He splayed his hands across her belly, stretching them to touch her pelvic bones. She didn’t move. Her smile never lessened. Then she felt his hands go around to cup her buttocks. She didn’t move even as he pulled her against him and his mouth was moving against her breasts. “Aye,” the king said at last, snapping his fingers, “she’ll be good sport in bed.”
“I thought you wanted to see if she’d breed well,” Ragnor said, sprawled now in his chair, frowning at his father who was drinking from a goblet held to his mouth by one of his concubines. Chessa sat again. She felt revulsion, but she dared not show it. The father wasn’t like the son.
She watched one of the concubines cut off a thick piece of roasted beef. She watched her chew it very thoroughly. She watched in utter surprise when the concubine then removed it from her mouth and gently laid it between the king’s lips. Chessa wanted to gag, but she didn’t. She just lowered her head and took another bite of bread, a rye bread that was delicious.
Kerek said very quietly, “You’re wise, Princess. I didn’t have time to tell you that the king’s temper isn’t as predictable and pleasant as his son’s. But you guessed, didn’t you?”
“What did you say to her, Kerek?”
“Nothing, my lord. I just asked her if I could have some of the sweet cabbage. I believe there are cloudberries in it. I like it much.”
“You’re a stupid man, Kerek. If it weren’t for you we would never have been caught by that damned Rorik. If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t have been wrecked on his damned island. Both you and Captain Torric, that stupid slug, both of you are to blame.”
The king raised a hand, each finger covered with silver and gold rings. To Chessa’s surprise, Ragnor fell silent instantly. “The messengers returned today, Kerek. They didn’t find this Hawkfell Island. They said there was a storm and it sent them into waters they didn’t know. They said they were lucky to return to York. I would have killed them for their failure except that we do have the princess so it doesn’t really m
atter. One of the men is very skilled, so his death would be a waste.”
“I’d kill Captain Torric, Father. He was the one who gave the men the course to travel. Besides, he’s lame now. What good is he?”
“Captain Torric and Kerek were the ones who planned how we would get the Vikings and then the princess. I have rewarded him.”
“That’s ridiculous. It was I who told Kerek that we should drug them, I who told Kerek that you should play a generous role and give them treasures as a reward. I didn’t want them to fight and die. I wanted to torture them. I wanted to kill Cleve slowly, that or sell him for a slave. He was a slave once, did you know? Aye, it was my plan and Kerek and Torric have stolen it from me.”
The king said merely after a concubine had gently wiped his mouth with a piece of white linen, “Don’t lie, Ragnor. Remember that slave girl, Mora? The one you raped when you were thirteen years old? You brayed and bragged about your prowess, how you even pleasured her.” The king paused a moment, then gave his son a gentle smile. It made Chessa shiver. “I found out of course that it was the captain of your guard who’d taken the girl and you’d watched, then threatened the girl that you’d kill her if she ever told the truth.”
In that moment, Chessa knew exactly what Ragnor was thinking. He couldn’t wait for his father to die. If he could get away with it, he’d kill Olric himself. He said, “The girl lied to you.”
“It wasn’t the girl who told me the truth. It was your mother. She is completely in my power, my prisoner, a submissive creature. I allow her to see everything, as you well know, and she tells me.”
Ragnor knifed a huge piece of sea bass into his mouth, the juices running down his chin. “It was a long time ago. Mother probably forgot. However, Kerek let the Viking prisoners escape. He could have captured all of them, including Rorik and his Hawkfell Island men. He didn’t. He failed. I would like to have this Hawkfell Island. Then I could have Utta.”
The king was swallowing from another gem-encrusted goblet held for him by his other concubine, evidently a different drink, for there were now three goblets set in front of him.
“She wanted me. Utta wanted me. She desired me. She gave me her precious mead to drink. Aye, Father, she would have come with me if it weren’t for the men.”
Chessa said in a clear loud voice, “Utta thought you were a fool and a dolt. She kept you drinking her mead so you would be too drunk to cause trouble. She failed, but she did try.”
There was complete silence at the table. The slaves and the concubines froze. A chewed bite of beef was held two inches from the king’s mouth. He stared at Chessa.
Ragnor leapt to his feet, his face mottled with rage. He shook his fist at her, yelling, “Damn you, Chessa. You’re nothing now. You’re in my power and you’ll do as I tell you. I’ll beat you if I wish. You will show me respect and obeisance.”
“I never did before. Why should I begin now? You deserve respect and obeisance as much as I deserve to be wedded to a pathetic worm like you.”
She heard Kerek draw in his breath. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but her life was in the balance.
Ragnor jumped onto the table, hurling himself at her. It was so unexpected, the concubine screamed and her chewed bite of beef fell to the floor. Kerek hurled himself out of his chair, jerked Chessa back, and held himself in line for Ragnor’s attack.
Ragnor thudded against him, his hands gouging into Kerek’s throat. Kerek grabbed Ragnor’s upper arms, but it wouldn’t be enough. Ragnor had more leverage. Chessa grabbed her eating knife, a beautiful silver piece, and stabbed it into the back of Ragnor’s hand. He screamed, fell away, and slid to the floor, his clothing smeared with cabbage, peas, and apples baked in honey. A platter of boar steaks tilted on the edge of the table and fell, splattering Ragnor’s chin and chest with gravy and fat.
Ragnor was on his hands and knees, his hand fiery with pain, so humiliated he could scarcely think. He knew in that moment he would kill her. As soon as he rose, he would kill her.
Then, to his shock, he heard a hoarse sound. He looked up to see his father leaning back in his chair. His head was thrown back. He was laughing. He hadn’t heard his father laugh for as long as he’d been old enough to know what a laugh was. Then his father was howling with laughter. His toothless mouth was gaping open, his hands were holding his fat belly. The concubines were fluttering about him, not knowing what to do. The guards came forward, but they just stared, their swords at their sides. Chessa didn’t move, nor did Kerek, who just stared in astonishment at the king.
“What is this, Olric? You look ridiculous. Why are you laughing?”
“It’s the queen,” Kerek said, and quickly bowed to the lady who stood not three feet away from them, looking from her son to her husband. She was dressed in a gown more beautiful than any Sira owned, all embroidered with gold thread in intricate designs of birds and flowers against the soft white wool material. Her hair was braided atop her head, thick braids that were still blond, threaded with strands of white. Her face was thin and beautiful. Ragnor had the look of her. She didn’t look at all submissive. She didn’t look at all as if she were this fat old man’s prisoner.
“Madam,” Kerek said. “This is the princess of Ireland, here to marry Prince Ragnor.”