A young royal guard named Halvar was sprinting at maximum speed.

Halvar ran past Ragnar’s house and stopped in front of the local washing wells.

A young woman named Hilda was scrubbing wool tunics in a wooden tub. She was the personal maid for the royal family.

"Hilda!" Halvar shouted loudly, "Drop the clothes! You must come in a hurry to see the Queen! Something is wrong!"

Hilda dropped the wet wool tunic into the dirt. She started running toward the royal house.

The guard turned around and sprinted. He ran toward a newly built stone building with a wooden sign above the door.

This was the city’s medical clinic. Halvar burst through the door.

Less than five seconds later, he ran back out.

Right behind the guard was Doctor Rollo.

Doctor Rollo was a tall, thin man who used to be a traditional Viking healer. However, King Ragnar had retrained him over the last two years.

Rollo used boiled water, clean linen bandages, and anatomical observations.

Halvar grabbed Doctor Rollo by the arm in a hurry. He pulled the doctor down the street.

Standing in the dirt street, Ragnar felt his heart stop.

All the brass cannons, all the iron plows, and all the diplomatic alliances in the world meant nothing to him if his wife was in danger.

Gyda, the Queen of the Iron Kingdom was laying in the bed. Her eyes were closed. Her face was pale and covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

Hilda the maid was standing next to the bed. She was holding a clean cloth soaked in cool water, gently pressing it against Gyda’s forehead.

Doctor Rollo was standing on the other side of the bed. He had opened his leather medical bag.

He placed two fingers against the vein on the side of Gyda’s neck. He pulled a small glass hourglass from his bag and watched the falling sand to measure her heart rate.

Ragnar walked slowly toward the bed.

"Rollo..." Ragnar said, "What is happening?"

Doctor Rollo finished counting. He looked up at Ragnar.

"Your Majesty," Doctor Rollo reported. "She has not suffered any trauma or poisoning."

"Then why did she collapse?" Ragnar demanded.

Doctor Rollo nodded. He looked at Gyda’s pale skin and the slight blue tint under her fingernails.

"Your Majesty, I do not believe this is a deadly plague," Doctor Rollo explained. "The Queen is in the fifth month of gestation. Furthermore, she works twelve hours a day managing the intelligence network. She does not sleep enough. I deduce that she is suffering from severe exhaustion and a lack of iron in her blood."

Ragnar let out a shuddering sigh.

"Iron deficiency..." Ragnar stated. "You are correct, Rollo, she skips meals and does not consume enough red meat or leafy green vegetables."

"There is no need for panic. We need to replenish her chemical reserves." Rollo agreed.

Ragnar turned to the young guard, Halvar, who was standing nervously by the bedroom door.

"Halvar." Ragnar ordered. "Go to the main kitchens right now. Tell the head cook to prepare a thick stew made of beef liver, fresh spinach, and carrots. I want a large bowl brought to this room."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Halvar saluted proudly and sprinted out of the room.

Ragnar turned to the maid. "Add one spoonful of honey and a pinch of sea salt."

"Right away, King Ragnar." Hilda bowed quickly and hurried down the stairs.

Ragnar reached out and took Gyda’s hand. Her skin was cool, but he could feel the pulse of her heartbeat. H

Doctor Rollo smiled proudly and packed his hourglass back into his leather bag. "Your Majesty. I will leave you now. She simply needs rest and food."

Rollo walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Slowly, Gyda’s bright blue eyes fluttered open. She blinked twice, adjusting to the light of the oil lantern on the bedside table.

She looked at the ceiling, and then she looked at Ragnar sitting next to her.

She tried to sit up, but Ragnar placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her firmly back onto the pillows.

"Do not move~" Ragnar commanded. "It is impossible to sustain that level of energy output without eating properly."

Gyda sighed. She looked at her rounded stomach. "I forgot to eat breakfast. And lunch."

"Well," Ragnar stated. "I have ordered a massive bowl of beef liver stew. You are going to eat every single bite. And starting tomorrow, you are banned from reading spy reports before eight o’clock in the morning."

Gyda narrowed her eyes. "You cannot ban me from my own intelligence network, Ragnar. I am the Queen."

"I am the King~" Ragnar smiled warmly, leaning down and kissing her pale forehead. "You are going to rest."

Magnus suddenly stood up from the corner of the room. The toddler waddled over to the bed. He held up his small wooden block and offered it directly to his mother.

She smiled softly and took the wooden block from her son.

"Thank you, Magnus." Gyda whispered. She looked back at Ragnar. "I am sorry I scared you."

"You terrified me..." Ragnar admitted, "I realized that all of my industry means nothing without you here to share it with me."

Ragnar sat still on the edge of the bed, holding his wife’s hand and watching his son play on the floor.

Gyda let out a weak scoff, shifting slightly against the linen pillows. "If I am banned until eight, the southern outposts will fall behind on their trade logsز"

"The southern outposts can manage their own ledgersز" Ragnar replied, "The kingdom will not crumble because you slept past dawn."

Before she could argue, a knock echoed from the hallway. Halvar pushed the door open, carefully balancing a large wooden tray.

The rich, savory aroma of roasted root vegetables, iron-heavy meat, and salted broth filled the quiet bedroom.

Magnus dropped his wooden blocks with a clatter, his attention diverted by the steam rising from the tray.

Ragnar took the heavy ceramic dish from the guard, resting it on the bedside table.

"Sit up slowly." Ragnar instructed, picking up a spoon. "And do not think I am above feeding you myself if you try to negotiate your way out of this meal."

Gyda managed a tired smile, reaching out. "Just hand me the spoon, Ragnar."