Ragnar Lothbrok Sea King: The Untold Story by Robert Peterson
Then Queen Aslaug came to the throne room and sat on Ragnar’s throne, a thing that she had never done before, her eyes were red with sorrow and tears. She called everyone in the palace to attend her, then she announced, with great sobs of grief, that the king was dead. The Saxons had murdered him; his ghost had told her this as it made its way to the hall of heroes in Asgard.
Her son Ivar was the only one of Ragnar’s sons at court; he said little but condoled his mother. When I saw a tear fall from his eye, I knew in my heart that a thousand would die for that one tear, for I knew Ivar well. When it was said that Ragnar’s other three sons should be told, she said there was but little need to send messengers; they had heard Ragnar’s ghost as well, and when the raiding season drew near, they and their men would be in the city.
Ivar took the building of ships into his own hands; soon, all who could work went to the shipyard to build more vessels of war. Dozens of ships were seen rising from the yard, some exceedingly large. They looked like many lean and hungry serpents as they waited, row upon row.