Chapter Text
The news reaches them once they arrive on the shores of England. The land is a mess of chaos and war. Northumbria against Wessex and Mercia. Ecbert waging war against Aelle. The land is covered in blood. Aethelwulf leading his father's army to avenge the death of his sister. The beloved Diana of Wessex, called the Red due to her flaming hair, is dead. Some say at the hands of her husband, other says Aelle himself did the deed. All that is know is Duke Marcus her husband and his father Duke John now fight with Aelle. Ecbert is said to have gone mad with grief due to the death of Diana and that of her child, a boy named Charles.
The day Ivar tortures the information out of man he goes silent. He Bethesda the man and then crawls off where a roar full of rage and grief is heard across their camps. All know of the strange relationship built between Ivar and the Red during her time in Kattegat. Only a few know of the depth of it. Few know of how when news of her marriage reached them Ivar destroyed a forge and killed seven men by the time his bloodlust abated. News of the birth of her child had a similar effect.
When Ragnar died it and the Vikings settled in Wessex fled back to Kattegat it was revealed Diana was the one who sent them with the news. Diana who had seen Ragnar when Ecbert had captured him. It was Diana who saved the settlers from death. And Diana who perished soon after.
And now Ivar the Boneless moves with a bloodlust and appetite for destruction that is a sight to behold. All common sense is gone. All that matters now is the death of Aelle followed by that of Ecbert. Nothing his brothers say reach him. He spurns the words of Floki. All Ivar hears in his mind is Diana and his father. At night he sees his father calling to him. He sees Diana screaming in pain as she dies. And in the darkness of his mind he feels an immense grief he refuses to acknowledge.mgrief for a father who he could never truly make proud and a slip of a girl who owned too much of him. A Christian girl who had saved him from drowning and who never feared him or pitied him. He dreamt of her for years. And now she is dead.
Ivar will kill her husband. The man who dared to lay with her. The father of her child. Next will come her father and brother who failed to protect her. Aelle will die first. And then he will lay waste to everything in his path. And damn anyone who gets in his way.
During the day's the army fights. They are winning. England is weak and torn and they use it to their advantage. The great heather army will avenger Ragnar Lothbrok and conquer this broken land. The boneless is ruthless. Nothing seems to quell his anger and rage.
Floki had hoped after all these years the hold the Red had on him would be gone. Instead he sees a man mourning a love. Ubbe shared a kindred grief with Ivar. Diana had been his friend. Sigurd glares at his brother. He had wanted Diana for himself you see. He had wanted and hoped from the shadows. Praying she would look his way. But the Red never spared anyone but Ivar and maybe Ubbe a glance.
Finally the day comes. They defeat Aelle. The man begs for mercy. One the battlefield Iavr had hunted him down with a singleminded precision that was glorious to watch. Ivan plans to torture the man. To make every drop count. But Bjorn intervenes. They must avenge their father properly. He demands to know where Ragnar Lothbrok died.
But much to his anger he discovers that there is a problem. Ivar had been the first to reach the man. And after the defeat he had been begging for his life and spewing lies. So Ivar had cut out his tongue. And none of the nobles were willing to talk without reassurance of their lives.
Captives are being led away. The brothers and commanders are fighting. Bjorn looks ready to kill Ivar. Über is between the pair and Sigurd gets involved leading to an ever worse situation. It is all broken when a young boy manages to break free of the group of survivors. He runs toward them. Blood covers his face and when Aelle sees the child his eyes grow wide. A man from the group curses and tries to catch the boy.
All think him to trying to run free. They ignore him. But the boy is quick. He dodges the Viking minder until another grabs his arm. He is dragged away. They ignore him still. Until a hoarse and young voice calls out in Norse. "Ivar Lothbrok!!!!!!"
Now he has their attention. All turn to look at the boy. He yells again, "Ivar Lothbrok!!!!!".
Now the Vikings freeze. And as the sun shines the boys hair,though stanined with blood and dark from a distance, shines red. And with that Ivar begins to move Ubbe and Bjorn not far behind him. The boy is dragged foreword to meet them. And Ivar looks and his blue eyes meet the boy's. It is like a punch to his gut. Übbe gasps and Sigurd curses. The boys eyes are hazel.
Silence descends. The boy takes this opportunity to speak in Norse that is rushed and awful sounding. "You are Ivar yes?! I can show th pit. Aelle made me watch. But you will take me home in return. I want to go home. Are you all brothers? Mother told me your names. Father hates all of you and grandfather does not.."
The boys rambles are cut off by Ubbe. "Who are you boy? How do you speak our language?"
the boys eyes widen almost comically. He suddenly looks nervous. He eyes them all before he takes a deep breath. He closes those eyes and when they open steel shines in them. Ivan has seen it many times over years ago. It is unnerving to see it again on a facebsondifferent yet holding traces of that slip offs girl who has broken and owned him many times over.
"I can speak it because my mother taught me. My names is Charles. Charles of Wessex and Mercia. You knew my mother. Diana of Wessex and Mercia. You called her the Red."