Vikings: Valhalla season 3 episode 6 opens with a man whose face isn't clear walking up the gate of abandoned Jomsborg. He goes in and sees the remnants of the fight with Magnus' men: the remains of the shrines, the burned bodies and the empty settlement. He lingers at the fake shrine to Freydis. It's Leif (Sam Corlett). He's returned to the north.
Meanwhile, in Constantinople, Harald (Leo Suter) waits in prison for his trial. Empress Zoe (Sofia Lebedeva) bribes a guard to see him. Harald tells her he knows she and Romanos used him. She apologizes. Zoe tells him Maniakes (Florian Munteanu) has turned jurisdiction for the trial to the church, so she won't be able to pardon him. She apologizes again, but he tells her that his own greed led to this. She slips away.
What else happens in Vikings: Valhalla season 3 episode 6? Read on to find out.
Family visits get complicated
In Kattegat, Queen Ælfgifu (Pollyanna McIntosh) prepares the great hall for the arrival of King Canute (Bradley Freegard) and Queen Emma (Laura Berlin). At the harbor, crowds of people gather to welcome the Viking king of England. Svein (Jakob Femerling Andersen) and Katla (Kateryna Bratchyna) are on hand to greet Emma, Canute and Harthacanute (Huey O'Meara) and take them to the great hall. Svein is surprised to see Canute brought Alfred (Henry Proctor) and Edward (Cal O'Driscoll).
In Greenland, Erik (Goran Visnjic), Freydis (Frida Gustavsson), young Harald (Luke Harmon) and a crew of Freydis' people return from a fishing trip. Freydis is angry to find out that while they were gone some of her father's men took her other boat and left to hunt.
Her people also show Freydis the storehouse lock has been broken and half of their supplies have been taken by Erik's people. Freydis is angry and worried about what her father will do to keep them there. She tells Stigr (Leander Vyvey) they need to leave.
Back in Kattegat, Queen Emma walks into the great hall to greet Queen Ælfgifu, not sure if she's going to be welcomed. It's awkward at first, because both queens have a history and children with Canute, but Emma cuts through the tension to tell Queen Ælfgifu that Canute is dying. She implies Canute is there to choose an heir to the throne. Of course, both queens want one of their sons on the throne of England. Canute comes into the hall with almost all of his potential heirs; only Harefoot is missing.
Tensions continue to rise in Greenland. As Erik makes a speech at dinner in the long house about the two groups becoming one, Freydis interrupts him. She says they were happy to help, but they will be leaving the next day. Freydis also says there are four open seats on the boats if any of Erik's people want to leave. Erik doesn't take that well. When four people quickly accept Freydis' offer, Erik flips the head table and storms off.
The next day Freydis approaches Erik, who is staring out over the water. He is livid she challenged his leadership in front of everyone. He yells at her, but she yells right back because she's angry he was trying to undermine her authority and force them to stay. Freydis tells him she will leave him a ship, some seeds and some supplies but they are leaving.
Harald's trial
Harald is brought into the great hall before the archbishop, the empress, Maniakes and a crowd of people, charged with murdering the emperor. Harald asks why he would kill the emperor when he was the emperor's favorite. Maniakes counters Harald killed the emperor because he wanted to be emperor. He accuses Harald and Zoe of plotting together.
As proof, Maniakes has Batu (Taylor James), one of Harald's closest friends, brought into the room. Batu says he never saw Harald with the empress. But, Maniakes has soldiers bring in Dorn (Eleanor McLynn), who has clearly been beaten, and Batu is torn between saving Dorn and lying to protect Harald.
Maniakes asks again if Batu knows whether or not Harald and Zoe had sex. Harald speaks up, and claims he raped Zoe. He confesses to killing the emperor to spare Zoe and his men. Harald is sentenced to public execution.
A royal gift
Harefoot (Pyry Kähkönen) and Godwin (David Oakes) arrive in Kattegat for the great succession meeting. Harefoot is happy to see his mother, Queen Ælfgifu, and his father King Canute. No one is really happy to see Godwin, especially not Ælfgifu, because of their past. Harefoot tells Canute Forkbeard is dead. Godwin lets Canute know, in his weaselly way, that Harefoot was responsible.
The next day, Canute rides out to the battlefield outside of Kattegat. He remembers his victory there and the speech he gave to the Vikings who fought for him. While he's lost in the past, Leif shows up. Canute is very glad to see Leif.
As they catch up he asks Leif why he came back to Kattegat. Leif says he came to find a ship and a crew to find a new land to the west. Canute gifts Leif what he needs in thanks for Leif's help bringing down London Bridge when Canute was fighting for the throne of England.
Betrayal
Harald is rowed by soldiers out to a stone prison and execution site on a small island offshore. As the boat pulls in he sees the bodies of Kaysan, Batu and Dorn. They were executed for lying to the church to protect him. Harald is lowered down into a deep pit to wait for his execution.
In Greenland, Erik watches Freydis and her people prepare to leave. As night falls he goes to the harbor where Freydis' captain and advisor Aki (Eoghain Francis Kiernan) is making sure the ship is ready. Erik kills him and dumps the body into the water.
Then Erik wakes Harald up from his bed in the long house and kidnaps him. He takes Harald and starts walking out of the settlement.
All episodes of Vikings: Valhalla season 3 are available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
