“You’re mad, Kerek,” Cleve said. “Chessa is just Chessa. She’s a woman, nothing more. Forget this vision you have of her.”
Kerek smiled at him, even as he shook his head. “If you love her, Cleve, I’m sorry. She is destined for other things. Now, Princess, come to me now and Kiri goes to her father.”
Merrik laughed. “Chessa, don’t move. Kerek won’t kill Kiri. By the gods, this is an irony that cramps my belly. You won’t win in this, Kerek.”
“I have won,” Kerek said quietly. He saw Hafter take a step forward. He saw the circle tightening. “No, stop, all of you. Don’t move, any of you. Not unless you want the little girl dead. I will kill her. I don’t want to, but I will. It is the Princess’s choice. Will you come to me, Princess? If you do, Olaf will let her go to her father.”
“If she dies then you are dead in the next moment, Kerek.”
“Aye, I know, Cleve. It doesn’t matter. I just want the princess. I must have her.”
“Very well,” Chessa said. Her knife was still firmly against Erek’s throat. “I agree to the exchange.”
Cleve said, “Chessa, I cannot trade you for Kiri. I cannot.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s my decision.”
Kerek smiled at her, then said to Olaf, “Let the girl go to her father.”
“But she still holds the knife at Erek’s neck.”
“She will drop the knife when the little girl is safe. Do as I tell you.”
Olaf looked baffled, but he released Kiri. She stood there a moment, staring from Cleve back to Chessa.
“Go, Kiri, go to your papa. I will be all right. Go.”
“But you told me just one papa wasn’t enough. You said—”
“I know, sweeting, but things have changed. Your papa will take good care of you. Go now.”
Cleve looked at Chessa even as Kiri bounded into his arms. He held her close, but his eyes never left Chessa’s pale, set face. He watched her slowly lower the knife and step back from Erek. Then she handed the knife, handle forward, to Kerek.
“Thank you, Princess,” Kerek said. He turned back to the group of men. “Merrik, Cleve, I am sorry that Ragnor got past me and came to torment you. But now you will escape and return to your farmsteads. All will be the same again. Your lives will be as they were once more. Cleve, you will simply inform Duke Rollo of the princess’s marriage to the heir of the Danelaw. Merrik, you’ll find the Silver Raven at the far dock. My men moved it from its hiding place when I knew Rorik had come. It is your warship despite what Ragnor claims. You will find food and clean clothes aplenty in the covered cargo space. However, there is no treasure. The king isn’t that generous. I bid you good-bye.”
Kerek turned, motioned to his two men, and walked into the woods, Chessa at his side.
Cleve ignored the men’s furious words. He took two steps toward the woods. “No, Cleve, not yet,” Merrik said. “Not just yet.”
“There must be a way to save her, there must.”
“We will find it,” Hafter said. “But Merrik is right. Not now. You must get back your strength, we must make plans for this. We will get her, Cleve.”
Gunleik placed his big veined hand on Cleve’s shoulder. “She did what she had to do. She is much like Mirana. She will take care of herself.”
But Cleve wondered how. She tended to speak before she thought. She despised Ragnor and she wouldn’t hesitate to tell him so. If the king didn’t stop him, Ragnor would try to strangle her. He could just picture Chessa goading Ragnor into a black rage. He was very afraid. He felt immense guilt.
He also felt loss. He didn’t like it. It was empty and cold, what he felt. Kerek had apologized to Cleve if he’d loved Chessa. That was ridiculous. He’d been a weak fool to believe Sarla, and look what it had gotten him. Well, he’d gotten Kiri, but still, no other woman would make him disbelieve what he knew to be true. He had a scarred ugly face and no possessions worth speaking of. What Chessa wanted of him, he had no idea. But she couldn’t love him. He knew that as surely as he remembered Sarla’s hatred spewing on him.
Cleve went down on his knees and looked at his daughter. “You didn’t starve yourself this time.”
“You didn’t come home the day I laid down the eighth stick.”
“As you know now, I couldn’t. You mustn’t consider me dead when I don’t come back to you on the exact day.”
She nodded. “That’s what Papa said.”
“I know, I just said it. We will speak about this further, but now we must get away from this place. Hafter, please carry her. I’m too filthy.”