[16]

Soon the table is set, the food is piled on to it and the family starts filling the hall as Mikael walks around and fills everyone's goblet with the wine except for the seat set aside for Tatia, who has yet to arrive…'Speak of the devil and she shall appear.' I joke in my mind as Tatia is escorted by both Elijah and Niklaus into the hall.

Esther sits down at the table after heaping everyone's plates with food, Bekah grabs my plate and wine, tests everything for me before handing it back to me.

Mikael stands up raising his chalice, "Today we celebrate my precious Daughter's day of life, Rebekah you have truly flourished into a beautiful and fierce young woman…it makes me proud it makes me even prouder to admit that my first born son Vidar is partly responsible for the woman you have become…there is another thing I would like to give thanks for." Mikael continues as he walks over and rests his open hand on Henrik's shoulder.

"And that is that Henrik is still with us today, Vidar…my son everyone at this table owes you a debt for making it so we can all be together on this joyous day, so a toast to my three children two that defy the gods and death itself and to the other may she bring life soon." Mikael says and we all raise our goblets, Kol is giggling like a child while looking at a madly blushing Rebekah and a shy Henrik.

"You give me too much credit Father, Rebekah would have been an amazing Swordswoman without me…especially under your tutelage, To Rebekah and Henrik may you both live long fulfilled lives before moving on to Valhalla." I reply and give my own little response that everyone seems to eat up like a ravenous carrion predator, as Lagertha and Rebekah both rest their hands on my thighs. 

Once it looked like everyone had drunk their wine and were splitting off into their own little conversations I put Tatia to sleep as Mikael nods to me and then nods to Esther. 

Lagertha hands me my dagger and we turn to look at one another. "My Husband," "My Wife," "If this doesn't work we'll meet each other in the afterlife." Lagertha and I whisper to one another in perfect sync with each other as we slide the daggers into each other's hearts through our armpits, as we touch our foreheads together and give each other chaste kisses on the lips, both of us grunting in pain together as we here the startled cries of our siblings as Mikael runs them through with his sword. 

Thankfully everything fades away for me except Freya's heartbeat, "VIDAR ! ! !" I hear Freya's agonized scream in my head and my eyelids snap open and I'm overwhelmed with a pounding head, my senses in overdrive, it was almost like being reborn all over again…except now I see everything in 8k and can hear heartbeats that aren't mine and Freya's. 

I deliriously make it to my feet, and Esther appears beside me, shoving a bowl in my hands. "Drink this quickly, don't use your abilities." Esther says to me her voice gentle…almost loving as I turn to glare at her I can see her pulse pulsing in her throat, I feel this pain in my mouth and a change wash over my face,  I lunge forward press Esther up against the table and bite into her neck, her fresh hot blood flowing into my mouth the taste…can only be described as delicious like the perfectly temperature cup of hot cocoa. 

I drink deeply, choking on the blood like I was doing a keg stand at the Trade Institute, I start  regain control over myself and my senses I pull away from Esther's neck only to feel her hugging me and moaning underneath me trying to pull me back against her neck as Lagertha drinks from the bowl of Tatia's blood, I release Esther feeling a strange sense of disgusted arousal.

Mikael walks over and rests his hand on my shoulder carrying more blood as she looks me in the eyes and down at Esther who is looking like a bitch in heat.

"Drink, remember…Tatia's blood ties the magic together." Mikael says to me softly as he brings the bowl to my lips and I drink deeply.

'Do I tell him about…Freya…yes…it's time to tell him…just not the full story." I mutter in my mind.

"Father…when…when I was…dead I heard Freya shout in my mind and I can feel her heartbeat in my chest again like I could when we were children, and…and these memories that kind of feel like both a dream and a memory, played in my mind of a woman named Dahlia coming to take Freya away because of a bargain that was struck between her and Esther, I-I tried to fight back but I was nothing to her…she put her hands on my head and said forget and sleep." I say to Mikael unsurely, and I watch as Mikael's whole world seems to break, there isn't a single doubt in his eyes at my words as his head turns slowly to look down at Esther, his face turning into a bloodthirsty sneer.

"I know your words to be true my son…the evidence was there the blackened circle from where you drained the energy of nature, the trees turned to splinters and dust…I've always held my suspicions that events were not as they described…I know Dahlia holds great powers…can you stand against her as we are now?" Mikael asks me, shocking me. 

"Father, I am not confident…in being able to face her, not until I gain full control and mastery over myself after these changes…and we'll need to sharpen ourselves…I will tell you when I believe that I am ready…with mine and Freya's link restored…I believe Freya has become like us or at least will experience the benefits of what we've become." I reply to Mikael and he nods to me reluctantly in understanding.

"Our family will be whole my son…no matter how much time passes." Mikael says to me as we share pained smiles and we both look at Esther writhing on the table.