Three months had passed since Ulf had seen the beautiful Queen Asta. It had appeared as though King Rune had locked her away. The war between the two kingdoms had gotten even more bloody.
Both sides had been ravished in battle. Ulf had lost some of his best warriors in the past few weeks. King Bjorn was still ahead and was not going to throw in the towel until Rune accepted his defeat.
Fortunately for Rune many of nomads came to aid his war, promised great riches and land kept his numbers from being completely depleted. Little did Ulf know Asta was with child. She had suspected it after she didn't get her monthly bleed. Along with her stomach sickness from the sheer thought of the seared boar that King Rune loved to feast on.
King Rune wasn't yet privy to the news of Asta's condition. After the talks had commenced he had buried himself in the war. Even if she didn't bed Ulf he wanted him dead.
To help him gain more warriors he promised whoever could bring him Ulf's head a seat beside him ruling the kingdom. Many of warriors were slain for this promise.
Ulf was a cold blooded warrior, he would not be slain by some foolish drunk. He was bombarded while in battle. Fighting off two or more men at a time. He couldn't understand why he was such a target of interest until Hersir Toke met him in the battlefield.
"Finally! I will get to slay Bjorn's puppet!" yelled Toke as his sword clashed against Ulf's bloody blade.
"HA! No weakling will claim my life!" growled Ulf as he pulled back.
Their blades clashed time and time again. Both men covered in dirt and blood. It was a sight to witness. The two giant men almost seemed to be doing a dance as they blocked each others advances.
"I will deliver your bastard head to Rune! You bred Asta with that swine of a bastard child that I know she carries in her defiled womb!" yelled Toke.
Ulf was taken aback by the words. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it or if it were true.
"What did you say?!" asked Ulf dropping his sword hand down taking a breather.
"You heard me bastard! Your whore is with pup and once I have proven it to the King not only will I have delivered him your head but I will behead that bitch as well!" growled Toke.
Ulf was enraged by his words. He charged Toke, his blade piercing Toke's gut.
Toke let out a blood curdling scream and staggered backwards. Just as Ulf was about to finish Toke, King Rune ordered a retreat. Other warriors swarmed in and grabbed Toke. Ulf was foaming at the mouth.
He was blood hungry and wanted nothing more than to kill Toke with his bare hands. He began swinging his sword in every direction. Slashing more of Rune's men trying to get back to Toke.
The scene was chaos. Men running in every direction. Just as Ulf was closing in on Toke he was knocked down by a horse that was running loose through the men.
Toke was carried off swiftly and Ulf was left on the ground to fume in his rage. He pounded his large fists on the hard earth. So many thoughts began to race in his mind.
Back at the Kingdom Thane Knud had already told Queen Astrid about the scene on the battlefield. Ulf came barreling through the Great Hall doors.
"Ulf come with me." said Queen Astrid in the faintest of voice.
Ulf wanted to retire to his home to ponder what his next move should be but had no choice in the matter. He sighed heavily and marched behind the Queen. She led them out to the rose gardens. She gracefully took a seat on the stone bench.
"Ulf sit with me please, I have much to discuss with you." whispered Astrid.
"My Queen if it's about Asta please spare me, they are mere rumors from a scorned failure of a warrior." stated Ulf coldly.
"Listen Ulf, I want to do right by you. You have saved this Kingdom countless times and it's only fair if I assist you the best way that I can." said Astrid as she stared contently at Ulf.
"I know you love Asta, ever since that night you have been rather distracted and have not bed any woman as you normally do. Let alone I know she came to visit you that night. I saw her from my chambers." stated Astrid.
"My Queen she was just a young impressionable girl looking for a savior." said Ulf staring at his bloody hands.
"Ulf, my dear Hersir. I was once a young woman and I know love when I see it. She wouldn't have risked her life if she didn't have the least bit of care for you. And if what Knud says is true she will have very little time to hide the fruit of that love." whispered Astrid.
"Say you are right, there is nothing I can do to help her. I was foolish to bed her and foolish to let my lust come before my King." grunted Ulf.
"I will do you this favor because you are a son to me Ulf. I will go to their Kingdom the day of the next full moon and see if the whispers are true. If they are we will tell Bjorn and see what we can do from there. Perhaps we can offer her safe haven." suggested Astrid.
"My Queen I cannot ask that of you. You would be risking your life for my short comings and that I cannot agree to." said Ulf.
"Dear Ulf, I have not made it thus far as Queen listening to a man. I will check on her and see her condition. If she bears your child I will see that she is taken care of. Just have faith in the Gods." said Astrid confidently.
Ulf didn't argue the situation any further. He knew it would fall on deaf ears. The Queen may have been rather soft spoken but she always stood her ground. It's what made her a feared Queen. There was very little one could do to sway her once her mind was made up.
Queen Astrid smiled gently at Ulf and left him in his thoughts. Ulf needed to think rationally. He couldn't storm Rune's kingdom and carry Asta away. He'd have to let the Queen work her magic and wait.
Back at Rune's Kingdom tensions have never been higher. Thane Bard tended to Hersir Toke's wounds. King Rune rushed to be by his side.
"Toke! What in Odin's name have you gotten into?!" yelled Rune.
Bard intercepted King Rune before he could reach Toke's bedside.
"He's out for the night my King, I had the maiden fix him some warm milk of the poppy." whispered Bard.
Peeking over Bard's shoulder at Toke, King Rune was in a panic. "Bard! I cannot afford to lose him! Without him leading the men there is no possible way I'll be able to take down Bjorn and that...that...treacherous Ulf. You saw the way he looked at MY wife, did you NOT?!" yelled Rune.
"Even so my King, he needs time to heal. The bleeding has slowed and as long as fever doesn't set in he should be fine with time." whispered Bard.
Rune looked at Toke one last time with concern rather than rage. He kicked a table on his way out of the tent, knocking a bunch of supplies over with it.
Bard knew that if Toke didn't make it there would be no warrior worthy of leading the few men that were left. He also knew that if Toke were to die under his supervision he'd most likely be killed by Rune himself.
Meanwhile, Queen Asta stared at her belly in a broken mirror in her chambers. No one had seen her thickening figure except her servant Hilda. Hilda had sworn her secrecy after she caught her aimlessly rubbing her stomach one morning.
Hilda had 3 children of her own that were taken from her shortly after their births and sold into the slave market. Even though she had no idea where they were she still loved them and remembered how much she loved being pregnant.
She too would aimlessly rub her stomach in early pregnancy lost in thought. To help conceal the pregnancy she would stain the Queen's bed sheet with cherry juice. Asta was forever grateful of her efforts.
"My Queen I squeezed you some fresh citrus juice from the oranges Queen Astrid had sent to you. I know how much you love it fresh." said Hilda in a kind voice.
"Thank you so much, you are far too kind to me Hilda." said Asta never breaking her eye contact with a sparrow that landed on the windowsill.
"My Queen I also bare news of Hersir Ulf." whispered Hilda.
Asta turned around quickly spooking the sparrow. "He's okay is he not? Please say he is okay Hilda!" asked Asta frantically.
"Oh no my Queen he is fine, he almost killed Hersir Toke. Thane Bard says that Toke may still find his way to Odin if the fever sets in." reassured Hilda.
Asta let out a sigh of relief and grabbed her stomach again. "You are quite large for how far you are with that pup my Queen, I'd say it'll be a strong warrior like it's father." said Hilda with a smile.
This made Asta smile. The thought of a son made her giddy. She prayed for it to be a strong baby boy. An heir for Ulf. Her nerves settled with happy thoughts of her growing babe.
Even so, her happiness was always shadowed by the cloud only to be known as King Rune. There was no possible way she would be able to give birth to Ulf's child whilst Rune was alive. She was his most prized possession.
Rune was sitting, head in hands with a pounding headache when Thane Bard came in.
"My King can I have a moment if your time." quietly asked Bard.
"If it isn't about Toke, I dont need to be bothered." snarled Rune as he lifted his head.
"It's about Toke....and Queen Asta." said Bard almost unsure of himself.
"What does Asta have to do with Toke, hm?" questioned Rune.
"You see, Toke believes the sweet Queen has been defiled by that dog Ulf. And my King I believe it to be so as well." whispered Bard.
Rune slammed his fists on the oak table rattling his goblet.
"Do you really think MY Asta would bed that...bastard! She would never!" growled Rune.
"Have you checked with her maidens? I ask because she has not left her chambers since I found her that night out in the fields. What about the maidens at Bjorn's...the whispers?" asked Bard visibly shaken.
"She has had her bleed has she not! Her maidens brought me her bedding twice!" yelled Rune.
"My King, how do we know that to be true? I say this because the way the Gods have not been on our side for this war. Someone here is cursing them and I believe it to be the Queen...." said Bard.
"We will settle this now then! Come! I will check her myself!" yelled Rune standing up.
