“Aye, if you will marry me by mine.”
“What do you mean?”
“We will be married by a priest in a chapel at my home.”
Her brows knit. “You mean the kind of chapel Magnus has stolen from?”
“Aye, the very same.”
“But why do you need gold in a chapel in order to pray to your god?”
“We bring gifts to the church to honour him.”
“And we steal these gifts,” she said.
“Aye, many have been stolen.”
“Will I not be shunned by your priest because I am Norse?”
“Haveyouever raided a chapel and stolen that which was not yours?”
“Nay. I have never stolen anything.”
“Then you do not need to worry about my priest,” Giric said. “There are many Norsemen and Swedes and Danes who have decided to take up Christianity and recognize Christ as their saviour.”
“Is that what you expect of me?” she asked.
Giric cupped her face with his hands. “I will never force you to believe in anything if you do not wish it. I would like to show you the scriptures and tell you the stories though. In the same way I would like to know more about your gods.”
“You would?” she asked.
“Aye, I would like to know everything about you.”
“Then it is settled. We shall be married twice, by my gods and yours, for surely being blessed twice will bring about good fortune.”
Giric squeezed her hand and entered the hall to find Gunnar seated near the hearth. Saga kissed his cheek, joined her sister, and disappeared into their chambers. He would not see her until she was to be his.
Gunnar passed him a horn and patted the seat beside him. “It will be less enjoyable here without those two. You must promise me you will return with them often.”
“We are but a short boat-ride away, Gunnar. I would like you to visit us too.”
Gunnar downed the drink in his horn and reached his hand out for Aslaug to fill it again.
“Tonight you will see a true Norse celebration. It is not every day one of our best women marries.” Then clapping him on the back and rising, Gunnar said, “Get some sleep for you will get none this night.”
Giric looked out at the sky. It was close to twilight. Exactly when was he supposed to sleep? Shaking his head he headed back to the ship and to collect Osgar. Forget sleep, he could rest when he was home. He did not want to miss one moment of this evening.
Chapter Ten
Picking at an unravelling thread on her tunic, Saga sat on a chair while Vigdis untied and removed the leather-braided kransen from around her head. Vigdis passed it to Saga and brushed her hair. Saga held it and smiled. This tiny piece of leather signified all her maidenly years up to now. Tomorrow she would don the wedding crown Freydis now fashioned in the corner of the room near the best light.
The ceremony was to take place the next day and she was not permitted to see Giric anymore until then. Tonight the men would feast in the hall, and she was unlikely to get much sleep from the noise, not that she was likely to get any regardless. Thoughts of Giric becoming her husband the following day filled her with an excitement she’d never felt before.
“Must you keep grinning like that,” Vigdis said. “You look like you’ve gone mad in the head.”
“I cannot help it,” Saga said.
“I think it is wonderful,” Freydis said. “You have found someone you can learn to love in time and that’s rare under any circumstances, much less with a stranger.”
