Vikings: Nordic women

Chapter 19 Give you two choices
……

In the gentle glow of the morning light, the entrance to the lord's hall seemed to be gently covered by a layer of golden gauze, making it look particularly solemn and dignified.

Outside the hall, there were curious people crowding around, their eyes flashing with desire and expectation for the unknown.

Behind Ou Ni stood several members of her regiment. The others were slaughtering pigs and sheep in the barn. She felt that since she had gathered everyone together, she would naturally provide them with meals.

Even if food is in short supply, don’t save on what you shouldn’t!
She listened attentively to the noise around her, as if she could catch their excitement and excitement from it.

She directed them to slowly move the heavy chair out of the door. The sunlight shone through the clouds and sprinkled on the chair, as if it was coated with a layer of sacred light.

She sat down gently beside Harold, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

However, as time passed, Harold still did not wake up. His body seemed to be sleeping, lying quietly in the chair, with neither signs of movement nor the tranquility of death, which made Ounnie feel a little melancholy.

The high priest was wearing traditional priest robes, black for men and white for women, with strips of cloth on the edges. He wore a veil covered with deer antlers and had a mysterious look on his face as he slowly walked forward.

What he held in his hand was the "vow ring" that he had taken from the late Robert Jarre.

This ring, carefully crafted from pure gold, is intricately designed and beautifully symbolizes the unshakable loyalty and commitment between master and servant.

In Viking society, such a vow ring is not only a precious ornament, but also a bond that maintains power and obedience.

It has witnessed the glory and heritage of countless Yars and carries the authority and wisdom of the rulers.

Once you wear this ring, you become a Jarl, and any betrayal by those who swear allegiance to the ring will result in endless humiliation and shame.

The high priest solemnly put the ring on Harold's ring finger, as if he was also pinning the fate and future of the entire family on him.

Ounnie held the unconscious Harold's hand tightly, her eyes firm, as if silently swearing her support and loyalty.

This moment symbolizes that the era of Robert Jarre's rule has passed and this is the beginning of a new era.

"let's start!"

As Ouni's firm words echoed in the lord's hall, a solemn oath-taking ceremony began.

Her eagle-like eyes swept over every warrior present, and finally stopped on the group that was ready to swear allegiance - the "Kaidan".

A Viking captain with a burly build and a resolute face walked forward with steady steps.

He knelt on one knee in front of Eunice and the unconscious Harold, and lowered his head to show his absolute submission to the lord.

His voice was deep and powerful, faintly excited, full of determination and loyalty:

"I, Ludwig, hereby swear allegiance to my Lord Harold Avarsson Jarl. No matter life or death, I will protect you and your family. I swear by the gods on this ring. If I break my oath, may my weapon fail and my life be filled with pain and regret."

Ouni's voice was firm and infectious, revealing her expectations and commitment to the other party's future:

"I am very optimistic about you, Ludwig. On behalf of the Jarl family, I accept your oath of allegiance. In view of your loyalty, I will make 'Fjordheim Village' your fiefdom and officially ennoble you as Jarl. As long as you do not break your oath, I will give you and your family shelter regardless of life or death!"

At this moment, Ouni held Harold's hand with the ring on it and reached out to Ludwig.

Ludwig's face showed ecstasy. He stepped forward without hesitation and kissed the ring that represented loyalty and oath affectionately.

This kiss is not only a pledge of loyalty to the lord, but also a commitment to the future of the family and a continuation of the Norse tradition and glory.

The people's uproar echoed in the lord's hall, their excitement and anticipation surging like a tide.

Although there were rumors that the new Yar would be ennobled, most of them thought it was just a rumor and never thought it would come true.

Their hearts were filled with excitement and hope, as if they saw a path to upward progress opening up before them.

They began to dream that perhaps one day they would have the opportunity to become Yael, sit in Eunice's position, and accept the oath of allegiance from others.

In the original ceremony, a new armband was required to show honor, but Ludwig already had an armband given by Harold's father, which symbolized his willingness to be loyal to Harold's family.

Therefore, this part was omitted and the ceremony continued.

Then, the other five Viking captains - Frederick, Sven, Joachim, Sigurðr and Magrus - came forward one by one to swear allegiance to Harold and accept the fiefs awarded to them by Owen.

They were named Jarls of Lindholm, Bergstadir, Skogsfell, Nordwegen, Vikingspris and Hofsfell.

Ouni stood aside with a far-reaching look. She only had one town left in her hands - "Skelvik Town".

She had been waiting for the former Yar's wife to appear, but as time passed, there was still no sign of her.

Didn’t you come?
Ouni couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

The swearing-in ceremony lasted until the afternoon, with sunlight shining through the windows into every corner of the lord's hall.

Just when Eunnie, who was sitting at the entrance of the hall, thought that she would not appear again, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. This commotion broke the tranquility of the ceremony and made everyone turn their attention to the center of the crowd.

"Wait a moment!" As the old maid's voice rang out in the crowd, a sudden change broke the originally solemn oath ceremony.

She led Rebecca and a twelve-year-old boy, Andre, through the cleared passage and into view.

Also accompanying them were several of Yar's guards that day. Their expressions were serious and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The high priest's reaction was swift and decisive. He immediately pointed at the old maid and ordered the warriors: "Capture her! She murdered Yael!"

The new lord quickly gave orders to his men, and the warriors took immediate action, restraining the old maid and her entourage and forcing them to the ground.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Rebecca screamed. The dust on the ground was stuck to her face and the stones stabbed her face. She had never been so embarrassed before.

However, at this moment, Ouni stood up, her voice revealing her inner anger and restraint: "Stop! Let them go!"

Her order shocked everyone present, including the high priest.

The high priest turned his head and looked at Ouni, his eyes full of confusion and questioning.

He asked doubtfully, "Madame Jarre?"

Obviously, he didn't understand why Eunice would suddenly stop the arrest of the former Lady of Jarre. Wasn't this their common enemy?

Ouni's answer was firm and decisive: "After all, she is the former wife of Jarre and cannot be humiliated!"

She knew clearly that to humiliate the former wife of Jarre would be to undermine the sanctity of her own identity and undermine the prestige of her family.

This is something she absolutely cannot allow, as it will make others laugh at her.

After hearing what Eunice said, several warriors loosened their hands and let the old maid and her entourage stand up.

The old maid helped Rebecca up, and took the opportunity to pull Andre, who was lowering his head, in front of her and pushed him in front of everyone.

She pointed at Andre and announced loudly: "Harold is not qualified to be Jarl, because Robert Jarl has another blood descendant! Andre was born when Jarl seduced the maid who took care of him when he was thirteen years old. Later, old Jarl found out about it and drove her out. She gave birth to Andre in Fjordheim Village!"

This shocking revelation immediately caused surprise and discussion among everyone present.

They all pointed and talked about the little boy named Andre.

In this sudden incident, Ouni showed her extraordinary calmness.

"Is there any evidence?" Eunie looked at the old maid with a half-smile, her eyes revealing a hint of disdain. She sat back in her chair, wrapped herself tightly with her clothes, and then turned to other vested interests and asked: "My people, tell me, do you believe her? Do you believe the words of someone who poisoned Robert Jarre?"

She was not shaken by the old maid's revelations, but cleverly exploited public sentiment and opinion.

The people reacted as she expected. They shouted angrily:

"Don't believe it, kill this liar!"

"She's a murderer, this is not allowed!"

"They poisoned Jarre!"

Ounnie waved to the boy named Andre, motioning him to come over.

The old maid hurriedly grabbed him, but the warriors quickly stepped forward to separate them, and pulled Andre in front of Eunice, pressing his head to his knees.

Ounnie didn't speak immediately, but let the boy stare at the tip of her shoe in fear and think for about five minutes.

This period of time seemed to be extremely long to him, and the expression on the boy's face became more and more panicked, which was exactly what Ou Ni wanted.

"If you testify, I can let you go. If you insist, that means you are intending to oppose Xin Yaer!" Ou Ni finally spoke. Her voice was as cold as winter, making the boy tremble.

“Ma’am, I am willing to testify!” The boy knelt and turned to point at Rebecca. His voice trembled. “It was them. They coerced me!”

When the people heard this, they picked up stones from the ground and threw them at Mrs. Jarre and the old maid. They felt fooled and shouted angrily, "Liar, kill them!"

Ouni raised her hand to stop the angry people, and the warriors stepped forward to stop them.

"Rebecca, you conspired to murder Harold and me, and poisoned Robert Jarre. According to the law, you will be beheaded, and your soul will return to the hands of Hela, the daughter of the evil god. But since you were once Madame Jarre, I will give you two choices."

Ouni looked at Rebecca coldly and said, "You can choose to be cremated with Robert Jarre and go to Valhalla, and let him decide whether to forgive your sins!"

"or……"

(End of this chapter)