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A drunk Berserker falls into me, sloshing his beer from his metal goblet all over my clothes and making me grimace.

Usually I would have backed away, whimpering out an apology,but I remind myself that I am not here like that again.

So, taking the beer, I jerk my head forward, headbutting the drunk bastard so he falls back howling.

Keeping my eyes on the downed man who is struggling to get back to his feet, slurs coming from his sloppy mouth, I down the beer.

Once I am done, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and throw the goblet at him.

“Get another drink, you clearly need it.” Then I turn away, showing him my back. The Berserkers around us roar with laughter as the man screams at me. I feel pretty good until the metal shackles around my wrist clang and I am dragged into Ivar’s pet torturer’s waiting grasp.

I grimace and dig my feet in. I freeze when Ivar holds his hand out and the chains are handed over, the metal slithering across the floor like a snake.

My hands are bound together and tied to the chain, controlled by Ivar himself.

Vassy is chained to his chair like a dog, not that he cares, or shows he does.

He lounges there, pretending to be asleep but I can see his hands twitching and his eyes following Ivar’s every move.

Evan is tied in the corner to a chair, forgotten about because they don’t see him as a threat.

I find myself getting angrier and angrier all night as women play with him, touching him, teasing him, hurting him, all the while laughing as he bites against the gag and kills them with his eyes.

It’s not just the women though, the men are just as bad.

I saw one of them shove their hands down his pants and I found my eyes memorising that man before I looked at Evan, telling him with my eyes I would kill him for him.

He didn’t look away, instead, we suffered through it together before I was passed to the next Berserker like a fucking trophy.

All night, passed around the room until now.

Ivar is obviously tired of others playing with his pet.

The room quiets a bit as he tugs gently on the chain, making me stumble forward.

If I had been at full strength, he wouldn’t have budged me, but as weak as I am, I find myself falling forward.

He laughs, and a few others join in, sounding nervous.

The women pawing at Evan even leave him alone to come and watch the show they all know Ivar is going to put on.

Looking around the crowd, I see some uncomfortable, and even angry faces, aimed at Ivar.

Maybe there is more to the rebellion inside the camp than I thought.

He tugs again, harder this time, but I am ready.

I dig in my feet and fight against the chain, pulling it back towards me until he is pulled forward slightly.

It’s a small victory, but one nonetheless.

Glaring now, he stands from his throne and the room goes silent.

The music stops, the clinking of goblets, even the laughter and joking of the Berserkers all stops.

He slowly winds the chain around his wrist, watching me the whole time and I take a deep breath before I am yanked to him like a wild animal.

Stumbling, trying to keep upright, I fight against him but it’s no good.

I land at his feet with a groan, my knees hitting the stone floor of the dais hard, jarring my body.

Once there, I raise my head and glare at him, my eyes flicker to Vasilisy for a second as he slowly gets to his knees, his eyes locked on Ivar with a deadly intensity, the hate shining for everyone to see.

“Now, isn’t that better, pet, on the floor at my feet where you belong?” his voice booms out before he lets out a laugh. A few others join in, but not as many as I was expecting.

Ignoring them, I slowly get to my feet, even as he yanks on the chain to try and make me get back on my knees. His face turns red and some chuckles sound from the crowd.

“On your knees, slave,” he demands, his nostrils flaring as he starts to get angry.

He looks the part of a mad king tonight.

Laced up at the side, leather pants hugging his massive thighs, his hair pulled back in straggly honour braids with his crown woven in.

The scars on his face highlighted in the harsh lighting.

His chest is bare, his Berserker branding a massive tattoo in the middle of his chest, scars scattered around it like a declaration of how strong he is.

His body almost vibrates with malice, and his eyes show nothing but hate and anger.

“I’d rather stand,” I drawl casually, and I notice the vein in his forehead bulge. His little torturer steps forward, glee lining his face as he stares at me.

“Want me to teach her a lesson, my King?” There is so much anticipation in his voice.

Ivar taps his chin before shaking his head, his eyes still on me, running up and down my body, making bile rise in my throat.

“No, it seems our little pet doesn’t care what we do to her…

” He trails off and looks at me again, his eyes lighting up.

“But she does care what we do to other people. Tell me, pet. When you found your little boyfriend hanging from the ceiling, did you cry?” He steps forward, dropping the chain he is holding, and his words finally registered.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Vasilisy get to his feet, his hands clenched so tightly I bet his nails are cutting his palms.

“I bet you did. Did you hold him? Touch his dead body? Were you angry at him?” His words are like a blow to my heart, because yes, I was so fucking angry and the fact he knows that kills me.

He steps down until we are meters apart.

“Do you know what happened to him?” he asks causally.

When I don’t answer he picks up his gun casually and aims it at Vasilisy without looking.

Grinding my teeth, I force the words out. “He killed himself.” I choke on them, the words so heinous and filled with pain.

He laughs, before looking back at me, the gun dropping to point at the floor.

“Did he?” he asks, winking at me and I go cold, the memory of Noah swinging from the ceiling at The Ring flashing before my eyes…

the fight…the pain...the softness in him.

My mind whirs as I think it all through before I gasp, looking back at Ivar.

I should have known, but I thought… God, I am so stupid.

“Ah, I see you have finally worked it out, I did wonder when you would. It was my last gift to you.” He looks at Vasilisy with a grin before looking back at me, his words rubbing salt into the wound and ripping that heartache back open again.

“He cried, you know, he begged and screamed. He was so weak, so fucking pathetic. He said your name like it was a prayer.” Each word is like a blow, and the inferno inside of me starts bubbling until all I see is red.

The need to kill him, to make him pay, overwhelms me until I can’t think clearly.

I know it’s exactly what he wants, but I can’t seem to care.

I let myself go, I let the darkness take over.

As he steps closer again I slowly wind in the chain shackled to my wrist like he did.

I hear Vasilisy move, obviously seeing what I am doing.

I can almost taste his panic. He knows what this will cost me, but I don’t care.

“At the end, he pissed himself as we all stood and watched, crying like a fucking baby as he choked.” I let out a scream, raising my hand, ready to unleash the chain.

I see the panic flash in Ivar’s eyes, he wanted a reaction, but he didn’t expect me to have the balls to kill him.

As if in slow motion, I hear the scream from Vasilisy before I see him.

He throws himself at Ivar. Knocking him out of my path.

I stare, not able to do anything else as they both fall to the floor with Vasilisy on top, but he doesn’t stop there.

His eyes are wild and filled to the brim with hate and death.

He lets out a heartbroken yell before raining his meaty fists down at Ivar’s face.

Panic like no other winds through my body, I don’t care what they do to me, but they won’t let a dishonoured Berserker attack the King. They will kill him.

The thought gets me moving and I tackle Vassy off Ivar and pin him to the floor, my eyes searching his.

When he looks at me, I see the determination there.

“Why?” I ask, my heart smashing into my chest as I hear the Berserkers closing in and the roar of anger from Ivar.

“Why!” I scream in his face, smashing my fists into his shoulder.

He lets me, he just lays there and lets me, a serene look on his face.

“Because it wasn’t time. Not here, not now. You would have never made it.”

I gasp, my eyes filling with tears as I realise he did it to protect me. He gave his life for me.

“No.” I shake my head, even as I feel them bearing down on us. “You fool,” I scream.

“Kill him, little queen. Be smarter than he is, then take your crown. Save the Wastes.” With that he pushes me from him and I roll to the side to see him sweep out his arm and take down a Berserker before grabbing his weapon.

Crouching on the floor he looks at me. “I will die the way I lived, but remember why you are here.” With that he turns to the encroaching Berserkers.

“Vassy! No!” I yell and try to scramble to my feet, only to be held back by arms winding around my waist.

I watch in horror as he holds out his arms and lets out a war yell. “ Come on then, you traitors. I’ll see ya in the next fucking life!” I can’t look away. I can’t blink.