Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“So, as you see, dear Rolf,” Arvid said as he dabbed the corner of his sleeve against his mouth, finishing his plate of pheasant, “this could mean the French king is open to negotiations with us chieftans.”
“But you say it’s just a rumor,” Rolf pointed out.
“Yes, it is just a rumor. However, if it happens to be true, then you might be able to take the land and become a duke.”
Rolf looked down at his glass of ale and took a hearty sip. He chuckled to himself. “I can take the land anyway, and I wouldn’t have to swear off my gods. Do you think Odin would look proudly upon me for turning my back on him? Do you think Valhalla would wait for a traitor? I think not. I’d rather die than turn to Jesus and be admitted a scrap of land and a village of sniveling Frenchmen. Wouldn’t you?”
“This is not what I’d do, Rolf, but it is apparently what Helge has done. He signed the treaty with the king and now controls several towns around the Seine, towns you had lost the last time you were in the country.”
Rolf scoffed and exchanged a pointed look with Erik.
Arvid went on, “And the further inland you journey, the more resistance you will face. Is it better to die with nothing than to live with something? I think not.”
Rolf gave him a dismissive wave. “Ah, these politics bore me, Arvid. Why do you think the king of Norway had me exiled?”
Arvid and Erik exchanged a look while I leaned forward, my curiosity piqued. Rolf was exiled?
He caught my eye and smiled most charmingly. “Would it shock you, my beauty, to learn I am not operating under my country’s wishes and have in fact been ousted by a petty old man so many claim to be their king?”
I took another sip and shook my head. “Nothing you could say would shock me.”
My eyes sparked dangerously, just for a second. When I looked closer, he was back to his roguish ways. “Is that so?”
I cleared my throat. “So, tell me, why were you exiled?”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his big hands on the table. “Because he fears me. The King of Norway would rather his subjects stay in their own country. Oh, he ordered us to claim these lands at first—first for Møre, then for Bergen—but then, he grew soft. And where does that get us? How can we achieve greatness if we die at home in our beds? We can’t. And so the king has turned his back on the gods. I wouldn’t be surprised if I one day returned home to see them all worshipping Jesus.”
“The king just doesn’t want to see his people die in needless battle,” Arvid interjected, picking at his teeth with a thin stick, “although I am inclined to agree with Rolf here. There is no such thing as needless battle.”
“Damn right,” Rolf said, slamming back his drink. “And that is why you left the country, isn’t it, Arvid?”
“It is,” he conceded politely.
I looked to Erik, who had been silent this whole conversation. I thought perhaps things would be awkward between us after what had happened during the night and the lewd events of the morning. But since Rolf had left me with Erik’s semen still in my throat, the two of us hadn’t had a single moment to ourselves. I was ushered back to my chambers at Erik’s insistence, and I hadn’t seen anyone until Knut took me upstairs for dinner.
Now, he was stoic and on edge, watching everything and everyone. Everyone except me, that was. I felt rejected and alone, even with him sitting beside me, and I cursed myself for having feelings for the man.
What was the use anyway? We had sex, and now, he was done with me. The fire, the short burst of playfulness, was out, and he was back to his handsome yet glacial self. Even Rolf was asking for my company, as if he too knew Erik didn’t want me anymore. It hurt more than it should have, and I busied myself with more drink. The spread of food was more than I had ever eaten in my whole entire life, yet my appetite was almost entirely gone.
It wasn’t just Erik who was being frustrating, but Rolf. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted from me and why. One minute, the man oozed confidence and greed; the next, he was batting angelic eyes at me. When he asked for my presence after dinner, I felt vulgar for assuming it was for his own pleasure, yet I couldn’t fathom why he’d want my company otherwise. He was the type of man who could just take me anywhere he wanted and not wait for a specific time.
I shifted in my seat, wishing the numbing effects of the wine would work quicker. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Rolf was extremely beautiful in a rather wild way or that I didn’t fantasize about seeing him in his raw form. But I was scared, nonetheless, and for once in the short time I’d been with the Vikings, I felt Erik wasn’t on my side.