King Ragnar had left Ulf's house but the look on his face was another but joyful, he was fuming as Ulf had clearly said something to upset him but what that is, one cannot discern.

King Ragnar had learned to control his emotions because he knew if he threw a tantrum, it could be seen as a sign of weakness.

That was one thing that Ragnar did not need, he needed something to take his mind off the conversation he just had with his brother.

Ulf did not walk him out but he was seen shutting the door after Ragnar left, holding his bloody nose.

Ragnar walked for a few minutes, and everyone looked at him with admiration but someone soon stood in front of Ragnar and he felt all the anger he had accumulated lift off his shoulders the moment he saw who the person was.

"Hagen!" Ragnar called out.

-

The two men had gone to a nearby tavern to drink and catch up like old times, Hagen had little difficulty finding Ragnar considering how freely he was walking around Kattegat and the whispers of the people.

Ragnar was a light drinker but he missed spending time with Hagen.

"It is so good to see you, King Ragnar!" Hagen said, as he poured himself a cup of ale before slamming the bottle on the table, the durability of the bottle did not allow it to break or chip.

"I cannot say the same of you, friend. You look like shit!" Ragnar teased his old friend and this made Hagen chuckle.

"I sometimes ask myself why Sif is still married to me, but I am even more surprised that Lagertha married you," Hagen fired back, making himself the object of the joke he was about to play on Ragnar.

But he noticed the brief change in Ragnar's demeanor that made Hagen wary of the next words that came out of his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Hagen asked, and Ragnar's forced smile did not convince Hagen as this only confirmed his suspicion that Ragnar was not okay.

"I am okay Hagen, but I think I should head back to get my men," Ragnar said, he tried to end the conversation but Hagen was not going to let his friend just leave like that when they had barely caught up.

"King Ragnar, I want you to meet my kids.." Hagen said, and Ragnar was surprised by this because he had never really spent time with Hagen's kids.

Ragnar's eyes lit up as he liked kids himself.

"Absolutely!" Ragnar exclaimed, forgetting what he had just said earlier.

-

Hagen had guided Ragnar back to his home after both men had a few drinks together, Ragnar was tipsy but he was still fully conscious.

Hagen and Ragnar stumbled into the house and Sif was speechless, she did not know how to act or what to say because this was the first time she had a King in her house and part of her worried about what her husband had done.

There was a limit to their friendship, Ragnar was not the man her husband knew and there were sure to be consequences that Hagen could otherwise get away with as Ragnar was no longer an ordinary man.

She had heard stories about him and wondered if he was a man at all.

Sif immediately tried to excuse the two men as she was also about to gesture for her two kids to leave the house to give the men the space they needed.

They lived in a wooden house that Hagen had built himself, it lacked additional rooms even though Hagen had plans to expand his home as he has been trying with Sif for another child but to no avail.

Hagen told his wife that it was okay, King Ragnar wanted to meet them after all so there was no need for her to excuse the men.

Sif hung her head, not daring to look Ragnar in the eyes, Ursa noticed what her mother was doing and found herself mimicking her.

Floki, however, was different as he walked up to Ragnar like he was about to greet him.

Ragnar looked at the kid and smiled, Hagen looked excited.

He was glad that the years and titles did not make Ragnar, he was still the same man he has known over the years but Hagen could not have predicted what happened next, not even in a million years.

Floki, 10, had pulled Ragnar's beard out of the blue and Sif could already see herself burying a child as her heart dropped quite literally.

Sif glanced over at Hagen, expecting to see her husband panicking just as she was but Hagen did not look worried and instead, watched both men burst into laughter.

Sif was both confused and perplexed as she saw Ragnar trying to reciprocate what Floki had done to him to the child but Floki did not have any beards prompting the younger child to laugh.

"W-What the hell is happening?" Sif thought to herself as she did not understand just what kind of relationship her husband shared with this man known as Ragnar.

Floki was made to feel among, and Ragnar showed his charisma did not just apply to adults but kids as well.

Ursa peeked at her brother who was seated on the right side of Ragnar and flashed her father before looking at her mother like she was looking for approval.historical

Sif did not know what to do but a voice soon rang out.

"Ursa! What are you doing over there? Come here!" Ragnar called out to her and Ursa could not contain her excitement but she still needed her mother's approval.

Sif sighed before nodding, allowing the fourteen-year-old girl to enjoy the same kind of treatment her younger brother was enjoying.

This showed that despite his title as a King, not much had changed with how Ragnar has become as a person.

The only thing that had changed was his relationship with Askild and not Kattegat as a whole.