The Barbarian's Stolen Bride (Northmen Barbarians 1)

I’d wondered why Fenrir hadn’t come and collected me himself, but maybe he was too high a station to be seen mucking about with commoners such as myself.

But I pushed those thoughts aside, knowing I had far more important—and worrisome—things to occupy my mind than whether or not my new husband wanted to steal me from my home himself.

I held onto the horse’s mane, the guard behind me not touching me. I wondered if that was protocol. Don’t touch the king’s property lest you lose your hand.

When we finally got to the massive entrance of the castle, I was helped down off the horse. I expected to be taken to where I was supposed to go, but with just a tip of their chins in the general direction, I was left on my own.

I made my way in silence across the cobblestone pathway, under the arched entrance, and then stopped once I was in what appeared to be a courtyard.

The area was magnificent, with tendrils of vines creeping along the stone outer walls, making their way around the arched entrance and exit. I’d never been behind the castle walls before, my family station not high enough to be anywhere but within the village.

And this was like another world. Because of who the Destroyer was, his tales and the rumors of the battles he’d won, the death that followed in his wake, I half expected bodies to be strewn all around, a frisky visage of the brute he truly was.

But everything was pristine and clean, with a fountain in the center, the sound of the trickling water lulling. It almost gave me a sense of relaxation and calm.

Almost.

There also was no one else around, and this eerie feeling settled within me so hard shivers raced up my arms and legs.

I let my eyes scan the area, my focus training on an open doorway. I saw two women standing on either side, both draped in sapphire-blue gauzy gowns. The material wrapped around their bodies, their hair piled up high on their heads in elaborate loose braids.

When had they shown up? Had they been there this whole time? But then again, I couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of my heart echoing in my ears.

Aside from their hair and gowns, which seemed elaborate and luxurious, they were otherwise plain in appearance.

They were also starkly different, one having flame-red hair and pale skin, freckles dotting the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. I could also see those light-brown spots covering the tops of her shoulders and flowing down her arms.

The other woman had hair as pale as the snow, and just looking at the color, I’d have assumed she was an old woman. But her youth was evident in her flawless skin and delicate features.

They said nothing as I stepped closer and stopped in front of them. They wouldn’t even make eye contact with me, and I wondered if this was some kind of high-class-born or castle-servant etiquette.

The redhead stepped inside first. “This way, please.”

The pale-haired woman swung her arm out for me to follow.

I kept my items held tightly pressed to my chest, afraid they’d snatch my belongings away.

The two women said nothing as they led me through a darkened corridor. Everything was so cold and… lifeless. Wall sconces were placed evenly at intervals on either side of me, and the only sound came from the light steps as our feet brushed along the stone flooring.

I cleared my throat and tightened my hand on my parcel, wanting to ask a million different questions. Surely they knew who I was and what this all entailed. Surely they had answers to all of this.

“Where are you taking me?” A part of me assumed they wouldn’t answer. They hadn’t made any eye contact with me, so why would they respond?

Maybe they saw me as a piece of property and therefore beneath them? Maybe they were forbidden to speak to me?

I felt like crying, like letting myself fall to the ground and just scream as loud as I could.

“We are taking you to the king’s personal bathing chamber to ready you for his appraisal.”

My brows lowered at that, not sure which one had spoken, since they hadn’t looked at me and hadn’t faltered in their steps.

I didn’t need an explanation on what they meant for the king’s “appraisal.” The bastard wanted me fresh and clean for when he claimed his wife tonight.

“And w-what does that entail exactly?” I hated going into this blindly, and any scraps of information they could give me to better prepare for whatever… this was would have me feeling like I could be on common ground.

I snorted. Common ground… right. I’m so not on common ground right now, it’s not even funny.

Then again, when had the world I lived in been anything but the powerful having the upper hand and getting all they wanted, while the ones like myself were scraping by just to make sure we had enough food when the cold season came?