Later that day, after passing judgment on Avarine with her mother present, Ragnar went directly to Circe’s chambers.

He did not pause upon finding Morana already inside the room.

The moment the doors opened, his gaze swept across the chamber and landed briefly on the woman standing beside the bed, but he continued forward without breaking stride. He barely acknowledged Morana’s presence as he crossed the room and sat down on one of the empty chairs available.

He said nothing to her, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Circe. Her eyes bounced between mother and son as if she expected something explosive to occur. But nothing of that sort happened. The two just pretended like the other didn’t exist.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable and stifling.

Morana stood near Circe with the focus of someone determined to occupy herself entirely with her work. Not once did she stare at him with the same motherly look she had shown during their last encounter. He had admittedly responded poorly to it then, simply because he had not known how to handle something so unfamiliar. Receiving that kind of tenderness from her had felt strange and entirely foreign to him.

Whatever emotions had existed there before had been hidden away.

In their place was a type of professionalism that almost seemed cold. Because this was what he had asked from her. She cared about him and wanted to respect his clear boundaries no matter how much they hurt her.

She spoke only to Circe, even though she knew he was only a few feet away, listening to every word out of her mouth.

"How have you been sleeping lately?" Morana asked her. "Any dizziness? Nausea? Has the pain in your back worsened?"

Circe answered every question.

"And your appetite?" Morana continued. "Have you been eating enough?"

"A bit more than before," Circe admitted with a faint smile. "Though my husband still thinks I should eat twice as much as I already do. At this rate I will be as big as a house before the child is born."

That earned an amused scoff from Ragnar.

Morana did not react to the sound he just made. She didn’t look at him even though she knew she would find a smile on his face. She merely continued her work as though it had not affected her at all.

Whenever she needed to move around the room, she did so carefully, always trying to avoid wandering too close to Ragnar’s space.

She never stepped too close to him. Never attempted conversation. Never once sought his attention. Yet despite himself, Ragnar found his gaze drifting toward her from time to time. Small, furtive glances. So subtle they would have gone unnoticed by anyone else.

He told himself it was only because he wanted to ensure Circe was being cared for properly. That nothing more than caution kept part of his attention fixed upon Morana.

But some quieter part of him knew that was not entirely true.

Now that he knew who she truly was, he was curious about her, curious about the mother he had never gotten to know but he was too stubborn to admit it to himself.

He found himself observing details he had never cared to notice before— the confidence in the way she carried herself, the quiet authority beneath her calm demeanor, the intelligence in her eyes.

And still, he tried to ignore her. Instead, he focused his attention on Circe.

"The matter with Avarine has already been settled," he informed her calmly. "I will also deal with the rumors she started before they spread further."

Circe’s shoulders visibly relaxed at his words.

Ragnar stood up and came closer to her, a move that shrank the space between him and Morana. He sat at the edge of the bed next to her and he reached for her hand absentmindedly, brushing his thumb over her knuckles while he spoke to her with the same warmth and gentleness he always reserved just for her.

Yet even then, part of his attention remained fixed elsewhere. Watching to see if Morana would break the boundaries he had set between them in the hallway.

If she would try to speak to him. Look at him. Push for more than he was willing to give.

She did none of those things.

Her restraint should have appeased him.

Instead, for reasons he could not explain, it left him unreasonably displeased.

After some time, Circe shifted against the pillows she propped her head against. "What about the eastern rebellion?" she asked. She knew that he had waged open war on the rebels and the last time they spoke about it, he had made it clear that he was going to be very involved in the endeavor. He didn’t feel right sending soldiers to what could be their deaths while he remained safe and untouched behind the tall palace walls.

He might be a king now but he was still a soldier at heart.

"I leave in the next few days." He said to answer her question.

Circe frowned. "So soon?"

"It cannot wait."

Concern flickered on her face. "The rebels have grown more organized than before," she said. "If the fighting worsens—"

"I know," Ragnar interrupted gently.

Circe hesitated before adding carefully, "Then let me come with you."

Ragnar’s refusal came instantly. "No."

Her frown deepened. "Ragnar—"

Gods save her from this stubborn man. Sometimes it was impossible to reason with him.

"No.The last time you fought beside me I was worried sick that you would get hurt, and even then I should never have allowed it."

"I was fine."

"You are pregnant."

That alone, to him, ended the discussion entirely.

His gaze swept over her carefully, tension settling visibly on his face. "I will not risk your safety or our child’s safety for anything," he said firmly.

Circe sighed softly, though she knew from the look in his eyes that his decision would not change. "I only worry about you," she admitted quietly.

For a moment, Ragnar’s features softened.

"I know." He caressed her knuckles again, a silent apology speaking to her the way he just did. "Please, no more talk about you coming with me."

He felt ill just imagining her riding into danger again.

Throughout the exchange, Morana remained silent. She neither interrupted nor offered an opinion. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Then, several minutes later, she spoke.

It sounded almost as though she were merely thinking aloud.

"The eastern villages have always struggled with communication," Morana said. She was looking at neither of them. "Most of the settlements are spread too far apart, and the roads connecting them are poorly maintained. Historically, organized forces moving through the east have used that isolation to their advantage. One village can be attacked long before neighboring settlements even realize anything has happened."

She paused briefly before adding, "I observed this during my short stay in east. Years ago, during a territorial conflict in Innermost, similar geographic isolation was exploited repeatedly."

And then she simply moved on.

No further explanation. No attempt to elaborate. She merely returned her full attention to Circe as though she had not said anything particularly important at all.