Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Four weeks earlier

What would you do if your own tribe, family and everyone around you think you were cursed?

Sometimes, I dreamt of escaping Kattegat. It's a foolish thought perhaps, but it was the only thing keeping me sane.

Until then, I was just Freydis. The cursed one. The girl with powers deemed forbidden by everyone. The shame of her father, the Chieftain of Kattegat.

This was the most reason I was spending another time of the day by the sea. The only place I was accepted. The only place I was not humiliated or reminded of who I am.

I shoved the loneliness aside and focused on the deep dark ocean. The water shifted with each breath of wind. It was long, deep and dark. Sometimes I often wonder what was beyond the sea?

What was it like at the other side? Was there a world out there where I wouldn't be disgraced?

It was my only chance if I would want to escape from Kattegat? If I wanted to leave, I'd need a boat. But Kattegat only have one boat and it belonged to the Chieftan, used for hunting, trading and raiding during summers. That was our means of survival, year after year.

I stepped into the water, feeling the cold seep into my skin. I should be home running errands for my mother and sister, but I would take any excuse to be here. The sea was my home.

Before I could dive deeper into the water, sound of footsteps alerted me I was not alone. I turned away from the water to see, my mother's maid, Siggy, standing there.

"Siggy?"

"By the gods, you're hard to find," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. Siggy was a short beautiful woman with long dark brown hair and pale skin.

She was the only person I could call friend. Someone who didn't look at me with disgust. Maybe it was because she was a thrall, a slave, and she knew what it was like to be treated less. She understood me differently.

"And yet, here you are," I said, already guessing why she was here. Siggy was only out for errands.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You have been summoned."

"By who?"

"By your father, the chieftan. He wants to see you in his hall this moment."

My father would never want anything to do with me. And now all of a sudden, he wants to see me?

"Why?"

"You'll have to come home and find out," she replied.

I should tell her to leave, to say I had no interest facing the old man. But curiosity lingered at me and before I could change my mind, I was already following her.

.....

As we neared the hall, I took in at the blackened wooden bream from years of smoke. The thatched roof was decorated with serpent heads, each watching over the village.

As I walked inside the hall, I'm greeted by my father who was seated at his high chair with guards at his side. Two Elders were just leaving, their faces filled with disgust.

I ignored them and continued walking. I had long since stopped caring about anyone's opinions.

Reaching the centre of the room, I dropped to my knees and bowed my head.

"Freydis," my father's voice rang from his chair. "Rise."

I slowly raised my head to see his unsmiling eyes but not cold staring deep into me. His sharp features was all too familiar. He had long blond hair, pale skin and icy blue eyes. I hated that I looked so much like him. He never once see me as his own.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "Your mother and I have been searching for you."

"By the sea," I gave a bland reply.

"Ah, yes. Your sister mentioned about your obsession with the sea."

"Something like that."

He was talking too much, and it made me uncomfortable because in the last few years, our conversation had been brief and cold.

"You look—"

"Why am I here?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"There would a wedding ceremony," he said.

I jerked my head to him. "A wedding?"

"Yes."

"Whose wedding? Are you planning on taking another wife?" I asked.

Father burst out laughing and I didn't like any of it.

Something whispered for me to get the hell out of here.

"A second wife? You think your mother is not enough for me?"

"Who knows."

"I recently met with the chief of Vigrid."

I stilled. Vigrid. The name only made my blood boil.

Vigrid and Kattegat have always been at war for many years. My parents were born into it. My grandparents were also born into it. The war had been for generations, locked in a cycle of blood shed so no one remembered how it started. But we all knew it was a never ending war. Vigrid warriors butchered our men, raped our women and drowned our children. It was the same for them.

"A meeting with Vigrid," I said. "Why?"

"A few months ago, a powerful warrior challenged their chieftan. He killed him, slaughtered his entire family and claimed the title for himself."

"Challenged?"

"It's not something to be surprised, coming from their tribe. All it means, is that the old chieftan met his end."

"So you met with the new chief?"

"After I heard of his claim, I requested a meeting with him and to my surprise he accepted."

"Why would you request a meeting with them?"

"I'm not young anymore.... I have no son to take my place. Ingrid would rule after me but she's a woman. I want peace with Vigrid so she may have less of a burden."

"What does this have to do with the wedding?" I asked, slowly having suspicious of Father.

Father nods and remained silence for a while.

"You grew up shunned and humiliated by your own family. You were never given the place you deserved," he said.

I stiffened. "This was your doing."

He ignored my words. "You are also aware of the conflict between our tribe and Vigrid. Three times have our ancestors attempted truce marriage but failed."

"Yes they were slain."

"But this chief is different. He is young, strong and wants peace between our people," he said. "Having them on our side before I die would make it easier for Ingrid to rule."

I nodded.

"You still haven't answered my question," I said. "Whose wedding is it?"

Father pressed his hand against the arm of the chair and then he let out a long breath.

"Why do you think I called for you?"

"To speak of your meeting with Vigrid Chief. Yet, here me well, a union between Kattegat and Vigrid cannot work. The Vigrid are naught but beasts in my eyes for they've taken so many lives from us. If you permit this marriage, you might start up a—"

Something dawned inside me. A thought flashed through my mind and my eyes widened as I snapped my head to Father.

"Ohh god!" I exhaled. "You don't mean it."

"Freydis."

"No," I took a step backward. "You really want me to marry the Chief?"

"Yes."

"By the gods, no!"

"You'll do this for our people."

"Why are you telling me? Pick someone else."

"You were never my first option but he asked for you."

"The thought of that tribe as my husband sickens me. I will not wed him!"

"Freydis."

"No," I said, taking another step.

"Ingrid—"

"Ingrid has always been the golden child," I cut in. "If you so much want to ease her burden, let her take my place instead. Our resemblance is strong. He might not discern."

"You know how many lives have been lost in this war? Do you not wish for it to end?"

"I care not for the whims of anyone."

"If this war continue the Vigrid would forge alliance with other tribe to bring ruin on us. I would be killed and the rest of you would be claimed as slaves."

"Now I am deemed worthy? I thought no one desired me for nothing. Is this just your way to get rid of me?

"You don't have a choice."

"By the gods, what do you mean?"

"Do you have a choice? Remain in this village, scorned as the cursed one. No one shall take you as wife. But if you leave and marry the chief, you can start again."

I was done talking to him. "May the gods grant you luck finding someone else."

"You know I can stop you?"

A wave of anger burn through my spine. "You already did. The moment you rejected me as your daughter," I said. "I'm leaving."

"I am not done with you yet."

"I deem it futile for my mind is resolute against wedding that man."

"Freydis don't tempt me," he stood up from his chair.

"I don't look forward to seeing your face again," I said turning around.

"Don't let her leave," he ordered.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by guards. They got hold of me, turning me around to Father. He was standing with a look of anger in his face.

"Take her away and lock her up at the dungeon," he said. "She would marry Chief Rollo whether she wants to or not."