"Who wants to be king?" "What about you, Sigurd?" "Do you want to be king?" "Do you want to be king, Ubbe?" "Kill me and you are king." "King Ubbe!" "What are you waiting for?" "Are you afraid?" "Be a man!" "Why did you come back?" "It would appear you have another son." "His name is Magnus." "His mother is Queen Kwenthrith and he lives at King Ecbert's villa in Wessex." "Oh, who told you that?" "A warrior who was fighting in Wessex." "And he was the one who told you about the settlement." "I came back..." "I came back because I wanted to see what has become of my sons." "And?" "And I'm going to England." "And I thought that you all might want to join me." "What do you say, Hvitserk?" "Ubbe?" "No." "Sigurd?" "I can see in your eyes that your answer is also no, Bjorn." "This is why." "This is part of a map of the Roman Empire." "I found it in Paris." "In this map is the Mediterranean Sea." "And around that sea are many wonderful people and places and towns." "I want to go there!" "So, how far along are you with your plans?" "Floki is building the boats." "Hvitserk has agreed to come with me as well as King Harald and his brother." "What about you two?" "Why are you not going with your brother?" "Kattegat has changed since you went away." "It is a major trading center in the region." "And many other kings we know regard it with envy." "We want to stay and protect our mother." "You are right to think of family." "So..." "Father wants to go to England." "Why do you not want to go with him?" "Ubbe?" "You know why." "Now shut up." "Is it the same for you, Sigurd?" "Or are you afraid of being seasick?" "I'm not afraid of anything, brother." "Not even me?" "Would you like some more ale, Ivar?" "Mmm." "Sure." "It is wrong to treat her that way." "Why are you so polite?" "She's just a slave." "You all just want to have her." "You too, Ubbe." "Ivar." "Mother." "This is how strong you need to be." "I want you to be ready." "I am ready." "You won't be ready until you've put some doubt in my mind." "Why won't you tell me what we have to do?" "Because I'm not ready." "My father has returned." "So I see." "Perhaps he should not have come back." "He had no choice." "What does this mean?" "What will become of us?" "Tell me." "You really wish to know?" "I am not afraid." "Your father's return brings calamity, disorder, chaos, tragedy and death." "For all their glories, the gods will be filled with despair." "Who will die?" "Go away, Bjorn Ironside." "Then tell me this." "What calamity will befall us?" "Not one calamity, but calamities too many to number." "Now that your father has come back, you are happy to see him, I am sure." "But, in truth, you should curse the day." "How did your father take it?" "He was disappointed." "He feels his need to avenge what happened in England is the most important thing in life." " In everyone's life." " Isn't it?" "Everything was always what he wanted." "Everything was always for him." "Those days are gone." "Ragnar!" "Hello, Helga." "You look like you've seen a ghost." "Are you a ghost?" "Perhaps I am." "Where is he?" "What is your name?" " Margrethe." " I'm Ubbe." "I know who you are." "You've done it again, my friend." "This is the sleekest, fastest boat you've ever built." "I think it is." "I've learned so much over the years." "I've seen what works, and what doesn't work." "And I've forced my mind to contemplate the ideal boat." "And now you're giving your ideal boat to my son Bjorn." "It's fitting..." "In an annoying way." "Mmm." "Are you going with Bjorn?" "You weren't here, Ragnar." "I made him a promise." "You know I must go back to England." "Should have gone back a long time ago." "I knew as well as you what happened to the settlement." "I could have told everyone." "I could have told the mothers and the fathers, the uncles and the aunts, what had happened to their loved ones." "But I didn't." "I chose not to." "Why?" "It's because Floki loves you." "He loves you and he always has." "For a boy with no legs, you are very heavy." "Hvitserk." "Why didn't you wake me?" "There was no need to wake you." "Did I miss breakfast?" "Yes." "That's reason enough." " That girl?" " Who?" "That servant girl." "You know who I'm talking about." "Maybe." "I can't remember her name." "It's Margrethe." "Are you sure?" "You've all had her." "So, I want to have her too." "That's easy." "She's a slave." "We'll just bring her to your bed." "She's a servant, she's not cattle." "She's a human being." "Now, it is for our brother." "Yes, but we have to ask her." "What will you ask her?" "Mind going to bed with our crippled brother, for a joke?" "Have you ever been with a woman?" "I will ask her and see how she feels." "I know how she will feel." "No, you don't." "You are the son of Ragnar Lothbrok, just like us." "I have a feeling, if you don't come with me," "I will never see you again." "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Ragnar." "And after all, whatever the fates have in store for us, we are sure to meet again in Valhalla." "Imagine the joy we shall have." "And all the old friends we shall meet again, and fight with again in true fellowship." "Torstein, Arne, and all the others." "And you and I, we shall sit among the gods, and sup with them, and get drunk with them, and tell our stories." "Speak to me, Ragnar." "I don't know." "What is it you don't know?" "If I will see you in Valhalla." "You don't say that, Ragnar." "If anyone deserves to go to Valhalla, it's you." "Watch over my family." "And take care of Helga." "You don't deserve her." "I love you." "I love you too, Ragnar Lothbrok!" "I love you too, Ragnar." "Yeah." "Sigurd." "Don't be afraid." "You must be King Ragnar." "It is a very great privilege to meet you, King Ragnar." "I am sure it does not amuse you to hear that my wet nurse told me many tales of your journeys west, and of your bravery and resourcefulness..." "And your fame." "I think my wet nurse was a little in love with you." "When can I meet her?" "Hmm?" "What is your name?" "Astrid." "But don't worry about me." "Oh, I'm not worried about you." "I'm old enough to be your father." "What a ridiculous thing to say." "It's been a long time, Ragnar." "Can I have a drink too?" "Please." "Why did you leave Kattegat?" "I was no longer interested in ruling anymore." "You were still king." "You had a duty." "It wasn't just for you." "I think you have to leave." "Are you and that girl..." "Why are you here, Ragnar Lothbrok, ex-husband?" "I have to kill you." "It is not my fault." "It is not my fault!" "I have to kill you so you cannot tell my brothers that I am not able to satisfy a woman." "I will never embarrass you!" "I swear!" "I will always tell them of your virility!" "I will blame myself!" "Please!" "Don't kill me!" "I like killing." "You're just a slave." "Nobody will blame me for killing a slave." "That is right." "That is right." "Nobody." "Only the gods." "The gods?" "What does it matter to them?" "They know the truth." "And they will laugh at you for being such a coward." "So, your prick doesn't work." "Does that make you less of a man?" "No, it doesn't." "Lots of men can have sex." "Lots of men can have children." "Those things are easy." "To be a son of Ragnar Lothbrok, and to find greatness..." "That is hard." "I truly believe that." "I truly believe that." "I am going back to Wessex." "I'm here to see if you want to come." "The livelihoods of our people, their future, and their happiness, were all bound up in the success of our first settlement." "And you failed to tell me of its destruction." "I regret what happened with the settlement," "and I regret what happened between us." "I have made many bad choices." "We all approved of your ideas." "But they didn't work." "Ragnar Lothbrok didn't succeed." "What did our son say?" "He has other plans." "He's his own man now." "I should go to bed." "I'm tired." "It's been a long journey." "Not in the saddle, but in the mind." "All our journeys are in the mind." "In my mind..." "I wish I never left the farm." "Forgive me for all of my faults, all of my failings." "No regrets." "No regrets." "And yet, every regret." "I love Ragnar Lothbrok." "I am so amazed by him and I am so jealous of you." "Do you love him more than you love me?" "Of course not." "After all, aren't you Lagertha?" "So, our father is returning from Hedeby." "What are we going to say to him?" "Hmm?" "As I told you, I'm committed to going with Bjorn." "I can't go with Father." "Sigurd?" "I don't know how you can ask me that with a straight face, Ubbe." "You know that I won't go with Father." "We have discussed this many times." "Our father was defeated." "He lost." "All the magic of his past raids and successes was also lost." "Nobody loves him anymore." "Nobody believes in him, especially not the gods." "You think that's true?" "Yeah, of course it's true." "What about you?" " Me?" " Yeah." "You act like you are committed to going with Bjorn, when, in fact, you could change your mind and go raiding with Father." "So, why don't you, huh?" "You are all bastards." "None of you deserves our father." "Are you sure you didn't want to go with him?" "I am never totally sure about my feelings for Ragnar." "What I should or shouldn't do." "I imagine that many women feel the same way as I do." "Not wanting..." "Wanting." "So you're back." "You know that..." "Mother never let anyone sit on your throne since you left." "She always hoped that one day you would return." "Why do you not talk to Mother?" "I will." "I would wait for everyone to go to sleep and then, like a crab in the moonlight, I would crawl out here and sit on your throne." "And just think." "About what?" "About how you abandoned me." "And my heart would fill with anger." "I would try to will my stupid legs to work so I could go out and find you and tell you how much" "I needed you." "How much I hated you." "Well, perhaps I'll explain my actions when we get to England." "When we get to England?" "That is what I said." "What use is a cripple on such a journey?" " Oh, then don't come." " Don't tell me what to do!" " Then come." " No!" "Not unless you ask me like you asked my brothers." " Ivar..." " Of course I'll come."