Vikings

Ragnar: Previously on vikings...

- I order the arrest of floki for the murder of athelstan. -(floki shouts)

Ragnar: You betrayed my trust and my love for you.

I did as the gods commanded.

Are you going to kill me or not?

Bjorn: I've come to tell you I'm going away.

I want to go out into the wilderness.

Why are you really going?

Because you don't think I can survive.

Queen kwenthrith has been weakened by civil wars.

Without wessex, mercia is at the mercy

Of other saxon neighbors.

Eirik: Some of the warriors are unhappy with what is happening.

You're a frankish noble now.

I'll put all of their minds at ease.

Eirik: Rollo!

You have betrayed your own kind!

Ragnar will revenge us.

Guard 1: Over there!

-Bring the torches! We need light! -(dogs barking frantically)

Guard 2: Find him!

Guard 1: Check the barn! Guard 2: We need more!

Guard 3: Over here!

Guard 1: He's gone that way!

Floki has escaped, king ragnar.

Of course, he has.

Guard 2: This way!

Well...

Go find him.

We have some unexpected and urgent news from mercia.

We have heard that several leading mercian nobles,

Refusing to pay homage to us,

Have risen in revolt against queen kwenthrith,

And overthrown her.

As far as we know, she and her son magnus

Have been imprisoned in a tower somewhere.

Meanwhile, these rebel nobles

Have set themselves up as a ruling council!

This flagrant abuse of our last treaty with mercia

Cannot and will not be tolerated.

I've already sent word to king aelle, our ally, summoning him here.

It may be that this time we will have to use force to overcome mercia.

But not before we have made a last attempt

To rescue the queen and her son.

-You will have to find the tower first! -(murmuring)

My lord, we have already dispatched scouts.

We await their report.

In the meantime, we charge you all to give warning.

Summon your men and your supporters to arms.

But if, prince, they may well not be needed,

It would be a great and unnecessary expense

To keep good men idle and at arms.

Whatever the expense, my lord,

It is surely better to be ready

To seize the moment when it arrives,

Rather than see it wasted and gone.

What do you know about the burdens of expense?

Ecbert: My lords,

You talk as if it were an expensive luxury to keep a standing army.

But I warn you, it is rather a necessity,

For ragnar lothbrok, or others just like him,

Could return to these shores at any moment!

I beg you, cease your quarrels.

We are talking about the destiny of wessex!

Did you free floki, helga?

I don't know. I might have done.

Angrboda, come.

I don't blame you.

It is your duty as a wife.

Floki loves you.

He only loves himself.

You know that better than anyone.

Winter is coming.

Whatever happens,

You and your child will need to eat.

It's food.

- Captain: Two flanks! - (soldiers grunting)

- Captain: Three! Back! - (grunting)

Get those gates open!

Captain: High!

Two, watch your flanks!

Three! Retrieve!

Captain: Make way for the king!

Our mercian scouts.

All of them?

Sentry: Soldier approaching!

Sentry: He's one of ours.

- Captain: Back, one! - (grunting)

- Captain: Two! Flank! - (grunting)

- Captain: Three! - (grunting)

- Captain: Again! - (grunting)

- Captain: High! - (grunting)

You know where the tower is?

Yes.

And you can lead us there?

- Ecbert: Who told you? - I don't know.

Then how can you trust him?

He told me he refused to join the ruling council.

What was his name?

- I only knew him as "w." - ecbert: "w?"

- Yes, sire. - And still you trust him?

Yes.

Of course he's a member of the ruling council.

They're using kwenthrith as bait.

- It's obvious. - It's obvious to you.

What does that mean?

Well, it's the way you think.

Not everyone thinks like you, father.

Then you are prepared to trust this man's word,

And go with him to mercia?

You go with some of our best warriors.

God also goes with you, my son.

If you have any cause to doubt the honesty of your scout,

Then think as I would think.

And kill him, without conscience.

I will bear your advice in mind, father.

And, whatever else,

Save the son!

Save magnus.

Captain: Mount up!

Aethelwulf: Well, farewell, wife.

Now I trust you again,

Our parting feels less sorrowful.

Aethelwulf: Let's go!

Captain: Move out!

What is wrong?

I have just seen my husband

Ride away into the greatest danger.

Judith, whatever happens, I...

Just because you are king,

You must not presume that things will go on as before.

I never assume anything.

After all, you cannot force me to share your bed.

Well, I would not dream of forcing you.

Force is only necessary against one's enemies.

And besides,

I want you to be free.

Free?

Yes.

Not just protected...

But free.

To be yourself.

I can imagine that you have never been free

In your whole life.

Not since you were born.

Being a princess made it all the worse.

You've lived in a gilded cage.

But, a cage...

All the same.

It's true.

I was not free to choose my husband.

You might have chosen otherwise?

Possibly.

And do you suppose any other prince

Would have allowed you to be free, hmm?

So, when you say "free,"

What is it you mean?

How can I be free?

Let me...

Let me ask you something, judith.

What do you really want?

What do you really want to do?

If you were free to choose,

What would give you the most pleasure and satisfaction?

Go on, say it.

Whatever you're thinking.

I'd like to be a painter,

Like athelstan.

Very well.

Then I will find you a great teacher to instruct you.

- I don't believe you. - Why not?

Because no woman has ever been allowed

To study or work on the sacred texts.

Check those ashes!

Hunter: It is still warm.

He cannot be far away from us.