A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter.  So I am kind of torn with where I want this to go. I can see the story being done here. I had originally planned to have Briet be sold on the silk road and have her be reunited with Ivar in Russia (pretty sure that's where he ends up... it's been a while since I saw those episodes) buuuuut I feel like this story has gone on forever and that would be another like million chapters. Like I said, I can end this story here but I do have one other story line that isn't as long as my original one which would keep this going for probably like 5 or so more chapters? Also probably a happier ending for sure. What do you guys think/want? I've actually never finished a story before so being this close to an ending/ potentially at an end is new to me 😅 Hope you enjoy!

I had never felt anger like this before. My heart was pounding so hard inside my chest that it threatened to break my ribs open. My whole body was tense and shaking with rage while I paced the room like a caged wolf. I had this primal urge to break things. Throw things against the wall, cut things with my sword, light the room- this whole building on fire.

He'd given me his word that he had changed. I felt it when he touched me, this new touch so tender and gentle. I could see it when he looked me in the eyes. I swore to the Gods that he was different. That seeing me close to death and knowing that our child was gone because of both of our incredibly stupid decisions had changed Ivar for the better. I was wrong. He would never change.

What does she have that I don't? What makes her better than me? I was there for Ivar through everything! When we were kids I was the one who played with him and treated him like a normal boy. When his father came back after being missing for years and wanted to take Ivar to England I stood by his choice to go. I sailed with him to England to avenge the death of his father and fought by his side.

This Freydis girl came out of no where, what does she have that I don't that makes Ivar completely forget about me... about us?

I picked up the small wooden table next to our... Ivar's bed and threw it into the fire place. The cups and pitcher of wine that was on top of it made a loud echoing sound as clattered to the ground.

"Fuck!" I screamed, taking one of Ivar's knives from another table and unsheathed it. I stormed over to the the chest that held my clothes and flipped the lid open. It slammed against the wall that it was pushed up against. I grabbed fist fulls of the dresses Ivar had gifted to me and plunged the blade into the fabric and drug the blade down, destroying the gifts.

Hot tears started to burn my eyes and before I knew it my vision was blurred completely but I kept stabbing and ripping and cutting the fabric in hopes that the more I destroyed these pretty things that it would erase the last two years of my life. That if I mutilate these pretty things it would make it so Ivar never existed.

"What are you doing?" His voice brought me back to Midgard.

I still couldn't see because of the tears that were streaming from my eyes but I turned, nevertheless, in the direction of his voice.

"Little one-"

"Don't call me that! Don't even speak to me, you ass! Go to her, go to your stupid whore... the one who is so much more important than me!" I screamed, driving the blade into the wooden floor boards under my legs.

"What are you talking about?"

I rubbed away the tears with the back of my sleeve. "Don't play stupid with me, Ivar. I saw her in the crowd. You looked right at her when I questioned you."

Ivar sighed. When I finally had the tears wiped away I glared up at him. His face was unreadable.

He stumbled over to me and collapsed in front of me on the ground. His hand slowly moved onto mine and he gently took the blade from me, tossing it away from the both of us.

"I love you, Briet." He spoke with a shaky voice.

"You should have told me she was here. Instead you let me find out the night you make the announcement we are to be married in front of all of Kattegat!" I snapped.

Ivar gently grabbed both of my hands in his and I immediately snatched them away. I didn't want to be touched by him.

"I should have told you." He confessed, looking hurt that I didn't want him touching me. "I should have told you. But I am telling you now, I am going to bare it all for you. I didn't know she sailed back, she was the furthest thing from my mind once you left me."

I scoffed, turning from him so that my back was resting against my chest that was now covered in shredded ribbons of fabric.

"She came to me here, in the great hall, when we had agreed to wait the month before deciding on getting married. We spoke a few times in the past month, maybe four times, hmm? Freydis believes I am chosen by the Gods and that I must have children so that Kattegat stays under the rule of a God. That I and my children will do great things. I mean, look at me," He gestured to his legs that were wrapped in metal braces.

"She was a slave who didn't want to be sacrificed in England. She said anything she could to manipulate you in hopes you would change your mind. And clearly it worked. Now she's back and sees that you are the king and wants to manipulate you again so she can be queen." My words were dripping with venom. For someone so smart he was acting incredibly stupid.

"That's funning coming from you; a peasant who had nothing and then was given the opportunity to be queen and you didn't want it. Do you remember that, back in England, when I told you I would be king of Kattegat and I wanted you to be my queen and you told me you didn't want to be a queen? Well now there is another who wants to be queen and you feel jealous!" His tone was equally as venomous, a scowl forming on his face.

He could see the hurt that fell across my face and he sighed, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Briet, I love you, not Freydis. I want you as my wife." His hand reached out and gently fell on my thigh, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin in hopes of calming me down.

Again I scoffed as I prepared to throw his words and previous actions in his face. "Yes Ivar, you may want me as your wife but I cannot give you an heir. I cannot have your child because-" and before I could again throw it in his face that he had raped me he struck.

"Yes, because you were foolish enough to go into battle while you were pregnant with our child and was struck down."

As much as it hurt, he was right. We were in this mess because of both of our actions. Having it thrown in my face hurt like Helheim.

"I want to propose something to you. I want you as my wife, Briet. I do feel though that I need an heir. I agree with Freydis, that I am chosen by the Gods to be something great- greater than Ragnar Lothbrok. Because of both of our actions you cannot have children but Freydis can. Let me make a child with her..." He stopped, unsure of how to pose his next question.

I knew exactly what he wanted to ask me. I couldn't help the laugh that left my lips. "You want to be greater than your father yet here you are about to make the same mistake he made. You want to ask me if you can have two wives. One that you supposedly love and one just to give you children. Don't you remember how this worked out for your father? He lost the only woman who truly loved him!"

Ivar started to grow angry when he realized I was speaking about Lagertha and insinuating that she was the better wife for Ragnar but then he stopped. "If he had not chosen to stay with my mother than I would not be here."

"And maybe that would be for the best." I snapped feeling my heart start to tear with every beat.

We were both starting to see where this conversation was going yet we still pressed on.

"Then I won't have her as a second wife but let me make a child with her."

"Ivar, I could not stand to look at you if I knew you left me to lay with her. And how do you think it would make me feel looking at the child you made with her? I would have to see that child every day of my life, a constant reminder that I am a barren woman and I cannot have a child of my own. And I would still be forced to see her, it would be half hers after all." More hot tears started to fall down my cheeks.

Ivar moved closer to me, resting his back against my trunk. He hooked his finger under my chin and moved my face so that I was looking at him. "You are not less than because you cannot have a child. I love you... I cannot tell you enough that I love you so deeply."

"I can't, Ivar." I whispered, not wanting him to hear my voice breaking.

I got up to my feet and took a few steps away from him. Being so close to him always intoxicated me. He had a way of making me forget everything around me and before he worked his magic on me again and make me make the wrong choice, I needed to put space between us.

"But I just made the announcement to all of Kattegat that we are to be married. What am I going to tell the people now, hmmm?" Ivar spoke with a chuckle, thinking that I wasn't being serious.

"It's not the first time you've done this." I snapped back, reminding him of his first announcement back in England.

"Hmm, yes." Ivar hummed as he too got up off of the floor and stumbled towards me so that we were standing face to face. "But this will be the last time I do it." His point was clear. This would be the last time he asks for my hand in marriage.

"Enjoy Freydis."

My mind shut out the world the moment I slammed the door shut in Ivar's face. The only thing I could hear was my panting and the wind rushing past my ears while I ran through the moonlit forest. The branches of the trees tearing at my dress and cutting at my exposed skin. I didn't care. The stinging feeling of the cuts reminded me that I was still on Midgard.

My body was starting to tremble, I was pushing my body to its limits. Before I could even realize that I was tired and needed to stop my legs gave out and I came crashing into the dried leaves that littered the forest ground.

I rolled over onto my back and gulped in the cold night air. Every deep breath in made my lungs feel like they were on fire and I wished that it was real flames. To free me from this world.

Two years of my life I spent wrapped up with Ivar and his wicked games. Even when I escaped him the first time, I wasn't truly free of him. The child in my belly was a harsh reminder of him and his vile actions against me. He did save me... he could have left me to die on the battle field but he chose to save me. His poisonous words drew me back in to him and now here I am.

The funny thing is, I don't feel sad. I don't feel broken. I felt liberated.

Ivar was no longer my problem. He chose Freydis.

I... I'm free.

My euphoric feeling of freedom didn't last long though. The sound of crunching leaves and a low growl echoed around me.

My body froze while my heart started to beat uncontrollably inside my chest. I could hear the animal approaching, not only from the sound of the leaves but from how loud the growl was becoming. With sharing hands, I grabbed for my sword that was around my waist.

My fingers felt nothing. My head snapped down to my hips. When I was dressing for this evening I didn't put my belt on, thinking I wouldn't need to use of my sword at the feast. My mouth went uncomfortably dry and my stomach sank like a rock.

After all this, I was going to die by being eaten alive by some wild animal?

Two glowing orbs emerged from behind the low brush in front of me. When the moon lit it's face I saw that it was a wolf with pitch black fur and scars littering its face. Its ears were standing straight up and I could see its lips were curled up showing massive, wet teeth.

The beast slowly came closer still until it was fully out from the bushes and then it stopped. Our eyes were locked. These moments seemed like years while I waited for it to pounce on me rip apart my body.

What sounded like a twig snapped from somewhere behind me which made the wolf flinch and then snap its jaws at me, drool flying in my direction.

I screwed my eyes shut. "Freya, hear me. I am not ready to die." I whispered shakily.

The wolf made a what sounded like a mix of a bark and a growl and I heard it push off of the ground, lunging towards me. My whole body tensed while I waited for the feeling of its fangs to pierce my skin but the feeling didn't come.

I could hear that it was wrestling with something. Curiosity got the best of me and I peaked out behind one half open lid. When I saw what was happening my eyes flew open and I scrambled to back up against the nearest tree.

Vidar was attacking the other wolf.

I watched as tufts of fur, blood and drool were flying in every direction as the animals both tried desperately to bite at the others' neck. When one of them had a hold of the other they would shake their heads so violently while the other would try to claw their way free. The black wolf had managed to clamp its jaws on the back of Vidar's neck and brought him hard to the ground making Vidar yipe.

The other wolf let go of Vidars' fur and stepped over him ready to bite into his exposed neck.

"Vidar!" I yelped without thinking.

The black wolfs' ear twitched and it started to turn its head in my direction when Vidar took this moment and leapt up, clamping his jaws into the other like a vice.

They struggled a moment longer until finally Vidar rose to his paws and had the black wolf pinned down on the ground. It's body was twitching and I started to see the blood leaking from the massive hole where Vidar had torn into its neck.

When the wolf stopped moving is when Vidar finally let go, licking at his lips. I could see his blood soaked fur in the light of the moon. Vidar turned to look at me, his ears laid back against his body. He stumbled over the dead body and tried to make his way towards me but he collapsed into the leaves.

"Vidar... Vidar, no!" I clamored towards him, lifting his head so it laid on my lap. I ran my hands all along him until I felt the wounds around his neck.

His fur wasn't covered in just the others blood. This was also his blood. He was bleeding out. Vidar was dying.

"You saved me, Vidar." I sobbed, sliding down so that I was laying on the ground next to him with my face buried in his fur and my arms around him.

"Thank you, my dear Vidar."

I held onto him, even after I felt that he had stopped breathing.