The Viking's Chosen by Quinn Loftis (13)

I was envisioning the most painful ways I could remove Cathal’s hands from his body when I heard the screams. Brant and I immediately moved to cover Allete. It did not go unnoticed that Cathal simply turned in the direction of the noise without offering any sort of shelter to the woman he was pledged to marry.

“Northmen!” I heard someone shout. My shoulders tensed as I looked at Brant from the corner of my eye.

At first, I feared someone had discovered one of my men masquerading as a Briton soldier. But I dismissed the idea quickly. Much more likely, some of Magnus’ men had been discovered. I had no reason to think that witch’s charm was no longer working, and Magnus’ men were sloppy, a reflection of their leader. I had not sent anyone back to check in with our Jarl, because I did not want to them risk being seen by the wrong person. It would look too suspicious if a palace guard or king’s soldier were seen continually sneaking off into the woods. But I had seen a few of our comrades, if that was what we should call them, dressed in peasant or merchant clothes, milling about the grounds.

“Do you not think you should go and see what the commotion is about?” Cathal asked me. He was straightening his cuffs, and his lips were tight, making his simple question sound like a command.

I did not particularly like taking commands, especially from men like Cathal who preyed on the weak and vulnerable. And there was no way I was going to leave Allete alone with Cathal and his men.

“The princess is our charge,” I said, looking him straight in the eye, something kings did not appreciate from those of lower rank. “We are not to leave her for any reason.”

The pompous ass waved my words off. “That was before she had my men and me to look after her. You are no longer needed here.”

Brant bumped me. It was subtle, as though he had tripped a little as he turned. That small bump spoke volumes. In essence, he was telling me shut the hell up. But he, of anyone, should have known that I did not take orders from men like Cathal. I was the commander of the warriors of the Hakon clan. I had proven myself in battle over and over. Therefore, during any battle, I was the final word. But now I knew something bigger than myself and my men was at stake. I had Allete to consider.

I turned to Allete and attempted to soften my voice. “Princess, would you like us to investigate the disturbance?”

“I—”

“You do not need to ask her.” Cathal cut her off.

His face was as red as a ripe tomato, and I thought at any moment steam would be coming out of his ears.

“I am her husband, and I will answer for her.”

I was about to correct him but Allete beat me to it.

“Excuse me,” she snapped at Cathal. She had turned her body so that she was facing him directly. Her back was as straight as a Viking short sword, and her eyes were that of a hawk eyeing its prey. She was beautiful.

“You speak out of turn, my lord. I am no man’s wife. Not yet. I am the princess of England, and I have the power to give orders to my own guardsmen.”

Then she turned those fierce eyes on me. I struggled to keep from smiling at her, but that would only enrage Cathal more. So instead I remained motionless, holding her gaze, silently willing her to understand my intentions. I needn’t have worried. I wasn’t yet sure if she cared that I was the one guarding her, but it was obvious she did not want to be alone with Cathal.

“My father gave you orders to protect me. You cannot do that if you are not with me. So my little female brain deduces that you must stay here to obey your king’s command.”

Cathal was glaring at Allete. She simply turned and returned his stare. She was not about to back down. I was proud of her; she had the heart of a warrior. I was also worried for her. Her betrothed did not handle confrontation well. He would not let the slight go, even if he was momentarily bested.

Cathal stepped closer to her and wrapped his hand around her arm. His grip was tight and his manner possessive. He jerked her forward, and Brant and I moved to follow them. When he saw our intent, he turned to stare daggers at us. The contempt in his gaze would have made a lesser man tremble. But it simply made me more eager to have his neck at the end of my sword.

“Proper etiquette dictates that chaperones remain sixteen yards behind their charges, unseen and unheard. You will abide by your king’s rules.”

I wanted to refuse. But as soon as Cathal had turned away, Allete brought her arm behind her back and rocked her finger back and forth as if she were reprimanding a child. She did not want me to interfere. My jaw clenched as I stood still, watching them get farther and farther away.

“Dammit,” I bit out. “How can I protect her if she is that far away?” I slung my hand out in the direction Allete and Cathal were walking.

Brant chuckled lightly. “Would you carry her instead?” he whispered.

I growled in response.

Brant nudged me. “That is far enough. We can proceed.”

My body was tense and my movements rigid as I watched Cathal wrap an arm around Allete’s waist and pull her into his body.

“Don’t forget hanging him from the back of a skeid,” Brant said conversationally.

“What?” I was momentarily taken aback.

“The skeid. One of my personal favorites. I can see you are thinking of ways to dismember the man. Hanging a scoundrel from the back of the skeid with his torso above water and letting the fish do their work. That has always been one of my personal favorites. I don’t want you to forget it,” Brant said, humor coloring his voice.

“Good point,” I responded. “Victims stay conscious during most of that one. All the better to hear his screams …”

For the next hour, we walked behind the couple as they meandered around the castle grounds. Apparently, Magnus’ man had been captured or had escaped. We heard no further commotion coming from anywhere in the castle. When the pair came to a shady grove, Cathal held up his hand, motioning us to stop. I watched as he leaned into Allete, his lips touching her ear as he spoke. His eyes were on me the entire time he whispered to her. I could tell he was issuing a blatant challenge to me. That was not a wise move.

When he stepped back, Allete turned and began walking toward us. Her face was pinched, and she was wringing her hands in front of her. My attention was drawn to movement behind her, and I saw Cathal’s men suddenly walk away toward the castle. Allete stopped about three feet from us. Her eyes seemed to bounce around, landing everywhere but our faces.

“I…” Her lips trembled slightly, but then she took a deep breath and lifted her chin. She clasped her hands together in front of her, halting their fidgeting. “Cathal is sending for Beatrice. She can chaperone us while we sit and have our noon meal. You both may go take your breaks as well. We will be here in view of people, and we will have a chaperone.”

“Allete,” I said using the voice that I used on my men when I wanted them to give me their immediate attention. “Look at me.” When she stopped looking around but still did not raise her eyes to mine I added, “Now.” She was so nervous that she did not even notice I had used her name instead of addressing her as my superior.

Her head shot up as irritation replaced the timidity she had previously been expressing, which was exactly what I wanted to happen.

“What?” she snapped back.

“Are you ordering us to leave? Is that what you really want, or is Cathal making you?”

“Of course, he is not making me. I have my own mind.”

“I know that you do. And I see no sense in this action. Which means he must be threatening you somehow,” I said, leaning forward slightly so I could see her pupils. The eyes revealed so much about a person, sometimes more than words.

“I would not belittle myself in such a way. Not to protect myself from harm.” Her voice fluctuated a small amount when she said the word “myself’. She was trying to communicate something.

She turned, looking back at Cathal, and then spoke. “Please take your leave. Beatrice has arrived, and Cathal’s men have brought the food.”

Before I could argue, she turned and walked away. Her steps were slow and measured, almost as if she was walking to the gallows to be hung. It ripped my heart to pieces to be unable to protect her. I had to stand by like a damn spectator while the woman destined to be mine was verbally and physically abused.

When Allete reached Cathal, she glanced over shoulder. Seeing us still standing there, she motioned for us to leave, her face betraying no emotion. She was blank, as if a colorful canvas had been ripped away and a fresh one put in its place. I knew that if Allete married Cathal, her blank canvas would be replaced with muted grays and deep blacks. The colorful young lady I was coming to know would be gone forever.

“We must go now,” said Brant. “That girl with Allete seems intelligent. He will not try anything with a witness around, and we must not disobey orders. Do you want to give Cathal an excuse to have us replaced? Because disobedience would certainly be sufficient grounds.”

My soul was screaming at me to go after her. I just did not know how to do that without getting myself beheaded. Reluctantly, I grunted my agreement.

Brant began walking, and I followed, but my boots felt as if they had a mind of their own, struggling with every step to turn and rush back to her. I felt a great weight pressing on my shoulders as well, impending my movement even more. But Brant was not having it. He placed his hand on my back, practically shoving me along beside him.

“Don’t make this any worse on yourself. Besides, this will give us a chance to check and see how the other men are doing,” Brant suggested.

He was right. It was the perfect time to make sure my men were safe, or at least as safe as they could be. Regardless of my feelings for Allete, I could not forget the mission. With those thoughts in mind, I could move of my own accord. I still did not like leaving her, but there was only so far I could push before Cathal decided to petition King Albric to replace me or have me seriously punished for insubordination. The latter would not surprise me.

“I wonder if there is a way to get in contact with my mother,” I said. Not only did I want to make sure my mother was safe, but I also needed reassurance. Was the prophecy still the same? Or had Cathal’s presence altered it somehow? The prophecy had not mentioned my queen was already betrothed.

An hour later, Brant and I had discreetly checked on our comrades. They were each watchful, doing mundane guard duties as they awaited my further instructions. None had any information as to the shouted reports of Northmen we had heard earlier. Once I had given each man encouragement and further orders to remain in place, we walked back to where we had left Allete. Surely their noon meal was over by now. I just hoped that Cathal hadn’t led Allete away from their picnic spot. I would likely panic if I did not see that she was safe, and that wouldn’t help anyone. A hiss caught my attention. I glanced in the direction of the noise and saw a form hidden behind a wagon full of bags of wheat.

I patted Brant’s arm and motioned him to follow me. As soon as I was close enough, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm, jerking me forward. I started to protest until saw who it was.

“Oracle,” I said bowing low.

“Tsk, tsk, none of that. Give me a hug, boy. I have been worried. None of the other soldiers had news of your wellbeing.”

I wrapped my arms around my mother’s small form and breathed in her familiar scent. I was relieved to see that she was safe.

She pushed away and reached for Brant. He leaned around me to give her a hug as well.

“Now then,” she began, her eyes were dancing with joy. “You have met her.” It was not a question.

“Have you seen something?” I asked, wanting to know the answer but fearful that it would not be something I wanted to hear.

“You have met your match, Torben.” My mother looked entirely too pleased with herself.

“She’s what any man would want in a woman,” I responded. “Feisty, strong, vulnerable, infuriating, and bold. If Cathal gets her, he will destroy her and steal away any semblance of who she is now.” My heart beat painfully in my chest, and my hands were clenched into tight fists. I was hanging onto my control, but it was quickly slipping away.

My mother placed a hand on my arm. “I still see her as your bride. But the path to that future will not be an easy one, I’m afraid.” Suddenly my mother’s eyes lost focus, and she grew very still. We were in the presence of the Oracle. When she began to speak, I closed my eyes, attempting to add images to her words.

“Death, pain, lies, betrayal, love, joy and life all stand between you and your union with Allete. It will be your perseverance, integrity, determination, need, and love that will lead you to your destiny. Nothing great and beautiful and right happens without struggle. It is the growth in the journey that gives meaning to the ultimate outcome. You must be strong, Torben, future king of your people. You must not falter, and you must not give up on your destiny. If you do, your beloved will be surrounded in darkness, instead of your light. She will be punished with pain, instead of touched out of love and desire. Should you fail, your beloved will be stripped bare until she is just an empty shell. Only then will her captor grant her death.”

Her words hit me like a cannon ball. The breath was knocked from my lungs, and had not Brant grabbed me beneath my arms, I would have landed on my knees. I hung my head down as the words, should I fail, beat against my head.

“There is hope, son,” my mother said, her voice returning to normal. “She is not gone. She is still here, and she still has your protection.” She lifted my head and stared into my eyes. “You are one of the strongest men I have ever known. I do not just mean physically. When you make a decision, there is nothing that can stand between you and what you want. Do you want Allete? Do you want to be the one who provides for her, protects her, and fights with and for her? Do you want to love her?”

There was no hesitation when I spoke. “With everything inside of me.”

“Then you have to be the one that makes it so. You. Others will help you, and you will need their help. Ultimately, you will be their commander, and you will be the one to lead them to victory.”

I felt the iron will that my mother spoke of rise like a phoenix from the ashes inside of me. As usual, my mother was right. I was relentless when I set my sights on something, and now I had. Not something, but someone—someone to inspire me to be relentless.

“Go now,” my mother said, pushing us back the way we had come. “Protect her with your life. She is not just what saves our people. She is what saves you as well.”

I had no idea what she meant, and I knew she would not explain it to me, so I did not bother asking. Instead I gave her forehead a quick kiss and then marched back in the direction of the castle—in the direction of Allete. And I beseeched every god I knew that she was unharmed.