The morning after they had learnt of Ash’s death, Hring had finally formally accepted her son as his heir—her price for nursing him.
As soon as he could stand, Hring had made the signs and mumbled the words as Kara poured the wine over the tuntreet’s roots. The ceremony had been far from the ringing endorsement she’d hoped for, but it hadn’t mattered. Her son had a name and a future.
Before he’d died last winter, Rurik and his grandfather had become good friends. In his last days, Hring had even apologised to Kara with tears in his eyes. He’d named Rurik as his heir once again. But Harald Haraldson had mentioned the oddity of the ceremony at the funeral and she had known what he intended.
Kara wrapped her arms about her waist, trying to keep from shivering. Nothing was going to happen to Rurik. She’d won the fight for his life. He would be a good lord who looked after his people and his family; he wouldn’t abandon them in pursuit of glory.
‘Rurik is a healthy six-year-old,’ Kara said carefully. Rurik was healthy, even if he did have a weak chest and an inclination to get colds which lasted all winter.
‘When can I see him?’
‘When we go back to Jaarlshiem.’ Kara forced her voice to be steady. ‘I’ve no wish to expose him to court life until he is ready.’
‘Why not? I can remember coming to Sand with my father when I was about Rurik’s age. It opened a whole new world for me.’
‘Sand seems to be constantly suffering from one illness or another.’
‘Yet you risk it.’
‘He is safest in Jaarlshiem. He remains there.’
‘Safest?’ Ash’s face showed his incredulity. ‘Accidents and illness can happen anywhere.’
‘If you wish to see him, go to Jaarlshiem.’
‘I intend to. If you wish to join me on the journey, you may or if you wish to stay with your lover, you may do so.’
‘I have no lover.’ Kara bit out every word, shocked that he could even think that!
A wide triumphant smile crossed his face. ‘Good to know.’
She gripped the spinning whorl tighter so she wouldn’t give in to the temptation to throw it at him. ‘I was about to become Valdar’s bride. You must know the difference between a bride and a mistress.’
‘What a pity I spoilt the party,’ he commented drily. ‘I apologise, but I do have a prior claim. What is mine stays mine. Let this Valdar find his own bride...and his own son.’
‘Rurik is my son, as well.’
‘Rurik will become the sort of man any man would be proud to call a son, rather than clinging to your skirts.’
Kara concentrated on the spinning whorl, weighing it in her hand. She’d battled Hring about Rurik’s training. She’d battle Ash, as well. She needed a man she could count on to train Rurik properly, rather than abandon him to the fates or push him too far too soon. ‘We’ve an agreement, Ash. You are going to give me time.’
He slammed his fists together. ‘Made under false pretences. You should have told me of my son before you asked. Why didn’t you, Kara? What did you fear I’d do?’
Kara kept her head up and concentrated on a spot behind his shoulder. The man standing before her was a stranger, a warrior with no gentleness in him. The caring boy-hero who had once rescued her from a fall into the freezing waters while skating was no longer...if he’d ever existed anywhere but her imagination. ‘I’ve told you now.’
His jaw hardened. ‘What did you think I’d do to you?’
‘Does the agreement stand?’ she whispered when she trusted her voice. ‘Please, Ash. You owe me a life debt.’
The silence stretched between them. Kara pressed her hands together and concentrated on the dying embers in the hearth. He had to agree.
‘Made under false pretences and a bad bargain, but I gave my word,’ Ash said. Each word seemed to drive another nail into their relationship. ‘You have your time to decide about our marriage. But my son is my blood. I won’t give away my blood, not even to you.’
‘You know nothing about him.’
‘I want to learn. I will learn everything.’ He slammed his fists together. ‘I leave in the morning for Jaarlshiem. Everything else will wait. I will claim my blood.’
Kara stared at him, not bothering to hide her astonishment. He wanted to meet Rurik and learn about him. What would he think of their son? Her child with his skinny long legs and lopsided smile? His inability to throw a stick? Or run very fast? She bit her lip. She wanted Ash to love him and be proud of him, not see him as a weakling who should have been exposed at birth as Harald Haraldson had proclaimed at the funeral.
‘You plan to leave in the morning? But surely the king and his council...’ Her voice trailed away at his incredulous look.
‘The king will understand. A man wants to see his son for the first time. Some things override politics.’
‘And the enquiry?’
‘Will have to be delayed.’ He put a hand on her shoulder. ‘My uncle has no power in this matter. He seeks to bluster and muddy the waters. The king knows whose son I am and the debt he owed my father.’
‘And if the king disagrees?’
‘Then he is unworthy to be called king.’ He turned on his heel. ‘I leave in the morning after I have pledged my loyalty to an honourable man. I know the way back to Jaarlshiem. I could walk it in my sleep.’
‘And me?’ Kara put her hand on her hip. She would be there when he met Rurik to make sure he saw Rurik’s potential, rather than his shortcomings.
‘Your choice, but if you come, you come alone.’ He looked at her, slowly travelling from the top of her head to the bottom of her gown. ‘Valdar is unwelcome. I meet my son without interference.’
Kara swallowed hard. She had not even considered asking Valdar to accompany her. Too many complications. She’d inadvertently hurt him and she refused to use him. ‘I doubt he’d want to come. He has duties at court. They come before everything.’
Ash stepped forward. His hand caught a strand of her hair and ran it between his fingers before gently tugging. She took a step towards him. ‘You underestimate your charms. You always did.’
‘Our memories differ.’ Her voice sounded far too breathless. Her entire body tingled with awareness of him. She swallowed hard and tried again. ‘I mean, I’ve a good idea of my charms. My face and figure are not my fortune. My fortune lies in the trees and land I brought with me as my dowry.’
‘Pardon me if I disagree with you.’
He lowered his mouth to hers and brushed her lips. The feather-light touch pulsed warmth through her. It asked, rather than demanded. For one brief instant her body melted against him, felt the hard planes of his muscles.
His hands instantly fell away, letting her go.
‘You see. Still the same, Kara. You delight in provocation.’
She stumbled backwards, hitting the table. Her body thrummed but Ash couldn’t know that. She had to play it cool and collected. She put out a hand and steadied herself. Lifted her chin. ‘A kiss changes nothing, Ash.’
‘You are wrong, Kara. It changes everything.’ He caught her chin between his forefinger and thumb. Her breath caught in her throat. Was he going to kiss her again? More thoroughly?
‘Unhand me.’
He released her instantly. She rubbed her aching lips, silently cursing her body’s attraction to him. She could do this. She could withstand his charm until she decided if he was the right sort of man for her. This time she would listen to her head, rather than allowing passion and romance to overcome her sensibility.
‘I’ve no wish for Rurik to meet you without me being present.’ She pointed to the door. ‘If you leave without me, I will catch you up before the sun fades from the horizon.’
He lifted his brow. ‘How swift is your horse?’
At his incredul
ous expression she rolled her eyes. ‘Swift enough. You know I can ride. Valdar and I planned to return to Jaarlshiem after the feast. He wanted to make sure everything was in readiness for the winter.’
‘How romantic. Your honeymoon spent on the estate. Were you going to count your trees? Or the amount of grain you harvested?’
‘It was what we both wanted.’ Kara longed to beat her fists against his chest. She refused to think about the little hut where she had spent her wedding night with Ash and the way he had suckled honey mead from her fingers. ‘Valdar is practical like that.’
‘I’ll keep it in mind.’ He touched her cheek. ‘Until the morning. Pleasant dreams. Be ready when I call or be prepared to test your assertion that your horse is swift.’
He closed the door with a distinct click. Kara shook her fist at it. Pleasant dreams indeed! The wretch probably hoped she was going to dream of him. Not likely. Dreams of that nature were for the girl she’d been once, not the woman she’d become.
* * *
Ash stared at the shuttered and silent house where his wife was. Since leaving Kara, he hadn’t slept, but had used his excess energy to ensure his scheme would work. It was amazing what a determined man and a handful of gold could accomplish.
His breath plumed in the mid-morning air. One step at a time. Careful planning saved time later. But from what he could learn, Kara was in more danger now that he’d returned. His uncle appeared more determined than ever to gain control of Jaarlshiem. His uncle would have to make the next move, but Ash was determined it would be on his own terms.
He would keep his promise and protect Kara and their child, this time. With each scrap of information he received, he knew he was not worthy of her, but he wanted her in a way he’d wanted no other woman. Having so carelessly discarded her, he had to win her again.
If he couldn’t win her before he’d finished with his uncle, he’d set her free. But this time, she’d be free to marry whomever she wished, rather than being forced to marry for the good of the estate or her son.
‘Let this final game begin, Uncle,’ he said in a low voice and raised his hand. ‘This time, I will win as I know what it is like to lose.’
* * *
Heavy pounding woke Kara from her uneasy sleep. Her eyes flew open. Early morning sunlight streamed into the house. One of the house servants had relit the fire.
She had slept far too long. When she’d first gone to bed, sleep had evaded her and then it had overpowered her.
‘Kara! If you don’t open this door, I will break it down! The sun has been up for hours.’
Ash! Making good his threat! What a time to oversleep! Kara hastily grabbed a blanket and threw it about her shoulders while signalling to one of the servants to open the door. As she did so, the door crashed open.
Ash stood in the doorway. His short cloak emphasised his trim waist and the broadness of his shoulders. The fur cap set off his hair. His lips twisted to an ironic smile. ‘Are you coming or not?’
Kara gaped at him, aware of how his hair softly curled under his cap and how few clothes she had on. She tightened the blanket about her shoulders. ‘You never start early.’
‘I’ve changed. And it is hardly early.’
Kara retreated to her bedchamber, reached for her travelling clothes and slipped the apron dress over her head. She stabbed her finger with one of the brooches, dropped it and watched it roll away. She softly swore.
‘Problem?’
‘My hair is a tangle,’ she called out and she picked the brooch up. ‘Do I have time to fix that?’
‘How like a woman.’ He coughed. ‘A few moments, but then I will go. You may catch me if you like.’
‘A threat?’ Kara concentrated on undoing her braid. ‘I react badly to threats.’
‘Threats have no meaning. Actions do. My father taught me that. Either you come with me when I go or you make your own way back to Jaarlshiem.’
She bit back a retort and concentrated on plaiting her hair and twisting it up as her hands trembled with anger. Thankfully she didn’t like the over-complex plaits that were so popular at court.
‘Do you always enter a house like that?’ she asked as she re-entered the main room. ‘Knocking the front door down? A Viken custom, I presume.’
‘My house. My door. I dislike having it barred against me.’ He bowed low to the servant and put a gold piece on the table. ‘To pay for the door. Are the servants capable of looking after this house?’
Kara rolled her eyes. As if she’d have untrustworthy servants! ‘There would not be the need to fix the door, if you had waited.’
Ash tapped his finger against his lips. ‘Valdar failed to arrive at court this morning. Along with my uncle. Both were conspicuous by their absence.’
Kara wet her lips and deliberately ignored the Valdar remark. ‘You’ve seen the king?’
‘First thing. The king is sympathetic with my plight and gave me leave to see my son. I wanted to inform Valdar, as well, in case he felt the need to say goodbye.’
‘Valdar wouldn’t expect me to say goodbye,’ Kara retorted. ‘He’ll approve in any case. He likes Rurik. And he has never been in allegiance with your uncle, if that is what you are implying.’
Ash’s face hardened. ‘Yes, you did say what an excellent person he is.’
A tiny flutter developed in the pit of Kara’s stomach. Ash was jealous. She quashed it as wishful thinking. Ash didn’t care about her. He did want to meet Rurik and that was all she asked.
Ignoring Ash’s glower, Kara issued a few final instructions to the servants, including delivering a message to Valdar of her leaving. The youngest kitchen maid volunteered to run over to Valdar’s house straight away. Kara shook her head and told her that it could wait until after she’d gone.
‘Have you finished?’ Ash slapped his gloves against his wrist. ‘Or do you need to instruct the maids on how to spin wool?’
‘The servants need to know what to do. I take my responsibilities seriously, but all is sorted now.’ Kara walked past him and out into the street.
She stopped in surprise. Rather than two or three men as an escort, a host of twenty men sat on horses, with their weapons clearly displayed as if they expected trouble. One held her horse, saddled. The back of her neck prickled. Despite his earlier assurance, Ash expected trouble.
Various townspeople gathered, staring open-mouthed at the number of outriders.
‘No cart?’ she asked, frowning.
‘As you can ride a horse, a cart is unnecessary. If you need one for your dignity, you’ll have to employ your own escort. I intend to travel swiftly.’
‘I’ve ridden to Jaarlshiem before. Bring my horse here and I’ll mount.’ Kara sent a silent prayer up thanking various goddesses that her skirt was full enough to allow her to ride a horse without displaying her limbs. But even if they had showed, she’d have refused the cart. Silently she vowed that she would be there when Ash met Rurik. She wanted to make sure Ash didn’t reject Rurik once he saw him. It would absolutely devastate Rurik. Hring’s vicious remarks about how she was lucky that Ash had died as he’d never have accepted the boy resounded in her brain.
She mounted swiftly.
‘Kara!’ Valdar strode down the street with about fifteen friends. Their hands hovered above their undrawn swords, ready for battle. As they neared her horse, they spread out, taking up the street’s entire width. The message was abundantly clear—if Ash wanted to go to Jaarlshiem, he’d have to pass through them.
Kara struggled to control her horse, which had reared up at the noise. Men! She hated violent posturing, ever since her father used to pick fights just to prove he was the stronger. One day he hadn’t been and he’d died of the infected wound.
‘Valdar.’ Kara inclined her head when she had her horse under control. ‘I return to Jaar
lshiem. What brings you here?’
‘Willingly?’
‘You will let us pass, Valdar the Unwed!’ Ash manoeuvred his horse so that it pawed the ground directly in front of Valdar.
‘Not until I hear from the Lady Kara. Do you go willingly, my lady?’
‘Of course she does! Do you see any chains?’ Ash swung down from his horse. In unison, his men followed suit.
Two armies facing each other. One wrong word and blood would spill. Kara’s head thumped. In an odd way she was certain both enjoyed the confrontation, but it ended here.
‘I go willingly to Jaarlshiem. Ash Hringson speaks the truth. As you know, I am more than capable of speaking for myself.’ She gave Valdar a hard look and then Ash, who looked unapologetic. ‘Allow us to pass. Next time, Ash, allow me to answer questions directed towards me.’
Valdar raised his hand and his men cleared a path. ‘If that is what you truly desire, my lady, it will be done without question. I...that is, we...aim to serve you.’
She pulled the cloak tighter about her shoulders and wished that she had deserved the loyalty. ‘It is.’
The warrior’s face fell. ‘And you need no assistance. Send word, any time, if you need me.’
‘I trust my husband will see to my safety, if not my comfort. He has more than enough men. Perhaps it is because he is used to travelling in Viken rather than in Raumerike. The roads are far quieter here.’
Kara glanced at Ash, who stood jaw set and hands clenched. Her heart hammered. She spoke the truth. In his own way, Ash had always looked after her...when he had been here.
Valdar nodded, accepting her words. ‘Hringson, will I be welcome at Jaarlshiem?’
Return of the Viking Warrior Page 7