‘ I KNOW THAT I MUST NOT LISTEN WHAT ANYONE ELSE HAS TO SAY ABOUT ME BUT MYSELF AND, MAYBE, THE GODS— ’ & is it not an undeniable truth that even ivar’s enemies must acknowledge his genuine devotion to bring forth full strength & concentrated attention to achieve his ambitions ? it might be inevitable that his own blood will turn against him & that he will anger many foes across the sea who wishes his conquest to end before it even really started. no matter how reasonable any argument against war might be, he will not be stopped. never again. ‘ what does it matter anyway ? i am who i am. it comes far more natural to me to make enemies than make to friends with someone who is not offended when i tell them the brutal truth. ’ becoming more impatient for he can not, or do not want to, understand why they argue to begin with, he huffs with exaggeration, expresses his mild irritation upon narrowing his eyes & tapping his legs stretched out before him. may - be he ought to take it slower, to put less strain on his legs, to depend more on his arms, or allow others to support his weight. but why would he bother ? he has grown tired of feeling like he is sheltered in every attempt to avoid a broken bone. his gaze flicks upwards to meet her eyes. ‘ have you truly expected i am going to change my mind about the promise i made to my mother ? in the end, everything i do is about that one promise i made. ’