the trial itself was something he had never
experienced, always flitting from holy place
to holy place always with his head bowed,
hands clasped in prayer, never has he allowed
himself the opportunity to witness a man
a c c u s e his wife of such a thing
not that he would want to
he has heard of such trials,
and always there is a sense of sympathy
he is aware of the myriad of results such
accusations bring…enough to make him
reassert himself against watching them…
yet…..———- he has lived at the monastery,
he has traveled to various lands and yet
he has never seen a woman quite like
the Lady L a g e r t h a.
never has he seen someone able to refer
to the GODS themselves
and very possibly save someone’s life
and in the same breath celebrate them
(there is enough of a back and forth in
his mind of both here and there
that he almost misses her verdict)
one could not use the Christian God, his God in such a way, for only the Virgin Mary should be so blessed
he knows enough to not be surprised (too much)
at the protection she bestows upon the woman and her child
he cannot find it in himself to feel pity for the man
should he find himself brave foolish enough to contest it
in england, had the man had “proof” of her infidelity, she would have been marked
he wonders briefly how things might have differed should this man “have” some
the awe has washed away some by the time
he appears, dithering at what he hoped were
the edges of her vision so he could steel himself
for the questions he hope may be answered
but as soon as he has built his resolve, she addresses
him and the questions disappear. he steps forward,
hands clasped in front of him as he weighs on
his answer to her,
“Yes, Lady Lagertha. I—” there is a furrow to
his brow, thoughts upon thoughts are still
churning in his mind, yet he finds it a challenge to decide on just one
”I know that Heimdallr is a God, but what
would bring him to…” a beat, “Midgard?”
when departed from the lands in which they governed, the
Jarl’s wife would acquire his sovereignty in his stead. settling
such disputes were within her realm of responsibility. these
were freedoms that the women to the South would never know.
stories would reveal that they were toys, mere property to be
bought & sold. these beliefs would clash with the lives the
women of the North had gained, their rights and power far
beyond what those in other lands could ever imagine.
( with a priest from the West in her household,
it lead Lagertha to wonder if women in his lands
were treated much like those in the South. )
to survive their winters, the women had to be strong in will
& faith to survive as well as provide for their families. when
the men would leave to raid, they were responsible for caring
& protecting the home. a multitude of liberties that would battle
a patriarchal influence.
it was not a woman’s place that mystified & intrigued Athelstan
but the manner in which she spoke of Hєιм∂αℓℓя so freely. it was
not the fact that she had ruled in favor of the accused but rather
how she came to that conclusion.
at first, a simper arose on her lips, still remaining busied by the
threads before her only to have her amusement trickle away slowly
with this query. was it a challenge to her beliefs, the stories she grew
to learn as a child or his rampant curiosity?
❝ the Gσ∂ѕ will do as they please.
it is not my place to question Hєιм∂αℓℓя. some arrive to test us.
others seek bless women with divine children fated to live great lives. ❞
a pause transpired briefly as her attention shifted completely to the priest.
❝ they hide themselves so that we do not know they are among us.
our ancient stories tell us they go by different names just as Hєιм∂αℓℓя
was Rιg when he chose to visit the family we saw today.❞