Warrior of Valhalla

"Warrior of Valhalla" takes place directly after "Rebellion Meeting" when Mera returns to the family chambers.
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Mera Violet Haddock: Mera closed the door softly behind her and shook her head. They want me as queen, do they? she mused to herself.
In a way, she had already been queen for multiple years, yet she had never… received much publicity for it. She had simply been “Haddock’s wife,” there in the background to most people. The public did not recognize her face as they did Haddock’s, and she could waltz around in simple rural clothing rather than gallant capes and polished armor. She had indeed still felt much more like an innkeeper’s daughter than royalty.
So it felt very strange, all of a sudden, for these rebels to have called her a queen.
She was so distracted in her thoughts, that even as Egil ran up and began telling her some strange muddled story about a mouse on the floor, she almost forgot to nod and smile and pretend she understood everything he meant.
Yet her attention honed directly in on her son the moment he pulled out his toy sword, began swinging around, and asked, “So when we gonna see Dad, huh Ma? You said we gonna see him real soon didn’tja? Where is he? I wanna show him how good I am with my sword!” He began swinging around the small wooden blade with grade fervor and very little actual coordination. She flinched as the toy whacked against a nearby table.
Mera then glanced up at the sharpened sword still resting on the fireplace’s mantle. “Egil,” she said. “Put that sword down. Momma’s gonna tell you where Daddy’s at.”
For once, her son did not object to her command - probably because he believed this would sooner reunite him with his father.
"It’s has been so long since I seen him, Ma!"
"Yes," she said, and gestured for him to sit beside her on the bed. He came up, plopped himself heavily beside her, and kept playing with his sword. Mera had to take it away from him and grab both of his hands to gain his full attention.
"Egil, look dear, it turns out that your father has gone away again, okay?"
"Awwww… again?" the boy moaned.
"Yes," she said. "Again. But this time… this time he’s not coming back."
"Why? Doesn’t he wanna see me?"
"He loves you very much, and loves nothing more than spending time with you. But he has no choice. Egil… do you remember the stories about warriors who go to Valhalla?"
"Yes! I love those stories! The heroes who go to Valhalla when they fight in battle and they-"
Before Egil could speak an entire exuberant book about his favorite myths, Mera shushed him and said, “Well, your daddy’s become one of those great heroes. He’s died and gone to Valhalla, and he’s not coming back to see us because he can’t go back. No one can return from Valhalla.”
The boy frowned.
Mera squeezed her eyes shut before she forced herself to continue the explanation. “But he’s very proud of you, Egil, and he wishes he could be with you. He just… he can’t. I’m sorry, dear. Okay? So you keep practicing that sword. It’d make your dad very proud.”
And though she smiled up at her boy, her boy which looked so very much like his father… she felt her first tear leak down her cheek.
Egil holding up a wooden sword… that’s the closest I’ll ever see of Gareth again.
Category:Season 3
Category:Events
Category:Mera Violet Haddock
Category:Egil Ander Haddock
Category:BOTGD