Her stomach hurt like it had after the usurper declared he was sparing both Astrid and her life because, as her daughter, she had begged prettily. Back then, she hadn’t intended to impersonate Ingebord; it had just happened. This time, she was certain she could control events and the marriage would be the sort she wished, one based on practicality and not attraction.
She wrapped her arms about her waist and watched his retreating figure. Only after he disappeared did she realise that he had not actually agreed to her proposal.
Chapter Five
‘You are going to do what?’ the Queen croaked from where she lay in the makeshift hospital, when Svanna confessed what she had done late that afternoon. ‘Have you lost your mind? Svanna, you are taking an unacceptable risk. You barely know the man. Halfr mentioned the way he treated Maer.’
Despite her injuries, her voice had lost none of its intensity. Svanna concentrated on straightening the furs that covered the Queen, rather than answering straight away. The heavy scent of incense combined with the dust from the dried herbs hanging from the rafters clogged Svanna’s mouth and nose, making it difficult to think straight, but she knew she had to get this encounter right.
‘It makes the most sense for everyone concerned if I marry Lord Randolfr. Something more tangible for him than simply exchanging arm rings with Halfr to demonstrate the alliance will be respected.’ She forced her voice to sound matter-of-fact, even though her heart hammered. Her scheme had to work. Once Turgeis realised she belonged to Rand and Tara, they would leave her and, more importantly, Islay alone. That salute that Turgeis had given as he left still sent chills down her spine.
‘Where is the wisdom?’ The Queen stared up at the rafters rather than fixing her with her gaze. Svanna took it as a hopeful sign. ‘What will it accomplish? How will it help Halfr or me?’
‘Someone must make the hard decisions, including how to stem the exodus of kings before they swear the oath of allegiance. I refuse to allow all your hard work these past few months to go to waste.’ She balled her fists until they ached, trying to control a sudden rush of anger. ‘Particularly as Turgeis is involved. I suffered much at their hands. I refuse to allow their power to grow until they threaten Agthir again.’
She stopped her words before she spilled out more of her secret. It was the closest she’d come towards explaining what had happened to her that day and why she feared Turgeis.
The Queen made a clicking noise at the back of her throat and shook her head. ‘Svanna, I know they made you uncomfortable back in Agthir, but you can be impulsive. It will be a long time before they can threaten Agthir. Trust Karn and Maer to protect our country.’
‘They believe Turgeis and his brothers to be in the east. Agthir will be in peril if I…if we fail to act.’
‘What do you know of Lord Randolfr? Lord Sigmund has his reservations about the man. He refused to meet him before the attack.’
‘Lord Randolfr rushed into a burning building to save your life.’
Astrid’s lips curved upwards. ‘There is that.’
Svanna leant forward. ‘We must strengthen alliances and quickly or Halfr will lose everything he has worked so hard to build here,’ she said, forcing a bright smile. ‘Three of the petty kings have slipped away before the morning’s tide turned, preferring to return to their halls without swearing obedience to Halfr.’
The Queen put her hand over Svanna’s. ‘But marriage for you? I promised Maer that I wouldn’t allow you to be used as a political counter ever again. You have gone through too much, my dear. Maer is right about that.’
‘Not your choice, but mine. Maer will understand the difference.’ Svanna sat up and hugged herself. ‘Tell her that if she asks, won’t you?’
‘What are you not telling me? I can hear you trying to hide things from me, Svanna. Did he seduce you? Were you caught in flagrante? At your age and with your status, no one in the North will think less of you, Svanna. Only on Islay are they closed minded about such things. Return to Agthir straight away if you fear gossip.’
‘Seduce me?’ Svanna’s mind skittered around the second lingering kiss they’d shared and how she had wanted it to continue. ‘He has done nothing to dishonour me.’
Astrid’s gaze seemed to pierce her soul. Svanna forced her head to remain high. Eventually Astrid sighed and closed her eyes. Svanna allowed her body to relax.
‘Whose idea was this?’ Astrid asked, not opening her eyes. ‘Please tell me it was the Northman’s and not yours.’
‘My idea. I refuse to allow Turgeis to threaten Agthir or Islay ever again. We need to act while there is time.’ Svanna tried not to think about seeing Turgeis leading the attack and how he’d saluted her. If he’d had his way, she’d now be one of the Disappeared. She knew that and knew what would have happened to her in the process. There would have been no intervention from Tippi or anyone else. He’d finish what he’d begun all those years ago.
A shiver went down her back as she remembered the way he’d used to whisper about how he was going to use her body once she belonged to him, whenever he thought no one could overhear him. And she’d never complained to Astrid because she’d suspected Astrid would have endorsed her nurse’s view that Svanna bore the blame for going off on her own.
‘My dear brave girl. What did your nurse and I create? We wanted to keep you safe from them, but this?’
‘Halfr must bind Tara and its high king to him if he wishes to stop these attacks,’ she said instead, putting it in terms Astrid would find harder to object to. Marriage to Rand would ensure she finally had some measure of permanent protection from Turgeis. And she could be the right sort of stepmother for that little girl, one who would look after her interests, and not simply treat her as a leftover from an earlier relationship like her own stepmother had done until Astrid had stepped in with her offer. But she doubted that Astrid would see those reasons as valid. ‘More than ever. It will strengthen his hand with any reluctant petty king. I know how hard you and Halfr worked.’
Astrid made a cat’s paw with her hand. ‘Those kings need Halfr, his sword arm and his eye for strategy. They do not want to become vassals of the Northmen.’
‘Maybe, maybe not. Someone collaborated. Someone knew when the church service would begin. Two kings failed to attend.’
‘Suddenly we need a kinship alliance with Tara to ensure their loyalty? Please, Svanna, it might be so, but Randolfr made Maer unhappy. She discovered him entwined with another woman.’
‘The woman who became his wife. Maer and Rand had a flirtation. She laughed about it to me, even if I wasn’t aware of his name. She married Karn and they are very happy.’
‘How do you have kinship with Islay? Remind me again.’
