A Warrior's Heart

by Laurel O'Donnell

  “My passion needs no more kindling,” he quipped, but when Judith ran her thumb along the length of his calf muscle, he realized he was wrong. The ache in his thigh disappeared, though she hadn’t touched him there. He drifted on a cloud of anticipation as his wife continued her ministrations. “Feels good,” he admitted when she kissed the soles of his feet.

  “Who’s purring now?” she teased.

  He chuckled. He’d never considered it before, but being married to a woman with a sense of humor might prove exhilarating.

  She squealed when, without warning, he rose from the bed, pulled her up and stood behind her. He cupped her breast with one hand and pressed his fingertip to the private spot where he knew she ached. The squeals turned to throaty moans. “You like my touch,” he whispered in her ear.

  Her moaning increased in intensity when he squeezed the nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger. She arched her back, thrusting her bottom against his erection. “The kindling is done,” he rasped, savoring her wet heat on his fingers.

  ~*~*~

  Judith sensed something of monumental importance was coming. Magnus’s skin was hot, his jaw clenched. His male part had reddened and swollen more. He wasn’t as gentle when he pushed her onto the bed with a growl, but she didn’t mind. Indeed, it was exciting.

  However, she was completely unprepared for what he did next. He spread her legs apart, bent her knees and stared at a part of her body she had never seen.

  When the physician had examined her she’d felt violated. Now, she wanted to beg Magnus to touch her there, to ease the throbbing need. She wanted his male part inside her, though the fear such a feat might prove impossible niggled at the back of her mind.

  His husky voice penetrated her confused thoughts. “For a man, release comes when his sperm leaves his body. For a woman it’s different. You’re close, Judith, and I want you to release with me. Let me taste you.”

  Only gibberish would emerge if she spoke, and it was fortunate he didn’t wait for permission before pressing his lips to her flesh. He kissed and licked and suckled, robbing her of breath, of the ability to speak. One finger toyed with the opening to her body. She rode a whirlpool of pleasure, blinded by a warm orange light glowing behind her tightly closed eyes.

  Someone was making strange mewling sounds, but she didn’t care as the maelstrom sucked her in and she was drowning, drowning, drowning in a tidal wave of bliss.

  “Help,” she managed from her constricted throat, carried to the crest of a wave when rescue came and Magnus plunged his manhood inside her.

  “Hang on,” he urged as she clung to him, relishing the pain. Deeper and harder he thrust and she moaned again as the intense pleasure of his thick length inside her replaced the pain. Suddenly, he stopped breathing and shouted out something she thought might be Norse. Warmth flooded her womb.

  He took a shuddering breath and collapsed on top of her. She relished the slickness of his sweat on her skin, the warmth of his breath on her neck, the steady pulsing of her inner muscles on his male flesh.

  She twisted her fingers in the damp curls at his nape, remembering the first time she had set eyes on this proud and noble warrior whose life she now shared. She had learned Norsemen were not the barbarians she’d feared. They were resourceful, hardworking, proud and determined. She would fight alongside her magnificent Viking to ensure Montdebryk flourished.

  Together they would be invincible. She was after all a descendant of Charlemagne.

  EPILOGUE

  Seven Years Later

  Brynhild rushed into the gallery and grabbed her grandfather’s hand. “They’ve been sighted. Onkel Torstein says they’ll be here soon.”

  Bryk stirred from his nap, retrieved his staff and got out of his chair. “Lead on, child,” he said with a yawning smile.

  Judith inhaled deeply to calm her racing heart, impatient for her baby son to finish suckling at her breast.

  Six-year-old William pulled at her skirts. “Hurry Maman, Papa is home.”

  Aleksandra took him by the hand. “I’ll take you down to the courtyard. Your brother is almost finished. Maman will bring Antoine when he’s done.”

  William tugged his stepsister towards the door. “Good. He has to be there, ‘cos Papa has never seen him.”

  Judith had suppressed the excitement now bubbling within since the birth of her third child. Enduring the confinement without Magnus at home had been difficult enough, but waiting another two months for him to return from the war safely had been torture.

  Cathryn appeared at her side and reached for Antoine. “Let me take him. He’s fallen asleep, and you’ll want to prepare.” She hoisted the baby over her shoulder. “I’ll get him cleaned him up, but I doubt Magnus will care. He’ll be thrilled to see him.”

  “Where’s Beatrice?” Judith asked, coming to her feet. “She is never where she’s supposed to be. She’s more like a boy than her brothers.”

  Cathryn patted Antoine’s back and was rewarded with a loud burp. “She’s four and curious. Don’t blame her. She’s probably with her namesake.”

  Judith conceded such was likely to be the case. Since Beatrice had been bedridden with arthritis, Beatrice Kriger seemed to be her constant companion. She wondered what an old woman and a child might have in common to talk about, but it lightened her heart that her maidservant had someone to keep her company in her declining years.

  “I wish I was as calm as you,” she told Cathryn as they descended the stone stairs to the hall. “Our victorious duke is paying a visit and you appear calm.”

  Cathryn shrugged. “Sonja has taken care of the details. I’m too old to fuss over these things. Richard wants to show his gratitude for the fighting men of this family who’ve helped him drive King Louis out of Rouen.”

  Antoine’s nanny appeared and took the babe. “Not much time, Flora,” Cathryn told her. “He must be in the courtyard when his father arrives.”

  The girl smiled broadly and hurried off with the child. Judith trusted the young woman who had helped her raise three children.

  They reached the outdoors where Bastian, Dag and Ulrik’s wives waited with Katarina, chattering excitedly. Since marrying Roger of Ouistreham, Katarina had turned into Louis’ most vocal critic, which amused Judith. But then Normans had nothing good to say about the monarch who had coveted the rich lands of Normandie.

  It was a great source of pride that Hugh the Great had never succeeded in laying claim to Montdebryk, though many other Norman estates ceded to him by Louis had succumbed to his control.

  Cathryn and Judith exchanged a smile when they caught sight of Bryk, shifting his weight impatiently from one foot to the other with the aid of his staff, his free hand on William’s shoulder.

  “He’s more excited by the prospect of seeing Bernard of Senlis again,” Cathryn explained. “They fought together at Chartres.”

  Judith was aware of this since Bryk had mentioned it more than once. “The man is a hero, participating in Richard’s rescue at his age. Were it not for him and his confederates, our duke would still be languishing in Louis’ dungeons at Laon and the revolt against the Frankish King wouldn’t have begun.”

  Judith was relieved when Beatrice appeared. She scooped the child up despite her protestations. “Be still, daughter. Your Papa will be here soon.”

  She recalled the day the Kriger brothers had left to fight for Richard and Normandie. It was a day Normans had prayed for yet dreaded. Skirmishes had gone on for months, but victory had at last belonged to the Vikings, and the Kriger warriors were coming home safely. Normandie’s borders were secure. She thanked God for it, and Cathryn’s daily prayers to her patron saint. Most families had lost loved ones in the struggle.

  Flora came out of the fortress and delivered a sweet-smelling Antoine into her arms.

  The young duke led the cavalcade into the courtyard. Judith understood immediately why he had already earned the nickname Richard the Fearless. She thought poignantly how proud his father wou
ld have been of his defiant bearing. Was Richard aware she’d witnessed his father’s murder?

  At his side rode an older man she supposed must be the famous Bernard of Senlis. Behind them came Magnus and his brothers and Katarina’s Roger. All were handsome, battle-honed warriors, but she had eyes for only one. His gaze was fixed on her and the sleeping babe she held.

  She waited patiently while protocols were observed and introductions made, knowing her husband’s heart was beating as fast as hers, and that when they were finally alone he would enfold her and the son he’d never met in his embrace.

  Her skin heated when she thought of later, after the festivities and feasting were over. She fingered her crucifix, saying a silent prayer that Normandie might enjoy a long period of peace so she and her magnificent Viking could explore and pleasure each other’s bodies for years to come.

  FACT OR FICTION

  Did William (Vilhelm) Longsword, Duke of the Normans, exist and was he assassinated?

  YES. He was the son of the famous Viking, Rollo. He was ambushed in 942 AD after attending a peace conference with Arnulf, Count of Flanders, at Picquigny on the Somme.

  Was Arnulf responsible for the crime?

  History implies his men committed the atrocity, but it is difficult to understand why he would conspire to do such a thing after a peace conference where agreement was apparently reached. There was so much intrigue among powerful nobles in France, I suspect they sometimes didn’t know from day to day who was allied with whom. Treachery was the norm. It is one of the most complex historical periods I’ve ever attempted to use as a setting, and I chose to leave out most of the political situation.

  One thing I didn’t mention in my story is that William’s wife, Luitgarde, was actually the sister of Adela of Vermandois, and therefore William was the son-in-law of Herbert of Vermandois. Arnulf and William were married to sisters. However, familial relationships didn’t stand in the way of treachery. Power was the name of the game. I chose to give Arnulf the benefit of the doubt, but he was as involved as anyone in the intrigues of the day. William’s assassination may have resulted from misunderstandings about motives. It certainly left Normandy vulnerable.

  Did Arnulf of Flanders have a half-sister named Judith?

  NO.

  Did the Ulfberht Sword exist and did William Longsword own one?

  YES such a weapon did exist, but there is no evidence William had one. However, he was called Longsword because he carried an overly long sword. I decided it was a good fit! I became aware of the sword thanks to a Nova special on PBS, part of which shows a modern day smith trying to replicate the weapon using medieval techniques.

  Did William have a bastard son named Richard?

  YES. Richard the Fearless escaped from King Louis’ control with the help of Bernard of Senlis and led the revolt against the king’s takeover of Normandy. He ruled the province for more than 20 years. He wisely stayed out of French politics and concentrated on strengthening Normandy’s borders. He was in fact the first Norman leader to be given the title Dux, Latin for Leader and the origin of our word duke.

  Did William Longsword govern with a Council of 10 Viking nobles?

  YES.

  What happened to Espriota? (Sprota of Senlis in some annals)

  She lived in Bayeux with her son under Longsword’s protection until his death. She then married a Frankish nobleman.

  Vikings and Christianity.

  The Vikings who settled in Francia embraced Christianity with great fervor, but it took many generations for them to abandon their beliefs in the old Norse gods.

  This is understandable when we consider Odin and Thor and the other Norse deities had been part of the fabric of Viking life for thousands of years.

  The Romans tried unsuccessfully to expand their influence into Scandinavia, and so the Norsemen remained isolated from Christianity for hundreds of years.

  It’s my hope I’ve conveyed this apparently paradoxical belief system in my characters. Even Cathryn, a devout Roman Catholic by birth, gradually turns to Bryk’s gods for guidance and assistance as well as to her own patron saint.

  Rouen cathedral.

  In the Viking Roots series many important events take place in Rouen cathedral. However, this was not the same magnificent building that exists in Rouen today. There has been an important church on the site since the fourth century, but the current building was begun in the 12th century, 200 years after our story.

  One more note. The main historical events told of in this story happened between 939 AD (Arnulf captures Montreuil) and 942 AD (assassination of William Longsword). I condensed them into a shorter time period to avoid getting into some of the complex political intrigues that went on in the interim.

  ABOUT ANNA MARKLAND

  Thank you for reading THE ROVER BETRAYED. If you’d like to leave a review where you purchased the book, I would appreciate it.

  I’d love you to visit my website and my Facebook page, Anna Markland Novels.

  Tweet me @annamarkland or sign up for my newsletter. Be the first to know when my next book is available. Follow me on BookBub and on my Amazon page.

  Passion smolders in my page-turning adventures, turning to ashes whatever obstacles a hostile medieval world can throw in its path.

  Besides writing, I have two addictions-crosswords and genealogy, probably the reason I love research.

  I am a fool for cats.

  My husband is an entrepreneur who is fond of boasting he’s never had a job. He’s also of Norwegian descent and LOVES this Viking Roots series!

  I live on Canada’s scenic west coast now, but I was born and raised in the UK and I love breathing life into the history of my homeland.

  Escape with me to where romance began and get intimate with history.