Giric held his breath. Would she refuse him? Or insist they live here instead of on his lands?
“Very well, sister,” Gunnar said. “Will you accept this man’s proposal of marriage? Before you answer, I want you to consider the value this alliance brings and the security you will provide to our family and our clansmen. You are a warrior in your heart, and this is a different sort of negotiation than anything you’ve endured in battle. The choice is yours, Saga. You will be looked at with no less admiration from me or this clan should you refuse. This decision is entirely yours.”
Saga stood and walked toward the wall behind Gunnar’s chair. Her fingers traced the serpent on the shield. Giric’s guts coiled into a knot while he waited for her to contemplate her brother’s words. He would accept her decision whatever it was and as Gunnar pointed out, he would admire her no less. But the longer she took to respond, the more doubt crept into his heart that he would have her as his wife.
Saga returned to her seat and met Giric’s gaze then Gunnar’s. Her face was expressionless. “I will consider his proposal.”
Giric took a deep breath and smiled at her. “Thank you,” he said.
“On one condition,” she said.
His guts lurched.
“And what is that?” Gunnar asked.
“That we live here for one year. After that we can live wherever you want. But I want my first year here.”
Giric would have to think about that. She could not imagine the responsibility of running a castle from so far away. His steward was reliable, but that was a lot to put on him.
“I would have to travel back and forth regularly to see to my responsibilities. Will you join me any time I return home?”
Her brows knit as if she had not anticipated such a scenario. After a long agonizing few minutes, she nodded and said, “I will.”
“Gunnar, I will give you lands plus one thousand marks.”
Gunnar’s brow shot up and he cleared his throat. He took both their hands and placed his over theirs. “It is done,” he said as a looming shadow blocked the light from the doorway. He turned as a large axe came down and split the table inches away from their hands.
Chapter Eight
Was it really him? How long had it been? Two summers? Three? Magnus Haraldson was one year in age between her and Gunnar and had always been an advocate of violence before questioning anyone left standing.
“Welcome home, brother,” Gunnar said, standing. “How do you fare?”
“I am well, but I have received some disturbing news,” he said pointedly, looking at Giric and Osgar.
“Of what nature?” Gunnar asked.
“Have you welcomed Scots into our village? And have an inclination to betroth our sister to one of them?”
“I have on the first part, ja,” Gunnar said. “But you are mistaken on the second part.”
“Thank Odin for that,” Magnus said. “No sister of mine will marry a Scot.”
With that Saga and Giric stood at the same time. “It is already done,” Saga said.
“You lied to me, brother?” Magnus asked Gunnar.
“No, I did not lie. You asked if my intention was to betroth our sister to this Scot, and it cannot be my intention when it is a done thing,” he said, grinning. “This is Giric MacDomnail and this is Osgar MacAlpin. They honour us with their proposal.”
“You make light of such a serious matter,” Magnus said. “You have grown soft in the head since I have been away.”
Gunnar grabbed Magnus by the throat and pushed him against a post. “You do not speak to your chieftain that way. You, who have been away these two summers, would know nothing of the challenges we face here every day.”
With that Gunnar released Magnus and walked away from them to take his chair at the head of the hall.
“You may come forth and report on your journey, brother,” Gunnar said to Magnus. “Leave out no detail.”
Magnus looked at Saga and frowned. She could not bear the disappointment resting in his eyes. They had always been close, and it had taken her a long time to accept that he would go raiding without her. From time to time a ship would arrive to trade goods and there would be some trinket for her from him. Most of her was glad to see him, but a part of her still reeled from his arrogance in forbidding her to go with him.
