“I am saying I saw no reason to ask her if she is or is not, so how would I know? But she will not depart here without his leave, and he is not ready to give it.”
Ragnar’s horse reared, sensing his fury and frustration. “Lady, that is unacceptable. Send him out. I challenge him now.”
“He is not recovered enough yet to accept any challenges. But I am the one who took her for him,” Kristen reminded him. “Do you want to fight me?”
“From you I will have Danegeld for yourtemerity. From the one you took her for, I will have his life.”
“If he is willing to fight you once he is well, so be it. But that will not be for some time yet. You might as well return to—”
“I will fight him now,” Selig said behind her.
Kristen whirled around to block him from mounting the last few steps to the platform, silently cursing whoever had informed him that the Danes were here. And she did not quibble words. “Do you have your full strength back?”
“Enough of it—”
“But not all. And do not tell me you no longer suffer those headaches, because I know otherwise.”
“This is not debatable,” Selig insisted.
“Aye, you have that right. You willnotaccept the man’s challenge unless he is willing to wait until you are fully recovered.”
He understood her concern and loved her for it, but in this she could not interfere. “Kris, you have no say in this, so move aside.”
When she did not, he leaned forward, caught her hand, and hefted her over his shoulder so he could mount the last few steps and put her aside. He then turned immediately to look down on the Danes—and started swearing when his eyes locked on Ragnar Haraldsson.
Ragnar was able to see Selig now as well and shouted up, “You!”
Selig turned his back on the Danes to face the hall. He was still softly cursing when henoticed the window to his chamber and saw Erika standing there, where she could see at least half of the army that had come for her. He had not rechained her to the wall. He should have.
“He sounds as if he knows you,” Royce said quietly beside him.
Selig’s voice was rife with exasperation. “Indeed he does. He is the Dane who saved my life when he mistook me for one of the Danish horde that your Saxons finally routed.”
“I recall how amused you were afterward, though no less grateful,” Royce replied, only to add what he and Kristen were both now thinking. “If you owe the man a debt, you can repay it by returning his sister.”
“Nay!” Selig said emphatically and started back down the stairs. “I owe him, not her. And I will repay him by not fighting him.” And then he swore yet again. “Thor’s teeth, why didhehave to be her brother?”
“Splendid,” Royce mumbled as he turned toward his wife, who was still staring after her brother, a bit disconcerted by the irony none of them had been expecting. “So now we have a standoff.”
“Mayhap not,” she said and leaned over the wall again to tell the waiting Ragnar, “Selig is as surprised as you must be, Lord Ragnar, that you two should meet again this way. He acknowledges the debt he owes you, and because of it, will not fight you.”
“There is no debt owing from deceit,” Ragnar refuted angrily. “Never would I have aided himhad I known he was my enemy. Now, either he accepts my challenge, or he sends out my sister.”
Kristen was distinctly uncomfortable with the answer she must give to that. Her entire family had reason to be grateful to this man, whether he wanted that gratitude or not. And this was no way to show it. She had a strong desire to kick her dear brother.
“I am sorry,” she finally said, and she meant it. “He still means to keep her—for the while.”
“And I do not leave here without her. You want a siege, you shall have one.” And he jerked his mount around to ride back to his men.
Kristen’s expression was pure vexation. “Notice he left before I could make some threats of my own.”
Royce frowned at her. “What threats?”
She sighed. “It matters not now.”
“Then what arehisthreats?”
“You were correct, we have a standoff. He will not leave without Erika.”
