Heart of A Viking

Chapter 4

--------2 days later-Deira---------
"Your highness, Ragnar and his men are here, outside the city gates." Benton told Ælfric.

"Go, Benton, let them in, tell them I will be there in a moment."

------King's Bed chambers------
"Husband, please reconsider, for the love of God!" Queen Ainslee begged.

"OUR DAUGHTER DOES NOT LOVE GOD! That is why we are in this situation! We can not help her here."

"And you believe that the pagans can, you believe that he will be willing?"

"We can only pray that he will, now, no more discussion, my mind is made up. I must go meet with him before he decides to leave."

------------Throne Room-----------

King Ælfric enters the room where Ragnar, Rollo, and their men are standing.

"Welcome, I am King Ælfric, this is my wife Queen Ainslee, and my daughter Princess Lír."

"I am Ragnar Lothbrok, King of Kattegat and this is my brother Rollo. Now, what can you offer us."

"Hmm, it seems we are both eager to speak and get on our separate ways. Now I am a very wealthy man, but I can only offer so much. You only have to agree to leave and not attack for a long time, at least until my kingdom recovers from the loss of wealth. Will you agree?"

"Before I agree, I want to hear what you can give us."

"I am willing to offer 100 pounds of silver and 50 pounds of gold."

Ragnar's men laughed at the insulting offer. "No, we have raided this place before, you are much richer than that." Rollo pointed out.

"King Ragnar, Lord Rollo I can only give so much. I-" King Ælfric tried to explain, but Rollo cut him off.

"So much, yes, but as you stated, you are very wealthy. You can offer more than that."

"King Ragnar you are quiet" Ælfric noticed "why don't you suggest a price?"

"1000 pounds of silver and 500 pounds of gold." Ragnar told Ælfric.

King Ælfric breathed heavily and swallowed hard. "King Ragnar, all do respect, that is absurd, my kingdom will be broke!"

"Yes, I agree it is absurd, but we will negotiate from there, and forget your previous insulting offer." Ragnar smirked at the king.

"120 pounds of silver and 70 pounds of gold." King Ragnar.

"900 pounds of silver and 450 pounds of gold." King Ælfric.

"150 pounds of silver and 90 pounds of gold."

"700 pounds of silver and 370 pounds of gold."

"200 pounds of silver and 100 pounds of gold."

"Well, King of Deira, we have made slight progress. 500 pounds of silver and 250 pounds of gold. We will not except anything smaller than that. Also throw in a few slaves." Ragnar said, his offer made Ælfric smile.

Ælfric took a deep breath and said "I can make that happen. 500 of silver and 250 of gold it is. As for the slaves, that brooches my next thought. I will give you 20 of my good ones, another 10 that need training, and my daughter Lír."

Lír stands and looks at her father with a devastating face. She tries to go over to him, but guards hold her back. She screems at her father. "No father please, don't do this to me, please I am your only child, I cannot leave with the norsemen!"

"Lír you are my only child, that is why I am doing this." Ælfric directs his attention to Ragnar who has a astonished look on his face. "King Ragnar, my daughter has taken interest in your savage ways, take her and let her come back to me and the one true way of life."

Ragnar looked over at Lír. She had tears streaming down her face. Ragnar's only thought was "how could a man do this to his child, that poor girl." Ragnar stood up and went over to Lír who was clearly petrified of him. He put his hand on her face and wiped of her tears, while giving her a sympathetic smile. He turned back to Ælfric and said that he would take her and would return her the next time they met in Deira, three years from now.