Ivar's POV

She shuts the window on my face but I have captured those chocolate brown eyes  looking into mine. She is a breadth-taking woman but I don't want to fall in love, It would make me weak and weakness is lethal for a warrior, it can be exploited by the enemies.

I look away and walk to my chamber, which is the late king's Darrell's chamber. Hvitserk, I and Ubbe had a long conversation about who will take the king's chamber in this palace and like always 

I won

The guards open the door and near my bed, I see a naked woman standing blindfolded with an apple in her mouth and her hands and feet tied. It has to be one of the Hvitserk's gift for me.

I smirk and sit on my bed, these are boots are way too tight. I open the left boot while she stands silently. Then I look at her, and I walk towards her, she shivers. I take the apple from her mouth with my mouth and sit on the bed again to open my right boot as I raise my eyebrow to look at her body

She is shivering and shaking with fear, poor girl

"What's your name?" I ask while I loosen my right boot and keep it on the side. I sit on the edge of the bed with my hands on my knees as she is standing directly in front of my bed, near the fireplace

"Amelia" She says meekly

"Ahhh, Amelia don't be afraid" I say as I place my self comfortably on the bed

"Is Nova alive?" She shivers and ask

"How do you know the princess?" I ask curiously

"I am one of her ladies" She says and I stand up 

Wow, Interesting Information, I think to myself. If she is one of Nova's ladies maybe she could help me to accomplish what I want. She could get me closer to Nova, my mind oozes with strategies to tame the princess.

I stand up and open her blindfolds, she stares at me with her big green eyes and gives me an uncomfortable smile.

"Wear your clothes" I whisper in her ear and she nods

She grabs a torn yellow dress with red bow from the bed as I untie her hands and feet.

"Thank you Ivar, You are the God" She bows in front of me

"Not too soon" I tell her, "Sit down" I gesture her to sit on the floor as I sit on the bed leaning towards her

"Let's just say you and I make a deal" I say and she listens intently

"What Deal?" She mutters and looks frightened

"You work for me now, you get closer to Nova again and bring all the information about her to me and only do as I say" I say and look around the room hoping the walls don't hear us

"What do you want from Nova?" She gets a little angry

I take a small knife from my pocket and swing it around my fingers, I like playing with the knife when I think and it nearly scares the life out of her.

 "I want to marry her" I say and look directly in her eyes

"Marry? No no no... please spare her, she will do no harm to you. She has already given her word to Prince Andrew" Amelia says and covers her mouth, knowing she made a big mistake by giving me the name of Nova's love interest

"Andrew? Huh?.... Who is he?" My eyes stiffs and my heart aches a bit which I don't know why that happened and I tilt my head to listen what she has to say

"Andrew.. um no one" She says and looks at the floor

I get angry like a mad dog and I charge with my knife towards her, I keep the knife on her throat as she shivers and a drop of blood falls on my knife

"YOU DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT. UNDERSTOOD? I COULD HAVE EASILY FUCKED YOU AND BURNT YOU AFTER THAT. BUT I DECIDED TO KEEP YOU SAFE. SO YOU TALK TO ME LIKE A SERVANT TALKS TO THE GODS AND HELP ME ACCOMPLISH WHAT I WANT ORELSE I WILL KILL YOU AND FEED YOU TO THE DOGS TOMORROW AT THE DAWN" I give her a death stare and she starts shivering. I get away from her and sit on the chair near the window and watch her cry hysterically.

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Nova's POV

"See this is how you do the calligraphy" I smile at Torvi whose eye are glistening as she looks at the paper on which I have written TORVI .

"It looks beautiful" she says while staring at the paper, "I don't know how to read and write but this is making my heart melt" she smiles

It is moments like these when a soft and a subtle side of Torvi comes out who is a fearless warrior but a beautiful soul

"Now your turn" I stand up from my study table and give her my ink pen, she hesitates and sit on my chair and I bent down while keeping my hand on her shoulder

I lean and say,"Go on, write it the way I have written" I say and she starts to copy the exact way I have written the words, she is quite good 

"See, you can write!" I say while holding the piece of paper up in the air and examining it, she blushes and says, "I think so" 

"Now come on, I taught you calligraphy you teach me to be a better warrior" I say and grab her hand and pull her to come with me, she finally gives up and says "I do keep my promises but Ivar has locked you in, remember?" she says hesitantly.

I suddenly remember that since the day the siege happened I have been locked in this chamber, I haven't seen the outside world in quite sometime. 

"Can't you convince him to let me out?" I ask Torvi

"He won't listen, he fears that you would run away" Torvi says 

I did plan on running away but I am waiting for Andrew to come back from Spain and take me away, I know if I run away Ivar will kill my family.

"IDEA!" I shriek which almost scares torvi

I bang the door really hard, I know that Ivar is living in my father's chamber which is diagonal to my chamber and he will hear the noise. I keep on banging it and Torvi looks confused

The DOOR OF NOVA'S ROOM

"What Princess?" One of the five viking who is guarding my door says

"I need to speak to your incompetent leader" I say 

"No and don't talk like that about him" The viking replies

"I won't shut up, tell that devil worshipper if he has balls then talk to me and let me out" I say and look at Torvi who is giggling 

"Shut up Princess" The viking replies

"Oh who are you to shut me up in my own castle? You shut up!" I bang the door harder

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Ivar's POV

You shut up!

BANG.. BANG.... BANG

I hear Nova's voice screaming and obnoxiously loud banging on the door. I raise my head to hear it more clearly

This annoyingly marvellous princess is getting on my nerves

"Fix your face and come with me" I say to Amelia and she nods

I make way to Nova's chamber and she is still banging the door with full force

"Wait outside" I say to Amelia, "See that she doesn't run away" I command the guards

As I open the door, Nova is standing there with a red face

My heartbeat becomes slow

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Nova's POV

He comes in like the air in the summer and my heart rate quickens, He is the most ruthlessly beautiful man I have ever seen. But my dreamy bubble pops when he says, "What do you think you are doing?" He asks with anger 

"What do you think you are doing? I have been locked here for a week. A WEEK! I am a french princess not cattle. This is my castle! I shall not be treated like an animal" I say as I fold my arm in rebellion

"That is why you are creating this ruckus?" Ivar's eyes softens as he looks at me in admiration

"Yes, let me out or I will scream all-day" I stand my ground

"Okay, if that's what you want you are free to go outside but you will not leave my castle. Understood?" He says

His castle? When did my castle become his castle? The has lots of courage to say that in front of me. He comes closer to me and again I have trouble taking in the air, my palms become sweaty as the gap between our body closes, but I don't let it show, my weakness for him. 

And then he says

"I have a gift for you" Ivar smirks, as he gestures his hand towards the door. I feel his warm breadth on my cheek

I turn my body towards the door and stare at it, "A Gift?" I mumble

"Yes, to prove you that I am not that bad as you thought" He winks at me and my blood nearly freezes when he does, his skin is crystal clear and his lips are perfect. I wonder which of his Gods created him?

"LET HER IN" He screams while nearly deafening me by his loud voice, I cover my ears with my hands but what I next see leaves me speechless

It's Amelia

Amelia my friend

Amelia my lady

SHE IS ALIVE!!!!!!!

She makes her way to me and smiles with happy tears streaming down her face, I run and hug her tightly

"I thought I will never see you again" I say and hug her tighter

"Me neither, but I thank 'Ivar the God', he saved my life" she looks at him and I turn towards him with teary eyes

"Thank you" I say but my words don't come out but and he bends his head down and nods smilingly. He brought back my friend.