Long Live The Queen
AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31035401
She did not feel dead crossing over into Valhalla. Not one soul could return to attest to what being dead felt like. She didn’t know what to feel. Relieved? Free? Light? Ecstatic? A tidal wave of emotions overwhelmed this Shieldmaiden and former Queen.
Such a title that Lagertha herself never though to obtain. Mother. Wife. Farmer. Shieldmaiden. Friend. Queen. Lagertha. All different names, but still the same person. But now, those titles now remained to stories. The last sight Lagertha looked upon was the remorseful son of her love Ragnar. The first sight she saw after darkness was that of Valhalla.
A paradise that the tales did not do justice. Seeing the Valkyries and the gods, Odin’s Great Hall in all it’s glitter and gold, she felt at peace for once in her life. Her final reward in life after all the wars, struggles, and strife. From her humble farming origins to becoming the Queen of Kattegat, to helping her son reclaim the throne for herself, all Lagertha grew to knew was survival and security.
She meant what she said that time. They should have never left that farm. At least if they hadn’t, they would have had a peaceful life even if it was a humble one. But the life of a Viking was never peaceful nor humble, and she couldn’t deny that side of herself. With her death came the legacy that would pass on through her son and her grandchildren.
Yet there was still a part of her that felt afraid. Not of death, but of those she knew in her life. Were any of them here? Any of her friends, family, or Shieldmaidens? Her answer came in the form of one day as she wandered the flowered fields of the afterlife realm.
In the distance, Lagertha could make out the figures of those who were a part of her life. The women and men who fought by her side, her shieldmaidens, her true friend Siggy, and her right-hand Astrid. And her daughter Gyda. Sweet, sweet Gyda. So sweet and innocent for her own good, and who was taken from the Earth too soon.
With each calculating step, Lagertha reminisced on her life. Though she said they should have never left that farm, she didn’t regret it, because it led to her places and achievements that she would have never dreamed of. With each step, she remembered her choices and alliances her life, never once regretting to fall in love, take chances, or becoming an Earl.
As she took her steps, she felt an impending presence in Valhalla. An inkling, or a feeling that told her others of their family would arrive to be with them soon, for her and Ragnar’s sake. There was another inkling that told her those of who they knew from England and Wessex weren’t far. Even in death, those who were different from her but held a special place in her heart would never be separated from her.
At the end of her steps, having reached the end of the field, Lagertha’s heart begin to beat again. He seemed so familiar yet different at the same time, the man that she formed a legacy and life with. Initially she still thought this a dream, until he gently caressed her cheek and uttered those familiar words. Words only they knew. "Didn't you say so yourself, my love? We are always together."
