sounded. Aslaug's eyes slowly closed and her shoulders dropped. We were under attack.

"Where are Sigurd and Ubbe?" I questioned looking for any type of weapon that might be left in the room.

"They have been gone for days. I do not know where they went."

My heart sank. They were both in charge of the army and with most of the able bodied warriors with Bjorn and Hvitserk we didn't stand a chance against this new threat.

"Don't worry Briet. I knew my time as Queen was at an end. I will surrender to whoever is attacking."

"But what will-"

"My sons will take care of this usurper."

"Where will you go?" I asked, stepping towards her.

She remained emotionless as she stood before me, looking past me and out the window. The sun illuminated her sharp features. Her thick, black rimmed eyes shined bright in the sun making them look like they were glowing. "Home." She whispered.

"My lady!" One of the thralls appeared behind Aslaug in the doorway. She was out of breath and trembling as she spoke. "We're under attack, come quick you must be protected."

Aslaug finally turned from me to look at the older woman. "No. Prepare my crown and the sword of kings. I am going to surrender."

"But, my lady-"

"Do not question me. I am still your Queen." Aslaug snapped.

The maid turned on her heal and left in a hurry leaving the two of us alone. "Goodbye, Briet."

The moment Aslaug had left the room I frantically searched for a weapon. Ivar couldn't have possibly taken everything with him to England. He couldn't carry it all on his person. Looking under his bed I found something. Pulling it out I saw that it was my bow and my quiver. I flung the quiver over my shoulder, not caring if it was comfortable only that my arrows wouldn't tumble out. I put the one end of the bow between my ankles and used all of my might to push the wood down and pull the string up and over the top, getting the hoop at the end into the groove. Once my bow was strung I raced out of the hall and into battle.

Outside I was met by opposing warriors attacking the townsfolk. It was hectic as swords clashed against swords and arrows flew through the air. I barely had a moment before and axe was swung at my chest. I ducked below the path of the blade landing on one knee, lurching forward I grabbing the dagger hanging from the man's belt who was now attacking me. Without hesitation I drove it up and into his heart. His eyes widened as the tearing sound of flesh and spurting blood rang through both of our ears. Dropping to his knees he coughed, his blood splattering on my face before he dropped to the ground; lifeless.

Taking a few seconds before rising to my feet I quickly scanned the area. I was looking for the warriors shields, trying to see the army's colors or symbols to figure out who was attacking. Fehu... The turquoise shield had the rune Fehu painted across it. There was only one warrior I know to have this sheild. Lagertha.

Jumping to my feet I frantically started to search the chaos for her. She needed to know that Aslaug would surrender peacefully. She didn't have to kill the people of Kattegat. A shield maiden, younger than me, darted towards me. Her battle cry ripped me from my current mission as she closed the distance between us, her sword ready to strike. My hand shot back to my quiver, grabbing an arrow and quickly nocking it to the string before I drew the string back and released. The arrow hit her neck with a loud thwack. Not the best place to have hit an opponent, her death would be slower as she choked on her own blood but I would live.

Turning on my heal I started to run through the crowd, dodging the melee. I had to find Lagertha. She needed to know! My heart was pounding as I pushed through. An arrow narrowly missed me, cutting my shoulder as it flew past me and landed in a warrior, taking him down. "RRRGH!" I clutched my shoulder, sucking wind in through my teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain.

Horns blasted from all around me. I dug my heals into the gravel as I slid to a stop, a surrender? Now that everyone had stopped their attacks I scanned the still faces looking for Lagertha. Movement from atop one of the roofs caught my eye and my head snapped in that direction to investigate.

Torvi made her way to the edge of the roof before kneeling down and grabbing the edge with both hands and then swung her legs down over the side. She gracefully let her body fall to the ground, landing on her feet like a cat then proceeded to stalk towards my direction.

"I do not want to fight you!" Lagertha's voice boomed from somewhere behind me. "You are my country men. My people. You used to serve me when I was Queen of Kattegat. When Ragnar was your King!" Her voice broke at the mention of Ragnar.

My eyes locked with hers. She was out of breath and her braided hair was now disheveled and spotted with blood and dirt. She sheathed her sword, taking in a deep breath, no doubt to calm her self. "I was usurped! By a woman who came in between my husband and I. I do not want to kill any of you... I want the false queen to surrender. To give me back what was mine!"

Lagertha's peoples cheered at her demands as they followed her lead and put away their weapons. I pushed my way towards Lagertha before Torvi could get to her side and her ear. "Lagertha!" I called, grabbing her elbow and jerking her in my direction.

"Briet?" She questioned, furrowing her brow. "I thought you had sailed with Ivar?"

"No." I looked past her to see how far Torvi was from us and saw her closing the distance. "Aslaug is going to surrender! She doesn't want to be Queen anymore, she wants to go home to Sweden."

"Lagertha!" Torvi called out, clearly angry that I was speaking with her. "What is this slave saying to you?"

Glaring at Torvi I snapped, "I am no slave. I am a free woman and I may say whatever I please."

Lagertha looked at me with wide eyes. "You're free?"

"Yes, Ivar freed me, before he left. Please, let Aslaug leave unharmed. If you kill her, the sons of Ragnar will never let you live. This will be all for nothing. Please!" I spoke my words as fast as possible trying to get my point across before anyone whispered the contrary in her ear.

The doors to the great hall swung open, crashing against the walls and making a loud thud which made us all turn in that directions. Aslaug stood in the doorway. Her arms were held out before her holding the kings sword. She made her way down the steps and into the parting crowd, flanked by her loyal servants. Murmurs from the crowd rose, some in support of Aslaug but most were slanders against the now fallen queen.

Aslaug stopped when she reached the three of us. Her eyes moved to me, looking me over. I was still taking deep breaths from battle but sadness was painted on my face. I may hate her, but I can understand how it feels to have nothing. Though her sons love her, they are men now and they are starting to write their own sagas. Ragnar was not coming back and though she loved the power, she knew she was not the ruler that Kattegat deserved. Her eyes darted to Torvi. Her lip curled up in a mock smile before she turned her attention back to Lagertha.

"Lagertha." Her hand reached for the sword at her belt making Aslaug snort in laughter. "Please, I am no warrior. I would never survive a fight against Lagertha, the famous shield maiden. I Surender to you." She threw the sword of kings at Lagertha's feet as she rolled her eyes. "The only thing I ask is safe passage. I wish to return to my home, to Sweden."

Lagertha looked to me and then back at Aslaug. She didn't say a word, only a bow of her head as she moved to the side, holding out her arm in a gesture for Aslaug to pass. Aslaug closed her eyes as she took in a deep shaky breath.

Aslaug walked past the three of us, making her way towards the docks. Before I could process what was happening, Lagertha snatched the bow from my hand and an arrow from my quiver. She positioned the arrow and drew back all in one swift motion and let the arrow loose.

"Lagertha, no!" But it was too late. The arrow had hit Aslaug in the back. The momentum carrying the arrow was so great that the tip protruded from Aslaug's chest. The arrow had gone straight through her heart, ending her life before she even hit the bloodied gravel below her.

"She surrendered!" I screamed, clutching Aslaug's dead body and lifting her head up from the ground. "You killed her but she had already surrendered!"

Lagertha looked over to one of her warriors and motioned her head, a silent command to take the body from me. The towering, burly man stalked over, putting away his sword before I bent down and pulled me from the body. I fell back on my butt from the force of being tugged away. Tears blurredly vision as I watched the man pick up the body bridal style and walk away from the crowd.

Ubbe and Sigurd made it back to Kattegat a few days after the battle. Ubbe was beyond angry at being both Lagertha and Margrethe for being tricked and then locked up in Hedeby so that Lagertha could kill their mother. It didn't surprise me when I learned that Margrethe was somehow in on the scheme. It was well know that she hated the Queen and with her relationship with all of the sons of Ragnar, there would be no doubt that she would raise from her lowly ranks as a thrall to either the wife of a great warrior or even one day, a queen.

Sigurd on the other hand was quiet. He was not angry or upset at his mothers passing. Instead, he spent his time playing his lyre, drinking and fucking Margrethe when Ubbe sent her away for aiding in the usurpation of his mother.

Lagertha tried to make amends with me but I wasn't ready to talk with her. I understood why she did it, took back what was hers. Aslaug came in between her and her husband, split up her family and displaced her from her home. Though Ragnar was equally to blame, she loved him blindly and would die for him. But Ragnar was not coming back and I believe this act was her closure for what happened all of those years ago.

I sat at the edge of the docks, my feet in the water feeling the waves roll in and out. The breeze messing my hair about as I looked out at the horizon line secretly willing familiar sails to appear. His sails. He was with Ragnar though and we all knew Ragnar wasn't coming back. Ivar was crippled, he wouldn't be able to sail by himself. With every beat of my heart, I felt it tear further apart. Why do I do this to myself? I thought, pushing away the image of him in my mind.

"Care for a drink?" Sigurd asked, his words slow and slightly slurred as he plopped down next to me.

"Go away, Sigurd." I said, my tone flat.

"Are you going to spend all of your days pining over someone who isn't coming back?"

I glared up at his smug face. He was right, I should start to move on for my own mental well being but I couldn't. I wasn't ready just yet. I was still clinging on to a chance that he might return, a chance that would dwindle over time. Grabbing the cup from his hands I quickly downed the liquid, hoping that it would stop the ache.

"That a girl," Sigurd chuckled, sipping from his own cup.

"Aren't you upset about your mother?" I bit my tongue as soon as I heard myself ask. What a horrible thing for someone to ask, I scolded myself.

Sigurd scoffed. "I've never been better!"

Furrowing my brows, I looked up at him. His smile was genuine which only made my brows turn down more. "How can you say that, she was your mother?"

"Oh come on, Briet. How many times have we had this conversation as kids. Hell, we spoke about this exact thing when you were my brothers slave. You know the only people Aslaug cared about was Ivar and Harbard." Sigurd's face turned into a sour expression as he spoke their names.

He was right, we had spoke about it almost daily growing up. I didn't think her death would even effect me yet here I am, distraught over not only her death but Ivar's absence. My whole world seemed turned upside-down.

"It's kind of funny though,"

"What's funny?" I asked.

"The last time we spoke about wanting Aslaug dead you said you wanted to shoot her with your bow... and now she's dead from being shot, with your bow." Sigurd giggled as he spoke.

"I didn't kill her, Lagertha did! She took my bow and shot your mother, not me." I snapped before turning from him angrily to look back out at the fjord.

My eyes instantly caught a strange object sailing closer to Kattegat. Sails. A boat! Ivar? My mind and heart raced as I scrambled to my feet as if that would somehow make me able to see that far out into the horizon. The gate keeper must have seen the strange sails as well because the horns blared signaling everyone to be ready for a possible attack.

"You really think it's Ivar?" Sigurd sneered, getting to his feet.

I looked up at him with teary eyes and a wide smile. Sigurd placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing his fingers. "How do you think my brother would feel about the death of our mother? Especially since she was killed by your bow. Don't you remember him walking in on that conversation? You really think he's going to believe you after he finds out that me and Ubbe were locked up in Hedeby leaving our mother vulnerable to you, Lagertha and Torvi?"

My world spun and my palms became clammy as the memory played through my head. Nausea crept up and I felt like I was about to empty my stomach on the boards below my feet. "Let me answer that question for you, Briet. He won't believe you. He'll think you helped plan this whole thing. Ivar will kill you."