She tried to pull away from him, but his grip tightened, holding fast to her. She shook her head in disbelief.
“You will still make me wear that chain after…How can you be so unfeeling?”
“I know you hate it and I am sorry for that,” he replied softly. “If there were another way to ensure you could not escape, then I would use it instead, but there is not. Too many Wessex slaves have escaped, running north to the Danes to join their army. I know that you would do the same, to try to reach your home.”
She was not hearing the words of explanation. “The men would, aye, but I would not go without them.”
“With your freedom, you could help them to theirs.”
“If I told you I would not, that I would not leave your hall?”
“You cannot expect me to believe you.”
“Why not?” she demanded angrily. “You would believe me that I would not kill you, but you will not believe that I will not escape?”
“Aye, you have it right!” His voice rose in impatience. “I can stop any attempt you make against me, but I will not take the chance of losing you!”
“You do not take this precaution with your other slaves!” she snapped.
“They are born slaves, descendants of the Britons that we conquered centuries ago. Wyndhurst is their home. But you have been captured, losing the freedom you once knew. You have no reason to want to stay here.”
Didn’t she? God’s teeth, what a fool he was not to see that she did not want to leave him. But he was more of a fool if he thought she would shrug and accept his shackles now, and blithely accept him too.
A coldness entered her eyes, a chill that he had never seen before. “Very well, milord. You can let go of me. I will wear your chain.”
He released her, but he frowned as he watched her walk stiffly to the table and pick up the shackles, then bend over to snap them on. “You can forgo the other chain, Kristen, if you will promise not to attack my cousin again.”
Was she supposed to be grateful for that? Curse him, he had no idea what his callousness was doing to her.
She stood up to her full height, her voice calm but tinged with bitterness as she said, “I would have promised not to escape, but this I will not promise.”
“It matters not to you that he is dear to me?”
“My brother was dear to me.”
“Then you will wear the other chain as well until Alden’s wounds are healed and his strength fully recovered. If you were not so strong yourself, ’twould be unnecessary.”
“I do not regret my own strength. It serves me well when needed,” she said cryptically. Then, with stiff pride, she added, “If that is all, milord?”
“Aye, go!” he snapped, her coldness rubbing him raw.
She nodded curtly and departed, leaving Royce with his temper rapidly rising. What in God’s name did she expect him to do? Trust her? Surely she could see how unreasonable that would be! He had not only himself to think of, but those for whom he was responsible. She could too easily aid her brother’s men to freedom. But how could she stop the slaughter that would follow? She could not.
Having so many Viking captives was the problem. With their size, they could be as effective as a small army. He should have killed them all when he had wanted to. Then there would be no problem now. Nay, for he would have killed Kristen too.
The thought that she could have died by his order, without his even knowing she was a woman, cooled his temper. Her resentment would not last. She was intelligent enough to see that until he could trust her, precaution was mandatory.
Logic held no place in Kristen’s mind today. Emotion overruled fairness. She was feeling hurt, betrayed even, and those feelings continued to fester throughout the long day. She said not a word to anyone. She lived in her thoughts, and these grew steadily more acerbated and fraught with resentment. With no outlet for this upheaval of emotions, she was simmering on a dangerous level by the time Eda escorted her upstairs that night.
Eda passed her chamber once again, going on to Royce’s. But Kristen went no farther than her own door, and this she slammed shut behind her. Eda opened it within seconds.
“What means this? You saw me go on.”
“So?” Kristen said tersely, lying down on her pallet.
“He has bid me bring you to him again, wench.”
“So?”
