If the gods were up there, they were blocked off under this continuous cloud that covered the entire sky, not even the sun shone through it, but it was up there somewhere. He looked up, the sky was white, perfectly matching the snow still on the rooftops. How long until Christianity reached Scandinavia? It was going to happen sooner or later, Floki always warned them that the Christ was coming to slay their gods, but their mother told Hvitserk and his brothers that Floki was just scaremongering and being typical Floki, but now all of them were gone and Christianity was still spreading, it had reached the Rus, who were Viking once. Looking at the statue of the beautiful woman, Hvitserk wondered if the Romans would ever believe all their gods would one day be replaced by a single god.
Hvitserk paused by Venus, the goddess of love, the Romans brought her to England with them, then they turned Christian, then the descendants of Alfred’s people arrived once the Romans had left, with their own version of the gods that Hvitserk knew well, until they too turned Christian. He still wasn’t allowed to go into certain areas, but Hvitserk had no interest in running away now, either way he knew his destiny was tied to Alfred, either by his side or dead by his hand.
Alone, because Alfred had told the guards to stop following him, he was free to walk anywhere, do anything he wanted all on his own. Outside the Villa in the royal courtyard, Hvitserk walked alone among the Roman statues.
If it came to it, he would pick the fastest, least painful method for his friend, he had tried to arrange a way he could keep Hvitserk alive should he refuse, but there was always the risk of him fleeing back to his people. Alfred put his hands on his face and rested them there for a moment. On the last day of the year, Alfred sat on his bed, he knew this day had been coming, but to finally get here was another thing, today he needed to ask Hvitserk what his wishes were, either to join the Christian faith and become a Saxon prince, or stay a Pagan and be reunited with his family in Valhalla. Time has ran out and Alfred wishes to know Hvitserk's choice, but what will Hvitserk decide? The truth about Hvitserk's dark past during his lowest time is reveal, how will Alfred react?Īs Alfred said, the villa was quite the next week, most of the leftover food had been dispatched to the local townspeople, and most of the household staff were absent on a break granted to them by the king. Alfred knows he needs to be open with Hvitserk and to tell him what his future holds now he's been captured by the Saxons, but how do you tell somebody you've badly injured that he has to leave behind everything he has ever known, including seeing his own family again, or you'll have no choice but to execute him, and could Alfred even bring himself to kill Hvitserk once he has gotten to know him?
The journey Hvitserk went on that transformed him from being the blood thirsty Viking who only seemed alive in a battle, drenched in the blood of people he had slaughtered, to converting to Christianity and becoming King Alfred's godson was a big one, full of reflection, pain and kindness from the very people he had always considered his enemies. Mentally, emotionally and now physically. Banner by the lovely Hvitserk always knew his lifestyle as a Viking was hurting him.