The Viking’s Captive Princess Page 18

  Asa paled and stepped backwards. ‘The truth was bound to be revealed. Who was I to demand it? And if you had not wanted to accept this woman? What could I have done? I am merely a woman and you…you are king. Could I have the death of this woman, this concubine, on my mind?’

  ‘Have I ever refused a child?’

  Asa’s eyes darted about the room and she appeared genuinely terrified. ‘Your happiness is all I desire.’

  ‘My mother died when I was eight. If you must blame someone, blame her,’ Thyre said, filling the silence. She might not trust Asa, but what had happened had happened before Asa had arrived in Viken. ‘She had a peaceful life and few regrets, or so she said at the end. I can remember the Viken coming and my mother sending them away. She wanted me with her. Ragnfast believed you would kill me.’

  ‘And was she happy with him?’ Thorkell asked, his eyes narrowing.

  ‘They loved each other and she found peace and contentment. That bay was her kingdom.’ Thyre smiled. ‘She had decided ideas on how to bring daughters up.’

  ‘That is something we never had—peace. We were far too young to be content,’ Thorkell said with a laugh. ‘Always fighting, always. We were both too young and stubborn. In the end I let her go, knowing she carried my child. I knew what she was like. But there were times that I wondered, could I have tried harder?’

  Thyre bit her lip. The time for recriminations had long passed. What could she say? Her mother had chosen her own path. She had known what her brother Mysing could be like and his feelings about the Viken, but had desired to return to Ranrike. It was not her place to judge either person. ‘I think she did mean to send me, if I had been a boy. Dagmar, my half-sister, and I once overheard a bitter argument between my mother and Ragnfast, just before she died. He raged for days and days about letting past mistakes stay in the past.’

  ‘And she gave you the dagger after the argument?’ Thorkell asked.

  ‘On her deathbed, she showed me the dagger in case I ever needed to go to Viken.’ Thyre swallowed hard and kept her voice steady. ‘In case Ragnfast ever failed me.’

  ‘Why did you travel to Viken?’ Asa asked. ‘Surely you owe us an explanation. Your mother has been dead for years. Why do you need King Thorkell now? Do you seek the throne of Ranrike? Would you have the Viken make war on King Mysing?’

  ‘I have never sought the throne of Ranrike. Ivar threatened the entire estate unless I agreed to be his concubine.’ Briefly Thyre recounted the tale. She made the vaguest references to what had passed between Ivar and her. ‘I must put right the harm I caused. It is my duty. I believe King Thorkell will understand.’

  Thorkell began to pace up and down the room. ‘Ivar overstretched. He should never have made you his concubine.’

  ‘But there must be something you can do about Ragnfast and Dagmar,’ Thyre said. ‘They…they are my family.’

  ‘Your family is here now. You are a Viken. As should have been all along. Had your mother sent you, we would not be having this conversation,’ Queen Asa said. ‘The problem is what to do with your new-found daughter, Thorkell. Everyone knows she is Ivar’s concubine. The king’s daughter, a concubine. She must marry Ivar. There is no other way to keep order in the court since you chose to recognise her without consulting me.’

  ‘You give wise counsel, wife. Marriage it will be. Marriage or death.’

  ‘But the felag. You—’ Thyre protested. Thorkell had not said anything about rescuing Ragnfast and Dagmar. And she knew that she did not want Ivar if he was forced to marry her.

  ‘The king has spoken, Thyre.’ Queen Asa’s voice was sharp and final. ‘You should be pleased that he has seen fit to recognise you as a daughter and rejoice. Not many men are as forgiving as Thorkell.’

  ‘You are my daughter now and must be treated as such.’ Thorkell put a heavy hand on Thyre’s shoulder. ‘I will not have you treated as a common concubine to be passed from man to man. I will have you properly dowered and wedded. You will reside here until you are married. I will have to ponder the best way to aid your stepfather, but it will need to go before the entire Storting.’

  ‘And I will expect you to take a full part in my court. My ladies are its beating heart.’ Asa’s eyes glittered and Thyre knew that, despite the soft words, the queen’s enmity had not vanished.

  ‘My daughter will add lustre to the court, Asa. Her forthcoming marriage will solve your problem of which of your ladies will be his wife.’

  Thyre stared at the king. His words slowly sunk in. She was no longer to be Ivar’s concubine, and she was to live at court. As Ivar’s wife! Sela had spent most of the afternoon warning her about it and the spiteful ways in which some of the women behaved. ‘I want a choice in my future.’

  ‘Ivar is a very important jaarl, Thyre,’ her father said.

  ‘Forcing me to marry anyone is wrong!’

  ‘You will marry, Thyre,’ Queen Asa retorted. ‘Your father commands it. A princess is never free to choose. You should be grateful that he wishes to see the stain of your present circumstances removed from you.’

  ‘I will see this wrong righted before I lift one finger to help your stepfather.’ Thorkell laid a heavy hand on Thyre’s shoulder. ‘I promise you that.’

  ‘Which wrong is that? Thyre is mine and I will have a say in her future,’ Ivar said, bursting into the room, filling it with his presence. His eyes flashed with blue fire and a muscle jumped in his cheek.

  ‘Are you denying any knowledge of her circumstances? You held the dagger in your hand, Ivar Gunnarson.’ Thorkell’s fingers dug into Thyre, keeping her by his side.

  ‘Someone neglected to tell me its importance. Someone played me for a fool.’

  Ivar advanced forwards but Thorkell raised a finger and two guards came to stand between him and Thyre. He rolled his eyes upwards. A cold ache descended on Thyre and she hugged her arms about her waist. What they had had before had vanished, shattered.

  ‘Didn’t you tell him? How perfectly delicious.’ Asa’s voice dripped with honey and she gave a simpering smile. Thyre clenched her fists. She hated the false concern and pretended sweetness. Asa’s only interest was in humiliation. She might be able to fool the men, but her hidden knives were painfully obvious. ‘Why ever not? Surely you must have exchanged confidences. Not that I would know what goes on in a couple’s pillow talk, but he did appear to know who your mother was.’

  ‘Hush, wife. Do not seek to cause trouble.’

  ‘I am merely pointing out the flaws in Ivar’s argument. And he needs a wife, we have discussed this before, Thorkell.’

  ‘Unless you wish to challenge me for the kingship, Ivar Gunnarson, you will marry my daughter.’

  Thyre sucked in her breath. Kingship in Viken must be different from Ranrike. In Ranrike, only warriors who had kinship to the royal family could challenge for the throne.

  ‘I am your loyal servant, as always.’ Ivar bowed low, but his eyes bored into Thyre’s. She shivered at the depth of his anger. ‘I will be happy to marry your daughter, now that I know who she belongs to.’

  ‘Until my father recognised me, I could hardly claim a father such as King Thorkell.’ Thyre glared at Ivar.

  ‘And that is supposed to suffice?’ Ivar lifted an eyebrow. ‘You enjoy playing games, Thyre. Well, now you have been caught in your own trap. We will marry, despite your wish to the contrary.’

  ‘Thorkell, I think we had best leave the two alone.’ The queen laid a restraining hand on King Thorkell’s arm. ‘It would be wrong to intrude on such a moment. Ivar Gunnarson is an honourable man.’

  Thyre turned towards the coals in the fire. The worst thing was that she did want to spend the rest of her life with Ivar. She would like to be married to him and to have his children, but mostly she wanted to be with him. This, however, was wrong. He was only prepared to marry her because Thorkell had forced his hand and he was loyal. And she knew from his reaction that he would never have defied Thorkell and married her if she had remained as sh
e was—a woman with a nameless father.

  ‘When did you begin planning this?’ Ivar demanded after Asa had led Thorkell from the room and they were left alone.

  ‘Did I plan what?’ Thyre put her hands on her hips. ‘I know what you are thinking. I planned all this. I planned for you to threaten my family. I planned for you to bring me here just so that I could meet my father. Then I planned for him to react in this way. How much mead have you been drinking? Next you would have me believing that little men with tails really exist.’

  ‘Speak to Sela and Vikar before making statements about tottr men.’

  ‘I had no desire to be forced into a marriage with you!’ Thyre tapped her foot on the ground. ‘I wanted to save my family! I sacrificed my life for them! I gave up my dreams for them!’

  Ivar’s scar rippled in his cheek. ‘You were the one who waited in my bed.’

  ‘To save Dagmar’s life.’ Thyre jabbed a finger at him. ‘You were never supposed to guess the difference.’

  ‘There is world of difference between you and your half-sister. You also wanted to sabotage the proposed betrothal between you and that Ranriken farmer.’

  ‘I would have found a way to prevent my marriage to Otto without your assistance.’ Thyre put her fists on her hips. Ivar had to accept the blame for this situation. ‘You were annoyed and lost your temper. Why don’t you admit the responsibility?’

  ‘We cannot undo the past, Thyre, however much we might wish.’ Ivar ran his hand through his hair, making it stand on end. ‘Even now, you might be carrying my child.’

  ‘I have no wish to marry you under such circumstances,’ Thyre said around a large tight lump in her throat. Earlier, she had thought marrying him would be the most wonderful thing, but not like this, not because he was forced to.

  ‘That is your problem. Thorkell is my king. I have given my oath of obedience. Why should I condemn my people, my relations, to a life of misery, simply because I refuse to honour my king’s wishes? I will marry, but I will take no joy in our union.’

  ‘Then we will marry. The choice has been made for us.’ Thyre’s heart shattered into a thousand separate shards. Her body appeared to be made of ice. More than anything she wanted him to take her back to the house and make love to her, but that was impossible. ‘I doubt either of us will find much pleasure in the match. It is unwelcome to us both.’

  Ivar traced his thumb over her lips and despite everything, a white hot heat surged through her. ‘Do not lie, Thyre. There is an attraction between us, and I will expect you to warm my bed, whenever I happen to be in it.’

  ‘Who allowed you in? Are you lost?’ Thyre said to a half-grown cat who entered the antechamber where Asa and her ladies had gathered for an afternoon of sewing. She put down her embroidery. Her neck and shoulder ached from the intricate stitching. No matter how fine she had sewed the stitches, Asa always seemed to find fault and to imply she was doing it on purpose in order to sabotage the wedding. Earlier Asa had decreed that Thyre would keep sewing until that section of the sleeve was completed.

  The cat gave a small meow and purred against her legs. Thyre glanced over to where the other women were sitting. Mostly they were Danish or daughters of women Asa had brought with her when she had first come to Viken. And they always followed Asa’s lead.

  Defiantly, Thyre put down her sewing and picked up the ginger cat. Holding the small cat reminded her of how much she missed Beygul and the friendly banter of Ragnfast’s steading.

  ‘Thyre, cats belong in the kitchen and not in the court where delicate silks are sewn.’ Asa’s sharp voice jolted Thyre from her musing. ‘Imagine what would happen if the gold and silver became tangled. We are behind as it is.’

  ‘The cat wandered in of its own accord.’ Thyre struggled to keep her voice calm. Inside she seethed. Asa had not said a word about cats to three of her ladies who earlier had brought in a litter of kittens to play with.

  ‘I must have order in my court. And you keep insisting on sewing to your own pattern.’ Asa’s eyes glittered and the remaining ladies scurried out of the room, leaving Thyre standing, holding the cat. Over the last few days, she had seen how cruel Asa could be when she was crossed. Several times, women were reduced to tears when the queen had deliberately set one woman against another with a few carefully chosen remarks.

  ‘I merely sought to improve my wedding dress. It should reflect my Ranriken heritage as well as my Viken one. You wanted to use Danish designs.’

  ‘There is nothing wrong with Danish designs.’

  ‘I am not Danish. You are.’

  ‘You go too far, Thyre, with your words. You are not in some back-of-beyond estate any more. Your father will be informed of your insolence.’

  ‘I spoke with him last night. You were there, but I do apologise for my sharp tongue.’ Thyre swallowed her anger and made a curtsy. ‘I will return the cat to the kitchen. Obviously he has lost his way.’

  ‘Grunhilde can do it,’ Asa pronounced with an imperious wave. ‘I need you here. The bodice of your gown needs to be fitted properly.’

  ‘But the design will be as we agreed with my father without you trying to change it behind his back.’ Thyre glared at the woman. Asa looked away first.

  ‘Very well, I will let you make the modifications.’ Asa inclined her head. ‘I do want a quiet life, Thyre. But this is my court and I make the rules. When you are on your estate, you may do as you please.’

  ‘I have never tried to undermine you and I have tried to adhere to your rules,’ Thyre returned quietly. She would insist on moving out to Ivar’s estate and would rarely return to Kaupang again. It would be the only way to survive. Much more time in Asa’s company and she would be tempted towards murder. ‘I will not have it said that I shirk my duty. After all, once I am married, my father has promised to send a felag to Ranrike and I intend to be on it.’

  A tiny smile played on Asa’s lips as she graciously inclined her head. ‘I am pleased you understand my reasoning.

  ‘Is everything ready?’ Ivar asked Haakon’s half-brother Thrand several days later. As they inched towards the wedding day, he kept himself busy, repairing and refitting the Sea Witch.

  ‘The ships are loaded. We can sail whenever you want.’

  ‘The morning after my wedding. Thorkell will not allow us to go before then, even though I know the debt I owe to Ragnfast.’

  ‘The Ranriken king will learn what it is like to tangle with the Viken. Think of the cargo they owe us.’ Thrand gave a laugh. ‘Still, there is nothing like an outraged father, even if he has come lately to fatherhood.’

  ‘Thyre bears the blame.’

  ‘When was she supposed to explain—before or after you bedded her? And more to the point—would you have believed her?’

  At Thrand’s smug look, Ivar glared at him. ‘She had her chance.’

  ‘You might want to believe that, Ivar, but I have seen the lady in question. You know better than I who her mother was, and therefore who her father had to be. Stop judging her.’

  Ivar put his head in his hands. ‘The truth is that I was not aware of who her mother was when I bedded her the first time. Afterwards, I only knew that I wanted her on my terms. And now I am determined to keep her safe. She would join the felag if she could. I fear Asa wants Thorkell to use her as a counter. Asa argued that Viken needs a friend on the throne of Ranrike and that the Ranriken people might accept her.’

  ‘Is that what Thorkell wants? Or is it merely Asa wanting to get rid of a potential rival?’

  ‘King Thorkell agreed with me that Thyre should remain in Kaupang.’

  ‘Has anyone asked Thyre what she wants? She is a sensible woman. She will understand what you are doing,’ Thrand argued.

  ‘She needs protecting from herself and must not know until it is impossible for her to do anything.’ A cold chill went through Ivar as he recalled how Thyre had attacked Sigmund. Would Thyre want to be queen? How would she challenge her uncle? ‘I have had Asa keeping her
busy. No easy task, I assure you. The queen has even in desperation set Thyre to composing with the skald. Asa thinks—’

  ‘Since when have you paid attention to the queen and her whims?’

  ‘If I had paid attention to her before, Edda would be alive. Thyre must stay here in Kaupang. I cannot be worried about her and fighting the Ranriken at the same time.’

  ‘I hope Thyre understands.’

  ‘It is not a question of understanding. My marriage to Thyre will be on my terms.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  The final cheers from the crowds rang in Thyre’s ears as they reached the hall.

  The banqueting hall was covered in fine tapestries. The prows from the Lindisfarne ships were bedecked with gold chains. All the Viken court had turned out with their arms covered in arm rings and heavy gold chains about their necks until they looked far more like statues than real people. But Thyre knew she wanted something more. The pageant and parade counted for nothing when all Ivar did was glower and answer direct questions in monosyllables.

  Thyre’s wedding gown prevented her moving or even breathing properly. When she sat, it pinched her arms and when she stood, the weight dragged on her shoulders. However, the symbols were a combination of Ranriken and Viken, rather than Danish.

  Whatever happened after the wedding feast, Thyre knew she would be able to have her own household, and would be in charge again. She would be the one to decide how wool was correctly spun, and the pattern that needed weaving. And she could decide whether to play the lyre or to play a game of tafl. All the arguments with Asa over the past weeks had worn her down. It seemed that at court, she did not have any friends or allies.

  ‘Thyre, pay attention,’ Asa snapped, tapping her on the shoulder. ‘The king has toasted you.’

  ‘I accepted it. I raised my horn to him and saluted him. It is the proper way.’