Vikings' Brides Box Set

by Jessica Knight

  She steps forward, but I hold up my hand to stop her. “No. I won’t let you ruin this day. I have one day. One,” I lift a finger to add more emphasis. “And I won’t let you or anyone ruin it for me before I’m locked away.”

  “You brought it upon yourself, Trident! You know the feud is there for a reason.”

  “It isn’t,” I spit. “It’s there for no other reason than two old men not able to get over their egos. I refuse to let it ruin my life and any chance I have at happiness because you and Father can’t get over yourselves.”

  She narrows her green eyes at me and purses her thin lips. “You have no idea what you’ll do to this family if you go through with this.”

  “There is no if. I am.”

  “Her family—”

  “Are just as bad as mine, apparently,” I finish the sentence for her and walk over to the door, grabbing it by the handle. “I’ll see you at the feast tonight.” And I shut the door in her face, watching her mouth fall open. It’s the first time I’ve ever shown such disrespect.

  “Trident,” Sylvie’s voice soothes the disappointment welling up. I’ve never been so angry at my mother before. This is new to me.

  I turn around and fall against the door, closing my eyes. Thinking back all the years growing up where my father told the famous Aland and Karsten story, and I always listened so intently. I hung on to every word he said. I figured the Alands were horrible, violent people with how my father described them. The way he made it sound was the Aland’s promised woman at the time hated him. He was abusive and unfaithful.

  When my third great grandfather met her, she had been malnourished and bruised from a horrible beating. He rescued her, and they fell in love. Luckily, she wasn’t married, but all the promised money the Alands were supposed to get after the marriage never appeared. They loved to remind us that we owed them. I truly believed, as a child, we didn’t owe them anything.

  And now that I know Sylvie, I know that it is possible not all the people in the family are bad, not when she is so inherently good.

  It’s a story that has been passed down generation to generation. I’m sure details have gotten lost. Details we will never know, but I did know one thing. I am tired of it.

  I never thought I’d fall in love with an Aland woman. History is repeating itself. Sylvie may not be in the best position with her family and maybe she isn’t beaten, but she has been abused. Mentally and verbally. I’ll never let her go back there. Ever.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” her soft, cold hands cup my face. I open my eyes and see her worried expression. I’ve never known eyebrows to frown, but hers are, along with every other muscle on her face. She looks so concerned.

  “Hey, you,” she says, stroking my cheek lovingly with her slender fingers.

  “Hey, darling,” I return the greeting.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” I exhale heavily. “Just tired.”

  “We don’t have to go to the feast. I’m happy staying inside, drinking mead, wrestling around in the bed with you—naked.”

  My hands float to her hips. The mad bastards, they have a mind of their own. “I thought you said you were sore.”

  “I am. It doesn’t mean we can’t do…other things.”

  Oh, I really love how she put an extra flare on the word ‘other.’ Damn this woman, how did I get so lucky? “No. You deserve a good time. The next few days will be rough. We don’t know what is going to happen.”

  “I don’t want anything to happen,” her voice hitches with emotions. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. What shall I do without you, now that you’ve gone and had me fall in love with you? It’s almost cruel,” she sniffles.

  I try to swallow the rancid question in my throat, but I can’t. I need to know. I cup her neck with my hands and push down my own fears and worries. “Do you regret it?”

  She tilts her head in confusion, her red hair dancing over her shoulders. It reminds me of flames in the wind. “Regret what?”

  “Falling in love with me.”

  She gasps, and her small fist hits my chest. “How could you think such a thing? I can die now knowing that I’ve been loved. That changes a girl’s life, you know. You’ve changed me. If I had to go back and do it all over again, the only thing I’d do differently is getting on your horse with you when those warriors jumped you.”

  “The outcome would have been the same. This would have still happened.”

  “But we would have had more time together.” The first of her tears fall, but I brush them away before they can drip down the apple of her cheek. “And I can always say I left willingly.” Her eyes brighten with realization. “That’s what I’ll do when my father gets here. He won’t know that I got kidnapped.”

  “I’m sure he has already been notified.”

  “I can say he was wrong. I left on my own. It was planned. You didn’t kidnap me. I ran away with you.” She truly looks proud of her idea. Her smile is so much better than the frown she wore minutes ago.

  “Let us worry about that later, okay? Right now, dancing, food, and good friends are waiting for us.”

  I do not tell her that Lord Grimkael is going to marry us. Everything that we are planning can turn in an instant, but Lord Grimkael welcomes confrontation. He decided that if someone wants to be stupid enough to battle us, then a battle they shall have.

  Sylvie and I getting married without her father’s permission is going to cause even more of an uproar. I’m definitely not the type of man she needs for them to be out of debt. I do well with coin, but I’m not wealthy like the Alands are—or used to be.

  She grabs the front of my shirt, reels me in, and presses her lips against mine. When she pulls away, I follow, not ready to let go of her tasteful lips yet. “Come on, let’s go. We can’t keep the people waiting.”

  Right. I take her hand in mine, open the door to more stone walls, and turn right to make our way down the steps. I have an entire day of freedom before I’m caged again, and I want to make the best of it. At least I know I’ll be married to the woman I love.

  Sitting in a dungeon will be rough without her, but at least I know when I get out, she’ll be there, and we can finally start our lives together. I hold her hand tight as we make our way down the swirling staircase, her palm in my hand. The closer we get to the main floor, the faster my heart races. The front door is wide open, letting the sunlight shine in. It’s bright. Nothing outside can be seen except blinding white, making the doorway look like a tunnel to something out of this world.

  When the warm light touches our skin and my eyes adjust to my surroundings, fury unlike anything I’ve ever felt before wraps around me. No wonder my mother was at my bedroom door. She was there to tell me of this. Not only did Lord Grimkael plan a feast, but somehow my mother planned a party and invited all the single women in the area and other countries. It seems everything is split down the middle, and Lord Grimkael seems furious.

  The women on the right are standing awkwardly, arms folded and unsure of how to proceed. My mother is all smiles, walking around like what she did isn’t disrespectful. My father is standing next to Lord Grimkael, his hands flying in the air as he talks. It seems my father is desperate to make things right, but Lord Grimkael isn’t interested. I can tell by the look on his face.

  “Trident, what is going on?” Sylvie’s voice shakes as she looks around the catastrophe. “Who are all these women? Do you know them?”

  I spin her around and hold her against my chest. “No, I know none of them. I suspect it was what my mother wanted to talk about before I shut the door in her face.”

  “She’d do this behind your back?”

  “Wouldn’t your parents?” I ask softly. I do not want it to seem harsh, so I keep my tone gentle, wanting her to realize that we can’t always control what our parents do.

  “I can’t believe they would do this. In front of everyone. What shall we do?” She fists my shirt in her hands. She’s panick
ing. I understand, but I shall not let it ruin our day. The last day before Lord Grimkael puts me back in the dungeon and talks to her father. I refuse to let them think they can control me.

  I bring my lips to her ear and keep my voice low to make sure no one else can hear me. “Do you see that blonde woman standing next to Wulf? That’s Lady Lilith. That is his wife. I want you to go be with her and their kids.”

  “What will you do?”

  “I shall go take care of my parents.”

  “Right,” she whispers, water welling her eyes. Damn it, this is the last thing we needed.

  I bring her forehead to my lips and sigh. “Everything shall be fine. Trust me.” I tap her shoulders and nod. “Go, darling. I’ll be with you soon.”

  As she backs away, our hands slide apart, but she doesn’t let go, and neither do I. Our fingers stretch for one another until eventually, the tips of our digits kiss goodbye, breaking the connection. Being away from her breaks my heart again.

  She leaves me with hesitance and gives me her back, lifting her skirt off the ground so it does not get dirty as she walks. Sylvie strides with such grace. I watch her leave and stand next to Lady Lilith who welcomes her with a smile.

  When Sylvie turns and gives me an assuring smile, I make my way toward Lord Grimkael and my father. The closer I get, the more I hear my father pleading for Lord Grimkael not to punish them.

  “What is going on here, Father?” I keep my voice low and on the edge of dangerous. I’m furious. “Why are all these women here? Did you know about this, Lord Grimkael?” I swear if all of this was a ruse to make me believe Sylvie and I could be together and then they trick us, I shall kill someone.

  Lord Grimkael’s jaw grinds together as he narrows his eyes at my father. “No, I had no idea. I’m not too sure how your mother planned this so quickly, but it makes me suspicious.”

  “Please, I had no idea she was going to do this. Trident, son, you must believe me,” my father pleads, grabbing a hold of my hands and grasping them with desperation.

  “I cannot,” I say, yanking my hands away from his. “I shall not greet those women, Lord Grimkael. I refuse.”

  “I figured as much. Something must be done. I’ll order them home.”

  “No,” I say, a bit too harshly. “With all due respect, Lord Grimkael, I want to hammer home how unavailable I really am. I want you to marry us in front of them. In front of my mother.”

  “Son, that will kill her. You have to understand why she is doing this. The Alands aren’t good people. Please, what she did was wrong, but do not marry that girl,” my father begs.

  “You’re just as bad as she is,” I snarl. “After this, I do not know you or Mother. Do you understand that? I shall have nothing to do with people who would do this to me behind my back.”

  “You do not mean that, Trident. We are your family. We are blood. You do not turn your back on blood,” my father grips me by my armor.

  I bring my arm down on his, and it forces him to release his hold on me. “You should have thought of that before you turned your back on me. Sylvie is my family now. Wulf is my family.”

  “You’ll regret it. You just wait. And when you do, we won’t be here for you.”

  “I’m not asking you to be.” My heart barely breaks at my father’s words. I cannot say I’m surprised that it has come to this. For years we have been growing apart. It was only a matter of time before this happened and our differences were made known.

  My mother strides up to me with confidence, a young woman at her side. The woman is pretty, sure, and probably a perfectly good person. But I feel nothing when I look at her. I’m not attracted to her whatsoever. “Trident, this is Lad—”

  I grab hold of my mother’s wrist and squeeze. “I do not care what her name is. I do not care for any of their names. I am a taken man. Whether you and father like it or not, Lady Sylvie Aland is going to be my wife,” I growl, emphasizing her last name.

  “Wait, you are promised to another already?” the woman asks, giving my mother a spiteful glare. “Unbelievable. You said he was looking for a wife in your letter. You are a liar.”

  “I am no such thing!” my mother exclaims.

  “You are,” Lord Grimkael states, before giving me his undivided attention. “Go get Lady Sylvie.”

  “What is happening? You shall not marry that girl!” My mother’s face turns red, the vein popping out in her forehead.

  “I shall. And there is nothing you or Father can do about it,” I say.

  Lord Grimkael motions Erik and Jericho over. “Hold them.”

  Erik binds my father’s arms, and Jericho holds my mother’s wrists behind her back. “What is the meaning of this?” she screams.

  “Just want to make sure you don’t do anything else that shall make me take your head,” Lord Grimkael growls. Now Trident, get your bride. Let’s piss some people off, aye?”

  “You’re sure about this?” I ask him. He is putting his reputation on the line. Lord Grimkael isn’t the kind of man that goes by the rules. Hell, he blackmailed the last King for his wife’s hand. He doesn’t give a shit about what society thinks, but whatever rules he makes, those are what his people must follow. And right now, he is going against everything he has heard about my family’s feud with the Alands and taking a chance on me. On Sylvie. It could backfire. He may still go to war, but I think deep down that is what he truly wants.

  The man used to be a Warlord, after all. He craves battle. He craves a good fight. And it has been too long since our showdown with the Jackals. He has numerous beads in his beard, more than anyone I have ever seen. Warlord Einarr has a few and they keep growing with every battle he wins. It’s a lot of pressure to always be the best, and I’m glad that being a warlord is nowhere in my future.

  “If you dare marry them, we are leaving,” my mother threatens as she tries to jerk out of Jericho’s hold.

  “Go ahead and fight all you want. You aren’t going anywhere,” he bites his teeth together after he says it. The crazy bastard. Does Sylvie’s friend truly like him? She must be as big a fool as he is.

  “I do not want people such as yourself in my kingdom. I hate to see you go. You have been valued members of this kingdom for a long time, but you are not the one in charge here. I am. And if you do not like my decisions, feel free to leave. Know this, no other Lord runs his kingdom as well as I do. You’ll beg to come back, but I shall not let it happen, so be sure this is what you want. Set your pride aside and realize your mistakes. If you cannot do that, I’ll be happy to have Jericho take you to the boundary line, and you can figure out a way from there.” Lord Grimkael gives his back to my parents and spreads his hands out. “Where were we before a flock of women showed up on your behalf?”

  Sylvie hums, clearly annoyed that so many women are here for me, but I only have eyes for her. She loops her arm through mine and places her hand on my chest, rubbing it slightly. Sylvie’s putting it on extra thick, and I love it. I love that she is so jealous, especially since I have no idea who they are.

  Lord Grimkael bends forward and whispers, “I’m going to skip the ‘if anyone protests’ bit, because we all know a few people that will say they do.”

  “As quick as you can,” I nod.

  “Friends! Gather ‘round. This day, we celebrate a joining of two people that, according to history, aren’t supposed to be together. Now is a new time. A new beginning. History has no place here.” Lord Grimkael slides his gaze to me.

  “Here, here!” Warlord Einarr cheers, lifting his mead in the air while biting into a turkey leg.

  “Here, here!” everyone around him chants.

  “Don’t do this,” my mother begs. “Trident, don’t. That family is no good.”

  “Take them away!” Lord Grimkael shouts, flinging his arm out which makes his fur flutter behind him. “Now.”

  “Right away, Lord Grimkael,” Erik says, pushing my father, which causes him to stumble. His legs give out, but he rights himself. Jericho does
the same with my mother, but she fights him more than my father does.

  I don’t bother watching the warriors take my parents away. In this moment, the only thing I care about is marrying Sylvie as soon as possible. I’m still very angry at them, especially my mother. She doesn’t care about me or my happiness. All she cares about is keeping this damn feud going. They can. They can take it with them to their grave, but I won’t let it keep me from being happy. The only thing I want to take to my grave is the love I have for Sylvie.

  “Are you ready?” Lord Grimkael asks.

  “Been ready since the moment I laid eyes on her.” I smile, stepping forward and turning my body so I’m facing her. Goddess, she is pretty. The way the sun is setting on her red hair gives it an ethereal glow.

  Wulf sidles up next to me, taking his spot as best man. Lady Lilith stands next to Sylvie on the other side, as her temporary maid of honor. I’m sure she would have wished her friend Aya was here, but that shall have to do for now.

  Maybe we’ll get married again, and her friend can be there. A proper marriage, with a proper feast, and none of these vile distractions from our families. Once this is all over. Hell, maybe we could get married every single day.

  “Alright, then. Sir Trident Karsten, repeat after me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sylvie

  Oh, goddess, it is happening.

  I’m getting married.

  Is this a good idea? What if his parents are right? What if my parents are right? We haven’t known each other long, maybe we are going too fast. Quick heat spreads throughout my entire body and a flush overtakes me. Sweat drips off my temple, and my palms start to sweat.

  No, I’m letting everyone get in my head—everyone that doesn’t matter. The mantra my entire life has been to hate the Karstens, and now my father’s voice is in the back of my head, telling me how awful he is.

  And I know he isn’t. The time I’ve spent with him has proven that. I take a deep breath and relax my shoulders, silencing my father’s voice. The only person I should listen to is myself. Trident is the one for me. There’s no turning back.