Barbarian's Bride

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Barbarian’s Bride ISBN 9781419916472 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Barbarian’s Bride Copyright © 2008 Rodine Dobeck Edited by Helen Woodall. Cover art by Philip Fuller. Electronic book Publication June 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

BARBARIAN’S BRIDE Rodine Dobeck

Dedication To my husband Victor, whose support made it possible for me to live my dream.

Barbarian’s Bride

Chapter One Gloucester, 877

Erik the Terror, bastard brother to King Guthrum of the Danes, was making his way to the royal tent when a thin blond woman boldly stepped from behind a tree and put her hand on his arm. She was his bed slave Brunhilde and this was not the first time she had brazenly accosted him rather than wait for his invitation, but this time he looked her up and down with scant interest. “You look as if you have need of me,” she purred, touching his bearded cheek, “desire is written on your face.” “I think not,” he said gruffly. For some time now he had found no satisfaction with her and the rape that was expected of him during and after the heat of battle had become distasteful. He kept up a front because the men must not think him less than what he had always been—a savage ruthless warrior. But taking a woman against her will or simply to relieve the ache in his groin had lost its appeal. “We have not been together since before the harvest. Why do you keep me if you will not use me?” Brunhilde whined. “Perhaps I will not keep you,” he said shortly. “You used to enjoy my skills and everyone knows a warrior needs to slake the lust of his cock as well as his sword. If your body is slow to respond I can help you, I assure you.” She rubbed her breasts against his arm but instead of feeling aroused he was disgusted. “I said no,” he growled, pulled his arm from under her hand and fixed a look on her that made her step back. “Sleep with the women until I send for you.” He turned and continued toward the tent of his brother King Guthrum, the snow crunching beneath his boots, the wind seeking to find a way through the long, thick fur he wore around his upper body. He tried to remember what it felt like to rape a woman. Last year, when they were at Exeter, a young, pretty redhead had run screaming from a nearby house straight into his arms. She fought him but it was no use, he laid her back against a nearby stone wall and took her. But when he was done, the sight of her bloody thighs made him inexplicably tired and sad. She lay there sobbing for a moment before realizing that he had let her go. She ran off but he almost held her back, he wanted to ask her name, dry her tears. The memory still bothered him and he often wondered what happened to her. That was the last time he raped a woman and he had vowed that he would never do so again. Erik was tall even for a Dane with long golden hair and beard, broad shoulders and a mouth and brow permanently down-turned in a scowl. He was not aware that he habitually wore his battle face but many a man stepped aside when he walked through 5

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the camp. Women were powerfully attracted to his strength and that battle face and the whores worked hard to soften it for in repose his was a handsome, almost hypnotically kind face. He had been born to the bed slave of Guthrum’s father, a woman who was then freed and raised to the status of first concubine after his birth because she had given her lord a strong and lusty son. He was lucky he hadn’t been exposed on a hill for the bastard that he was. He knew he could easily have been shoved aside by Guthrum who was their father’s only legitimate heir. But Guthrum had embraced him like a true brother, even as their father had treated Erik no differently from his other children. Reared to be a soldier, just as Guthrum had been reared to be king, there was no jealousy between them. Erik knew he could best any man at almost anything, but he had no wish to be king. It made for a congenial relationship and Erik had been content to dwell in his brother’s household rather than seek a wife and establish his own—at least until this unsettled feeling had intruded on his life and mind. When he entered the royal tent, Guthrum hailed him from his place at the head of the long table. “Erik what have you been about, tumbling another wench?” he asked laughing. The two brothers looked very much alike although Guthrum was older by five years and Erik’s shoulders were wider, his chest broader. With their long stride, powerful muscles and feline grace, together they were perfect representatives of everything that frightened the Saxons when they uttered the word “Dane”. “How did you know?” Erik replied with a rare grin as he sat beside his brother, continuing his pretext of normalcy. He accepted an elk horn full of wine from Guthrum’s bed slave, Gerta. Guthrum had offered to buy Gerta’s sister for Erik since Brunhilde had gone whining to him but he had refused. A bed slave was no better than the women who followed the soldiers, available to any man who paid their fee. He wanted more than raw physical gratification. Guthrum smiled back. “You have that look about you, sleek and sated. Why do you not sell Brunhilde if you have no more use for her, Erik? Or better still, get married. Even I have settled down.” Erik raised one eyebrow. “And yet you still keep a bed slave, what would your wife Freya think?” He drank deeply. “But who would marry me, Guthrum? I am a soldier with no experience of the marrying kind of woman.” “When this war with the Saxons is resolved, look about at the daughters of our men, surely one of them will catch your eye. And if my plans come to pass you will have years to beget and raise your children in peace and prosperity.” “Speaking of which, I hear Alfred will soon be at Chippenham if he is not there already. When do we attack? Do you think we will rout Alfred himself?” Erik asked. “I look forward to a decisive battle with the Saxon cowards.” “I have decided to wait until after their year-end feast, lull Alfred into thinking we have settled into winter quarters and do not wish to come out ’til spring. He will be very unprepared. In fact he might even send home what troops he has.”

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“You expect this to be easy?” Erik asked. “It is worth waiting until the right moment,” Guthrum said. “One last battle, fought correctly, will mean both Saxons and Danes can sleep easy in their beds at last.” “I trust your judgment. We move on Chippenham at the start of the new year.” Erik tossed back the last of his wine and left Guthrum, his thoughts drifting away from battles and back to the idea of a wife, children, a home. His mind’s eye conjured up the image of a petite woman with flowing hair, ample bosom and smiling eyes, not unlike his own mother. She would have soft hands and voice, perhaps occupy herself with embroidery in the evenings. He could picture them in their home, the image of domestic bliss and he would be doing…what? He suddenly realized how much of his life was absorbed in battles and preparing for battles and how hopelessly unprepared he was to be married to anyone at all. Yet the dream persisted of a delicate young woman seated beside him, speaking of their children and daily concerns and his heart reached for her hungrily. Then he mentally shook himself. What business did he have dreaming of something that could never be, even if he had been feeling the call of hearth and home more often of late? He was a warrior born and bred and he always would be. He was sure whatever domesticity he gained from marriage would be short-lived. He might marry and linger long enough for the woman to give birth to one or two children but sooner or later, Guthrum would summon him to subdue a border or repel invaders and he would go. He did not expect that to change but the sameness of it made him weary. He rejoined his captains, Rolf and Harald, on the field where some of the new soldiers were practicing their battle skills. “Erik,” Rolf called out across the training ground, “what news have you?” “We do not leave for Chippenham until the beginning of the new year,” Erik said as he joined them. “What do we expect to find at Chippenham?” Rolf asked. “King Alfred of Wessex if we are very lucky. More likely we will find a group of very frightened servants and no master,” Harald said sarcastically. “King Alfred has a way of eluding us that stinks of witchcraft.” “Aye he does that,” Erik agreed. “But sooner or later he will be caught and there will be a reckoning.” Erik turned to the young men standing about the training ground. Today everyone was practicing with the battle-ax and a competition had sprung up. Bjorr, the youngest of the troops, was remarkably good with the axe and each of the others was trying to best him. So far no one had and Erik looked forward to the challenge. Erik stepped to where the practice battle-axes were leaning against the fence that ringed the training field. His personal weapons were safely locked in a chest in his own tent where they would stay until he needed them for actual battle. “Bjorr, come,” he called and the young man stepped away from the group, light on his feet and holding the battle-ax loosely at his side. 7

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Erik went on the attack without giving Bjorr time to react, swinging the battle-ax high and aiming at the younger man’s head. Bjorr lifted his own axe and managed to halt the blow but he was pushed off balance, narrowly managing to stay on his feet. He swung his axe low in an effort to knock Erik over but Erik neatly sidestepped the move and brought his axe down squarely on Bjorr’s head, not hard enough to split his skull but certainly enough to give the younger man a nasty headache. Even as he laid Bjorr low, his battle-ax flung wide, part of Erik’s mind was still engaged in the mental image of a wife until he heard Bjorr’s whining voice, “You will pay dearly for that!” Erik fixed the younger man with a malevolent stare. “Do not boast about prowess you do not have,” he warned. “You cannot make me pay dearly until you can best me at the battle-ax. Until then, practice and learn,” Erik said scornfully and cast the battleax to one side. “All of you, form up the wall of shields!” Bjorr and the other men scrambled to grab their shields and swords, then stood elbow to elbow, shields held before them and overlapping. “Tighten the line!” Erik bellowed. When they complied he tried to break through the shields by kicking at them and while the men struggled to maintain position they did not buckle. Nor could Erik find a hole in which to insert his sword. Then he saw a small opening and thrust his wooden practice sword through it then pushed his way into the line. “Bjorr, you must keep the shields locked!” he shouted. “If you let the enemy in so easily we will be slaughtered.” The younger man’s face reddened in shame but he said, “I did not make an opening, he did!” Bjorr pointed at the man next to him. “I saw you shift, you made the opening! It is unmanly to blame others for your own mistakes,” Erik said disdainfully. He stepped forward and roughly grabbed Bjorr’s balls in his hand. The younger man gasped. “These say you are a man in form only, your actions tell the real tale, that you are a coward and a liar.” “Someday you will regret those words,” Bjorr said in a deadly quiet voice. Erik growled and, before Bjorr could react, Erik knocked him hard onto his back, wrapped a rope around his ankles and hauled him up to hang from the branch of the nearest tree. “You still need a good deal of teaching, Bjorr, let this be your first lesson. Next time the rope will be around your neck.” He and the others set off to practice cavalry formations while Bjorr hung there until Erik decided to send someone to take him down.

***** King Alfred of Wessex rode into the bailey of Chippenham fortress under a blue sky and a pale winter sun, amid creaking leather and snorting horses. A scant five retainers followed him, an unusually small number given the proximity of the invading Danes. Merwenna, daughter of the fortress’ steward and its chatelaine, recognized his court physician and his harpist, which struck her as odd enough but only three men-atarms accompanied them. Merwenna wondered what it could mean that the king 8

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traveled with such a small retinue. Where was his body slave? Where was Asser, his confessor, biographer and constant companion? Did he hope that the Danes would not guess he was here, assume that he was just another ordinary traveler? Unfortunately, Alfred could not be mistaken for anyone other than who he was, a king. He stood half a head taller than any of his men, his hair dark red when divested of his helmet, both it and his beard glinting in the sunlight. He tossed his head and smiled down at Merwenna, his face suddenly quite youthful. His body was lean but wellmuscled, his leather traveling clothes smoothly outlining each sinew. As he dismounted, Merwenna curtsied saying, “Welcome back to Chippenham, Sire.” The fortress at Chippenham was a royal residence surrounded on three sides by the waters of the River Avon. Unfortunately, Alfred spent little time there. His reign had been plagued by unrest as the Danes attacked again and again, straining the boundaries of every kingdom in Britain in their quest for territory and wealth. He had fought and bought them off more than once. In his absence, the fortress was under the care of Eldred and Merwenna and it was with great pleasure that Merwenna welcomed him back for he was more than her king, he was her godfather. Alfred took her hands and lifted her from her bow, planting a kiss firmly on her lips, his battle-weary face warm and vibrant. “Merwenna, you are more than lovely, as usual,” he said in the deep, resonating voice that could so galvanize his men into feats of courage and strength. “I have been too long at war and yearned for the sight of you. How long has it been?” “At least a year, Sire, two since you were here for yule. The bath is being made ready for you even as we speak,” she said, smoothing down the front of her kirtle. “It will be my pleasure to serve you there, if you wish.” “I do wish,” Alfred said heartily. “No one bathes me as you do, Merwenna.” He followed her into the great hall then into the solar behind it. Her personal servant Elfreda was pouring a steaming bucket of water into the tub before the fire. Merwenna was beautiful in a soft, dark sort of way, with her warm brown eyes, luxurious rich brown hair that flowed down her back when loose and her voluptuous figure, its lushness not to be guessed at beneath her clothes. She was round in all the right places. She moved with a natural grace and the habit of command sat comfortably on her like a well-worn cloak. “How is your father?” Alfred asked and began removing his clothing until he stood naked before her. “Somewhat better though hardly himself. He tires so easily and it alarms me when his breathing becomes so labored but I know that is the disease. I was grateful when you sent your own physician to see to him, though there was little he could do except recommend rest. You may go to him after your bath, I know he is anxious to greet you but he cannot get about as freely as he used to.” She admired his body as always, his arms and thighs battle-scarred, his chest broad but not massive, tapering to a slender waist and beyond that to the thatch of red hair surrounding his manhood at rest. Her

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nether regions reacted, pulsing with need, just as they had begun to do in the middle of the night of late. “I was sorry to hear he was taken ill, my dear. He is one of my most loyal retainers and a trusted friend.” He climbed into the tub with a satisfied sigh and she began to wash him, starting with his back, Elfreda standing by to hand her the soap and extra cloths, her blue eyes downcast in deference to the king, her long, curly red hair subdued beneath a veil and circlet. Merwenna liked the feel of his warm firm flesh beneath her fingers and when he groaned, it was clear he enjoyed it as well. In fact, she enjoyed bathing all their male guests. To her a man’s body was a wondrous and beautiful sight when well-kept as Alfred’s was. “How is your wife, Queen Elswith?” Merwenna asked, taking care to wash behind the king’s ears and inside as well. “She is with child and very well. Pray God it is a boy this time. My two girls are precious to me of course, but a son would be most welcome.” When she moved to Alfred’s chest he leaned back in the bath, his eyes closed and his breathing even. She thought he had fallen asleep until he spoke. “I have come to take a more active role as your godfather, Merwenna,” he said, opening his deep green eyes to fix hers intently, “now that your father is ailing.” “Aye, Sire. Does this mean you have someone in mind to marry me?” She busied herself with his feet, carefully washing each toe, then the sole and heel. She could not meet his eyes. “Not just yet, but there are many likely candidates. In any event, it will have to wait until we reach some resolution with the Danes. This endless war is taking most of my time and attention,” he said, reaching down to push her chin up so he could see her eyes. “But rest assured I am sparing your future more than a passing thought.” “Thank you, Sire,” she said softly but firmly. “I will be obedient to my father and you no matter what husband you choose for me. I only hope he is a great deal like you,” she ventured. She did not shrink from his stare this time though she badly wanted to avert her eyes from his intensity. “I wish you had not been a little girl ten years ago when I took a wife,” he said wistfully. Then continued, “Never mind. On your birth when your mother died, your father entrusted me with your future and I take that trust very seriously.” She was surprised to see a sudden look of intense longing in his eyes and lowered her own in confusion. “I have complete faith in your judgment, Sire,” was all she could manage to say. Her feelings for the king, the years of familiarity and loving kindness, filled her heart. Alfred dunked his head under the water and rinsed the soap from his hair. When he emerged, water streaming from his head, he wiped his face and opened those startling green eyes again, now devoid of that strange yearning. “I am glad.” Alfred stood and accepted the drying cloth from her hands. As he rubbed himself with the

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cloth he continued, “By this time next year, you might be wed and perhaps expecting your first child.” “Thank you, Sire,” Merwenna said with a smile and a curtsy. The sight of his naked body stirred her once again and she was glad when he covered himself with a clean shirt and braies. His mention of her having a child had excited a strange ache in her womb and she hoped his prediction came true. She left the hall, Elfreda a step behind as always, and crossed to the cookhouse which was located on the opposite side of the bailey. Smoke issued from a hole in the cookhouse’s ceiling and the smell of fresh-baked bread wafted to her nostrils. A whole wild boar hung from the ceiling, its throat slit and the blood draining into a bucket. The next morning, it would be spitted over an open fire with slaves taking turns to rotate it and ensure that it roasted evenly. Its head would be the centerpiece of the yule feast. In the meantime, hens were roasting and fish stew was bubbling beside the ever-present pot of porridge. Merwenna stopped to talk with the cook. “Is the pudding perfectly ripe and ready, Martha? And the pies, they must be just right. With the king in residence this year, I want everything to be perfect.” The rotund, red-cheeked cook clicked her tongue against her teeth, her blue eyes stern and mouth set in a firm line. “Shame on you, Lady Merwenna, for asking, as if I had never made a yule feast before,” she said indignantly. “King Alfred has not joined us for the yule season for two years. I wish his stay to be everything he would expect at his other residences. Besides, did you not burn the pudding last year?” Merwenna asked, rolling her eyes. “Aye, Lady Merwenna you will have your fun. Be gone before I spill something on that dainty kirtle.” The cook tapped her playfully with a smile on her face. Merwenna went from the cookhouse to the great hall and directed Robert and Oswald to carry Eldred down to attend the evening meal on Alfred’s first night with them. They settled him in the chair to the right of where Alfred would sit while Merwenna took that to the left. Father Ignatius, the resident priest, joined them as well as Alfred’s physician, Tristan the Wise. Then it struck her anew how strange it was that Alfred had traveled with so few attendants. Usually on his visits the great hall was full of people and abuzz with activity but with only the Chippenham people in attendance, the voices echoed off the walls hollowly and many of the tables were almost empty. She had asked that more tables be placed in the hall in expectation of a larger royal retinue. She would need to have them removed for the rest of the king’s stay. Merwenna noticed with surprise that the midwife Emma had joined the feasting, a rarity for her. She was an unpredictable person, some called her witch but Merwenna found something comforting about her quiet but capable nature and she was glad to see her sitting among the others. Before the king joined them, her father leaned close to her ear. “Do you have things well in hand? Is there aught I can do to help?” Eldred asked. His pallor and the way his

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hand shook made it obvious he was in no condition to help her but she smiled at him anyway. “You need not concern yourself, Father. You have taught me well. Besides, the wasting sickness has taken so much of your strength, you must rest as the king’s physician told you to conserve what little remains.” “I am sick unto death of doing nothing,” he complained, scowling. “Yet when I rise and try to go about my work I almost swoon. I am not fit to be steward any longer, it seems.” “So the physician is right about resting,” she said. “And as for your fitness as steward, you are still in control of this household. I simply carry out your orders.” It was a lie and both of them knew it. “You are a good girl, Merwenna. You will do well as steward when I am gone. I will tell the king of your abilities so he is assured that Chippenham will be in good hands when I am gone.” “I hope I will be an old woman before I take charge of Chippenham on my own, Father.” Emma the midwife interrupted her. “Lady Merwenna?” Merwenna caught the scent of chamomile emanating from Emma’s kirtle. She always carried a strong herbal scent because she constantly worked with one herb or another. Merwenna found it soothing. “Have you come to see the king?” she asked. “He has not yet arrived.” “Nay, I have seen him before,” Emma said dismissively. “You sound as if you do not like him,” Merwenna said in surprise. “He is a man who is ruled by his passions though he refuses to admit it. A man who does not know himself or will not accept who he is, can do great damage to those who love him.” She spoke with such conviction that Merwenna felt a shiver down her spine. “I think you must be wrong. I have known the king all my life and he has never displayed such a destructive tendency.” “Mark my words, when his heart and mind fasten on the object of his desire, he will never let go, destroying everything between it and him,” Emma said. “But my real reason for speaking to you is that Dora is with child again.” Dora and her husband Edmond the younger had produced two other children, both of whom were stillborn. “Is there something you can do to ensure the health of this child?” Merwenna asked, her brow furrowed. “I shall pray for her,” Father Ignatius said and made the sign of the cross. “More than prayers will be needed,” Emma said with thinly veiled contempt. She was not an avowed pagan but neither was she a firm Christian. She had become the midwife on the death of Old Kate, who had been at Chippenham since before Merwenna was born. Merwenna wished she had the nerve to question Emma about her

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belief, because she seemed like a rare and interesting person. “I have prepared a potion that has worked for other women in my care. I have also advised Dora that she should refrain from heavy lifting and working with lye. Perhaps you can do without her services as a washerwoman until the baby is born.” “Of course, I will give her lighter duties at once,” Merwenna said quickly. “Thank you,” Emma said. “Please forget what I said about the king, I am not always correct in my assessment of character.” “When was the last time you were wrong?” Merwenna asked but Emma only smiled enigmatically and Merwenna felt the shiver down her spine again. Once the king took his place at the high table, the servants began carrying in the platters of food, silver for the high table and wood for the rest of the diners. While the food was served, the court harpist played haunting melodies that Merwenna vaguely recognized. She thought how much nicer it was when Alfred was in residence. He brought a touch of elegance to their lives. Eldred made a real effort to exude the charm of his younger, less sickly days. “So, Alfred, where are the Danes exactly?” “They are at Gloucester and it appears they are settled for the winter. Hostilities will resume in the spring but at least we have a respite for the holy season.” Alfred drank from his cup of ale and Merwenna replenished it immediately. “It is said these are not the same Danes that have wrought such havoc the past twenty years but a new breed. Are they noticeably different?” “All Danes look alike to me but you are right, the current army has only been in Britain for two years,” Alfred said with a laugh. “They fight more like Romans than the others I have battled. They are raiders it is true, but they are also trained soldiers. Their King Guthrum has his own bastard half brother for his chief general, so I believe it is his work that we see on the battlefield. The man has a fierce reputation and is known as Erik the Terror.” He took a morsel from the stew in his plate and chewed thoughtfully. “Merwenna, this fish is perfectly seasoned.” “Thank you, Sire. I tried a new concoction of honey, rosemary, sage and pepper as a seasoning. I am glad you approve.” She picked at the meal, less concerned with her own hunger than how many mouthfuls her father chewed and swallowed. “But tell me,” Eldred was saying, “what prowess has this Erik the Terror on the battlefield. Have you seen him fight?” “Only once and that from afar, he took the heads off my men with one swipe of his sword and so fast his movements were a blur. Another time, my advance scouts encountered Erik alone in the wood one day and he slew them all but one. None of them could get close to him. He left the one man alive to tell the tale, no doubt to incite fear in my troops. That time he used his battle-ax but I have it on good authority that he is equally skilled and deadly with a sword, a spear and the bow and arrow.” Eldred shook his head in wonder and Alfred smiled at Merwenna, his eyes warm. She asked him, “What will you do once the Danes are defeated?” 13

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“Build my kingdom,” he answered quickly. “I wish to make it possible for the people to learn to read if they so desire. I plan to make it safer to travel by establishing towns only one day’s ride apart throughout the land. There will be one law for all and it will be written so there can be no mistake about what is and is not legal.” “Is all this possible?” Merwenna asked in surprise. “Once we have peace, my dear, everything is possible,” Alfred said in his passionate and charismatic way. As the informal, simple meal came to an end, Leofric, the cooper and resident storyteller, began to recite a local story about a vassal of King Arthur who slew a dragon and was given a beautiful princess and a stronghold of his own as a reward. Eldred fell asleep halfway through the story but Merwenna and Alfred listened, familiarity no obstacle to enjoyment for Leofric had a real gift for dramatic recital. When Leofric completed his story and the applause subsided, she asked him to find Robert and Oswald so her father could go to bed. While they were waiting and servants tended the fire and finished clearing the trenchers and platters, Alfred took her hand. “Chippenham has always been such a peaceful place, small enough so a full court cannot fit and intimacy may be preserved between inhabitants and guests. But I crave even more privacy, Merwenna. Please come with me to the solar.” She was unaccountably nervous as she accompanied Alfred—he seemed so unlike himself, so haunted and yet on edge. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but she did not wish to presume. In the solar, she accepted his offer of a chair and a cup of wine. “Do you not want to see what I have brought you?” he asked. “You know I always have a gift for you when I come.” “I did not want to ask,” she admitted. She could not resist the temptation to touch his face and he captured one of her fingers in his mouth and sucked on it, an incredibly strange and sensual experience. Abruptly he released her finger and handed her a small package wrapped in bright blue linen fastened with a length of hemp. “You may have it when you kiss me, Merwenna.” She leaned forward and he captured her mouth to kiss her hungrily, his breathing labored. He pulled her to him, his hands moving over her back and grasping her buttocks. It was so unexpected she couldn’t think to stop him then found she didn’t really want to. She put her hands against his back and he pressed her to him against the hardness in his braies. Then she did pull away, frightened of what might happen next. He was her godfather and what they were doing was wrong. But at the same time, he was her king and liege lord and if he desired her she should not resist. Luckily he pulled away too, relieving her of the decision and they both sat down again. “Thank you, Sire,” she managed to say, unsure how to react. He had never touched her thusly before. “Open it Merwenna, I hope you like it.”

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She untied the hemp and folded back the linen to reveal a gold cross inset with various rare jewels—rubies, emeralds and a single brilliant sapphire. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. “Oh, Sire, this is too fine for me. Your good wife certainly deserves such a gift. Please give it to her instead.” She tried to press it into his hand. “It is yours, Merwenna. You may not refuse the gift of your king and godfather.” He stroked her hair, his green eyes soft and loving. “You remind me of a rose just before it blooms, vibrant and alive and ready to share its beauty with the world.” His words made her blush and she took refuge in another sip of wine. “You are too kind, Sire. I am happy you find me pleasing to look upon.” “Merwenna, have you ever heard of a tradition called the Right of the First Night?” “Nay, Sire, what is it?” “It means that as your liege lord I am entitled to your maidenhead.” “But when I marry what will my husband think if he is not my first?” “My dear, I am the one who will arrange your marriage. The man you marry will understand and not hold it against you, I promise. Not only am I your liege lord but I am your king. It is your duty to submit yourself to me no matter what I want.” She stiffened. “You need not remind me of that, Sire. I do not intend to refuse. But I am frightened and this seems somehow wrong.” For a fleeting moment she thought he would agree but he only smiled. “Do you love me, Merwenna?” “Aye, Sire, I do but…” “And I love you. Love between a man and a woman is a beautiful thing and it is only right that you be ushered into womanhood by a man who truly loves you and will be suitably gentle. I am that man, Merwenna.” When she failed to answer he continued, “My physician tells me your father will never again be well. I shall have to replace him, which means you and your father may not be able to stay here.” His words chilled her blood. If they could no longer live at Chippenham, where would they go? As far as she knew they had no family except each other and no place else they could live. She drained her wine goblet and set it on the table beside the bed. She lowered her eyes, unwilling for him to see how hurt and frightened she was and said softly, “I already agreed to submit to you, Sire. You may take me as you will.” “Good,” he said and stood up to pull her kirtle and shift over her head. Then he removed his own clothing, leaving it in a heap on the floor. His cock was already hard and she was frightened anew. How would that large stiff piece of flesh fit inside her? “I will now initiate you into the act of love, Merwenna,” he said against her lips and then kissed her deeply, urgently. Alfred pushed her onto her back and arranged her limbs to suit himself, her legs spread and bent at the knee, her hand on his cock saying, “Stroke it my dear. Yes like that, just like that.” His eyes closed and his breathing became labored and she

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wondered if he would finish from this touch alone. Finally, he took her hand away then knelt between her legs took his member in his hand and pushed it quickly into her, thrusting hard as he broke past the barrier of her innocence with a grunt and a sigh. He was suddenly still. “Do you feel me within you, Merwenna, do you feel how hard you make me? I have waited a lifetime to touch you. You arouse me more than any woman I have ever known.” His words meant little to her. The pain was enormous and she struggled not to whimper, tears sliding from her eyes and back into her hair. She could not relax any of her muscles. They ached almost as much as her nether regions. “Aye, Sire, I feel you.” She lay just as he had placed her, stiff and wishing it would be over but now he took his time, thrusting in a rather leisurely manner. After a while his movements became faster, less controlled and his muscles tensed. Then he collapsed on top of her. He withdrew slowly, lay beside her on the bed and cuddled her close, murmuring into her hair. “That was wonderful, my sweet. I know it was not as pleasurable for you as it was for me but it soon will be, I promise.” Oh God, she thought, he wants to keep doing this. But now that it was over it was actually nice to rest in his arms. He was so gentle and his voice was so soothing. And perhaps he was right. She might come to like it. Surely it was better to have her first experience with someone she loved, who loved her. At any rate the deed could not be undone. She fell asleep but he woke her during the night to take her again, so many times she lost count. She never did enjoy it and her nether regions felt like mush. When she woke at dawn his green eyes were on her, warm and loving, his lips curved in a gentle smile. “Good morning, Sire,” she said softly, her lower lip trembling. She hoped he would not take her again just now but she could not refuse if he did. “I love you Merwenna and would like you to stay with me at night until such time as I leave Chippenham.” “Yes, Sire.” She wondered what her father would say if he knew but she could not tell him and Alfred certainly would not. His eyes followed her as she dressed and she was momentarily distracted by dried blood and his seed on the inside of her thighs. She was a mess. The evidence of their night of love shamed her and she could not meet his eyes as she left the solar. Elfreda was waiting in her chamber, wringing her hands and pacing. “Where have you been? I have been here for hours sick with worry. I almost called the guard but I did not want to alarm your father or the king.” When Merwenna removed her clothing Elfreda gasped. “Lady Merwenna, what happened to you? Who did this to you? Oh dear God,” she cried and immediately began soaking a cloth in the basin. “You must promise me you will tell no one ever, not even Father Ignatius,” Merwenna ordered her in a quavering voice. “I promise. But this is terrible. If the king knew he would kill the man.” “It was the king,” Merwenna said softly.

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“Oh no,” Elfreda breathed and stared at her in shock. “I cannot imagine why he would do such a thing.” “He said he needed me to serve him and I could not refuse. This is the only home we have and with my father so ill… If I deny him he may turn us out and what will become of us? As it is, he wants me only until he leaves Chippenham. There is a battle coming and he will have to go. This will end.” “What a wicked thing for him to do. You must hate him now.” “In truth I do not know how I feel in my heart but there is confusion in my head and pain in my body. Nothing will ever be the same again,” she said and the tears fell. Impatiently she wiped at her nose and eyes, nothing would be gained by crying. She had a sick father to look after, a king to serve and a fortress to manage. Only fools and weaklings surrendered to despair. “I will fetch Emma, she is discreet and will know what to do so you have no child growing in you,” Elfreda said and handed her a damp cloth before she hurried from the room. Merwenna washed herself, sickened at the sight of the blood but more so at the sight of his seed. She did not want to have Alfred’s child. Once she was satisfied that she was clean, she put on a freshly washed shift and lay down on her bed. How could the king’s visit have gone so wrong? Did he come here only to deflower her? It began to make sense that he had traveled with so few attendants. He would not want too many people to learn what he had just done. And yet that did not explain why he felt compelled to do it. Elfreda returned with Emma, who smoothed her hair back and clucked softly to her. “I will look after you, Lady Merwenna, have no fear. There will be no bastard child from this night’s foolery.” She went to the ewer on the table and poured out a quantity of water into a wooden cup, then mixed some dried herb mixture into it. “Drink this, it will start your flux and remove any new life that may have begun,” she said. Merwenna drank it quickly. Emma and Elfreda stayed with her and, when she felt the strong cramps a little later, they massaged her back and her lower belly. Her flux began with a gush but it did not matter, if she could be rid of any growing child she did not care how uncomfortable it might be. Even though she thought she would not, she did fall asleep and dreamed of a man so tall he had to be a giant, with shining golden hair and beard and the bluest eyes. He was holding her and she had never felt so safe in her life. This was a man she could trust. A man who would never touch her without her permission. A man who would protect her with his life. She woke breathing heavily and with her nether regions pulsating in that familiar way, so delicious and complete that she realized she was crying with joy. She only wished such a man existed. A man who could make her feel that way and forget that Alfred had ever touched her.

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Chapter Two Erik stood outside his tent surveying the camp, the carts packed and ready to go, each man’s bundle neatly waiting outside each individual tent. Silence reigned throughout as the men caught what sleep they could before the march that would start at dawn. His body slave Odda came to help him to bed but he waved the man away. Even though they were leaving soon, he was not yet ready to sleep. In fact he probably would not sleep this night. He almost never slept before the army moved and he was used to it but there was something else going on tonight, some strangeness about this night above all others. The air was fairly tingling, as though a huge summer storm was about to strike. Yet the stillness of the snow-covered camp wrapped around him like a warm blanket. If he believed such things, he would have said enchantment was abroad. He had the strongest premonition that something awaited him at Chippenham though he did not know what, only that it would change his life forever. He shook his head, wishing he had someone to talk to, some human company to banish the night’s spell. “You are even more withdrawn than usual tonight, Erik,” said a voice out of the darkness. Rolf strolled into the circle of firelight smiling. He was one of Erik’s oldest friends, almost as tall and fully as blond and hairy. “Do you know something the rest of us do not? Are we fated to lose?” “There is no such thing as fate,” he growled. “You are the only Dane who believes that,” Rolf said with a chuckle. “I am not sure if that makes you a sensible man or a fool.” Erik decided to ignore his remark. “What brings you abroad into the cold?” “Like you I could not sleep. I have no good feeling about this winter march and I suspect you share my doubt.” “Aye I do but Guthrum is king and he wants to march.” “He is also your brother. No doubt you could dissuade him from this march. I would not bring it up but some of the men are grumbling.” “Half brother,” Erik said shortly, “and it sounds as if our warriors have suddenly become women. Do they think we are no match for the Saxons? Have we not routed them time and again? When we capture Chippenham, we will have an important strategic advantage and Alfred will have one less lair to shelter himself.” “I hear he is at Chippenham even now,” Rolf ventured. “Aye, that is the last word we received. I believe Guthrum hopes to capture him and put an end to the war forever. It is said he brought very few men with him to Chippenham, certainly not the bulk of his army.” Erik stirred the fire with a long stick

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to increase its blaze and, when he was satisfied with its warmth, broke the stick in two and threw it in. “Obviously Alfred feels the presence of winter ensures his safety, just as Guthrum planned.” “Aye, it would seem so. However, Alfred has been uncommonly lucky in avoiding capture so far. What makes you think he will sit calmly and wait for us?” Erik snorted in contempt. “I doubt he will stay once he is alerted to our presence and how are we to hide an army from his notice? Nay, he will not be captured but having to run away with his tail between his legs may do him some good. I have heard he is very fond of his own virtue and goodness, he thinks he has his god on his side. Perhaps we can teach him humility.” Rolf rummaged in a nearby cart and pulled out a wineskin. “Here, let us warm ourselves from the inside out,” he suggested, offering the skin to Erik. Erik drank but not too deeply, he wanted no befuddled head in the morning. “I like the wine hereabouts,” he commented, licking his lips. “Since Chippenham is a royal property, perhaps we shall find a good store of it there. In any event, it will be nice to reside in a fortress for a time.” “But you are the consummate soldier, always looking for your next battle, I thought you never considered any other life,” Rolf said in surprise. “At least you have not expressed such a thought to me until now.” Erik shook his head. “Do you never think of having a wife and children, a settled place to live?” “Aye, most men do I am sure and I am no different. But somehow I thought you were above that.” “Why should I be? Am I not a man like others?” Erik was irritated as never before at the way his men revered him. He had red blood in his veins, he could be wounded and they had seen it more times than he could count. How could they still think him so powerful, so impervious to the ordinary comforts a normal man might crave? “You are not like other men. No one can cut through a line of opposing troops the way you do. You have snatched us out of the jaws of defeat on so many occasions I have lost count. Remember Exeter when they broke through the left flank and were charging toward Guthrum? You beat them to it and twenty of them lost their lives that day, all to your battle-ax.” “We lost that battle,” he said. “Not due to your mistakes or lack of courage. Our reinforcements never came and we were outnumbered. But for you we would have sustained many more losses.” “It is what I am trained to do. I vowed to be a warrior for as long as Guthrum needs me but even he is looking to a day when there will be no more war, when we will live unmolested on our lands, tilling the soil and raising our children. I find the prospect appealing.” “Is there a woman that you are considering?”

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“Not yet but I will know her when I see her.” Just then the sentry came upon them and reported to Erik that no one stirred except themselves. Rolf bid Erik good night and each retired to his own tent. Erik did in fact sleep but only to dream about a woman with long shiny dark hair and deep brown eyes filled with such despair he felt compelled to reach out to her. He pressed her to his chest then kissed her and they made love slowly, the most passionate yet gentle embrace he could imagine, like nothing he had known before. He woke to find his cock spurting jets of his seed onto his chest and he moaned at the welcome release and the shame of it. Such a thing had not happened to him since before he had taken his first bed slave. And the dark-haired woman, who was she? Did she wait for him somewhere? And what was the source of pain behind those dark eyes, where he could easily lose himself, perhaps forever? As he cleaned himself, he was tempted for the first time to use thoughts of this woman to arouse himself again, so powerful had his reaction been to her.

***** Merwenna woke around midday and pulled the tapestry away from the nearest window slit to find a thick blanket of new snow covering the countryside. Elfreda had been in to build up the fire but Merwenna could still see her breath if she strayed too far from its warmth. She thought of Elfreda’s years of caring for her and thanked God that he had given her such a loyal maid to take the place of her dead mother. Alfred’s gift lay on the table beside her bed, the gems gleaming in the dim rushlight, almost alive in their warm depths. At any other time she would have cherished it and worn it proudly but the sight of it made her sick as if Alfred had paid her for her maidenhead. She wrapped it in a cloth and slipped it into the bottom of one of her clothes chests. She could not bear to see it or wear it. She climbed back into bed knowing she could trust Elfreda and the other workers to continue without her supervision. She needed this day alone to heal and sort through her thoughts and emotions. The night before was still a little unreal, although the protective cloth wrapped around her waist and between her legs was proof that Alfred had indeed taken her. The word “rape” was not one she could yet associate with her godfather, especially because he had claimed his act was one of love. Of course, Alfred had never withheld affection from her, the frank kiss on the mouth with which he always greeted her, smoothing her hair, rubbing her back, chucking her under the chin when she sassed him. But if she was honest it had never been entirely benign. At the time of his wedding ten years before, she remembered her father and others discussing the marriage as being a good thing for Wessex. At the time, she wanted to ask if Alfred and Elswith loved each other because Eldred had told her love was an essential part of a happy union but she did not dare. Because she loved Alfred and

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knew he loved her, she wished it was she standing at the altar instead of Elswith. She had a clear memory of Alfred settling her on his lap at the feast after the ceremony. She had soon left it because it was not comfortable sitting on whatever hard lump he had in his braies. Later, Alfred had spent an extended period of time at Chippenham when she was twelve—three months if she remembered correctly. It was late winter when he arrived and he insisted that she ride with him when the first balmy winds of spring caressed the land. One day they followed the River Avon north for a while through lovely, pristine country. They stopped at midday and Alfred took a bag from his saddle and, to her delight, it contained bread and cheese and dried pheasant. He also took a wineskin from the back of his saddle and they settled beside the river. As they ate, Alfred reached up and smoothed her hair back and touched her cheek very gently. “You are going to be a beautiful woman Merwenna, did you know that?” he asked in that mellow, well modulated voice that was so soothing. “I did not know, Sire,” she said around a mouthful of pheasant. “Thank you for thinking to bring this food, our ride has made me hungry.” “Rightly so,” he said, offering her the wineskin. The wine was strong but it tasted of grapes and she liked that, so she took a long swallow. “Not too much my dear,” he said, taking it from her. The wine made her sleepy and soon she was lying on the riverbank, gazing up into a light blue sky, the sun warm on her face. Alfred put his arm around her waist. “I am so glad I am your godfather, that I can spend this time with you. You remind me of what it was to be young. You have your whole life ahead of you.” “But you are not old, Sire,” she said, loving him as she had all her life. “Sleep, my sweet, before we return,” he told her and she did sleep until his movements woke her. He was lying on his side, his back to her, his right arm moving furiously, then his body tensed and relaxed. He was still breathing heavily when she put a hand on his arm and startled him. “Merwenna, did you have a good sleep?” he asked rather breathlessly. “Aye, but I am ready to go home now,” she told him, seeing but not understanding the streaks of white liquid on the ground beside Alfred. It was a memory she had pushed aside until now and it made her feel sick to her stomach. What was wrong with her that made him act that way? Had she said or done something to provoke his actions? Whatever it was, it had led to his actions last night and she wished she knew how to stop it. By the time it was evening, she was feeling equal to facing Alfred again, although her unquiet thoughts continued to trouble a part of her mind as she dressed for the yule celebration. Merwenna was not really in the mood to celebrate but her people would wonder why she did not join them and she was unwilling to admit that Alfred had so much control over her.

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Elfreda braided her hair and twined thin gold thread among the dark tresses and it cheered Merwenna to see the way the firelight glinted off the shiny strands. She wore a new kirtle, dark green over a deep red shift with holly berries she had embroidered around the neckline. It made her feel much better to be dressed so finely. Before she left her chamber Elfreda put an arm around her shoulders. “I am afraid for you Merwenna. What if he wants you again?” “No man would want me now, not even Alfred,” Merwenna said bravely, hoping it was true. She herself could not imagine Alfred taking her when she was still bleeding so profusely. “I hope you are right,” Elfreda said, her brow puckered in a frown. The yule log was blazing when she entered the hall and everyone was filling their cups or drinking, talking in small groups. People from the village had come to share the yule celebration and the great hall was much more full and merry than it had been the night before. The harpist had changed to the lute and someone took out a drum and began to play so the revelers could dance. Sweetmeats, pasties and tarts were spread across the table, ready for the hungriest to begin. Even Father Ignatius was there enjoying hot spiced wine. Yule without Alfred in residence was a quiet joyful affair but nowhere near as boisterous. This was an exciting scene, like the home of a large family with people dancing and singing, laughing and drinking and Merwenna’s heart lifted a bit. Alfred’s men greeted him heartily and shoved a cup into his hand. One of the women gave her a brimming cup and Merwenna settled on a bench away from Alfred, next to where her father was sitting. He clasped her hand tightly, his eyes shining in happiness. “Another yule, God be praised,” he said, a tear in his eye. “It is good to have the king here. Do you not think so Merwenna? I noticed he has a special eye for you, he always did. He is a fine man.” “I know that, Father.” “And I believe he has always favored you.” He raised an eyebrow at her and she resisted the urge to squirm. “Nothing wrong with his paying court to you, child. You can expect to have many such harmless flirtations before you are wed but who better than an honorable man like Alfred who will not allow the dalliance to go too far.” “Who indeed, Father.” She was glad when he let the matter drop. When Alfred sat beside her and took her hand, she almost jerked it away. He seemed not to notice. “I have heard you are not feeling well, Merwenna. It is your time?” “Aye,” she said. “It is uncomfortable and tiring.” “I would still have you with me. I promise I will not violate you. You shall sleep unmolested.”

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She did not believe him but she was powerless to refuse. She must keep her father safely at Chippenham. “Very well, Sire, I will do as you wish but I do not feel well. I am trusting you to be kind.” “Have I not always been kind?” She was taken aback by his question, he had been anything but kind the night before. Was he deranged that he did not know what he had done to her? “Nay, Sire, you have always been kind,” she heard herself say, knowing there was no other answer. His hand covered hers. “I am looking forward to holding you in my arms tonight, Merwenna, comforting you in your pain and distress.” Suddenly her attention was captured by Leofric who was pointing at her and then at a spot over her head. She looked up to see a healthy sprig of mistletoe hanging from a beam in the ceiling and she blushed. Soon everyone was clapping, encouraging her to kiss whatever man presented himself for the occasion. King Alfred at once stepped up and, to leering jests and shouts of encouragement, he boldly kissed her on the mouth, savoring the moment, loath, it seemed, to release her. She waited what seemed a lifetime for it to be over and when he pulled away his eyes were glazed. “We must do this again when there is no audience, tonight, alone,” he whispered into her ear and she nodded slightly even though her stomach clenched in dread. She sat back down beside her father and Alfred settled in an opposite chair, drinking his wine and glancing at her now and then. His face was ruddy and he slurred his words a bit as he spoke to Eldred. She felt the heat of his gaze and thought that the yule and its attendant celebratory drinking had bewitched all of them. After the feasting Alfred’s bard spoke his piece about one of Alfred’s battles, his prowess and piety, his brilliance at waging war and finally his efforts to bring peace to the kingdom. The bard ended by proclaiming Alfred’s upcoming victory against the Danes and the prosperity and happiness that would follow. Merwenna was impressed with the man’s ability but she thought his praise of Alfred a little excessive, even for a paid bard. Alfred looked down modestly when the revelers applauded but his eyes were full of pride when he glanced at her. After everyone was bedded down for the night and the fortress was quiet, she went to the solar. She was trembling as she knocked on the door. Alfred let her in and embraced her and her heart ached at how gentle he was, how like her beloved godfather. She rested her head on his shoulder and allowed him to lead her to the bed. He took off her kirtle only and placed her in the bed. “You will come to no harm from me, my love,” he said, holding a cup of wine so she could drink. “We have until spring to enjoy each other.” “Thank you, Sire,” she managed to say. The thought of the months ahead made her head hurt.

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He disrobed and got into bed beside her, covering them both with the linen sheets and furs. He cradled her in his arms and she liked it, could not help yearning for the closeness. She fell into a deep and dreamless sleep in his arms. Sometime during the night, she woke to find Alfred fumbling at the cloth around her waist, pushing it away from her buttocks. He was stronger than she could imagine as he slid the material aside, hoisted her up onto her knees and placed his engorged member against her back passage. When he pushed into it she screamed, the pain like a knife. “It will not take long,” he said into her right ear, breathing heavily, “but I must have you, you must be completely mine in every way.” The tears coursed down her cheeks as she waited for it to be over. She had never felt anything so painful, she was sure if he did not stop soon she would faint. He finished with a grunt and she curled into a ball at the edge of the bed, her whole body throbbing. He got up and cleaned himself and her, ignoring the way she tried to jerk away from him. She willed herself to wait until he had fallen asleep and then she stumbled to her room, the pain in her lower body so acute she fell into a dead faint once she reached her bed. She woke to Elfreda pressing a cool damp cloth to her forehead, Emma hovering nearby. “I can heal the damage he has done Lady Merwenna but you must not go to him again. If Alfred takes you again roughly in this way, I cannot promise that I will be able to heal you.” “Is this something that people do? Is it supposed to bring pleasure?” Merwenna asked in a trembling voice. “If the act is done gently and with preparation it can be wonderful for the man and the woman. But to do it without warning, by force, especially the first time…is ill advised,” Emma finished carefully. “I shall have to do something to cool his ardor for the next few days.” Her words made Merwenna shake as though she was standing in the snow. If she never saw Alfred again she would be well pleased. As it was, it would take her days to recover from his assault and in her mind she might never be the same. She was able to keep to her room for days after with Emma’s help but on the night of the new year, as it grew closer to the time for the evening meal, she felt it was better to make an appearance. “I cannot let him see how much he has hurt me,” she told Elfreda and Emma. “He must not see any weakness in me. I would rather be torn to pieces by rabid dogs than feel his hands on me again but he must not see that. Our lives depend upon it.” Merwenna dressed carefully but flinched when Alfred beamed at her entrance into the great hall, just as if she had been with him all the nights before. “You are looking considerably better, Merwenna,” he said, rising to kiss her on the cheek. “Your presence pleases me and bodes well for the beginning of the new year.” She sat beside him, forcing herself to smile, and they were just about to start the evening meal when a lone soldier rode into the bailey and burst into the great hall, horse and all at top speed, pulling his lathered mount to a halt and vaulting off the animal before it had stopped. 24

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“The Danes!” he cried. “The Danes are coming! The Danes are coming!” The cry was picked up by a dozen other voices and Alfred stood up, overturning his chair in his haste. He confronted the man. “How many? From which direction? How far away are they?” He fired the questions in a voice Merwenna had never heard him use. Even his face changed, settling into hard lines and his jaw was clenched. This was the warrior king and the transformation was alarming. The man went down on one knee in a quick salute. “Sire, I beg your pardon for disturbing you but the scouts sighted the Danes moving toward Chippenham. It appears to be the entire army led by Guthrum himself. They are about one day’s ride from here and moving slowly because of their size.” “This is no raiding party then,” Alfred said almost to himself. He looked at Merwenna. “We must leave Chippenham, my dear. I haven’t the men to defend the fortress and I cannot raise enough in time to meet the Dane host. If we stay we will be overrun or they will lay siege to us. You and your father must come with me, as well as your people if they want to.” “I do not think my father should be moved,” Merwenna said haltingly. “I will arrange for him to be carried in a litter. Go Merwenna, gather what you can to take with you and I will send for you. Wait in your bedchamber.” He kissed her quickly on the cheek then shouted across the hall, “Move move move! Everyone out now!” She watched for a single second as Alfred’s men and her own joined to push everyone from the great hall. Others ran from the hall, presumably to tell everyone else they must leave immediately. With her heart pounding nearly out of her chest in fear, the pain in her body receding at the thought of the invading army, Merwenna obeyed the king. She went to her own room and put together a small bundle of her clothing, shoes, comb and the few jeweled rings and circlets she possessed. She found some twine in her clothes chest and tied the bundle securely. Going with Alfred would be both a blessing and a curse. It meant she and her father would be safely away from Chippenham before the Danes descended but she would not be free of Alfred’s unwanted advances. At least there would be no walls behind which he could hide his actions. Perhaps that would keep him from her. Before going to her father’s room, she took a deep breath and prayed she could keep her voice steady. “Father,” she said as she entered, “King Alfred is leaving Chippenham because the Danish army is coming. He has asked me to prepare us to go with him.” “The Danes cannot take Chippenham with Alfred’s army in it,” he began weakly. This was not one of his better days and he looked pale and fretful. “His army is not in it, Father. Do you remember how he brought only a handful of men? If he stays he will be captured or worse.” She opened the chest at the bottom of the bed and began to sort through his clothes for those she would pack.

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“I dislike leaving Chippenham to the mercy of the Danes. There is much here that would be of use to them, not least of which is the food stores. This would give them their much coveted foothold in Saxon territory,” he said in a stronger voice. “I am sure he knows that but he has no choice and neither do we. Once I pack your things you will wait here until I come for you. He has promised to send men with a litter so you will not have to walk or ride.” She used spare blankets from the bottom of the chest to hold her father’s clothes, then took the remaining twine from her pocket and tied the blanket into a neat, secure bundle. “Very well Merwenna, though I am afraid such a journey will surely kill me.” She went to him and wrapped her arms around him, trying to hide from him the tears that had sprung to her eyes. “I will not allow you to die, Father. After all, the king’s physician will be with us and he can tend you if need be. Rest a bit now if you can, it promises to be a long night. The king plans to leave soon.” She tucked him in beneath his warm furs and returned to her own room. The bundle she had packed for herself looked forlorn and rather pitiful in the middle of her bed. She moved it a little so she could lie down fully clothed to wait for someone to come. Her heart was still pounding and her nerves felt frayed and the ache in her nether regions was a further irritant. She wished they could leave this instant and, if she was on her own, she probably would have. But her father needed her and Alfred had promised to care for him. The last thing she remembered was the flickering of the rushlight on her bedside table as it died slowly.

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Chapter Three Merwenna did not know what woke her but when she went to the wall tapestry and slid it to one side bright sunlight greeted her, streaming through the wall slit and making a pattern on her bed coverings. She was shocked. It was obviously well past dawn. What did that mean? Had Alfred been delayed? She did not immediately go to her father, for he would have questions and she had no answers as yet. When she opened the door to her room, she felt rather than heard the eerie quiet of the fortress. Everyone must be gathered in the bailey ready to go but why had they not sent for her and Eldred? She went toward the great hall feeling more alone than she ever had in her life. The hall was in good order but completely vacant. Last night’s meal had been served and then left there, the hearth had gone cold and empty. Her stomach turned over and her heart began racing again as she moved toward the door. A stray thought in the corner of her mind told her she and her father had been left behind but she quickly suppressed it. She refused to accept that Alfred had left them to the Danes. She moved outside into the bailey, raising one hand to shield her eyes from the brilliant winter sun. It glinted off the snow-covered buildings and almost blinded her. When she saw that the bailey contained not a single soul, she was stunned. Even if Alfred himself had to leave at once, surely he would have left behind someone to bring her and her father! What about the litter? What about his vow to care for her and her father? Sadly, she could no longer deny the truth. She and Eldred had been left to the mercy of the Danes. The full import of her situation swept over her and she retched in fear. She had been left to the barbarians, the dreaded Danes, the men she had been taught to fear and revile. The stories of her childhood came rushing back to her—how the Danes chopped the heads off children and violated women, butchering war horses and soldiers alike in their battle frenzy. “How could he do this?” she wondered aloud, the sound of her voice piercing the silence, the shock of her abandonment leaving her breathless and hurt. She shuddered at the thought of what the Danes would do to her when they arrived, feeling brutish hands on her body even now. Then her practical nature took over. Her father must be protected and she could do that best in his chamber. If they tried to follow Alfred, he would surely die. Ignoring the discomfort of her lower body as best she could, she went quickly to the cookhouse and gathered food and water and wine and took it to her own chamber in several stages. There would be little left once the Danes had their way. When they moved on, if she and Eldred were still alive, these stores would support them for a time.

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She went to her father’s chamber and, while he still slept, she found his sword and hefted it using both hands. It was not light but she was strong and while she could not wield it with any skill, she could certainly point it into some barbarian’s stomach. She of course had her own dagger as well and she found her father’s in another chest and placed it on his bedside table. She carefully scoured the rest of the fortress for anything that might be of use to her. She found a battle-ax near the smithy’s forge but she could not lift it. Back in the cookhouse she took all the long handled two-pronged meat spits, assorted knives and some heavy wooden mallets. It was late afternoon by the time she was satisfied she had done all within her power to deal with the Danes. She went back to Eldred’s room and found him awake. She dreaded what she had to tell him but did not try to soften her news. “Father, Alfred left us here to face the Danes alone. I know not how or why but I have placed stores in my room and we have weapons. I do not know what the Danes will do to us but I will try to persuade them to mercy or kill them if they lay a hand on you.” “Alfred would not do this. Perhaps he is dead or captured. Perhaps they will not come if they have him,” he offered lamely. “We must be prepared anyway,” she said firmly, sorely tempted to tell him all that Alfred had done. “We are alone here but I promise I will do my best to protect you, to see you come to no harm.” “That is what I should be saying to you, daughter,” he said, grasping her arm, tears in his eyes. “I wish I could get you away from here or at least face them like a man, on my feet with sword in hand.” She kissed and hugged him and, unable to stand the suspense of not knowing when they would arrive, she went up to the battlements and scanned the surrounding countryside. There was a dark spot on the northern horizon and, as she watched, it gradually began to grow and she knew it was them. From this distance, they looked like a shapeless, shifting blob, spreading out across the land like a stain on linen. As she continued to strain her eyes to see, powerless to look away, a smaller group of riders broke away from the main portion and galloped toward Chippenham. These men would be here very soon, so she went back down to join her father. Eldred lay on the bed holding his dagger and he smiled briefly, encouragingly at her. Merwenna sat in the bedside chair, holding the hilt of the sword in her lap with its tip resting on the floor. When she heard horses clatter into the bailey, her heart pounded harder. Then the men were in the building, in the great hall and while she could not make out their words, she could hear them talking to one another. It sounded as if they were throwing things. Sooner or later, one of them would come to the door of the room. When she heard footsteps she stood up. The door was pushed open and she lifted the sword and spread her feet wide to keep her balance. She almost dropped the sword when she saw the man, for he was a giant. The top of his head almost grazed the ceiling.

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He was clad in chain mail across his chest, heavy fur over his shoulders and a shiny metal helmet atop his head. The eyes that she could see through its slits were the iciest blue, his mouth was set in a hard line and he carried an enormous battle-ax. She willed herself to stand her ground no matter how much she shook with fear. “You,” the man whispered, then in a sterner voice, “Are you alone here? Have you been left behind by King Alfred as our hostages?” She did not lower the sword. “Aye, my father and I are the only ones left but I know nothing about hostages. My father Eldred is the steward of Chippenham and I am Merwenna. Are you going to kill us?” She was afraid she had imagined it but the man’s eyes seemed to soften. “Lower the weapon, lady, I mean you no harm.” He did not relax his hold on the battle-ax. “I do not believe you.” She continued to hold the sword up high although her arms were beginning to tremble with the effort. It felt good to know the weapon held the Dane at bay. Why had she not done this with Alfred? “Everyone in Wessex knows what you do to helpless Saxons, especially women. I do not think I would like to be raped today.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father nod. “Then I promise I will not rape you…today,” the man said in exasperation, maintaining his battle stance. “Unless of course you want me to. You know I could easily overpower you and in my Dane lust you might get your wish.” She heard sarcasm in his voice. “You do not scare me,” she scoffed, though her mouth was dry and her back ached with the effort of keeping the sword raised and all she had endured physically over the last few days. “When you put down your battle-ax I will lower the sword and not before.” His mouth set in a hard line as he put his battle-ax down and removed his helmet. She was stunned at how handsome he was with his golden hair and beard, fine high cheekbones, regal nose and blue eyes that were no longer icy but rather amused. She could swear she knew him but that was impossible. “Give me your sword, lady,” he said and reached to take the sword from her. “I will place you under my protection.” At just that moment her arms gave way and the sword came swiftly down. The Dane seized it in a blur of movement and she was knocked off balance and onto the floor. He reached to help her up but she shrieked and skittered backward away from him. Then she noticed that he was hurt, blood began to flow and he swore and grabbed his arm. She leaped to her feet, her fear forgotten. “Oh I am sorry, I did not mean to cut you, please forgive me.” Even as she pleaded she pulled his hand away and examined the wound, stanching the blood flow with a cloth she lifted from a nearby table. “It is just a scratch,” he said shaking his head dismissively. “You should have aimed better, Merwenna,” Eldred said grimly. She used the water in Eldred’s basin to clean the wound, then bound it with strips of the cloth, aware that she was chattering nervously. “The sword was so heavy I am 29

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surprised I held it as long as I did. This cut is not too deep. I have a salve that will heal the wound quickly and prevent a scar, please let me get it for you.” He watched her fingers on his arm and when she was done he took her hands in both of his and somehow the gesture did not frighten her. “Look at me,” he said and she raised her eyes to his. “The scar is nothing. I leave them as they are. I have many such scars, they are a mark of my prowess as a warrior,” he said. “But do not roam the fortress, lady, my men are everywhere. Did you not hear me? I offer you my protection but not if you act like a fool.” “Will your prowess not come into question should you reveal this scar was caused by a Saxon woman?” she asked innocently. When he growled she changed the subject. “Of what value is your protection to me?” “Do not underestimate it. I am Erik, brother to King Guthrum. If I claim you as my own, no one will dare touch you or I will kill them,” he boasted. “Claim me as your own? Is that not just another name for rape?” She looked down at her hands, still imprisoned by his, then into his eyes once again, distracted by his face. It seemed to be set in a permanent scowl but she thought she detected kindness beneath. “Why is your father abed?” He finally let go of her and moved the weapons a safe distance away. Eldred stirred. “It is none of your affair why I am abed. Perhaps I am tired,” he grumbled. Merwenna smiled indulgently at him. “He has a wasting sickness that affects his breathing and is getting worse. Death is at the end of it though I am trying to forestall that as best I can,” she explained. Who was this man? He was arrogant and overbearing but not the raving barbarian she had expected. He spoke well and seemed almost gentle at times and he made no move to seize her except when he tried to help. If he was going to molest her, surely he would have done so by now. From what she had heard of the Danes, he would not have cared that Eldred witness her rape. “This is why you did not leave with King Alfred.” It was not really a question but Merwenna nodded anyway. “I will have our healer look at him when she arrives with the rest of the army.” “Why would you do that? He is nothing to you.” “He is your father, I assume you love him but if you do not want the healer it is all the same to me. I just thought something might be done for him.” “Would it not be easier to kill us?” “If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already. Unless you wish me to kill you, or unless of course you try again to kill me,” he said. “You are obviously not warriors.” “I did not try to kill you,” she insisted. “The sword was heavy and my arms could no longer hold it up.”

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“Why did you present yourself for battle in the first place? It was a real risk that I would swing the axe and ask questions later,” he told her frankly. “I had to do something to defend us. My father could not very well do it,” she said. “I can still use this dagger,” Eldred interposed, waving the weapon about. The Dane calmly took it from him and placed it with the other weapons, out of reach. Then he turned to Merwenna. “Give me your dagger,” he demanded, holding out his hand. “You would leave me completely defenseless?” she asked, her hand on the dagger’s hilt. “Do you know how to use it?” “Not really,” she admitted. “Then give it to me or I will take it,” he said ominously and she drew the dagger and handed it to him hilt first. “Lady, you and your father are our hostages but if you do not cause trouble, you will be unharmed.” He nodded toward her belt. “Are those the keys to the locked rooms in the fortress?” “Aye, normally my father would have the keys but I assumed many of his duties when he first became ill last year.” She touched the keys at her belt protectively. His eyes narrowed at her gesture. “Then I would ask you to unlock the storehouses. Our cooks will want to prepare a meal for the king when he arrives. If you do not wish to give me the keys, you will learn what a Dane can do.” Against all reason the tone of his voice thrilled her, she felt his power and liked it. If only she could have been so strong against Alfred. “It seems I have little choice,” she said leading the way. She was acutely aware of his powerful male aura as he followed her. “Will we be allowed to partake of this meal?” He sighed in exasperation. “We do not starve our hostages. I have offered you and your father my personal protection, you could show some gratitude.” “When I have something to be grateful for, I will thank you. Until then…” Her voice trailed off and she looked at him as coldly as she could manage, which was rather difficult because she did not feel cold toward him. They did not speak again as she took him through the great hall, ignoring the throng of mail-clad Danes and across the bailey to the storehouses near the cookhouse.

***** Erik followed Merwenna silently, stunned that the woman from his dream was real and walking in front of him. When he first saw her he felt it like a physical blow. She was very determined as she faced him with the raised sword but it was her beauty that caught his attention rather than the weapon or her threatening stance. She was well fed and round and not very tall. He was a full head taller than she. Her eyes were a soft deep brown and her dark brown hair hung in two braids that fell to her hips. Her

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complexion was smooth and pearly white, the nose straight, the lips full and rosy. As she walked, her lavender scent wafted back to him and his body reacted. She appeared no different from the Danish women he had known all his life. Her clothes were serviceable rather than elegant. Around her waist was a leather belt from which hung all that she needed to order Chippenham—rings of keys, leather pouches, a spoon, a small knife. She jingled when she walked, a surprisingly comforting sound. She unlocked the doors to the smokehouse, the dry goods storehouse and the dairy. “Your cooks may prepare your meal. May I return to my father after I oversee the food preparation?” “Our cooks are quite proficient. They will not need your help.” “I do not intend to help them but prevent them from ruining my cookhouse with their lack of knowledge. Once I am satisfied that they will not burn it down, I will rejoin my father,” she said crisply. “I assure you they will not burn the cookhouse,” he said to the infuriating but beautiful young woman. “Have you ever worked in a cookhouse?” she asked. “Of course not,” he said indignantly. “Then your assurance is not helpful, I must see for myself. I am responsible for the safety of this fortress, you know.” He sighed. “Very well, I will wait for you.” “You need not,” she said and turned away to arrange pots and pans. “Until the men know you are protected by me you will be in danger.” He wanted to throttle her at the same time he wanted to disrobe her and explore that body, whose curves and angles could only be guessed at. “And how will you let them know, by raping me on the high table?” “Being raped by me seems to preoccupy your thoughts. While I have confined rape to my battle lust I think I could work up to it now if you like.” There was fear in her eyes but her mouth curved down in disdain. “If I think overmuch of rape it is because your conduct leaves me little choice.” “My conduct personally?” “Dane conduct!” she snapped. “All I have heard since I was a child is that if I found myself alone with a Dane neither my virtue nor my life would be safe!” “Both of which you retain, if I may be so bold as to say. Ah, here come the cooks now,” he said, cutting off what he knew would be a tart reply. He watched her show the cooks around the cookhouse, help them find the utensils and spices they asked for. She was very efficient and left no room in anyone’s mind to think she was not in perfect control, even if the cooks were not her own. “I am ready,” she announced as she finally faced him. “To be raped?” he asked pleasantly.

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“To return to my father,” she demanded. “Very well. My name is Erik if you care to know and did not hear me earlier.” “I am sure you have better things to do than escort me around my own home,” she said. “I told you my men do not share my self-restraint,” he said. “You need my escort for protection not to find your way.” “Then let us go.” She swept past him and her scent assaulted him again. He wanted to bury his face in her neck. “When you have taken all you want and go on your way, will there be anything left for my father and me?” she asked. “We will not be leaving for quite some time,” he informed her. “We are not a raiding party, we intend to live here.” She looked at him in alarm but said nothing. As they passed through the great hall, Harald called to Erik, “Is she the Saxon lady Alfred left behind?” “Aye and she is mine,” Erik announced. He leaned over and scooped her up and, ignoring her indignant cry, flung her over his shoulder, her face in his back. “Pretend to struggle,” he whispered to her and she began fighting him, grunting and pounding her fists against his back. Harald nodded and grinned lasciviously. “Tonight she becomes Dane property,” he said with a laugh and the other men joined in. Erik carried her from the hall and did not put her on her feet until they reached Eldred’s chamber. She struggled the whole way, her legs flailing wildly. When he set her down, there were angry tears in her eyes. “Your word is worthless! You said you would not harm me and yet you treat me like a sack of flour!” “It was necessary,” he said calmly, appreciating her spirit. “One of them would have gone for you. You did a fine job of pretending though.” “I was not pretending,” she said with a frown. “And your boast that I belong to you is enough to keep them from touching me? Can it be that King Guthrum favors me thus?” “I have told you twice my name is Erik. I am the king’s brother and I command his army. My rank does not influence them, however. They will not touch you because I have publicly taken you as my own and they know I will kill them if they do.” Merwenna turned shocked eyes on him and took a step backward. “Erik the Terror,” she whispered. “Aye, I have heard that name applied to me. Do you know of me?” “Only how formidable you are in battle. I do believe King Alfred is frightened of you.” “Well he might be,” Erik said with a satisfied smirk.

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She did not speak further but went immediately to her father, who was very weak and paler than when they left. “Father, what is wrong. Have you a pain?” Eldred rubbed his chest. “It is not so bad, Merwenna, just a little dizziness. I had hoped to get to the garderobe but I cannot stand just now. Could you possibly hold the pot for me? I would wait for a slave but you said they are all gone…” Merwenna went to get the urine pot from the other side of the room, but when she turned Erik took it from her. “I will hold it for you, Eldred,” he said. “Leave us, Merwenna.” She did as he told her without argument, standing just outside the door. Erik held the pot for her father then eased him back on his bed. “Thank you, young man. I do not like Merwenna to help me with such things but with all our slaves and servants fled…” “No need to explain. I would not want my daughter’s help at such a time either. I will leave the pot here should you need it again and send one of my own slaves to clean it and tend to this and other needs you might have.” Eldred looked at him solemnly. “And they call you barbarian. I believe I owe you an apology, young man. You are not what we have been led to believe. Right now, I find you more honorable than my own king.” Erik wanted to ask him more about this but he feared for Merwenna’s safety if she wandered about. He found her just outside the door, hastily wiping her eyes. “I left the pot near him,” he told her. “I will send one of my slaves to look after your father from now on.” She began to cry in earnest, shielding her eyes with one hand. “I am sorry, it has been a long and frightening day, being left here to heaven knows what fate, death or worse. Then you helping my father with such an intimate task… It is all overwhelming.” She appeared so vulnerable his arms ached to hold her but he did not want to frighten her as he had earlier. She was aware that Danes raped Saxon women but she could not know he was no longer willing to do that. “No doubt it is.” “Do you think your healer can help my father? I will give you anything you want, just help him. You can take me, do what you like with me, only help him please.” “The healer is riding with the main army but she will be here by nightfall. I will find her myself and bring her to your father.” Erik took her back into the room and settled her into a chair, refusing to acknowledge her offer. Her presence seemed to ease Eldred and the old man soon fell asleep. There was another chair across the room and he pulled it beside hers. “Why were you left here?” he asked softly so as not to wake her father. “There was some confusion I think,” she began sadly, her fingers intertwined, perhaps to conceal their shaking. She was clearly overcome with emotion. “Alfred promised to send someone to bring my father and me and they never came. I could not take him myself in his condition. Even if he was strong enough to travel, the cold would

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surely kill him. I cannot think the king meant to do it. He is my godfather. I have known and loved him all my life.” She shifted in her chair and grimaced in pain. “Are you hurt?” he asked. “It is nothing,” she said quickly. He decided not to press further. “Do you wish to go to Alfred? Perhaps I can arrange it.” “Nay, he does not want me. Why else would he leave us here?” A fresh wave of tears began to fall. His heart went out to her. This was the beautiful loving woman of his dream and she needed him. “You are safe and your father will be cared for properly. I will have to leave you for a short time when Guthrum arrives because I must report to him but I will return with the healer and bring you to the hall to eat with us.” “I do not wish to eat in the hall, I cannot leave my father.” She wiped her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. “You must eat to keep up your strength. It does no one good to starve yourself. My brother will want to greet you as well since you are the lady here.” She sighed heavily. “Must I? I have seen quite enough Danes for one day.” “Guthrum is a good man and he will respect you. I do not know how long we will be here but would it not be better for us to get along with one another?” Her eyes were almost his undoing, they were so full of pain and sorrowful resignation. He had a sudden impulse to pull her into his arms and promise to make the whole world right for her. He settled for handing her a cloth so she could wipe a wandering tear from her cheek. “Will you come to eat with us in the hall?” “Aye, I will,” she said softly. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his arm and her fingers closed around his elbow. He remained very still, unwilling to scare her into letting go. “I am so very tired.” He thought about her story, how she had awakened to an abandoned house with no protection. Her father had been sickly and failing for months and she had probably been prepared for battle all day. She had every right to be tired. “I know and soon you will be able to sleep. Just a little while longer and you can have your bed,” he said, placing his hand over hers. “Why are you so kind to me?” she asked. “Why do you not ravish me like a proper Dane and get it over with?” “Perhaps I am not a proper Dane,” he countered. “I must go to Guthrum now.” It was hard to leave her there. He was overwhelmed with the desire to love and protect her. She was forever his now and he embraced this new responsibility as if it was the beginning of the rest of his life for it surely was that.

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Chapter Four Merwenna waited in her father’s room until the slave arrived, passing the time by unpacking Eldred’s bundle and putting away the clothes she had packed earlier. She kept telling herself “The Danes are here” but the thought did not scare her. Was she numb or did she believe in Erik’s power to protect her? What did his protection truly mean? The slave knocked and entered, bringing a tray of food which he set on the chest at the foot of the bed. “What is your name?” she asked the young man. “Kendrick,” he replied. It was a common Saxon name. He was a boy of about twelve and his brown hair was ragged but his clothes were clean. He looked well fed and full of energy, just what her father needed to keep him safe and well. “You are Saxon?” she asked with surprise though it made sense that the Danes would have Saxon slaves. They had overrun so much territory and she knew they did not kill everyone whose lands they invaded. Sometimes tribute in the form of coin or hostages was enough to stay alive. Those who could not or would not pay were enslaved. “Aye, Lady Merwenna. But I will take good care of your father, you may rely on me.” “From whence did you come?” “My family home was just outside of Worcester in Mercia. I wanted to run away and join King Alfred’s army but my father forbade me and then it was too late.” “What did the Danes do?” “I do not remember most of it, only that I was carried off in the night after I was told my parents were dead. Erik took charge of us and shared his breakfast with my sister and me. The next day, he said I would not be harmed so long as I served him loyally. He kept the other men from taking my sister and now she serves in Guthrum’s longhouse near Cambridge.” “How long have you been with him?” “It must be two years now,” he said. “Have you any family left? Would you like me to help you escape to Alfred?” “Nay, I would stay where I am. Erik is not a harsh master and after seeing what happens in and after a battle I have no stomach for it. Better a slave than a dead Saxon.” “But if King Alfred prevails you may be punished,” she insisted. “Whichever king wins I will have a home. The Danes will not leave this land. Wherever Erik makes his home, so will I. He trusts me, you see and I would keep that trust.” He gently adjusted the coverlet more closely around Eldred’s spare frame and Merwenna was touched by his tenderness. 36

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“I can see that my father is in good hands. Thank you, Kendrick. If anyone wants to know, I will be in the cookhouse checking the meal preparations.” “Aye, Lady Merwenna.” She went down to the great hall where men swarmed about. One of them moved away from a group and toward her, she recognized him as the man who had leered earlier and she braced herself to run away. “Lady Merwenna, I am Harald. Erik has asked me to make sure you are protected as you move about the fortress.” He was almost as tall as Erik and easily as fair-haired and handsome. In fact, as she scanned the room she did not see a dark head among them and they all seemed to share the same high cheekbones and aristocratic nose. “I am sure that will not be necessary,” she said, caught off guard. She never would have imagined Erik taking such precautions. The fact that he had done so made her a little fearful of the sea of faces she saw in the hall. “I will not interfere with your work,” Harald was saying, “but I have my orders. Erik has made me responsible for your safety when he is not with you.” She looked in his eyes and saw no lust or contempt there. “Very well,” she said, “but where is he now?” “He and the king are meeting with the advance scouts.” “Were they scouting King Alfred?” she asked. “Yes, lady,” Harald said, his face impassive. “So they know where he is,” she said almost to herself. Harald opened his mouth and she held up one hand, shaking her head at the same time. “Nay Harald, I do not want to know. Instead tell me about Erik.” “What would you like to know, lady?” He seemed surprised by her question. “What manner of man is he?” “He has always been a soldier first,” Harald began haltingly, “and he is easily the best warrior King Guthrum has. He has never been beaten in single combat and I have seen him take on as many as five men at once and prevail.” “That is all you can tell me about him, his battles and combat skills?” she asked in surprise. “Does he have a wife and children? Does he kill innocents? Has he ever shown mercy to the helpless after battle?” Harald’s face was tinged with pink. “He is a Dane. He has been known to show mercy and kill innocents, sometimes even in the same day. As for a wife and children he has often said he has no time for such soft pursuits.” “Then why did he not kill my father and me when he first came upon us?” she demanded. “You will have to ask him that yourself, Lady Merwenna,” Harald said grimly. She could not tell if he thought Erik should have killed them or not.

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She left the great hall followed by Harald and crossed the bailey to the cookhouse. She was self-conscious with him following but she soon forgot him as she surveyed what the cook slaves had accomplished. It was obvious they knew what they were doing because pots simmered on trivets in the enormous hearth and chickens were spitted above the fire. Most comforting of all was the sense that she was still in charge of the things that mattered at Chippenham, feeding the visitors and residents, seeing to their comforts and taking care of her father. After determining that the cookhouse was in good order and answering some questions that the cooks had, she noticed large pots of water being boiled. “What is this?” she asked. “King Guthrum has requested a bath so we are preparing the water,” the nearest slave said. She returned to her room to tidy herself for the meal, then changed her mind. She remembered Erik’s words about how they would be living together, with a surge of determination she decided she would bathe Guthrum just as if he was any other guest. The Danes were not going away and she could not fight them, her only alternative was to welcome them or at least extend to them the courtesy she did to all visitors. For a moment she wondered what Alfred would think then reminded herself that he had left her to make her own way. She had to do what she could to protect herself and her father and this seemed the best course of action. She was just about to leave when there was a soft knock at her door and she opened it to find Elfreda being restrained by Harald. “Do you know this woman?” he asked gruffly. “She is Elfreda, my personal servant. Where have you come from, Elfreda?” she exclaimed, hugging the other woman to her. Harald let her go and closed the door. “I thought you left with all the others.” “Robert and I were waiting to leave when we realized you were not with us. Just then they made us leave the bailey but Robert told me to hide and find you afterward. I have been in the stables all day trying to avoid the Danes. I came in at the side door.” “Oh Elfreda, how happy I am to see you.” The older woman was trembling. “Are you quite safe Lady Merwenna? I saw you with that tall Dane earlier and he looked so fierce I trembled. Did he…harm you?” “Nay Elfreda, in fact he has not touched me. There is so much to explain but not now. Please do not think me mad but we must go and bathe King Guthrum.” “Their king? I would sooner bathe the ugliest toad in the River Avon! Besides, it would be treason to help the Danes in any way!” Elfreda exclaimed with a grimace. Merwenna knew she was right but the immediate need was to come to an accommodation with the Danes so they could all live together for however long they had to. Alfred was far away and the Danes were all too present. “You must trust me, Elfreda. This is the right thing to do. The tall Dane whose name is Erik appears to be an honorable man.” She went on to relate how Erik had 38

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placed her under his protection and helped Eldred, even sending him a body slave. “I cannot repay his kindness with hatred no matter what we have been taught. Please try not to judge until you know the man. “Besides, I believe Alfred left us here on purpose because of what he did to me, hoping the Danes would kill us and we would never tell the tale. If that is the case, what we do must mean nothing to him. Our only hope of living through this unmolested is to trust Erik. He has promised I will come to no harm and I am sure he will extend the same protection to you.” “Why would he?” the maid demanded. “If I ask him, he will,” Merwenna said. “The alternative is death or worse, much worse I am afraid.” “I do not approve but I will do as you say,” Elfreda said reluctantly. “However, I will only help you. I will not touch a Dane, king or no king.” Merwenna smiled at her encouragingly. “It is our duty but more than that, it is a way to make peace with them. They are here and we cannot rid ourselves of them. Please trust me, Elfreda.” “Very well, Merwenna, you know I always do but not happily in this instance.”

***** Erik found his way to the great hall where Guthrum had just arrived and was shrugging out of his armor. When he saw Erik he called, “Just as I suspected, Brother, the chicken has flown the coop.” “Aye, leaving behind a few tasty morsels for us to take,” Erik said, sliding a sidelong glance at the men clustered about. He saw in their eyes that they understood him completely—Merwenna was his alone. “I have heard he left two people behind,” Guthrum said, accepting a cup of wine from one of his slaves, “and you did not kill them. That is new for you. Did you at least rape her?” “Nay,” he admitted gruffly without further explanation. “Who are they?” Guthrum asked, his eyes probing Erik’s. “The steward and his daughter,” Erik said, also accepting a cup. “They are under my protection now.” Guthrum raised his eyebrow at this statement but did not comment. “When will I meet them?” “The daughter Merwenna at the evening meal but her father is very ill with a wasting sickness, so you shall have to go to him if you wish to meet him.” He drank deeply of the strong wine. “The cooks are busy in the cookhouse and the solar has been made ready for your residence.”

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“Excellent. I would like to bathe before the meal and hear all that has happened since you arrived.” Erik nodded toward two of the slaves, who scurried off to prepare the bath. “Show me the solar.” Erik led Guthrum to what had probably been Alfred’s chamber. It was cozy with a crackling fire, a soft fur-covered bed and chairs with soft seats and gold leaf trim. “Very nice,” Guthrum said, running a finger across the gold on the chairs. “It is certainly fit for a king who likes his comfort,” Erik said and they both laughed derisively. Slaves followed them to refill their goblets, then left the ewer behind. “You must be very taken with this Merwenna to place her and her father under your protection. Tell me about her.” Erik struggled to answer. No words could describe Merwenna as he saw her. “She is beautiful, with deep brown eyes and hair, and very capable. She has had management of this fortress for at least a year since her father’s decline. She met me with her father’s sword raised and ready for battle. In fact she wounded me.” “By design?” Guthrum asked, his eyes wide as they fell on Erik’s bandaged arm. “Nay, her arms tired and the sword slipped. It is nothing. As for being taken with her, you will think me mad,” Erik said, finishing his wine and pouring another cup. “Let me judge,” Guthrum said, finishing his own wine and holding out the goblet for Erik to refill. “I saw her in a dream a few nights ago. She came to me asking my help. That is all I remember but her face was burned into my thoughts. When I saw her today I could not believe she was real but she is and so is her pain. I feel compelled to help, to care for her.” His words sounded absurd to his ears, even if they were true. “Dreams are powerful,” Guthrum said. “I have often heeded the warnings in dreams to my benefit.” The king looked at him closely and smiled. “You are surprised that I admit to that?” “I always thought neither one of us was given to superstition,” Erik said but secretly he was glad Guthrum understood. “When you learn that a superstition is more often right than wrong, you tend to believe,” Guthrum said solemnly. “So what do you intend to do with this Merwenna?” “I do not know yet, except that I am certain we are meant to be together. She has been deeply hurt that Alfred left her behind, especially as she is his goddaughter. I feel she is a strong woman and not likely to break but she is holding the anger and hurt all inside,” and he went on to relate the story she had told him. Guthrum’s eyes grew hard. “The bards make much of Alfred’s honor but this does not cast him in a favorable light at all. Has she asked to be returned to him? I would certainly oblige if only to make him look the fool.” “I already offered but she declined. She will not leave her father and I do not think she wishes to see Alfred just now.” As he spoke, he wandered over to a shelf containing several books, took one down and casually thumbed through it. “I am inclined to let her

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play the steward as she has been wont to do, it appears to be work she enjoys and the routine may bring her comfort.” He did not add that he would not take her to bed right away, but that he would eventually have her he had no doubt. She was for him, even if she did not know it yet. Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Guthrum said, “Come,” and Merwenna entered with a serving woman Erik had not so far seen and several of their own slaves, all bearing large buckets of steaming water which they added to the tepid water already in the tub. Merwenna nodded her head to Guthrum who raised an eyebrow at Erik. “Sire, I am Merwenna daughter of Eldred, the steward of Chippenham. I will bathe you when you are ready.” “Merwenna, it is good to meet you, I have heard of you from Erik. However, I believe I can manage to bathe myself,” Guthrum said. “It is Saxon custom for the lady of the house to bathe guests,” she informed him. “It is my duty to bathe you, Sire. I would be remiss in not performing this service.” Erik was intrigued. She was no longer the sad young woman he had seen so recently, nor was she the spitfire he had first encountered. This was the steward and lady of the house, capable, charming and very dutiful. He looked forward to whatever surprising incarnation she might next offer. “How is your father?” Guthrum asked. “He is much better under the care of the slave your brother sent to him. I understand your healer will also attend him,” she said and looked at the book in Erik’s hands. “Erik, do you read?” “Nay,” he said dismissively. “Then please put the book back. They are quite valuable and should not be handled carelessly.” “I have yet to rape and pillage any books. I know their value,” he snapped at her, his temper flaring at her superior attitude. He was surprised when she did not flinch. “Still, if you would please replace the book,” she said quietly. He did as he was told, catching Guthrum’s smirk out of the corner of his eye. “And do you read, Merwenna?” “Of course. Perhaps you would like me to read to you to pass the time some evening.” She turned again to Guthrum. “Please, Sire, allow me to bathe you now.” “Very well, if it is your custom,” Guthrum conceded with a smile and began to disrobe. His naked body was not new to Erik but he disliked the thought that Merwenna would be touching it in a matter of moments. Guthrum lowered himself into the hot bath with a sigh of relief. “Just being in hot water is such a pleasure,” he said.

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Erik watched as Merwenna washed Guthrum’s hair and rinsed it thoroughly, then proceeded to lave his body with soap and a clean cloth with Elfreda standing by to assist. She did not neglect a single part of his body but her expression never changed. When Guthrum was thoroughly washed and rinsed, he stood up and Merwenna handed him a fresh cloth, which he used to dry himself then wound around his middle. “The water is still warm if you would like to use it,” Guthrum offered. Erik looked at Merwenna, whose eyes remained lowered. “Will I also receive the benefit of your hospitality, Merwenna?” he demanded. When she nodded without a word he said, “Then I believe I will bathe,” and proceeded to pull off his clothes. Merwenna looked up and her eyes widened slightly at the sight of his naked body but he got into the tub anyway and submitted himself to her care. It was exhilarating and comforting to have her wash his hair and beard, then cover all of his limbs, his chest and even his member and balls with soap. Despite his best intentions, he had a powerful erection by the time she was done and lingered in the tub to allow it to subside. “This is my body slave, Odda,” he told Merwenna, gesturing to a young man standing to one side. “Please show Odda the way to your bedchamber and he will have my things brought there. Wait for me there,” he told her, ignoring her surprise as he fashioned a cloth around his waist. “Odda, bring me clean clothes and bring Helga to Merwenna’s father,” he ordered the young man. They left and Guthrum dressed. While Erik waited for Odda to return, he thought again of how beautiful Merwenna was and wondered how old she could be. Guthrum said as if reading Erik’s mind, “She is quite young I think, no more than eighteen and as beautiful as you said.” “She is old enough to manage Chippenham, certainly old enough to marry.” “Is that your intent?” Guthrum asked in surprise. “You scoffed at marriage not many days ago, have you forgotten?” “Nay, I have not, but the dream of her persists in my mind.” “Tread lightly and slowly,” Guthrum advised, “she is like an unbroken horse, just as likely to bolt as submit. And never forget that Alfred is her godfather. No doubt he has plans for her marriage.” “Plans change. How concerned can he be if he left her here? I will proceed with Merwenna exactly as I would with a blooded horse, with patience and a soft but firm hand.” Odda arrived with Erik’s clothes and he began to dress. With Odda’s help, he found his way to her chamber and he confronted her. “What was your intention in bathing both of us, Merwenna and who was that woman with you?” “That woman is my personal servant, Elfreda, what you call a body slave though she is not in truth a slave. When she saw that my father and I were not with Alfred, she hid in the barn until it was safe for her to enter the great hall again. I would keep her,” she said, her eyes flashing. 42

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“Of course,” he said impatiently. “And the bathing?” “I was not lying, it is our custom.” “But you sought to embarrass or humiliate us by pressing this custom on us.” “It is part of my duty to bathe visitors,” she insisted, “I always bathe Alfred as soon as he arrives. But I suppose the real reason is that I admit defeat. You are here and I can do nothing about it, so I may as well go on with my life.” He ignored the sudden stab of jealousy at the thought of Alfred enjoying her caress and sighed. “No matter what your nursemaid told you, we will not eat you or feed you to our dogs. We have honor and respect for our friends and our enemies. Some of us are better behaved than others but I cannot believe Saxon men are so different.” He kissed her forehead lightly as he would a distressed child and she did not pull away. “No doubt it is time for the evening meal,” he said casually. “Has your father eaten?” “He and Kendrick ate earlier and now he sleeps peacefully. Kendrick will stay with him in case he wakes. I must thank you for thinking of my father’s needs. I will rest much easier knowing he has someone close by at all times.” She had gone all soft and feminine again and he liked her this way. “And you did say you were grateful that our healer will minister to him, did you not? At last you found something to be grateful for.” She gave him a dark look but she was smiling as she said, “You are in no way what I expected, what my people prepared me for. I am supposed to hate you but I have naught to hate about you…yet.” He chucked her under the chin. “Stop trying so hard to hate me. Come, let us go to the hall. You may enjoy the way Danes celebrate a victory.”

***** Merwenna accompanied him, the confusion rampant in her brain. This man had been so good to her and he did not have to be. If the stories about the Danes were true, she should be lying on the floor of her chamber, her thighs bloodied from his multiple assaults. Instead she was walking beside him on her way to the evening meal in her own hall. She wondered what Alfred would say if he could see how civilized the Danes were. Then they entered the hall and she had to think twice about whether the Danes were civilized or not. Most of them appeared drunk or well on their way to being so. Someone was playing an instrument and someone else was banging on a drum, many of the revelers were dancing. Several couples were standing in the alcoves set into the walls and she tried not to notice that they were fornicating enthusiastically. A dice game was going on in one corner, two men wrestled in another corner with a small crowd cheering them on and others sat at the tables and drank more than they ate. It wasn’t long before those who tried to stand and cross the room instead stumbled and fell on each other.

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She sat between Erik and Guthrum and felt very small beside their height and muscular builds. They were so relentlessly male. The fact that she had bathed them both made her blush now. What had possessed her? What would Alfred say if he could see her now? But that certainly did not matter. He had left her, whether by design or accident she neither knew nor cared. She was on her own now and she had to make the best of things but it did nothing to endear Alfred to her. She felt as if he was a stranger now. She wanted to forget the nights with him, how he used her for his bed slave, for that is how she felt now. Her nether regions and buttocks still throbbed with the pain of his last assault. That he had left her and Eldred to die made her want to kill him with her own hand. It seemed such a cowardly thing for a king to do. When the meal ended, Guthrum retired to the solar and Erik accompanied Merwenna to her chamber. “The men will think it odd if I do not stay in your chamber,” he explained on the way. “But trust me, you will sleep unmolested.” She began to shake with fear. It was what Alfred had said to her that last night, yet there was no lust in Erik’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said, still trembling but somehow believing him. Of course it was beyond her control if he changed his mind but she had so far been able to trust his word. In spite of everything Alfred had done, she was more than a little aware of Erik’s masculinity. She had never known a man who was so, well, manly. He towered over her and his muscular physique was more impressive than any Saxon soldier she had seen, even Alfred. Alfred was masculine, of course but there was something more about Erik. She could not put a word to it but she could feel it. He seemed solid and dependable, secure in his manhood and abilities. He told her he would not molest her and she actually believed him. If he decided to take her, she felt he might also tell her plainly and without subterfuge, which she found comforting. She did not think he would use threats or honeyed words and wine to seduce her. She stopped at Eldred’s room to make sure he was sleeping peacefully. Kendrick slept beside him in the bed, the better to care for him she knew for she had done the same in the beginning. In her chamber, Erik was already undressed and beneath the covers, his hands cradling the back of his head, his chest disturbingly broad and muscled. She had washed that chest not so very long ago, the muscles flexing beneath her fingers. “Come here,” he ordered and she approached him warily. “Look into my eyes.” When she did she still saw no lust, only kindness and warmth and both brought tears to her eyes. “I felt I had to tell you again, I will not molest you. I do not know the source of the pain and fear I see in your eyes when you think no one is looking but you have nothing to fear from me and in time I hope you will believe that. Now come to bed and sleep, it has been a long and trying day.” She looked down and tears fell on her hands. “Thank you, I am quite tired,” she whispered. 44

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Feeling a little breathless, she extinguished the rushlights, leaving only the light from the desultory fire in the hearth. She took a moment to stir the fire into more active flames, then she removed her kirtle leaving her shift on, unplaited her hair and brushed it out and slid into bed beside Erik as far from him as she could. He turned onto his side with his back to her and said, “Sleep well, Merwenna.” She turned so her back was to him as well and said, “You too, Erik.” When his breathing became regular and he began to snore, she fell into troubled sleep. He was gone when she woke in the morning. She was relieved that she could perform her morning ablutions and dress in private. While dressing, she began to go over her day in her mind, starting with Mass, then she realized there would be no Mass today because there was no longer a priest at Chippenham. Instead, there were only Danes. Harald waited just outside her door but instead of going down to the cookhouse she hurried to the battlements to see for herself just how many Danes there were. She was stunned to see rows of tents surrounding the fortress, swarms of men and horses, smoke rising from a hundred fires. There was one particularly large tent which she assumed was the cookhouse and even more middens had been dug at some distance from the main part of the camp. She felt a little suffocated knowing that Danes were all around her, wherever she could see. She turned slightly to Harald who waited patiently. “The rider who brought us word of your approach said you were bringing your entire army but until now I did not know what that meant. You are truly a mighty host,” she said in awe. “Aye, lady, but you do not need to be concerned with those men. They cannot harm you so long as you are protected by Erik inside the fortress.” Erik was already in the great hall when she entered. She selected some cheese and bread and a crisp apple and settled beside him at the high table, where he was just finishing his repast. Harald took the opportunity to break his fast as well. “I forgot to thank you for assigning Harald to guard me. I’m afraid it will take some getting used to.” “’Tis necessary,” he said. “Why do you care?” “Do I need a reason? You are a woman alone with a sick father in a fortress full of wicked Danes but if my help is so disagreeable I can stop,” he offered, his face unreadable. She put her hand on his arm. “I am sorry, I do not want to appear ungrateful,” she said. “I am confused as to why I even matter to you.” “Just accept that you do and leave it at that.” He seemed sterner than he was yesterday and she wondered if she had somehow irritated him. “How is your father this morning?” “He is as well as can be expected. Kendrick is very good with him and it takes a weight off me to know that my father is cared for.” 45

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“I have heard tell that it is difficult to grow old, the body failing, the loss of desire for doing things we have done all our lives. I would not like that.” “Nor I,” she agreed, “but surely it need not be so. With my father it is a disease but aging is not a death sentence, is it?” “Eventually it is,” he said with the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Did you sleep well?” His voice softened as he looked at her. “Better than I thought I would. You are certainly unlike any man I have ever known,” she answered. She was interrupted by the shrill screaming of a woman who ran into the hall, a thin blond bundle of skirts who hurled herself across the high table at Erik, clutching his shirt in her fists. Erik stood and disengaged her hands, then flung her roughly across the high table until she landed on her buttocks on the floor. “You cannot give me to Rolf!” she screeched, hurting Merwenna’s ears. “I am yours, only for you, I do not want Rolf!” Erik’s face set into hard lines. “You are a slave, you will do as you are told,” he said coldly. “You belong to Rolf now, I have given you to him.” Just as Erik finished speaking Rolf burst into the hall and ran toward the woman. “Brunhilde, get away from Erik, you are no longer his bed slave! He has given you to me!” He grabbed her around the waist and attempted to haul her out of the great hall but she clung to the leg of the high table, surprisingly strong. Rolf looked up at Erik. Without hesitation, Erik came around to the front of the table and backhanded Brunhilde across the face, sending her sprawling. “Take her Rolf, here and now,” he ordered. Rolf smiled cruelly and pinned Brunhilde to the floor with his hand around her neck, slapping her twice to stop her struggling. Even though she continued to resist, he lifted her skirts, undid his braies and entered her right there, the other Danes in the hall cheering him on. Merwenna watched in sickened fascination, knowing he was doing what Alfred had done to her. At least Alfred had not been quite so rough. She thought, “So that is what rape looks like but surely I have been raped as well, because I did not want him to take me and Brunhilde does not want Rolf.” Rolf finished with a hoarse cry and buttoned himself back into his braies. Brunhilde curled into a ball on the floor but she did not fight Rolf when he picked her up, slung her over his shoulder and left the hall. Merwenna stood with weak knees and left the hall, aware that Erik was right behind her. She wondered why she wasn’t more afraid of a man who could order such an act. In her chamber, she sat in a chair before the fire and stared into the flames. “Merwenna,” he finally said gently, “I am sorry you were witness to that.” “You did not think of it at the time. I suppose I should be grateful you have not done that to me…yet.” She felt detached from her body somehow, watching her interaction with Erik yet not really a part of it. Her voice seemed very far away. “Why did you give Brunhilde to Rolf? She obviously wants to stay as your bed slave.” 46

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He sighed. “I have no more use for her as a bed slave. She is better off with someone who wants her and Rolf has always coveted her. She will grow used to him just as she grew used to me.” “Am I to be your bed slave now?” She knew if he took her now she would not struggle, she could not, he was too powerful and anyway her life as she knew it was over. It seemed not to matter what happened next but he made no move toward her. When she looked up she saw his face devoid of its scowl, his eyes gentle and warm. It made her heart twist in her breast with a strange longing. It was hard to reconcile this kind man with the one who had just ordered the public rape of his bed slave. “Nay, you will never be my bed slave.” He took a deep breath. “It is too soon to talk of this. I do not want to scare you. But if I take you it will be because you want it as much as I do.” “And if I never want it?” She could easily imagine him wanting her but was she capable of wanting a man again? She had wanted Alfred at the beginning and look where that got her. “Then it will not happen.” “That hardly seems fair to you, especially since we sleep in the same bed. How will I know when I want you, if I do? How will you know?” “We will both know,” he promised her, then he left her there with her unquiet thoughts of rape and wanting and Alfred’s touch, which was the worst of all.

***** Erik left Merwenna knowing that she had been affected by more than Alfred’s desertion of her and her father. He had watched her face when Rolf took Brunhilde and there was no trace of horror or revulsion there, she knew exactly what Rolf was doing and she was neither surprised nor disgusted. He would have expected her to scream and run from the hall rather than bear witness to such brutality. As the daughter of Chippenham’s steward and goddaughter of King Alfred, she would have been shielded from such. The only conclusion he could draw was that she was no longer a virgin. Who could have done this to her and why? A woman of her rank should have been guarded jealously until a suitable match was made. It was no different for his people, where a wife must come to her husband untouched. He must be her first. It did not make him want her less. His conviction that she was to be his was stronger than ever. He knew now what was behind the pain in her eyes when she came to him in the dream. If he ever learned who had done this to her he would kill the man. He wondered suddenly if Eldred knew or her maid Elfreda. It might be well for him to grow closer to each of them, learn what he could of Merwenna without asking her directly. He became more determined than ever to win her trust and heal her wounds, for even though he could not see the scars, he knew they were there as surely as the ones he carried on his own body. 47

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Chapter Five After the first week Merwenna was as comfortable with the Danes as she had been with her own Chippenham men. They drank more than her men and quarreled more among themselves but Erik and the other leaders were able to keep them under control. Erik himself never drank more than he could handle—she never saw him unsteady— but he was the only one. Even Guthrum overindulged more often than not. Snow continued to fall every other day or so until the roads disappeared. The river froze at its edges but was not yet able to bear the weight of a person. That would come later in the season. When Merwenna went up to view the snowbound countryside from the battlements, she felt as if Chippenham was the only human habitation in the world and that she was alone in a world full of Danes. Erik kept his men busy with hunting and battle practice but also with clearing the snow from the bailey’s open area, the animal pens and the battlements. He organized contests involving feats of strength, with prizes of coin and plunder, even bed slaves. He insisted that they vault onto their horses from behind and be able to leap over their swords when held in their hands at knee-height. She marveled that each one could do this. She had never seen a Saxon who could. He told her the object of all this was to keep the men sharp and war-ready. Merwenna liked to watch Erik with his men, though she tried not to be too obvious. He was a stern teacher and he worked his men hard but he was so skilled as a warrior he could afford to demand that they emulate him. He was continually pushing and pulling them into different configurations, ordering attacks and trying different methods to repel them, hacking away at his own men with wooden practice weapons. Sometimes when he felt her eyes on him, he would glance at her and it was the same yearning look she had seen in Alfred’s eyes. At times the memory disturbed her. Yet he continued to sleep beside her without touching her. Merwenna herself did what she always had—manage the hundreds of daily tasks it took to keep the fortress functioning, Elfreda by her side. Harald was her shadow while Erik was with his men and she frequently forgot he was there as she supervised the cooking, weaving and all its attendant chores, changing the rushes, laundry and endless preparation of the food and the game which the daily hunting parties provided. They were more successful than the Chippenham men had been and it was just as well, for the Danes ate hugely at each meal and Merwenna would have despaired of having enough stores to feed them if they had not hunted successfully and so frequently. She grew used to Harald’s nearness just as she had long ago adjusted to Elfreda’s shadowy presence at her elbow but when she saw them talking quietly to each other one evening in the great hall, curiosity overcame her, even more so when Elfreda

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smiled. Later that night, as Elfreda brushed her hair, Merwenna asked, “I saw you and Harald talking. Is anything amiss?” “Nay,” the older woman replied, “we were coordinating our efforts so you are not left unguarded.” “That sounds very practical,” she said, sensing there was much more to the matter, “but why did you smile up at him so sweetly? I swear you find him an appealing man.” Elfreda blushed furiously. “Merwenna, I love you like a daughter but there are some things that are not your concern and this is one of them.” She abruptly left the room and Merwenna finished brushing her own hair, a smile on her lips. The next day she approached Harald. “I saw you last night with Elfreda. It seems you amuse her, Harald.” She was surprised to see his cheeks turn as pink as Elfreda’s had the night before. “She is a fine lass and very devoted to you, Merwenna.” “I love her, Harald. She has been like a mother to me. I would be very upset if she was hurt,” Merwenna said gently, not threatening. “She will come to no harm from me. She is a good and kind woman, one of the best I have ever known.” “And she returns your feeling?” “Aye, she does.” “Good,” she said and surprised him when she kissed him on the cheek and went back to her tasks. Once the initial strangeness wore off, she found the Danes were much the same as the Saxons. They came to her with their cuts, bruises and upset stomachs, they called her “lady” and parted when she walked through a room and ignored her the rest of the time. Every now and then she caught one of them eyeing her speculatively, perhaps wondering how she and Erik got along. They continued to sleep in the same bed and Erik would touch her occasionally, as if by accident. The first time he did so, she stiffened and lay awake the rest of the night. After the second time, when he did not embrace her or otherwise initiate intimacy, she relaxed. One night when she went to bed while he was still in the great hall drinking with Guthrum, she actually woke in the night and reached to see if he was there. She did not feel threatened by him except when he touched her. Then she couldn’t help but stiffen. Then one night she dreamed of Alfred and their last night together. It was so real, the feel of him inside her, the intense pain, his urgency, his words about how she made him feel. She struggled to wake, to banish the images. She wished she could be anywhere but in that room with Alfred. She cried out and woke herself, suddenly aware that her cheeks were drenched with tears. Then Erik took her in his arms, pressing her head against his chest where she heard his strong beating heart. “Sh,” he murmured against her hair. “It was only a dream.” Without a second thought she wrapped her arms around him tightly, the tears refusing

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to stop for quite some time. It was inexpressibly comforting to be in his arms and she eventually fell into a deep and dreamless sleep there. The next morning he was gone as usual but he busied himself within the fortress all day rather than outside, and she found great comfort in his presence. For many nights after, she did not sleep well and during the day she found herself closer to tears. Noises startled her more than usual, even ordinary ones like the banging of pots in the cookhouse. She began to wonder what would happen when Alfred drove the Danes away, if he could. What would become of her and her father then, left to the mercy of the man who had wanted them dead and probably thought they were. What would he do when he found them alive? Eldred continued his slow decline and it hurt her beyond words to watch the life slipping from him. He remained cheerful but weak and his greatest pleasure was to engage Erik in a game of chess. The sight of them at play warmed her heart and she felt a tremendous outpouring of gratitude to Erik for his kindness. He was making her father’s last days meaningful in a way she never could have done. Their relationship was strictly a man-to-man connection of which she had no part, nor did she want to. It had been years since Eldred was this contented and she would do nothing to interfere with that. Stragglers from Chippenham began to trickle into the fortress, particularly the women who had helped Merwenna with the weaving and other women’s work around the manor. It was the only place they knew to come for safety and they brought word that Alfred was hiding in the marshes around Athelney, which made Guthrum smirk. Once the work of making cloth had resumed on a regular basis, Guthrum’s bed slave approached Merwenna. “I am Gerta,” she said in a lilting beautiful voice, “I am here with Guthrum. Could you perhaps use our help with your weaving?” “You know how to work with wool?” Merwenna asked, looking at Gerta as if for the first time. She was quite slender and graceful with a delicate cast to her features and a mane of golden hair that shone even in the dim light of the hall. “Aye, we all do, though not all of us wish to help.” Merwenna assumed the “us” meant the bed slaves as a collective. “But for some of us the hours go too slowly and we would prefer to work at something.” “What do you do when you are camped?” “We cook and mend and sew and look after children, if there are any, but here so much is done for us.” Merwenna found herself warming to the lovely woman who was a bed slave by the will of men and not her own. The world was a perilous place for a woman who had no man. She wondered what her fate would have been had Erik not placed her under his protection. “We would be happy to have some extra pairs of hands. Not all of the Chippenham women have returned so you will be most welcome.” Gerta smiled brilliantly and went

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off to tell the others. Merwenna made sure to speak to the few Chippenham women who toiled at the task each day and stressed the fact that they were all just women. As a rule, Merwenna did not spend much time with Erik during the day but when they were together she was at ease and he seemed to be as well. He shared stories of how this man or that was improving at the battle-ax or spear and he always told her the latest report on Alfred’s movements. She thought he was testing her, to see if she reacted to Alfred’s name. He seemed to feel that she still harbored an attachment to Alfred. On one such occasion, he told her, “Alfred has begun building a fortress at Athelney.” “Has he? And then what?” she asked, her eyes on her embroidery. “He will train his new army. They say he is attracting men from every corner of Wessex, rallying them to his banner.” He was examining a map, tracing lines with his finger first this way, then that. They were seated in the great hall, she on a chair before the roaring fire, he at a small table to her right. Though the great hall was filled with people talking and laughing, theirs was an oasis of companionship that no one breached. She thought it must be unusual for Erik to sit thus, talking quietly to a woman, for the men in the hall frequently threw him confused and disbelieving glances. “Do you think he will attack you here?” She was stunned at the spike of fear she felt at the thought of Erik going into battle. She knew he was a warrior but that was a side of himself he hardly shared with her and it seemed somehow unreal when they were together in such easy companionship. “Nay, he knows Chippenham is too well defended but there will be a battle. Guthrum will wait until Alfred issues the challenge, then we will go meet him.” He spoke as if he was talking about the weather outside instead of a situation where he and other men might die. “What will happen if you lose?” “We will be forced out of Wessex but hopefully not out of England. My brother has developed a fondness for this country and believes we can make a life here.” “And if you win?” “There will be a treaty of peace between our peoples. Alfred will still be a king but his territory will be vastly reduced.” She stopped stitching and stared into the fire. It was inconceivable, unbelievable that Erik might die. Even without looking at him, she could feel his presence beside her. He filled his chair with barely restrained strength and energy, his presence vital and alive and, she suddenly realized, necessary to her. Merwenna had become more than used to him, she found him an essential part of her life. He was her protector, without him Alfred would be able to get to her. More than that, he was her constant companion and even when he was training his troops outside of the fortress, he was in her thoughts. How had he come to be so important in such a short time? The thought that 51

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there might come a time when he would never again sit beside her or sleep in her bed brought tears to her eyes. “Merwenna,” he said and touched her arm. “I have been saying your name for some time, are you all right?” “I was thinking…of battles,” she said softly. “I hope it will not come to that.” “It must. We are in possession of one of Alfred’s royal residences. He cannot let us keep it without trying to get it back. His people…your people will think him weak and we both know he is not.” She sighed and looked down at her work but she did not resume it. “I must check on my father,” she said abruptly, put her embroidery in her basket and left the great hall. Eldred was awake and welcomed her. “Merwenna, you look as if you have seen a ghost, my dear. Come sit with me awhile.” She settled on the bed beside him, placed an arm around his shoulders and leaned her head against his. “You are looking better today, Father.” “I feel a bit better though we both know this will not last. Merwenna, I cannot live forever no matter how many good days I have.” Her throat constricted with unshed tears. Eldred was her father, her only living family. How could her own life continue without him? “You have weeks, maybe months yet to live, Father. I’ll not have you die until spring at least, when you can walk about outside enjoying the sun,” she said with false cheer. “’Tis a pleasant dream Merwenna but trust me, I feel death’s grasp strongly on my shoulder, reminding me that he will soon claim me for his own.” Erik going to war, Eldred soon to die, it was too much to think that these two men who were most dear to her both faced death at the same time. Her eyes overflowed with tears. “Do not talk that way, Father, I cannot bear it.” She burst into sobs. “All men think of nothing but death and dying and battles. It sickens me!” “Merwenna my child,” he said in alarm, holding her in his arms and allowing her to cry until she was spent, hiccupping and limp against him. “Now will you tell me what has happened to bring you to such despair?” he asked quietly. “Everyone is talking of death today,” she managed to say. “Who is everyone?” He was talking to her as if she was a child but she didn’t care. It felt too good to lean on him and lay her fears on his shoulders. It had been a long time since she had dared. She remembered all the years of her youth finding refuge in these arms that still had some strength in them. “Erik was talking about battling Alfred and now you are telling me you will die someday soon. I could not bear to lose one of you let alone both.” “What is this about a battle with Alfred?” he asked with interest and she pulled away.

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“The Danish scouts,” she said between hiccups, “learned that Alfred is building a fortress at Athelney where Saxons are gathering to form a new army. There will be a battle sooner or later to decide who is the stronger king, Guthrum or Alfred.” She sniffed and hiccupped again. “When will this battle take place?” Eldred asked with interest. “Not until spring,” Erik said from the doorway. “Merwenna, I was worried when you did not come back. Are you all right?” She was suddenly aware that she must look awful—puffy face, red eyes and tear tracks down her cheeks. She hastily wiped her face and tried to compose herself. “There is too much talk of death today,” she said sullenly, angry that he was seeing her so disheveled. “No one is going to die today, so let us leave it for now,” Erik said patiently. “I would like to hear more about Alfred if there is anything else,” Eldred said. “There is not much more,” Erik said. “Sit down Erik, sit down,” Eldred was saying. Merwenna sighed and climbed off the bed. “Stay with my father, Erik and tell him what he wants to know. I am going to rest a while and I would prefer not to be disturbed.” Alone in her room, she restlessly pulled the tapestry away from a window slit and looked at the sky. The clouds were building and she thought they might have snow again before morning. It did not matter, of course, for she was safe in the fortress but for how long? Alfred could never tolerate her presence here again if he had indeed left them here on purpose. To find her alive and well and running the fortress just as she had for the past year would be a slap in the face to him. His pride would not stand it. And yet she had no other life, no place to go. Her father would be dead soon. He said so, Guthrum’s healer said so and her own instincts as a healer said so as well. She would be alone in the world. And while Erik and she enjoyed something rare and special, if chaste, he had never made her a promise for the future. For all she knew, he would leave here to battle Alfred and go on with his life without her. It was exhausting to think of death and Alfred and the future, her mind going over each in an endlessly circular pattern of thought. Finally, she lay down on the bed on her back and closed her eyes, expecting not to sleep. In fact, she did not realize she was asleep until Erik lay down beside her and gently stroked her arm to wake her. Her eyes were sore and her nose was stuffed. “Do you feel better?” he asked. “A little. Is my father all right?” “He is good, happy that I stayed to talk with him though I hadn’t much to tell. Slow death is not pretty. Better a swift and sure death like a bolt of lightning or a clean blow to the neck with a very sharp sword.”

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She shuddered but understood what he meant. “Erik, when you leave Chippenham could you take me with you? I would do whatever you like, be whatever you need, your bed slave, the mother of your children…” “What?” “I want to go with you when you leave Chippenham.” “When we go to battle?” His face was a study in consternation. “Nay, not to battle. But once my father dies I cannot stay here any longer, knowing Alfred will return. I have no place to go…” His voice and face hardened though his hand on her cheek was infinitely gentle. “It is time to tell me why King Alfred left you here, why you would not let us send you back to him. How did you offend him? Something must have happened for him to treat you so badly.”

***** Merwenna sighed and Erik kept his face hard. He had been suspicious from the beginning that there was something she wasn’t telling him, something that had happened to make her dreams so frightening and render her immune to the sight of rape. The fact that she did not immediately beg to be taken to Alfred was very revealing, especially when he and Guthrum both offered her safe passage. She had willingly made herself their hostage, even knowing what they might do to her. Why? She took his hand and held it tightly against her breasts, and while he felt the stirring of desire he did not think she had intended him to become aroused. “Before you came Alfred and I had grown closer than we ever were before,” she began softly. “I have always loved him. He is my godfather and dear to me. My father was steward here for Alfred’s brother and Alfred kindly kept him on. When I was born my mother died and my father asked Alfred to stand as my godfather. He would become responsible for me should anything happen to my parents. Ten years ago we traveled to court for his wedding to Elswith. The king has never been anything other than kind and proper with me. “But he was different this last time, somehow fragile, melancholy, often playful but always brooding. I have never seen him so mercurial. When he asked for my help, I felt I could not refuse even though I thought his request was far from honorable. He rightly pointed out that he is my liege lord as well as my godfather. He also spoke about my father being too ill to be steward any longer and said he might have to replace Father. I was terrified Alfred would turn us out.” Erik’s jaw clenched involuntarily. “What did he do to you, Merwenna?” “It is too humiliating for me to speak of it.” She averted her eyes. “Even knowing how I feel about you? I think I have shown you every day what you mean to me and nothing you say now will change that. Nothing he did to you will make you less in my eyes.”

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“It is because I feel cherished by you that I am so reluctant. I was a fool and allowed him to do what he wanted, then he left me and I have come to believe he hoped you would kill me so I could never tell anyone what happened between us.” “He hoped I would kill you?” “Not you specifically but your army. He did not think you would let me live, perhaps he even counted on it.” “Tell me what he did,” Erik insisted again. He was now almost positive that Alfred had helped himself to her virginity using some threat to her and her father but it was the fact that she still suffered the effect of his actions that made him want to kill King Alfred. Merwenna took a deep breath. “That first night, when I bathed him, he looked at me strangely. Then after the evening meal he took me to the solar, gave me a gift, kissed me and touched my breasts. He told me about a custom called Right of the First Night wherein he had the right to…to be my first man.” She bent her head, unable to look him in the eye. “I had never felt so helpless. If I refused him, my father and I would lose our home. If I let him do what he wished, we could stay and eventually he would leave so I allowed him to take me. It was horrible, painful and it went on all night. “In the morning Elfreda saw the blood on me and summoned Emma the midwife, who gave me something to keep me from having a child. The potion caused pain and bleeding so I stayed in my chamber until the evening meal. He insisted we be together that night even though I told him I could not accommodate him and I thought it was all right because he did not touch me, we both just fell asleep. I woke in the night and he was…kneeling beside me. He made me lie on my stomach and he pulled on my hips then he…” She buried her face in her hands. “The pain was unbelievable,” she said through her fingers, sobbing. She did not have to say more for him to know what had happened. That Alfred had forced her this way while she still suffered and bled from his first assault made Erik physically ill. It was one thing to enjoy that embrace, another to have it done to you without warning. He had seen battle atrocities and sexual excesses other men could not dream of, but this furtive abuse of a trusting young woman burned his heart. “I would throttle him if he was here,” Erik said softly. “I managed to avoid him for the next few nights with Emma and Elfreda’s help. The night of the new year I felt I must go to the great hall and it seemed as if Alfred was ready to resume his use of me,” she said tiredly, “but in the midst of the evening meal, we received word that you were on your way. He told me to wait with my father and left without us. By the end of the next day you were standing at the door to my father’s room.” He forced himself to ask the next question because he had to know. “Did he try to make you feel something, attain some satisfaction?” “Nay, he was always focused on his own completion. I only waited for it to be over. I felt like he did not need me. Any woman would have done as well. I wish now I had

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offered him a bed slave.” She clutched at his arm and he thought how young and frightened she looked. “I still do not know what I did to make him act thusly. He told me I am a very desirable woman. Is that wrong? Is that the way all men will see me? Is that how you see me?” He smoothed her hair gently with his hand, glad she had told him all. “You are still pure in my eyes because he did not engage your heart or your passionate nature. Being sensual is no crime, it is important to what happens between men and women. He used you Merwenna in a most shameful way. Real men make use of experienced women to ease their lust. They do not trade on the trust of a young girl for her elder. If he were here now I would kill him.” “But that which he did to me the second night—from behind—Emma said some people enjoy that. Have you ever done that?” “Aye,” he said, hoping he could find the right words to reassure her. “When two people are alone together, what they do should bring pleasure to both. Nothing is forbidden between those who love one another. What Alfred did can be an act of love, but all you need know right now is that I will never do aught to cause you physical pain such as he did.” She went willingly into his arms. He was glad she did not bring up the fact that Danish men did exactly the same as Alfred had done on occasion. He knew the incongruity of his words, he who had wantonly raped more women than he could count, used bed slaves regularly and shared female hostages with Guthrum usually against their will. “He is nothing to me now. I never want to see him again,” she said grimly. “He must know by now that I am alive. He must fear that I will tell someone what happened, tarnish how the people see him and the bards sing of him. It is the one thing he could never tolerate, having his lapse in judgment exposed to the people. It is why I am afraid to be left here at Chippenham when you go.” Privately Erik agreed with her but he did not say so. “I will protect you, Merwenna, just as I promised from the beginning. I will do all I can to make sure he never gets close enough to touch you again and I will certainly not leave you here.” She clung to him then and he welcomed her embrace. She seemed to need physical reassurance of his feeling for her so he kissed her very gently on the lips. When she pulled her mouth away he did nothing more than hold her and stroke her hair. “Do you want me, Erik?” she asked after a while. “Aye, Merwenna, I do.” “Then why do you not take me? I will not fight you. You have been good to me and my father. It would be a way for me to thank you.” “But you do not want me right now, do you?” “I do not know, truly. My previous experience did not take my desire into account.” “I know my touch is not distasteful to you, you no longer draw away.”

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“I am used to it now. I find you handsome and strong, as well as kind and gentle, to me at least. I am happy when we are together and I miss you when we are not but how am I to know if I want you?” He thought for a moment. “I will do nothing you do not wish and I will not punish you if you do not want me,” he told her. “You must tell me to stop as soon as you do not like what I am doing. Promise me?” “I promise,” she said wide-eyed. He touched her breast experimentally through her kirtle. When she did not push him away, he kissed her again and kneaded the breast, feeling her nipple harden beneath his hand. He explored her mouth with his tongue and she responded timidly, hesitantly, yet she did respond. He was encouraged. “I would like to do for you what he did not,” he told her and felt her stiffen. “Please trust me, I promise it will not hurt and I will not penetrate you. In fact, we will leave our clothes on. I will use only my hand and if you push it away I will stop at once.” She nodded and he gently lifted her kirtle and shift. He cupped her mound in his hand and pressed his palm down very lightly, then used his finger to find her bud of pleasure. She moaned and he looked quickly into her eyes but there was no fear there, only surprise. “Does that feel good?” he asked and she nodded again. “It is supposed to. Do you trust me?” “Aye, Erik I trust you,” she whispered. He began then to stroke her in earnest until her breathing came in gasps and she arched her back. She gave little cries of eagerness and bit her lower lip as she got closer to her release. Then she tensed and he felt her first spasm hard against his hand, her juices bathing him and the rhythmic beat of her climax making her strain her hips upward until her whole body went limp in complete satisfaction. He kept his hand on her until the pulse in her nether regions was no more than a whisper. “I did not know…” she began still breathless. “I did not know that could be done. That has only ever happened in my dreams.” “It can happen anytime you want, Merwenna, you have only to ask me. When the time is right, I will show you the extent of what you can feel but not before you are ready.” He lowered her skirts and kissed her lightly. She sat up and her eyes fell on the bulge in his braies. “But what of you? I would not leave you wanting.” She did not touch him. He suspected she did not know how and probably did not want to just yet, though she obviously wanted to please him. Her generosity wrung his heart. “There will be time enough to experience all that we can have together, no need to rush. I wish everything we do to wipe all trace of your experience with Alfred from your mind.” He lay down beside her on the bed and nestled her against his chest, his arms around her, thinking about all the pleasurable nuances he could teach her before they ever progressed to intercourse.

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***** While Erik still slept, Merwenna rose, dressed and went back to the great hall to prepare it for the evening meal, acutely aware that her nether regions were swollen and still pulsing ever-so slightly. Her heart was full of love for Erik—different from the love she felt for her father or had felt for Alfred. It had burst into her consciousness when she woke in his arms, an intense constant ache of longing and fulfillment and pure joy. She had never felt like this in her life before. She understood now a little of how it could be between a man and woman when they both wanted to be together. Even if he did not love her, he had pledged to protect and care for her and that was enough for now. He had proven with his gentle touch and knowledge of how to please her that she was important to him, that she could trust his words and actions, something she had known in her head since the beginning but now knew in her heart. It made her want to please him, even if it hurt her to do so. Perhaps if she gave him a son he would come to love her. The thought of his baby made her heart swell until it threatened to burst forth from her breast. Then she thought of what she would have to do to give him a son and her stomach flipped in panic. What if she never could let him penetrate her? She suddenly realized she had stopped preparing the high table and the other women were looking at her, puzzled. “Go on with your work,” she ordered. “Elfreda, please complete the high table.” She took refuge in the cookhouse, tied on a clean linen cloth to protect her kirtle and threw herself into helping to load the platters and arrange the sweets for their appearance at the meal. She had not assisted the cooks and serving folk in quite some time but no one remarked on it. She went back to the great hall just before they were ready to bring the first course. Erik and Guthrum were already seated and she served their wine before taking her place between them. Erik squeezed her knee, his blue eyes warm with the secret of their recent intimacy. “Did you have fun in the cookhouse?” he asked. “How did you know?” she asked, then followed his pointing finger to the cloth she still wore with its telltale grease stains. She smiled quickly at him and refilled his goblet with one hand while removing the cloth with the other. “I mean no insult, Merwenna,” Guthrum was saying, “but you operate Chippenham with the same efficiency and skill as our Danish women run our homes. It is pleasant for us to live where there is no chaos, where all share in the work under one authority. We did not know Saxon women are so capable.” “Thank you, Sire. My father trained me well. He was a very fine steward in his day.” “I am sure he was. But tell me truthfully, has it been bothersome having us here?” “No more so than when Alfred and his men were here. Wherever men gather and there is wine or ale to be had, there will always be conflict,” she said, refilling

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Guthrum’s goblet. “Although I must say, Alfred did not encourage the women who followed the soldiers in the great hall, at least not at Chippenham.” “Our women offend you?” Guthrum asked with a smile. “Not the women themselves nor your warriors,” she explained, “just their behavior.” She nodded at the alcoves which had become a popular place for any man who felt the need to copulate during a meal. Guthrum spoke to the nearest guard who immediately halted the activity in the alcoves. Merwenna smiled her thanks. “I have heard Alfred is a pious man who has never had a bed slave. Did you find him to be so?” he coaxed. “Far from it,” she said shortly and Erik scowled his disapproval of the question at his brother. Just as Guthrum opened his mouth to say something further, a sentry clattered into the great hall. “Saxon raiding parties are attacking outside the walls!” he called. Everyone stood at the same time. The Danes, all of whom constantly wore their swords, did not stop even to toss a fur around their shoulders. Erik threw back his head and let loose his battle cry and the sound turned her blood to ice. The Danes poured from the hall and into the bailey. Merwenna did not follow them but went quickly to the battlements. She was grateful there was a full moon and torches dotted the camp, they helped her to see. The raiders had captured some of the horses and were driving them away from the Danish camp. Bodies were strewn here and there but she could not tell if they were Saxon or Danish bodies and she suspected there were some of each. The Danes from the hall had reached their fighting comrades and the skirmish intensified into a battle. Merwenna tried to pick out Erik’s figure in the melee and at last she saw him, taller than any other soldier, surrounded by six or seven Saxons all jockeying for the chance to run him through. She put her hand to her throat and her heart beat so hard she thought she might die. As she watched, Erik took them on, his sword flailing as he cut their heads off one by one until he was surrounded only by bodies, their heads flung every which way. He looked around the bloody battlefield, found what he was looking for and fought his way to where a lone man battled several Saxons. When he reached the man and turned his back to him, she knew it was Guthrum. The brothers were unstoppable in their fury. Merwenna thought they were a wonder to behold, perfectly in tune with each other, never wavering from protecting each other’s back and soon the snow was dark with blood and Saxon bodies. In the end the few Saxons who were left ran away and only three or four of the horses were lost. Merwenna hurried down to the great hall knowing the wounded would soon be there. Her eyes met Erik’s when he entered, sweat on his brow and blood on his clothing. The other men were breathing hard but not Erik. A fresh wave of fear washed over her as she realized he had not even stopped to don a helmet or grab a shield and of course he was not wearing his chain mail—it still hung in her bedchamber. Then she was diverted by the need to tend the wounded, although she kept her ears tuned to the

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conversation swirling around her. Elfreda worked closely beside her, no longer fussy about touching a Dane. Helga, Guthrum’s healer also helped. “What were the sentries doing that the Saxons got so close?” Erik demanded in his battle voice. It scared her, it was so different from the voice he used with her. Alfred’s battle voice was a whisper by comparison. “They were on guard,” one man said defensively. “I don’t know how the Saxons surprised us, Erik.” “That is not the right answer, Bjorr,” Erik said, staring the man down. “You were in charge of the sentries tonight and I expect a better explanation than that. Were they fucking the women, tossing dice, what? I demand you tell me the truth and I may spare your life!” Merwenna looked up from where she was wrapping a man’s leg wound and saw Erik’s face set in hard lines, his blue eyes flinty in his otherwise handsome face. She returned to her task, washing the wounded man’s face and helping him to drink a potion that would ease his pain. He smiled up at her and said, “Thank you, Lady Merwenna.” She patted him on the shoulder and moved on to the next man, thinking how she was treasonously aiding the Danes yet again and caring not a bit. She was not surprised that there were not more casualties after watching the Danes fight. No wonder every Saxon was frightened of them. They were like killing machines. The way Erik wielded his sword was nothing less than exquisite in its grace and economy of movement. Guthrum too was fierce and focused from what she had seen. “Erik, I swear to you…” Bjorr was saying. But Erik felled him with a single blow of his arm. The other man lay on the floor looking resentfully up at him. “Do not swear, just speak the truth to me,” Erik said in a quieter but no less menacing voice. “We drank a quantity of ale and wine at the evening meal,” Bjorr began, “and I caught some of them sleeping just before the raid began.” “Good,” Erik said. He turned to Rolf, unfailingly at his right elbow. “Bring me the sentries who are still alive at once. Bjorr and the others will each receive twenty lashes on the spot.” Rolf shoved an indignant Bjorr into the arms of another soldier who then stood guard over him. The others were soon brought and their backs bared for the lash. Each man took his punishment stoically until it was Bjorr’s turn. He fought the soldier who held him so punishment could be inflicted, struggling and calling out to Erik, “It was not my fault, not my fault!” Merwenna had ordered servants put to the lash for various offenses—stealing more than anything—but there were also the notable offenses of sleeping with another man’s wife and failing to do the work assigned. So she felt no special desire to interfere in Erik’s punishment of the men who had shirked their duty, yet when all the lashes had been given she raised her eyebrows at Erik and he nodded his head toward the men.

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As she began to look at Bjorr’s wounds, he whirled on her and snarled, “Touch me and you die, Saxon bitch!” Erik crossed the room in a blur, his boot coming up to catch Bjorr’s chin with a sickening snap and the man slumped to the floor, unconscious. “Have you a room where we can lock Bjorr?” he asked quietly. “In the cellar. I will show you,” she said but he stopped her. “Tend to them. Elfreda can take me.” Merwenna gave her keys to Elfreda who left with Erik and two soldiers hefting Bjorr between them like a sack of grain. While she was still working on the punished soldiers, she sent Edburh to prepare the bath for Guthrum and Erik. She could not leave to bathe them this time though, for she felt honor-bound to see to each man’s wound no matter how minor. At last all were cared for and she wiped her face with a damp cloth. All she wanted was to get into bed and sleep forever. But when she reached her room she found Elfreda and several of the servants filling the tub that was usually located in the solar. “What is this?” she demanded. “King Guthrum ordered it,” Elfreda told her. “That was very kind of him and I certainly appreciate it. A bath would be most welcome tonight,” she said, looking down at her bloodstained clothing, wishing now she had kept on the protective linen cloth. “Thank you Elfreda,” Erik said from his chair before the fire. “I did not see you, Erik. Have you bathed?” “Aye and now it is your turn.” His eyes were inscrutable. She smiled and, when he made no move to leave the room, she turned her back to him and removed her clothing, acutely aware that he had never seen her naked, but too tired to care. He was then temporarily forgotten in the extreme pleasure of sinking her body into the steaming water. Dried rose petals floated on the water’s surface and their fragrance filled her senses. She leaned back against the side of the tub and closed her eyes. The hands that began to wash her hair were gentle and she opened her eyes to find Erik standing above her. “You must not,” she said quickly sitting up. “Do not talk,” he said softly. “You deserve to be tended for everything you did for the wounded. Be still Merwenna and let me wash you.” She submitted reluctantly at first but then she was so overcome by the luxury of having someone fuss over her comfort that she gave herself up to him. In the back of her mind, she wondered if this was a prelude to his taking her but at the moment she did not care. It felt too good. Erik washed every inch of her body and, when he had dried most of the moisture off her, he carried her to the bed and continued his ministrations by kissing every inch of her body. He went no further though she half wanted him to, and sleep soon claimed both of them. Erik and Merwenna lay together naked for the first time, limbs entwined.

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Chapter Six Another month passed and the Danes settled into a routine that seemed comfortable for them. Every morning, they went beyond the fortress into the surrounding open ground to conduct drills and other practice sessions with weapons, stage mock battles and practice fighting on horseback. The sea of faces now had names and personalities. Rolf and Harald of course were well known to her as Erik’s chief captains, oldest friends and strongest supporters and much like Erik himself. But there was Magnus, fully as fierce as Erik but seemingly without a vestige of human warmth. If Erik had not been so protective of her, she would have been more afraid of Magnus. Baldr and Einar were twins, quite a bit younger than Erik but no less capable with the sword and spear. They did everything together but had no bed slave because they could not agree on whom they would take. Then there was Svein the Silent, who spoke only when spoken to except for using his battle cry during weapons practice. And Tostig the Boneless, whose limbs could compress like a cat, allowing him to squeeze through tiny openings. Olaf Longsword was known as such because of the long, strong weapon in his scabbard as well as the one in his braies. She came to know them all and trust them as well, protected as she was by Erik. Living with Erik was unlike anything Merwenna had ever experienced. He was fiercely protective of her yet he left her alone to run Chippenham. The only time he offered advice was when she asked for it. He continued to share her bed and he was diligent about her satisfaction but never allowed her to tend to his. He knew she was not ready for him to take her and in truth she was not. Above all else, Erik was someone she could lean on who listened to her troubles. He was her companion, her bed partner, her adviser. She had never enjoyed a relationship quite like this one. She wondered if this was what it was like to be married. He was not perfect of course. He had a temper that could ignite in an instant and he usually used his fists first and asked questions later, as had happened with both Brunhilde and Bjorr. He had no appreciation for Alfred’s book collection in the solar, although he left them alone after she asked him to do so. She could tell he had strong feelings for her but he did not do what the bards’ songs told that men did for a lady love, such as bring her gifts. But he gave her attention and affection unstintingly without asking for that which she could not yet give and that meant everything to her. One particularly difficult day, when the cream refused to turn to butter and a halfdozen chickens failed to lay eggs and a new horse injured one of the grooms, she retreated to her chamber after the evening meal for solitude.

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She was sitting in a comfortable chair before a healthy fire, her fine embroidery in its hoop illuminated by a tall standing brazier, her needle stitching the silk thread swift and sure through the finely woven linen. She was conscious of a dull ache in her lower back and a listlessness of spirit that usually accompanied her flux. She wished she had pressed Erik to take her, perhaps even now a child would be growing inside her. She rested her embroidery on her lap as she indulged herself with thoughts of what their child might look like. She would not mind at all if he looked exactly like Erik, with a lush golden mane of hair and those blue eyes that could pierce her one moment and envelop her in warmth the next. The image of Erik holding their newborn child made her smile with a sense of accomplishment, then a hand closed over her shoulder. She looked up at him. “I fear you were just now a long way from Chippenham,” he said softly and bent down to kiss her cheek. “Not far, actually very much here. Are you displeased with me?” she asked. “Nay, why would you ask that?” “As kisses go, that was not a very good one.” He looked surprised. “Sometimes a kiss is nothing more than a salute.” “But that has not been my experience of you,” she said primly, tucked her embroidery into the basket at her feet and stood up to place her arms around his neck. “Please try again.” “If I do well will you tell me what you were thinking?” “I might,” she said, closing her eyes and pursing her lips, lifting her face up to his. He kissed her deeply, lingeringly, holding her close. “Was that more to your liking?” “Very much,” she said. “Then what were you thinking?” “When?” “Just now, before I touched your shoulder. You were deep in thought about something that made you smile.” She caressed the side of his face. “I was thinking how much you have made yourself part of my life and my father’s. I no longer remember much about the time before you first came to Chippenham—at least not anything good.” It was hard for her to speak plainly about Alfred, usually she just alluded to it. “Harald told me that you have never been married.” “Aye, that is so.” “Why?” “There has been no time. I have trained the army and fought with Guthrum for years. Soldiering, battles and preparing for them have been my life.” “And now?”

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“Before we ever came here I was unsatisfied with it, not that I would do aught to disappoint Guthrum. But he and I are both looking to a day when the battles are over and we can settle in peace. When I gave Brunhilde to Rolf it was not because I thought you might take her place. I simply did not want her anymore, I no longer want a bed slave.” She laid her head against his chest while she considered his words. “During the course of your conquests did you rape many women?” “I do not know the number but I did rape women. I thought you knew that. You should also know that when men do that it has nothing to do with love. It is about power, the victor planting his seed in the women of his defeated foes. Why would you ask?” “And this is not something you wish to do anymore, is that right?” “I have avoided raping anyone for over a year.” “How?” She was genuinely curious. “By leaving my men to do what they must without calling attention to myself. They all think I am as I was, a fierce warrior who cares only to burn and rape and pillage. No doubt I can still do all those things. But I used to enjoy them and that is no longer the case.” “I would like to give you a son,” she said into his chest. His arms tightened around her. “A son or a daughter would be very good,” he said. “Do you think you are ready to do that which will get us a child?” “It will be another week yet before we can try,” she told him, her face hot with embarrassment. “My flux has begun but after that I will be ready.” “Are you all right? Is there pain?” “No more than usual,” she said. He smoothed her hair with his hand and kissed her again. He said very gently, “Among my people, men and women sleep apart at this time. I will join the others in the great hall until you have finished.” “You need not do that,” she said. “Please do not leave me. I would like to sleep in your arms tonight, if you will have me.” The flickering firelight illuminated the concern in his eyes. “Would you not rather have Elfreda for company? I have heard that women prefer the company of one another over that of men at this time.” “I know not what other women prefer, only that I would have you near me now.” She paused in confusion. “If you find it distasteful…” “Nay, nothing about you could be distasteful, I only thought to make you more comfortable.” He climbed into bed and she joined him, snuggling close to him. “Erik, I want to give you the same pleasure you have been giving me. Can you guide me?”

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“Aye I can, but now?” “Now, please. I have enjoyed your touch for quite some time and you have asked for nothing in return. While I appreciate your patience, I know you have a man’s appetites and I would like to satisfy them.” She placed a tentative hand on the front of his braies where his cock was already stiff. “May I touch it?” Erik’s breathing was slightly ragged as he pulled his cock from the confinement of the braies. It was longer and thicker than Alfred’s, and gloriously hard to the touch. He inhaled sharply when she closed her fingers around it. “I would like to touch you as well,” he said softly. “Let us have no impediment between us.” He removed her kirtle and shift, stroking her breasts and then tonguing them lightly. She loved the feel of his mouth and hands on her. Merwenna pushed Erik’s shirt over his head and slipped his braies down and off his legs. They lay together on the bed, kissing and pressing their bodies together. She wished with all her heart that he could enter her, but the cloth between her legs reminded her that today there could be only a partial encounter. This time when she put her hand on his cock, Erik placed his hand over hers and they stroked it together. “Do you stroke yourself often?” she asked, surprised when he smiled. “Not as often as I did when I was younger,” he answered and then he groaned. “I do not think this will take long.” He took his hand away and she continued stroking his cock, this time more purposefully. She watched as he closed his eyes and began to breathe through his mouth. He shifted slightly, opened his eyes and said, “I would like to climax on your breasts.” She obligingly pointed his cock toward her breasts and continued stroking, this time faster. Finally, he arched his back, held his breath for only a moment and exhaled sharply just as his cock began to shoot his seed on her breasts and belly. She loved watching the powerful jets issue from his engorged member, and his seed felt warm on her skin. His breathing slowed and his cock began to soften until only a single drop of his seed remained on the tip. “Did that feel good?” she asked, marveling that she felt no impulse to clean herself. It was somehow comforting to have his seed on her if not in her. “Your touch is perfect, Merwenna. Thank you for doing this for me.” He kissed her deeply then got up to fetch a cloth and cleaned her very gently, kissing his way on and around her breasts and finally ending at her belly. “I love being with you Merwenna, and I am looking forward to the next time.” When they finally settled beneath the covers in each other’s arms, she fell asleep knowing that she was safe with him, safer than she had ever been in her life. A few weeks later Merwenna was playing chess with Eldred when he said, “Since you have been under Erik’s protection you have had no trouble with the other Danes, have you, my child?”

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“Nay, they have been almost as respectful as our own men were,” she replied, thinking she might be able to check his king in two moves. “He is quite a man, is he not?” Eldred captured her knight with a chuckle. She lost her focus, distracted by thoughts of Erik. “What makes you say that, Father?” “His kindness I think, as well as his strength. I cannot forget that he held the pisspot that day rather than let you do it which pleased me no end. He gave me Kendrick who has been a godsend. And he is quite taken with you, Merwenna.” “Nonsense,” she said, knowing it was true but reluctant to admit it to her father. “I do not think you should treat his intentions lightly. He could have had you a dozen times since he arrived. You sleep in the same bed after all. Yet he stays in your chamber and you remain unmolested. He must see you as more than the spoils of war.” “Do you consider Erik to be a serious suitor for my hand?” She sounded more indignant than she felt. She could not tell her father she wanted to have his baby. At least not yet. Of course she wondered what her life would be like if she did have his child. Waiting and hoping he would come home from the latest war. Living in whatever dwelling the Danes inhabited and trying to become accustomed to their ways. She had told him she wanted to give him a son but not if that child was to be raised to go to war. Yet Erik had told her that Guthrum intended to settle for good in East Anglia after this current conflict with Alfred was decided. “I said I would like to see you married before I die, Merwenna,” he continued, checking her king, “but I will settle for having you protected by a strong man who has deep feelings for you, namely Erik.” She stood abruptly to end the conversation. “You have won, Father, and I am tired. I will tuck you in and then go to my own bed.” Eldred submitted to her fussing but before she could get away he grasped her wrist. “Erik is a good man who would care for you, give you children and a life. I would never have thought it but I do not believe Alfred will make a match for you. He covets you for his own too much. You may think of me only as a sick old man Merwenna but I have eyes to see. Alfred would use you to satisfy his own selfish appetites whenever he comes to Chippenham. Erik would keep only you wherever he settles.” She pulled her wrist loose, angry that apparently he knew about the shameful way Alfred had acted, that he had used Alfred’s exact words, a further irritant. “What are you talking about? How can you possibly know a thing like that, Father? Have you a divining tool?” “Nay, daughter. When Elfreda returned I made her tell me what Alfred did to you. I hope I never set eyes on him again for I would be bound to kill him. Now I only know that Erik looks at you as I once looked at your mother and since her there has been no other for me.”

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His short speech took her by surprise and deflated her impatience, especially when she saw he was trembling with anger. “Never mind that now, Father. You must not tax your strength. This discussion must wait for another time. I hope you sleep well.” She kissed him and squeezed his hand. Kendrick came in and began to help Eldred get ready for bed and Merwenna left. Erik was waiting in her chamber, seated in his customary chair before the fire, mending a tear in his leather jerkin. “Is your father settled for the night?” “I should do that for you,” she said, sinking gratefully into the opposite chair. “Aye, Father is all settled but he forced Elfreda to tell him what Alfred did to me, so he wants to kill him. He feels I would be much better off with you.” She expected him to refute her father’s statement but he was silent. “Erik?” “He is not wrong,” Erik said quietly. “I know how he feels about Alfred and me, he told me.” “What?” “Does his reaction surprise you? Did you think he would feel any other way about the man who took his daughter by false pretenses? I certainly wish to kill Alfred.” He raised an eyebrow and abruptly pulled her from her chair and into his lap, then put his arms around her. The smell of him was more comforting than anything she had ever known, leather and horse flesh and his own unique man smell. She breathed it in deeply with her eyes closed and he kissed the top of her head. Being in his arms, in his lap was so much more pleasing, so different from being with Alfred, it was like night and day. “It was not only my physical attraction to you that made me want to protect you, Merwenna,” he said above her head, his chest rumbling as he spoke, “although that was certainly a large part. But we Danes have our own code of conduct. We care for our women and our old folk and we respect courage above all else. You were so brave and beautiful the first time I saw you, challenging me with your father’s sword though your knees must have been knocking in fear beneath your skirts.” She smiled at the memory. “You were the first barbarian I ever met. I did not know what to expect. And you were so tall, so big all over. I had never seen your like.” “Merwenna, I want you if you think you are ready.” He continued kissing her, all over her head, on her ear and cheek, until he reached her mouth, which he captured with his own. He had been kissing her for weeks but not like this. His kiss wiped everything else from her mind. Eldred’s illness, the threat of constant war, Alfred’s strange unwelcome intimacy and the daily management of Chippenham, all meant nothing to her with Erik’s mouth locked to hers. Soon his tongue invaded her mouth and she welcomed it, touching his with her own. His hand was on her breast and the nipples of both breasts were instantly hard. She felt warm moisture between her legs and his hard maleness burned her buttocks.

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He stood up and lifted her with him as though she weighed no more than a bag of feathers, then placed her on the bed. “I will ask only once,” he said, his blue eyes dark and fathomless. “Do you wish me to continue?” It was the only thing she wanted at that moment, the only thing that made sense to her and she knew in her heart she was ready. “Aye, please,” she said softly. While he watched, she knelt on the bed and pulled her kirtle and shift over her head until she was naked before him. Then she loosed her hair from its bindings and lay down on her back. There was an ache in her groin and her erect nipples strained toward him as she watched him remove his shirt, belt and then braies to reveal a cock so large and hard she almost changed her mind. Erik lay beside her but instead of mounting her immediately as she expected, he ran one hand over her belly and breasts, then dipped his hand between her legs. “Spread them,” he ordered and she complied. His fingers touched her womanly folds and she felt a spasm there, wresting a gasp from her throat. He covered one of her breasts with his mouth and stroked her nether regions and it happened—that delicious pressure and pulsing release. They had done this many times already and she lifted her hips straining for more and her release seemed to go on and on, as long as his fingers coaxed it. “It is still like nothing I have ever felt,” she said breathily, then put her hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth onto hers. He kissed her but more urgently this time. His muscles were tense and his whole body seemed on the brink of exploding. “I am going to take you now,” he said. He moved her legs apart and knelt over her, stroking her womanhood again until she wanted to scream. He leaned on one hand and took his cock in the other, guiding its tip into her opening where it slid neatly in. She lifted her hips at the same time as he pushed and he was encased inside her. She was amazed it fitted so well. Her flesh surrounded his flesh and she ignored the slight pain. It was nothing compared to the joy of having him inside her. “Erik take me please,” she murmured against his neck and he needed no further encouragement. He thrust into her with strong, rhythmic strokes, his arms trembling and his breathing harsh. For a single second he held his breath then his whole body convulsed and she could feel his cock throbbing within her. Her spasms followed his quickly and they lay still joined, unable to move, trying to catch their breath. She stroked his hair and wished they could stay this way forever. “Does it hurt?” he asked, slowly pulling out of her and settling close beside her on the bed, his softening cock on her leg, his arm across her waist. His hair flowed down around his shoulders in mild disarray and his eyes were the deepest blue she had ever seen. “Nay, it stopped hurting soon after you first…” Her voice trailed off and she was suddenly shy with him. He pulled the cover over both of them and she turned into his arms, snuggling against his body. “Thank you for giving me back my life,” she said and soon fell asleep.

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***** Erik listened to her breathing. She was his at last. He did not care now that he was not her first, only that she had come through her darkness to be with him. He had been able to help her somehow. It seemed he did know how to do more than rape or slake his lust with a paid woman. He wished he had lasted longer, he had wanted her for so long and weeks of restraint had taken their toll on his ability to delay his finish, even though she had become skilled at relieving his basic need with her hands. Intercourse with her was the fulfillment of weeks of hoping and dreaming. She was small against his side yet not fragile. He had watched her work in the cookhouse and about the fortress and she was deceptively strong. It only added to her charm. The past month had been frustrating for his body and yet rich in the details of their daily life together. He had never lived with a woman the way he lived with Merwenna, tending to daily concerns, watching her take care of others, helping her run the fortress. He found it surprisingly satisfying to deal with day-to-day concerns of what they would eat, who would sit where, how her father was feeling. She had begun to let him handle disputes among her own people as well as his and the Saxons seemed to accept his authority. The most important part was that being with her was worth the wait, the patience, the caring. She murmured in her sleep and burrowed closer to him. No woman had enticed him to linger in her bed but with Merwenna it was different from the first. It had been a rare treat just to wake in the night and feel her near, to be able to reach out and put his hand on her. He had become used to the easy companionship. He wondered how she would feel tomorrow when she woke. He could not imagine either one of them regretting this night. He wished he could offer her more than this waiting for a battle that might never come or, if it did, might result in his death. For the first time in his memory he cared whether he survived the next battle. He wanted to live, to come back to her and fill her belly with his children, see them grow and finally grow old and die with her at his side. He fell asleep with that thought. When Erik woke she was looking at him, then she kissed him and wrapped her arms around him. “I am glad you did not leave early as you usually do,” she said. “I was leaving to give you privacy when you woke. This morning I had to stay, to make sure you are all right.” “I am happy,” she said, “happier than I have been in a long time. Last night was wonderful.” “Aye, it was. Is there pain?” She thought for a moment. “Nay, did you want… I mean if you want me…” She blushed furiously. “I do not think I can say it out loud.” “Aye I want you Merwenna but not if it will hurt you.” He kissed her forehead, wanting to crush her in his arms but aware that she might not welcome his passion so soon after her first time with him.

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“Please try because I want you too.” Her simple words gave him an instant and powerful erection but he did not want to overwhelm her so he let her take the lead, allowing her to initiate the kisses and decide when he should put his hands on her breasts. Before too long, she nudged his mouth onto her breast and he feasted there for a while. Then she trailed her fingers down his chest cautiously, over the hard muscles of his stomach until they twined in the curly hair just above his erection. He held his breath when her hand closed around his cock. “It is glorious,” she whispered, “and I am ready.” “Do you still trust me Merwenna?” he asked. “Aye, why do you ask?” “I wish to show you another way we can enjoy each other.” She nodded, her eyes widening as he planted feathery kisses down her belly and blew softly on the mound of curly hair that hid the moist center of her desire. He spread her legs and used his tongue to probe for the sensitive bud hidden within her womanly folds. She gasped as he began to flick his tongue against her pleasure nub and her hands grasped his hair. “Oh Erik,” she said, “I have never felt this way.” He knew better than she did how close she was to climax and when her juices bathed his tongue, he felt his cock stiffen in response. Her eyes were closed and her breast heaving when he lifted his mouth from her nether regions. “There is more,” he said, “if you wish to know it.” Merwenna looked at him, her brown eyes liquid and sated. “What more can there possibly be?” “You can put your mouth on my cock,” he said softly, gratified that she did not look shocked. “Would you like to try that?” “Yes,” she said immediately. “I want us to do everything that is possible for men and women to do together. Perhaps we will even find new ways all our own.” He leaned back on his elbows, his cock standing straight in anticipation of her kiss. She used only her tongue at first, as if she was tasting some new food and then, apparently satisfied with it, she closed her warm, moist mouth around him. Without prompting from him, she began to suck, slowly at first then more vigorously. In fact, he soon had to push her gently away because he was getting too close to his own climax. “Was I doing it wrong?” she asked breathlessly. “Nay, in fact I almost came in your mouth,” he told her. “You are a fast learner.” “Please, let me finish. I want to feel it when you climax, I want to taste you. Would you like to climax in my mouth?” “Of course, I only thought to spare you the experience until you are ready.” “I am ready,” she said, and returned to sucking him. He lay back and gave himself to the experience, wondering how such a time-honored act could suddenly seem so new to him. When he shot his seed against the back of her throat and she swallowed, the satisfaction settled over him like a warm fur.

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She lay on her stomach beside him, propped up on her elbows, and he used a finger to clean a smear of his seed from the corner of her mouth. “You are so gentle,” she said in awe. “Do not be fooled, I am still a Dane and a warrior,” he reminded her. “But there is a time for warrior ways and a time to leave them off. I would be gentle always with you, Merwenna.” “My father knew this was going to happen,” she said. “Did you?” “Aye, I remember now I dreamed of you before you came, a blond giant who would love and care for me, make me forget Alfred, though I did not recognize you at first. You are quite a man, Erik the Terror.” “I dreamed of you as well,” he said. “You were so loving and sweet but there was such pain behind your eyes that I felt I must help you. The dream stayed with me and when I saw you were real, I could hardly believe it. I felt you were my destiny.” “How strange and wonderful that we dreamed of one another before we met. You may be right, perhaps we are each other’s destiny. I know you are unlike any man I have ever known.” “Unlike even King Alfred?” For weeks he had lived with the specter of the king and what he had done to her. He suspected even after all that she was not completely devoid of feeling for him. Her eyes became veiled. “I grew up knowing him. He was a second father to me until he behaved in his unfatherly way. You have always been an appealing man, not a father.” “Nor would I want to be.” “Good,” she said and hopped out of bed. They washed their faces and hands and dressed, each unable to keep their eyes or hands off the other and before they left the room he kissed her passionately, bruising her lips and making her moan. “I think I will be looking forward to this night,” she said breathlessly. Guthrum was holding court in the great hall, listening to the petty grievances of his soldiers, one against the other. It happened often when they were living in such close quarters without battles to distract them. One got on another’s nerves and threatened violence and only King Guthrum could make it right. This was preferable to the usual Danish way of settling disputes at dagger point. As they passed through the hall, Rolf was half holding, half dragging a man toward Guthrum and saying, “This man was found skulking about outside the walls looking for a way to get in. Probably one of King Alfred’s spies.” Just as Rolf finished this speech, the man cried, “Merwenna, Merwenna!” Merwenna whirled at the sound and ran toward the man. “Robert!” she cried, holding

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his arm. Rolf, nonplussed, did not know what to do until Guthrum signed to release the man. “You know this man, Merwenna?” Guthrum asked. Erik stood watching, every bone in his body aching with the knowledge that she’d had a life before him. At least he had been the one with her last night by her will and not his alone. “Aye, he is Robert, one of my retainers. Please do not harm him.” “We must learn his purpose in coming here. If he is a spy I must know,” Guthrum said sternly. “Robert, tell him your reason for returning to Chippenham,” Merwenna insisted, obviously upset that this man was in danger. “King Alfred sent me ’tis true but not because he wishes to know about the Danes,” Robert said, his lip curling in disdain. “He wanted me to ascertain whether you are still alive and, if possible, to help you escape from Chippenham.” Merwenna’s mouth fell open. “Escape? Whatever for? I am still steward here and my father is too sick to travel. I would never leave him. Robert, you must return to King Alfred and tell him I am staying where I am, I am unmolested and I have no desire to leave my father or my home,” she said firmly. “Robert will not be leaving us just yet,” Erik said and Guthrum nodded his agreement. “But you will not harm him,” Merwenna said, fear in her eyes. “He is one of my personal retainers and hardly a threat to you as a lone Saxon. If I ask him, he will stay and resume his former duties without fuss.” She turned to Robert. “You need not return to Alfred. Stay here and assist me.” “It is not just me, Lady Merwenna,” Robert said quietly. “I left the smithy, the cook, Leofric, Emma the midwife and Father Ignatius in a clearing not far from here. They hope to come back to their home and work as well.” “Sire,” she said to Guthrum, “can you make use of these people?” “All but the midwife I suspect,” said one faceless Dane and the hall erupted in laughter. “Very well, Merwenna,” Guthrum said graciously. “They may return to Chippenham but I hold you responsible for their conduct. If I find I have welcomed spies into my midst someone will have to answer for their conduct. Robert, can you entertain us with the tale of your travels at tonight’s meal?” “Aye, Sire,” Robert said. “It is not a pretty tale though you and yours may find it amusing. For instance there is the day that King Alfred burnt the cakes.” There were guffaws and taunts throughout the hall and Guthrum smiled. “Thank you Robert. I look forward to it.” As Merwenna walked away with Robert, expressing her gladness that he had arrived, Erik motioned Rolf to him. In Guthrum’s hearing he said, “Do not leave him alone, especially not with Merwenna. Assign men to the others as well. I have a bad

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feeling about Alfred and his intentions toward her, this Robert may attempt to kidnap her or worse.” Rolf nodded and followed them at some distance. When he was out of earshot, Guthrum said to Erik, “Did I hear correctly, you think Alfred has some sinister motive toward Merwenna? She is only his goddaughter. She has no political significance does she?” “Nay but I told you something happened between Alfred and Merwenna before he left. He took her maidenhead and then forced her back passage afterward and left her here for us to kill. Her maid Elfreda told me she saw the blood on her thighs.” He glanced around the crowded hall. “It has caused her no end of hurt and makes me want to kill him, king or not.” “That explains her hostility to him but you heard her yourself. She does not want to leave. She will not go to him.” Guthrum peered more closely at him. “She is yours now?” “Aye, thoroughly,” Erik said unflinching. “And I intend to keep her. She is not like other women. This one is more to me than any woman I have known. She…she makes me want to father children.” “Indeed! And how long have you been unhappy with other women? It was all a sham was it not, boasting about the Saxon virgins you raped?” “Not all a sham but untrue for at least a year, maybe longer. It became tiresome to take a woman who was either too willing or so unwilling that she fought me like a wildcat.” A shadow of a smile crossed Guthrum’s face. “And Merwenna, does she feel the same?” “I have every reason to believe so.” “You helped to heal whatever damage Alfred did to her so there will certainly be a bond. Unfortunately, when her father dies and she is free she may change her mind about remaining here. You seem to think she still has an attachment to him. What if Alfred proves a stronger enticement than you? He is her godfather and a Saxon after all.” “I intend to be the only enticement she heeds. Beyond that all will be resolved whether or not I have anything to do with it. Her father will pass, Alfred will either win or lose the battle but I will keep Merwenna or die trying.”

***** Merwenna was more than pleased that night, seeing Robert and the others in the great hall once again. They bravely sat beside the Danes and tried to keep up with the consumption of wine and ale. They smiled shyly at her every now and then and she nodded encouragingly.

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She had talked to each of them before the meal. Leofric was already settled and had resumed work on the barrels he had left half completed. Martha was eager to get back into the cookhouse and she galvanized all the workers there, Danish slaves and Chippenham workers as well. Edward the smithy was instantly popular as the Danes crowded around asking him to mend their chain mail, sharpen the edges of their swords and battle-axes and craft new brooches to hold their cloaks in place. But it was Emma that Merwenna welcomed back with open arms. “I am so glad you are back,” she said, embracing the other woman. “I am too. It was foolish for me to leave. You have survived the Danish invasion and I would have as well.” “What was it like being with King Alfred?” Merwenna asked. “I avoided him as much as possible. He knew I had cared for you before we left so he was wary around me. I mostly stayed with Martha and helped her with the cooking. How are you feeling?” She placed her hand on Merwenna’s arm. “I am better than when we last saw one another. Physically I healed quickly thanks to your care but in my mind I am not altogether well. I still have nightmares about that time.” “How is your father?” “Not well but that is to be expected. Every healer who looks at him shares the same opinion—he is not long for this world. You have been unmolested?” “Aye but I should soon choose a Dane to keep me company and be my protector. These men are more lusty than our Saxons. One can almost feel their drive, it radiates off them.” Merwenna nodded, she had felt it too. “If I remain unclaimed, I risk being taken by someone I do not want. Was Erik gentle with you?” “More than you can imagine, I have never met anyone like him nor do I think I ever will. For a month at least he slept beside me and I remained untouched. Yet he has been my companion, my advisor, my friend.” “’Tis what you needed, Merwenna and how good of him to know that. You are truly a fortunate woman.” Merwenna smiled. “And the man you choose, do you think he will agree?” “I will take great care in choosing of that you can be sure. You have had no other ill effects from the events that happened before the Danes came?” Merwenna felt herself blush. “Nay except for the dreams and memories. Erik has done much to banish those but they are still there at times.” “And you have had your flux?” “Aye, not so long ago.” “I am glad there will be no child born of that violence you endured. Such a child would suffer in ways you cannot imagine.” Emma suddenly wrapped her arms around Merwenna. “Whatever happens, I want to be with you Lady Merwenna. Our destinies are joined as surely as yours and Erik’s.” 74

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“Aye, Emma, I know.” And she did. She knew Erik did not trust any of them and it was easy to understand why. She had known these people for years and their loyalty had always been to Eldred and herself first. The king was in residence so rarely that they could not form as strong an allegiance to him as they did to the people who oversaw their work each day, indeed who worked beside them most days. Erik put his hand on her knee, recalling her from her memories. “Merwenna, do you think there will be others who leave Alfred?” “I do not know. They were allowed to go perhaps because they could not fit themselves into Alfred’s plans. Robert has never been a soldier though he is certainly strong enough. Edward is highly skilled only at making weapons, not war, and Leofric makes barrels. I have never seen him with anything more threatening than his cooper’s tools. Father Ignatius is a man of peace, as his calling dictates. As for Martha the cook and Emma the midwife, they are women and hardly of use on a battlefield. This is the only safe place any of them know.” “Why did Alfred not establish some sort of household for them?” “I have no answers for you Erik. I have been here all the time they have been gone and cannot know what Alfred did or why.” She placed her hand over his. “But perhaps when Robert tells his story tonight we will learn something that satisfies your curiosity.” “Perhaps,” he conceded, pulling her hand through the crook of his arm where she left it. Merwenna looked out among the diners and saw Robert looking at her, his mouth in a hard line and his eyes cold. He took a long drink of his ale and held it out to be refilled by a passing slave girl. It was the first time that Robert had ever made her feel as if he was someone she had to fear. The meal was barely over before Guthrum began pounding his ale cup on the table to ask for silence. “Robert, we are all waiting for your story.” “Very well, Sire.” Robert wiped his mouth, finished his ale and took a deep breath. “When we first left Chippenham we went southwest toward the marshes at Athelney. Most of those who left with us scattered, we know not where but they were afraid of the marshes. It is said they are home to many monsters and though I never saw one there were often strange noises in the night that might have been dragon’s breath or a monster’s footstep. “The Danish raiding parties picked off many of our number early on. They stayed just beyond the reach of our archers and, if they could single out a straggler, they would attack. Alfred, with so few archers and no war machines, was at a disadvantage. All he could do was tighten the ranks and encourage us to move along at the same pace. Many a night he sat before the fire and cursed the Danes.” He stopped and a blush stained his cheeks. “And watched his forces dwindle.” Here the Danes interrupted by loudly clapping each other on the back and laughing. They called for more ale and pressed Robert to continue.

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While she was surprised that Danish raiding parties had bedeviled Alfred in his flight, Merwenna was of two minds about the story. Part of her felt sorry for her godfather who was reduced to hiding in the marshes like a felon. Part of her felt it was his due. She could not in faith make merry that Danes had killed Saxons, nor would she wish a Saxon raiding party to swoop down on them tonight and put Erik and Guthrum to the sword. Perhaps that was why women did not wage war—they could not bear seeing either side vanquished. “We lived very rough, which was hard on Martha and Emma and the other women. At one point we were reduced to eating uncooked roots pulled from the ground. Another time we found a dying doe and followed her until she dropped. There was great feasting and merriment that night. “Then we came upon a solitary old woman who lived in a cottage in the marshes and she promised to feed us and let us spend the night in her barn if Alfred would watch the cakes she was frying over the fire and keep them from burning. No one knows what happened, least of all Alfred, but the cakes did burn. When the old woman came back, she lay about Alfred’s head and shoulders with a stick, cursing him roundly.” There was more loud laughter from the Danes and even Merwenna smiled. She could well understand the attraction of beating Alfred with a stick. “We parted company soon after, with Alfred going on to Athelney to build a fortress from which he hopes to raise an army large enough to retake Chippenham.” Guthrum pounded the table. “Thank you, Robert, well told. I would speak with you before you retire for the night.” Robert nodded acknowledgement. She saw Guthrum and Erik exchange a glance and knew they were conspiring against Alfred. She turned away and willed herself to forget what she had just seen.

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Chapter Seven By mid-March most of the snow had melted but the world was gray as it waited for spring to make its first appearance. Merwenna was able to smell spring in the air when she went up to the battlements. In spite of everything, she was looking forward to seeing green fields and growing crops again and she tried not to think of the dead bodies that might litter them at some future date. The Saxons continued their furtive raids against the Danes but Erik changed the times and methods of the sentries’ patrols and the raids were now easily repulsed. Merwenna was, as always, torn between her admiration for Erik’s skill at managing troops and organizing strategy and his avowed mission to fight and kill Saxons and take their land. She tried not to waver in her support but when her Saxon people told of the way Danish parties overran villages, raped every female they could find and stole the crops that would have supported the village through the winter, she was angry. The only way she could cope was to know that Erik had not personally done this or that particular raid because he had been with her at the time. Gerta and the other Danish women listened to the Saxon women discuss the raids without saying a word though Merwenna saw them exchange glances more than once. The next time she and Gerta sat off to the side carding wool, Merwenna said, “It must be difficult to hear us talk against your people. I know I try not to listen when Erik and Guthrum discuss Saxon faults.” “There were Saxon raids at Gloucester while I was there with Guthrum,” she told Merwenna. “My sister was killed in one. But the conflict between Saxons and Danes, that is for the men to sort out. Someone will win, someone will lose and I will still be Guthrum’s bed slave. I do not hate my life, I accept it.” “How did you come to be a slave?” Merwenna could not help asking. “My mother and father had ten children, six of us girls. When it became clear that we were all blessed with fairness of face, they sold us one by one to help buy our brothers the best weapons and armor so they would be a credit to the family.” “Do you miss your parents and your sisters?” “Only if I have nothing to occupy my mind or hands,” she said and the two women smiled at each other. Merwenna could not help liking Gerta and she went out of her way to work beside her when she could. While the Saxons at Chippenham supported her for the most part, she could not ignore the occasional rude remark or murderous glance toward the Danes. Elfreda had softened toward them because of Harald but the other women stayed well out of their

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way as much as possible. Granted, having them wrestle or practice swordplay in the great hall was a powerful deterrent. Of those who had returned most recently, Martha, Emma and Edward the Smithy fared best. Martha ruled the cookhouse once again and Emma was unmolested because of her status as a healer and possible witch. Besides, Magnus was paying her cautious attention and she had not sent him away. Merwenna was surprised. It was impossible for her to imagine the kind and caring Emma with such a man. Edward the smithy became the most popular and six or seven Danes could be seen at the entrance to his forge at any given time during the day. Leofric minded his own business and gave the Danes a wide berth. Merwenna worried about him but when Rolf brought him a broken bucket to mend, he and the Danes began to get along. Robert became a problem not long after his arrival at Chippenham. He had told his story in the hall with admirable skill but it soon became clear that he meant to be a thorn in the Danes’ sides. No one ever caught him but Merwenna heard the rumors that it was he who broke the Danes’ spears and released the horses from the bailey. It did not matter that this was minor mischief easily fixed, it was the idea that he was working against the Danes that offended her. They had done nothing to him. Merwenna was afraid that Guthrum would assume she approved of this sabotage. She resented Robert’s interference with the Danes and told him so. “They have not plundered our chapel nor have they killed our people, not even you,” she told him. “If I find you responsible for any more mischief, I will turn you over to Guthrum and let him deal with you.” Robert regarded her coldly. “Is that how you justify treason? That our chapel is intact and our people unharmed? I doubt if Alfred will see it that way.” “I will answer to Alfred for my own conduct someday. Right now, I have to answer to Guthrum for your conduct and I will not tolerate further misdeeds on your part. Do you understand?” “All too well, Merwenna,” he sneered. “You sold yourself to the Danes because Alfred left you. He is already planning how to get you back and what do you think he will do to you now that you belong to bastard Erik? You should have waited or resisted or killed yourself. Better leman to a Saxon king than whore-wife to any Dane.” He shook his head. “I will not cause you further distress but I will not help you either. You, the daughter of Eldred, goddaughter of our king, you have certainly sunk low.” And he turned on his heel and walked away. Merwenna took a few deep breaths to calm herself before going to Guthrum. Even though she knew Robert did not fully understand her situation with Alfred or Erik, it shook her that he felt such disgust for her. Robert had been a trusted retainer for years and now he was an avowed enemy. Because the other Saxons had followed her lead and capitulated, it made his attitude even more hurtful.

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More upsetting was the thought that Alfred wanted her back. What could this mean? She had been sure he would renounce her, especially if he learned she was with Erik. How could he remain so attached to her? Guthrum and Erik were in the solar together when she went to talk to the king. “I have spoken to Robert, Sire,” she told Guthrum. “The next time he does something against you I will not lift a hand to help him. You may do with him as you would with any other man who opposes you. I hope you have not told him anything important.” Guthrum and Erik exchange a glance. “I allowed him to overhear false information to see if he has contact with Alfred,” Guthrum told her. “We will know in a matter of days just how destructive Robert intends to be.” She could sense they were not going to tell her the details. “I am glad you are taking this precaution,” she said trying not to feel hurt that they did not trust her. “If you find he is passing your plans to Alfred, please punish him. I am sorry I vouched for him.” “Thank you, Merwenna, I know this must be difficult for you. Betrayal is never a pretty thing,” Guthrum said. “What did he say to you?” Erik demanded. “He was understandably upset. I put no stock in his words,” she told Erik. “What did he say?” he insisted in an ominous voice. She looked down at her hands. “That I had sold myself to you and sunk low,” she said in little more than a whisper. She could not bring herself to tell him that Alfred wanted her back. “But you cannot punish him for having an opinion.” “Of course I can but will not just now, in deference to you,” Erik told her. “Robert’s time of reckoning will come, never fear.” Merwenna knew then that Robert would eventually die at Erik’s hand, and it troubled her. But whatever Robert had been before, now he was a threat to Erik and Merwenna would have done violence to him with her own hand rather than see Erik harmed. Bjorr too was proving difficult. He avoided Erik but he stalked Merwenna, every time she turned around he was watching her. Once when she did not hear him coming, she heard his hissing voice in her left ear, “Alfred wants you back and you had best go to him, you are not wanted here.” He was gone before she turned around but his threat chilled her, especially because she knew now that Alfred was not done with her. Even more disturbing was the day she saw Bjorr and Robert talking together outside the walls of the fortress. No good could ever come of that. Eldred had not lied when he said he felt death’s hand on him, for the healer could do nothing more for him nor could Emma. The wasting disease that left him gasping for air had reduced him to a shell of bone and flesh. He could succumb any day now. Kendrick continued to care for Eldred and Merwenna seriously thought of asking Erik to free him when her father passed on, to reward his faithful service. The end when it came was sooner than Merwenna would have liked. She was just finishing the first meal of the day when Elfreda came to her. “Lady Merwenna, Kendrick asks you to come. Your father has taken a turn for the worse.” 79

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Merwenna went immediately, her heart in her throat. Erik was training his men somewhere beyond the fortress and had been since dawn and although she wished with all her heart that he was beside her now, another part of her knew she must face this alone. When she reached Eldred’s room, even if she had not been a healer she would have known he was close to death. His skin was almost translucent and his chest labored with each breath he took. “Merwenna,” he said in barely a whisper. “Come to me, child.” She sat beside him on the bed and took his hand. “Father, you are not looking as well today as yesterday,” she began. “And I shall not see tomorrow, Daughter,” he said. “Do not lie to me Merwenna, I can see it in your eyes that you share my conviction.” “Aye, Father,” she agreed sadly, no longer having the heart to present a brave and cheerful demeanor. She felt no tears, just a weight of sadness and the sense that a part of her was dying with him. Once Eldred was gone, she would have nothing left from the life she had known before the Danes. She would be quite alone in the world. Except for Erik. “Do not mourn me, my dear. If what we believe is true, I will be with your mother before day’s end and while I regret leaving you, I am also looking forward to seeing her again. It has been an endless eighteen years since she died.” It was a long speech for him in his weakened state and he stopped to take some breaths. “I wish I had known her, Father,” she said, her sorrow now even more intense. “You are very much like her,” he said when he could speak again. “You resemble her in your face as well as your spirit. You have grown into a beautiful and very good young woman, my dear.” “Thank you Father but you must take some credit for that.” She held his cold skeletal hand in both of hers and rubbed it gently. “Are you in pain?” “Not more than I can bear. It will not be long now I think.” “I will stay.” He stared off into space and she feared for a moment that he was already gone. But then he blinked and looked her in the eye. “Merwenna, you must promise me that you will do as I ask when I am gone.” “Of course, Father. I will honor your memory in whatever way you desire.” “It is not me I would have you honor. It is yourself you must look to now.” “I will be fine, Father. Do not spend your last moments worrying about me.” “I would hear your promise that you will not seek Alfred out for any reason. After I am gone he will feel no need to care for you, whether or not he is your godfather. You have the means to humiliate him and his pride cannot bear it.” He coughed with great effort and she held a cup of wine to his lips. When he had recovered he continued, “His conduct the last time he was here was reprehensible but it is likely he will blame you or

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pretend it never happened at all. If he does not kill you he may lock you away in some tower forever. It has been known to happen.” Merwenna blushed furiously, wishing Elfreda had never told him. “It is done, Father, he is far away now. Erik will never allow him near me, he has promised.” “There is a battle coming and Erik may not always be at your side to protect you. I would hear your promise now.” “I will not seek Alfred out for any reason,” she replied obediently. “As for Erik…” Eldred began but the cough claimed him again, this time for several minutes, a tightly constricted cough that turned his face red with the strain. He leaned back against his pillow for some time in an effort to regain some strength. Somehow he summoned a store of resolve from deep within as he continued, “You have a real future with Erik that is all but assured. He is a rough but good man and he loves you.” Merwenna blushed again, this time because she knew he spoke only the truth. “You do not know that, Father. He has yet to say it to me.” “The words need not be spoken for the feeling to be real. Erik has seen only you since he first arrived. Did you know his bed slave followed him here and he gave her away to one of the other men? He did not even ask payment.” She remembered all too clearly that day in the great hall when Erik ordered Rolf to take Brunhilde on the spot. It was a brutal thing to do and yet Brunhilde had seemed to accept it. She had never bothered Erik again. Perhaps brutality was called for in some circumstances. “Yes, Father.” “Do not dwell on the bed slave,” Eldred said impatiently, misreading her thoughts. “The important thing is he wants you. Say you will keep him and I can die knowing you will be protected, cherished. Give him sons if you can, live a long life and be happy. Promise me,” he insisted. “I promise, Father.” At her words, Eldred’s strength ebbed to nothing and he leaned heavily back into his pillows. He squeezed her hand and tried to smile. Soon after, he succumbed to a sleep from which she knew he would not wake. Father Ignatius came to administer last rites to Eldred. The Latin words were soothing and the priest’s hands were gentle as they administered the blessing. Then Father Ignatius put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “He will soon be with God, my child,” he told her and sat in the empty chair beside hers. Merwenna could not leave her father. She sat beside the bed holding his hand, wishing somehow a miracle would happen and he would open his eyes and be the strong, vibrant man she had known since birth. But it was not to be. The sun was high in the sky when she heard a strange noise in his throat and then a sigh and his chest ceased to move. She placed his hand on the bed and stroked his sparse hair. Father Ignatius began to intone the prayers for the dead in a soft melodious voice. Kendrick came in just then. “Lady Merwenna, I have…” He stopped when he saw Eldred’s still form. “Is he gone?”

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“Aye, Kendrick.” She looked up and saw tears in the young man’s eyes. “Fetch Elfreda, then bring basins of warm water and cloths. She and I will prepare him.” “Aye, Lady Merwenna. He was a good man and I am sorry. If there is aught I can do, please ask.” She nodded and he left. She knew she should find someone to tell Erik but she could not get up at that moment. She looked for Harald but for once he was not about so she simply sat. Her limbs seemed made of lead and her mind was befuddled. She stayed with her father’s body for what seemed like hours before Kendrick and Elfreda came with the basins and cloths. Elfreda’s face was bathed in tears as was Kendrick’s and she wondered why she herself could not cry. There were tears of course, lodged in her breast in a painful ball that made it hard to breathe but they refused to come forth. She and Elfreda began to undress her father’s body and it hurt her anew to expose his wasted form, flesh loose and wrinkled, bones so prominent she could not think how they did not poke through his skin. But the act of washing his body was somehow soothing to her and she concentrated on it thoroughly, pushing all else from her mind.

***** Word of Eldred’s death reached Erik in the field. He cussed impatiently that he was so far from Chippenham. “Rolf, I must return, Eldred has died,” he called. Rolf rode up swiftly. “Finish this series of moves and bring the men back.” He barely waited for Rolf’s nod before spurring his horse into a gallop toward Chippenham. He leaped off his horse inside the bailey and threw the reins to a groom. The weeping women in the great hall were testimony that the news had already spread and he went quickly to Eldred’s room. He paused at the doorway and watched for a moment as Elfreda and Merwenna cared for Eldred’s lifeless body. It was such an intensely private moment he almost did not intrude. Then Merwenna looked up as if she sensed his presence. “Erik,” she began, “Erik,” and her voice wavered. He moved forward and she went into his arms, he held her close and stroked her hair. Elfreda motioned to him to take her out while Kendrick moved to take her place helping with the body. Erik gently pulled Merwenna with him to her chamber where he sat her in a chair by the fire. Though she was not crying he found a clean cloth and placed it in her hands. “Merwenna, even though we knew it had to happen it is a terrible thing to lose such a good man and father. I grieve with you.” “The pain is overwhelming, as if I will carry it the rest of my life,” she said sadly. “I am glad you came back.” “Harald sent word, I am sorry I could not be here earlier. I would have liked to say goodbye to Eldred, been with you when he died. The pain you feel now will not last. It will soften with time.” “His last thoughts were of Alfred.”

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“How so?” he asked, suddenly wary. Perhaps Eldred in the end had thought being with Alfred was a safer place for Merwenna than here with him. “He made me promise I would not seek Alfred out for any reason.” “A deathbed promise is not a light thing,” he said, his relief plain though she seemed not to notice. “Nay, it is not.” She looked at her hands folded neatly in her lap, the fingers worrying at the cloth as if they had a mind of their own. “Will you keep it?” he asked, needing to hear her say it. “Aye, I will.” She looked up at him then, the sparkle of unshed tears in the corners of her eyes. They were like gems and deepened the brown of her eyes until they reminded him of bottomless pools in the still of the forest. “It will be no hardship. Alfred is less to me than the most insignificant flea. Could you please hold me now?” He took her in his arms and for a moment he could not speak, he just held her close as tears filled his eyes, almost as if his own father had died. When her arms went around his neck and her mouth sought his, he kissed her. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed where they lay down together. When her fingers went to his belt, unclasping and tossing it to one side while she pulled at his shirt, he stilled her hands. “Are you sure you wish to do this now?” She kissed him then lowered her eyes, her cheeks pink. “I want to have your baby, your son, as soon as possible.” “There is time enough for us to have a child.” “But I would like to have your child growing in me before you go to this battle that is coming. It would be a great comfort to me, especially should you not return.” “I will return Merwenna. I have not been killed so far and I do not expect to be.” Her eyes were filled with pain when they met his. “My father did not live long enough to see me married or a mother but at least I can give you a son as he would have me do. That too was part of the deathbed promise he made me swear to.” “Nothing would give me more pleasure than to make a child with you,” he assured her, stroking her cheek and hair. Even just saying the words made him hard. She noticed and touched his cock, stroked it beneath his braies and a moan escaped him. “Then please do it,” she whispered and he could no more refuse than he could stop breathing. “Merwenna,” he breathed as she pushed his braies down to expose his cock, hard and ready for her. Impatiently she pulled her kirtle and shift off and threw them on the floor. Then she lay back on the bed, her eyes blazing with longing and need. “Take me, Erik,” she urged. His cock hardened even more at her words and his balls felt like they were on fire. The need in him was a physical pain. If he did not ease it he would die. “Aye,” he whispered and plunged into her without preamble then thrust into her again and again, 83

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as hard as he could while she moaned beneath him. No rape born of battle lust had ever excited him so much. They both cried out as their releases swept over them like a tidal wave. He did not pull away even when he knew it was over and she made no move to disengage herself. “I would stay this way always,” she said softly. “I am not sure that is possible,” he said, “but I like the thought of it. Of course we might starve to death.” “And die happy,” she pointed out, eliciting a rare laugh from him. “It is time you became my wife,” he finally told her with a chaste kiss on the end of her nose, then he rolled over beside her. Her brown eyes were dazed and love drunk. “Wife? Is it possible?” “It must be possible,” he told her, keeping his arms tight around her. “First we must give your father his proper burial according to your customs. But then we will marry. I will not father a bastard on you.” “But you were born thus and have suffered no hurt from it,” she said. “I was born to a king who claimed me and a brother who loved me and even then there were whispers and taunts when I was young. We will do it before I leave for the final battle.” “How can we and which shall it be, a Saxon or a Danish wedding?” “It is the ritual itself not the trappings of which we have need, but I think one of each would be sufficient. Let us not give Alfred the ability to annul it by saying we did it in front of the wrong gods.” She shuddered. “I had not thought of his reaction.” “No doubt it will not be indifferent. He is a man ruled by strong passions, not least of which is that on the battlefield.” “Emma said much the same thing at yule last year and I denied it, but now I can attest to his passion in other areas of his life only too well,” she said softly. It was the first time she had referred to Alfred’s abuse without trembling or sobbing. He was glad her healing had progressed to that point. “I will speak to Guthrum. We must have a quantity of witnesses for both ceremonies so there can be no question of the validity of this marriage.” “I wish we had married before my father died. It was something he wanted so badly,” and then the tears finally came. She did not sob aloud or wail or even moan but the tears slid from her eyes and down her cheeks, wetting the fur coverlet beneath her cheek. He held her, knowing the tears needed to come out for her to begin recovering from this most recent loss.

*****

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Nothing had prepared Merwenna for the storm of emotion that followed her father’s death, or her overwhelming need to have Erik’s child. That Erik wanted her for his wife surprised her only temporarily. She realized she had hoped, even assumed she would eventually be his wife from the first time they made love. She could not imagine her life without him. Now, however, they must complete the ritual that surrounded all death for both Danes and Saxons. Eldred’s body was taken to the chapel and everyone paid homage. Servants had dug the hole in the walled graveyard beside the chapel and Father Ignatius said the Latin burial words over the body before it was lowered into the ground and covered with soil. Merwenna, flanked by Erik and Guthrum, drew on their strength to endure the extreme pain of seeing her father buried. She had given Martha leave to organize a funeral feast after, though she had no taste for attending it longer than it took her to eat a few mouthfuls. Instead, she busied herself in Eldred’s room, organizing his clothes and personal belongings to give to those whom he had loved. Erik stayed with her, his presence a tangible comfort to her. “Would you be willing to free Kendrick?” she asked him. “He was so good to my father during his last days, it would be a kindness.” He looked surprised. “He has never expressed the desire to be free. In fact, he has pledged his service to me wherever I might be.” “He could still serve you but as a free servant rather than a slave.” “I do not see the difference.” Merwenna thought for a moment. “Should you die he would be free to find another master instead of being sold to the highest bidder.” “I will consider it,” he said finally, smiling. “What do you intend to give Kendrick from your father’s things?” “This fur-lined cloak,” she held it up for him to inspect. “Since it seems he will be following you for a bit he will need it.” She folded the rest of his ordinary clothing and made a mental note of who among her people needed it the most. His rings and gold chains she placed in a pouch to go in her own chest and then she saw his sword. It was not the highest quality sword but it did have some small rubies in the hilt. She presented it to Erik. “It is not as fine as your own but I know for a fact he would have wanted you to have it. After all you will be his son-in-law.” Erik took the weapon and hefted it in his grasp. “It is a fine weapon, Merwenna and will go to our firstborn son as a gift from his grandfather. But first you will keep it to present to me at our Danish wedding, that is customary.” “Do you present something to me?” she asked, her grief momentarily submerged by the pleasure that she would soon be his wife. “I also present you with a sword, my own. Then we exchange finger rings as a symbol of our union.”

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She touched Eldred’s sword in his hand. “To think I greeted you with this sword,” she reminded him, smiling for the first time since her father died. “I know now I could not have killed you with it but I am happy I did not even try.” “Aye but you did wound me with it as I recall,” he said, his hand touching the longhealed wound on his other arm. “I suppose I am fortunate you did not take the sword to my neck that first night.” “I would have if you had touched me,” she said. He caught her around the waist and kissed her. “Now you will if I do not touch you, I’d wager.” “You will never know as long as you keep touching me,” she said softly. “Exactly what I intend to do,” he told her and lifted her clothing over her head in one smooth motion. She climbed onto the bed and watched him disrobe, endlessly fascinated with his body. Looking at him now, she noticed for the first time that his body was covered with scars, some faded and barely visible, others obviously more recent. When he stretched out beside her she couldn’t resist touching them. “When did this happen?” she asked, running a finger along a ridge of knotted flesh in his left side. “Five years ago in a border skirmish in my native land. The attacker worked his way under my shield and poked his sword point in my side,” he said. “And this?” she said, poking her finger in a pronounced hole in his thigh. “Two years ago a Saxon archer aimed at Guthrum but hit me instead.” “Shame on him,” she said gently. Then she grasped his cock which was not yet as hard as she knew it could be. She took it deep into her mouth feeling it stiffen against her tongue. She moaned from the sheer pleasure of sucking on him and his answering groan told her he was just as pleased. She purposely brought him to the edge of climax and took her mouth away, this time eliciting a moan of frustration from Erik. “Why did you stop?” he asked. “I thought perhaps there was something you wanted to do.” Erik grinned, a rarity that made Merwenna giggle. He rearranged himself so his head was between her legs and his cock at her mouth and they began to lick, and tongue and suck one another. It was incredibly hard for her to concentrate on sucking him when his tongue was so busy on her pleasure nub. Then he inserted a finger into her womanly passage and she sped toward her release like a runaway horse, the release even sweeter when he licked her juices. He kept his finger in her and made her climax again and she gave up trying to suck him and surrendered to his attention as long as he wanted to give it, losing count of how many times she built to the exquisite release. “I did not know that was possible that I could climax so many times,” she said in awe. “I am amazed anew that you were able to restrain yourself, you have such a voracious appetite for sex.”

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“What I have is a voracious appetite for you,” he corrected her, his hand stroking her thigh. “I have never known a woman to be as responsive as you are, Merwenna. It inspires me to find new and different ways for us to be intimate.” Her eyes dropped to his still-erect member. “And now that you have given me a respite, it is time for you to feel as satisfied as I do.” Without waiting for him to reply she took him full length into her mouth, something she had not thought possible, and began to suck slowly, her tongue moving against his rigidity. He had been on the brink for so long that she soon felt his seed shooting into her mouth and she welcomed it eagerly, swallowing the warm, thick liquid. But she did not stop, she kept him in her mouth and he stayed rigid. She was determined to make him climax again, as he had made her. At some point he placed his fingers against her, stroking and entering, until Merwenna felt the pressure of her climax at precisely the same moment that Erik began to ejaculate in her mouth. No words passed between them as they descended from the height of their passion and curled together in perfect intimacy, finally allowing sleep to overtake them.

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Chapter Eight While Merwenna’s sorrow at the loss of her father did not disappear, she was still responsible for Chippenham and its residents. She had to keep it running efficiently even in the face of news about Alfred’s progress raising his army. Reports from Guthrum’s scouts were daunting—at least to her ears—but that did not mean she did not think of Eldred often. At odd moments during the day he came to mind and she would shed a tear or two before refocusing on the task at hand. Alfred had been able to entice men from as far away as Mercia in the north and Cornwall in the west. Any nobles who had kept to their own homes to defend their territories were now willing to come forward and join him in the interests of all. It was said he had developed new tactics and the soldiers were training to use them to beat the Danes. Because Guthrum seemed unconcerned at this point, she was not inclined to be fearful, except when she thought of Erik going into battle. She could not share her fear with him lest it impair his concentration. If he made a mistake in battle because he was distracted about her, she would never forgive herself. So she went about her daily tasks and left the details of the upcoming battle to the men. One day as she was weaving with the other women in the great hall, she saw Erik and Bjorr in what appeared to be heated conversation. Bjorr gestured with one arm, almost as if he was going to hit Erik. With a barely audible oath, Erik smacked his fist into Bjorr’s face and the younger man crumpled to the ground, rubbing his sore cheek. He stood slowly and said quite clearly, “You will pay for that Erik, I swear it.” “Better men than you have tried to kill me,” Erik answered grimly. “I did not say I would kill you,” Bjorr spat. “Killing those close to you would be far more painful for you and gratifying for me.” Merwenna started as Erik grabbed Bjorr around the neck and slammed him back against the nearest wall, holding him there suspended above the floor. “You will touch no one!” Erik said between clenched teeth. “Do you want to die, fool?” Bjorr struggled and managed to say in a strangled voice, “You will find me harder to kill than you imagine. You think all Danes are loyal to you now that you have gone soft over the Saxon bitch?” Erik growled and threw Bjorr onto the ground, pulled the sword from his belt and held the tip to his throat. “See how hard it would be for me to kill you? Remember and do not tempt me again.” He slid the sword point along Bjorr’s jaw creating a deep and nasty cut that would surely leave an ugly scar. Bjorr scrambled to his feet and ran from the great hall holding a hand to his wound, which dripped blood as he fled.

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Merwenna moved toward Erik saying his name softly. As she drew closer she could see that he trembled with bloodlust. She placed a hand on his arm and he whirled, his sword lifted, the rage in his eyes scorching her yet she stood her ground. “I am sorry, Erik,” she said. His eyes softened immediately. “Merwenna. That Bjorr tries my patience more each day. I am sorry you were witness to that.” “What did he mean about killing those closest to you?” “He would never touch Guthrum. It was you to whom he referred,” Erik said quietly. “But I will not let him near you.” “He was near enough today and a week or so ago he told me that the Danes would not be loyal to you because of me,” she said. “And you did not tell me?” he said angrily, his voice loud, his scowl deeper. “I would have disciplined him at once, I would not have left him free to threaten you yet again!” “I thought he was just trying to frighten me like Robert,” she said, trembling now in the face of his anger and Bjorr’s threats. “Perhaps we should draw back from one another for a time to prevent your men from being divided. Bjorr cannot be the only one who is unhappy that we are together, especially when men like Rolf and Harald encourage it. How can you fight a battle with factions in your ranks?” “Merwenna, there are always factions among Danish troops born of tribal loyalties. It takes strong commanders to overcome them and that I have done and will continue to do. In truth there are very few Bjorrs in my ranks and many more Rolfs and Haralds. Unless you want to draw back because you find me uninteresting or offensive let us talk no more about it.” “What will you do about Bjorr?” “I would kill him but that would spark a blood feud that Guthrum can ill afford, it would put our plans at risk.” He thought a moment. “I will ask Rolf to have him watched at all times, it should be easy enough. This war cannot end soon enough for me,” he said fiercely. She smiled at him, reassured as always by his confidence and strength. “If I have my way, once it is over you will never leave my sight or my bed as long as we are both alive.” “I like the sound of that.” A rare smile touched his lips and his eyes went over her body hungrily. “I will see you at the evening meal?” He ran his index finger down her cheek, a swift and intimate gesture that warmed her heart. “Aye you will and after as well.” And they parted, Erik to go to his men and Merwenna to return to her weaving. The other women were smirking as she sat down and she felt her face flame. Everyone knew Merwenna and Erik were together but until now they had seen no overt demonstration of affection.

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“That Dane is quite a man,” Alfwynn said. “He puts our biggest warrior to shame with his size and strength. No doubt he is strong between the sheets as well.” “His name is Erik, Alfwynn and what he does between the sheets is not for you to know,” Merwenna said tersely. “At least he bruises you where it does not show,” she said smugly. “He does not bruise me at all,” she said, realizing too late the trap the older woman had set for her as the women burst into laughter. Even Gerta smiled though she also winked suggestively and Merwenna grinned back. “Tell us how you tamed him,” insisted Edburh, lusty woman whose good natured interest in all things bawdy made her a favorite. “Did you put a lead ring through the end of his cock?” Merwenna gave her a withering glance. “As you could see, I have hardly tamed him, nor do I wish to. If you domesticate a wild animal he is so much less beautiful and passionate.” Now the ladies laughed at Edburh’s expense, who took it in her stride as was her wont. Elspeth, who was very young and still a virgin, whispered, “Tell us true, Lady Merwenna, does he have horns beneath all that hair and a tail, as we have been taught?” Merwenna smiled at the girl devilishly. “Perhaps I shall let you bathe him so you may see for yourself.” Elspeth turned scarlet and shook her head in panic. She was known for her modesty and fear of all men. The ladies dissolved into laughter and Merwenna resumed her weaving, the confrontation with Bjorr temporarily forgotten.

***** There had been no Saxon raids for several weeks when Guthrum summoned Erik to the solar one night after the evening meal. When he arrived, his brother was listening to a muddied and very tired scout named Ragnar who had returned from Alfred’s camp near his new fortress at Athelney. Erik took the chair Guthrum offered, accepted a goblet of undiluted wine and finished half at a gulp. “Tell Erik what you just told me,” Guthrum instructed the man. “Alfred is training his men in ways I have never seen, battle formations that seem to be impenetrable. I cannot even describe them adequately,” he finished, shrugging his shoulders in confusion. “What kind of formations?” Erik pressed. “What shape are they? Do they utilize the cavalry? Are they still using spears?” The man sighed in exhaustion. “There is one formation which appears to be three sided with shields and spears. The inside men spear the enemy outside and the enemy has trouble piercing the formation with their weapons. Another time I saw them practicing a kind of ambush at dawn, with tents and torches on a flat plain with a

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heavily wooded area beyond. Alfred’s soldiers were ranged over the forested hills and when the attackers got close to the tents, the soldiers came down on them from the sides. I have seen them practice with sword, spear and battle-ax, on and off horses.” “You did a fine job describing them, even though you thought you could not,” Erik complimented the man while his head was reeling. Alfred’s new tactics sounded too much like his own and Guthrum’s eyes told him that he thought the same. “I would see these battle tactics with my own eyes. It is the only way I can learn how to defeat them.” “You would scout them yourself, Erik?” Guthrum asked with some concern. “Is there no one you can send? Rolf is certainly capable and he has been your right hand for years.” “Rolf is very good but I am responsible for the strategy once we take the field. I cannot counter Alfred’s tactics unless I see them with my own eyes. I will go and take Rolf. Ragnar will guide us. The three of us can travel faster alone.” “What about Harald?” “I must leave him here to guard Merwenna, I cannot have her unattended with Bjorr still lurking about even if he seems to have lost his fight. At least I have had no trouble with him lately but I would not vouchsafe his conduct when I am gone.” “I heard Robert has gone missing,” Guthrum said raising an eyebrow. “He continued voicing his objection to our presence though the sabotage stopped. I have seen Merwenna speak sharply to him more than once since we last spoke of him. Do you think he is a serious threat?” “Whether he is or not we have taken no pains to hide our plans from any of them. Just as I am going to look at Alfred’s strategy he has probably sent Saxons to look at ours. The day of the battle will reveal which army is better prepared.” Erik turned to Ragnar. “You had best get some food and rest for we leave at dawn,” and he watched the tired man go before he turned back to his brother. “You know what this means, they sound too much like our own moves. We may have an evenly matched battle or worse.” “I agree that you should go but have a care. It sounds as if too many people know of you and Merwenna and you have already said Alfred is overly attached to her. He would probably like to get his hands on you.” “No doubt. But Guthrum, when I return, Merwenna and I must be wed.” “You must? Is she with child?” “Nay—at least it is possible though too soon to tell I think. But her father wished us to be joined and while she would wait to be my wife, I would rather not. If she is my wife it might keep Alfred away from her.” “And any child she carries will be born legitimate,” Guthrum finished. “Aye, that as well. No fuss should be made but it is important to both of us that we do this before our army meets Alfred’s, in case I should not return.” “I will look after her when you are gone and, if you die in this last battle, I will make sure no harm comes to Merwenna,” Guthrum said kindly. “She will be like my

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own sister. You concentrate on Alfred’s new tactics so there will be a swift end to this impasse. When you return you will wed.” Erik went from the solar to Merwenna’s room. In truth he was not happy about leaving her. He trusted Harald but Bjorr’s hatred was overwhelming, an evil canker in their midst. He wished Bjorr would just disappear as it seemed Robert had. There was no telling what he would try. Erik was often sorry he had not killed the man already. That he would have to do so one day seemed a foregone conclusion. She had gone to bed but when he entered she sat up and said, “What did Guthrum want?” Her voice was tense. He stopped at the sight of her, half lit by the firelight. Her smooth dark hair pooled loosely down into her lap and her eyes were unfathomable. Her skin reflected the light, smooth and pale, her slender arm holding the covers to her breast. He had to lower his eyes to answer her question. “One of our scouts brought word of Alfred and some new tactics he is trying. Rolf and I are going there tomorrow so I can see them for myself.” “Why must you go?” she demanded, forgetting to hold the cover so it fell from her breasts and he temporarily forgot everything but her beauty. He looked away again, his erection instant and demanding in spite of her tone. “I must train the men to deal with the new tactics and I cannot do so unless I see them myself. I am sorry I have to go. I cannot even tell you how long it will take. Harald will look after you while I am gone.” “I trust Harald of course but I would feel better if you were here. Bjorr stalks me and Robert has disappeared. Who knows what will happen next.” She sighed. “Please forgive me. I should not have said that. You must do what you can to help Guthrum win, I understand that.” “The next few weeks will decide it,” he said, “one way or the other.” “I care little what happens to the rest of the world so long as you come back alive to me.” He finished undressing and joined her in the bed, holding her close as she clung to him. “You are all I need,” he said into her fragrant hair. “I love you, Merwenna.” “I love you, Erik. Come back to me please, as soon as you can. I will be only half alive until you do,” she said. And she kissed him and lay back to receive him.

***** He woke her when he tried to disengage himself. “It is time I left.” “I know.” She rose and pulled her shift on over her head. She faced him with her hands on his cheeks and kissed the bottom of his chin, which was all she could reach even while on tiptoes. “However careful you are, be twice that so you come back safely to me.” He crushed her to him. “Do not come to see us depart,” he said, “or I will lose all will to leave.” 92

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“Very well. I will pray for your safe return.” She felt the emptiness as soon as he closed the door. All she could think to do was dress and go about her usual tasks. When she emerged from her room, Harald was waiting. “Erik left me behind to make sure you are safe. He too is concerned about Bjorr and Robert and some of the others.” “I am sorry, I am sure you would rather be with Erik. But your presence comforts me and makes me feel safe.” “I am where Erik wants me to be,” he said. “How do you really feel, Harald?” He looked into her eyes for a moment before answering. “Erik has asked me to do what he would much rather do himself, protect you. If I fail I will die. If I am successful, the future of his longhouse is assured because you will live to bear his children. I could be with him now but I am more honored to be here.” Tears had begun in the corners of her eyes and she startled Harald by hugging him fiercely. “No doubt you are one of Erik’s finest warriors, fierce and courageous but I am glad to have you here with me. How are you and Elfreda getting along?” “We suit each other very well,” he told her. “She has told me I make her happy and I am content as well. It is good not to be alone anymore.” “I hope there is more to it than just a cure for loneliness,” she said in surprise. Harald shook his head. “I cannot give you details, Merwenna but you are welcome to ask Elfreda if she is satisfied. I know what her answer will be.” Merwenna laughed and he smiled back at her. “Well said, Harald, I might ask her at that,” she said, chuckling as she walked away and his quiet footfall behind her was comforting. Merwenna plunged herself into her springtime duties at Chippenham supervising the planting of the herb and vegetable gardens within the walls. Outside the walls, the workers would soon be shearing sheep and planting the grain crops that would provide much needed food for humans and animals next winter. Lambs would soon be born and some must be selected to rear to maturity and others to be slaughtered and smoked for next winter. Rather than interfere, the Danes helped with these tasks and they surprised her by their diligence. She thought such dedicated soldiers would have failed at domestic pursuits like farming. But Harald told her that when they were not a-viking and from their homes, they too had to plant crops and tend animals on their own plots of land they had left behind in East Anglia. “Then who is planting your crops now?” Merwenna asked, genuinely curious. The fierce and boisterous warriors she had come to know hardly fit into the mold of farmers and yet she knew they must—how else could they eat? “The women and slaves are tending the crops as they always do when the men are gone. That is one of the reasons we keep slaves,” Harald told her.

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“Does Erik know how to farm?” “Aye, he is like all Danish men. We divide our time between practicing for battles and raising the food that supports our families.” “But the women, Harald, what are they like?” “They have charge over all affairs in the household and, when the men are gone, they have charge of everything else as well. I mean no disrespect to make this comparison, Merwenna, but you are every bit as capable as any Danish woman I have ever known.” She smiled up at him. “That is the nicest thing you could say to me, Harald. Guthrum said something similar shortly after you came here. But tell me, are the Danish and Saxon men so different? You have observed our ways and I have observed yours and they seem very much alike. You are fiercer in battle it is true and we have different gods but are those enough to keep us forever at odds?” Harald thought a moment before answering. “In my father’s time we were only raiders and now we are colonists. Someone will come after us, a stronger people who will overrun and conquer our lands. It is the way of the world. By that time Saxon and Dane will be a blended people. At least that is what Guthrum thinks. “Traditionally, much of our native Danish land cannot be planted so what fertile land exists limits the quantities of food we can grow. Babies are born each year though and must be fed. It is the land and its bounty we crave but I cannot deny that we find raiding, fighting and other violence exhilarating,” he said carefully. Merwenna smiled. “Then we are much alike, just as I thought. There are many Saxons who enjoy the violence as well.” With everything she had to do, Merwenna still missed Erik powerfully, never more so than at night. Her bed had become too big and empty and she often went up to the battlements in the stillness of night, the gentle spring breeze a balm to her soul. She willed herself not to think that it might be weeks before Erik returned…if he returned.

***** Erik, Rolf and Ragnar huddled around a fire roasting pieces of wild hare on the ends of sticks. They might take one more day to observe Alfred and his troops before returning to Chippenham but Erik was eager to leave. From what he had seen, the battle would be soon, perhaps less than a month from now. His men needed additional training and he wished to have this time with Merwenna, to wed her and possibly give her a child, before he had to face Alfred’s forces and perhaps die. What he had observed did not make him think they would lose, but this fight would be harder than most. Alfred had assembled an army and taken the time to train them until they were now working as one, no man out of step, no man confused about where to go next. They looked disturbingly as well-prepared as his own forces. He had observed how skilled most of them were with a spear and a fair number of them had

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swords. Guthrum would not be pleased. What he could not fathom was how Alfred had so accurately duplicated his own moves. Erik suspected that Bjorr and Robert had conspired to give the information to Alfred. On the second day they observed the troops he had seen Robert. He had not told Merwenna that he never trusted the man. At the very least he assumed Alfred had sent Robert back to find out what became of Merwenna or even to kidnap her. But Robert had also been in a position to learn their plans and Erik had seen him skulking about on more than one occasion. When Erik learned that Ragnar on his earlier recognizance had heard Alfred state that he was waiting for a report from Robert, Erik did not feel he could return to Chippenham until he dealt with the threat. “We will not take another day,” he told Rolf and Ragnar, making the decision, “we must return to Chippenham. The sooner we begin to school the troops in the new tactics, the better.” “Our troops should have no trouble learning new plans of attack and defense. You have trained them so well to begin with. And Merwenna will wait for you however long you take,” Rolf said in a kind voice. “Even if you died, I believe she would remain true to you.” He shook his head impatiently. “After I am dead I do not care what she does. I would not wish her a solitary existence when I am no longer with her. But while I am alive I want us to be together.” He turned to Ragnar. “You are sure Alfred said the name Robert?” “Aye, Erik, it was Robert. He was talking loudly in his tent and I was outside where he could not see. It was very clear,” the young man affirmed earnestly. “Go to bed, both of you. I will be back before dawn.” He finished his meal and wiped his face and hands with a cloth. “Where are you going?” Ragnar asked. “Fear not, they will not capture me and if they try they will die.” They nodded and he knew his face reflected his impatience at being here when all he really wanted was to be with Merwenna. In his mind he could see her—long brown hair, those liquid brown eyes and shy smile, her perfectly formed rounded breasts and the way her legs concealed the hot, moist center of her desire. He pushed the image from his mind. It would be days before he could be with her again. He took only his dagger and left the warmth and safety of the fire, moving into the forest and toward the torchlights of Alfred’s camp. His tent was the easiest to find, decorated as it was with flags and tassels and gold colored linen. He crept closer, the tent opening barely visible to him. The guards were inside the tent not outside, so he dared to move even nearer and he saw Alfred up close for the first time. He was every inch the warrior king, his fey red hair and beard a stark contrast to the shades of red, yellow and brown on the heads and faces of his generals, his body lean and wiry. He paced on the balls of his feet as though ready for battle and his face was animated as he spoke. Erik reluctantly conceded that Merwenna could have found

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something in his face that attracted her. And then he saw Robert, dressed in a fine new linen shirt and a gold chain, a wine cup in his hand. Erik stayed very still outside the tent opening trying to hear what they were saying. Finally he heard Robert’s voice, “From what I heard their scout was unable to describe your new moves, they have no defense.” “That may be, but I will not underestimate Erik the Terror, he has given me trouble these past years. Guthrum is as good a king as I am, but with Erik he has the edge. I have sent assassins after him before and they have all died at his hand. Even without a weapon his power is so great he can wring a man’s neck in an instant. And you say Merwenna willingly stays with him?” “From the moment he arrived she was under his protection though by all accounts he did not take her immediately. Merwenna has been troubled since you left, she had nightmares.” “About Erik?” “Nay, someone else. Only Elfreda knows the whole truth, that someone else raped Merwenna before Erik ever got to Chippenham. I never heard any man’s name mentioned.” “Raped? My poor goddaughter, to suffer such a fate. I wish I could have saved her.” Erik clenched his fists at the coldness of Alfred’s voice. “Once we sign the peace perhaps I can find a way to help her. Surely she will not want to stay with Erik. Her behavior has been tantamount to treason and every day makes it worse. Of course I will be lenient with her if she returns to me.” Robert shook his head. “Guthrum and Erik both offered her safe conduct to you when they first arrived, according to Elfreda. She would not go. Before I left she appeared to be thoroughly Erik’s woman and happy about it. They did not bother to hide it from anyone. Have you not heard of this from Bjorr?” Erik’s fist tightened around the hilt of his dagger. Bjorr again! Alfred frowned and sighed. “When it comes to intelligence reports, the same information from more than one source is always a good sign. Perhaps she has gone mad during this difficult time. She would have to in order to commit such treason. It might be better if she were locked away where she could not be a danger to herself or others, where she could be cared for properly.” Alfred sipped from his wooden cup. “You must do as you think best, Sire,” Robert said, draining his own cup. As Erik watched and listened further, Robert refilled his cup over and over and Erik knew he would not have long to wait. He ceased listening as his blood seethed at Robert’s betrayal, Bjorr’s treachery and Alfred’s cavalier manner toward Merwenna. She would be crushed if she knew. Erik waited where he was, very still and the sentries passed him without being aware of his presence. Finally, Robert’s body responded to the wine and he left the tent, heading into the brush to relieve himself of the king’s hospitality. He did not even hear Erik coming and Erik smelled the piss gushing down Robert’s leg as he held the dagger 96

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to his throat, bent close to Robert’s ear and whispered, “This is for Merwenna, you traitorous cur. He slit the man’s throat with a single stroke of his dagger and pushed him face forward into the brush. As he slipped away he heard the man’s death gurgle. He slept for only a few hours before dawn lit the eastern sky. Rolf handed him a cold piece of roasted hare and a barley cake. “When do we leave?” he asked. “As soon as possible,” Erik replied, chewing on the meat. “Is it done?” “It is done. I could not stop him telling whatever it was he wanted to tell Alfred but the man lives no longer.” “What will you tell Merwenna?” “Nothing. Do you think I want her to know that one of her most trusted people was a spy, a filthy pig who was more loyal to Alfred than to her? That is the one thing she has counted on, the one thing that has heartened her the past months. Most of her people came back to find her and protect her. By Odin’s beard, they even took care of us because of her not because they owed us anything. Robert betrayed that trust and now he is no more. She need never know. “Worse is that Bjorr has been telling Alfred about Merwenna and me and, I fear, about our battle plans. The man has been a thorn in my side from the beginning and I wish now I had killed him before we began this campaign. As it is he will die the moment I lay eyes on him again.” “As you like,” Rolf said impassively. The ride was endless for Erik and he had to will himself to slow down in order to save the horses and the other two men. He knew Merwenna waited for him and he would reach her. When he saw the fires of the Danes camped around Chippenham his heart soared. Soon he would have her in his arms again. But not soon enough. Guthrum insisted on hearing Erik’s report and they spent hours going over what Erik had seen. When words failed him, he took bits of wood from the pile beside the hearth and moved them about to represent the various groups of soldiers he had seen. “And they outflanked them here,” Erik told his brother, pointing to one large log. “If I move the cavalry here, they will be cut off and we can finish them.” “Excellent, I am very glad you went personally to see these new troop movements,” Guthrum said. “How quickly will the men learn your new strategy?” “It will take at least a week. I do not think we have more than that. Alfred looks ready to attack now.” Erik drained his goblet and poured more wine for himself then offered it to Guthrum who refused. “Robert is dead, I killed him myself. I found him with Alfred telling all he knew about Merwenna. Alfred wants to lock her in a tower for the rest of her life, claims she went insane when she decided to help us. While I will not leave you with the battle so imminent, Merwenna and I must leave Wessex as soon as we can after that.”

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“Will you tell her what you heard?” “Nay it will just hurt her and make her more fearful. She is safe enough here for the time being. Have you seen Bjorr at all?” “Not since before you left. Did he too play some part in this treachery?” “He has been to see Alfred, telling tales of Merwenna and probably sharing battle secrets with him. You know he will die by my hand.” “I would expect nothing less. And so the final battle draws near.” He sighed as if he was as weary as Erik of the constant fighting. “I have arranged for you to marry this Sunday according to the Saxon tradition. The Friday following you will have your Danish wedding. By this time next week Merwenna will be your wife in the eyes of all the gods.” “I am grateful Guthrum. It will make both of us very happy. Guthrum opened his mouth to speak but he must have seen the need on Erik’s face. Guthrum said with a smile, “Go to her, Erik. She is as anxious to see you as you are to see her.” Erik took the stairs two at a time and stopped to take a deep breath before he opened the door to Merwenna’s chamber. She was sitting on a chair, combing out her long brown hair. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She wore a simple shift of blue linen and she turned when she heard the door open. She was on her feet in an instant, wrapping her arms and legs around him and he held her so close he could feel her heartbeat. His lips found hers and ate hungrily at them, while she kissed him back even more passionately than he remembered. “I have ached for sight of you, my love,” he breathed into her ear. “And I for you,” she said softly. “I have also ached for your touch and the feel of you inside me,” she said. “That above all else.” He set her on the floor only long enough to lift the shift over her head and free his cock from the confines of his braies. Then he picked her up again and literally impaled her on his engorged penis, drawing a gasp and a moan from deep in her throat, and leaned her back against the nearest wall tapestry. She was slick with desire as he moved in and out of her, and it was difficult for him to slow down for her pleasure until she whispered, “Please yourself, my love and you will please me.” His cock gave a little spasm at her words and he obeyed, thrusting into her twice, three times and on the fourth he exploded. He had never felt such an exquisite release. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he could, awed that this particular woman could mean so much to him. Merwenna meanwhile wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him and hung on his neck, her slight weight nothing to him. “Promise me,” she said in a sleepy voice. “What, my love?” he asked. “Promise me that after this final battle, you will never leave me again.”

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“I promise,” he said, though he had no idea if he could keep the vow. He carried her to the bed and lay down with her, taking only a moment to cover them both. It was not long before she fell into deep sleep. He listened to her breathing until he too fell asleep, trying to appreciate what they had in this moment instead of imagining a future that might never be.

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Chapter Nine As April became May, Erik and Merwenna wed first in the Saxon tradition and then in the Viking way. Father Ignatius was implacable that Erik had to be baptized before the Saxon wedding so on the morning of the wedding Erik endured the ceremony at the church, Edward the smithy as his only witness, standing as his godfather. The Saxon wedding ceremony was performed later on that same Sunday. Guthrum stood at Erik’s right and Merwenna to Erik’s left as the priest spoke the words. When he gave Erik’s baptismal name as Eldred, Merwenna stifled a gasp. It was the first time she had heard him called thusly and she wondered if Erik had chosen his own name. When the brief ceremony was concluded, she was completely unprepared for how comforting it felt to know she was his wife in the eyes of God. There was a rollicking wedding feast afterward in the great hall and everyone in and around Chippenham seemed to be there. The minstrels played and most people danced. Martha had outdone herself with whole roasted boar, numerous meat pies and a whole flock of roasted swans, with their plumage reapplied after roasting. It was impossible to dwell on their impending confrontation with Alfred when faced with so much gaiety. Merwenna and Erik discreetly avoided the bedding ceremony by slipping away in the middle of the celebration. The wine, ale and mead flowed freely so the revelers scarcely noticed when the bridal couple left. “The first wedding is over and the next will be done on Friday,” Erik said removing his boots. “That must mean we are only half married if it takes two ceremonies to make it right,” Merwenna teased, her mood much influenced by the merrymaking of both Danes and Saxons. She removed the gold circlet and veil from her hair. “You know how I feel about ceremonies,” he reminded her. “By our own choice we have been joined more thoroughly than any ritual could accomplish. If no one said the marriage words we would still be together.” “I agree but now no child we make can be called bastard.” “True, that is what I wanted,” he admitted. “Who chose your baptismal name?” she asked. “I did, to honor your father.” “You became quite close to him, did you not? I feel as if the two of you had an entirely separate relationship that had nothing to do with me.” “We are men, Merwenna and men tell each other things they would never discuss with their women. Your father was a fine man who loved you. I wish I had known him in his younger days. He was strong, was he not?” 100

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“Oh yes,” she said, warmed at the memory. “I used to ride in front of him on his horse and I had no fear with his arm around me. He would lift me up in his arms and twirl me around until we were both dizzy. I could go to him with the least little thing that bothered me and he made it right. I miss him very much.” “We discussed many things over our chess games, not least of which was you. But he also talked of your mother and Alfred. It hurt him deeply when Alfred…hurt you.” “I know that. I wish it could have been different. More than anything I wish he could have been there today, to see happen what he so wanted.” “Does your faith not say that he did see, that he is looking down on us even now?” “Aye. I am glad you came to know him and that he cared for you,” she said, feeling a single tear escape her eye. Erik reached up and wiped it away. “There is naught to cry about Merwenna. Your father knows we are wed in your god’s eyes and soon will be in mine. All the gods will smile on us for going to so much trouble to appease them.” In the five day interval between the weddings, Erik trained his men as hard as ever but there were also games and feasting to divert everyone from the upcoming battle. Preparations for the Viking wedding ceremony were even less than for the Christian one, mostly because there were so few female Danes at Chippenham who were married. Gerta helped Merwenna create her wedding clothes in the Danish fashion, a kirtlelike piece of clothing with long sleeves in a brilliant shade of yellow, overlaid with a cream-colored garment called a hangerock, two rectangular pieces of fabric fastened at each shoulder with gold brooches which Edward the smithy made according to Erik’s instructions. A gold belt was fastened around her waist, unadorned by the usual keys, dagger and utensils she carried every day. Merwenna would carry her father’s sword to present to Erik. Guthrum agreed to officiate and Merwenna was touched that the ceremony would take place at the site of Eldred’s grave, a sacred site according to Danish tradition. Merwenna stayed alone in her chamber the night before the wedding as tradition dictated, while Erik stayed with Guthrum in the solar. Elfreda accompanied Merwenna to the graveyard where Erik waited with Guthrum. A goat was sacrificed to Thor, Erik’s special guardian god. The blood was allowed to drain into a bowl and then Guthrum used a fir branch to dip in the blood then waved it toward Erik and Merwenna as a blessing. At Guthrum’s signal Erik and Merwenna exchanged swords, she gave him Eldred’s and he gave her his own. Then they exchanged the finger rings which the smithy had made for them, gold that had been rolled into long thin ropes then braided and fashioned into circles, large for Erik and much smaller for Merwenna. The act of putting the ring on Erik’s finger touched Merwenna deeply. They would wear these rings for the rest of their lives as a symbol of their commitment to one another.

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They had five days before word came that Alfred’s men were assembled and waiting on the plains around Edington. This news startled only Merwenna because the Danes had been preparing for so long. She buried her fear in a frenzy of activity, supervising the preparation of the food pouches each individual Dane would carry on the march. She packed Erik’s with her own hands and said a prayer over it. They left before dawn and Merwenna did not embarrass herself or Erik by an excessive display of emotion. He rode away at the head of the army beside Guthrum and she went to the battlements to watch until they disappeared over the horizon. She cried for a while just to ease the worst of the ache in her heart, then she went down to the great hall to continue her work at the loom. She and the other women found it hard to concentrate in the stillness of the great hall but they kept at it until the midday sun was high. They worked quietly, no one felt like talking, not even Edburh. There were slaves moving about and of course the dogs at their feet but the Danes had been such a physical presence that the hall felt deserted and lonely. They soon stopped trying to work and pushed the looms against the wall. Without speaking, each woman left the great hall to find something to take her mind off the battle, if she could. Before she left, Gerta held Merwenna’s arm. “They are both powerful and enjoy the favor of the gods,” she told Merwenna. “They will return, I am sure of it.” “Do you love Guthrum?” Merwenna could not help asking. “How could I not? You love Erik and they are much the same.” “But what will happen when he rejoins his wife?” “I do not know, but I trust Guthrum to have a care for me.” Merwenna knew that a single day’s battle would decide the outcome of this conflict, so she had the consolation of knowing that Erik would be with her again in days instead of weeks. It was hardly a comfort. She did not even have the security of Harald at her side, for he of course had to go with the others and she did not begrudge him this. He was one of Erik’s most trusted warriors and it would not be fair to keep him from the fray. Elfreda was on edge at the thought of her beloved going into battle. Somehow Merwenna managed to keep her fear at bay. Three days and nights passed before she went to the battlements, hoping for a sign that they were returning but there was nothing to see. Then on the morning of the eighth day, a lone rider clattered into the bailey just as she was crossing to the cookhouse. It was Ragnar. “They are returning!” he said breathlessly. “Guthrum has ordered the men to retreat!” “Retreat!” Merwenna said, her hand to her throat in alarm. “They have been beaten?” “As near to it as makes no difference,” he said and dismounted. “They are coming back here to regroup if possible.” She had to ask, “And Guthrum and Erik are still alive?”

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“The last I saw of them, they were riding at the back of the army helping to ward off Saxon attack from behind.” She was momentarily distracted by the mental image of Guthrum and Erik fleeing Saxon swords on horseback, turning to stab at the Saxons when they could. She mentally shook herself and motioned to faithful Elfreda. “Get Ragnar some food and ale and give him a pallet if he needs it. Then come back and help me prepare for their return.” And to Ragnar, “Are there wounded with them?” “I saw some of the able-bodied men carrying the wounded on their shoulders and any wounded man who could walk will be with them unless he falls by the wayside.” “Then I will prepare for the wounded,” she said, leaving the man in Elfreda’s care. She rounded up the other women, including Emma and Gerta and they prepared the great hall to receive whoever came back hurt. It was something practical they could do to ease their nerves and they all plunged into the activity with gusto, even the bed slaves. She was pleased that it did not occur to the Saxon women to refuse. Wounded men were just men after all. Merwenna tried not to think about their retreat but it was impossible. What could this mean? Had they been soundly defeated or were they just regrouping to fight another day? She was heartened that Erik was still alive and would soon be with her. It then crossed her mind that she was committing even more treason as she worked but that fact no longer had the power to move her. She was in the bailey when the seriously depleted forces rode in followed closely by Guthrum and Erik. All the men were dirty and tired and streaked with blood. Every mounted man carried a wounded man across his saddle. On their faces she read their defeat. Erik had a nasty sword cut on his right arm and Guthrum had a deep gash in his leg, though neither wound was life-threatening. The other men had sustained similar injuries and they all went into the great hall together. Merwenna wondered how many wounded had been left on the field and said out loud, “I hope Alfred will be merciful to those left behind.” “Not likely,” Erik growled. Merwenna took charge of Guthrum and Erik and tended Guthrum first while Erik looked on. “I am sorry it went badly for you,” she told the king. He smiled tiredly. “You are the kindest woman I have ever known,” he told her and planted a kiss on her lips. “I suspect Alfred will be here soon and, rather than another battle, we will negotiate terms. It will come right eventually.” She looked at Erik and knew he ached to hold her. Even hurt as he was his eyes smoldered with desire and love. She forced herself to look away and concentrate on Guthrum’s wound. It was not a deep cut and she washed it and bound it with clean linen. He thanked her and went to the solar to clean himself, his body slave hurrying to fetch water, Gerta close behind. Erik’s wound was worse. “I should stitch this for you,” she said, cleaning the wound first with water then undiluted wine.

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“No need. It will be just another scar before long.” He reminded her of the taciturn man she had first met. “I failed Guthrum,” he said. “Why do you say that? What happened?” “I should have guessed that Alfred would not keep to a single plan. As soon as our front line met theirs, his reserve troops attacked from the rear and cut us off. I anticipated the move but not the numbers. We might have been able to prevail even then, except for the archers he had hidden in the trees. “They were all but invisible, dressed in green and brown. They were the real surprise and the deciding factor in the battle. When I did that last reconnaissance myself, I even heard Alfred discussing his tactics but archers were never part of it. I led us into a trap.” She refrained from commenting on the fact that he had been close enough to hear Alfred speak, that would wait until they were alone. “I am sure you did all you could. If you did not know of the archers you could never have prepared for them.” “I should have known, I should have anticipated.” She put her hand on his arm and squeezed, alarmed at the desperation in his voice. “I have never failed him so miserably and it was the most important battle of our lives.” “I am sure Guthrum does not blame you. He knows you have always done your best and he said Alfred will now negotiate terms.” “He will eventually but I am certain he means to humiliate us first.” “How?” “He will lay siege to Chippenham until we sue for peace. He must have his victory for the bards,” he spat. She bound the wound very carefully so the edges would knit together. “How does a siege work?” “Alfred will encamp around Chippenham and let no one in or out of the stronghold until we surrender. He may attempt to scale the walls or use a battering ram to break through the gate and attack us. Some of us may die of starvation or lack of water if the siege goes on long enough. It is a nasty but very effective strategy.” His face was grim. “How long will Guthrum permit this to go on?” “He will not allow us all to starve although those who are already sick or wounded may well die,” Erik said. “But he will also not give Alfred the satisfaction of welcoming him back to Chippenham without taking a stand.” Her face must have looked fearful because his eyes softened and he touched her hand. “No matter what Guthrum does I will not allow any harm to befall you, Merwenna. You must believe me. My first allegiance is to you and Guthrum knows this, he would expect nothing less of me now.” “I wish you could hold me right now,” she said, swaying as a wave of fear washed over her. “At least we will be in the same bed tonight.” “Aye, we will that,” he said, his eyes saying all that his mouth could not.

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***** Erik did not share with Merwenna his apprehension about the siege and any peace that might follow. He had seen Alfred in battle the day they had faced him at Edington and it had been a daunting sight. In previous battles, Alfred had stayed on the sidelines directing the effort. But that day he was in the middle of it all, hacking and killing, the bloodlust reddening his face. Erik wondered if Alfred was thinking of him every time he plunged his sword into a Dane. When Alfred’s reserve troops had begun their attack at the Danes’ rear, Erik had left his position toward the front and ridden back to direct the rear lines. He shouted his orders and the men complied and they were actually repulsing Alfred’s troops when the arrows began to fly. Guthrum’s archers had been held in reserve and Erik signaled that they should move into the trees and attack the Saxon archers. They never even got close before being mowed down by Alfred’s reserve troops and his cleverly positioned archers. Guthrum signaled Erik to sound the retreat and he gave the order, the men leaving the field as best they could. On the ride back to Chippenham, he had to admit to himself that Alfred had orchestrated a brilliant battle. The archers had been a masterful touch. If it was anyone but Alfred who had done it, Erik would have admired the man’s handiwork. Erik wiped a hand across his eyes and watched as Merwenna tended more wounded men. She was so young and passionate, so untouched by life, his life fighting battles and killing men. He wanted to be with her but for the first time he wondered if he was being fair. Could he expose her to his life? Should he? Too late, he realized. They were not just wed, their lives had become interwoven like the threads in a piece of fine cloth. He could no more do without her than food or water and she had told him more than once that he had given her a reason to live. It might be kinder to let her go and yet he could not. She was his future. The wounded were bandaged and given a potion to help them sleep and Erik went up to the battlements with Guthrum. Under a hot midday sun they watched as Alfred and his forces made camp around Chippenham. “When did you first realize they were attacking from the rear?” Guthrum asked. “Almost immediately. The front line was held reasonably well by Rolf, so I left my position there and directed the rear forces. Even the archers did not alarm me, I just signaled our reserve archers to begin attacking Alfred’s. But he must have had a hundred men or more in those trees. Did you see the arrows fly? They were like hard rain.” “Did you see this on your visit to Athelney?” “Nay, nothing like it,” Erik admitted. “Our defeat is due to my failure to appreciate Alfred’s skill as a general.” “Did you think it mattered who won the actual battle?” Guthrum asked in surprise. “If we had won we would be in exactly the same place as we are now, only we would 105

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be the ones setting the time and place for peace negotiations instead of Alfred and there would be no siege.” “Do not make excuses for me,” Erik said bitterly. “I feel that I am no longer useful to you.” He was angry and impatient at his own failure but Merwenna and her safety still consumed his thoughts. “It is obvious you could not have known what Alfred was going to do. In fact, I believe Alfred knew you were scouting him, given the fact that he had contact with both Bjorr and Robert. He showed you what he wanted you to see and kept his real battle plans a secret until the very end.” “I should have known,” Erik said. Guthrum put an arm around his shoulders. “You are human the last time I checked. This defeat is not the end of the world. I want you to put it behind you.” “How long do you think the siege will last?” Erik asked. “Less than a week if Alfred sues for peace. Two weeks if he does not and I must.” “What will you do after?” “During the treaty negotiations we will define his kingdom and mine. I will be satisfied if we can keep the land we already have in East Anglia. Why do you ask?” “I have so far been content with whatever you thought fit to give me. Only now I would ask from you something specific and very important.” “If it is within my power to give, you shall have it.” “Merwenna’s father was heir to lands in Essex on the coast but he never claimed them because of one of our earlier invasions, before you and I came here. I want nothing more than to settle on those lands and call them my own, live in peace as far from Alfred as I can manage.” “Do you know specifically where the lands are located?” “All Eldred told me is that they are on the coast of Essex. It does not have to be the precise land but Essex seems far enough from Alfred so Merwenna will be safe.” “Essex is in our control at the moment but it might not always be so. Are you certain you wish to settle there? Alfred may have something to say about it in the future.” “Alfred may think he has something to say about it but I believe he will be happy to have Merwenna and me settle there in obscurity.” Guthrum gave him a hard look but he did not comment or question further. “It is the least I can do. You have been a loyal brother and my best warrior for many years. I hope you will be happy with her.” “I will be happy if I can get her away from here without Alfred having anything more to do with her.”

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When Erik went to Merwenna’s chamber to change his clothes, he was surprised to find her in a chair staring at the cold hearth and frowning. “How did you come close enough to hear what Alfred was saying,” she began sternly. “It was during the scouting mission when I was trying to hear his plans,” he said. “I would not have believed his plans unless I heard them from his own lips. You are angry about this?” She stood and whirled on him, clenched fists at her sides and eyes blazing. “How could you put yourself in that kind of danger? Alfred’s guards might have found you, killed you. Surely Rolf or Ragnar could have done this. Why did you risk everything like that?” Erik scowled at her, his jaw tight. “There was also a man I had to kill and he happened to be in Alfred’s tent.” “What man?” she demanded, her voice shrill. “I did not think there was a Saxon you hated more than Alfred, so tell me who so deserved to die?” “Robert,” Erik said. “He took our plans to Alfred. He betrayed your trust.” Her eyes were wide and suddenly full of pain. “Did they discuss me while you were listening?” “Aye, Robert told Alfred that you had been raped but he did not know who did it. Alfred pretended it was the first time he had heard of this. He said you must be insane to commit treason and help us. That you would be better off locked in a tower for the rest of your life.” He did not think it wise to spare her the worst of it and a tiny part of him needed to destroy whatever vestige of affection she might still feel for Alfred. “And you killed Robert? Why not kill Alfred as well? You were certainly close enough.” “No one misses Robert but Alfred is the king. At any rate, I had to wait for Robert to come out of Alfred’s tent, because Alfred himself was well guarded. Robert did not deserve to live.” “Nay he did not,” she agreed, the anger gone from her voice, “I was angry only out of fear that you might have been killed.” She flung her arms around him and hugged him hard, her voice thick with emotion. “But I am sorry you were forced to kill on my behalf.” “That is how it will be from now on,” he explained, holding her in his arms. “I am responsible for you and our children when they come. What kind of man would I be if I shrank from killing any who would harm you?” She said nothing more but rested quietly in his arms and he felt anew the sweetness of having her in his life.

***** Merwenna organized what stores they had and kept them under lock and key, she kept one key always with her and Guthrum had the only other one. The Danes were very disciplined and accepted the shortened rations without grumbling. Her people

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were not as stoic and she began to hear dissatisfied murmurs almost immediately. She told Elfreda she was thinking of shortening the rations even more except for the fighting men, knowing this would circulate among her people. They remained quiet after that. Messengers passed between Guthrum and Alfred daily but nothing came of their errands. Alfred let it be known that he was willing to wait as long as it took for Guthrum to surrender and he kept meat roasting all hours of the day and night with soldiers using blankets to fan the flames and direct the aroma at the fortress. Erik told her Alfred was trying to provoke rebellion among the Danish troops. Alfred did nothing to breach the walls or knock down the gate, perhaps reluctant to damage a royal property. Erik wanted Merwenna to take half his daily ration but she could hold nothing in her stomach. She could not remember a time when she had vomited with such daily regularity. She was grateful it happened in the morning when Erik was usually with Guthrum in the solar. She was sure it was caused by her anxiety for all of them and wished she could end the siege herself but Erik assured her Guthrum would end it before they were all dead. She was glad her father was not alive to experience this. The weakest and most infirm died within the first few days, their bodies tossed over the walls so their putrefaction would not sicken the survivors. By the end of the second week, everyone was tired and getting weaker by the day. Finally, as if satisfied he had made his point, Guthrum surrendered and asked for quarter. Merwenna sighed in relief but Erik was grim. The surrender meant more than a loss to both of them, it meant Alfred would be in the great hall during negotiations, close enough to get at her. The plan was for her to keep to her room while Alfred was in the fortress and Harald stand guard outside the door as usual. There was no reason for Alfred to roam Chippenham. Not that she expected Alfred to try to see her. He probably thought her lost forever. A very small part of her was sad at this thought, sorry that their comfortable closeness was gone, even if it was the king’s fault. With her father dead, she felt like she had no family. Yet Erik was really all the family she needed. Guthrum too had welcomed her without reservation. What more could she ask? The first day of negotiations, Merwenna paced back and forth in her room like a caged animal. It irritated her no end that she could not move about Chippenham doing her work and supervising the servants and slaves. That night Erik joined her and Elfreda brought their meal. While they were eating, Erik said, “Merwenna, I am sorry you had to stay here all day. Was it difficult?” “Aye it was,” she said honestly, “when I am so used to ordering things at Chippenham. How did it go? Was the food prepared properly and served in a timely manner? Did the servants keep you well supplied with drink?” “Aye but are you not the least bit curious as to Alfred’s appearance?” Erik asked with a raised eyebrow.

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“I assumed you would tell me if you wanted me to know,” she said with surprise, still frowning. “I have not seen him since the yule season of last year but surely there is little change in five months.” She covered his hand with hers and leaned forward so they could kiss, softening her earlier reaction. “I saw him more recently than that but he is still a kingly figure,” he offered. “That is almost praise from you.” “Grudging praise to be sure. Every time I look at him I want to strangle him for what he did to you,” he said gruffly. “The thought of his hands on you provokes bloodlust such as I have never felt in battle.” “It has all come right,” she soothed, putting her arms around his neck and settling in his lap. “He cannot hurt me now.” “I know but that does not make me less concerned for your safety.” She had the feeling he was not telling her something. “Is there something I should know about what is transpiring between Alfred and Guthrum? Has there been talk of me?” “He has asked after you,” Erik said carefully. “Guthrum has told him you are well and not enslaved but that is all. He does not know we are married nor that I am baptized. He has made it a condition of the peace that Guthrum and his leading men be baptized, so I shall have to undergo the ritual again.” He paused a moment as if reluctant to tell her the rest. “He has asked to see you. I told Guthrum I would not permit it but you may have to see him. Alfred could delay the treaty if you do not agree.” Unexpectedly, the memory of being with Alfred came flooding back to her full force and she gripped his arm, her body trembling involuntarily. “You must not leave me alone with him,” she said, her heart pounding. “I alone know how twisted he is. I could hurt the reputation that he values above all else. He will kill me or worse.” He held her tightly to his chest as if that could stop her trembling. “If he touches you I will kill him, king or no king.” Their meal forgotten, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her nose and each cheek and her chin, the tenderness swelling her heart with love. “I have waited all my life for you Merwenna and nothing will keep us apart. You are the wife of my heart and have been since I laid eyes on you.” “Thank you,” she said hoarsely, the tears audible in her voice. “Alfred always promised he would marry me to someone I could love, but no one could make me feel as you do. I do not want to see him but I will not allow him to play his foolish games with this treaty. It is important to both our peoples. If he insists, I will meet with him.” “You are the bravest woman I have ever known, Merwenna,” he said and she took refuge against his chest, thinking that what bravery she had was the result of his love. She spent a sleepless night, hating Alfred for making her responsible for the treaty. She could not in good faith refuse his request and leave both Saxons and Danes in uncertainty. Yet the thought of facing him again after all these months made her want

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to scream. He had violated her then left her for dead. How could she stand to be in the same room with him again? She finally fell into a troubled sleep and woke at dawn feeling as if she had not slept at all. She was tense throughout the day, pacing her room, unable even to embroider, until Erik came to her in the evening. “How are the talks going?” she asked, balling her fists in anxiety then burying them in the folds of her kirtle so he could not see. “Alfred is ready to sign the treaty, as is Guthrum but first he would speak with you.” “When?” “Tomorrow in the great hall. You will not be alone with him. Guthrum and I will be there, as well as Rolf and Harald, we have all pledged to keep you safe even if we have to kill him.” It made her feel only slightly better. “So long as he signs the treaty afterward,” she said with clenched teeth. He kissed her then, in a demanding, smothering way that did not permit her to think of anything but him. Her hands moved to the front of his clothing but he ripped it all free with one fierce motion. “I will give you something to remember that will blunt Alfred’s power over you,” he said hoarsely into her ear. “You are mine Merwenna, never forget that.” He swept her clothing over her head and pinned her to the bed with his hands on her shoulders and then his cock rammed into her, hard. She welcomed him with arched hips and grasping hands that did not push him away but clutched him to her. Her release rushed over her until she felt it might never stop. Could she live and continue this pulsing satisfaction? Erik thrust into her so hard that the pain became pleasure and the pleasure pain, as if to make sure she would be forever his alone. Finally there was nothing in her world but Erik and the power he had over her body. Merwenna dressed with great care the next day in a royal blue kirtle over a snowwhite shift. Elfreda braided her hair and twined strings of costly pearls in it. She would not allow Alfred to see that she was not entirely composed and thoroughly a lady. The memory of the night before gave her strength even though her teeth almost chattered in fear. Before she left for the great hall, Erik brought her a goblet of wine. She took a sip and nearly choked. “This is undiluted!” she said. He put a hand to her face, his thumb tracing her eyebrow, his blue eyes tender. “It will calm you, Merwenna. You are a bundle of nerves.” “How can you tell?” “You are trembling, but he cannot hurt you any longer, not when we have pledged to protect you.” She leaned against his chest and he rubbed her back gently. “I love you.” “And I love you. This will soon be over.” And they left the room together.

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It was her first sight of Alfred since the beginning of the new year—the cold and snow a distant memory, the feel of his hands on her not so distant. Her stomach churned and she thought for a moment she might vomit but she took a deep breath and the nausea subsided. He kissed her hand and she took it back as soon as she could. He invited her to sit and she did so but on the edge of the chair as though ready to escape should the need arise. “I was sorry to hear about your father,” Alfred began. “Eldred was a fine man.” “At least he lived longer than you intended, after you left us both here at the mercy of the Danes,” she said, unable to be civil. He seemed not to notice her anger. “It was a mistake, a miscommunication. I certainly would never intentionally give you to the Danes. And now that I see you again, I am more than pleased that you are alive and well. With both your parents gone, I will gladly assume the parental role to which I am bound.” “I need no parent and I do not welcome you back into my life. You sought this coming together of you and me. If I never saw you again it would be too soon.” “You actually believe I left you to be killed by the Danes?” He seemed genuinely surprised and hurt. “I have always loved you Merwenna, never more so than now when you need me.” She was caught off guard by his reasonable tone. “You may say what you wish but I know better. You were afraid I would tell someone of your shameful conduct, of the way you used me to slake your lust,” she said in a low and angry voice. “What do you mean?” he asked, his face devoid of expression. It startled her and for a moment she wondered if he had completely forgotten what had happened or convinced himself it had been only a dream. It reminded her of the morning after he had taken her maidenhead when he seemed not to understand how his actions had affected her. “The way you raped me,” she said. His brow knitted into a frown and his green eyes grew hard and bright as emeralds. “I did nothing of the sort. Is that what you told your Danish bastard to excuse your lack of maidenhead? I know of him from Robert just as I know of your rape. If the Danish bastard did not do it who did? Never mind, what is done is done. I sent Robert into your midst to learn the Danes’ plans. I suspect your bastard Dane slew Robert but that is neither here nor there. Have you married this Danish bastard?” “How dare you?” she said, losing her composure. “You did not care what happened to me or my father, you left us here! All I have done is try to keep my father and myself alive, to make the best of this situation in which you left us.” “And what you have done here is nothing less than treason, unless you are not in your right mind of course,” he continued calmly. “Shall I pass judgment on my goddaughter who aided and abetted my enemy or will you submit yourself to me?”

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“You gave up the right to order my life when you left us here to die,” she said scornfully. “It would be better if you thought of me as dead. Lord knows I want to think of you that way.” “The more you speak the more I think you must have gone mad these past months Merwenna. Living with Danes, conjuring this insane story of my abuse of you, fucking a Danish bastard! Beware my dear, if you persist you may find yourself locked away or worse.” Alfred’s smug face infuriated her and she attacked him, slapping, scratching at his face but she forgot how strong he was, he easily pinned her arms at her sides. She realized swords were being drawn in the great hall and she stopped struggling. When he let her go she drew her dagger from its scabbard on her belt and held the tip to his neck. He did not move. “If you call Erik a bastard one more time I will slit your throat,” she hissed. “So you have become a filthy Dane, ready to kill at a moment’s notice,” he said scornfully, not deigning to call his guards to restrain her. “You may cut me but no one in this hall will live if you do.” She did not put the dagger away, she enjoyed the way he sat very stiff and still trying to avoid its point. She was glad to see that her nails had left two long bleeding scratches down one of his cheeks, she hoped they left scars. “What do you want of me, Alfred?” she demanded. “Tell me what you want or end this meeting. I am sick of your games.” His hand closed around her wrist so fast she could not react, he had her dagger in an instant but he did not let her go. “I am not done with you yet Merwenna and when I want something, anything from you—anything, do you understand?—I will take it, Danish bastard or not. Think on that a while, my dear.” He released her and she stumbled off the dais, into Erik’s waiting arms.

***** Erik kept his hand on his sword hilt the whole time Merwenna talked to Alfred. When she attacked him he began to draw the sword and Guthrum put a firm hand on his sword arm, shaking his head slightly yet keeping his hand on his own sword. When Alfred finally released her, Erik leaped forward to catch her in his arms and watch Alfred swiftly leave the hall, his guards scurrying to keep up with him. Merwenna slumped against him. “He will never let me go,” she said and began to sob. “There is nowhere I can go that he will not take me if he pleases. He denied ever touching me and he told me he would lock me away if I persisted with the story. He thinks me mad, just as you told me and accused me of treason. It is all hopeless.” Erik raised his hand to her cheek and she pulled back, startled. He blamed Alfred that she was so on edge. “Pay no heed to his threats, I have a plan.” “We will never be free,” she said in despair and wiped a hand across her eyes.

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It was time to tell her. “I have spoken to Guthrum and he has agreed to give me your family lands in Essex. That is where we will settle and make our life, you and me and our children.” Her mouth fell open. “My family lands, what do you know of them? I have never even seen them and my father has not spoken of them in years.” “Your father wanted us to settle there, for your sake and for our children. We have to live somewhere, why not there?” “Essex is very far, is it not?” she asked hopefully. “Aye, to the east and in territory held by my people. I can make no promises while we are still negotiating the peace but once the treaty is signed we will go there.” She smiled for the first time and her shoulders eased. “Do you remember how to till the soil? Can you foreswear your wandering ways, my love?” “Until my sons become old enough to carry on the tradition,” he said with a sidelong glance at her. “Now you are teasing me. I will be happy if we get away from here without further incident with Alfred. I do not trust him.” Erik did not trust Alfred either but he did not say it out loud.

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Chapter Ten Guthrum and Alfred eventually came to an accommodation. They would formally sign the peace treaty at Wedmore in mid-June and Guthrum would be baptized along with thirty of his chief warriors afterward. Half the Danish army made ready to leave Chippenham, the rest would remain to guard the stronghold and by agreement Alfred would not retake possession of Chippenham until the Danes moved north in the fall. For Merwenna it was a tearful time, as Erik was obligated to accompany his brother as chief general of the army. The remainder of the Saxons at Chippenham had always been part of the household and they would stay behind. “Please take me with you,” she pleaded again on the morning they left. “You survived the battle and the siege but I am afraid you will not survive the peace. Alfred will find some way to kill you. Or he may kill me here.” Erik sighed and held her. “I cannot take you where Alfred might lay his hands on you. If you were there I could not spend every moment with you, I could not protect you properly. You are much better off staying here where you are safe, where my men can look after you. Besides I could not do my duty to Guthrum. Remember I am responsible for his safety as well.” She knew he was right. “I hate being separated from you,” she said sadly, reaching up to touch his cheek. He bent to kiss her long and tenderly. “We will be back in a few weeks,” he said. “Then we will leave Chippenham forever and we need never be parted again.” “That day cannot come too soon for me.” Erik held her close. “Nor for me, my love. I will be with you again as soon as I can.” She watched him go, her heart leaden in her breast. Just as she did the day of the Battle of Edington, she threw herself into her daily tasks. Harald was her constant shadow and Elfreda helped her with most of the indoor work. Then she went outside to tend to the fledgling herb and vegetable garden and, working in the bright summer sunlight, she felt some sense of peace. Erik would come back to her, she kept telling herself. It would be too much of an insult to Guthrum if Alfred tried to harm him. Of course there was always the possibility of a handy accident but she pushed the thought from her mind before it could take root. In any event, Alfred had a kingdom to rebuild and would be much too occupied ruling Wessex in the coming years to spare her a thought. She would happily live in obscurity with Erik in Essex.

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That first night seemed interminable as she tossed and turned, sorely missing the warmth of Erik’s body. Unable to sleep she went up to the battlements, where she found Emma the midwife there before her. “Emma, what are you doing here at this hour?” “I might ask the same of you, Lady Merwenna.” The midwife smiled. Merwenna suddenly wondered how old Emma was, she seemed somehow ageless. “I had trouble sleeping.” She did not feel she could say more. “You miss your Dane, a natural enough way to feel. I miss Magnus, as well. Erik will come back to you though. What you two have is rare.” Merwenna felt a shiver down her spine. Everyone knew Emma had a sense of what other people were thinking and feeling. It was what made her such a good midwife. “Thank you, Emma,” she said. “Now tell me why you are up here tonight?” “I have just delivered Esmond’s wife Dora of a healthy baby boy with a lusty cry who promises to survive. I thought to come up here to give a prayer of thanks to God. But now you are here I will thank you as well for changing Dora’s work.” “That is wonderful news,” Merwenna said, genuinely pleased. This was the third child Esmond and his wife had produced but the only one who had been born alive. “You certainly helped by giving Dora her new duties with Martha in the cookhouse. She has a real talent for baking and loves the work. And you Lady Merwenna, have you had any discomfort in the morning of late?” “During the siege anxiety upset my stomach but now I am feeling very well, thank you Emma. Why do you ask?” “You do not know? Have you not guessed?” “You speak in riddles to me, Emma.” “You are with child.” Merwenna opened her mouth in shock, temporarily speechless. “How can that be?” “How indeed. Do you remember when you had your last flux?” “’Twas just before Erik and I were together for the first time,” she said shyly. “And since then you have been properly bedded more than once?” Merwenna blushed in the darkness. “Aye, Emma.” “There you have it. You must let me examine you but I believe your babe will come between All Saints and yule. Tell me if you experience any unusual pain or bleeding or fatigue but you are young and strong and will most likely have many babies.” Emma put her arms around Merwenna and hugged her. “I have seen you with your Erik. He will be well pleased. I hope you are too.” “I am very happy. I only wish my father had lived to see this. Only months and he would have known of the child.” “He knows and sees, Lady Merwenna, surely you believe that. Our priests certainly harp on enough about the afterlife.”

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Merwenna chuckled. “You are half pagan still, Emma, surely you do not believe in an afterlife.” “What matters is that you believe it. I personally prefer to offend no deity if I can help it, so God must share my worship with Thor and Odin and all the others. I am to bed, Lady Merwenna and so should you be. Have a care for the child you carry in all you do.” “Oh I shall,” Merwenna promised. When Emma had gone, she looked at the stars and prayed that Erik would be home soon. She looked forward to telling him he was going to be a father. Hugging the secret to her heart, she returned to her chamber and fell asleep. The next day dawned and the day after that and she helped to shear the sheep and begin the labor intensive processing of the wool before it could be spun into yarn and then woven into cloth. She prepared the lanolin with Emma’s help, then carefully filled covered jars with it and divided the supply between the two of them. This lanolin would be used to make salves and creams for healing and cleansing purposes. Those still living at Chippenham had to be fed twice a day and there were the usual scrapes and bruises that needed her attention. She no longer felt so heavy of heart, perhaps because Erik had given her the child for which she had begged so insistently after her father’s death. Tears came to her eyes every time she thought of the life they had created out of their love, it was the most important and wonderful thing that had ever happened to her. Erik’s men divided their time between hunting and battle practice and, she suspected, wenching, although the alcoves in the great hall remained vacant. At some point, Brunhilde stopped coming to the hall for meals and Merwenna assumed she had gone after Rolf. In any case, the woman was nothing to Erik now. Merwenna had never felt jealous of Brunhilde. The graphic way Erik had cast her aside was still a vivid memory for her. The days passed quickly enough and Merwenna heaved a sigh of relief when she thought that Erik might be home in another week or so. Erik sent Rolf back to report that they had arrived safely and everything was going according to plan and to address any concerns of the men he’d left behind. Rolf found Merwenna in the garden and they crossed together to the cookhouse so he could eat. “Erik asked me to make sure you are all right and see if there is aught you need me to do for you. The Danes are well behaved, your own people as well?” Merwenna smiled. “For the most part. Is Erik well? Nothing of a sinister nature has happened?” “If you mean some move by Alfred to hurt him, no that has not happened. If anything the Saxons have been very gracious. And even though Erik is responsible for Guthrum’s safety, he is just as well guarded. Alfred would be a fool to try anything at all.”

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She breathed a sigh of relief as she sliced pieces from a smoked ham and placed them on a plate with bread and cheese. “Thank you Rolf, that sets my mind at ease. This should hold you until the evening meal.” “Thank you Merwenna, I hardly stopped to eat I was in such a hurry,” he said and took a huge bite of bread as he leaned against a table. Merwenna smiled and went back to her chores. That night at dinner, Rolf asked her, “Where is Brunhilde?” Merwenna stopped chewing. “I assumed she was with you. I have not seen her since you left.” “I never intended to take her with me and if she followed me, I did not know it. Nor did I see her anywhere in our encampment. I hope nothing has happened to her,” he said, concern in his voice. “I do not mean to pry Rolf, but is it possible she is with someone else?” Merwenna asked delicately. “Nay, she was my bed slave, no man would encroach on that. Any man could buy her from me but to take her without permission or payment would be stealing,” he answered. “In the morning, I will search the surrounding countryside in case she has been hurt. There is nothing to be done now that the sun is down.” “I will have the servants help you,” she offered and he accepted with thanks. The next day after several hours of searching, Rolf returned to Chippenham emptyhanded. “She has either run off or been taken,” he said grimly. “Erik is expecting me so I can do nothing more. If she returns please send me word. After the baptism we will be back and I can find out what happened.” Merwenna nodded and saw him off. The only good thing about Rolf leaving was that it brought her one day closer to seeing Erik again and sharing with him her joyous news. Somehow she got through the next days, until it was finally the night before Erik might return. As she readied for bed that night, she prayed that this time tomorrow Erik would be with her so they could celebrate the coming child. He had told her he wanted a child but when faced with the imminent arrival of one, she hoped he still felt that way. Then she silently berated herself. Erik had been nothing if not forthright with her. He would be happy. Merwenna woke out of a sound sleep to the feel of hands across her mouth and nose. Erik? Nay, these hands were far from the gentle ones of her husband. She immediately began to struggle to free herself but then realized there were more hands tying a rope around her ankles. Where was Harald who usually slept just outside her door? When the unseen hands hauled her from bed and half walked, half carried her across the room, her feet stepped in something wet and she smelled blood. They must have done something to Harald. She choked back a sob and one of them hit her soundly on the head.

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***** When the festivities and ceremonies were finally over and Erik could turn his horse’s head toward Chippenham and Merwenna, he felt better. He had chafed at being apart from her and he considered the past two weeks to be a perfect waste of his time. The posturing, the vague words which had more than one meaning or none at all, promises that no one intended to keep—he did not know how Guthrum could stomach any of it. For Erik, an honest and straightforward life with Merwenna was all he desired. She was just two days’ ride away, one if he went on without his men but that was not to be. Guthrum retired from the proceedings with dignity and refused to hurry his forces. Erik had decided during the course of this past few weeks that Alfred was not the only triumphant king. Guthrum had wrested a victory of sorts from this war in that the Danes could now settle in East Anglia, where they already had a significant presence and be unmolested and unchallenged. Alfred had legitimized their claim to the land they had already taken and Guthrum was recognized as its king, the Christian king Aethalstan even if only in title. The army moved incredibly slowly, encumbered as it was by wagons of supplies and soldiers mostly on foot. Erik wanted to spur his horse to fly over the countryside and bring him closer to Merwenna but duty bound him to lead the army at Guthrum’s side. He seemed to read Erik’s mind. “You will be there tomorrow,” he said with a smile. “At least you return to your wife. My Freya is still in East Anglia.” “You have Gerta, your bed slave. Is she no longer to your liking?” “She is a bed slave not a wife. You should know the difference now that you have a wife of your own.” “Aye, I know. If a few years ago you had tried to convince me of the difference, though, I probably would have laughed in your face.” “How well I know that,” Guthrum said emphatically. “You were ever one to go your own way Erik, but it has brought you much success. I noticed the Saxons staring at you, perhaps they were waiting for you to erupt and slaughter them.” “It does no harm for them to fear me. From what I have seen of Saxons, they are furtive and not to be trusted. At least our hostility is honest and plain to see, not cloaked by smiles, words and false hand clasps.” “What a long speech! It sounds as if you have been preparing that for a long time.” Erik leaned from his saddle and punched Guthrum’s arm nearest to him. “All I mean is that the more they fear me…us…the less likely they will be to break the treaty. You have what you want, Brother, the chance to go back to Freya and hang up your sword.”

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“You make it sound like I am a sere old man waiting to bounce grandchildren on my knee.” Guthrum laughed and had to steady his horse which was not used to the sound. “You try my patience,” Erik growled. “It was you who longingly talked of raising crops and rearing children, if I remember correctly.” “Aye, brother, I did that. And now you will find out about that yourself. I am looking forward to being an uncle and Freya will be more than happy to be an aunt. No doubt she will say it is long overdue.” “No doubt she will say many things. I hope she will not hold it against Merwenna that she is a Saxon.” “That is hardly Freya’s way. You have been so long alone I cannot think of a single person who would fault you for marrying Merwenna.” “I can think of more than one, Bjorr and Brunhilde. And let us not forget Alfred.” “One a sorry excuse for a soldier and the other a scorned bed slave. Alfred, well, he deserves no consideration at all, he is a king who, if he values his reputation as much as I think he does, will not stoop to any retaliation.” “Aye but I would keep my eye on them all.” When they stopped that night, Rolf sought him out. “I did not mention it before because it seemed insignificant but when I went to Chippenham I inquired about Brunhilde but she is gone.” “Gone? Where?” Erik asked, concerned because Rolf seemed to be. “Merwenna said she thought Brunhilde followed me but I could find no evidence of this.” “Who would harm or take her?” Erik said. “Everyone knows she is yours. If another man wanted her he could buy her from you.” “That is what I told Merwenna. I still intend to search further when we reach Chippenham but I bring it up to you for one reason. Bjorr also seems to have disappeared.” “Bjorr! When did you realize this?” The simple conversation had turned instantly ominous for him. “This morning when we were making ready to leave. Erik, these are two people who would hurt you if they could. Do you think they are somehow together and plotting?” “Bjorr I could easily believe to be working against me, but Brunhilde? I remember how angry she was when I gave her to you but I thought she got over it. Have you not treated her right?” “She is a bed slave and that is how I use her. What more should there be?” “Nothing,” Erik admitted. “I do not know what to think. Perhaps when we arrive at Chippenham Merwenna will have some news of her.”

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The next morning they had just begun traveling when a lone rider galloped toward them. As soon as Erik recognized Ragnar he clenched his teeth, something must be very wrong for Ragnar to meet them on the road. Erik rode out to intercept him, leaving the rest of the army behind. “Why are you here?” he demanded when they were close enough to speak. “Lady Merwenna is gone, Harald is dead,” Ragnar said quickly. He had trouble keeping his horse in control and Erik guessed it was Ragnar’s own fear that affected the animal. “How did this happen?” His whole body tensed and he resisted the impulse to knock Ragnar off his horse—he was after all only the messenger. “Someone slit Harald’s throat and carried her off without any of us hearing. We know no more than that.” “Did you overdo the ale last night?” Erik asked ominously. “No more than usual,” Ragnar said defensively. “Have you searched for her?” “The men were doing so when I left. We thought it best to bring the news to you as quickly as possible.” “Wait here for me. I will accompany you to Chippenham.” He wheeled his horse around and approached Guthrum. “Someone has taken Merwenna,” he said quickly. “I must ride on ahead and help search for her before they take her very far.” “Who would do such a thing, Erik?” Guthrum asked, his brow furrowed. “I do not know who actually took her but I am willing to wager it was at Alfred’s order.” “For what purpose? I should think he would scorn her as having been spoiled by a Dane,” Guthrum said sarcastically. “He is obsessed with her and at the same time terrified she will hurt his reputation. I only hope I can get her back before he has her. They have a head start on us.” “Go Erik and may Odin be with you,” Guthrum said. “Don’t you mean God, brother?” Erik asked with a grim smile and turned his horse back toward Ragnar. The two men urged their horses to a gallop and reached Chippenham just in time to meet a search party returning to the fortress. Erik reined in his horse so hard it reared onto its hind legs. “What news?” he demanded. “Peasants over that hill saw a man and two women riding away from Chippenham at dawn, headed south toward Edington.” “Bjorr and Brunhilde,” he said under his breath, “but why Edington?” “What did you say, Erik?” “Nothing. I will stop at Chippenham only long enough to change mounts. I am going to follow them.” “They have hours of lead time.”

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“All the more reason for me to prepare swiftly. Ragnar, choose five men to accompany you and follow me as soon as you can and make sure the men are not friends of Bjorr’s. They were headed for Edington but I believe their real goal is Athelney.” “What does Bjorr have to do with this?” “He intends to deliver her to Alfred, you fool!” Erik said in his battle voice. “Do not waste time! Do as I command!” In what seemed like hours but was really less than one Erik was on the road, cantering in the direction the captors had taken. Erik kept thinking that over the next hill he would catch sight of them but he never did. Just before he reached Edington he saw what he thought was a body lying by the side of the road. As he got closer he could see it was female and his heart clenched. He dismounted and approached the body and could still see the rise and fall of the chest. Brunhilde was alive though she had been stabbed several times. Erik knelt beside her and called her name. Her eyes fluttered, then opened and when she saw it was him she feebly tried to back away from him. “Be still,” he said calmly and took her arm. “Tell me where they went.” “Why should I?” she whispered. “You gave me away to have her. Now you know what it feels like to lose that which you most cherish.” “You were my bed slave. She is my wife. The two are not the same.” “You could have freed me and made me your wife but you never thought to ask. I have loved you since the first time you took me.” Erik shook his head. “And I have loved her since before I saw her. Tell me where they went.” “Nay, I’ll not help you reunite,” and she tried to spit at him but her mouth was too dry. “You are dying slowly and most painfully,” he said grimly. “I will be swift and merciful to you if you tell me where they went.” She licked her lips with her dry tongue. “We were to take her to Athelney where Alfred will be waiting.” “Why did Bjorr do this to you?” “He did not want to share what the king was willing to pay for her.” “Yet you are now sharing the payment I will mete out to him.” She winced in pain. “You said you would be merciful,” she whined. “And so I shall be,” he said and stood up, pulled the sword from his belt and swiftly dispatched her. He left her body to the carrion eaters and turned his horse westward, toward Athelney.

*****

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For Merwenna it was a nerve-racking ride that began in the blackest hour of the night. She was kept sideways on the man’s horse but she could not see his face—he wore a helmet. The woman wore a veil so her face too was concealed but Merwenna could tell she was unused to riding—she kept grasping her horse’s mane to steady herself. Merwenna could think of no reason for her kidnapping except that Alfred wanted her and she trembled at the thought of seeing the king again without Erik there to protect her. At dawn they stopped to break their fast and Merwenna saw that her captors were Bjorr and Brunhilde. “Erik will kill you for this,” she told Bjorr. “What did you do to Harald?” “Slit his throat while he slept. Your feet are still covered with his blood. As for Erik killing me? Only if he finds me,” Bjorr boasted. “A pity I cannot show you what it means to be taken by a real Dane—Alfred wants you untouched. But you can watch while Brunhilde sees to my needs, you might learn something.” “You pig!” she said, wishing her hands were free so she could scratch out his eyes. Bjorr only laughed. Then he told Brunhilde, “Take her into those trees so the two of you can piss. I want no whining about needing to stop.” Brunhilde untied Merwenna’s bindings and pushed her into the trees. As the two women relieved themselves, Merwenna talked to Brunhilde. “Erik will kill you when he learns of your part in this. If you help me overcome Bjorr, I will tell him and he will be merciful. I will make sure of it.” “You will do nothing,” Brunhilde said shortly. “I care not what Erik does, I only want him to suffer without the woman he loves,” she sneered the last word and her eyes flashed at Merwenna. “He will never take you back,” Merwenna said desperately. “Has Rolf mistreated you? I could persuade Erik to give you to someone else, someone you fancy.” Both women had finished and lowered their skirts and now Brunhilde slapped Merwenna across the face so hard she fell to the ground. “Shut your mouth, you Saxon whore. I would kill you but Alfred is paying handsomely to have you back. The sooner he gets you the better.” Merwenna came up fighting, grabbed Brunhilde by the hair and pulled hard. She yelped in surprise and pain and reached for Merwenna’s hair but Merwenna balled her fist and hit Brunhilde on the jaw with all her pent-up anger and fear. The other woman went down in a heap and Merwenna jumped on top, the blows she rained on Brunhilde’s head not powerful but they kept the other woman down. Bjorr lifted her roughly off Brunhilde and flung her to the side, then had to toss Brunhilde in the opposite direction so she could not get at Merwenna. Both women were breathing hard and Bjorr laughed. “I wish Erik could see you now, delicate Saxon lady,” he scoffed, “you scuffle like a Dane.” Then to Brunhilde, “If this happens again I will kill you.” Bjorr pushed Merwenna back to the clearing where he hauled her onto his horse and sat firmly behind, his ironlike arm around her waist. Before long she felt his

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erection and she almost vomited onto the horse’s neck. They rode until late in the afternoon and then made camp. After Bjorr sent them into the trees again, he grabbed Brunhilde, bent her over while lifting her skirts and rammed his cock into her from behind. Once he was done, he pushed her away and approached Merwenna. For a moment she was afraid he would take her next but he only bound her hands and feet, then gave her a crust of bread and hunk of cheese to eat as best she could. Finally, he threw a filthy blanket over her and she lay down on the hard ground, wishing with all her heart that Erik was somehow near, that he would magically come out of the wood and save her, but he did not. In the middle of the night a shrill scream woke her. She opened her eyes to see Bjorr mounting Brunhilde from behind—but why was the woman screaming? Surely such a well-used bed slave would not feel so much pain? When Bjorr finished and withdrew, she saw blood and brown matter on his cock and she realized with horror that he had not been in her womanly passage. It reminded her of Alfred. Her stomach churned and she turned her head to spew vomit across the dirt, retching and coughing. Bjorr laughed. “Consider yourself lucky that you are not next,” he said, cleaning himself with a dirty cloth. “I would dearly love to ram your noble Saxon back passage, see if it is as tight and satisfying as Brunhilde’s.” Merwenna was trembling so violently her teeth chattered. As he settled down to sleep and Brunhilde hobbled off to the stream to clean herself, Merwenna wept silently and for the first time in her life she wished to die. Then she thought of her baby, tucked safely beneath her heart and she knew her death would mean his as well. She could not bear the thought of Erik’s child dying because of what Bjorr and Brunhilde had done. The next morning Bjorr woke her and Brunhilde and sent them to do what they needed to do. When she and Brunhilde returned, Bjorr was ready with his dagger and stabbed Brunhilde again and again until she lay dying on the ground. “Why did you do that?” Merwenna demanded, her heart aching at the sight of the other woman’s bloodied body even though Brunhilde had always hated her. “She is no longer of use to me and Alfred’s reward is not enough to share. Enough talk!” They were on the road shortly after that. At least she was tied to Brunhilde’s horse instead of riding in front of Bjorr. She did not think she could stand the feel of his erect manhood again without being sick. When they entered the marshes, Merwenna knew she was being taken to Athelney. The fortress was quite an imposing one considering it had been built so recently. The walls were wood but there was a stone great hall in its center. Her heart pounded as they got closer. Soon she would be at the mercy of her godfather. When they entered the bailey, Bjorr lifted her off her horse and untied her bindings. Soldiers were waiting to take charge of her and she was brought immediately to Alfred

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in the great hall. He patted the empty chair beside him and said in a honeyed voice, “Come sit by me, my dear, and let us discuss your future.” Merwenna regarded him in what she hoped was a scornful manner while all the while her heart beat wildly in her chest. “My future is with Erik and does not concern you. Did I not make that clear the last time we met?” she asked with a calmness she did not feel. “It is my duty to arrange a suitable future for you, Merwenna,” Alfred said patiently, as if to a child. “You are an orphan now and I am your only guardian.” “I need no guardian,” she said through clenched teeth. “I am a married woman expecting my first child. Is that not what you wanted for me, godfather?” His face betrayed no surprise that she was with child. “Not with a Dane. Nay, I think we can find someone more suitable who will appreciate your charm as a widow who enjoys the favor of the king. Once your child is delivered you will be married to a proper Saxon who will conveniently prefer to remain at home. Then you will join my court, travel with me as my dear goddaughter.” Her hands covered her abdomen automatically, the word “widow” reverberating in her mind. “You will not harm my child,” she said ominously. “It is a sin against God to harm a child,” he said piously. “Nay, when the child comes I will foster it to someone I trust, who will rear it to be a faithful Christian servant.” A soldier interrupted her reply. “He intercepted Bjorr leaving the fortress, just as you said, Sire.” “Excellent! How predictable your Dane is, Merwenna,” Alfred said coldly. “Let us go to the battlements to watch him fight for his life.” Merwenna accompanied Alfred to the battlements, his fingertips lightly against her back even though she tried to move away. The summer sun was bright and for a moment she was blinded. But Alfred pointed to a spot outside the fortress where two men were fighting. She recognized Erik by his size. After he had literally slaughtered Bjorr in his tracks, the soldiers swarmed over him and finally subdued him. As they rode him toward the fortress, shackled and helpless, Alfred held her fast in his arms and, despite her struggling, kissed her on the mouth, a hand on her breast. When he let her go, Erik was gone, presumably inside the bailey. Merwenna hit Alfred then, with all the pent-up hurt and rage of the months since he had last touched her. He stood his ground and placed his fingertips to his cheek. “Before I find you a husband I shall have to teach you some manners, my dear,” he said and motioned for the soldiers to bring Merwenna and follow him.

***** Erik wanted to continue traveling through the night but his horse needed rest and, if he was to be honest, he did as well. He resigned himself to the fact that she was with

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Alfred right now, that he would have to take her from Athelney by force, perhaps even wrest her out of Alfred’s very arms. It was not a pleasant thought but even more unpleasant was the thought of how Merwenna would react if Alfred put his hands on her. She had come so far from the frightened, skittish girl he had first met and he hated the thought of the damage Alfred might do to her mind and spirit. He spent the night counting the stars, praying to whatever god could hear him that Merwenna would be safe. He was surprised when he woke to bright sunlight reaching through the tree branches—he had thought he would be awake all night. Erik remembered from his earlier trip to Athelney that the town of Aller lay between him and the fortress, so he set off slightly south to avoid the town, then north into the marshes. He got as close as he could to the fortress and stopped in a stand of trees where he was concealed reasonably well. He needed a plan. Then movement caught his eye and he turned, spying a lone horse coming from the fortress. He literally saw red as he recognized the rider and his horse bolted forward in answer to his pounding heels. Bjorr spotted him as soon as he broke from the trees and Erik leaned closer to his horse’s neck so the animal could pick up more speed and close the distance between himself and Bjorr swiftly. As Erik rode up he pulled his sword from its scabbard, let forth his battle cry and vaulted off the horse just as Bjorr’s horse reared and Bjorr fell off. Bjorr was on his feet in a flash, his sword at the ready. “Where is Merwenna?” he demanded but he already knew the answer. “With her liege lord,” Bjorr said triumphantly. “He is probably fucking her right now.” “I should have killed you long ago,” Erik said in disgust and lunged forward to engage Bjorr in combat. Their swords met but Erik was stronger and Bjorr was forced to step back. Bjorr drew his sword back in an effort to unbalance Erik, then thrust at him from another angle but Erik was able to deflect his move. “You never learned anything I taught you,” Erik growled as he and Bjorr moved back and forth, each jostling for dominance until Bjorr finally lay sprawled in the dirt, Erik pressing the tip of his sword to the other man’s throat. “Did you touch her?” “Nay, I swear to you by Odin’s beard I did not.” “And why should I believe a lying cur like you?” Bjorr was up again, his sword raised. “She is his. If I touched her he would kill me. She belongs to Alfred, he told me so. He will never stop trying to get her back. He does not even care that she bears your bastard child.” At the word bastard, Erik felt the bloodlust overtake him again and he swung the sword, catching Bjorr in the side of the neck. Blood spurted and the sight only fueled his need to see more. As Bjorr fell slowly to the ground, Erik buried his sword in the lifeless body over and over again, reveling in the thrust of the blade into flesh. When he finally stopped he could hardly tell that it was Bjorr he had killed, so mutilated was the corpse.

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By that time, soldiers from the fortress had reached him, swarming over him and holding him down. He roared in anger, how could he have fallen for such an obvious ploy? He fought them with every ounce of strength he could summon and was glad when five of them fell to his blazing sword but their numbers overwhelmed him and soon he felt ankle and wrist irons clamped onto to his extremities. The soldiers lifted him to sit sideways on his horse and took him to the fortress. When Erik looked up at the battlements he saw Alfred with Merwenna at his side and as he watched Alfred kissed her long and deep.

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Chapter Eleven Merwenna sat stiffly beside Alfred at the high table in the great hall, drinking from her golden goblet of wine but unable to touch the food Alfred had placed on the trencher they shared. They were the only ones at the high table, the rest of the diners were Alfred’s soldiers and their followers. Athelney had not been built to be a royal residence but rather a place for Alfred to plan his wars and train his troops. She watched in disgust as the soldiers bent the women back onto the tables and took them. The Danes in the alcoves at Chippenham seemed chaste and pure in comparison. “You must eat my dear, or the child you carry will suffer.” She was furious that he somehow knew about her condition even before she told him. When she did not answer, he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand then twined his fingers in her long, unbound hair. “I like it better this way, it is so beautiful it should not be confined or covered.” “Why did you bring me here?” she finally asked through clenched teeth. “You cannot think Erik will just let me go.” “I think he will but if not he will die.” “You have tried before to kill him, you have not succeeded.” “I am more determined this time.” “What do you intend to do with me?” “I am going to keep the promise I made you last year, to find you a suitable husband now that the Danish situation is under control.” “I already have a husband,” she pointed out to him, finishing her wine and slamming the goblet down onto the table top. “I am continually surprised at your temper Merwenna. You were never so violent before you took up with your Danish bastard.” She lifted a hand to slap him but he caught her wrist and twisted it. “Your father is turning in his grave to see you so disrespectful to your king.” “If he turns in his grave it is because you have your hands on me,” she spat, pulling her hand loose. “During the last months of his life he often said he would like to kill you himself.” “He must have believed your lies, then. It does not matter now for once you are part of my court you will be under my control.” Merwenna could just imagine the kind of control Alfred would exert, he would beat her if he felt she needed it, which would probably be often. He would certainly rape her. There might be children. Her desperate thoughts turned to dying once again. “I

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was married in the Saxon church. Erik is my husband in the eyes of our god,” she said, hoping that he might listen if she tried to be more reasonable. “Marriages are annulled all the time my sweet. It will be no hindrance. Now I insist that you eat something.” He watched as she picked up a morsel of meat from the trencher then chewed and swallowed. It stuck in her throat and she coughed. “I have prepared a lovely chamber for your use while you are here, Merwenna. I hope it suits you.” “Nothing here will ever suit me,” she said, “why do you not believe that?” “Because you are confused. It is my duty as your godfather to return you to the Saxon fold. I have only your best interests at heart. That has been the case since the day you were born.” “Then why did you touch me?” she asked, not wanting to succumb to tears but unable to stop them rolling down her cheeks. “What did I do to so enflame your desire that you had to take me?” When he said nothing, she cast about in her mind for something that would make him understand how impossible it was for him to have her, something other than Erik. “And Elswith, what will she think if you persist with this madness? What about your daughters and Elswith’s unborn child?” His face remained impassive and she wanted to reach out and rake her nails down his cheeks, opening up the barely healed scars from her attack during the treaty negotiation. “If you continue raving on about your sick fantasies I will lock you up,” he said with deadly menace in his voice. “I think you should go to your chamber now,” and he signaled one of his biggest and most burly retainers to accompany her. There were bars on the windows and a stout lock on the door of the chamber. It was furnished very tastefully with a fine bed and costly linens, as well as two carved wooden chairs, a table and a chest full of women’s clothing. For all its beauty, Merwenna knew it was just as much a prison cell as the room in the cellar of Chippenham. She lay down on the bed and gave herself up to despair, crying until she fell into fitful sleep, her stern and silent guard the only witness.

***** Erik woke in almost complete darkness and with a terrible headache. The last thing he remembered was a blow on the head before being thrown into this place. He rubbed the prominent bump gingerly and tried to determine exactly where he was. A single torch illuminated a small circle of the stone floor, a fetid pisspot just visible beneath it. Elsewhere in the room unseen creatures rustled about and one ran across his foot. And then Bjorr’s words came back to him, “bastard child.” Did he know for a fact that Merwenna was with child or had he been trying to goad Erik? Surely she would have told him. But whether or not there was a child coming, he must get to her—she was somewhere in this fortress. He ran his hands across the damp wall until he found a wooden door, locked from the outside as he expected. His sword and dagger were both gone but he used his 128

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fingers to test the door hinges, they appeared solid. The actual construction of the door included leather straps that held the wooden planks in place but before he could explore further the door was unlocked and rough hands pulled him from the room. The irons were placed on his legs and wrists again, as well as a leather collar around his neck, making it difficult for him to walk when the chain attached to the collar was pulled by one of his escort soldiers. He felt like a dog on a tether. Alfred was thoroughly determined to humiliate him even if he did not intend to kill him. As he was pulled along his eyes were everywhere, gauging the strength of doors, the size of window slits and the weapons of the guards. There was a clue to escaping this fortress and he was determined to find it. Erik was taken to the solar where Alfred waited. Merwenna was nowhere in sight. He stood silently, refusing to pay homage to this man who had caused Merwenna so much pain. Instead he looked down his nose at him as if he was not shackled and at Alfred’s mercy. “What do you want, Alfred?” he asked quietly with no hint of respect in his voice. “If you continue to insult me you will regret it. The lives of Merwenna and your unborn child are here in my hands,” Alfred said, holding out his opened right palm. Erik looked up and saw smug satisfaction on Alfred’s face. “So you did not know,” he said. “I ask you again,” Erik said without acknowledging Alfred’s words, “what do you want?” He willed himself not to think of Merwenna being with child, it would distract him so he could not puzzle through how to rescue her and save them both. Alfred sighed. “I will grant you safe passage back to Guthrum to resume your life as you knew it before Merwenna. She will stay here with me. At a suitable time after the child is born she will marry a Saxon of my choice as befits her status as my goddaughter. The child will be raised in the Christian manner. You will renounce all claim to her and the child.” “That I will never do, so perhaps you should kill me now.” If Merwenna was lost to him he did not want to live but he was also unwilling to surrender without a fight, especially now that he knew about the child, their child created in love. No fortress was entirely impregnable just as no man was altogether good or evil. “Killing you might be personally satisfying to me but your brother would take issue with it, not to mention Merwenna. It will take time for you to fade from her memory but all I have is time now that we have signed the peace. As for you, Guthrum can deal with you. He will not appreciate any rebellion you might display.” Alfred finished whatever he was drinking and motioned to a servant to refill his cup and provide one to Erik. “Forgive me for not offering earlier.” Erik watched as the servant poured wine from the same pitcher into both cups then he waited while Alfred drank. When he saw no sign of poison in the king, he held the cup in his tightly shackled hands and drank the undiluted wine. “This talk is pointless, Alfred. You will do as you must, as will I. You and I both know you fucked Merwenna

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against her will, took her virginity then left her to die. If you let us go no one will ever hear of it. If you do not, my brother will certainly see that the tale gets about. Even a rumor that seems unbelievable at first, gains credibility with each telling.” A flicker of anger sparked in Alfred’s eyes. “Guthrum would not dare.” “You do not know him as I do. When all he knew was that you left Merwenna and her father to our mercy he wished to expose your conduct just to humiliate you.” “This is over,” Alfred said. He drank another cup of wine quickly and placed his goblet on the table. “I regret to say you will both have to die. A pity about your child, is it not, to learn of its existence the day before it will die?” “I thought you did not wish to offend my brother.” “The woods here are full of outlaws, you are sure to meet with an unfortunate and fatal encounter there.” Alfred approached Erik and patted him on the cheek and Erik spat in his face. Alfred erupted into rage, punching Erik until he fell over, then kicking Erik in the stomach and back, yelling “Filthy Dane bastard” in rhythm with the kicks. Erik was finally able to seize Alfred’s ankles and upend him and the king landed hard on his buttocks. Both men looked at each other, breathing heavily. “Take him back to the cellar,” Alfred ordered harshly and slowly got up off the floor. As they took him limping from the solar Erik was careful to note the position of the door into the great room and the numbers of soldiers milling about. There were not as many as he had thought and this heartened him. If he could escape from the cellar he could free Merwenna, even though he had no idea where Alfred was keeping her. He knew his best chance was in the middle of the night when even those on guard duty might be too sleepy to notice them. Back in his stone room he ran his hands over his body to make sure Alfred had caused no permanent damage. He was sore, his face throbbed but his ribs were sound. He then turned his attention to the door and found that in one of the straps binding the door there was a flaw, a frayed part. Now he used his teeth and fingernails to increase the size of the flaw. Finally the leather strap gave way and Erik was able to dismantle the door enough to free himself. He stopped for a moment in case there should be a sentry posted outside the door and there was, a bearded giant of a man who was dead drunk, the empty wineskin in his lap. Erik quickly twisted the man’s head to one side until he heard the neck snap. He took the man’s dagger, shoved it in his belt and moved on. He cautiously made his way down the corridor that was only a little lighter than his room had been. He remembered steps at the end of it and soon came upon them. Taking each step softly and one at a time he was soon at the door that led into the rest of the hall. Warily he pushed it open, expecting it to be bolted but it was not. Alfred must have felt his giant was enough to keep Erik contained. He knew Alfred would be in his solar and hoped Merwenna would not be with him but he crossed the great hall full of snoring bodies and cautiously opened the door anyway. By the light of the fire Erik saw only one body in the bed and it was bearded,

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Alfred slept alone. Directly behind the solar was a set of stairs that led to the second floor. Erik mounted the stairs, expecting to meet someone at any moment. It was eerie how no one in the hall stirred but he was thankful for this. There were only two rooms on the second floor and one contained all the women of the fortress except Merwenna. He left quickly before any could wake and see him and headed to the second door. It was locked but Erik used the tip of the dagger to manipulate the lock into opening. Merwenna was tied to the bed with ropes and a guard sat just inside the door but Erik quickly saw that he had fallen asleep sitting up. He broke this man’s neck as well and took his sword and cloak. The noise did not wake Merwenna so he placed a hand gently over her mouth before coaxing her awake. She woke fighting him but he was able to calm her before she made too much noise. When she saw it was him she stifled a sob and clung to his neck as best she could, still bound by the ropes. “Erik, I knew you would come my love but the guard…” “Dead,” he whispered. He took a moment to kiss her and stroke her hair gently, then turned his attention to the ropes. Eventually he was able to undo them but time was swiftly becoming a problem. He had no way of knowing how close it was to dawn and they must be well away before then. “We must go to the battlements,” he whispered to her and she quickly put on her kirtle and shoes and led the way. He took with them the ropes that had bound her, his plan forming as they went. He could not risk going down to the bailey. There were sure to be soldiers about and no doubt the gate was securely closed. That meant they would have to go over the wall from the battlements and escape on foot instead of horseback. He was confident they could find horses in the surrounding countryside. The most dangerous time would be from the moment they climbed over the wall until they reached the relative safety of the forest. He tied the end of one of the ropes to a protruding piece of brick then tied all the ropes together as securely as he could and flung them over the side of the wall. He could not see how close the rope came to the ground but they had few choices at this point—there was no other way out. He pushed her arms more tightly around his neck and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Do not let go no matter what happens,” he whispered to her. She nodded, her brown eyes wide and fearful. He grasped the rope in his hands and climbed over the battlements and hung there for only a moment before lowering himself down the rope, hand over hand. Merwenna stubbornly clung to his neck though she was breathing heavily with the effort. By the time they got to the end of the rope there was still quite a bit of space between them and the ground but Erik held Merwenna fast and launched himself backward. He hit the ground on his back with a thud, his body breaking her fall, Merwenna on top. “Are you all right?” he asked, ignoring stabs of pain where Alfred had assaulted him earlier. She stood up and brushed off her clothing. “Aye, Erik. We must hurry though, when Alfred finds us gone he may well order us killed.”

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“He has done that already,” Erik said and told her quickly about his earlier meeting with Alfred while they crossed the open meadow in the direction of the forest. Dawn was breaking in the eastern sky when they came upon a clearing that had been crudely fenced in to hold several horses. Erik was able to catch one by its rope halter and took the halter off another to fashion reins. He lifted Merwenna to sit sideways on the horse then mounted behind her, securing her legs over his thigh so she was sitting in his lap. “I can ride on my own,” she protested. “I think it will be safer for you to ride in this manner rather than astride, safer for the child.” He placed his hand against her abdomen and she blushed. “I am sorry you had to hear it from Alfred instead of me.” “It was Bjorr who told me but I did not believe it until Alfred said it as well.” “I wish I knew some way to stop him wanting me. I feel as if we will never be safe.” “We will find a safe place. But right now it is important for us to move, he may already know we are gone.” He started the horse at a trot, worried that every bounce would hurt their child. After a time he relaxed slightly because Merwenna appeared to suffer no pain or discomfort. They did not stop until late in the day in order to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Alfred. Erik chose a small clearing that contained a cave where they could build a fire and spend the night. “We need food,” he told her, “especially for you.“

***** Merwenna felt as if in a dream state from the moment Erik woke her. Their mad climb over the wall, the frantic dash to the forest, the horse and the steady ride afterward and now the clearing and the safety of the cave. It was all a little unreal to her and yet when she reached out Erik was flesh and blood, her beloved had come for her just as she had prayed. She remembered standing on the battlements watching Erik slaughter Bjorr and she wondered why she did not feel more repulsed. He had shown her firsthand why the Saxons so feared the Danes and yet he had never treated her with anything other than love and respect. Perhaps she was glad that Bjorr was dead. After all he had killed Harald and abducted her, then handed her over to Alfred. His betrayal of Erik warranted nothing less than he received. She recalled the rape of Brunhilde and the brutal skirmish with the Saxon raiders that she witnessed from the battlements. Perhaps she had become what Alfred accused her of, a Dane. Strangely enough she did not care. The world was full of people who abused others, even killing them, and men fought wars all the time, unceasingly it seemed to her. She and her child could not count on the loving kindness of anyone unless it was guaranteed by a man like Erik—strong, decisive and resourceful. He had made her feel safe within the walls of Chippenham but this daring rescue took her breath away. As long as she was with Erik she and her child would be safe.

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When they finally stopped for the night her bladder was near bursting and she immediately headed for the nearest copse of bushes. Erik followed her. “I only need a moment or two and I will join you,” she said desperately. “I will not let you out of my sight. Do you think I do not know that you piss and shit? Do what you must but I am not moving.” Since he would not turn away from her, she turned her back to him, did what she had to do in rather copious amounts and turned back to face him. “I did not like that at all,” she said angrily. “It did not stop you doing it though, did it?” he asked and she seriously thought about slapping him. “If it will make you feel better, you can watch me,” he said, then pulled his cock from his braies and shot a powerful stream of urine across the forest floor, sighing in satisfied release. He put his cock back in his braies and looked at her. This was a new and strange kind of intimacy for her. She had seen people from afar using the middens that ringed Chippenham but this was so much more personal. The fact that they could do this in front of one another made her feel closer than ever to Erik. “Are you all right now?” he asked. “Aye,” she said in a soft voice. “It seems to be my fate to do with you that which I have never done before.” “You have never witnessed a man relieving himself?” he asked in shock. “Not so deliberately, nay. As you know it was the one thing my father would not allow me to do for him and I think now all our men at Chippenham took care to do it when I was not around. Inside the fortress we had the urine pots and the garderobe so it was a private activity.” “It is how we are made, Merwenna. We must let out the waste or we will die.” “Aye,” she said and kissed him. They returned to the cave and he built up a fire until it was blazing. Erik set about using the dagger to sharpen the tips of several tree branches before he was ready to go. “I will try for fish instead of hare,” he said, “I think I will have more success and you must eat sooner rather than later. Come with me.” He took the time to kiss her hungrily before they set out for the nearby stream. He was right. He caught three good-sized fish and they returned to the cave. The fish tasted better than anything she had ever eaten or perhaps she was just hungry. But following soon after was the even better experience of Erik wrapping her in his body against the chill of the night, the dead soldier’s cloak covering them. In the dark moments of her abduction she had thought she would never be close to him again and she would have chosen death rather than face that future. He woke her at dawn, his hands firmly on her breasts, his hard cock nested in her buttocks. “I do not wish to hurt the baby, Merwenna but I have been wanting you since I found you at Athelney. I almost took you right there in that bed.”

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“That is why you did not touch me last night? It may not be safe closer to the birthing time but I think it will be all right now. Just give me a moment,” she begged, wanting him beyond all reason but unable to ignore the call of nature. “Aye,” he said and rose to accompany her. It was easier this second time she had to void in his presence, mostly because he did the same. When they returned to their cave, Alfred was waiting for them sword in hand, his horse lathered and breathing hard. “You did not think I would let you go, did you Merwenna?” Erik immediately placed himself between her and the king and reached for the sword near their makeshift bed. “Alfred, leave us be!” she cried, “I no longer care what you did. It is over!” As Alfred continued to wave his sword about, she backed away from the two men. “I cannot let you go!” he cried and lunged for Erik with his drawn sword and metal met metal with a loud thwack. Erik towered over Alfred and easily pushed him away but Alfred continued his attack, the swords ringing out with each blow. Erik held him off, parrying the king’s thrusts almost lazily, refusing to go on the attack until Alfred did a little sidestep and his sword pierced Erik’s thigh. “I do not want to kill you, Alfred,” Erik said, then smashed the flat of his sword against the side of Alfred’s head. The king was momentarily stunned but recovered quickly. “Where are your men?” “I rode on without them, I thought you might come this way.” The king was wildeyed and desperate, still trading blows with Erik. “You must give her back to me so I can…fulfill my obligation to her as her godfather.” “I renounce you!” she screamed at him. “You are nothing to me now!” “Please Merwenna, please,” he begged. “I need you!” Erik put an end to the contest by overpowering Alfred with ease. He then tied him to the trunk of a nearby tree. “Your men will find you soon. Your life is more than you deserve but I give it you to please my wife,” he told the king. Just then, Ragnar rode into the clearing with five Danes behind him. At the sight of Erik with his sword drawn, they all drew theirs and leaped from their horses. “Stand down,” Erik ordered sternly. “This is done. Alfred will keep ’til his men find him and we are well away.” He mounted his horse and pulled Merwenna up to sit before him. They left Alfred still tied to the tree, weeping piteously. She would have enjoyed the day’s ride more if she did not feel Alfred’s men were waiting for them around every bend. Every copse of trees seemed to shelter assassins. She said nothing of her fears to Erik but when they sighted the walls of the fortress she breathed a sigh of relief. As they approached she heard the cry from the battlements, “Erik and Merwenna! They have escaped! They are coming! Open the gates!”

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Saxons and Danes alike gathered in the bailey to welcome them. She couldn’t help crying because during the worst of it, she thought she might never see this place again. Merwenna was sure that Alfred would try again to take her or perhaps this time to kill her but not just yet. It would be like him to lull them into feeling secure before he came at them again. Right now, however, she just luxuriated in being home. Guthrum embraced her warmly. “Emma told me about the child, I am very happy for both of you,” he told her. “For a time I was afraid I would not live to have the child,” she admitted. “Your brother overwhelmed me with his courage.” Guthrum chuckled. “He has been overwhelming me in the same way for years. He was ten when he bested his trainer at swordplay and I know the man did not allow him to win. He has commanded my army since he was sixteen, the men follow wherever he goes and he is absolutely fearless in battle. In fact, I have never known him to fear anything except where you are concerned.” Elfreda was waiting in her room. “Lady Merwenna, I am so glad to see you safe.” Merwenna embraced her. “And I am sorry about Harald. He was a good man.” Tears filled Elfreda’s eyes. “I am glad Erik killed Bjorr, he was a horrid man. I will never know Harald’s like again. It is hard to believe he is really gone,” and she dissolved into tears. Merwenna smoothed Elfreda’s hair and let her cry. Her maid had offered her solace throughout her life especially because she had no mother and now it was Merwenna’s turn to comfort Elfreda. “You must not give up, Elfreda. I was prepared to settle for an arranged marriage before I met Erik. I never thought I would find the love of my life among the Danes.” “Aye, Lady Merwenna, I found the love of my life among the Danes and now he is gone,” the maid said wiping her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. “I will never look at another man without comparing him to Harald.” “Of course but none of us know what the future holds. You may yet find love with another.” “And if Erik had died at Edington would you tolerate those words from my lips?” It was almost the only time Elfreda had ever spoken sharply to her. “I am sorry,” Merwenna said, instantly regretting her mistake. Elfreda grasped her hands. “You will be leaving Chippenham, Lady Merwenna?” “Aye, I think we shall have to. King Alfred will not let me live in peace.” “May I go with you? This place holds memories of Harald and the pain you suffered. I would leave here as soon as possible.” “I do not know where we will go or how difficult it will be to live. We will be living more in the Dane fashion than Saxon.”

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“I am not afraid of hard work Lady Merwenna and I would be sorry to lose you. I have taken care of you almost since you were born. I would like to be nursemaid to your child, if you will have me.” “I would love to have you with me. I never considered that you would not be with me, even more so because of the coming child,” Merwenna admitted. “I suspect there will be others who will accompany us. We will need more than just Erik to work the land. At any rate, he told me that is their custom.” “Thank you,” Elfreda said and they embraced. Merwenna was glad to know that Elfreda would be going into the unknown with her. She was desperate to leave Chippenham now but Guthrum would not be moved. “Alfred gave us use of this fortress ‘til fall and he intends to stay,” Erik told her. “You will not be harmed now that I am here, surely you know that.” “I do know and I am grateful. It just seems to me that Essex would be much safer. Now that we know Alfred has been able to influence the Saxons and even the Danes who live here, I feel like an animal in a trap just waiting for the hunter to strike.” Her words did not begin to convey the panic she truly felt. “We will go soon enough. If we hear aught from Alfred, we will leave immediately. Will that still your fear?” “Aye for now,” she said, not wanting to be difficult. When the warm days of summer had settled on them, she felt her baby move for the first time and her stomach grew. She liked its rounded feel and Erik did too, he often reached for her in the middle of the night to cover the small mound protectively. As time passed, Merwenna was almost persuaded that Alfred had given up. Then a contingent of soldiers arrived to take her back to Alfred, bringing Erik’s horse, sword and dagger which Alfred had earlier confiscated, with them as a gesture of good will. She was summoned to Guthrum in the great hall, where the six large Saxons awaited her. He offered her a seat beside him on the dais. ”King Alfred wishes me to turn you over to these men so you might answer for your treasonous behavior. He accuses you of betraying him by aiding us, even though he left you here with no defenses and no choice but to accommodate us.” The tallest man spoke. “What the king did or did not do is of no account. The Lady Merwenna must answer for her crime. I would take her now.” “She is my brother’s wife. You will take her if and when I say you can,” Guthrum said sharply, then more calmly, “Stay tonight in the fortress, we will deal with this matter in the morning.” Guthrum motioned to one of his slaves and the men left the great hall. Erik and Merwenna accompanied Guthrum to the solar. “They cannot have her,” Erik began, clenching his fists and looking around for something to hit. “If she committed treason it was because she had no choice. She and her father were alone when we took Chippenham.”

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“I understand Alfred’s tactics,” Guthrum said. “He is operating on a sound principle of law. However, she is a member of my family and household by virtue of your marriage and the baby she carries and Alfred well knows I would frown on anyone who harms her. He cannot think I would simply let her go with his men.” “Damn him all to hell!” Erik spat. “I should have killed Alfred when I had the chance!” “If you had you would both face a death sentence,” Guthrum said grimly. “Nay, when morning comes Alfred’s men will expect us to comply, so you must leave for East Anglia while these men sleep tonight. By tomorrow you should be well on your way to Danish territory. Merwenna, can you fix a potion that will give them a deep and long sleep?” “Aye I can,” she agreed. “Decide what you wish to take from the supplies here,” Erik told her, caught up in the urgency of the situation. “Rolf will follow us with the long term supplies so we can ride as swiftly as possible. Will you be able to ride, Merwenna?” “I will have to, Erik. He means to keep us from each other and he will not shrink from doing that even if he has to kill us both. If we are not here he may be forced to give up this madness.” She took a deep breath, happy that they were actually leaving. “I would ask that Emma come with us. If something happens to the baby she will know what to do.” “Can she ride?” “I do not know but she will if I ask her.” Guthrum spoke up. “Rolf will be days behind you Erik and he is going south east to Essex. I would recommend you ride north east toward Cambridge, to where I left Freya. She will answer your immediate need for supplies and provide you a much needed respite and Alfred will not think to look for you there. In fact, I can circulate a story that you went to Essex and Rolf may be mistaken for you, at least long enough for Alfred to be diverted so you can reach Freya.” Merwenna thought it sounded like a good plan and she hastened to pack her things. When it was time for the evening meal, she and Erik joined Guthrum in the great hall. Although the presence of the Saxons was still enough to make her tremble, she also felt confident that they would get away. A new life was beginning for them this very night, just as she had dreamed for so long.

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Chapter Twelve In the great hall there was feasting and song but everyone was on edge. All the Danes and Saxons at Chippenham knew that Erik and Merwenna would leave before dawn and many of the servants were missing as they scrambled to make ready the supplies they would take. Erik had asked Merwenna to pack two bundles, the clothing and other items that she could do without for the next several weeks and those that she must have while they traveled. She chose her most shapeless kirtles to take with her that night, aware that her belly would only grow. The two chests containing the remainder of her belongings would go with Rolf. This new twist in her life filled her with foreboding and exhilarated her at the same time. From as early as she could remember, Chippenham was the center of her life and her security. Now that center had shifted and it was unsettling. Something had happened to her during her abduction and rescue. She had ceased to think of a place as home and now she was quite certain that home was with Erik wherever he might be. He had become her center and so she faced the unknown with some fear but more eager anticipation of what might happen next because he would be with her. She thought about her bundles upstairs, the one she would have strapped to her saddle tonight containing her kirtles and several ointments, herb concoctions, poultice ingredients and rolled bandages. At the very bottom was the jeweled cross Alfred had given her, carefully wrapped in its cloth. Almost as an afterthought she had added some of the books from the solar, so she might teach her child to read. Alfred would have approved but more importantly, she thought it might help her child in the future. There were other bags that would be tied onto her lone pack animal, containing some rudimentary implements from the cookhouse with which they would cook while traveling, a cast-iron pot and skillet, knives, skewers for roasting over the fire and bags of salt, pepper, flour, oats and other grains. Rolf would take carts with the bulkier stores, the barrels of foodstuffs that would help them start a small community in Essex such as dried meats and brined fish. Chickens in cages would have a cart all to themselves. When he finally settled, Rolf and his party would buy and herd goats, sheep, pigs and cows. Benfleet, a coastal town in Essex near where they hoped to settle, was sure to have a market. It was most difficult for Merwenna to refrain from taking the many loaves of bread, barrels of cured fish and meat and the wine-soaked cakes. They would take only enough bread for two days. After that, she would have to make barley porridge or flat barley cakes rather than bread until she was settled somewhere. The fact that Emma would accompany them gave her great comfort. The midwife had examined her thoroughly and was unconcerned about Merwenna traveling, as long

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as she did not gallop for long stretches of time. Erik promised none of them would gallop. Now Merwenna watched as the servants refilled the goblets of the six Saxons sent by Alfred. Guthrum had seated them at the high table, three to his left and three to Erik’s right. She had personally laced the Saxons’ jugs of wine with her sleeping potion and she knew it would not be long before they were facedown on the table. Before Guthrum’s bard had even begun his story the Saxons were snoring and they should not wake until late tomorrow night, time enough for them to be away. While the servants cleared the great hall and the diners settled down for the night, Guthrum’s guards took the Saxons to Merwenna’s chamber and Eldred’s where they could sleep off the potion. The bailey was a beehive of activity as everyone assembled, ready to leave or see the travelers off. Merwenna watched the servants tie the various bundles to the horses. It was dark in the bailey, scattered torches illuminating only the smallest surrounding area leaving the rest in blackness. Rolf would drive the cart with the supplies, Elfreda beside him. With them would go five of Erik’s most trusted retainers—Olaf, Offa, Oswulf, Svein and Tostig. Guthrum had released them from his army and, if all went as planned, they would remain a part of the community which Erik and Merwenna would establish in Essex. All but Rolf brought their Saxon bed slaves. Rolf had not yet replaced Brunhilde. Erik and Merwenna would be joined by Emma, Kendrick, Erik’s body slave Odda and four men-at-arms, Magnus, Baldr, Einar and Ragnar. Magnus and Emma were together and Ragnar had a Saxon bed slave, Annis. Baldr and Einar were still alone. They would carry only the supplies they absolutely needed and that on horseback to maintain a good speed. Guthrum knew Freya would send them on their way to Essex with some of her own stores. Their leave-taking in the bailey was bittersweet but brief. “No one can say if we will meet again,” Erik told Guthrum as they embraced. “I am grateful for all you have done, sorry that I will no longer be here to guard your back.” “With the peace just signed I no longer need the guarding. You must look to the future of your family and its safety. If possible, stay as far from Alfred as you can.” “As he lets us,” Merwenna interceded. “I am not altogether convinced that Alfred will give in but we must hope. Guthrum, you have been more than kind to me. My father often said he found Erik more honorable than his own king and I would echo that sentiment about you, Sire.” “Honor is relative. Under other circumstances you might not find me so admirable but now we shall never know.” He embraced her and kissed her cheek. “I am well pleased that Erik has found happiness with you. I hope you will prosper and that after a time you will come to Freya and me, at least to show off your firstborn and any others that come along,” he said with a smile.

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Merwenna smiled and blushed, grateful the darkness concealed it. Just then, Gerta emerged from the hall carrying a small bundle and bowed to Guthrum. “Please, Sire, I would go with them if you will grant me my freedom.” Guthrum was clearly caught off guard, he swallowed hard and looked at her. “Why would you go with them?” His voice sounded strained. “Merwenna has been kind to me and forgive me but I can have no future with you. When you move north, perhaps sooner, Freya will come to you and I will be given to someone else. I wish to go where nobody knows I am a bed slave. Perhaps I can find someone who will marry me and give me children.” She took a deep breath. “I have cherished our time together but I feel it is at an end.” Guthrum embraced her and helped her into the cart beside Kendrick. “Go and find happiness Gerta, I will remember you,” Guthrum said and wiped something from his eye. Then he helped Merwenna to mount the tame, well-mannered mare that the head groom had chosen for her and they turned to the open gate. As they left she looked back once and waved, knowing in her heart it was the last time she would see this place and most of these people, no matter how many nice sentiments they held for one another or how much they wanted to meet again. For her it appeared pitch black and impenetrable but Erik seemed to know where he was going. She heard the bubbling waters of the River Avon to their left as they headed north following the river for a while, into darkness which soon enveloped them, Chippenham a distant light behind them. She felt a horrible sense of loss as she watched the lights grow more distant. Chippenham was the only home she had ever known. No one knew what lay ahead, where they would finally settle or what they would find there. But she had Erik and her unborn child and the comfort of knowing that those who accompanied them were absolutely loyal. They avoided the town of Cirencester as it lay sleeping in the lighter predawn hours. It looked to be a stalwart little town with a beautiful stone church as its centerpiece. No one stirred and no sentry offered a challenge as they passed the fortified walls. The sun rose steadily and, when she could see more clearly, she realized they were on a road. Because her docile mare obediently followed Erik’s stallion, she could now look about freely. The road they traveled led east across rolling unforested hills with no sign of human habitation. She saw clumps of trees, clusters of boulders and patches of wild flowers but it seemed like a desolate countryside even in the brilliant summer sunshine. After a while it became somewhat tedious so Merwenna held her horse back until Emma caught up to her. “Are you all right, Emma?” she asked. “I should be asking you that. I am fine though by the end of the day I am sure my backside will be truly sore. It comes from not riding regularly.”

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Merwenna chuckled. “Did you bring a salve for that? I am sure I will need it as well.” “The best I can do is a potion to dull the ache and put us to sleep.” Emma’s horse sidestepped to avoid some imagined danger. “And you, Lady Merwenna, are you feeling well? No unusual pains or discomfort?” “I feel the child of course and I am not at all sure he likes the ride but other than that I am fine.” “You always refer to the child as ‘he’, Merwenna. What if it is a girl? Will Erik be disappointed?” Merwenna was stunned. “I never even considered that it would not be a boy and I am sure Erik has not. How strange. I shall have to ask him. How are you and Magnus getting on?” “He is a good man though you might not think so if you saw him on the battlefield or in the great hall. These Danes are a study in contrast,” Emma said, “quick to feel a slight to their honor and kill the offending person but just as swiftly come to the aid of an orphaned child. Kendrick is a perfect example. Erik leads the men who murder the boy’s family, then takes care of the children, provides for them, protects the sister from being raped. At any rate, I believe Magnus is happy with me and no man will dare even look at me as long as I am with him.” “That is what you wanted. I am pleased you are so well protected,” Merwenna said, “but are you happy with him?” “Aye, I am,” Emma said with a soft smile. “He does not think it strange that I believe in all gods or that I can know what people are thinking or feeling before they say a word. Privately he may think I am a witch but just as he protects me from other men, he seems to believe I protect him from the unseen in our world. It is a compatible situation.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you not find the Danes a…passionate people? I never expected to be so well satisfied.” Merwenna blushed and smiled and nodded in agreement and the two women laughed together, the sound causing Erik to turn in his saddle. He did not scowl at them but his expression plainly radiated disapproval of their tittering during their escape from the clutches of Alfred. It only made them laugh more until he turned his eyes forward once again, shaking his head in dismay. “I fear we have offended my husband,” Merwenna said. “But you continually amaze me, Emma. You live your life on your own terms, half pagan and half Christian but it does not seem to prevent you from enjoying the conventional comforts. How do you do it?” “I listen to my heart far more than my head,” she said simply. “It is not so very different from what you have done though you may not think of it in that way.” “I try to do what I know is right according to how I have been taught, to do my duty as I was trained,” Merwenna said.

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“Really? You were taught that the Danes are always murderers and rapists, you were trained to serve and obey your king without question. You obeyed your king with disastrous results. Then you decided to ignore what you had been taught and it won you the love of your life. Your heart moved you to treat the Danes like ordinary men. It was your heart that made you help them, deliberately defying King Alfred. Do you see what I mean?” “Aye, I think so,” Merwenna said. “I also think that I will enjoy this time with you Emma, you are a most interesting person.” She moved farther back to where Gerta rode. She sat her horse as beautifully as she did everything else. “How are you faring, Gerta?” “It is a pleasant day for a ride,” she said with a soft smile. “Forgive me if I am being too bold but I was wondering if Freya knows of you.” “Aye, she does.” “Do you dread seeing her? Perhaps we should have sent you with Rolf directly to Essex to avoid any unpleasantness.” Merwenna did not know Freya so she could not know what her reaction would be but she did not want Gerta to suffer harm at Freya’s hands or anyone else’s for that matter. “Nay, nothing bad will happen because Baldr and Einar have agreed that I will be their woman.” “Both of them?” Merwenna asked in surprise. “Aye and I am agreeable, I have always liked them.” Merwenna patted the other woman on the arm and smiled at her, then moved her horse back beside Erik’s. They stopped by the roadside for a while in order to break their fast and Merwenna brought out the cheese and dried meat and fruits from the bags tied to the pack horse. They all ate quickly and sparingly, the tension among them almost tangible, the desire to put distance between them and the Saxons paramount in all their minds. “It will be hard on the horses,” Erik said, “but we should make camp tonight as close to the Danish border as we can get. Do you feel well enough to ride through the day with few stops?” She was willing to do whatever he wanted if it meant they would be safely away from Alfred’s men-at-arms. “Aye, Erik, the farther we are from Alfred’s men, the better I will feel.” When the sun was fully up, Ragnar and Magnus struck out into the countryside to hunt. Hours later Merwenna and the others caught up to the men, resting by the side of the road, their game bags plump testimony to the success of their efforts. The men mounted and continued to ride with them, Magnus beside Emma talking quietly, a smile just curving his lips. As the sun dipped low in the western sky, Erik chose a copse of tall elms in which to make their camp and began to build a fire. Emma found berry vines among the elms

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and filled one of their buckets with the ripe fruit. Magnus and Ragnar skinned and gutted the hares and cleaned the fish they had caught. When the men gave her the prepared meat, Merwenna saw with pleasure that there would be more than enough for tonight and tomorrow morning. Emma fetched fresh water from the nearby stream and made porridge in the pot, enough for two meals. Merwenna spitted the meat and fish onto sharpened sticks and suspended them over the fire to roast, secured by stones. Soon the comforting aroma of cooking meat and fish wafted up from the fire and made them all hungry. Merwenna brought a wineskin and wooden cups and poured for everyone. When the meat was cooked, they all gathered around the fire and shared it out, eating with their fingers, while Emma gave each a portion of the porridge and the bread Merwenna had brought. They finished with the berries. Once they had eaten and the sun was below the horizon, Merwenna and Emma went to the stream to wash cups and knives, as well as their hands and faces. When they returned to the camp she found Erik had laid out his cloak on the ground and brought their respective bags of clothing for pillows. Each of the men would take a turn standing guard over the others while they slept, with Baldr taking the first, Einar the second and Erik the last watch in the hours before dawn. Merwenna was glad she would be able to fall asleep in his arms. He beckoned her to join him and, when she did, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, settling her against the front of his body. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear, “and I want you right now.” “Would it not be better to wait until we have more privacy?” she asked, glancing uneasily to where Baldr stood nearby keeping watch. “We have enough for what I wish to do,” he said, one hand lifting the back of her clothing so her buttocks were exposed. When she felt his large, hard member against her back passage, she stiffened and tried to pull away, but his hands held her fast. “Shh,” he said into her ear. “You need not fear that I will take you as Alfred did. I know you are not ready for that embrace. But if you will trust me, we will both have the pleasure we crave.” It took all her strength and love for him to be still while he guided his cock into her womanly opening from behind where, in spite of her fear, she was fully ready to receive him. All fear soon evaporated as he slid in and out with maddening deliberation, the angle of his penetration awakening strange and thrilling sensations in her nether regions. “It is heaven to have you inside me,” she whispered as he tongued her ear. “I will never have enough of you, Merwenna,” he said in a low voice, thrusting slowly and steadily until she felt the beginning of her release. He must have felt it as well because he increased his rhythm. He came with a barely audible grunt and she actually felt his cock pumping his seed into her, a deliciously intimate sensation. “Our sleep will be sweet now, my love,” he said, his voice a further caress to her senses.

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“No doubt,” she said behind her hand. Then remembering her earlier conversation with Emma, she turned to face him. “Erik, what if our child is a girl, will it disappoint you a great deal?” He thought for a moment. “I suppose a girl would be suitable,” he said. “So long as you have nothing but boys after that.” “You are teasing me,” she accused, pushing at his chest playfully. “If it is a son will you make sure he is as strong and capable of defending himself as you are?” She knew this was far from how she felt only months before but Alfred had done much to change her view on violence and how to deal with it. “You need not ask, Merwenna. It is understood that he will be trained to be the best fighter he can be, I promise you. But boy or girl it makes no difference,” he said more seriously, kissing the end of her nose, “as long as you are both healthy and strong. It is losing you or our child that would destroy me. But now it is time to sleep, it will be morning sooner than you think.”

***** When Einar woke him for his watch, Erik rose without waking Merwenna and stationed himself only a short distance from her, nearer to the fire to offset the dawn chill he knew would be upon him soon. He held his battle-ax loosely in his right hand, his eyes scanning the darkness for anything out of the ordinary. He glanced frequently at Merwenna, angelic in sleep, her head resting on her hand. They had four more days to ride before they would reach Freya and Guthrum’s longhouse near Cambridge. That meant four more days and nights of riding and sleeping in the open and a vulnerability that displeased him. He trusted his brother to delay the Saxons as long as possible but he could not delay them forever. Eventually Alfred would know when and where they had gone and Erik was afraid Alfred’s reach was longer than he first thought. He had after all used Robert, Bjorr and Brunhilde. He had a real talent for getting people to give him the information he wanted. Erik felt he could not vouch for his own men anymore, save those he had chosen to accompany him and Rolf. The urgency to bring Merwenna to safety was like a constant prod in his back, making him want to cast off Emma and the others and fly to Cambridge like the Valkyries. He unwillingly resigned himself to the journey by horse and the necessary four nights of rest but he prayed to whatever god was listening that Alfred would lose interest in Merwenna. The bodies arranged around the fire began to stir as dawn crept across the sky. Erik unbent his limbs and woke Merwenna with a kiss on her cheek. “That tickles,” she said, rubbing her cheek. “Did you sleep well?” he asked. “Aye, well enough.”

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“And the babe?” “Still asleep I think.” He helped her pack their belongings and she portioned out porridge, bread, the meat and fish from the night before and ale. Everyone refilled their leather water bags at the stream. Thus fortified, they returned to their journey. Erik greeted each dawn of their journey with cautious optimism, they were one day’s ride further from Alfred’s men-at-arms, one day closer to a life together on their own. They encountered no other travelers on the road and finally crossed into Danish territory. Merwenna looked around and said, “It looks the same as Saxon territory.” “As it should,” he told her, “it is all the same country. But you will find our houses different from what you are used to. We live in wooden longhouses with sod roofs. We do not build much in stone.” “I am sure your wooden houses serve as well as what I knew at Chippenham. At any rate, I will grow used to the changes. I never thought I would willingly leave Chippenham, yet the further we go the less like home it now seems. You must help me understand your people better.” “Aye but I think Freya will do much of that herself.” The next day, they kept to the road for the most part but then turned north until they came to a wooden-walled compound. “Cambridge is north a few miles but this is Guthrum’s settlement where he left his wife and children,” Erik explained to Merwenna. “No doubt your sister-in-law will be surprised to see you with a wife in tow,” Merwenna said. “She will be surprised to see me without Guthrum. I know you will like her. The two of you have much in common.” He spurred his horse forward and hailed the guards at the gate. He knew them of old, Sigurd and Thorkell, two of those who were of an age with Guthrum and who used to pummel Erik good-naturedly in his youth. It had been quite some time since they had dared tussle with him. Now they embraced him with shouts and laughter, which drew the attention of those within the walls. In no time, swarms of people came to greet them and Erik quickly went to Merwenna’s side. She was smiling uncertainly and stepped closer to him. He put an arm around her and led her into the open space just inside the gate, where his tall, slender sister-in-law hurried to greet them. “Erik,” she squealed and leaped into his arms. “Are you alone? And with so few men? What brings you back? The last word I had was that you would stay on at Chippenham until the fall.” He hugged her quickly and set her down. “It is a long tale Freya, which will have to wait until we are more settled. In the meantime, this is my wife, Merwenna.”

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***** Freya was the most beautiful woman Merwenna had ever seen, tall and shapely, long golden hair plaited in two braids and the most startling blue eyes—even more striking than Erik’s. Beside her ethereal feminine allure Merwenna felt short and dark and plump but she accepted the woman’s embrace and hugged her back. “Saxon, are you not?” Freya asked. “I had heard a rumor of you and Erik. You are quite beautiful my dear but there must be something more than that for you to have captured my brother-in-law’s heart. Guthrum and I have been throwing beautiful women at Erik for years to no avail.” “If I have captured his heart it is certainly mutual,” Merwenna said. “He has been very good to me, the finest man I ever met, save my father.” Freya smiled her approval. “I am looking forward to hearing your story at the evening meal but first you must bathe and rest. How long have you been traveling?” “Five days. We were anxious to get away from…someone,” Merwenna replied, suddenly conscious of her unwashed and travel-weary body beside Freya’s fresh face and shining clean hair. “But everyone signed the peace,” Freya said, turning to Erik. “Was I misinformed?” “Nay, they signed, Guthrum and Alfred both,” Erik assured her. “But Alfred is her godfather and he would keep us apart. I am not willing that he should succeed,” Erik finished shortly. Freya lifted one eyebrow but said nothing, then beckoned for everyone to come into the walls. “Bath first, you will show her Erik? I will look after your companions and men-at-arms.” Erik took their clothing bundles and led Merwenna across the compound to a low stone structure with smoke issuing from its chimney. Inside it was dim, the only light provided by slits near the roof. In the center of the main room was a tub set into the stone floor, full of steaming water. “Where is the fire to heat the water?” she asked in awe. “The water comes from under the ground and it is already hot. We have such things in the country where I was born and Guthrum was lucky to find one here. You will enjoy this,” he promised, shedding his clothing as quickly as he could. He helped her out of her kirtle and shift and took her hand, leading her into the exquisitely warm water. She settled in it up to her neck, feeling the aches and pains of travel melting away. “This is wonderful,” she breathed. They soaked for several minutes and then Erik helped her out, found the soap and began to lather Merwenna’s back. When she was soapy all over, he filled a bucket with the water from the tub and rinsed her body, the water running out through a narrow trench cut into the floor then outside through a low hole in the wall. Then she lathered Erik and rinsed him, although he had to help because she had trouble reaching his hair

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and shoulders to rinse them. Once they were clean, he led her back into the warm water to soak again. “Erik, have you ever done with a woman what Alfred did to me that second night?” “What makes you ask that?” he said in surprise as he lifted her so she could lie back against his chest while he fondled her breasts lazily. “I am just curious. Emma told me at the time that people do it and find pleasure in it. I can scarce imagine such an act could ever bring me pleasure.” She loved the feel of his muscled chest against her back and her nipples were erect and tingling beneath his skilled fingers. “Aye, I have done it and there is pleasure in it, but it is an act that demands a great deal of trust between the people doing it. I would like to show you someday if you will trust me enough.” “I trust you with my life, Erik, but I do not believe I will ever be able to do that with you.” “We shall see,” he said, his hand dipping to her nether regions where he inserted a finger and used his thumb to flick her pleasure nub and bring her so close to release it was maddening. “Not yet, my love,” he crooned into her ear as he removed the finger. “There is more I wish to do before you climax.” “Show me,” she whispered as she took the finger he had removed, tasting her juices on it. He turned her around in the water and placed her legs around his waist. She closed a hand around his engorged cock. “I love the feel of it, as strong and insistent as you are,” she told him. She kissed him deeply, plunging her tongue into his mouth, where he sucked it hungrily. She held his balls in the palm of her hand, enjoying the weight of them, then she took his cock again and neatly slid herself onto it, her flesh engulfing his stiff rod. The water made them buoyant, their movements fluid as he rocked her back and forth on top of his cock. “Oh Erik,” she said when the first pressure of her release blossomed within her nether regions, “I will never grow tired of how you make me feel.” It was an exquisite lovemaking, urgent because they had not been together since that first night on the road more than five days before but the water made their movements slower and more deliberate. Just as her release was subsiding he gave a final thrust and burst within her, causing yet another release to overtake her. By the time his cock was softening, their breathing had returned to normal. Once out of the tub they rubbed each other dry with clean cloths and put on fresh clothing from their bundles. Merwenna had not realized how uncomfortable it was to be unbathed for so many days and she wondered what would happen when they settled in Essex. Would she then bathe in the sea or would Erik build them a bath house like this one? Selfishly, she hoped they would do both. As they left the bath house and others moved to take their place, Merwenna turned and asked, “If the water is warmed beneath the earth, where is that smoke coming from?”

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“That is a room where you go to sweat. It is quite healthful and releases bad humors from the body.” “How does it work?” He took her around to the back of the structure where there was another door. When he opened it, steam issued forth and she could feel the heat. They went inside, where he showed her the fire and the heated stones around it. Taking a wooden scoop from a nearby bucket of water, he threw some of the water onto the stones causing steam to rise. Although it was uncomfortably hot, it felt good to breathe in the heated air and she could see how it might be beneficial. Erik then took her to the largest longhouse in the compound, although there were many smaller ones along with cottages built in the Saxon style. The compound was a much larger place than she first thought. Soldiers and slaves went about their business, swordplay was going on in one corner, two women were tending a large garden in another and a cooper was busy creating a barrel in front of his dwelling. The structures and activities were not so different from what she had been used to at Chippenham, except there was no stone great hall. The longhouse was built of sturdy timbers with a sod roof that almost reached the ground, hiding most of the structure. There were openings at the top where smoke issued and a door opening at the front and the back. Besides the light which these openings let in, there were braziers inside which helped to illuminate the interior. She noticed haunches of meat suspended above the fire just as in her smokehouse at Chippenham. There were three distinct sections to the longhouse, running down its length on the left side, the center and the right side. A curtained area was set apart at each of the four corners and in between there were broad benches against the walls, built over open cupboards that contained blankets and clothing and shoes. Two long tables were arranged on either side of the central fire which stood directly under the holes in the ceiling. One of the tables was clearly used for preparing food, vegetables and fruits were piled on its surface. The other was for eating, with chairs and benches arranged around it. This was the kind of structure Erik and the others would build once they settled in Essex, so she studied it. It appeared at first glance to be a place where everyone would do everything in plain view of everyone else. Then she recalled how they had bathed and dressed in privacy and there were curtained-off areas within the longhouse so there was some privacy. There was a woman seated on one of the wall benches sewing and two men on another bench playing chess and they seemed content in their separate tasks. She could imagine her children playing under her watchful eye in this space. A longhouse would make a fine home. Freya was waiting for them and glided forward, a lovely smile on her face. “You look very refreshed,” she said, stroking Merwenna’s long brown hair which hung loose down to her waist the better to dry. “You appear even younger than when I first saw you.” 148

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“It must have been the road dust that aged me,” she said with a smile. Beside this beautiful woman she felt shy and inadequate and yet Freya did not seem in the least vain. With such a woman as his wife, she could not understand why Guthrum kept a bed slave and yet she was here and he was at Chippenham. She hoped Erik would never feel the need for a bed slave while he was married to her. “Your traveling companions will sleep here in the longhouse. The men-at-arms have returned to their barracks until such time as you move on and Emma will occupy that bed box with Magnus since they are together. There,” she said, pointing at one of the curtained areas, “is where Erik usually sleeps and you will join him, of course.” “Thank you, lady,” Merwenna said. “You must not call me lady, I am only Freya. We are family now.” While Erik talked to some of the men, Freya and Merwenna settled at the dining table. “How long until the baby comes, Merwenna?” she asked kindly. “Before the end of the year,” Merwenna said. “Did Emma tell you?” “Nay but it was not hard to guess. You are fleeing from Alfred yet you think to bring your midwife, there can be only one reason.” Freya put a hand over hers and patted it gently. “Are you worried about the birth? I know I was with my first. My oldest son is practicing his sword skills with the others his age but my two younger sons are just outside listening to one of our storytellers, there beyond the door opening.” She pointed to the far end of the longhouse where several children had gathered in a circle around an older man who was speaking animatedly, using his arms to punctuate his words. “They look just like you,” Merwenna said in awe at the sight of the two boys, their hair so blond it was almost white, their features as delicate and fine as their mother’s. “You must be very proud.” “I would like to have more children, preferably a girl or two but that will have to wait until Guthrum and I are finally reunited,” she said and they both laughed. “But you never answered my question, are you worried?” “I would have preferred to have the baby at Chippenham, the only home I have ever known but Alfred was able to have me kidnapped from my own chamber there. And Chippenham is a royal residence. Once I helped the Danes…your people, I could never have made my home there.” “How exactly did you help Guthrum and his army?” She seemed genuinely curious. “I made them welcome, I treated them as guests and they allowed me to perform my duties as steward without interference. Life at Chippenham continued as it had before.” “You must have known Alfred would disapprove.” “At the time I did not care. I was trying to keep my father safe. If Guthrum had turned us out we would have perished. We had nowhere else to go. When Erik pledged to protect me and look after my father I could hardly refuse.” 149

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“Do you care about Alfred’s disapproval now?” “Not at all. My only desire is to make a life with Erik and my child.” “Please do not be upset by my question, but why did Erik and his men not kill you?” Merwenna looked down at her folded hands. “It was Erik who found me and my father alone in the fortress, in fact I met him at the door to my father’s chamber with his sword raised and ready to use. He took pity on me and placed me under his protection at once.” “I doubt it was pity. That would be most unlike him. Did you choose to stay when all the other Saxons fled?” “We were left behind deliberately by Alfred. For a long time I was grateful just to have Erik’s protection. I knew from the start he would eventually take my body but I never planned on capturing his love or loving him in return. He seemed to know it would happen from the moment he saw me.” “He must have seen something in you that attracted him. And you and Erik are truly married?” “Guthrum thought we should be married in both the Christian and the Danish manner, so there would be no doubt. We did not want to give Alfred the means to annul our union.” “Every now and then I am reminded why I married Guthrum. He has a good head on his shoulders.” Freya chuckled. “And this Chippenham. You were its lady?” “Aye, my father is…was the steward there, although I have done his duties for more than a year. He died not long ago of a wasting sickness.” “I am sorry. It is never easy to lose a parent. Your mother?” “She died when I was born. I never knew her.” She pushed the tears away with difficulty, not wanting to break down in front of this kind woman who so generously offered her hospitality but who was still really a stranger. She grasped Freya’s hands in her own and looked right into her eyes. “I have left all that behind. I am completely devoted to Erik. I want only to make a life with him no matter how difficult it might be.” Freya appraised her with a faint smile on her lips. “Now I understand what he saw in you,” she said quietly. “You are joined by love but also by your passionate natures. I can feel the bond you share even now. Erik has always controlled his passions, as Danish men are taught to do even in battle—especially in battle. Men who wage war fueled by emotion also make mistakes and die. “But with you he has little control. He is across the room talking to other men but his eyes have never once left you. And your eyes keep drifting to him as though to be sure he is still there. I envy you the attachment you feel for one another.” “Guthrum always spoke of you with great love, Freya,” Merwenna assured her. “I heard him say more than once how much he misses you.”

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“We have been too much apart these past years. Now that peace is here, I hope we can rediscover one another.” “I am sure you will.” While they talked the other women in the longhouse had been preparing the evening meal. Now Freya stood. ”I must help them finish or we will not be eating until long after nightfall.” “May I help as well?” Merwenna asked. She longed to see how they prepared the food so she might do it the same way once she and Erik settled. “Not tonight. Tomorrow we shall work together but tonight you must rest after your journey.” As Merwenna watched Freya she remembered how Guthrum and Harald had once compared her favorably to the Danish women they knew and Merwenna wondered if she had really appeared so calm and capable, so organized and skilled at getting a meal on the table. Freya stirred the pots, supervised the slaves who were turning the meats over the fire and set the table, seemingly at the same time, and made it all look easy. Her thoughts were interrupted when Freya banged a large spoon on the table to call everyone to eat. Merwenna and Emma sat to Freya’s right and Erik to her left for the meal. Merwenna was pleasantly surprised at the food, so similar to that which she made. Succulent pork and chicken, fish stew with leeks, a fine thick barley porridge and fresh summer fruits mixed together and drizzled with honey. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she began to eat. When they had eaten their fill, Freya turned to Erik and Merwenna. “Come,” she said and went to sit in the chair that must have been occupied normally by Guthrum. It was set near the far doorway upon a wood dais which was the only indication it was a king’s chair. “Now tell me about King Alfred,” she demanded very quietly. “Alfred is Merwenna’s godfather, which means he is responsible for her if her parents die but he developed an unnatural attachment to her. This attachment persists. He kidnapped her even when he knew we had been properly married and she was expecting a child. After I rescued her, he sent soldiers to arrest her for treason, even though he gave her no choice but to serve us after he deliberately left her and her father to die at our hands there.” And he continued to relate the rest of the story. “Did Alfred act on this unnatural attachment?” she asked Merwenna. Merwenna looked down at her clasped fingers too embarrassed to meet Freya’s eyes. “Aye, he told me my father and I could not stay at Chippenham unless I gave in to him so I did and he hurt me greatly, both my body and my mind. Emma can attest to the damage Alfred did, she was the one who tended me during that time,” she whispered. Then hastened to say, “But I assure you the baby I carry belongs to Erik.” “I did not wish to ask outright. I know talking about this must be painful for you,” Freya said, patting her arm encouragingly. “What will you do if Essex is not far enough away from Alfred?” 151

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Merwenna looked up. It was not something she had considered. How could Essex not be far enough? But Erik answered, “Then I will take her to our homeland. Alfred cannot reach us there.” “It is a long way from her home if it comes to that,” Freya pointed out. “Wherever Erik is, that is my home,” Merwenna said quickly. “I have no family here, there is really nothing left for me in Britain.” She caught Erik’s look of surprise out of the corner of her eye and smiled briefly at him. “Well said, Merwenna, you are not such a mismatch after all,” she teased and Erik scowled more deeply. “You must stay a week at least so I can get to know you better. The coast of Essex is a two-day ride from here which will make that part of your journey easier, I think. Do you know where in Essex you will settle? Is someone waiting there for you?” “I sent Rolf ahead from Chippenham with some of my men and Elfreda, Merwenna’s personal servant. They should be there by now but there is no time they will be expecting us, we can stay here as long as Merwenna pleases.” Erik put his arm around her shoulders. Merwenna was happy they would spend the next week or two in the compound. When she climbed into the curtained bed box much later that night she snuggled close to Erik. “I think Freya is wonderful,” she told him. “She has made me feel more than welcome.” “It is her way. I knew the two of you would find much in common.” “And this was your bed box in this household?” “Aye, it was.” He hugged her closer to him. “And Brunhilde slept here as well?” “Aye but now you are being a difficult woman Merwenna, which is not at all like you,” he said. “Curious about things that do not concern you. You know well I foreswore Brunhilde when we met, I am not thinking of her with you beside me now.” “Good,” she said and burrowed deeper into his side, inhaling his freshly washed man smell. “I meant to ask, who was the young girl sitting next to Kendrick at dinner?” “That was his sister, Clara. I believe he is trying to persuade her to join us.” She wanted to ask him more about Kendrick and Clara but it would wait until the next day. She did not want to waste these private moments. “I enjoyed our time in the bath, might we do it again tomorrow?” “We might do part of it right here and now.” “With nothing but a curtain between us and the rest of the household?” “Do you think the others will do nothing? I wager Magnus and Emma are not idle just now and any man who has a bed slave is availing himself of her services.” She sighed. “Such acts are private among my people. It will take some getting used to for me.”

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“What will happen when we have children all around us? Would you stop me touching you until they are grown and gone?” She could not imagine such a thing. “That would be too horrible. Every night on the road it was so difficult not to touch you or be touched, especially when we slept beside each other.” “Yet before and after the babe is born there will be a time when we must keep from doing it. Will Emma tell you when we must stop?” “Aye, she will. It will be sad to lose this closeness.” “We may not have to lose it completely. You already know there are things we can do to ease one another without use of your womanly passage.” “Aye and I enjoy that almost as much.” “And there is your back passage as well.” She took a deep breath. “I am willing to try if only for your pleasure. I would deny you nothing, Erik.” It was hard to say but once the words were out, she found she meant them. “Thank you, Merwenna, you are more than generous,” he said, kissing her forehead with infinite tenderness. “But tonight we need not consider that alternative.” After that he was silent so long she thought he had fallen asleep. Then he said, “What you told Freya about your home being with me wherever we settle, were you telling the truth?” “Have I ever not been truthful with you? Are you worried I did not mean what I said?” She rested her forehead against his cheek, her arm around his waist, trying to get even closer to him. “Nay but I have questioned whether I have the right to keep you. Your life was difficult before we met with your father’s illness and the management of Chippenham on your shoulders, but it was ordered, predictable. Since then it has been one thing after another. First there was Alfred and what he did, then we take Chippenham, then your father dies, the battle, the abduction…you lived a relatively safe and quiet life before I came into it.” His hand had strayed to her breast which he squeezed gently as though he liked its new plumpness. “Alfred would have done what he did no matter. You helped me overcome the pain and fear and showed me what real love can be. I am grateful every day that you came into my life.” Her heart was so full there were tears in her eyes and she had trouble speaking. “I cannot live without you now.” “I am glad for it is how I feel about you, my love.” He turned to hold her close to his heart and his hand slipped down to her slightly protruding belly. “Your roundness becomes you,” he said into her hair, his tongue finding her ear. “Then you shall have to work hard to keep me round,” she teased glad that he was no longer unsure. “I would never call this work,” he said in a voice made husky with desire and rolled her over the more easily to enter her.

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Chapter Thirteen It was easy for Erik and Merwenna to fit into the fabric of life in Freya’s longhouse, she made them so welcome and Erik had already lived there in the past. Merwenna found great comfort joining the Danish women in their work, exchanging information about Saxon and Danish ways. Freya kept Merwenna with her all day as she went from task to task and they worked side by side. Merwenna helped churn the cream into butter, tied bunches of herbs to hang from the rafters of the longhouse to dry, baked flat barley cakes and fruit tarts and held the youngest of Guthrum’s sons on her knee while Freya bandaged his cut finger. She worked every bit as hard as she ever worked at Chippenham, the only difference being that there she had been in charge and had to pretend she knew what she was doing, even when she did not. Here she belonged to a group and there was no stigma in not knowing what to do. Freya and the other women corrected her gently and praised her frequently. Merwenna wondered if this is how it would have felt had her mother survived. Emma blended in as she never had at Chippenham. Most of the Danish women had basic healing skills but Emma was a trained midwife so they sought her out. She shared with them her various recipes for unguents and potions and Magnus walked a little taller, proud that his woman was so popular with his people. Even Gerta was welcome once Freya understood she was now with Baldr and Einar. Merwenna was sure it was Gerta’s quiet dignity that finally won Freya over. Freya even invited Merwenna, Gerta and Emma to join the women while they worked at their wool—carding, combing, spinning and weaving. It amused Merwenna to listen to the gossip about the man who sold his bed slave and never received payment, or the woman who bore a child with a birthmark exactly like that of a man who was not her husband. It was really no different from Chippenham. From the first day, Merwenna decided to adopt the Danish way in most of her habits starting with her clothes. She enlisted Freya’s help in remaking the clothes she had brought with her and the two women spent each evening patiently unpicking her kirtles and shifts so they could be fashioned into the underdress and hangerock worn by Danish women. Freya found some Danish clothing that had been used long ago by a woman who was now dead and Merwenna wore these until her own would be ready. Emma and Gerta helped and during the course of the work Emma decided that she would do her own clothing after Merwenna’s was done, so the three women strengthened their companionship through the shared work. One day, more than a week after they arrived, as she and Freya crossed the compound on their way to the dairy, Merwenna saw a group of very young boys using

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wooden swords to practice their skills under the watchful eye of a grizzled older man. “They are so young to be learning how to wage war,” Merwenna said. Freya smiled and said, “They are actually learning how to defend themselves. They will not learn how to wage war until they are a little older. When do your young men begin to learn such skills?” “Quite honestly I do not know. My father kept the boys active with games and contests and the smithy instructed them in weapons usage but I do not remember daily practice. After all, the children at Chippenham were destined to be farmers and sheepherders. Our garrison force was made up of ten former soldiers who stood guard but did little else. The only real soldiers we saw came and left with the king.” Freya nodded her understanding. “Our male children must learn to do both. Our homeland is an inhospitable place that often fails to support us. The tradition of planting crops in the spring before leaving to conduct raids on neighboring lands is ingrained in my people and essential to our culture. For a warrior society to thrive there must be battles to test and hone skills.” Merwenna found her argument more persuasive than the men’s. She had watched Erik go eagerly off to battle, armed to the teeth and flexing his body, hardly able to wait until he engaged the enemy. Harald had said they fought for the land and the plunder but she thought those were only secondary benefits. It was the contest, the competition and the physical testing that gave the Danish men their greatest satisfaction. And because Erik was a consummate warrior, he received the highest respect from his fellow warriors. Danish men were judged on their battle prowess but without battles their abilities were nothing but meaningless posturing. At the dairy, they examined the round, fragrant cheeses which were in varying states of ripeness. Two slaves were collecting curds from a vat of whey. Freya handed a hard and fragrant cheese to Merwenna for use at the evening meal and Merwenna continued their conversation. “So if this child is a son, Erik will train him in weaponry and fighting. I only hope he is born as strong and dexterous as his father, able to vanquish his foes.” Freya smiled. “Erik will give him all the training he will ever need and who better? Erik is a legend in a nation of warriors. You and your children could not be in better hands.” She instructed a nearby slave to bring jugs of buttermilk to the longhouse and the other cottages in the compound. “I know that firsthand,” Merwenna said. “I often wonder what I did to deserve such a man as Erik. Before my father died he told Erik that he was more honorable than King Alfred and sad to say that is the truth.” “Erik said your father gave you his blessing before he died.” “He did and long before his death. Erik impressed him with his care for me and self-restraint. He wanted me to be with Erik even if we did not marry and they truly came to care for each other wholly apart from their concern for me.”

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“Natural enough for a father to be concerned but you must miss the life you had at Chippenham. It must be hard not to be surrounded by stone walls and loyal retainers when you have been so all your days.” Merwenna thought for a moment. “I will not lie to you, I do miss the security of stone walls and my own people. But when I married Erik I placed myself and my future children in his care and I trust him.” “That is the best description of marriage I have ever heard,” Freya said. “The more time I spend with you, Merwenna, the more I appreciate why Erik married you.” Merwenna felt her face color at Freya’s words. They walked across the compound to where the chicken coops and pigpens were situated. “We need six of the older hens to stew for tonight’s dinner,” Freya said. They each chose three plump hens, swiftly dispatched them by wringing their necks and began to pluck the feathers, shoving them into linen bags suspended from their belts. “One thing above all else you must understand about Danes, Merwenna, and that is their obsession with their reputation, their good name. If a man were to insult you, Erik would be bound to defend your honor to the death.” “I will do nothing to encourage insult, I can assure you. But tell me more please, I do not think Saxons are so serious about their good name,” Merwenna coaxed her. “I think you must be wrong. Alfred tried to imprison you when he thought you might tarnish his reputation.” “Aye, you are right. I had not thought of it that way.” “A Dane’s good name is based on how well he does a man’s tasks,” Freya explained. “Our men and women have very different and specific work. Men catch and prepare wild game for cooking but it is always women who cook it unless there are no women. A man who did women’s work would never be tolerated by the community, likewise if a woman sought to do men’s work. “A Danish man must know how to use weapons, how to fight and kill with his bare hands, how to invade and plunder a village. He must also know how to plow and plant and harvest crops, teach his sons to do the same things and protect his wife and daughters from those who would abuse them. If he does all these things well, he earns a reputation as a good man who is worthy of respect.” “And women, do they also have a reputation to protect?” “Fathers protect that of their daughters, husbands that of their wives. But do not think we Danish women are soft and coddled.” “Harald told me that you have charge of the household at all times and of the entire property when your men are gone,” Merwenna offered. “That is true,” she affirmed. “Erik told me Harald was with your servant Elfreda before he died. Guthrum often said that the Danes and Saxons would mingle the longer we stayed.” They gathered up the plucked hens and went to the longhouse, where they began to open and gut the hens before putting them in the pot of boiling water suspended on a trivet over the central fire. “A woman who is unhappy with her 156

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husband can leave him and keep her dowry. She may manage her own property if she wishes, or she can remarry and still keep her property to herself.” “Saxon women can leave their husbands as well and take their children with them,” Merwenna said, “though I never personally knew one who did so. The most important nobles in Wessex marry their daughters and sons to each other to keep property in certain families. Those who are not of the highest tier have the opportunity to say whom they would like to marry. Peasants marry for love, I believe.” “And if you had not married Erik?” Freya asked, her eyes probing. “King Alfred promised me that he would make a good match for me to someone I might come to love. In reality, as my godfather and my liege lord, he could marry me to whomever he pleased. Not so very long ago he planned to marry me to a compliant noble so I could be a permanent fixture at his court, likely as his bed slave. In the end my father concluded that Alfred would prefer not to arrange a marriage at all but to keep me for his own use,” Merwenna said quietly, the memory like a knife to her heart. ”He was right.” “Then you are well out of that situation,” Freya said, putting an arm around Merwenna’s shoulders. “Come, we need vegetables for the meal as well,” and the two women left the longhouse for the garden, baskets hanging from their elbows.

***** Toward the end of a happy second week at the compound, Erik was playing at battle formations with the young boys of the compound using rocks and bits of wood when he heard the sound of approaching riders. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and what he saw made him sprint for Freya’s longhouse. The Saxons from Chippenham were riding in at the gate, Alfred’s standard carried high. When he reached the longhouse he was grateful that Merwenna was there, sewing quietly near their bed box. “Come with me,” he said and grabbed her around the waist, then carried her at a dead run to the bath house. He set her on her feet in the bath house and she whirled on him. “What in heaven possessed you—” “Sh,” he said. “Alfred’s soldiers have just entered the compound, the same ones he sent to Chippenham.” He opened the door a sliver in an effort to see and hear what was happening. “They are talking to Freya but I cannot make out what they say.” “What will she tell them?” Merwenna asked, her face ashen with fear. “I am sure she will not tell them we are here, beyond that I do not know.” He pulled her closer to him. “Do not fear, she will protect us, I would never have brought us here if I thought otherwise.” He could see Freya pointing beyond the gates of the compound, nodding her head, then shaking it back and forth. When the soldiers turned to leave, he took Merwenna into the longhouse as quickly as he could and waited for Freya. Her face was a study in

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concern. “They were told you were coming here, someone at Chippenham betrayed all of us,” she said, bitterness in her voice. “You were right about Alfred after all, my dear. They are here to enforce King Alfred’s charge of treason,” she said patting Merwenna’s knee. “Where have they gone?” Erik asked. “I sent them out of the compound but they are making camp close by. They mean to take you when you arrive. They are convinced you are on your way here. I told them I did not know where you were or even if you would come here but it did no good, they are determined to wait for you.” “I will see to them,” Erik said quietly and firmly, his taut body and clenched fists belying his tone. Freya and Merwenna each grabbed one of Erik’s arms. “You cannot face them alone,” Merwenna said desperately and Freya nodded her agreement. “You must let me deal with them,” he said more sternly, pulling his arms out of their grasp. “I will not tell you my plan so you can claim you had no prior knowledge. But you will both have to trust that I know what I am doing. Do you trust me?” he demanded harshly. “Aye, Erik, I trust you with my life,” Merwenna said quickly. “I too, only have a care,” Freya said, “you have yet to meet your child. Do not deprive him of his father before he is even born.” “All you need know is that we leave for Essex tomorrow. Prepare as best you can without causing undue fuss.” He left them to do what they could to make ready. Dinner was a tense affair and Erik forced Merwenna to eat for the sake of their child. Later he could not remember what either of them ate. He knew of the feverish activity all over the compound as bundles were packed, chickens were placed in their coops and two carts were made ready, all under the cover of darkness and as quietly as possible. The urgency that he and everyone felt was not the source of the fear in Merwenna’s eyes however. He knew that she was terrified he would not return from his encounter with the Saxons. Erik thought Merwenna would never get to sleep she tossed and turned so fitfully. At last her rhythmic breathing told him she would not miss him for a while. He dressed and left her, waking only Magnus on his way out of the longhouse. Just outside the door he stopped and leaned closer to Magnus so he could whisper and be heard. “We are going to kill the Saxons,” he said. Magnus showed no emotion, he only asked, “Shall I wake the others?” “The less we involve others the safer we will be. Alfred’s wrath is persistent and far reaching. After all he sent his soldiers into Danish territory with impunity. You and I will break their necks while they sleep and dispose of their bodies and all they brought with them. We will tell no one what we do this night. We must depart so Freya and the others will be safe but I do not want to leave her with the knowledge of our actions in case Alfred should ever be in a position to question her.” 158

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“As you say, Erik,” Magnus replied, touching the dagger at his belt and flexing his fingers as if he was closing them around Saxon necks already. “What about their horses?” “We will drive them a short distance into the forest outside the compound and tether them to a tree. They will go with us when we leave tomorrow. No doubt we can find use for them in Essex.” Magnus’ mouth curved in an evil smile. “Aye, we can that.” The two men proceeded through the darkness to the gate where the sentry who should have been there had left the gate unbolted. They could see the Saxon camp next to an ancient tree just outside the compound, its fire flickering in the distance. All but one of the Saxons seemed to be asleep and Erik signed to Magnus that they would proceed in a wide arc to come up behind the lone sentry first. They crept silently through the night, their breathing controlled, their movements lithe and deliberate. Magnus waited behind the tree until Erik quickly broke the sentry’s neck with one swift twist of his head and lowered his body gently to the ground. Then he joined Erik and they dispatched the remaining sleeping Saxons as quickly and quietly as they could. When it was done, they carried the bodies to a nearby ravine and tossed them into it. Their bodies went down into a fathomless darkness that was so deep no sound was heard when, or if, the bodies reached its bottom. After disposing of the bodies, they led the skittish horses into the forest, then returned to the encampment to go through the Saxons’ belongings. They found swords and daggers and spears and armor, not to mention food stores and a significant amount of gold coin. It crossed Erik’s mind to send the gold to Alfred as the bride price for Merwenna but he did not want to incite the Saxon king further. The less attention he and Merwenna drew to themselves, the better off they would be. They took their plunder back to the compound and placed it near their horses in the barn. It would be packed with the rest of their things in the morning as they prepared to leave. Magnus and Erik returned to the longhouse as quietly as they’d left, Magnus to the bed box he shared with Emma and Erik to his own and Merwenna. He slipped in beside her and she whispered, “Did you kill them all?” “You should not ask,” he whispered back, irritated that she was awake. “But I want to know. Did you kill them all?” He could not see her face and her whisper held no hint of emotion so he could not tell if she was angry with him. “Aye, I did,” he said harshly. “Good.” It was not the answer he expected. “I suspected you would do it. With the Saxons camped outside the compound we could never leave for Essex. Even if we managed to elude them they would soon catch up with us.” “Twill be weeks, mayhap even months before Alfred realizes they are not coming back. By then we will be settled in Essex and beyond his reach.”

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“What is your Danish homeland like?” she asked, snuggling closer into his side. He placed a protective arm around her, his irritation replaced by the delicious comfort of being close to her. “It is a more hospitable place than the Norse homeland, which is three quarters covered in snow and ice all year round. Things grow in the Danish land, flocks of sheep and goats and cows can survive. In recent years, though, the land has not been able to support the people as it once did, which is why we came here in the first place.” He did not know what else to tell her. “Harald told me much the same thing. Did you like living there?” “I grew up there, my mother lives there still. My memories are of green fields and busy villages. Why are you so curious, Merwenna?” “I believe we will have to journey there to find the peace we seek,” she said. “The fact that the Saxons were willing to wait for us to come here tells me how serious Alfred is about punishing me. I do not think I will rest easy until we leave England.” “I would not take you now in your condition, we have no ship handy and the winter sea will be too harsh to risk traveling after the baby is born. Even then I would not attempt it until the child is at least six months old.” “That means we could not leave England until the middle of next year at the earliest. How are we to live unmolested until then?” She sighed heavily. “I do not believe Alfred will follow us into Essex, especially because he will have no idea where we are, we do not even know precisely where we will be. Once Guthrum returns to East Anglia to rule as king, Alfred will have to tread lightly. By recognizing this as a Danish kingdom he has made himself unwelcome in the territory unless invited.” “You are probably right,” she said but she did not sound convinced. “Come Merwenna, we must both sleep now. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

***** The next day, as they prepared to leave the compound, no one mentioned the Saxons. It was as if they had never existed. Merwenna found this strangely comforting, as if these men who had been charged with hauling her back to Alfred had walked off a cliff and were no more. If only Alfred could do so. Freya had given them two carts for the items she was sending with them, barrels of flour and barley, cages of chickens, rounds of cheese and loaves of bread. Milk goats were waiting with their herdsman to be driven to Essex, the herding dog keeping a close eye on his fractious charges. Merwenna was touched by Freya’s generosity. Freya insisted that Merwenna should ride in the cart instead of on her horse and Emma concurred, leaving Erik no choice but to agree. Kendrick would drive the cart and Merwenna would sit beside him on the seat, while Gerta took Merwenna’s horse.

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This leave-taking was even harder than that from Chippenham. Merwenna had established a genuine friendship with Freya, the first such relationship she had ever known. Elfreda was her maid from years gone by and the other women at Chippenham had been her inferiors. The only one who came close to being a true friend was Emma. But Freya was her sister-in-law, Guthrum’s wife, they had much in common and were basically the same sort of women, responsible for others, devoted to their husbands, strong and capable in their daily tasks. Merwenna especially liked the way Freya did not make a fuss about what Alfred had done to her. It was as if her character alone defined her rather than any past event. Freya and Merwenna embraced fiercely. “We have not known each other a long time,” Freya said, “but I feel as close to you as I would to any sister.” “I feel the same for you,” Merwenna said. “Thank you for all you have done for us. I cannot think how to repay you.” Freya clasped both of Merwenna’s hands between hers and looked deep into her eyes. “Make a good life with Erik, make each other happy and raise many babies. Someday come back to us, especially after Guthrum returns. I would like to hold your firstborn on my knee.” As the cart trundled away from the gate, Merwenna looked back often and waved until they turned past a clump of trees and the compound was lost to sight. She did not even try to conceal her tears. Kendrick reached out a tentative hand and patted her on the shoulder. “I am sorry you are so sad, Merwenna, perhaps you can return someday.” “I think not,” she said and took a cloth from her belt to wipe away her tears. “We will be busy building a life in Essex as we planned. I have lost so many good people in the past months, it hardly seems fair to lose Freya just as I was beginning to form a close bond with her.” Kendrick put an arm around her as she gave herself up to tears. Erik glanced back and saw them, then turned his horse abruptly. “Merwenna, are you ill, do you have a pain?” he demanded, glaring at Kendrick who took his arm away from her shoulders. “I am very sad to leave Freya. She was so good to me and now we will never see her again and it hurts.” She was in full-blown sobs now, unable to stop the torrent of tears. Erik gave a signal and Kendrick stopped the cart, then he motioned for Magnus to move closer and gestured for Emma to come. Merwenna was impatient when Emma climbed up beside her on the seat, her hand on Merwenna’s stomach. “I am fine Emma, truly.” “Aye you are,” Emma said in her soothing way. “But I know how hard this has been for you, leaving Chippenham and now leaving Freya, King Alfred always a threat in the back of your mind. But the child seems strong and healthy in spite of your anguish.” “Good,” Merwenna said. “Erik, we must not delay on my account, as you heard Emma say, I am fine. The tears are done now.”

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“Nevertheless, perhaps you could ride with Erik for a time,” Emma was saying and Erik nodded his head. “It will do the child no harm since we will have to travel slowly and you might feel better.” Merwenna looked up into the eyes of her husband, filled as they were with anxiety and longing and she willingly went into his arms. He settled her sideways on his lap, his lips brushing across her hair. “I want you with me, Merwenna, and you may cry as much as you like in my arms.” She leaned into him, her eyes welling up once again and she clung to the strength of his arm around her. That night when they stopped she realized what a large party they had become as she and Emma began to prepare the evening meal. The other Danes had reclaimed or acquired wives and bed slaves at Guthrum’s compound and these women were more than willing to lend a hand. All knew what to do. Sigurd and Thorkell had chosen to join them and their wives helped as well. Merwenna was stunned to see that both women were far along with child and she thought how brave they were to strike out into the unknown until she realized everyone here now was equally brave, including herself. When Merwenna joined Erik on his cloak, which had been set near a cluster of stones a little way from the others for protection and privacy, her eyes were finally dry. “Will we reach Essex tomorrow?” she asked. “Aye, we will. We are going to Benfleet on the coast where Rolf will either be waiting for us or will come soon.” “And Elfreda will be with him, it will be wonderful to see them again. Do you think we can do this? Can we really make a life in Essex?” She felt dangerously close to tears again, angry at herself for being so. “Merwenna,” he said softly, “Emma told me that our child rules your passions now. Cry when you feel like it, laugh when you feel like it, no one will care. You are not the first woman to act thus and you will not be the last.” “Did Emma also tell you that we could no longer be together?” She raised tearfilled eyes to his as her fingers strayed down his chest and below to where his cock was already hard. “Nay, she actually said we had weeks yet before we must stop but as I recall you had some misgivings the last time we did this among the others.” “We are more apart from the others this time, and as you said at Freya’s compound, all those around us will be doing the same thing. I think it is just what I need to stop my tears.” She kissed his chin and his neck and then licked his chest, flicking her tongue over his nipples. He sucked in his breath and kissed her, turned her gently onto her back and lifted her skirt until her nether regions were exposed. He eased his cock from his braies and slipped inside her, neatly and silently. It was all she wanted it to be, fierce and hard and fast and when he exploded within her, they laughed together as quietly as they could, their release welcome after their

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restraint at Freya’s. She clung to him, the tears in her eyes now those of joy, loving him unreservedly.

***** Erik lay awake long after Merwenna fell into deep sleep. He was not bothered by her mercurial moods. Privately he was surprised they were no worse after everything she had been through. This latest leave-taking had hit her hard and he wished it had not been necessary. He too had found comfort being in Freya’s longhouse once again, among his own people. But it was better that they were gone now, safer for those who lived there. He could never again face his brother if something happened to Guthrum’s wife and children. Tomorrow they would be in Essex and hopefully reunited with Rolf. They would not stay at Benfleet but move further east to the coast where he planned to establish their community before the cold weather set in. It would not be easy he knew but he had faith in himself and his men and especially in Merwenna. Over and over again she had proven her strength and abilities in the midst of adversity and change. He pulled her closer, her warmth and faint smell of lavender filling his senses, sending him into a deep and dreamless sleep. She woke him the next morning soon after dawn as she got up. “I will not look at you but I will not allow you to go alone, either,” he told her. She kissed and hugged him quickly and he followed her a little way from their camp. True to his word, he turned his back as they both tended to their needs. “Thank you,” she said quietly, kissing him again. She clung to him for a moment. “I love you so much, Erik. I never thought I could feel this way about anyone.” “And I love you. I always will.” “May I ride with you again today?” “We must ask Emma but I think she will say yes.” He had intended her to continue riding with him no matter what. If she cried again he wanted her with him. They took a long time to get ready because they were now so many. Still, Erik knew he would be glad of their numbers when they finally settled. With this many men and the ones who traveled with Rolf, they could have several longhouses built before the end of the year. Late in the day they came to Benfleet, a small coastal town near the mouth of the Thames. Erik stopped them just short of the town so they could make camp. Before nightfall, Rolf rode into camp alone. “I have been coming this way every few days in the hopes of meeting you,” he told Erik. “We stayed longer at Freya’s than we thought, Merwenna was so happy there,” Erik explained. “Where have you settled?” “Near the coast on a goodly piece of land. There is already a great hall there, with a sleeping loft and separate cookhouse building, which we have prepared for you and

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Merwenna. There is also a barn and several other outbuildings, one a smokehouse. All were in disrepair but we are working hard to put them right. “We have constructed one longhouse and the bath house so far but we are looking forward to having the additional men to finish. We will need at least one more longhouse before winter, probably two or three. I had no idea we would be so many. We have already begun erecting a wall around the land as well.” Merwenna was bending over a pot on the fire when she heard Rolf’s voice as he and Erik approached. “Rolf!” she cried and hugged him. He hugged her back looking sheepishly at Erik. “Where is Elfreda? Where are you encamped?” “We are less than a day’s ride from here. I think you will both approve of what we have done so far.” Rolf looked around at the carts full of stores and the grazing goats. “I think we will be well prepared for the winter. I have arranged to buy some cows from local farmers,” he told Erik. “I thought it best to buy locally so the cattle will not grow thin from traveling before the cold weather sets in.” Merwenna smiled. “Harald told me that Danish men know how to farm as well as how to fight but until now I did not believe it. I feel much more secure about our future now, Erik.” “Elfreda is looking forward to seeing you, Merwenna,” Rolf said. “Everyone will be happy to see you.” She touched his sleeve shyly. “Thank you, Rolf, you cannot know what that means to me. Of course you will stay tonight. I am sure you and Erik have much to discuss.” Erik stayed late around the fire talking to Rolf. He told about the Saxon men-atarms who had followed them to Freya’s and how Merwenna had formed such a strong attachment to her sister-in-law. “Merwenna seems intent on renouncing all things Saxon. She and Freya spent their evenings converting Merwenna’s clothing into the dresses and hangerocks that our women wear, Emma too.” “Can you blame her?” Rolf asked. “There are still Saxons she trusts but she truly suffered at Alfred’s hands. Even if she was not your wife I would want to avenge her pain. What he did was not the act of a real man but a coward. Any man who would…” Rolf stopped, his face suddenly red. “You know details?” Erik asked, carefully modulating his voice. For the first time in all the years they had known each other, Rolf was at a loss for words, in fact his face became even more red at the look on Erik’s face but Erik did not soften. “Elfreda and I have been much together since we left Chippenham. She is a fine woman who has protected Merwenna since her birth. She told me what she saw…“ Rolf trailed off uncertainly. Erik forced himself to relax. “I do not blame you or Elfreda. I believe you both have Merwenna’s best interests at heart but I do not like people to know what happened to Merwenna. I like it even less when they remind her of it. She has put that away and what she looks to now is a future with me and our child and everyone we have brought with us. I would have her concentrate on that rather than the past.” 164

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“I agree. I mean no disrespect. I cannot believe any one of our people will bring it up to her,” Rolf said. “I think she will be surprised at how close Elfreda and I have become but I do not think she will be displeased.” “But Harald and Elfreda were together, were they not?” Erik asked. “Aye but Harald is dead and Elfreda has been spoiled for Saxons. Like you I am ready to stay in one place, rear children and raise crops, keep to one woman only. You have infected us all with the desire to settle down.” Erik could not help smiling. “Just as I drove you into battle, now I drive you into the fields to plow and plant and harvest. Erik the Terror has become Erik the Farmer.” “At least you will live to see your children grow,” Rolf said, punching him on the arm. “Would you change aught that has happened?” “Nay not at all. It is late, Rolf, let us continue this tomorrow on the way to the coast. I am anxious to see all that you have accomplished, especially if it will give Merwenna some sort of home to fuss over. She misses Chippenham more than she knows.”

***** Merwenna was filled with a delicious sense of anticipation as she rode with Erik toward their new home. Soon she would be reunited with Elfreda, she would have a new roof over her head and a hearth where she could place a cradle in preparation for the birth of their first child. She squeezed Erik’s arm and smiled up at him. When the sun was just beginning to dip below the western horizon behind them, Rolf pointed ahead and said, “At the top of this hill you will be able to see the settlement.” When they reached the top, Merwenna looked across a wide expanse of meadow that formed a clearing surrounded on either side by thick forest. In the clearing stood a dwelling—quite a large one in fact—built of wood planking. There was also a completed longhouse and a partial one similar to Freya’s, a small stone bath house, a chicken coop and a crude pen consisting of intertwined branches pushed into the ground and fashioned into a circle, pigs rooted there and made snuffling sounds that were uniquely piglike. Svein was pounding thin low stakes into the ground, marking out where the walls would eventually be built. He had already placed quite a few and she could see the line extending beside the forest. Much of the land had been cleared and there were two women at one end of the field planting something. A deep and swift-moving stream ran through the clearing on its way to the sea which lay beyond the settlement. It had been divided and ran around the area like a moat. A narrow channel fed into the inner space. Merwenna was enchanted by what she saw. “Oh Rolf, you have done so much more than I would have thought. It is a beautiful place.” “Thank you, Merwenna,” he said shyly.

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“It is excellent from a defensive point as well,” Erik said. “No one can approach without being seen. Once the wall is built, we should be able to protect all within its walls.” “I chose this site myself with just that in mind. The house had been abandoned for quite some time and was damaged by the weather,” Rolf said, “but we put it right.” “And you are all staying in the house, are you not?” she asked. “Nay, we have been staying in the longhouse. Most of us are more comfortable there and we thought to give you and Erik the house.” “That hardly seems fair,” she said. “Nay, we all agree. We will build more longhouses before the weather turns cold. Most of us have women of our own so four couples will share each longhouse with any unattached men and women divided up between them. All will have a home, Merwenna, with room to spare.” By that time they had been sighted, a cry had gone up and people were hurrying toward them. Erik reined his horse to a halt and lifted her down. Elfreda hugged Merwenna hard, tears streaming down her face. “Lady Merwenna, you are here at last. I have been worried sick that something horrible happened, that King Alfred had somehow taken you again.” Merwenna patted her gently on the back as she embraced her. “Nay, Erik would never have allowed that. But this is a beautiful place and you have all worked so hard to put it in order. I am sorry I have not been here to help.” “There is plenty of work still to be done,” Oswulf said, “it will be good to have the extra hands.” “Come,” Elfreda was saying, “you must see your new home.” She took Merwenna’s hand and led her to the door of the house. Inside it was very cozy but even larger than she first thought. There was an enormous great hall—they might even be able to fit everyone in it. Benches had been built into the walls and a fine fire pit was in the middle of the room. Merwenna looked up to the roof where a series of small holes would help dissipate the smoke from the fire. She could see loft spaces above with distinct rooms, four that she could see, and stairs built against one wall and secured to it in order to reach the loft. When she went upstairs she saw that each of the rooms contained a bed box and in one of them were the chests she had sent ahead with Rolf, as well as the bundles she had carried with her. She took the cloth that contained Alfred’s jeweled cross from the bottom of her bag and placed it in the bottom of one of the chests without looking at the cross itself. Painful memories squeezed her heart even at the thought of it. Beside the great hall and attached to it by a covered passageway was a cookhouse building. The room contained two long tables, shelves and a squat wide tree stump which had been hollowed out and fashioned into a wash basin, the inside burnished and rubbed with oil so the water could not easily seep into the wood. She was thrilled at the prospect of cooking there. 166

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“This is wonderful,” she told Elfreda. “Was the house as bad as Rolf told us?” “Aye it was. There were great holes in the wall, mice had nested in every corner and the firepit was missing some stones. Rolf and I did most of the work in here. I had no idea that he could build such a fine firepit.” “I am very impressed, I wonder if all our Danish men have hidden talents. But I thought I heard Erik say something about you and Rolf?” Merwenna asked gently and smiled when Elfreda blushed. “Do you wish to tell me what happened?” “I have not forgotten Harald,” she said quickly, “nor will I, and Rolf knows this. But he has been good to me since we left Chippenham. He looked after me while we traveled. It was then we learned that we both want children. It seems like the best thing for us to be together.” “I am happy for you, Elfreda. It will be good for you to have a family of your own. I know my father would be happy. “Aye, God rest his soul,” she said. “But is Rolf who you desire and does he desire you?” Merwenna asked with some concern. “Rolf is not Harald but no less a man I can love and I know he loves me. Who would have thought we would both marry Danes.” “You are married then,” Merwenna said. “Aye in the church at Benfleet. While I try never to say anything good about Alfred, at least he insisted that Rolf and the others be baptized at the time of the treaty so there was no obstacle to our being wed.” Just then Emma came in and she and Elfreda embraced as well. “Were you able to get settled?” Merwenna asked Emma. “Magnus and I will be in Rolf’s longhouse, they saved one of the bed boxes for us since Magnus and Rolf have always been so close,” Emma said. “Would any of those in tents like to stay here with us?” Merwenna asked. “We have more than enough room here.” “I am sure they would not impose,” Elfreda said. “I agree,” Emma said. “We all deserve privacy to be with our men, it is only right. By winter we will all be in snug longhouses with bed boxes of our own.” That night they were all together for the first time and the women prepared a large meal, served in the open around a bonfire. The ale flowed freely and the men wrestled good-naturedly while the women cheered them on. After they ate, Rolf took Erik around and showed him where the new buildings would be built. Emma made it her business to talk to each of the women, many of whom were already with child. Merwenna was excited that soon their little community would have babies to care for and cuddle. She was very tired when she climbed into the bed box in their room and Erik soon followed. They had not spoken to one another much since they arrived—many people 167

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had claimed time with each of them—so it was wonderful to feel his arms around her and know that they were home. “Do you like the house?” she asked. “It will do for now. I would build you a fortress however, if I had my way.” “To keep me in or keep others out?” “Both. Are you happy we are here?” “Aye, more than you will ever know. It felt like home the moment I saw it.” “Good, perhaps we have come to a safe place after all.” “Emma told me many of the women are with child. Our son or daughter will have playmates.” “What if it is one of each?” “I am sure a man of your virility could easily make both a son and a daughter at the same time. Did I tell you Freya is anxious for Guthrum to come home because she would like a daughter?” “Merwenna, we have the rest of our lives to talk about other people. We should begin our lives in this house with a celebration of our love.” He kissed her and she forgot her fatigue as he ran his tongue around the inside of her mouth and his hands over her body. Her breasts were feeling tender but the nipples puckered when he brushed his fingers over them. Her nether regions began to ache in their emptiness. “There is no one in the world but you and me and our love,” she told him as she bent her head to suck on his nipples, gratified when they stiffened to match his cock against her leg. “I believe I have lost the desire to sleep altogether.” “As have I.” Erik trailed his kisses down over her belly until he reached her mound of curly hair. He blew gently and spread her legs with his hands. When his tongue flicked over her pleasure nub, her hips bucked in reflex. “Ah, my love, you have such a talented tongue,” she told him breathlessly. He chuckled against her and doubled his efforts, stopping just short of her release. “Please Erik, do not stop,” she begged. “Patience, my love,” he told her with a smile. “Have you ever touched yourself between your legs?” “Only when I bathe.” “But never for your pleasure?” Merwenna felt herself blush. “Nay. I would not know how.” He took her hand and kissed the fingertips softly, then brought them down and placed them on the folds of her womanhood. “Touch yourself, Merwenna, I would like to watch you make yourself climax.” He placed a finger on her lips before she could protest. “Please love, it would give me much pleasure.” She touched herself tentatively at first, familiar with the structure of her body but not its nuances of feeling. She quickly identified the nub that gave her so much pleasure when Erik tongued it and ran her finger across it, shivering as desire coursed through

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her. She was surprised that her own touch could elicit the same feeling that Erik’s touch did and she continued, knowing now that she could actually make herself climax this way. She became aware that Erik was watching her intently, his hand stroking his cock gently. “Tell me when you are ready to climax,” he said and began to stroke himself harder. Merwenna could not stop a moan from escaping her throat as she neared her climax. “I’m coming,” she said as her release began with a jolting pulse that took her by surprise. She had never felt its like. She continued to use her fingers to stroke her pleasure nub and the release went on and on. When she saw his seed shoot from Erik’s cock she began to climax again with almost no pause. She was trembling with the strength of her release. Erik moved toward her and ran his finger between her legs then licked her juices from his finger. She in turn ran her fingertips across his chest to capture his seed and put it to her tongue. “How is it possible that we felt so much but never touched one another?” she asked in a voice husky with passion. “I only know that the sight of you pleasuring yourself gave me a most powerful release.” “I actually climaxed twice, once when I told you and again when you began to ejaculate. My only regret is that you did not climax inside me.” “I will after a while,” he said, using a cloth to wipe himself dry. “How wonderful that we have all night,” she said, snuggling close to him, sleep no longer in her thoughts.

***** Erik lay in perfect contentment with Merwenna close to his side. Her even breathing reassured him of her safety while he reflected on their encounter. Even he had not realized how powerfully enticing it would be to watch her pleasure herself. His balls still ached from the sheer force of his release. He was determined that there would be no limit to what he and Merwenna could do in bed, and with this in mind he had decided that tonight he would heal Alfred’s final wound—he would take her back passage. And it seemed important to do it this night, their first night in their new home, on the brink of their new life. From this night forward no one could take her from him. Moments later she stirred and her hand reached for his flaccid cock, gently lifting and squeezing it. “I hardly ever see it this way,” she said. “And it will not stay that way if you continue,” he said. “Would you like me to continue?” “Aye I would, if you have a mind to.”

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Silently she knelt over him, using her hand to stiffen his cock, then she took it into her mouth and began to suck. She had developed her skill in this act and he could easily take his satisfaction from it, but his need for something more was too great. He lifted her away from his rigid member and kissed her mouth, holding her tightly to his chest. “I want to be inside you, Merwenna,” he said, but when she moved to lie on her back he stopped her. “From behind, my love,” he said and she willingly went down on her hands and knees and presented her backside to him. He thrust a finger into her womanly opening to be sure she was ready, then eased his cock into her until it was completely buried. Resisting the urge to finish quickly, for he was now aching with the need to climax, he thrust several times until he was sure his cock was covered with her juices. While still inside he fingered her pleasure nub until her release gripped his cock. “I love you, Merwenna,” he said into her left ear. “Do you trust me?” “You know I do, Erik,” she said softly. “Do you wish to take me in the back?” “Aye if you are willing.” Her voice was calm. “I am willing.” “Just as we did that first time, you have only to say a word to stop me at any time.” “Thank you, Erik. Please take your pleasure of me.” “I will try to make it pleasurable for you as well.” He slipped his cock out of her womanly opening and, satisfied that it was slick enough so he would not cause her undue pain, he braced himself with one hand on her hip while the other hand guided his cock into her back passage. It was incredibly tight and she moaned once, but she did not stop him. When he was fully encased, he began thrusting, one hand still on her hip while the other fingered her pleasure nub. Physically possessing her in this way was thrilling and like nothing he had ever experienced. “Oh, Erik,” she said but her voice reflected no pain, only wonder. Satisfied with her reaction, he thrust harder, not caring how quickly he might climax, and let himself go, his release explosive. He felt her climax too, and she blurted, “I love it. I love it and I love you!” As soon as he pulled away she flung herself into his arms, her cheeks wet with tears and a smile on her face. “I am yours, completely yours now. Thank you, my love, thank you.” “Aye, Merwenna, we belong wholly to each other now.”

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Chapter Fourteen The next day, Merwenna awoke incredibly content, with only slight pain in her lower body. She wanted to spend the day in bed with Erik, reliving all that had happened during their night of unbridled lovemaking. Before he was even awake, she touched herself tentatively then more confidently, bringing herself to a gentle, silent release before greeting the day. Around the compound, new work began in earnest now that they were all assembled. Olaf, Offa and Oswulf began systematically to fell trees in the surrounding forest in order to provide the framing for the longhouses. After they took the tree down, they hacked off the branches and most of the bark and fashioned stout beams. When they completed a tree, they hauled the beams back to the clearing and started over again. Merwenna, Emma and Elfreda set up the looms in the great hall of the main house and the one existing longhouse so they could start to make the cloth they would need for the winter, even though they had all packed extra blankets, cloaks and other coldweather things. Merwenna was anxious to get the household chores well begun so they could work on the weaving, cheese making, ale making and other tasks that would give them a store of cloth and foodstuffs for the coming winter. Kendrick, Rolf and Tostig rode into Benfleet to purchase the cattle they would need. Erik had also asked them to buy wine, vegetables and fruits, he had no doubt they would find them because he sent some of the Saxon gold for the purchases and Benfleet was a coastal port where there was a regular market day each week. Svein continued working on the fencing and Baldr and Einar joined him in marking out the boundaries of the wall. The work progressed so rapidly that the wall was clearly defined by midday and the trio had begun setting the posts into the ground. Merwenna watched them work for a bit, impressed at their diligence and ability. She and Emma prepared the evening meal in the cookhouse building and discussed how their community was developing. “I think we should not distinguish between wives and bed slaves,” Merwenna said, “because there is really only one woman with each man.” “Except for Baldr and Einar who appear to be happily sharing Gerta,” Emma said. “I have never known brothers who shared so much and without jealousy.” She shook her head and smiled. “Even with Einar and Baldr, we have established relationships,” Merwenna continued. “Although the Danish men have strong physical needs, I do not think Rolf will try to bed you or Magnus will go after me. Given that, it stands to reason that eventually we will all be parents so we should all be free and equal.” 171

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“You are right of course. That means each longhouse should have four bed boxes and we will need three more longhouses.” “I do not think that will present a problem,” Merwenna told her. “Have you noticed how hard these Danes work? If I did not know better, I would think this is all they did, build fences and houses. You would never guess by watching that they are the fiercest warriors in the world.” “I think it rather endearing that they can do so many things. Do you not feel more secure knowing Erik can erect a longhouse then kill anyone who attacks it?” “I suppose I do,” she answered with a chuckle. “If you are willing I would like you to be the healer for the most part.” “But you are at least as skilled as I am, Lady Merwenna. There will be enough for both of us to do.” “But you are a midwife and I am not. I am only just now having my first child, I have no idea what to expect and I certainly do not know how to help others.” She stirred one of the pots of porridge, scraping the bottom to loosen what was stuck there. “May I remind you that I have never had a baby myself though we shall all know what to expect before too long.” Emma smiled and looked down at the table where she was slicing onions. It took Merwenna a moment to realize what she was saying. “Are you with child, Emma? Truly?” When Emma nodded, Merwenna hugged her hard. “Does Magnus know? Is he pleased?” “Aye, he is.” “Who else among the women is expecting a child?” she asked, powerfully curious. “You know about the wives of Sigurd and Thorkell of course, they will be delivered around All Saints. Your baby will come after All Saints and mine by the end of the year. Elfreda, Devona and Rexella are in the early stages and as for the others, if they are with child, it is too early to tell.” Merwenna was astonished. “I told Erik last night that our child would have companions but I had no idea we would multiply so quickly.” “Old Kate taught me that women who live together will begin to have the same cycle and when one of them becomes pregnant, the others will follow. I do not know if that is what we are experiencing but I would not be surprised. At any rate, the first crop of Essex children will all be of an age.” They laughed together and Merwenna felt her child move as though listening to all they said.

***** Erik was unprepared for the way all the men assumed he would be in charge of the settlement. He would do it of course, these men had been under his command for years. The Danes would never have followed him simply because he was the son of their king.

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He had proven himself a warrior from an early age and a commander not long after. But he wondered how effective he would be at ordering a peaceful community. There would still be battle practice every day. Britain was not so big that Alfred could not find them. He might even send a ship from which his troops could raid their little settlement without offending Guthrum. Erik had already set aside an area where they would conduct their hand-to-hand combat and weapons practices. Each man was assigned sentry duty so there was always at least one of the men on the lookout for anything threatening. While he accepted the settlement’s leadership uneasily, it made him proud that the women in their group looked to Merwenna for guidance. He knew she was younger than any of them, but her demeanor now had reverted to that of the steward of Chippenham. She was never still about her tasks, whether it was preparing fish and meat to be smoked or pickling the vegetables they had been able to purchase in Benfleet, to be used during the coming winter. After the first two weeks, the second longhouse was well on its way to completion and the third one was begun. Sheep, cows and goats were tended by young men hired in Benfleet by Rolf, as well as highly skilled dogs. Oxen and the horses were housed in the barn. Erik was pleased that Alfred’s money was allowing them to purchase livestock and items they might otherwise have had to make or do without, like the plow and the extra looms for weaving. There was still quite a bit of coin left and he planned to conserve that as long as possible against some unexpected need. He spent quite a bit of time in the barn nearest to their house, carving out a corner for himself. For years he had harbored a talent and interest in woodworking, a fact he had shared with no one save Guthrum. Now he thought it might suit him to broaden his interest, challenge himself to create things they would all need, like chairs and tables. Cats came to live among them, just as they did whenever humans set up habitation. One large striped male attached himself to Merwenna in spite of Erik’s objections and, when the cat was not out hunting, he was usually wherever Merwenna happened to be. He regarded Erik with thinly disguised hostility but never made a move, perhaps sensing that Erik could crush him with a single blow. Merwenna named him Thor and no one could speak against him, since he kept their house free of all kinds of vermin. Erik had his own pet, though not of his choosing. Dogs had been drawn to their settlement as well and they hung about because the women fed them. Erik did not object to dogs, they were useful sentries, they ate less than a man, could smell intruders and attack them more swiftly and they never slept so soundly that they were not alert. So, when a fairly large black dog of dubious parentage began hanging about, he did not drive it off. Much to Merwenna’s delight, Erik eventually threw some of his dinner to the animal and the bond was sealed. “What will you name him?” Merwenna pressed. “Does he need a name?”

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“How will you call him?” “He is always there, why would I need to call him?” “Erik, he should have a name, he wants to belong to you,” she said in exasperation. “Do you suggest we not name our children because they will always be with us?” “That is nonsense and hardly an apt comparison. But if it will please you and stop you nagging…” He had to duck as she threw her empty cup at him. “I know, King Alfred, that will be his name.” She sighed as if he tried her patience past its limit. “King will suffice, I think.” Erik had enjoyed living with Merwenna at Chippenham, it was the first time he had truly lived with a woman but Essex became a whole new experience. He watched her create order out of chaos, settle disputes, make huge quantities of food without fuss and come to him at night eager for his embrace. She laughed often, hugged and kissed everyone and was unfailingly thoughtful of anyone in need. He thought that this was the true Merwenna, as she was before Alfred laid a hand on her. He almost could not remember the fearful, startled person she had been and while he had fallen in love with her during that tumultuous time, he was enamored of her all over again in Essex. He hoped he never saw that other Merwenna again.

***** Just as the battlements had been Merwenna’s favorite place at Chippenham, she had a special place at the settlement in Essex as well. At the edge of the meadow there stood a group of boulders where she could sit and gaze out at the sea. Never having seen the sea before, she found it endlessly fascinating now and enormously soothing. Its changing colors, the way it swelled one day and peaked the next, the bracing air that threw sea mist on her face, all of it thrilled her. She often removed her shoes to walk in the surf. Gerta, who had lived near the sea in her childhood, taught her to collect things from the sand and surf like driftwood, seaweed and edible sea creatures. One day they dug for clams and Gerta taught Merwenna how to steam them in hot water. Another day they collected seaweed and Gerta made a tasty vegetable stew. Merwenna was glad Guthrum had released her so she could be part of their community. Merwenna was sitting on her boulder one warm late summer day considering what it would be like to sail on that sea. Would they really have to start all over again in another land? She could not imagine leaving this place now, so how would she feel next spring? She said a silent prayer to God and Odin that Alfred would let them stay. “Are you all right, Merwenna?” She opened her eyes and smiled at Erik. “I am well. You just caught me praying that we can stay here, that Alfred leaves us alone.” “Which god?” 174

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“God and Odin. Emma believes that it is unwise to offend any god, I am just following her example.” “Emma is a strange woman but I like her. Magnus is smitten with her and now that they are having a child, he is beside himself. I am glad we are no longer at war, I would have to leave him home.” He shook his head and almost smiled. Merwenna laughed. “I am sure Magnus still has the warrior spirit. But tell me, are you still smitten with me?” “I was never smitten,” he said scornfully. “It was love from the moment you first came to me in my dreams. Come with me, I have something to show you.” She accompanied him back to the house. “Close your eyes, this is supposed to be a surprise.” “I do not want to fall, Erik.” “Would I allow you to fall, Merwenna? Just close your eyes.” She obeyed and he guided her, one arm around her shoulders, his hand holding her arm. She knew they were mounting the stairs to their bedchamber and resisted the urge to peek. “Open your eyes.” On the floor at her feet was a cradle, sturdy and well made with an intricately carved headboard. “It is beautiful, where did you get it?” “I made it,” he said. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say at first. “I had no idea you had such skill,” she finally said. “Where did you learn to do such work? It is exquisite.” “As a boy I used to watch the woodworker. I loved to see what he could do with wood. He even carved me some toy horses and birds and other animals. I wish I still had them for our children. I became a nuisance so he taught me what he knew. I never thought I would use what I learned.” He seemed almost embarrassed to share this with her. She put her arms around him and kissed him on the mouth. “I forget that you were once a boy. I hope we have a son who is exactly like you—if not this child then the next one. This is the most wonderful gift I have ever received.” Her mind harkened back to another gift, seemingly a lifetime gone by, a jeweled cross which she still had, kept in the bottom of her clothes chest. She had placed it there the day she arrived. “You and our child are the most wonderful gifts I have ever received. It seemed fitting that I should make the cradle with my own hands. I intend it to be well used over the next several years.” He pulled her close and she lifted her mouth to his, knowing this was a moment of perfect happiness, something that happened frequently since they arrived. Paying no heed to the fact that it was the middle of the day, they went to bed. As he undressed her, while she was still standing, he held a breast in each hand. “They have become even rounder and heavier,” he commented, then bent to kiss the nipples before scooping her up and onto the bed. She watched him disrobe then he joined her on the bed, stopping to caress and kiss her belly. “This too is rounder. The baby just moved!” he exclaimed with a smile. 175

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“It moves quite a lot now,” she told him. “Perhaps the baby resents the intrusion,” he said. “I think not. Besides, there has been room enough for both of you all along, why should today be different. And I want you so much, I want to show you how much I love my gift.” He entered her easily and began with slow, rhythmic thrusts as if they had all day to play in bed. “Touch your breasts Merwenna, I love to watch you touch yourself.” She cupped a breast in each of her hands, kneading and squeezing them gently, tweaking the nipples erect. She liked touching herself, it felt good and the act evoked a warm, sensuous look in Erik’s eyes as he watched. She almost came just seeing it. His urgency increased and he moved faster while she continued to fondle herself. Her release overtook her just as his began and his cock spasmed inside her, shooting his seed deep into her womb. As they slowly descended from the pinnacle of their release, she became aware that her fingers were wet. They were covered with white liquid and one of her nipples oozed the stuff. “Erik, I believe I am leaking milk,” she said calmly. “Shall I fetch Emma?” he asked, his voice concerned. “Nay, she warned me of this. It is not cause for worry.” He held her close then, the afterglow of their lovemaking restored, and he tasted her spilled milk, a tender gesture that made her want him all over again.

***** By the time the leaves were in full and brilliant harvest color, Erik was enjoying being settled, so he was irritated when unknown riders approached. He appreciated anew the fact that no one could get too close to the settlement without being seen but he wished those from outside would keep their distance. Merwenna was still somewhat fragile and any strange rider might bring some new torment from Alfred. These looked to be Danes and they carried Guthrum’s standard but he fetched his sword anyway, mounted his stallion and approached them cautiously, Rolf and Magnus right behind. The lead rider hailed, “Erik, Guthrum sent me!” and Erik recognized the voice of Ubbi, a man he had known all his life. “What has happened that Guthrum sent you all the way to Essex? Has the peace been broken?” Erik asked from a discreet distance, noting that the men kept their swords sheathed and carried no spears or battle-axes. “Nay, I have a document for the Lady Merwenna, sent by King Alfred through Guthrum. He charged me with delivering it before he left for Cirencester.” Erik’s temper flared and he wanted to hit something or someone. So Alfred had found them after all and now he had involved Guthrum in his intrigues. Why had Erik ever thought he and Merwenna could remain unmolested in Britain? “What kind of document?”

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“I do not know its contents but Guthrum told me to tell you it is not of a threatening nature, in fact it appears to be a pardon.” Ubbi held the pouch toward Erik. “The scroll is inside.” What new trick was this? “A pardon? And Guthrum thinks it is real?” Erik asked, taking the pouch as though it contained a venomous snake. When Ubbi nodded he motioned for the men to follow him. “Come, you will stay the night.” He held the pouch away from his side. Merwenna was waiting at the doorway of the house and when her apprehensive eyes met Erik’s he cursed Alfred anew. Just when she was relaxed and happy about their new life, Alfred had to intrude yet again. His heart seething with resentment, Erik showed the three Danes into his house and they all sat around the fire. Erik dropped the pouch onto a bench. “Lady Merwenna, King Alfred sent this document to King Guthrum concerning you and Guthrum has asked me to deliver it into your hands.” Ubbi opened the pouch and took out a small scroll tied with a ribbon and sealed with Alfred’s signet ring in wax. Merwenna at first did not reach for it. Erik put his hand on her shoulder and said, “We must know what it is if we are to know how to behave.” “Aye,” she whispered and took the scroll. She opened it slowly and scanned it, her brow furrowed. “It is a pardon,” she told him in a low voice, “Alfred has pardoned me. It says he will not seek to arrest or punish me for any past actions and he hopes he will reunite with me someday.” “He is pardoning you for treason he forced you to commit,” he growled. “Do you think he is toying with your mind?” “Nay this is an official document, he must have created a document charging me and this one negates it. Why would he risk putting it all in writing if he did not mean it? He of all people knows the power of the written word.” The eyes she lifted to his were full of tears and hope. “Perhaps we can stay here after all and the work we are doing to establish ourselves will not be in vain.” Erik was not so willing to believe as she was but he kept his opinion to himself. “I hope that is exactly what is happening, Merwenna, for your sake and for us all,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. “Erik,” Ubbi was saying now that his primary task was completed, “we did not come alone from Chippenham. Certain others were granted leave to accompany us, requesting to make their homes with you here instead of waiting for Alfred’s return.” Merwenna looked at Ubbi with interest. “Who are they and where have you left them?” “They are still at Benfleet awaiting your invitation—Leofric the cooper and storyteller and Edward the smithy with their wives and children.” “Erik?” Merwenna asked, the hope in her eyes impossible for him to resist.

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“I will send Rolf back with you to fetch them. Leave the rest of your men here,” he told Ubbi. “If they wish to stay they are welcome, we can certainly use Edward’s skills, as for Leofric…” “As for Leofric,” Merwenna interrupted, “he will make the barrels we need to preserve things and teach our children their heritage, both Saxon and Dane, through his stories.” “Aye we need our storytellers almost as much as we need our smithies,” Erik said, smiling at her. “We will be happy to have them all.”

***** Even with the scroll safely tucked into the cloth pouch hanging from her belt, Merwenna was not yet ready to believe that the nightmare was over. Part of her felt that Alfred was once again trying to soothe her into complacency, that he would eventually swoop down on her and take her away from the life she was trying to make for herself and Erik. Some of her fear eased when Leofric and Edward drove their carts into the settlement with their families late the next day, accompanied by Rolf and Ubbi. They greeted her warmly, sheepishly unable to keep their eyes away from her swollen belly. Then she realized that when she last saw them her condition had not been obvious and she laughed. “You are both fathers, surely you are not surprised that I am with child,” she said. “Nay, Lady Merwenna,” Leofric said embracing her gently as if she would break, “I was only thinking of your father and how happy he would be.” “He encouraged me to make a life with Erik so I am sure you are right,” she told him, touched by his thought. “How have you been Leofric and why would you come so far from Chippenham? Why did you not want to stay in your home?” “It seemed time to move on, start fresh. Now that the Danes are moving north to Cirencester, I have no wish to see Alfred when he returns. No telling how he will treat those of us who remained to help you commit treason.” He smiled devilishly and Merwenna could not suppress a giggle. Edward the smithy, having helped his wife and children from the cart, claimed his hug from her. When he released her, she wagged a finger at him. “And you, I know Alfred will be very angry when he finds your forge cold and you nowhere to be found.” “Nay, my apprentice came along so well Alfred will never miss me. Besides, I had to check on my godson and see if he could use my help,” he said. “You will never be idle, that I can promise you,” Merwenna said with a laugh. She turned slightly and found Elfreda at her left elbow as of old. “Elfreda, will you help the women and children get settled? Rolf, will you take Edward to Erik so you can begin to plan where the forge should be?”

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“I will go with them, Lady Merwenna,” Leofric said, “I want to help too in any way I can.” “They will certainly be glad to put you to work.” Merwenna watched them go, her heart warmed that they had followed her. It was good to know she had not been entirely wrong to think that people at Chippenham had been loyal to her and her father first. Emma was waiting for her in the cookhouse. As Merwenna reached into the vegetable basket and pulled out some carrots and onions, she said, “We need to put another pot of stew on the fire. Did you see Leofric and Edward arrive?” “Aye we can use their skills.” Merwenna stopped slicing vegetables, something about Emma’s voice alarmed her. “Is there aught wrong Emma, is someone sick or hurt?” “Nothing like that,” she said. “I love being a midwife Lady Merwenna, love helping women bring their children into this world. But there are parts I do not like, namely when a child is stillborn or I have to tell the parents it is time for them to abstain.” “Oh,” she said with a sigh. “Does that mean right away?” “You see, this is what I hate, it is the same reaction every time,” Emma said smiling. “After tonight I would not be comfortable answering for the child. Based on the size and position, the baby could be born sooner than we thought.” “Is the baby all right?” “There is a strong heartbeat and vigorous movement as I’m sure you are aware. But I do not like to take chances with a first baby. At any rate, you have tonight.” She patted Merwenna reassuringly and began to help her cut the vegetables. The evening was balmy enough for the whole group to eat out in the open to welcome the newcomers. Merwenna sat silently and watched the others interact. Magnus and Erik stood talking near Emma, who was listening to Leofric’s account of their journey from Chippenham. When Erik and Merwenna were alone in the bed that night, Merwenna propped herself on an elbow. “Emma came to help me with the evening meal today,” she began, not knowing how to bring up Emma’s advice that they abstain until the baby arrived. Erik was such a passionate man and they so enjoyed each other, in truth she did not want to stop even for a single day. Yet she also wanted her baby to be born safe and alive. “You have formed quite a bond with her and I am glad, she is a good woman. Did you not know her well at Chippenham? It seems you have discovered each other recently.” “Aye, Old Kate was the midwife until about All Saints of last year. Emma was her apprentice and took over at that time. Shortly after that I was…injured and she helped me,” she said.

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“I have heard tell of that,” he said, “and would rather forget it.” He leaned over to kiss the forearm that supported her. Merwenna took a deep breath. “She did not just come to help me cook. She came to tell me that it would be better if we did not…if we are not together until after the baby comes.” “We knew it would be soon,” he said quietly, his hand to her cheek, “though I will sorely miss it.” “We have tonight,” she said quickly and held his palm to her mouth, licked it, then captured one of his fingers and sucked on it. “If we did not I would have to beat you out of frustration at what you are now doing,” he said, nuzzling her neck. Merwenna chuckled low in her throat. “I doubt you would ever beat me.” “Aye, you are right, there is nothing you do that warrants beating.” His lips traveled from her neck down to her breasts where he tongued each one until the nipple was taut and she moaned. “No roughness tonight, Merwenna,” he whispered against her belly, “we do not want to upset our little one.” His hand dipped between her legs and stroked but there was really no need, she was more than ready. She shivered with longing and reached down to grasp his swollen manhood. “Gentle does not mean slow,” she chided him softly. “Aye milady,” he said. He entered her and thrust, and her release was so swift and hard it took her breath away, his too. “You certainly wanted that, my love.” “Please do not stop now, by the time you finish I will have at least two more,” she said and her body obediently responded. Erik thrust and groaned as he felt her releases one after the other, thrust two more times and exploded in her. He was careful not to lean on her abdomen as he supported his upper body on his hands trying to catch his breath. “That was new,” he said. “I truly wanted to make it go longer but your body was too insistent.” “Perhaps it has to do with the baby. At any rate, it was wonderful,” she said, snuggling close as he lay beside her. “You are not disappointed?” “Of course not, we have all night,” she said. “Will it not be too dangerous for the baby?” “Emma said we have tonight, she did not give us a limit.” “Ah my love, you are so sweetly demanding how can I ever tell you nay?” “I am glad you cannot. Please wake me if I fall asleep, I do not want to miss this night, our last like it for quite a while. I love you, Erik.”

*****

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After All Saints, Inga and Hervor were delivered of their babies, both girls, within a week of each other. Erik was glad that Merwenna helped Emma with the birthings. She did not make a fuss about being afraid but he knew she was. He could not imagine what it would be like, facing childbirth for the first time knowing it could not be avoided and aware that any number of things could go wrong resulting in the death of the child or the mother. Even if she was not scared, he was concerned enough for the both of them that she might die. Life without Merwenna would be no life at all. Merwenna gave birth to a son the following week, after a harrowing labor that lasted nearly two days. Erik stayed by her side until Emma saw the head, then he went down to sit beside the fire to await the presentation of the baby. Once he was born, Emma brought the child to Erik where he was sitting with Rolf and Magnus. In keeping with the Danish tradition, he accepted the child from her to acknowledge that he was the father but he was totally unprepared for the surge of love he felt when he looked into his son’s face for the first time. He carried the child with him up to where Merwenna lay abed, tired but still awake. “Thank you, my love,” he whispered as he laid the baby by her side. “Shall we call him Erik?” she said. “Erik Eldred,” he amended, both of them still talking softly. He could hear Emma and the men talking as they left the great hall downstairs, their voices receding into the night. He lay on the bed, the baby between them. When baby Erik began to fuss and cry Merwenna offered him her breast and he suckled loudly. “He is his father’s son,” she said with a tired smile, “strong and insistent.” “And demanding, I like that in a son,” he said, pushing his finger against the baby’s fist so he could grasp it. “I love you, little Erik,” she said and smoothed the baby’s wisps of golden hair. By the middle of December, Erik was almost convinced they were safe. Merwenna and the baby were both strong and healthy, little Erik had grown and Merwenna had regained her slender figure for the most part. He liked nothing better than to see her tending to their child, humming to herself. Alfred’s pardon had certainly helped her state of mind and the fact that no new threat appeared was reassuring. Then a lone rider approached the gate when Erik was on sentry duty one morning and Erik placed his hand on his dagger. “Good morning, sir,” he said in an even tone, not welcoming but not menacing either. “I think you must be Erik,” the man said in a kind, well modulated voice. He was middle height and stocky, with the bald pate and circular crown of hair worn by monks. His eyes were light blue and utterly serene. “You have the advantage of me, sir, as I have no idea who you might be.” The man dismounted and Erik could see he wore monk’s vestments beneath his cloak. “I am Asser, confessor to King Alfred.”

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Erik was thunderstruck that such a man would come riding into the settlement with no escort and no men-at-arms and his blood began to boil that Alfred would send a defenseless holy man to this place. He could kill Asser and no one would know, least of all Alfred. He did not kill the man. “Welcome, Asser, come to my house where my wife will give you something to eat and a drink of wine to warm you.” He signaled to Thorkell who was nearby that he was leaving his post and led Asser to the house. “Thank you, Erik,” Asser said. As they walked toward the house, he asked, “Were you the Erik known as the Terror?” “Aye I was that but now I am a husband, a father and a farmer,” he told the other man, “though it does not take much to incite the Terror to make an appearance especially when it comes to Merwenna’s happiness and well-being.” “I am sure of that,” the monk said with a gentle smile. Merwenna nearly dropped the jug of water she was carrying when she saw the man. “Asser, how came you here?” she asked in a slightly shrill voice. “I did not mean to startle you by my appearance, forgive me.” He extended his arms to her and she let him embrace her, Erik all the while gritting his teeth. He remembered now that this man was Alfred’s biographer as well as confessor, what could he want with Merwenna? “Sit down, Merwenna,” Erik said, his hand protectively clasping her shoulder. “Tell me quickly, Asser,” she said anxiety making her short of breath, “what is it that you want? Alfred pardoned me. I had hoped he would be done with me. All we want is to live our lives in peace and quiet in this place we have made our own. I cannot think how it offends him if we do so.” “May I speak plainly in front of your husband?” “Aye always, Erik knows all there is to know about me,” she said harshly. “Very well. King Alfred recently confessed to me his mistreatment of you. At first he did not want to, but I could tell something was literally eating him alive. I pressed and pressed until he told me. I refused to give him absolution unless he personally asked your forgiveness.” “Personally? He is here?” She leaned back and clutched at Erik’s hand, trembling so violently he wanted to lash out at something. “Where is he?” Erik demanded. “Why is this necessary? Do you see what the very mention of his name does to her?” “You may not believe me now, young man, but this will help both of them. His plea for forgiveness will release her from the memories, the pain and anguish and her granting it will release him.” “How can you say that?” Erik asked, his voice louder now. “What he did a year ago was bad enough, but since then he has hunted and kidnapped her, sent soldiers with orders to arrest her for treason, driven her from the only home she ever knew into this

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place, which she has made her own in spite of him. As far as I am concerned we would be better off if I had killed him!” “He has felt that same way for some time now,” Asser told Erik, then he took a deep breath and knelt at Merwenna’s feet, the better to look into her eyes. “You may decline if you so desire but I encourage you to take this step. You must both lay the past to rest if you are to go on with your lives. I know he cannot continue as he is, you will understand when you see him.” “When?” Erik roared. “When? ‘If’ is more like it, if she sees him. If I have aught to say about it she will not.” “Ah yes,” Asser said with no sign of fear, “I see Erik the Terror is all too real and comes forth with blinding speed.” Asser put a hand on Erik’s arm. “I understand you were baptized, then you must know what it means to want absolution. I must deny King Alfred so long as he does not seek the Lady Merwenna’s forgiveness. But now he does. He is at the end of a long and painful road just as Merwenna is. This last step will free them both.” Merwenna had bowed her head but now she raised tortured tear-filled eyes to Erik’s. “I must see him,” she said softly. “After everything he has put us both through, how can you say that?” Erik cried in his battle voice and the baby began to cry. He stopped at the sound of his son’s frightened wail and Merwenna bent to lift the baby from the cradle. When little Erik was calmed she said, “I know you have no reason to trust Asser, Erik, but I do. If he says Alfred wants absolution and needs my forgiveness to get it, then I must hear what he has to say. I cannot in good faith deny him redemption of his immortal soul. I do not believe Asser would put me in danger.” She placed her hand on his chest. “Please, take whatever measures you think necessary to protect me, only I must see him.” Erik could not refuse her even though his heart was sore at the way Alfred insinuated himself into their lives. Whether he raped, kidnapped or asked forgiveness, he was always there and would not be denied. “And will he then leave us alone?” he asked, the question directed more at Asser than Merwenna. “Once Lady Merwenna expresses her forgiveness, King Alfred will receive absolution and return to govern his kingdom. He has a wife and children to look after as well. You will live here unmolested and in peace, he has promised me.” “I have no faith in his promises. Who will vouchsafe him?” Erik said sullenly. “If Merwenna has it in her to forgive him then she shall see him and do so. I will not kill him if he touches her or upsets her in any way but neither will I stand by without acting.” “Fair enough,” Asser said. “His ship is at the mouth of the Thames near Benfleet. I will ride back tomorrow and we can be here the next day.”

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“You will stay tonight of course but what about the king?” Merwenna was saying. “He will have to stay at least one night. What provision shall we make for him? I am afraid we are not very well prepared to receive royalty.” “He will sleep as the rest of us do. This is not a pleasure trip but one of atonement, it is meant to be a humbling experience,” Asser said. “If it proves to be humbling for Alfred then I for one must see this with my own eyes,” Erik said sarcastically, ignoring the disapproving look from Merwenna. “I believe you will find him a changed man. I urge you to allow him to stay for more than one night. Your people might want a word with him and he deserves it, however harsh it might be. Then too if he sees how you live with his own eyes he may finally understand there is no place for him in your lives,” Asser said, his eyebrows raised. “The next few days will not be easy for any of you but in the end you will all attain the peace you need to live your lives free of the burdens of the past year.”

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Chapter Fifteen Merwenna and Erik watched Asser ride away the next morning and when Erik placed his arm around her, she leaned into his side. “It will be over in a few days,” she told him. “I believe Asser, that Alfred needs forgiveness. If my giving it means we can live in peace, how can I not?” “Indeed,” he said. “If anything happens to you I will kill him, king or no king, never mind my promise to Asser. He has held you in thrall long enough. At times I feel we will never be free.” “I have felt that way too, as you well know. And if you are truly against this meeting then send Rolf after Asser and decline, I will not stop you. Then come spring we will be gone so this will never be a problem again.” “You would do that?” She hugged him close. “I am going to spend the rest of my life with you but I do not care where that is. If it will hurt you so much to see him—to see me with him—then we shall not, especially since he will be staying overnight and we must treat him like a proper guest. You have only to say the word.” Erik sighed. “We have both become attached to this place and all of us have put in a great deal of work. If this one meeting will allow us to stay, I would like to do so.” “Good, that is exactly how I feel. This will soon be over and we will never see him again. At this distance we may not even hear of him again.” She loved the fierceness of his embrace, as if he could not bear to let her go for a single moment. She wished they could avail themselves of the comfort of the marital bed but Emma had told her they must wait until she stopped bleeding from the birth. Because Alfred’s visit affected everyone in their little community, Erik asked all of them to come to the house. They filled the hall. They were not normally all gathered together, so Merwenna was a little surprised at their numbers. The objections to Alfred’s visit were loud and fierce and seemingly unanimous. “We cannot let him intrude on the peace we have wrought here.” “He is not our king. We live in the Danish land, our allegiance should be to Guthrum.” “He should not be forgiven, he nearly destroyed Merwenna.” “How can we take his word that he will leave us in peace?” Emma stepped forward with one hand raised and soon everyone fell silent to allow her to speak. “We have not thought to ask Lady Merwenna how she feels about seeing King Alfred again. If Erik is allowing him to come here, Lady Merwenna must have agreed.” The other men and women exchanged glances and all looked at Merwenna. 185

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She said, “I have not forgiven Alfred and I will not until I see if he is truly repentant. I no longer feel the hurt as sharply as I once did but I can never entirely forget his actions last year.” There were nods among them and murmurs rose from the crowd. “And yet,” she continued firmly, “if he truly wants my forgiveness I cannot withhold it from him. He desires absolution for his actions and that cannot come without my forgiveness. I must give it freely if I find him to be as changed as Asser has assured us. Alfred’s immortal soul depends on it.” Emma huffed. “Never mind his immortal soul, Lady Merwenna, it is the benefit you will gain that is important. Once you forgive him you can forget him, you will be at peace. For the first time in a year you will be truly free of him and it will be your choice whether you have anything to do with him ever again.” “What if he brings an army with him?” Magnus demanded. “We must be prepared for treachery while he is in our midst.” Others echoed these words. “We will be prepared,” Erik assured them calmly. “Magnus, you and Rolf and the others should gather at the practice field when we are done here in order to establish the security measures while Alfred is with us.” Magnus nodded and exchanged glances with the other men and Merwenna knew the women would not be privy to their arrangements. She made eye contact with each person in the room when she said, “I would ask one thing only of all who are gathered here. Treat King Alfred with the respect you would show to any visitor to this community—no more but certainly no less. That is what I will be doing until I determine whether or not he truly wants my forgiveness.” More nods and murmurs greeted her words and they all filed out. Elfreda and Emma stayed behind to discuss with Merwenna the arrangements for meals and they sat with Erik, Rolf and Magnus at the dining table. “Asser and Alfred will stay here with us,” Erik told Rolf and Magnus. “I want him where we can keep an eye on him but you two arrange to guard the chamber around the clock with Sigmund and Thorkell.” “Of course and if he has come to make trouble, I will not kill him, only wound him fatally,” Rolf said with a laugh. “Rolf,” Elfreda whispered disapprovingly, her hand on his arm. He covered it with his own and smiled down at her. “You should not jest about harming the king. It will get you the headsman’s axe.” “Never fear, we are in like-minded company just now,” Rolf told her. “I would never say such a thing once Alfred arrives though I might think it frequently.” The men left the longhouse to make the preparations they did not want the women to hear. “Asser, Alfred and what men-at-arms he brings will take their first meal here, with us,” Merwenna said to the other two women, who nodded. “If they stay longer than a day, you may invite them to dine in your longhouse if you think they deserve it. Otherwise we will provide all their meals.”

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“Oh Lady Merwenna, do you think he has changed?” Elfreda asked, hope in her eyes. “If only there can be an end to this ever-present dread of King Alfred!” “I would never consider seeing him if it were not for Asser. Alfred is either very sly by using Asser to pave the way or he has truly changed. Pray God it is the latter,” Merwenna said warmly. Asser, Alfred and two men-at-arms rode into the community late that day. Merwenna stood in front of the house. Erik had gone forward to greet them. The men dismounted and handed the reins to the Danes who were waiting. Alfred nodded to them but did not speak. Erik and Alfred nodded to one another and she knew by Erik’s stance that he was ready to counter any threatening move that Alfred might make. As they approached her she saw that Asser was right, Alfred was a haunted, broken man with drooping shoulders, his red hair dull, his brilliant green eyes shadowed and unfocused, dark smudges beneath. His clothes hung on his frame—that strong and muscular body she had once admired. He was very thin as if he hadn’t eaten in quite some time. He appeared twice his age and Merwenna almost felt sorry for him. She went forward to greet him, Erik instantly by her side. “Good evening, Alfred,” she said, dispensing with the usual speech one reserved for royalty. “Welcome to our home.” He looked around at the results of their work and a smile touched his lips. Then he looked at her and his eyes softened and warmed. “Thank you for seeing me, Merwenna. You are more beautiful than ever. You are glowing with the new life you have brought into the world,” he said and she saw no lust in his eyes. “And you are happy, are you not?” “Very happy, Alfred, more than I ever dreamed.” He held out his hand and she hesitated then took it but before she could bend to kiss it he kissed hers instead. She had the strongest impulse to pull away but did not even though she felt Erik stiffen beside her. “Please come into our house,” she said and gestured toward it. She and Erik led the way and Alfred followed, the others close behind. Merwenna was conscious that the other Danes and Saxons had ceased their work and were eyeing the newcomers warily. She offered Alfred a seat on one of the benches and he took it, looking around. Thor stalked over to sniff at his leg, gave him a haughty glare and a hiss and went to settle himself on another bench all the while regarding Alfred with an angry eye. Alfred seemed not to mind. “It was very good of you to agree to this meeting, Merwenna.” “When Asser told us of your…distress, I could not say nay.” “In spite of everything?” “In spite of everything. You are still my godfather,” she said, the tears threatening. How she wished they could wipe away what had happened over the past year. Then she could be unreservedly happy to have him here and he would not be this shell of a man. “I have made a meal for us,” she said, taking refuge in homely things. “I have missed your cooking,” he said.

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“It is more basic than what I did at Chippenham but there is plenty of it. Those who live here with us will eat in their own longhouses. It will be only us.” “And your son?” “In his cradle there near the fire. He will sleep a while, he has been well fed.” She fussed with the bowls and cups and Erik helped her lift the heavy things. Alfred sat back and watched it all but without expression. It seemed as if he was detached from them, watching from a distance. The six of them ate their meal before the fire and Merwenna served them. The presence of food and wine seemed to ease everyone, even Erik who said, “Did you have a good ride from Benfleet?” “Aye, the roads are still clear. I hope the weather will hold until yule. I would like to return to Reading for the season. My wife and children are there.” “We never received word but last year at this time Elswith was with child,” Merwenna said, completely at ease now. “Did she have a boy or girl?” “After two girls, a boy at last,” Alfred said with a smile. “We named him Edward. Of course, my daughters are equally the joy of my life. Both are smart and show a promising love of learning.” “I am so happy for you.” And she found that she was. “You have built a lovely settlement here. I can see how much work you have done. How many are there with you?” Soon Erik was talking about all they had done to make the settlement livable and Alfred was holding forth on the fish and game available in Essex. They lingered over the wine when they had eaten their fill and everyone mellowed. Erik and Merwenna put their wooden bowls on the floor so Thor and King could eat and Alfred actually laughed when King tried to steal Thor’s portion and the cat promptly scratched the dog’s nose for his impertinence. Erik sat in the corner talking with Asser while Merwenna cleared the table and went to the cookhouse to clean the dishes, Alfred following. “Erik cherishes you,” he said without inflection in his voice. “I am glad to see it.” “I am glad to hear you call him something besides a ‘Dane bastard’,” she said with a sigh, her heart suddenly sore. “You no longer think us a mismatch?” “Nay, that does not concern me any longer. I cannot take away what I did but I can be sorry I did it.” “And you would have my forgiveness.” “I would have it because I need it. I have been haunted, bedeviled if you will, with the memory of those days at yule. Since we signed the peace it has overtaken my mind, made it well nigh impossible to function as a man, let alone king.” He ran a hand over his face, scowling. “That last time I saw you, I thought I would die if I did not get you back. I have never been consumed with such a passionate desire for any person.”

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“It seems to me you formed an intense attachment to me long before that, years in fact. I have certain memories.” His tone remained reasonable and calm but his eyes were pained. “Aye, you are right. You were the most beautiful child I had ever seen—so bright and affectionate and I loved you for years. I would have married you but my brother would not let me wait to take a wife. He was so sickly he wanted the succession to be secured. When your father became ill I could not think of anything but your welfare and then when I saw you after being so long away, something within me…ignited. I could no more keep from touching you than I could keep from breathing. It sounds a poor excuse when I say it aloud but I have no other.” There was no hint of pride in his voice. “You are right but the hour grows late and I think I hear Erik fussing in his cradle,” she began. “May I see him now?” Alfred asked. Merwenna wiped her hands on a cloth and took Alfred back into the great hall, where she lifted the baby into her arms. He quieted immediately at her touch and regarded Alfred with wide, calm blue eyes. “This is our son, Erik Eldred,” she told Alfred. When she looked up into his eyes she saw tears there. “He could have been my son,” he said softly. “Nay he could not, Emma made sure of that.” “I suspected as much when your flux began at just that time,” he admitted. “I would not have known what to do with a bastard son at any rate.” “You could have done what Erik’s father did—raise him as your own.” Her voice reflected more bitterness than she felt. “Bastard Dane he might be but he is also a Dane Prince of the blood.” “You are fiercely protective of Erik,” Alfred observed, the first hint of displeasure in his narrowed eyes. “I am curious. How did the two of you come to be together? No one seems to know the whole story or perhaps they do not wish to tell me.” “When Erik arrived at Chippenham, he found me in my father’s room with a raised sword. He placed me under his protection at once.” “Why would he do such a thing?” “That is a question better answered by Erik,” she said. “When I heard that you were with him, it drove me quite mad to think that you had gone from my bed to his so quickly. I often wondered how you could.” “We shared a bed for many weeks before he touched me. He knew that something bad had happened to me, that I could not stand to have any man’s hands on me. He waited until I was ready,” she said. He sighed and seemed to let go of his displeasure. “I did not realize how badly I hurt you. I knew at the time that you were unhappy but not that you were in such pain. How you must have hated me,” he said.

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“I both hated and loved you for a long time after, even when I knew that my future lay with Erik, even after I realized how much I loved him. It must have hurt him terribly when I told him you had taken what should have been his by right, especially when you continued to pursue me.” She was suddenly tired. Baby Erik had fallen asleep in her arms so she tucked him into his cradle. “We will have more time to talk tomorrow. Erik will help you settle in the spare rooms upstairs.” She did not know if she was supposed to feel compassion for him or hatred. Right now she was numb. “I apologize for upsetting you, Merwenna,” Alfred said quietly. “It was never my intent to hurt or anger you, though I deserve your hatred.” “I do not hate you, Alfred but it will take a little time for me to purge my heart of bitterness. It cannot happen so soon after this, our first meeting in half a year.” “I know and tomorrow we continue. I bid you good night, my dear.”

***** Merwenna took the baby up to bed. Alfred and his men left to use the middens, leaving Asser and Erik to talk alone and Erik wondered if this had been prearranged by Alfred. No matter, Erik was determined to avail himself of the opportunity. “You seem to be an honorable man,” Erik began, “it took great courage for you to ride here alone and unprotected.” “That is quite a compliment coming from you,” Asser replied. “What do you wish to know?” “Alfred is different as you said he would be but can I believe that he will leave us in peace? Will Merwenna’s forgiveness settle him or further enflame him?” “He has sworn to God that he will no longer seek to harm or separate you. I can give you no better assurance than that. Alfred felt from early life that he was destined for the church and he studied to become a priest with that end in mind. Even when Aethelred denied him the church and forced him to marry, the crown seemed distant. No one was more surprised than he when his brother died. Still, he tried to get the council to choose another, anyone but him. But he had proven himself in battle against the Danes—against your people—and they would have no other. The fact that he became king did not rob him of his early training and has almost never overridden his basic moral values.” “Almost never,” Erik said bitterly, “until last yule.” “Erik,” Asser said, placing his surprisingly strong hand on Erik’s arm, “it is your doing that Merwenna is not a broken, bitter woman. You gave her back her life and no one can take it from her so long as she has you. If it galls you that he was her first I understand but you are the only one now. She bore your son after all.” Erik sighed, his anger blunted by Asser’s reasonable tone and logical argument. Erik found himself liking the holy man against his will. “I was her first in all the ways that count. But I want us to live in peace, not having to look over our shoulders to see if

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Alfred has ordered her kidnapped, to rear our children without having to warn them about Uncle Alfred.” Asser chuckled in the darkness. “Erik the Terror wishes to live in peace? Forgive me but I was unprepared for how domesticated you have become.” Erik knew blows would lessen his standing with this man, not to mention affirming any prejudice he might have against Danes in general, so he used words instead. “It seems to me there is a passage in your holy book, something about a time to kill and a time to heal? I have lost neither the desire nor the ability to kill but healing Merwenna has been a higher priority for some time now, I would not see her progress impeded by anyone, be he king or monk. I will kill in an instant anyone who seeks to hurt her in her body or her heart.” “You wield words as well as you wield your sword Erik but let me say plainly that you need not fear Alfred’s intentions or mine. You may not believe me but I would never have brought him here if I doubted his sincerity. I have known Merwenna since she was born and I would not deliberately inflict any more suffering on her. “When Alfred confessed to me I was ashamed and mortified at what he had done. I should have gone with him to Chippenham. It might have been prevented for I am certain he would never have touched her if I had. But it was too late to do anything. She was by that time your wife and you were building this settlement. The best I can do is make sure he atones for his sins, that he solicits her forgiveness. Whatever she says to him during this time is no more than he deserves. If he lays a hand on her in lust or anger I will expect you to punish him and I will not try to stop you, neither will his men.” “That is good to know. We understand each other perfectly. I bid you goodnight, Asser and dreamless sleep.”

***** Merwenna stayed upstairs with baby Erik and paced the floor waiting for Erik to come up after his talk with Asser. She hoped he had not done to Asser what he had done to the Saxons who came to Freya’s compound. When he finally entered their room she said, “You talked a long time, is anything amiss?” “Nay, just talk,” he said and sat down to pull off his boots. “He has given me his assurances that Alfred means to leave us alone. I trust him.” “As do I, but that is new for you. Anyway, I can see that Alfred is a broken man. For the sake of Wessex I hope this meeting will give him what he needs.” “What did you talk to him about in the cookhouse? I almost came to save you when I realized you were alone with him there. Did he touch you?” He lit another brazier to give them more warmth through the night. His voice was normal but when he looked at her his eyes were probing.

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“Nay, nothing like that. We discussed how you and I came to be together. I think it is still difficult for him to accept just as we knew it would be.” She began to snuff out the rushlights, all but one. She bent over the cradle to hear Erik’s steady breathing and smoothed his feathery blond locks. “There was no threatening gesture or even word tonight but it has still been a trying day. Come to bed, Merwenna. I wish to hold you close.” She complied and was soon asleep. The next morning she woke before dawn and dressed, quietly stirred the fire in the great hall into greater life and went to the cookhouse to set water to boil for the morning porridge while the men slept. She added water to the cold stew from the night before and began to heat that as well. Thor and King were begging to be let out when she returned so she opened the door and noticed the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. It was so beautiful she quickly checked to make sure the baby was still asleep then threw on a cloak and went outside. The boulders at her favorite spot were covered with a light coating of snow but she brushed it aside so she could spend a few moments watching the sea as the dawn came up. She heard others in the settlement stirring outside their houses, going to milk the cows and feed the horses and the hundred other chores that had to be done each morning. All at once, she sensed someone behind her and turned to find Alfred. She jumped up from the rock and took a step back. She had not been this startled in months. “I did not mean to scare you, Merwenna,” he said quickly, hands at his sides, not moving toward her or away. Her heart was thumping but she willed herself not to fear him. She was surrounded by people who loved her. She had only to call out if he frightened her. She sat back down on the rock. “This is my favorite spot when I wish to think. I find the sea very soothing to watch,” she said. “Aye, it is that.” He stood beside her gazing out at the sea. “Did you sleep well?” she asked. “Well enough. Since I last saw you there has not been much sleep for me.” She remembered that day well, when Erik tied Alfred to a tree so they could make their escape. “It was after that I began to…break down. I struggled just to get through each day and tend to ordinary tasks. I was determined to persecute you for your betrayal…what I saw as your betrayal. I remember I could not believe you would throw over your Saxon heritage for that of a Dane.” There was no anger in his voice nor was there any anger in her this morning. “At first I was only trying to keep my father and myself alive. When Erik placed me under his protection I thanked God for sending him to me. There was no one else.” Alfred winced. “You were right all along, Merwenna, I freely admit I left you there by design. I was frightened of the passion I felt for you, of what I had done to you, of what would happen to me if anyone knew. My need for you made everything else in my life pale and undesirable. I even thought of putting Elswith away so you could take

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her place. Finally, I decided that I would never be free of this destructive passion unless you were dead.” “I am sorry I ruined your plan by living,” she said, her eyes fixed to his which today looked more like the brilliant green she remembered. “I am sorry, although that seems not to be enough,” he said with a frown and she believed him. He looked about at the early morning activity. “Will you allow me to build you a suitable fortress here? Something easier to defend than this open space.” “We have no need of a fortress, Alfred.” “But if the Danes attack…” “Do you hear your own words? Why would the Danes attack their own people? Would you attack when you know there are Saxons living here, that I am living here? We are not Danes or Saxons any longer but just people. My son is the future of England, the mixing of the Danish and Saxon ways.” “When did you become so wise, my dear?” “Not wise, practical. I have learned the value of adapting to circumstances and making the best of the situation in which I find myself. You can imagine my surprise when I learned that the fearsome Danes were just men, not so very different from the Saxons I had known all my life.” He reached out and touched her cheek and she sat very still, then she grasped his hand between both of hers and kissed the knuckles. When she looked up into his eyes, she saw tears there and her heart went out to him. “I forgive you freely and with all my heart for everything you did last year. Now I must hear from your own lips that you will let me live with my husband and child in this place, free from fear and worry.” “Aye, Merwenna, you need not fear me or worry that I will intrude anymore.” She stood and let him hold her and he became her beloved godfather once again. The most peaceful feeling overwhelmed her and the pain fell away from her heart. When she looked into Alfred’s eyes, she saw the feeling mirrored there and marveled that Asser had known this would happen. “If you can stand to have me about I would like to stay for a day or two more, get to know Erik a bit and nurture this new beginning we have made today.” “I would like to have you stay but we must ask Erik as well. I cannot make that decision without him. He has been so patient already.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Erik waving to her. “The baby must be awake,” she said. “Come and break your fast.” She hurried to the house with Alfred following and took the baby from Erik’s arms. He needed changing so she tended to that and returned him to his cradle. Then she prepared the table and put the food out just as Asser and the two men-at-arms came in. Little Erik began to fuss again so while the men ate she took him from his cradle and fed him, taking care that none of the men could see her. Erik’s blue eyes fastened on her face intently as he suckled and her love for this child was as intense as, though different from, the love she felt for her husband.

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She was actually glad that Alfred would stay a while longer. It would have felt wrong for him to leave before they had finished talking through all that had happened over the past year. Merwenna also thought it would be good for him to see what they had created here—a place where Danes and Saxons could live and work together without killing each other. Perhaps it would inspire him.

***** Erik reluctantly gave his consent that Alfred could stay. It was true that the king had been well behaved ’til now but he was like a wild cat, just as likely to bite as purr. After their meal while Merwenna was tidying up, he took Alfred and Asser on a tour of the settlement. The sky was pale blue with wispy clouds, the sun weak and there was a slight breeze but it was warm considering how close it was to the end of the year. “Rolf arrived before we did,” Erik explained. “The great hall, one of the barns and the smokehouse were already here though in disrepair after being long abandoned.” “You built all the longhouses and the new barn since you arrived?” Alfred asked, seeming to be genuinely interested. “Rolf had built the bath house and one of the longhouses already and another was under construction when Merwenna and I arrived. We did all the rest after.” He could not help sounding proud. They had taken an almost barren site and made it more than livable. It was comfortable and complete. They were standing near Merwenna’s boulders, surveying the settlement. Suddenly Alfred pointed to a building that was fairly belching smoke. “Is that a forge?” “Aye, your smithy from Chippenham joined us here.” “I knew he was gone, but not where. I wonder what made him leave?” Alfred said. “You must ask him yourself,” Erik said and headed that way. Edward was busy with someone’s battle-ax but he stepped away from his work when they approached. “Lord Alfred, you are a long way from home,” he said, his face impassive. “Aye and I might say the same of you.” “This is home now.” Edward shifted from one foot to the other, now clearly uncomfortable. “Most of the Saxons at Chippenham knew what you did to the Lady Merwenna. When we learned you would soon be back we had to leave, we could no longer serve you.” Alfred sighed, his face red with shame. Asser put a steadying hand on the king’s shoulder. “Who told you?” he asked calmly, not bothering to deny anything. “Emma told us when we were still with you in the marshes, when we decided to return to Chippenham. She was the one who wanted most to return because she thought that Merwenna was still fragile in her mind and might need her help.” Edward was frowning at Alfred but that was the only evidence of his disapproval, his voice remained soft and calm. 194

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“And you are happy here, Edward?” he asked. “Aye, we all are.” “Then I hope all will stay as it is. I mean to keep the peace. I am fairly certain Guthrum does as well but perhaps Erik knows otherwise. What I cannot do is control who comes from outside to harass us. We will have to deal with that when and if it happens.” Erik was impressed that Alfred made no threat to Edward. He had been so free with threats during their brief encounter at Athelney. Erik was tempted to believe that the king was a changed man. They left the forge and strolled toward the pigpen where Elfreda was giving the animals their breakfast slops. She was now visibly pregnant. “Alfred!” she said startled at their approach, “Sire,” she remembered quickly and gave him a curtsy. “Elfreda, it is good to see you again,” Alfred said. “And you are expecting a child, how wonderful. You must be happy.” He sounded completely sincere. “Aye, Sire, I am.” “And you have a man here?” he asked carefully. “Aye, my husband is Rolf, one of Erik’s battle chiefs and he is very pleased about the coming child. Almost every woman here will give birth sometime next year,” she said proudly. “I have heard he is a fine warrior. You have married him?” “Aye, in the church at Benfleet. Thanks to your insistence that Guthrum’s chief warriors be baptized there was no impediment.” “Have you nothing more to say to me, Elfreda?” Erik thought him brave for asking, since it was Elfreda who had tended Merwenna after Alfred hurt her, she had seen the damage firsthand. “Sire,” she began, “when the Lady Merwenna told us you were coming I was filled with fear. I did not want her hurt again. You had already caused her so much pain but her courage made me believe it would all come right. I see in your eyes the torment you have suffered because of your actions. Looking at you now, I believe you are truly sorry for what you have done. If it means anything at all, you have my forgiveness.” “Thank you, Elfreda,” Alfred said almost inaudibly, his voice breaking with emotion. They found Emma sewing on a bench in her longhouse and Erik wished his sword or dagger looked as deadly as the gaze she settled on King Alfred. “You are looking very well, Emma, are you happy here as well?” he asked, seemingly unfazed. “Aye, it is a wonderful thing to see so many people dedicated to creating a safe and comfortable home where there was none. You do not look so well, Alfred,” she said frankly. “The past year has not been good for me,” he answered. “I often thought you must have put a curse on me.” 195

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“If I had you would be dead,” she said. “As it is, Merwenna’s generosity of spirit will allow you to be a king and a man once again. I do not begrudge you your life Alfred, but all who live here would take it very unkindly should you break your word.” “Understood, Emma,” Alfred said and he made the sign of the cross. She only smiled and shook her head. They moved on and Erik motioned to the bath house beside the other barn. “You may avail yourself of the bath if you so desire.” Alfred’s face lit up. “What a wonderful idea, thank you. Asser and I will bathe later today.” Asser did not look very willing but he said nothing. “So long as you do not expect Merwenna to do the honors as she once did,” Erik added, smiling slightly at Alfred’s look of surprise. “There is nothing she did not tell you?” “Nothing. We were completely honest with each other before we put the past behind us. Merwenna may or may not tell you but I gave my bed slave to Rolf the day after we arrived at Chippenham. I decided I would have no more need of her.” “You knew even then that you and Merwenna…but she said you waited for her to be ready.” Erik stiffened. “She told you that?” “I pressed her and she was defending you. I do not think she would have told me otherwise. I must say now that I was mistaken all along, Erik. I was sure you had raped and enslaved her. I am sorry I did you that injustice.” Erik could not keep his mouth from dropping in surprise. “I do not know what to say.” “You may answer a question for me. Why did you not kill her and Eldred? Why did you not rape her right away? What made you wait?” Erik was not sure if he should be completely truthful then decided it could do no harm. “Merwenna came to me in a dream before we left for Chippenham and I was drawn to her pain. She needed me. When I saw she was real I knew she and I were destined to be together. You might say I loved her even before I met her. It seemed a small thing to wait a few weeks when we had a whole lifetime to be together.” Alfred sighed and smiled. “Merwenna is right. I could not have found her a better husband.”

***** Merwenna was making barley cakes to go with their chicken stew when Erik, Asser and Alfred returned, the baby sleeping snugly in a basket near the fire, Thor and King standing alert guard. She scrutinized each of them. It had been nerve-racking to know that Erik and Alfred were alone together. Would Alfred say something to upset Erik? Or would Erik insult Alfred, sparking his rage? She so hoped they could all get along, at

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least for this visit. She was happier than she had been in a year at the prospect of making peace. Alfred and Asser decided to use the bath house and Erik sent Kendrick to assist them. Erik sat in the cookhouse while Merwenna fried the last of the cakes and placed a cloth over the whole pile to make sure they stayed warm. “Is Alfred behaving himself?” she asked, settling on his lap now that her work was done for the moment. “I was about to ask you that,” he admitted, his hand pushing back an errant lock of her hair. It was in braids today so it would not get in the way of her work. “I hate to say it but I am almost convinced he is changed.” “I agree—at least I do not fear him anymore.” “Good, that is my only concern.” She rested in his arms, her head against his shoulder, his man smell comforting as always. Not for the first time, she wished they could be together, she sorely missed their intimacy. Asser and Alfred returned for the evening meal looking relaxed and freshly washed. The mood of the group was easier now that they were more used to each other and when they were done eating, Alfred leaned back. “That is the most I have eaten in recent memory,” he said. “You make a superior chicken stew, Merwenna.” “Thank you, Alfred.” She still could not bring herself to call him Sire. “You have books,” Alfred said suddenly, noticing the three volumes on the low shelf next to her favorite chair. “I took them from Chippenham,” Merwenna said sheepishly, “because I wished to teach my children to read.” “Of course you shall keep them and I will send more.” Alfred was more animated than he had been since his arrival. “The written word is powerful indeed and my ambition is that all my subjects shall learn to read. And I intend to write laws into a book so they are easier to understand.” “Will writing them make it easier to obey them?” Erik asked. “Perhaps not but they will be easier to enforce. Once you commit a thought to paper it is harder to refute.” For Merwenna it was a welcome change to see Alfred as she remembered him and not the haunted man he had become nor the predatory male of last yule. He turned to Erik. “Merwenna tells me you crafted the cradle and the chairs. Have you a workshop? You do marvelous work and I would like to see what else you are working on.” Erik stared at Alfred for a moment as if to ascertain whether the other man was serious. When it seemed he was Erik said, “I use a corner of the barn when the weather is bad but I prefer to work outside as much as possible. Come, I will show you.” Merwenna watched them go hoping nothing sinister resulted from their time alone. Asser put his hand on her arm. “You must let them have their private confrontation. It is Erik’s turn to gain the peace you now enjoy.” She nodded. “If you like I will baptize your son while they are gone.”

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“He was given his name in the Danish way,” she said. “Just as with your marriage, it can do no harm to appease all the gods, can it?” Asser smiled and raised his eyebrow at her.

***** Alfred admired the various woodworking projects Erik showed him while Erik waited for him to get to the point. He could not believe Alfred was so intent on examining half-built chairs and tables. Finally exasperated at the delay Erik said, “Is there something you wish to discuss, Alfred?” “Nay but I think you have some questions you would ask of me without Merwenna present.” Alfred was recovering his confidence but without the underlying conceit if Erik’s gut feeling was right. “You will answer truthfully?” “Will you?” “Aye.” “Then it will be only truth between us,” Alfred said in satisfaction. “Ask away.” “I do not like it that you took her innocence but I am a man and can understand why you would want her. What I will never understand is what you did to her the following night. We both know a woman’s back passage has a sweetness all its own, and a woman can enjoy it just as much as a man, but to force her, especially after you promised she would sleep unmolested. She had nightmares about it for a very long time.” “I had to have her and I did not care how. It was nothing short of madness. I have no excuse such as battle lust behind which to hide.” “And you feel this madness has passed for good.” “Aye, I knew it the moment I arrived here and saw her. She is now only my goddaughter.” Erik nodded. “And when you had us both at Athelney, did you intend to kill us?” “It was not an empty threat but I would not have killed Merwenna. I planned to keep her with me always. I saw the fact that she survived as an omen, that God wanted her to live so I could not kill her.” “And every time you refused to admit what you had done it was an act, was it not? You were not mad, you just refused to own your misdeeds. It is important for Merwenna to know this. She doubted her own sanity on more than one occasion.” Erik’s voice was grim but these things needed to be said. If Alfred truly wanted them all to live in peace, he must give Erik the answers he required. Alfred sighed and looked Erik right in the eye. “I tried very hard to convince myself it had been a dream, that I had never touched her at all. But the memory always returned and with it the desire. It ate at me like some disease, consuming everything in

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my life. If I could just get her away from you, control her, keep her with me always.” His eyes dropped and when he raised them again there were tears in them. “I have had no woman since Merwenna. My wife thinks me impotent.” “And you expect Merwenna’s forgiveness to change that as well?” “I am hoping it will. I no longer feel consumed by desire for her. I can look at her, touch her without wanting more.” “That is good to know,” Erik said warily. “Did you kill my Saxon men-at-arms, the ones I sent first to Chippenham and then on to East Anglia?” “I would never have let them take her,” Erik said sternly. “They had to die.” “And the gold, surely you found it.” “Aye, it has been well spent on much of what you see around you.” Alfred nodded. “You know you almost defeated me at Edington?” “I did not think so at the time. The archers did not catch me entirely by surprise, just their numbers.” “Guthrum is lucky to have you. I envy you, Erik. You have Merwenna, your firstborn is a son and you have built your own kingdom here.” “Before we turn in for the night there is something you should know. I will always be wary of you and as long as I live I will protect her from you.” “I understand,” Alfred said and held out his hand. Erik grasped it and his heart emptied of anger and the desire to kill the other man. The absence of the animosity was a physical relief. The two men went to their separate beds secure that they were in complete accord. Erik no longer feared Alfred’s intentions toward Merwenna.

***** By agreement, Asser, King Alfred and the men-at-arms were up and ready to leave at dawn. Gone was the almost comfortable companionship of the day before, gone too was the wariness and distrust that marked the beginning of Alfred’s visit. They might never all like each other but there was peace between them at last. While the men ate their meal, Merwenna fed her son in her bedchamber. Erik’s full stomach made him sleepy, so she put him back in the cradle when he was done. Thor and King lay close by on the floor clearly guarding the baby. The men had finished their meal and Alfred stood when she entered. “I thank you for all you have done for us…for me, Merwenna. It warms my heart to see you so well settled and happy and to know that we are now at peace with one another. But it is time for us to be gone. I should be with my wife and children for yule and it will take us a week at least to get there.” She embraced Asser and Alfred. “Godspeed and happy new year to you both.” “And to you,” Asser said, “may the Lord God bless and keep you and yours,” and he made the sign of the cross several times.

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Merwenna had a sudden thought and bid them, “Wait, I have something for you Alfred.” She went upstairs quickly to her chest in the bedchamber, took out the jeweled cross and quickly rejoined them outside. She extended the necklace to Alfred. “I am returning this to you to give to Elswith, who should have had it this year past.” She pressed the cross into his hand. “You kept it all this time?” he asked in awe. “Given my behavior I would have thought you had tossed it into a well or the middens long before.” “Perhaps a part of me knew we would meet again in better circumstances,” she told him with a smile. “If your community here should ever have need of protection beyond what you can provide, you have only to send word. I will lead the army myself.” He embraced Merwenna and clasped hands again with Erik. They waited while the men mounted their horses and they all waved to one another until their visitors were no more than specks in the distance. “Are you all right, Merwenna?” Erik asked. “It happened just as Asser said. While we talked by my favorite rocks yesterday I forgave him and he gave me his promise—a real promise—that we would be left alone. My heart was flooded with a sense of peace such as I had never felt. The pain, the anger, the anxiety, all are gone.” “For me as well. When Alfred and I talked last night it seemed to wipe away all the madness of the past year.” He took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “We are free at last,” he said as if a weight had fallen from his shoulders, “free to live and love one another and enjoy our children and mayhap even grandchildren.” She laughed. “You would make me a grandmother before my firstborn is even out of swaddling clothes?” “Nay but it is a good feeling to know we have a future here. Guthrum will want to know about his nephew and Alfred’s visit. Perhaps Kendrick and Rolf can go there and be back before the heavy snows set in.” Erik kissed her deeply on the mouth and she felt desire stir and then blossom. “I want you so much but Emma said…” He placed a finger on her lips. “It occurs to me that Emma did not deny us the use of your other passage. It is not the same ’tis true, but close enough to give us both the pleasure we crave without risking your health. I cannot go another day without touching you, Merwenna.” She sighed and hugged him. “I would do anything to feel that closeness, to feel you spend yourself within me.” “Say no more, my love.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the house and up the stairs to their bedchamber, where he laid her gently on the bed and she gave herself up to him eagerly and completely.

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About the Author Born in Groton, Massachusetts, raised in River Edge, New Jersey and collegeeducated in Springfield, Ohio, Ms. Dobeck currently resides in Rochester, New York,with her husband, teenaged son and elderly mother-in-law. “I could write whole books about my family dynamics,” she says with a chuckle. Ms. Dobeck has been a published professional writer for more than twenty years, full time freelance for the past seventeen. Her “day jobs” and freelance assignments have given her the opportunity to write for such diverse industries as insurance, mortgage banking, trucking, law enforcement, professional tennis and waste management, to name a few. With a background in amateur musical theater, she is no stranger to the spotlight and loves meeting new people, especially people who read. As an author, she is proud to connect with her readers and eagerly looks forward to communicating with her fans. The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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