Alfred regains his health just when his elder brother Aethelred is buried with pomp after a mysterious death, which queen-mother Judith reveals was her poison, scolding Alfred as king must do such terrible things to stay in power. The news of a large fleet of Danes approaching Wessex enables Ubbe to convince Alfred to give him free hand as Saxon-Viking army commander. In York, Harald must offer ally Bjorn the same deal with he had with common enemy Ivar, whom they plan to overthrow: when Bjorn dies, Harald may succeed as king of Kattegat will be Harald's. Gunnhild remains Bjorn's lover but privately implies she will marry Harald when he is king of Norway. In Kattegat, 'god' Ivar anxiously forces 'disloyal' Hvitserk -by threatening his hostage-made partner- to go on a diplomatic mission to his northern ally Olaf the Stout. In Iceland, Floki is held at knife-point while the rescue party which Eyvind and his family welcomed in a terrible state are traitorously murdered by Kjetill and Frodi. Floki begs to spare at least loyal Helgi, but Kjetill decapitates him and places the heads on spikes. After Floki recounts the bloodbath in the settlement, Aud jumps to death into Gullfoss waterfall.
—KGF Vissers