Chapter 23
Freydis
Striding into my father's hall, a sense of relief washed over me when I saw that Harald and Lagertha were the only people there. I whispered a prayer under my breath, hoping he wouldn't condemn me for what happened.
For a moment, nothing happened as he stared at me from shoulders to feet. But the silence broke when he rose from his throne, glaring at me.
"How dare you?!" he roared.
I quickly fell to my knees. "Father, please—"
"Word has reached me that you opened your legs for Ragnar," he seethed.
"After all my warnings about him, you let him touch you?" Lagertha said.
Just then, the door opened and footsteps approached. I shivered, knowing it was Ragnar. Things were about to get even worse.
"How dare you dishonor my daughter in my house?!" Harald seethed with anger.
"Dishonor?" Ragnar scoffed.
In the blink of an eye, Harald yanked an axe from the floor and hurled it across the room, aiming for Ragnar. He moved away just in time.
"You think this is a fucking joke?!" Harald demanded. "Lagertha has always hated you, and now I see why. I hope you know this is treason."
"Treason," I whispered, shaking.
Harald turned to me. Sweat clung to strands of his hair on his forehead. His dirty blond hair was tangled in a mess.
"You've made yourself a whore. I hope you're satisfied bedding him."
I rose to my feet suddenly. Anger boiled through my blood. My hands balled into fists.
"You call me a whore," I said, "because that's easier than admitting you hate me. You've been trying to get rid of me for the past few years. When the Eastland King approached you with a marriage proposal, you agreed not for alliance but to send me away. Far from here so I can't claim the throne as your only heir."
Harald opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His brows furrowed. His heavy breathing began to slow.
"I know, Father," I gritted my teeth, stepping closer to him. "I hear the words you speak to Mother behind closed doors. You say to her that a woman has no place leading in Fellur. You wish every day that I was a boy. You mourn your son daily because he should have been the one to take your throne."
"You wish I'd died in his place. You hate me but wear the mask of pretense."
"Freydis—"
"I hope you know it's a sin to hate your own blood. A sin to despise her just because she wasn't a boy."
The room fell silent. Even the sound of a fly could be heard. I couldn't believe what I had just said. I'd promised myself to keep it inside, to bear the weight of my father's words. But I couldn't bear it no more. Harald's face turned a dark shade of red. He was about to speak when Lagertha beat him to it.
"What poison has Ragnar filled in you?" She asked. "How dare you accuse your father of hating you!"
I stared at Lagertha. She would lie and convince herself she was holy, but anyone who said the wrong thing was a sinner to her. I wanted to spit in her face.
Harald stepped forward. "There is so much you don't know, Freydis," he said. "So much you don't know about Ragnar, and it would ruin you."
"I understand enough," I snapped. "He's shown me kindness and I love him. I will marry him."
"What?"
"Wed us. Make him my husband and we'll leave, just like you wanted. I'll go far away from here, to the North."
"Aye," Ragnar stepped forward. "I want her to be me wife. I really do."
Harald scoffed. "So you'd crawl your way into my succession? So you think you're fit to take my throne after my death?"
"Oh please, Father! He has a throne in the North. What makes you think he'd want Fellur?"
Harald glared at me. "You're a sinner. You're unclean, defiled, and you need the forgiveness of God before it's too late."
"You talk about being unclean, father? You should be the last person to speak. I know about Ingrid, mother's servant girl. I know that you're seeing her. You think just because she's young she'll give you the son Mother could not. You call yourself the holiest man in Fellur but behind closed doors, you are corrupted to your bones."
Lagertha's eyes widened, and she screamed, storming toward Harald. "Tell me this isn't true. Tell me she's lying!"
"What happened between me and Ingrid was a one-night thing. I… didn't think it would matter so much. I'm—"
Lagertha cried out and shrieked at him, striking her fists against his chest.
Harald tried to grab her, but she screamed. She punched him in the stomach, causing him to stagger back.
His face hardened like stone and he shoved her to the floor.
"Enough!" Harald yelled, eyes burning with anger.
Lagertha shook her head, wailing.
Then Harald turned to me and closed the distance between us.
"You must be proud of disgracing and dividing this family."
"You caused the mess the moment you laid with Ingrid."
He glared at me then spoke.
"Ragnar leaves for the North tonight. Tomorrow your marriage to Brok will hold whether you like it or not."
My eyes widened.
"Father..." The words died in my mouth as Harald walked away.