Ubbe has left his wife and returned to Torvi. His former wife now lives alone in a small house in Kattegat, struggling to survive as a free woman for the first time. She once belonged to no one, yet was claimed by many. Hvitserk loved her silently and let Ubbe marry her out of loyalty. Now, seeing her abandoned and humiliated, Hvitserk is torn between brotherhood and the love he never allowed himself to claim.

The fire inside the house burns low, shadows dancing along the wooden walls. Footsteps crunch outside—hesitant, familiar. Hvitserk stands at the door longer than necessary, guilt heavy in his chest. He has faced battles without fear, yet this moment makes his hands tremble.

“I should not be here,” he says quietly from the doorway, eyes fixed on you, voice heavy with everything he never said. “But I could not stay away.”