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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SHIELD
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Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
AWAKENING TO THE gentle patter of rain, Sophie slowly opened her eyes, finding a sense of calm in the melodious symphony of raindrops harmonizing with the song of the birds. Happiness was a rare visitor to her waking moments in Kattegat. Little there brought her simple joys, save for her training sessions and conversations with her two close friends. Everything else seemed insignificant. Each day followed the same pattern—training, visiting Helen and Yelda, and concluding with long, solitary nights during which Sophie yearned for her homeland. She often wondered if she would ever step foot on her native soil again. On this particular morning, Ubbe was conspicuously absent. Curiosity piqued, Sophie decided to venture into the city. To her surprise, the townsfolk of Kattegat were fixated on her, their intense stares causing her heart to race. "Christian!" A person nearby hissed, setting off a chain of insults from others. If their looks were piercing, their verbal barbs were even sh
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: MERCY
"King Ecbert will pay the price," Ragnar's words were a menacing threat to Sophie, who stood frozen, caught in a struggle between fight and flight, desperately hoping for someone or something to intervene. Two words whispered incessantly in the back of her mind like a faint warning: run away. But she couldn't, not when those two glinting blue eyes were fixated on her, momentarily making her wonder if she had been picturing the devil wrong her whole life. "Don't be afraid, I won't kill you," he assured. "I have greater plans for you." Sophie glanced around, perhaps hoping for Athelstan or Queen Aslaug to come to her aid, but they were nowhere to be found, assuming they would have intervened. She was on her own. "I took good care of his daughter while he slaughtered my people," Ragnar recounted, his gaze hard on Sophie, who maintained a rigid posture. "Tell me, Sophie, what am I supposed to do now?" "We can fix this," was all she could manage to say. The truth was she wasn't sure
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER NINETEEN: HELL
SOPHIE FOUND HERSELF abandoned in the darkness, tethered to the post that cruelly denied her any respite. Her legs throbbed, longing for rest, yet every time her eyes began to close in hope of a brief reprieve, her bouncing head jolted her awake. It was a torment she had never experienced before, making her almost wish that Ragnar had chosen to end her life. The cold gnawed at her skin, the thin dress she wore offering no protection from the biting chill. The cloak, once deemed useless, now seemed like a desperate necessity. In her solitude, she couldn't help but wonder why Helen hadn't come to visit her. Had she been abandoned in her time of greatest need? Sophie felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness and fear in the darkness, while everyone else was comfortably inside, basking in the warmth of a crackling fire or slumbering peacefully. Unknown to her, Ragnar observed from a short distance away, perched in the shadows, unable to sleep. The image of the vulnerable girl alone out
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER ONE: SURVIVE
KATTEGAT. That was the only word Sophie could understand amidst all the chatter. She had heard a few tales about that place, or was it a village? Uncertainty clouded her thoughts, but she hoped to learn more soon. Kattegat was notorious for being the stronghold of the pagans, and the prospect of being sold to these barbarians sent her heart racing. After what felt like an eternity, Sophie was roughly pulled to her feet from the wagon that had transported her and others to what she assumed was Kattegat. She hadn't had the chance to meet her fellow captives, as her head was covered with a bag that blocked out most of the light, making it impossible to tell the time of day. The head covering puzzled her. She had been sold and bought once before, but her previous owners had never hidden her identity like this. What was the purpose behind it? Were they afraid that she might bond with her fellow captives and hatch an escape plan? Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the bag was ya
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER TWO: THE FEAST
IT HAD BEEN NEARLY a week since Sophie had been sold to Aslaug, and during that time, she hadn't had the chance to speak with her new owner. Most of her days were spent in the barn with the other slaves, where nothing was required of her. This left Sophie questioning the reason behind her purchase in the first place.When she was first introduced to the other servants, Sophie was relieved to discover that one of them spoke her native language. The woman, who was nearly twenty years older than Sophie, proved to be a helpful guide as Sophie adjusted to this unfamiliar place. She taught Sophie about Viking culture, beliefs, and their language, although learning it was a slow process. Still, Sophie managed to pick up some words and phrases that might help her understand the pagans if they ever spoke to her.Now, Sophie paced nervously in front of her new friend, who sat by the fading fire, knitting. For the first time in days, Aslaug had summoned her for a feast, as Helen had explained. S
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER THREE: A CUNNING MAN
A WEEK had passed since the feast, and during that time, Sophie couldn't help but notice King Ragnar's eyes on her whenever she entered the great hall or even when she worked outdoors with Helen in the fields. Nothing inappropriate had occurred, but the constant scrutiny made her uneasy.She wondered whether he was watching and waiting for her to make another mistake, so he could punish her more severely this time, or if he had some other motive. Her mind often wandered to the darkest possibilities, despite Helen's reassurances that King Ragnar was not capable of such malevolent deeds. To Sophie, he was a Viking, and Vikings had a reputation for anything but kindness.Today, Sophie was tasked with assisting Queen Aslaug in trying on a new dress, and she was supposed to meet her early. However, she had been delayed by a last-minute task, and her inability to explain the situation due to the language barrier left her feeling frustrated. Helen was nowhere to assist her, and Sophie cursed
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FOUR: THE LOTHBROK BROTHERS
SOPHIE HAD BEEN tasked with fetching a bucket of water for the Queen's chambers, so she made her way to the source to fill it. Along the way, a young man walked beside her and started speaking, but Sophie couldn't comprehend everything he said, nor did she want to.She knew he was one of Ragnar's sons, and Helen had advised her to avoid them as much as possible, as they were not as benevolent as their father."Are you deaf?" the young man spoke in his native language, irritation clear in his voice before he blocked her path. Sophie couldn't help but wonder why everyone seemed intent on distracting her from her work, which she was desperately trying not to mess up."I asked you a question," he repeated, this time in a manner she understood but chose to pretend otherwise. In her mind, the less she spoke, the better chance she had of avoiding trouble.Shaking her head in apparent confusion, she looked up at the tall Lothbrok son with piercing blue eyes that resembled his father's. She ho
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FIVE: GOD OF MISCHIEF
IT HAS BEEN a week since the Vikings went on the raid that King Ragnar had told Sophie about and nothing much happened ever since.She heard that they were planning on raiding Paris whom a priest from Wessex had told King Ragnar about. She had never got the chance to meet that famous priest she had been hearing about yet, and she hoped she would once they were back if they ever made it back as she knew how strong the Franks were from the few months she had spent there with them.The days were getting boring following a slow routine as winter had begun and Sophie spent most of her days helping Helen out when she had no tasks herself. She would remember King Ragnar's request every time she saw Aslaug who seemed rather bored with her life too with nothing interesting to do that would catch Sophie's attention until one day a man appeared out of nowhere and as Helen had told Sophie he was known by the name of Harbard and it wasn't the first time he came to Kattegat.That Harbard was the re
Latest chapter
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER NINETEEN: HELL
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: MERCY
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SHIELD
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HATE
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER THIRTEEN: DEFENSE
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER TWELVE: HEARTBEAT
- Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER ELEVEN: USELESS SLAVE
