“You will not send my daughters away.”
“They are mine, and I shall decide their future.”
“Bah. You think they’re yours. I’ve been bedding Rhys since the second night after we married. I only waited long enough for you to know I was a maiden.”
“What?” Dafydd exploded.
It even shocked Gressa that Enfys confess a secret that Gressa had suspected for years but had never confirmed.
“That’s right. At least three of our children are his, and this one might be, too. I don’t know since I was with you both on the same day for several moons.”
“Enfys, I thought you would never tell Dafydd this secret,” Gressa interjected, goading both of them.
“It’s just as well she has since her lover is dead, and we already sold their bastards to my allies.”
“Just what did you receive besides an agreement to come to your aid if you summoned them?” Gressa wondered aloud.
“The gold and silver I shall use to build the other alliances.”
“Have you seen that, Enfys? Didn’t you wonder where it came from?” Gressa continued to insinuate herself into the conversation as Freya and Tyra slipped behind the couple to replace their clothes.
“No, I haven’t. It seems my husband has been hiding as much from me as I have from him. I can guess where it is though.”
“Enfys,” Dafydd threatened.
“Are you daft enough to think we are coming out of this alive? What does it matter now?” Enfys glared at Gressa. “The ruins of the monastery at Angelsey. He had it all taken there. He assumed that since your people had already raided and sacked the monastery, leaving nothing but rubble behind, no one would think to look there.”
“Our people? They were Danes. We are Norse. We are no more alike than you are the Saxons or Britons. Perhaps, if you had learned the difference, neither the Norse nor the Danes would have sacked your shores so many times.” Gressa taunted.
“Angelsey is not your land, Dafydd.” Gressa pointed out. “How could you be so sure no one would find your treasure?”
Enfys cut in before Dafydd could answer, “Because he once again thought with his cock rather than his head. The prince of Angelsey has a wife who spreads her legs for Dafydd each time we visit.”
Gressa rapidly translated the conversations for the other two women now that they role in the seduction was over.
“And they call us heathens. I thought their vows of marriage pledged forsaking others,” Tyra looked askance at the royal couple. “They are little better than farm animals, rutting anything in heat.”
Gressa shrugged. There were a few more pieces of information she needed.
“You took the bride prices paid for your daughters to Angelsey, but what of the riches Grímr gave you? He bought your archers and me. I know you didn’t give the archers for free,” Gressa wry expression matched her last comment.
“No, they weren’t though you were,” Enfys turned on Gressa. “I gave you to him to get you away from Dafydd and Rhys, but my husband wanted Rhys to take you. Do you not see, they wanted to share both of us?”
“But I thought Dafydd didn’t know of your affair with Rhys. No, you sent me away to keep Dafydd from forcing himself on me. You didn’t do it to protect me but to mark your territory.” Gressa turned back to Dafydd. “Where did you hide Grímr’s payment? Tell me, and perhaps I will stop questioning you and finally give you what you have desired. And your wife, who tried to keep us apart, can watch.”
Gressa placed one hand on each side of the back of the chair and allowed her breasts to sway before Dafydd’s face. The man was predictable to a fault. The arousal that had waned during his exchange with his wife returned, and his pupils dilated.
“It wasn’t that much, but rather the first installment. I lied that he’d given me everything. I didn’t want you to know there would be more. He was to return with more once he ransacked and pillaged Ivar’s and Rangvald’s homesteads. That riches are gone already, gifted as incentives to the other princes to join with me.”
“There’s nothing left?” Enfys snapped. “You are too stupid to rule. You thought to do this without consulting me and see where we are now.”
“I consulted you about Gressa.” Dafydd barked.
“A lot of good that did. The bitch is standing before us.”
Gressa looked at Tyra and Freya, and both women nodded. Gressa whipped a knife from her boot and sliced the blade across Dafydd’s throat, blood splattering her chest, belly, and arms. Enfys screamed and tried to pull away.
“We aren’t going to kill you, you bellowing sow,” Freya hissed. “Shut up.”
