“I love him. Perhaps someday he will come to believe it. But that can’t be important to you, Isla. What I please is to leave this place. The king is a strange man, his moods dance about, the queen has been a prisoner for twenty-one years but she isn’t a prisoner at all, she rules here, and poor Ragnor is a pawn between the two of them. Now the king thinks I can be forced to marry Ragnor. Actually, he knows that the queen will see to it. All he has to do is belch and drink and fondle his concubines, who are thankfully mute, else they’d be screaming when he touched them. I don’t suppose you would lend me your paint pot so I can look like a harlot and leave here?”
Isla laughed. “Perhaps if you paid me enough silver I would try to help you, but you haven’t even a valuable armlet, do you? No, I didn’t think so. Tell me about Kerek. What is his position here?”
“He worships the queen. He would do anything she asked of him. The king trusts him as well. That’s why I’m here. Kerek got this idea that I, a simple woman, was the one to save the Danelaw from the Saxons. He’s set on this course. It’s utterly ridiculous.”
“I agree. As you said, you’re just a simple woman. Mayhap you’re even more of a simple woman than anyone even realizes.”
“Aye, I said that, but I didn’t think you’d agree with me so eagerly. I’m not all that simple. I’m not less than simple. Perhaps Kerek is right. Perhaps I am some sort of warrior goddess. I could ride in a chariot as that British queen probably did and men should shout how wonderful I was and they would follow me and—”
“Be quiet. I’m going to puke. You’re just a girl, nothing more. I doubt you could save a hair comb. Men follow you? It’s beyond ridiculous.”
She punched Isla in the arm.
Isla grunted. “What do you plan to do? Nay, don’t hit me again. It’s an innocent question.”
Chessa sighed. She was lying here in the dark speaking to this painted harlot, and yet, she had no one else to speak to. She said slowly, “I suppose I will remain pregnant for a while, until I can escape. My problem is I don’t know where to escape to. Hawkfell Island is a long way away from York. Even if I had silver to pay you, where would you take me? The queen thought I should be sent to the Saxon court and cause chaos there.”
Isla laughed. “I should go console the queen. She’s quite right. Wherever you go you bring confusion and trouble. Men grind their teeth at your mischief. They want to strangle you because you dance around them, making up one tale after another, leaving them confused and crazed. You refuse to consider anyone else save yourself. You don’t honor your father’s wishes. You take it into your silly head that you want only one certain man. You say he has a richness deep inside him. You don’t even know what that means. You don’t even know this man, not really. You’re just like Kerzog who won’t let go of a stick. You just dig in your heels and hang on.
“Another thing. This man Cleve is ugly. He’s not blind to himself. And what does that mean? That sounds like that deep richness nonsense. The scar on his face makes him look like a devil. It’s true, it’s you who are the blind one. You refuse to see him clearly because you’re so damned obstinate. He has nothing. He doesn’t want a wife because he should have had one once before, but by all the gods, that was a disaster. He doesn’t need more disasters in his life. He doesn’t need a woman who’s very nature creates havoc.”
“How dare you, Isla.” She came up on her elbows, ready to battle. “Now listen here, I don’t create havoc. I may try to change things, but at least I don’t wear enough paint on my face so my head is bowed to my knees. Wait a minute, how do you know all this? How do you know of Kerzog? How do you know about Cleve? Oh, goodness, who are you really?”
“Why, who do you think, Princess? I’m the man who seduced you and impregnated you.”
“Cleve?”
“Aye.”
“Oh, I prayed you’d come,” she said, and threw herself against him. “You’re here, at last. I’ve missed you, Cleve.” She hugged him tighter. He sucked in his breath in pain.
“What’s wrong? Oh, I’m sorry.”
“You stuck your knife into me. I’m here to save you and you stab me. Keep away from me.”
“I didn’t mean to.” She was frantically trying to find where she’d stuck him, but he slapped her hands away.
“No, don’t touch me, you might smear the paint on my face. Put that damned knife down and lie back.”
She slipped the knife beneath her pillow again. Her heart was pounding. She’d never been so happy, so utterly relieved. Everything would be all right now, she knew it. Cleve was here. Surely what she’d said had to touch him. At least he should think about her words, shouldn’t he? She said, “You don’t mind that I’m to bear your child, do you?”
“Not at all. If my seed can be of use to you, why then, drain me of as much as you like.”
“I had to do something. Tonight the king announced that I’m to wed Ragnor.”
“I know. I was there. I was relieved when you showed the good sense to keep your mouth shut when he did make his announcement.”
“I nearly didn’t, but Kerek told me to.”
“And if Kerek hadn’t stopped you, what would you have announced?”
“That the king had lied, perhaps. That it wasn’t Ragnor’s child I carried. I probably would have gone on about their lack of pride to wed me to Ragnor when it wasn’t even his child I was carrying. Perhaps insults about their collective manhoods, that they were shriveled and rotted. Something like that.”
“You see, you bring chaos and confusion. Have you any idea what would have happened had you done that?”
“Perhaps the king would have relented since it was all out in the open? That everyone would know what the truth was? Ragnor would choke on the ale you gave him and die?”
He gave her a look of disgust she couldn’t see. “Don’t be a fool. The gods know what would have happened. It curdles my blood to even think about it. Now, shall I tell you why you’re to wed Ragnor in three days? Well before this pregnant belly of yours begins to swell?”
