by Jody Hedlund
“I’ll do it.”
With a glance at me over his shoulder, he arched his brows.
“I shall marry her.”
“It doesn’t matter whether he will or not.” Pearl stomped her foot. “I refuse to consider it.”
“Do you vow it?” Irontooth asked without glancing at Pearl.
I squelched my trepidation. I would figure a way out of this quandary at some point. For now, making the promise was the only way I could stay on the island and continue my Testing. Moreover, Pearl didn’t want to marry me any more than I did her. No matter the vow Irontooth might extract from me, Pearl would refuse to pledge herself to me.
Irontooth turned his attention to the camp and addressed his people again. “I’ve discovered the ident—”
“I vow it!”
He looked at me as he continued to shout out the door. “I discovered that our prisoner has come to the island for a bride.”
A weight settled on my chest.
“You must not say it!” Pearl started toward Irontooth, but the albino woman caught her arm.
“And he’s just agreed to marry Veil.”
“No.” Pearl strained to free herself.
“We’ll hold the wedding tonight!” Irontooth finished with a triumphant smile.
Cheers and whistles rose into the night air.
“Prepare a feast!” he called as more cheers filled the camp.
“No!” Pearl broke loose and rushed toward Irontooth and the door. He swung it shut and spun, catching her as she threw herself at him.
“How dare you?” She swung both fists at his chest.
He easily caught her wrists. “This is for your own good.”
She wrestled against him. “I shall determine my fate, not you.”
Though I wanted to rush to her aid, I held myself back. Her refusal was my only hope in extricating myself from the vow I’d just given Irontooth.
“The queen won’t be able to touch you once you’re married.”
“I shall fend for myself.”
“He’s a powerful prince. He’ll give you a good home and take care of you.”
“You know nothing about him!”
“He took the gauntlet punishment for himself and spared his manservant. That’s all I need to know.”
The fight eased from Pearl, and she ceased struggling.
I studied Irontooth more carefully. Had he truly intended to kill me on the morrow? Or had he hung the threat over me in order to get me to do his bidding? Perhaps I’d misjudged this leader. Thus far, I considered him nothing more than a savage brute. Was he more cunning than I’d allowed?
“Felicity said he’s strong of character, never once complaining about his injuries.”
Pearl glanced at my wounds, which she’d doctored all week. “He is arrogant and untrustworthy.”
Arrogant and untrustworthy? I wanted to defend myself, but what if she was right?
“He can give you and Ruby everything you need.” The woman crossed to Pearl and touched her shoulder. “And most importantly, he’ll keep you both safe from the queen.”
“I can keep Ruby safe on my own,” Pearl replied, although weakly.
My body tensed with the need to step in and say something, but I suspected my interference would make matters worse. With how much Pearl disliked me, she surely wouldn’t capitulate to Irontooth and the woman.
“Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the people we love,” the woman continued. “And this is a sacrifice you can make for Ruby—although I suspect with time you won’t see it as so much of a sacrifice.”
Pearl held herself stiffly for another moment before her shoulders drooped.
The weight in my chest pressed harder. She wouldn’t go through with marrying me, would she?
Chapter
9
Pearl
How had the situation spiraled so quickly out of control? I’d only intended to save Mikkel’s life . . . and perhaps I’d also hoped to impress Irontooth with my ability to glean the information he wanted from our prisoner.
Nevertheless, I hadn’t expected Irontooth and Felicity to insist I marry Mikkel.
Irontooth released my wrists, and Felicity swept me into an embrace, wrapping me solidly in her arms. Though I wanted to be angry at them both, I knew they had my best interests at heart.
If I was honest, I couldn’t deny that their plan was brilliant. In fact, if I arrived in Scania without the queen knowing I was alive, Mikkel could invite Ethelbard to visit and encourage him to bring Ruby. Once Ruby was in Scania, the queen would be helpless to get her back. We would be able to live the rest of our lives in peace and safety and comfort.
But could I really marry a man who didn’t want me?
I pulled back and looked at Mikkel. He stood beside the fire, the muscles in his bare chest straining against the chains binding his hands behind his back. Gregor had risen to stand next to his master, watching but saying nothing.
The hearth, while not bright, provided enough light for me to catch the glimmer of panic in Mikkel’s eyes. This past week, in all our interactions, I had not taken him for the type of man to allow the outward appearance of others to influence his decisions. And yet, here he was, resistant to the thought of marrying a woman with a deformity. Or perhaps he truly feared displeasing his father and the advisors by marrying without their permission.
In either case, I straightened my spine and stood taller, letting his panic strengthen my resolve.
As if sensing my decision, he gave a shake of his head.
I lifted my chin. “I shall marry the prince.”
He clenched his mouth closed, his jaw flexing as though he was using great care to hold in his frustration.
Once again, I was tempted to tug off my veil and reveal the truth about my beauty. But he didn’t deserve to know, not after spurning me.
“I shall marry him,” I said again. “But if the queen discovers I am alive, she must not know I have married the prince—at least, not until after Ruby is by my side in Scania where she will be safe.”
Mikkel’s chains clanked behind him as if he was struggling to free himself. “Perhaps we can wait to marry until later—”
“No,” Irontooth groused. “Today. Now. Before either of you finds a way to get out of it.”
“Then we will stay quiet about the marriage?” I persisted. “No one but those on this island can know.”
Mikkel studied me. “You fear if the queen learns you’re alive and married to me, then she won’t allow Ruby to come to Scania?”
“I fear she could do anything, and I must use extreme caution until I have Ruby away from her.”
Irontooth squeezed my shoulder. “You’re making the right choice, Pearl. You’ll be happy. You’ll see.”
I nodded, but that didn’t mean I agreed with him. I opted instead to concur with Felicity’s admonishment to make sacrifices for the people we loved. This marriage wasn’t for me. It was for Ruby, to secure a new home for her.
“Now, both of you get ready.” All pleasantness left Irontooth’s tone. “We’ll have the wedding just as soon as we find a tunic for the prince.” With that, he swung open the door and ducked outside.
Felicity smoothed a hand over my sleeve. “You’ll want to dress in something nicer.”
“No, I shall wear what I have on.” This wasn’t the wedding of my dreams—not that I’d dreamed of a wedding. If I’d entertained such fancy notions, I’d never imagined my nuptials happening this way—in the dark amongst outcasts, to a man who had no desire to wed me.
I started toward the door.
“Pearl,” Mikkel said. “Wait.”
Something in his voice made me pause. I glanced at him over my shoulder.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said urgently. “You don’t have to let Irontooth dictate what you do.”
Did he still believe I was doing Irontooth’s every bidding? That I wasn’t strong enough to stand up for myself? “I have made up my mind to go throug
h with it. I shall do it for Ruby.”
“You don’t have to marry me to aid Ruby. Once I have returned to Scania, I shall help you whether we are married or not.”
But would he? What motivation would he have to help me then? Why would he after the treatment he’d received thus far on the island?
“This plan was not of my making. But now that it is set into motion, I will not oppose it.” Before he could say anything more to sway me, I retreated outside and strode toward the center fire pit and the waiting crowd.
Mikkel
I stood next to Pearl under the summer night sky, the stars and moon acting as witnesses to our marriage along with two dozen or more outcasts as well as Fowler and Gregor on the periphery of the gathering.
The irony of my circumstances didn’t escape me. Only a week earlier, these people had taunted me and tried to kill me as I’d run through the gauntlet, and now they were smiling and wishing me well as I married Pearl.
The priest cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to the ceremony.
“I will,” I said.
Titters and guffaws erupted around us.
“I was blessing the ring, my lord.” The priest held out a ring amidst the shreds of linen covering his palm. With bandages around his face, hands, and feet, his leprosy was covered, and yet the disease had eaten enough of his flesh that he’d been forced from his monastery and had found sanctuary here on the island.
“The ring.” I stared at the simple gold band someone had donated for the occasion.
“It goes on her finger, my lord,” the priest said amidst more laughter from the onlookers.
I reached for the band. Once I placed it on Pearl’s finger, I’d seal my fate. My mind had been racing ever since Pearl had agreed to marry me. Was there some way I could salvage the situation?
At least she was a princess whom my father and the Lagting had once briefly considered as a possible bride. That could work in my favor. And if I could gain their sympathy for Pearl and Ruby, that might help dispel their anger and disappointment.
At Irontooth’s sharp elbow to my ribs, I took the ring and at the same time lifted Pearl’s hand. Her fingers were cold beneath mine, and above her veil, her eyes had been frosty throughout the entire ceremony and the stating of our vows.
Though my frustration with her had given way to resignation, she was clearly still angry with me. I slid the ring down and repeated after the priest: “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The priest made the sign of the cross. “Amen.”
A murmur of “amens” came from around us.
“I now pronounce that you are man and wife.” The priest smiled broadly.
I couldn’t make myself smile in return. Though I couldn’t see her mouth beneath her veil, Pearl’s severe expression told me she took no joy in our union either.
“Kiss her!” someone shouted at the periphery.
“Kiss yourself!” Pearl shouted back, which earned roaring laughter in response.
In the flickering firelight, her gaze snagged with mine for the first time since we’d stood together at the center of the camp. What was she thinking? That she’d made a big mistake? Because that’s what I was thinking.
The words I’d just uttered reverberated in my mind, the promise to worship her with my body and to endow her with my worldly goods. I could easily provide for her every need. But worship her with my body? Could I do that?
Her attention dropped to my mouth before it jumped away.
She wasn’t seriously considering their suggestion to kiss, was she? Though we hadn’t yet spoken of the nature of our marriage, I suspected she saw it as a business agreement and nothing more.
Moreover, kissing would involve lifting her veil. And that would likely be too embarrassing for her. Although I was curious about the nature of her blemish, I was also somewhat reluctant to witness it. What if it was hideous and changed my view of her for the worse? Perhaps I was better off remaining ignorant.
As the feasting began, thankfully no more was said about kissing. And when the music and dancing started, I stood to the side and watched, my emotions twisting and turning as fast as the dancers, Pearl amongst them. On the one hand, I was grateful to be out of the dungeon and walking around after a week of immobility. I was also relieved I could continue with my Testing.
However, another part of me wondered if I’d failed at my Testing after all, by allowing all of this to happen. I never should have gotten captured in the first place. If I’d been more careful and alert, I’d still be ensconced in Blade’s camp, analyzing inner motivations of people and learning more about the human condition as a result. If I’d been more strategic, I would have discovered a way to escape from the dungeon without having to use Pearl. And if I’d been wiser, I would have been able to find a way out of marrying her.
As it was, in spite of my mistakes, I needed to move forward, attempt to redeem myself, and work harder at my Testing. That’s what a good leader did. Learn and grow and do better the next time.
By the time people began to nod off, the stars had grown dim and dawn was fast approaching. Nevertheless, a rowdy group of revelers decided to usher us to Pearl’s cave that would evidently be my home for the duration of my stay on the island.
Singing at the top of their voices, the group pushed Pearl and me inside the cave and then slammed the door shut behind us. For several minutes, the teasing and songs continued until they faded into yawns and footsteps drifted away.
A strange silence descended within the cave. Pearl stood by the door, facing it, her back stiff. I allowed myself to take stock of her home, noting that it felt homier than Irontooth’s. Her furnishings consisted of a sleeping mat with a thick fur blanket, a table and benches made of rocks and boards hewn from the forest, crocks and clay jars, a braided wall hanging, as well as several woven mats surrounding a small fire pit.
“You have crafted a welcoming home,” I offered, knowing I needed to put her at ease.
She turned, then, to face me, her eyes flashing with censure. “You must know I am not welcoming you here willingly.”
The words had their intended effect. They stung me. But what could I expect? She’d been trapped into marriage to a man she didn’t like or know.
She sighed, her breath laced with weariness. “Forgive me. You are not to blame for what has happened. I brought this upon myself.”
“I am responsible too.” My mind returned to all the things I might have done differently if I’d been a better man. Perhaps Vilmar was the best candidate for king after all. Perhaps this time on the island was laying bare my weaknesses and showing me the truth about myself in a way I’d never before seen.
She crossed to the fire and added another log to the low flames.
“I shouldn’t have considered using your friendship to help me gain my freedom. I was selfish and calloused to do so.”
“’Twas indeed selfish.” She poked at the wood, sending sparks into the air.
“I apologize and pray that with time, you’ll be able to forgive me.”
She tossed in dry brush, and the flames leapt higher. “I likely would have done the same if our situations had been reversed.”
“Then you accept my contrition?”
“I shall, eventually.”
“Thank you.” As I stared at the flames, the crackling and warmth of the fire made me drowsy. And yet I needed to persist in making peace with this woman—who was now my wife. “I would have enjoyed the friendship with you even if our situations had been reversed.”
My statement had the desired effect. She lifted her eyes to mine, the comely green revealing vulnerability—the same vulnerability I’d seen from time to time during the past week.
“And I would have aided you and Ruby even if we weren’t man and wife.”
Her eyes flashed with uncertainty, and I guessed she wanted to beli
eve me. But she didn’t trust me. Perhaps trust was something one could only earn with time and repeated efforts.
She glanced back to the fire. “I did not trap you into marriage for myself. I did it for Ruby.”
“I understand.” I prayed my father and the Lagting would understand too.
She was silent a moment before speaking in a low voice. “When Ruby and I are safe from the queen, I would not oppose you if you gave me an annulment. If we remain silent about our marriage, perhaps no one need know about it.”
Had she read my thoughts and guessed the difficulties we would face upon returning to Scania? And should I seriously consider her offer? It would make my life easier. And yet, I’d been taught never to make promises I couldn’t keep.
“I made vows to both you and Irontooth this night, and I shall not break my word.”
“You were coerced.”
“I had a choice.” One always had a choice, and I’d made mine.
“I shall still give you an annulment.”
“And I shall not accept it.”
“You must know I do not wish to have a real marriage.” She said the words bravely but stared into the fire, refusing to look at me.
“Of course. We shall remain chaste.” For now. But I didn’t say that. If I became king, I would eventually need to produce an heir. As royalty herself, she would understand such a responsibility. However, I wouldn’t trouble myself about that at the moment. At present, it was enough that we could remain civil to each other.
She seemed satisfied with my answer and our truce. “Would you like the pallet or the bearskin blanket?”
“You choose your preference. I shall be satisfied with either.”
A few minutes later, we were both lying down on either side of the fire, I upon the pallet and she upon the blanket. She lifted her hands to her veil as though to remove it. But at the sight of my eyes upon her, she turned on her side so she was facing away from the fire.
I studied her outline a moment longer. Look on the heart. Though I’d attempted to do so all along with everyone I met on the island, now I had a bigger challenge—to look on the heart of my wife.