Chapter 179: Entrancing Tales

"I have been told by the servants that you are bored." Ivar stood at the door talking to Frida who sat, staring out the open window. Looking at him she noticed a new caution in his eyes. Whilst it was strange she brushed it off. It wasn’t odd to be cautious of a hostage after all.

"I am. But I didn’t wish to be an annoyance." Ivar nodded to her words and gave a small smile. He still didn’t know what his visions meant but from his guess, it was the two paths he had. If Frida was key to it, then he had to make sure she was on their side.

"Come. I will show you around." Frida looked at him for a few seconds but jumped out of the chair, happy to finally be able to do something. "From now on you don’t need permission to go around Helstia. All I ask is you take a black cloak with you, for obvious reasons. And don’t be stupid and try not to. I will know." With a sudden shift, his kind voice went cold and Frida nodded.

Looking around Helga’s residence she saw a room with a huge guard standing outside of it. "What is that room?" She had always been curious, but she was too terrified of the guard at the door to ask him.

Ivar looked and wondered if he should say. Looking at Frida’s curious eyes, he decided it wouldn’t hurt. Even if she did try something the guard on it would kill her in an instant. "It’s where the children stay."

"The Queen’s ones? I never heard she had children." Many rumors had come to her lands about Helga and her Kingdom, but the news of children was a fresh one. Ivar was surprised but quickly realized that compared to other things she had done, it was a small thing. Only her enemies would really care about it.

"I don’t know what truly happened, but the story is that the King across the Great Lake had fallen for Our Lord at their first meeting but played hard to get. We all saw he carried the blood of old like Our Lord and he claimed to be blessed by his God. To our lord, it was a perfect match and eventually, he accepted her advances."

"During the great raid, despite being so close to us, the King never attacked our position until after he made a child. There was even a rumor that Jarl Halfdan was in on it and wasn’t a traitor, but that’s not been confirmed. But the fact he never attacked us until he was forced to shows the story is true does it not."

Ivar said smugly and Frida looked at the door happily. "It sounds romantic." Her voice was full of desire to experience something similar. "Almost like the tales from the past."

"Exactly." Ivar quickly agreed. "But it only makes sense. To me, it must have been fate. In that new land, the King was the only one who could speak our language apparently."

"But why did she come back if the king of the other land was in love with her? I’ve only heard stories but the New World seemed magical."

"It was." Ivar didn’t deny it. He could still vividly see the golden fields that stretched for miles. The settlements with their unbreakable walls. The boats that blocked out the sun. "Despite the beauty of the New World, our Lord had duties here. Our home is a world that only knows war and the cold. Her mission is to end that. Uniting the people under one banner, one God. Only then can we as a people truly return to the New World."

Ivar opened the double doors that led outside. The port in the distance came to view first followed by the snow-covered town. The distant mountains that stretched along the waters and bent around to create an entrance from the sea blocked the sky. "This is just the start Frida. Your father understood the task our Lord had was one no mortal could achieve. It’s why he bent the knee. Because he saw her divinity."

At the mention of her father, Frida put on a bitter smile. Looking out at the town she wanted to laugh.’He thinks she a demon, not a God.’She had to thank Ivar. She had been so entranced by his words that she had forgotten her father’s warning. Yet it also confused her. Sure she saw some coldness in Ivar occasionally, but it wasn’t anything she didn’t expect. Her father was equally cold sometimes.

He had been polite and the stories she had heard didn’t portray Helga as evil. Sure she had done cruel things, but it wasn’t something she wouldn’t expect her family to do.’Was Ivar right? Is he just saying it because Helga is a woman?’

She kept the question at the back of her mind. So far all she heard had come from Ivar. Frida could see he was a fanatic for Helga. She couldn’t trust his words completely. But she also knew some truth had to exist in them. She wanted to grab her head in pain. It was too hard to see what was true and what was a lie without anything else to go off. Sure she had the rumors that came to her home, but she didn’t even know Helga had a child until now. How could she trust them anymore?

Ivar knew he was playing a dangerous game by allowing Frida to explore the town alone in the future, but he hoped that with his Black Cloak guard next to her, the people would be smart enough to follow a certain narrative. Even if they didn’t, then it could hopefully be explained away as the minority, not the majority.

It was a hard thing controlling public perception because whilst Ivar wanted the people to love and worship Helga, he also knew that he had to be equal in making them fear her. Love could only get things so far. Fear was what kept a leash on them. Even he was scared of her in the deepest parts of his soul. He knew that all it would require was one mistake or even a whim of hers to kill him.

He was ready to accept that however. It was her will and right to do so. Who was he to complain or judge? After all how many had he killed on a whim? It was why she was deserving of worship. She truly embodied everything that was human and divine. She had the ambition, right, and prestige for Godhood, but kept her human desire that others were afraid to express and lived it to the fullest. If she wasn’t even worthy to be followed then Ivar didn’t know who was.

"What about Brede?" Frida asked taking him out of his thoughts. It caused a stiff smile as he had forgotten about him.

"He is a bit of a special case. If you want to take him with you, more guards will have to be placed on you when you go out. He is too dangerous to leave alone. I’m sure you can understand why."

With a sigh, she nodded. "I get it." Her mood dropped but Ivar wasn’t willing to budge on that. He was a wildcard that had to be contained. He had the ability and the proximity to those most important to be able to cause serious issues.

"Then shall we go out and see the town?"

Frida’s mood lightened up and she nodded, happily walking out. A notable change appeared in her as a weight left her shoulders.

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Gunnar walked through the gate of Helstia as he had done so many times. On his back was the body of the deer he had killed. It was a disguise he had used many times to be able to freely enter and leave the place without arousing too much suspicion, playing the act of a hunter.

The guards gave him a small nod as he paid the entry fee, his face having become known to them. He didn’t worry too much about being recognized. Those who knew his face were either dead or at war now and as long as he didn’t do anything too suspicious he would be fine.

Despite what he felt about Helga, he couldn’t help but admire the town she had created. When Erik was s in charge he didn’t care for anything other than making sure it was defended, but Helga had improved the sight of it. The streets were cleaner, albeit slightly, wooden carvings of herself and many other gods were sprung up and the port had numerous boats coming in and out for trade.

It always caused a bitter smile to spread on his lips seeing the sight. He knew everything built here was done so on fear, suspicion, and innocent blood. Had he not known what she truly was he may have found it to be a lovely place. But it was all just her ego and the wealth she had stolen from the Great Raid.

Her wooden carvings were slightly taller than the rest, trade boomed because of the goods she took, and the streets were cleaner because people were in a constant state of vigilance, not wishing to stand out. "A good hall this time it seems."

An old man holding a butcher’s knife said happily as he watched Gunnar walk over. Returning the smile he slammed the deer on the table. "You think you will be able to give a good price."

The butcher examined the body. It had a good amount of meat on it and the pelt had been left in good condition showing Gunnar’s skill at hunting. "Good amount of meat, nice pelt. The eyes and teeth are good, those Ancient Ones will like that. I’m sure you want some of the cuts yourself again." Gunnar nodded and the butcher smacked his lips together and thought.

"Let me cut it up. I’ll give you a price." Gunnar nodded and thanked him. Before he could walk off the butcher stopped him. Ushering with his finger to come closer, Gunnar leaned in. "Listen. I know you’re not from here so a little warning. The regent is in the town right now. Be careful. You will know who he is when you see him."

"Thank you." Gunnar smiled and walked off but deep in his heart he was leaping with joy. It was rare for Ivar to walk out in public and he only did for a reason. Gunnar looked towards the hill in the center of Helstia. He thought carefully but taking a deep breath he decided it was his opportunity. He would rarely get the chance to scout the place.