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CHAPTER TWELVE: HEARTBEAT
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Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER THIRTEEN: DEFENSE
WITH A RAPID HEARTBEAT, Sophie sprinted desperately away from the individual who had thrown the axe at her. She plunged deeper into the woods, eventually reaching the river, which blocked her path. Terrified, she spun around, her eyes scanning for an escape route, only to find no one pursuing her. There was absolutely no one in sight, waiting to harm her. Was she losing her mind? Was it all a product of her imagination? Judging by her surroundings, Sophie knew she was lost. As she prepared to move again, she heard nearby rustling, triggering her defensive instincts. In her mind, she formulated an escape plan while anxiously waiting with widened eyes for her pursuer. To her astonishment, the predator was none other than Ubbe, one of the brothers she had been avoiding for the past few days. However, there he stood, panting, hands outstretched to show Sophie he meant no harm—only for the axe in his hand to derail his intentions as she bolted once more. "Sophie!" Ubbe shouted as he s
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN
WEEKS HAD PASSED, and Sophie dedicated her days to daily training sessions with Ubbe. King Ragnar was conspicuously absent since their last encounter, which was a relief, considering how he enjoyed playing mind games that confused her. Ubbe proved to be an excellent and patient teacher, training her as if preparing for battle. Sophie was thankful for his guidance. She never imagined she would have the opportunity to wield a sword, let alone learn the art of combat. One aspect of Viking culture that appealed to her was the way they treated women equally. The next day's training involved archery. Sophie, although skilled with a sword, was eager to try her hand at being an archer, a childhood aspiration. She was thrilled about the prospect, only to find that archery was more challenging than expected, leading to consistent failures. "Watch your stance," Ubbe instructed, correcting her posture. "Face me, not the target; you keep forgetting that." Sophie followed his guidance, readying
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HATE
SOPHIE WAS SUPPOSED to meet Ubbe at their training field, which was quite a long walk from her place, let alone from Ubbe's, as she preferred to stay away from the public eye. However, Ubbe was nowhere to be found when she reached her destination. She waited impatiently to start the day's session. For unknown reasons, Ubbe hadn't allowed her to have her own sword or bow, leaving her with only her knife—Torvi's knife—to defend herself. She heard a rustling noise not far away, presuming it was Ubbe. But a bolting figure told her otherwise as she ducked away just in time to avoid the blade of steel swinging at her. Surprised to see King Ragnar standing there with a sword in hand and a smirk on his face, she found herself glaring at him as her quivering hand found the hilt of her knife. It was no wonder where Ivar got his sneakiness from. "Where's Ubbe?" she asked, growing more and more irritated as he studied her with those glinting eyes of his before he almost caught her off-guard b
Kingdom On Fire CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SHIELD
SOPHIE FINALLY summoned the courage to visit Helen and Yelda, deciding to let go of the fear of Ivar and his brothers. She knew she couldn't hide forever. The three women spent their time engaged in their usual activities, with the two housekeepers rambling on and on, their words falling on deaf ears as Sophie listened with little interest. The gossip among the servants meant little to her. "He did strike her," Yelda mentioned, drawing Sophie back into the conversation. "I saw him, and it wasn't the first time." "Poor Aslaug," Helen sympathized. "She has endured enough." "I think he still cares for Lagertha," Yelda continued. "Does he still bother you?" she asked Sophie. "King Ragnar?" She inquired. "Yes, does he still visit you?" the young woman pressed. "You ought to be careful." "No, he hasn't visited in a while," Sophie reassured her. "That's good," Yelda nodded. "What happened to him being a good man?" Sophie asked Helen. "No one said he wasn't," Helen replied. "Then w
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
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
