Vikings

Princess Aslaug, listen to me.

You are in an open field.

On one side of you is a deep pit

filled with bones and ashes and hellish things.

On the other side is your house, your sons, the fjord,

and the sunlight is striking the snow high on the mountains.

If you want to reach your house,

then you must push the baby out as Freya would.

Let him rip you, but push... Out.

Choose life.

Yes.

- Yes. - The baby will come.

That's it! Good. I see the head.

It's alive.

It is alive.

It's a boy.

We must prepare to go to Wessex.

Obviously, we must leave soon.

I have to return to my territories.

I have to prepare my ships.

It will take some time.

How much time?

Just enough time.

No more, no less, King Horik.

Your father has a new child.

A son?

Yes.

I must congratulate your father.

It is never a bad day to have a son.

The gods cannot stop offering him their blessings.

I, too, am happy for Earl Ragnar.

Erlendur.

Who are you?

Porunn.

I meant who are you to my son?

She is a servant. A slave...

And I am in love with her.

After all,

your prophecy was right.

Don't be too long.

I won't.

I need you.

If the three of us are equals, we need each other.

But one cannot be more equal than the other.

You mean Ragnar.

You and I are at least his equal,

and Ragnar must come to understand this.

I agree.

Lagertha!

To keep you warm.

What is wrong with Ragnar's new son?

Nothing. Be safe.

How loyal you are, Siggy.

Don't die stupidly.

I'm not going to die.

Yes, you are! If I choose.

Fight!

Always remember to finish off your opponent, if you can.

We're fine ones for playing dead or pretending to run away.

Perhaps the Saxons are the same.

No man ever ran away with his entrails hanging to his knees,

or his head cut off.

That's just a fact of life.

Your mother is an amazing woman.

I know.

And...

I know why you say that.

No you don't.

You were in love with her once.

How can you say that?

You were just a boy.

I can say that now because

lam in love.

Well, believe me, those feelings are wasted.

Don't the gods love?

Who is to say their love is wasted?

How come you know so much about the gods?

Because my father, you and I...

Are all descended from Odin.

Or is that not true, Uncle?

He will die anyway.

What is the point of pretending?

If we were wolves, or even pigs,

this poor, weak runt would be discarded.

We are not wolves or pigs.

It is natural.

We let such babies die for their own good.

For what kind of a life could he live?

I know, but I don't care.

Always so behind the times!

Well, that's true. My work is for all eternity.

Who is coming? Kwenthrith.

The daughter of Offa.

King of Mercia?

Well, before he died, that is.

Not his son?

Don't you know anything?

Kwenthrith killed her brother, Of fa's natural heir.

Now the whole kingdom is beset by dynastic squabble.

Everyone is murdering everyone.

Presumably...

King Ecbert doesn't want to get involved with such terrible squabbles?

Of course not.

My father has no interest whatsoever

in what happens in our neighboring kingdom,

which just so happens to be the largest, most important

and richest kingdom in England.

So, this is our fratricide.

Our mass murderer.

Welcome, Princess,

to the Kingdom of Wessex.

There is no other way.

No other way, my son.

You'll have to provide for yourself.

What is this?

My Lady.

it is good to see you!

Welcome back, Earl Ingstad. We've all missed your presence.

Thank you, Einar.

But you will have to do without my presence

a great deal longer.

It is agreed that I am to raid the English kingdom of Wessex

with King Horik and Earl Ragnar.

I expect my ships to be provisioned by the next full moon,

and all my warriors to be armed and assembled.

No meat for me.

I don't like it. N kills you.

Only vegetables.

Who are you?

My name is Athelstan. I was a monk at Lindisfarne.

A monk!

Athelstan was captured by the Northmen. He's lived amongst them.

He knows everything about their pagan ways.

I have heard that the pagans sacrifice human beings.

Is that true? Do they actually?

Every nine years, yes, they do.

To please their gods.

And are they naked?

I have been told that they make love to whomever they choose,

and that the idea of fidelity is utterly strange to them.

They have... A different morality to us.

Is it not more natural?

I...

Is it not more natural?

Is it not more natural?

Is it not more natural?

I... I would only say that it was different.

How boring you are!

I was shocked to hear of the death of your brother.

Don't worry about my brother.

Did you know that the Pope has already made him a Saint?

Saint Kenelm!

Apparently, he lived an exemplary life!

Do you mean to say that he was not altogether virtuous?

Well, he raped me when I was about 12.

So, you must make up your own mind.

King Ecbert,

I do not need to ask why you've invited me here.

I know very well.

You want to influence the destiny of Mercia.

My family are killing one another,

and you want to be on the side of the party which succeeds to the crown.

You put it very precisely, Princess.

It should not surprise you to hear

that myself and my allies will succeed.

But perhaps your support would be an advantage.

I was thinking of sending my son, Aethelwulf,

to advise and help you.

I would gladly open my gates...

To your handsome son.

I would also like to hire some Northmen as mercenaries

to help you succeed in gaining the throne of Mercia.

I need to meet these Northmen

whose prowess, in all things, I have heard so much about.

It seems no one can talk of anything else now.

So, let us drink...

To Princess Kwenthrith,

and the conquest of Mercia.

The conquest of Mercia!

Einar, why don't you come in?

Do you want to speak to me?

Yes.

Then wait.

What do you want to say?

I thought we had an agreement.

I don't remember any agreements, Einar.

You do remember!

I would help you become Earl,

and then, as a result, we might be married.

I never made any arrangements.

Not with you, nor with anyone else.

You wanted rid of Sigvard because he was insane.

So, I killed him.

That's all.

If you do not let me enjoy you,

I shall open your face!

And then,

what would your family do?

Hmm?

If they had any respect for you,