Chapter 39 The King's Cruelty [TRIGGER WARNING]

Dawn came upon them and Kattegat and everyone was anticipating the execution of Arvid Ingouf and everyone was to attend for he was not only a traitor but a disgraceful warrior that took the life of the very brother he was sworn to protect.

The death toll would have been higher and if he succeeded in taking the head of the famous Ragnar, a gag order would not be able to stop the unrest that was sure to follow.

Arvid was confined in the same cell where Egil Iversen lost his life, but nobody was in that cell but him. He was strung up like a pig and blindfolded.

He was frightened, he knew the impending doom that awaited him.

Arvid momentarily thought about taking his own life but that would do no good, a shameful death is one he must avoid at all costs.

He heard approaching footsteps, he was certain it was not Asger as he should be dead by now seeing that the poison he had used was a very rare and toxic variant believed to have no cure.

"Excuse us," The voice instructed and the moment the voice made it into his ears, he knew who it was.

"K-King Askild!" This was a thought seeing as he is incapable of speech, what was King Askild doing in such a dirty place as this when he could easily have him brought to him for punishment?

"Arvid Ingouf, I came to tell you something I have never told anyone before." Askild started, he could hear the clicks of the door that held him right before having his blindfold removed to reveal an angry King Askild and in his hands a plier.

"You made me look weak, Arvid. You caused a war that you will not partake in and death is not fit enough a punishment for you…" King Askild kept on speaking and this was rare because he was calm despite having his world flipped upside down.

"I heard you have a wife, a wife you paid good coins to get out of Kattegat, is that correct?" King Askild said and Arvid's reaction gave him his answer but also proposed a question, how did he know?

Askild snapped his fingers, and 3 guards brought down a lady with brunette long hair.

"This is your wife, is she not, Arvid?" Aksild asked and Arvid panicked as tears filled his eyes but these tears did not move Askild.

"You took my trust for granted, Arvid," Askild spoke, gesturing to his guards as they threw her on the floor and held her in place.

"Now I will take the pride of the lady you call wife," Askild said, clapping his hands as Erik came down the steps with a lustful grin on his face, he was like a wolf that had seen fresh meat after a long winter.

Arvid was fighting to break free from his chains but the chains felt like they had the strength of Mjölnir, the hammer of Thor, and only those worthy to break the chains.

He felt his heart sink as Erik tore the clothes from her body. Her screams and pleas fell on deaf ears as Erik did not care about these things but got, even more, excited the more she struggled.

"You tried taking your parents to the city in the south…" Askild said as he slowly approached Arvid who tried to look away, Arvid knew this meant he had his parents too.

"If you do not watch, I will do worse to your parents, Arvid." King Askild warned but he got an idea and what happened next was his eyelids being ripped off his face with the pliers in Askild's hand.

The Vikings looked in discomfort at the mutilated prisoner but they soon refocused on the task at hand. Erik was still struggling but thanks to his superior strength he was able to overpower her eventually.

King Askild had no interest in witnessing such a thing and began ascending the stairs, leaving Arvid to listen to the cries of his wife and the moans of Erik The Berserker, who was probably going to keep going until she quite literally died.

Exiting the dungeon, he resurfaced back up and the sun was kind to Kattegat, as the clear skies showed that rain was not on the menu today but he ran into Ragnar shortly after who wanted to see Arvid.

-

It was rare to see King Askild outside his throne room and there was no way in a million years that Ragnar could have anticipated he showed up here, yet here he was.

He bowed his head to show his respect but King Askild soon permitted him to raise it.

"I do not think you want to go down there, Ragnar Lothbrok," Askild advised him before gesturing for Ragnar to follow him.

"My lord, did you find out why he did it?" Ragnar asked curiously, seeing as he would have lost his head if his guard was down for even a second.

"It was for revenge, Ragnar. It is always for revenge," Askild gave him the answer to his question but revenge for what?

That was for Askild to know and Ragnar to figure out, Askild soon left him and went on ahead.

"Hey, Ragnar Lothbrok…" A voice called out behind forcing the Viking to turn around only to see Skarde, he had a bruised eye.

"What happened to your face?" Ragnar questioned him but Skarde smiled sheepishly while scratching his head.

"I-I fell," Skarde responded and that reason was good enough for Ragnar as he did not try to pry further and just let things be.

"What do you want, Skarde?" Ragnar asked him in a polite tone.

"I do not want anything Ragnar, I just wanted to see the kind of man I will be fighting alongside in this war, care for a drink?" Skarde asked, unlike the remaining Vikings. Skarde had manners despite his deceptively brute-like physique.

Ragnar knew there was no harm in accepting his offer and did just that.