War Draws Near...

Kattegat was not the only one preparing for war; Vestfold was also ready for battle.

They had gathered their strongest warriors and were prepared to defend against a Kattegat invasion.

The news of Birger being in Kattegat had reached Vestfold, and King Asmund knew it was only a matter of time before an attack came, though he remained unsure of Kattegat's strategy. The warriors of Vestfold were confident in their victory, their morale at an all-time high.

King Asmund was not fighting this battle alone as Earls of neighboring kingdoms volunteered their swords, something which King Asmund accepted without hesitation.

Askild's cruelty and thirst for power had made him a shared enemy, forging alliances even among the wary. Asmund had warned his allies that if Vestfold fell, Askild would not stop there, his ambitions extended to all of Norway. But only a few heeded his words, dismissing them as speculation. On paper, Askild's military strength seemed insufficient to conquer Norway.

"King Asmund, we have assembled the strongest blades and are ready for the war," Signy said, who had taken on more responsibility ever since the death of Egil.

Asmund was proud of his son but he knew he needed more than this to fill in his shoes.

Suddenly, a messenger burst into the hall, bleeding profusely.

"K-King Asmund! Kattegat have assembled their warriors! I believe they will begin marching in a week!" The messenger warned. The timing was unexpected, Asmund had anticipated an attack at any moment but this was too soon for one.

He has been keeping tabs on Kattegat and the information he had gotten said nothing of such a possibility but why was this man in such a state to begin with? Before he could ask, Signy took over interaction with this messenger.

"What happened to you? Where are the others?" Signy questioned the man, he was not the only scout sent and his condition implied something had gone wrong.

"W-We were ambushed! They got the rest of our scouts!" the messenger stammered, barely able to stand. It was clear he was using the last of his strength to deliver this message, demonstrating his strong resolve.

"Get yourself to the healer," King Asmund said, his tone fatherly. The information was critical, but Asmund couldn't help but question its validity. If Askild had wanted to eliminate all the scouts, this man would not have made it back. The fact that he had returned suggested this was part of Askild's plan.

Asmund considered the possibility that the information was false and that the messenger had been allowed to escape deliberately to deliver false information and sow confusion.

What if they planned to attack earlier and the week-notice was to throw them off-guard?

This now created uncertainty and Asmund had two options to pick from as Askild was fond of such mind games with Asmund having no choice but to entertain it.

It was delivered in such a public manner that made other Vikings wary as they thought this to be true, the messenger was taken away to the healers as murmurs filled the room.

"It looks like the time to stain our swords with the blood of our enemy nears," Asmund said out of the blue with a smile across his face, disembarking from his throne.

Everyone's attention shifted to Asmund, it was rare for him to give a morale-boosting speech as everyone here would lay down their lives without hesitation for him.

They cheered as these words left his lips.

"Our enemies think us to be stupid. They say one week but we are ready to send them to the grave today!" Asmund shouted and the cheers got louder.

Signy looked at his father in admiration, this was what a King looked like.

"From today, I want you all to act as though the war has already begun! They will not catch us off-guard!" Asmund bellowed. The Vikings roared in approval and left the hall, energized and ready for glory.

The room was emptied in a matter of minutes and the only person left was Signy as he stared at his father. The encouraging face he wore slowly faded.

"Signy, I want you to kill that messenger, he did not escape. He abandoned his brothers in battle," Asmund said in a concerned tone. It was clear he did not want to do this but he had no choice.

"W-What do you mean father!?" Signy questioned his King because such an order was out of character for Asmund.

"Those wounds were self-inflicted, he betrayed Vestfold for a chance to live." King Asmund said. He was very analytical and observed the messenger. The wounds were not only shallow but they missed all vitals, and the blood covering him was not his own either.

Asmund explained the situation to his son in much more detail and Signy was amazed by this.

He was right, there was no way the enemy could not catch up to him, and losing that much blood would make it impossible for him to get this far, let alone speak coherently.

"Signy, gather your unit and stand to watch at the gate. You will serve as the last line of defense," Asmund instructed as he got to his feet to wear his armor.

"What about you father?" Signy asked his father but Asmund did not answer until he wore his helmet and equipped his battle hammer.

"I am heading to the front lines. A king must boost the morale of his army through his presence. This is something Askild will never see coming." Asmund said. He knew the tides of the war would rest in whoever could secure the first victory in battle.