Chapter 86
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Over the next few weeks Erik spent his time between gathering more wanderers under his banner, training his Warband to exhaustion and forging them into true elites, summoning more Daemons to grow his trumpcard of Daemonic troops and rigorously made love to his harem who, one by one, all showed the first signs of conception.

One morning during breakfast, the happy news he’d been anticipating most of all finally made itself known.

Sigrun was sluggishly eating her breakfast after another night of intense exercise when she suddenly turned to the side and spewed everything she’d just eaten back out.

Everyone at the table sat in stunned silence as Sigrun sheepishly looked them all in the eye before stopping at Erik.

Staring intently at each other, a wide smile crept on Erik’s face as surprise was replaced by elation. Only then, when Erik flashed around the table and held her close, did realisation set in for Sigrun too.

“I’m pregnant?! I’m pregnant! I’m finally pregnant! Erik, I’m pregnant! Our baby, finally OUR baby!”

She tightly clung to Erik, who carefully hugged her back. Isabeau had already shown signs of conception some weeks ago and this had put additional pressure on Sigrun. If Yeying, the newest addition to the expanding group, had also overtaken her, things might have turned for the worse.

But Helles’s medicine proved to work and after calming down somewhat, it was decided Sigrun would go pay a visit to her parents to break the news. More specifically, to have Helles check whether Sigrun was truly with child now and then tell everyone who’d listen to her about the new life growing within her.

They soon arrived in the Great Hall, not wasting any time to break the news to her parent and thus interrupting the breakfast of Erik’s in-laws.

“Oh my, what’s this then? Unexpected guests so early in the morning!” –Jarl Ingolf jokingly said, showing an amicable smile while raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Papa! You’ll be a grandpa soon!”

“Ah, I see, I see. Wait… what?!”

With a start, the Jarl forgot his usual decorum and aggressively shoved his seat back, causing it to clatter and fall onto the ground. And upon seeing Erik proudly standing next to his beloved daughter, he looked the young man straight in the eye like he was facing his most vile nemesis.

You..!!!!

It has to be said that Sigrun is far from Ingolf’s oldest child, only somewhere around the middle from the entire batch. Meaning, Ingolf was already a grandfather many times over from all the offspring created by his own adult sons.

In fact, a number of his grown sons had created a family and then died from all manner of causes, causing some confusion within the private quarters of the Great Hall where dozens of little buggers ran rampant. Children and grandchildren of similar ages causing havoc and mischief together.

Yet Sigrun was his most beloved wife’s only daughter and one of Helles’s only three still living children. Sigrun only had one older and one younger full-blooded brother remaining, Erik’s right hand man Sven being only a capable half-sibling.

Thus, Sigrun loudly proclaiming her condition only rattled the Jarl this much because she was the only daughter he truly cared about.

Meanwhile Erik stood his ground under his angered father-in-law’s death-stare while inwardly face-palming.

‘We’re not even sure yet! That’s why we came here! Well, it’d be odd if she wasn’t by now but still… Let’s hope Sigrun didn’t jump the gun here.’

Definitely out of habit and not at all to evade the increasing pressure coming from Ingolf’s stare, Erik noticed something else.

Helles had noticeably tensed up after hearing her daughter’s words and then even more noticeably deflated while sighing in relief, even swiftly swiping a hand over her forehead like wiping away sweat.

‘I’ve noticed before and Skadi dropped some hints but… was Helles actually more involved with this matter than simply concocting a cure?’

Soon after, Sigrun was checked on by Helles, who now definitively declared her with child. Congratulations filled the Hall as the Jarl’s children, lovers and servants all came forward and expressed their well-wishes.

“I pray for your child’s health and wellbeing!” “I hope your son takes after his father after being born!” “May the Gods bless you with many more descendants!”

“Steward!” –Jarl Ingolf loudly called for the manager of the household. “Prepare a feast for lunch! The good stuff for a close family meal, none of the greased, easy food for the large parties! Choice cuts and beverages only!”

Just like that, Erik and Sigrun were held up at the Great Hall and led the small family feast arranged in their honour.

Before the meal began however, Ingolf took Erik to the side to inform him of an upcoming event:

“It’s the end of the Third Season now and we’re running into the period leading up to Winter. The King of the Skaelings has called for a Moot, a gathering of the Jarls. It is unusual for a Moot to be called unless something important either has or will soon occur.

The gathering is scheduled a couple of weeks from now and you’re coming with me. Select your retinue and entourage carefully, we need to put on a bit of a show for the other leaders to see.”

Later, partway through the elaborate meal, Erik saw Helles leave the table and went after her to confront her about his doubts. Giving Sigrun a reassuring smile as he stood up.

Around the corner, Erik called out to Helles.

“Mother! Mother-in-law, I have a question!”

Perhaps sensing something hidden in his voice, Erik noticed the mature woman shake slightly before calmly turning around.

“What is it Erik? Shouldn’t you be with Sigrun right now?”

Feeling his doubts solidify, Erik threw out any attempt at subtlety.

“Did you just make an expensive cure for a well-known ailment, or were you the one that created the problem and thus knew the only way to solve it?”

A series of emotions washed over Helles’s face. Surprise, guilt, sadness and, finally, resignation. She righted her slumped shoulders as she faced Erik’s questioning gaze head-on.

“Yes, it was me. And what of it? She was falling for you while I had no certainty you’d be capable enough to stay alive. To stay alive and properly take care of my only daughter. I was not about to let my little girl throw away the rest of her life on a whim of passion!

If you had died before joining together, there’d be no problem. But if Sigrun had gotten with child? The world is a harsh place and while she’d have been safe enough while my husband was alive, she’d be on her own after that. Sure, she has siblings. But there’s a limit to that affection and even then she could only rely on her two brothers against the twenty, thirty or who knows how many more half-siblings she has.

Regular women could simply remarry, but as the daughter of a Jarl and with the baggage of a fatherless child she would lead a damned existence. So I took a long-lasting precaution which happened to do exactly as I envisioned, just that the effects worked too well.”

Patiently listening, Erik let Helles tell her story. And although he didn’t like what he heard, he couldn’t deny Helles was simply looking out for her daughter. No matter how twisted the result turned out to be.

“Then what changed your mind?” –He asked.

“What else? Your astounding achievements and frankly impossible speed of improvement firmly convinced me to...”

Helles paused a moment before continuing, changing her righteous tone into something more serious.

“Hah, it convinced me Sigrun would not make the same mistakes I made.”

At this, Erik raised both his eyebrows in surprise as questions swirled in his mind.

‘I thought Ingolf and Helles were on very good terms? And didn’t Ingolf steal her from the Sarls?’

“In short, I saw Ingolf in his younger years and thought he’d make the perfect candidate. My family have long followed the Lord of Change and both my brother and I inherited our father’s vision.

The tribes are too scattered and lack any form of unity, causing us all to wither away and weaken while the Empire only ever grows stronger. So we believe the land has to be united, but after our father’s passing and my brother’s ascension to the Sarl throne, our interpretations of this goal strayed apart.

My brother believes it is his Gods-given right and duty to take control of the tribes and subject them to his will.

While I believe it’s our duty to find a suitable candidate. Guide him, advise him and mould this person into a true High King. In my youth I was dazzled by Ingolf’s prowess and schemed to get close to him, much like Sigrun was enamoured with you but a lot more… ruthless, I must say. I had quite a few rivals and only a few of them now live with their lives with husbands of lower stature or distant tribes.

Alas, Ingolf is a good man and a powerful warrior, but he was never meant to be High King. His status as Jarl of the Frost Wolves is honestly a perfect fit for him.”

She continued for a short while, reminiscing events from long before Erik first appeared in the world before finishing with a final statement.

“My brother believes he is the Everchosen, simply awaiting his revelation. I wish to support a true ruler to lead our people. Which is why, after seeing you develop like you have and watching my daughter suffer, I finally decided to do my best and support you up there.”

Erik nodded in understanding as Helles gave her story, sensing two presences nearby who must have overheard at least part of the story. But he also frowned at the mention of the Everchosen.

“You mean to say you believe I am the Everchosen? But if I am not mistaken in the timeline, the Everchosen should be Archaon and currently in the progress of obtaining his inheritance…”

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Erik’s last statement of the next Everchosen already being revealed sent a shock through Helles and the two eavesdroppers. And after carefully explaining his reasoning, they seemed at least half-convinced of the truth.

“The last Everchosen lived hundreds of years ago, we haven’t invaded the Empire in a mentionable way in generations and Wulfrik the Wanderer is not yet Wandering the world.

Ergo, Archaon should be at the start of claiming his foretold birth right as a man born with both Northern and Imperial blood who once served the pretender god Sigmar.”

Sigrun and Jarl Ingolf had followed Erik after he’d been gone for a couple of minutes and had listened in on most of the important bits. Sigrun was in turmoil, unsure of how to feel with her mother’s revelations while Ingolf seemed rather calm and accepting of his wife’s blatant admissions. Seems like he’d long since known and had accepted his wife as is.

But before they could continue their conversation regarding the Everchosen, their future ambitions and the tangles of familial trust, they were interrupted by a thrall.

“Lord, huff, master, haah, m’lord!” –The thrall panted as Erik recognised her as one of the midwife slaves he’d bought in Marienburg.

After catching her breath, the woman finally delivered her message.

“The child, lord! Congratulations! M’lord come quick, something strange happened!”

It took a moment for Erik and the others to process the interruption properly. Sigrun seemed to understand the fastest and immediately questioned the Thrall, roughly shaking her by the shoulders.

“Kitten is going into labour? What do you mean ‘something strange’? Are you saying my husband’s firstborn is in danger?! Speak, slave!”

“I’m sorry mistress, I’m sorry madam, forgive me!”

Taking over, Erik too questioned the blabbering midwife.

“Tell me what happened, step by step!”

“Yes, yes master! Ehm, the Mistress was lying in your chair after you left and then suddenly started whimpering and touching her stomach, indicating something was wrong.

We then quickly checked her and found her water was broken, so we took her to the prepared room.

We sent a messenger to the Hall, but she was held up by the entrance and couldn’t get in.

Everything was prepared but… it just went too fast m’lord! The little miss is already the lady’s arms! As soon as she sat down on the birthing stool the baby just… came out!”

Not understanding, Erik asked her to repeat the last part.

“It’s the easiest birth I have witnessed within my three decades worth of midwifery, m’lord!”

“So you’re saying that… I am now… a father?”

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