“Allete?” Torben said, his voice slightly hesitant.
“I am here,” I answered.
“Did I say something wrong?”
I shook my head but then remembered that he would not be able to see me. “No. That is the problem, Torben. You said everything right. That woman in your bed will be very lucky indeed.”
“She might not feel that way after being stuck with me for a few decades,” he chuckled. “I am a warrior first and a lover second.”
“A warrior is what is needed first. A warrior is what keeps her safe, protected, and you alive so you can be a lover to her. I say, be the best warrior you can be to ensure you always return to her.” I did not know where these words came from, but they felt right.
I heard some commotion outside of the door, and then my sister’s voice. “Move out of my way, or I will skewer you where you stand.”
That brought a smile to my face.
“We are not the enemy,” Brant said gruffly. “I told you it was Cathal who hurt her.”
“You are her guards, are you not? So why in bloody hell were you not guarding her?”
“Dayna.” Torben’s voice, calm but firm, spoke up. “Cathal had his own men here. We could not have stopped them without resorting to violence. If we had killed his guards, it would have reflected poorly on your father.”
“Well, you could have done something,” she spat.
Deciding she had abused them enough, I stood, wiping the remaining tears from my eyes, and opened the door. The sight before me was quite comical. Dayna had a short sword in each hand. She had backed Brant up against the wall with one of the swords dangerously close to parts I was sure the poor man would not want to lose. My sister always did have a mean streak.
The other sword was held up to fend off Torben, who stood with his hands raised, trying, but failing, to make his bulky frame look nonthreatening. When their heads turned to look at me, Brant made his move. One hand grabbed Dayna’s wrist and relieved her of the sword, while the other wrapped around her waist, turning her until her back was pressed to his chest. At the same time, Torben grabbed the other wrist and took that sword. Their movements were coordinated, as if they knew instinctively what the other one was thinking.
My eyes were wide, and I was sure matched Dayna’s dazed look.
“What just happened?” Dayna said a little breathlessly.
“You made a fatal mistake, little warrior,” Brant said gruffly, though his eyes gleamed with humor.
“You took your eyes off your opponent,” Torben explained. “You allowed yourself to be distracted. It is a deadly error to make, and one you will only make once.”
My lips tilted up slightly as I watched my sister’s face redden as she frowned at Torben’s jest.
“Thank you for the tip,” she bit out and attempted to pull away from Brant’s hold. “Let me go.”
“Nay, I like where you are,” Brant said as he winked at me.
Dayna shot me a look that promised retaliation if I did not interfere. She had come to my defense so I decided not to let her torture continue. “Brant, please release my sister.”
The large man let his hand run across her stomach to her waist where he squeezed her gently before letting her go. Dayna whipped around and glared at him. Brant was not ashamed in the least.
“My sword?” she said, holding out her hand.
“I think I should hold onto it until you learn how to use it safely.”
She was about to say something more, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back until she was standing beside me in the threshold.
“Thank you for fetching my sister,” I told Brant and then looked at Torben. I had felt his eyes on me ever since he had taken my sister’s sword, but I had not been able to look at him. I did not want him to see the longing that I knew would be in my eyes—longing for him and the words he had shared with me. “Thank you for…” I paused, unsure of what to say. Did I say thank you for talking to me through the door and distracting me? That seemed like a little more info than Brant and my sister needed to hear, at least until Dayna nagged the information out of me. “Just… thank you,” I finally breathed out.
I pushed Dayna behind me and walked backward into the room. As I was closing the door, Torben stepped forward, putting his hand out to stop it. “We will be out here all night. Just us. We will not be changing guards this evening.”
“That is not necessary. The other guards have been trained to protect me and have always done a respectable job,” I said, mentally stomping on the butterflies that were currently throwing a ball in my stomach.
“Good is not sufficient,” Torben said. He narrowed his eyes at me, and his lips grew taunt across his handsome face. “After what that bastard—” He paused. “Forgive my crudeness. But after what he did, you need superior guards. Guards willing to die for you. Are any of your guards, with families of their own, really willing to die for you?”
I was taken aback by his blunt question and irritated that he thought himself to be so much better than the men who had guarded me for so long. I did not want to admit that he did have a point. Some of my guards did have families of their own. I would not want them to put their lives before my own when they had people depending on them.
“You only met me a week and a half ago. And now you are saying you are willing to die for me?” I asked as I crossed my arms across my chest and began tapping my foot. My shoulder was throbbing, but I attempted to look fierce and hide the discomfort. Apparently, I was not convincing.
“We do not need to get into this right now, Princess. You are tired and in pain.” He leaned in closer, and his silver eyes seemed to be swirling as the flames of the torches on the wall were reflected in them. “For now, just trust that you will be safest in my care.”
I was done arguing. There would be a time later when I would have my wits about me. Then I would be able to question him further, but not now.
“Fine. Have a good night.”
Torben dropped his hand and stepped back, allowing me to close the door. My eyes held his until the door blocked my sight of him.
“Sit down,” Dayna commanded as she gathered the wash basin and a cloth. She pulled a small vile from her dress pocket and set it on the vanity. “Now, I am going to clean up this bite and you are going to tell me what the bloody hell happened. And then you are going to tell me what is going on between you and Torben.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning puzzlement.
“Oh, come on. There are sparks between you a blind woman could see. No, wait, those aren’t sparks. It is more like a blazing inferno.”
“That is ridiculous,” I scoffed. Inwardly, I was screaming that I needed to be better about hiding my attraction to him. I knew I glanced at him entirely too often. I thought of him way more than a betrothed woman should think about another man.
“I know you,” Dayna said softly as she moved the dress from my shoulder and then let out a string of curses. “That man is mad. There is no way a sane man would do something like this.”
She began cleaning the wound and poured a bit of the liquid from the vial into the puncture marks. It smelled rank and burned like fire. I flinched and gritted my teeth.
“Ouch, what is that? Are you cleaning the wound or trying to kill me?”
“Just a bit of something I picked up from an acquaintance in the market. You’re not the only one with healing powers. You’ll be good as new in the morning. Now, quit being a baby and spill your guts.”
Just as I suspected, she continued her inquisition. “All right, start from the top and do not dare attempt to spare me from the grizzly details. I am not a child, Allete. If you do, you get the whole bottle.” She shook the putrid green vial at me.
I looked at her in the mirror as she stood behind me. “I know you are not a child. You are growing into a remarkable, albeit foul-mouthed, woman.”
“You bet your arse I am.” She grinned. “Now, get on with it.”
And so I did
. I relived every detail for her and somehow managed to keep the tears at bay. After all, I was truly beginning to wonder how long I would be alive once I returned with Cathal to his kingdom—probably just long to bear him an heir. Once he had a male child, I would no longer have any value to him, unless he decided to keep me to meet his carnal needs. If that was what was to happen, then I would take matters into my own hands, literally. I would not live as a man’s slave. Death was a much better alternative, and one I would gladly embrace when the time came.
“The worse part of it wasn’t what Cathal did,” I said. “The worst part was Torben seeing it.” My stomach clenched as I remembered the look in his eyes and the embarrassment I felt at having him witness something so vile.
“He didn’t do anything?” Dayna asked.
“He wanted to, but Cathal was just waiting for a reason to have his guards stab Torben and Brant. I didn’t want that.”
“You have feelings for him.”
I nodded. How could I deny it? She was right. There were sparks between us, and I liked him so much more than I should. “I can’t be with him. Not only am I getting married, but he’s a guard. No matter how I feel about him, even without Cathal in the picture, I could never marry Torben.”
“It’s so wrong,” Dayna grumbled. “You shouldn’t have to be with someone you don’t love just because you’re the firstborn daughter to a king.”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to let Father or Mother down.”
“If they knew what Cathal was doing to you, they would never allow you to marry him.”
“And our kingdom would fall to ruin,” I reminded her. “We need what Cathal can offer.”
“We need to just kill him and take his kingdom,” Dayna growled.
“Bite your tongue, Dayna Auvray. That’s treason.”
“I don’t care. That man doesn’t deserve to be king of a mole hill. He needs to get a taste of his own medicine, preferably the kind that would stop his wicked heart in his chest.”
I wanted to disagree with her but I couldn’t, so I just kept my mouth shut. Instead, I let my thoughts drift to Torben, a man who was slowly stealing my heart. How was I going to marry Cathal when I wanted so desperately to explore what my guard and I had between us? It was a hopeless situation. I wanted to fall asleep, wake up, and realize it had all been a nightmare, or at least the parts that had Cathal in them.
“Never have I wanted to torture a human being without any mercy as I do now. Perhaps I have never known just exactly what I am capable of. But someone I hold dear to my heart is in danger. She drives me crazy. Yet thinking about a life without her leaves an emptiness inside me that I cannot bear. I would do anything to protect her. If that means torture or murder … so be it.”
* * *
~Torben
I was envisioning the most painful ways I could remove Cathal’s hands from his body when I heard the screams. Brant and I immediately moved to cover Allete. It did not go unnoticed that Cathal simply turned in the direction of the noise without offering any sort of shelter to the woman he was pledged to marry.
“Northmen!” I heard someone shout. My shoulders tensed as I looked at Brant from the corner of my eye.
At first, I feared someone had discovered one of my men masquerading as a Briton soldier. But I dismissed the idea quickly. Much more likely, some of Magnus’ men had been discovered. I had no reason to think that witch’s charm was no longer working, and Magnus’ men were sloppy, a reflection of their leader. I had not sent anyone back to check in with our Jarl, because I did not want to them risk being seen by the wrong person. It would look too suspicious if a palace guard or king’s soldier were seen continually sneaking off into the woods. But I had seen a few of our comrades, if that was what we should call them, dressed in peasant or merchant clothes, milling about the grounds.
“Do you not think you should go and see what the commotion is about?” Cathal asked me. He was straightening his cuffs, and his lips were tight, making his simple question sound like a command.
I did not particularly like taking commands, especially from men like Cathal who preyed on the weak and vulnerable. And there was no way I was going to leave Allete alone with Cathal and his men.
“The princess is our charge,” I said, looking him straight in the eye, something kings did not appreciate from those of lower rank. “We are not to leave her for any reason.”
The pompous ass waved my words off. “That was before she had my men and me to look after her. You are no longer needed here.”
Brant bumped me. It was subtle, as though he had tripped a little as he turned. That small bump spoke volumes. In essence, he was telling me shut the hell up. But he, of anyone, should have known that I did not take orders from men like Cathal. I was the commander of the warriors of the Hakon clan. I had proven myself in battle over and over. Therefore, during any battle, I was the final word. But now I knew something bigger than myself and my men was at stake. I had Allete to consider.
I turned to Allete and attempted to soften my voice. “Princess, would you like us to investigate the disturbance?”
“I—”
“You do not need to ask her.” Cathal cut her off.
His face was as red as a ripe tomato, and I thought at any moment steam would be coming out of his ears.
“I am her husband, and I will answer for her.”
I was about to correct him but Allete beat me to it.
“Excuse me,” she snapped at Cathal. She had turned her body so that she was facing him directly. Her back was as straight as a Viking short sword, and her eyes were that of a hawk eyeing its prey. She was beautiful.
“You speak out of turn, my lord. I am no man’s wife. Not yet. I am the princess of England, and I have the power to give orders to my own guardsmen.”
Then she turned those fierce eyes on me. I struggled to keep from smiling at her, but that would only enrage Cathal more. So instead I remained motionless, holding her gaze, silently willing her to understand my intentions. I needn’t have worried. I wasn’t yet sure if she cared that I was the one guarding her, but it was obvious she did not want to be alone with Cathal.
“My father gave you orders to protect me. You cannot do that if you are not with me. So my little female brain deduces that you must stay here to obey your king’s command.”
Cathal was glaring at Allete. She simply turned and returned his stare. She was not about to back down. I was proud of her; she had the heart of a warrior. I was also worried for her. Her betrothed did not handle confrontation well. He would not let the slight go, even if he was momentarily bested.
Cathal stepped closer to her and wrapped his hand around her arm. His grip was tight and his manner possessive. He jerked her forward, and Brant and I moved to follow them. When he saw our intent, he turned to stare daggers at us. The contempt in his gaze would have made a lesser man tremble. But it simply made me more eager to have his neck at the end of my sword.
“Proper etiquette dictates that chaperones remain sixteen yards behind their charges, unseen and unheard. You will abide by your king’s rules.”
I wanted to refuse. But as soon as Cathal had turned away, Allete brought her arm behind her back and rocked her finger back and forth as if she were reprimanding a child. She did not want me to interfere. My jaw clenched as I stood still, watching them get farther and farther away.
“Dammit,” I bit out. “How can I protect her if she is that far away?” I slung my hand out in the direction Allete and Cathal were walking.
Brant chuckled lightly. “Would you carry her instead?” he whispered.
I growled in response.
Brant nudged me. “That is far enough. We can proceed.”
My body was tense and my movements rigid as I watched Cathal wrap an arm around Allete’s waist and pull her into his body.
“Don’t forget hanging him from the back of a skeid,” Brant said conversationally.
“What?” I was momentarily taken aback.
/> “The skeid. One of my personal favorites. I can see you are thinking of ways to dismember the man. Hanging a scoundrel from the back of the skeid with his torso above water and letting the fish do their work. That has always been one of my personal favorites. I don’t want you to forget it,” Brant said, humor coloring his voice.
“Good point,” I responded. “Victims stay conscious during most of that one. All the better to hear his screams …”
For the next hour, we walked behind the couple as they meandered around the castle grounds. Apparently, Magnus’ man had been captured or had escaped. We heard no further commotion coming from anywhere in the castle. When the pair came to a shady grove, Cathal held up his hand, motioning us to stop. I watched as he leaned into Allete, his lips touching her ear as he spoke. His eyes were on me the entire time he whispered to her. I could tell he was issuing a blatant challenge to me. That was not a wise move.
When he stepped back, Allete turned and began walking toward us. Her face was pinched, and she was wringing her hands in front of her. My attention was drawn to movement behind her, and I saw Cathal’s men suddenly walk away toward the castle. Allete stopped about three feet from us. Her eyes seemed to bounce around, landing everywhere but our faces.
“I…” Her lips trembled slightly, but then she took a deep breath and lifted her chin. She clasped her hands together in front of her, halting their fidgeting. “Cathal is sending for Beatrice. She can chaperone us while we sit and have our noon meal. You both may go take your breaks as well. We will be here in view of people, and we will have a chaperone.”
“Allete,” I said using the voice that I used on my men when I wanted them to give me their immediate attention. “Look at me.” When she stopped looking around but still did not raise her eyes to mine I added, “Now.” She was so nervous that she did not even notice I had used her name instead of addressing her as my superior.