Viking's Love (31 page)

“
You have thought of everything it
seems, but what of the ransom?” Allisande laughed bitterly. “Surely
your son will be angered to know he is denied the silver you asked
for me?”

“
Joran has enough wealth to do without
the ransom. I have decided your price is too high, Allisande of
Lockwraithe. You go home before more blood is spilled here,” Ivar
said harshly.

“
I am happy to go. When do we leave
here?”

Ivar’s eyes glittered when he informed her
she would leave when the tribunal sat in a closed meeting that
evening. Joran would be distracted. It would give Rowan hours to
get her away before it was learned she was gone.

Joran would not go after her if he thought
she left with the Viking on her own. Allisande nodded and was told
to be ready to leave once the tribunal was seated. She rose and
eyed the grandfather of her unborn child with a cold look as she
left him. She’d not thank him for giving her back her freedom. She
was determined to go with Rowan. If she left any other way, she
would have to worry about Joran coming to reclaim her.

Allisande bit her lip as she made her way up
the stairs. She didn’t want to think about how she would have to
pay for her passage home, filled with shame she would have to allow
Rowan the use of her body.

Joran would hate her when he learned of it.
Seeing the tender look in his eyes of late made her flinch as she
bundled up her clothing and hid her stashed supplies under the bed.
She stole her sword back from the armory weeks before.

She rose and sat in front of the fire when
she considered Ivar’s plan. Why would he go to such lengths to be
rid of her instead of waiting until spring to gain a fortune in
silver? It made no sense from what she knew of the greedy
Viking.

Ivar had his own agenda as he often did, she
realized, and could only reason he saw that his son cared for her,
and wanted to nip it in the bud. The selfishness of his actions
made her feel angry for Joran. Ivar manipulated everyone around him
to achieve his own ends. It was obvious he saw her as some sort of
obstacle.

She sighed and was brought out of her
thoughts when the door opened. Joran stepped into the room. He
smiled at her with such affection; she was momentarily at odds with
her decision to leave with Rowan that night.

“
Why are you hiding up here? The
festivities before the tribunal sits can be very enjoyable.” He
smiled down at her as her lips curved into an inviting smile. Her
hand reached up to pull at the ties to his tunic.

“
We have our own festivities here to
enjoy, Joran,” Allisande whispered huskily and saw the way his gaze
darkened at her words. She rose and removed her gown while he
watched her avidly.

She came into his arms. He gave little
thought to his guests as he bore her down to his furs, sighing as
she kissed and touched him until he was throbbing with desire.

Their lovemaking was slow and intense. She
seemed even more frantic to prolong it as she rolled over on top of
him and rolled upon him slowly.

He groaned in delight as she rode him. He was
gripping her hips and arching upward. She threw back her head and
her hair blanketed his thighs as she drove down upon him, crying
out as she brought them both to a frenzied climax.

Allisande collapsed upon his chest and
breathed raggedly as he held her tightly, his eyes shining with
something she couldn’t decipher as he rolled her over and trapped
her beneath his big body. Allisande wanted to weep as he brought
her to passion again and held him tightly to her as they lay fused
together for a long time.

He kissed her lingeringly, touching her
reverently as he held her. She wanted to weep for what she was
giving up by leaving him. A lump formed in her throat that she
would never see him again. She held him tightly, her eyes closed in
anguish.

Joran’s blue eyes were soft and regretful as
he got up to dress for the tribunal. He gazed down at her as he
dressed. She basked in his warm look and wondered if it was enough
to sustain her forever. He left her to lay among the furs
alone.

Allisande wept as she rose to wash herself in
the cool bathwater that remained in the tub, shivering in despair
for what she was about to do, and redressed with little haste.

She lingered in his room, looking around to
memorize every detail of it. She opened the chest and withdrew one
of his shirts and placed it within her bundle. It smelled of him
and it would give her comfort when she was alone and banished to
bear their child in shame.

Allisande returned to the hall and saw Rowan
immediately. He was playing dice near the fire with his men. The
mocking grin he sent her made her cringe. He no doubt thought she
would eagerly accommodate him on their journey to her home. She
would waste little time in informing him she preferred Joran to
him, and to keep his hands to himself.

Rowan didn’t try to approach her as the hall
filled up with all of their neighboring Chieftains and jarls.
Allisande had been told to stay out of the hall if Wulfstan
arrived, and lingered near the door at the kitchens to watch the
guests arrive. Mira appeared looking quiet and pale.

The blonde met her gaze and smiled sadly.
“You have heard my news?” She watched Ivar bound over to greet the
newest arrivals. “Joran will have another sibling come summer.”

“
You are not happy about it?”
Allisande’s heart ached for the serf as her lips trembled and she
met her gaze with false bravado.

“
He claims it is not his, but Rowan’s,”
Mira’s blue eyes filled with tears as they met hers. “I have lain
with no one but Ivar since he arrived. He wants no more bastards,
he said.”

“
It is your child.” Allisande patted
her hand in comfort. “You are lucky he seeks not to claim your
child. I do not see that having a father like him does more than
breed hate and discord.”

“
You do not know him as I do!” Mira
covered her mouth, eyes bright with tears. “He is very different
from what you think of him. He says he is too old for me and that I
need a younger man. He is kind to me.”

Allisande only saw that Ivar was unwilling to
take responsibility for his own benefit, but said nothing as the
girl at her side bristled with his recent abandonment. “You are
better off, but you do not see it yet,” Allisande said moodily and
glanced at her sharply when she saw the bleak look in her gaze.
“You will do nothing to harm yourself or the babe?”

“
No, I couldn’t do it,” Mira admitted
and looked pitiful for admitting it. “It is not easy to end a life
growing inside of you. I went to Elwynn and she refused to help me
and said I must take responsibility if Ivar will not.”

“
That is good,” Allisande said sharply.
“She is right.”

“
Let us hope you never have to feel as
I do, Allisande.” Mira squeezed her hand before she slid out into
the hall. Allisande bit her lip as she watched the girl move
amongst the Vikings and looked away. She already knew how Mira
felt.

Allisande saw little of Joran before the
tribunal prepared to sit. The hall would be emptied as the
proceeding was only to include Chieftains and jarls from the area.
Their concerns or grievances that needed to be addressed by the
tribunal would be heard and argued.

The seven men who sat upon the tribunal did
not appear to be warriors. She giggled as she saw they appeared
much smaller and weaker than the men they presided over.

Rowan sent her a sharp look as he gestured
for her to join him at the door of the hall.

“
I will be ready to sail in less than
an hour.” His green eyes met hers meaningfully. “If you are not
there on the dock, I will leave, Allisande. I have no quarrel with
Joran. Ivar sees you as a threat, and pays me a great deal to see
that you are delivered home, far more than the ransom he would have
fetched for you in the spring.”

Allisande was surprised to learn this,
thinking she was supposed to be his payment. Ivar had lied to her,
making her think she had to earn her way home on her back. She
appreciated the Viking telling her this. She nodded and disappeared
upstairs to collect her belongings. She took one last look at the
room and closed the door quietly behind her.

Getting out of the hall proved to be easy as
most were not paying her any attention as she slid out the doors
and made for the docks, her bundle held by her one good arm. Rowan
helped her aboard, and showed her into the canvas enclosure he had
erected for sleeping and left her as they slid from the dock and
paddled backward to move the long ship from its berth.

Allisande was tired and sat upon the pile of
furs that was her bed, too saddened by the way she left to move.
The current made it far easier to get through the channel and
Allisande suspected they had been away for an hour when she felt
the regret at taking Ivar up on his offer. Too late, she realized
she was better off staying.

At least here her child was the son or
daughter of a Chieftain. At Lockwraithe she would draw nothing but
scorn. When she thought of the long, lonely years ahead of her she
bit back a sob.

“
We can turn around if you have changed
your mind?” Rowan said in an odd tone, and she turned to look at
him as he entered the enclosure.

“
No, I will be no man’s slave.”
Allisande wiped at her tears with the back of her arm, crying in
earnest. “There is nothing for me here but more pain. I want to go
home, please pay no mind to me. I am but happy to be leaving
finally.” His look said he clearly did not believe her, and
returned to take the first post to guide them out of the narrow,
rocky fjord.

Allisande woke to the rocking motion of the
ship beneath her and snuggled closer to the warmth at her side,
shocked to find herself pressed up against Rowan’s naked back. Her
eyes filled with first shock and then anger as she sat up quickly,
moonlight outlining his nude, sleeping form next to her. She eased
herself away from him slowly.

“
Lay down, you have no reason to fear
me,” Rowan said over his shoulder. “It is only sleep I
need.”

“
Take it elsewhere, Viking, for you are
too close for comfort!” Allisande grabbed a fur blanket up in front
of her in the transparent under dress she wore. “You cannot
possibly sleep here.”

Rowan smiled and opened one eye, and felt his
cock stir at her words, wanting to laugh outrageously at how that
sounded coming from her. She had no idea how hard it was to sleep
at all lying next to her.

The vision of her in his arms made him throb
painfully. He rolled over and gazed at her in the darkness, seeing
her lush outline in the moonlight. Seeing her brooding over the
sleeping matter irritated him. She was kicking him out of the bed,
her look said. Rowan had never been kicked out of a woman’s bed
before, and he wasn’t to start now.

“
You need not worry of it, Sweetface. I
will not force myself on you. We both know it is not me that you
want.” Rowan’s green eyes met hers knowingly, confusing her for a
moment. He knew she had more feelings for Joran than she would
admit. He rolled to his side and gave her his back determined to
ignore the lust in him. She was lying to herself about not caring
for Joran. He would not seek a death challenge when the Berserker
came after her, and he would.

Rowan took his sleep and ignored her. She was
left with the prospect of sleeping upon the mat with him, or lying
on the planks. The pain in her heart grew when she thought of how
Joran would hate her when his father told him all. Sleep was slow
in coming.

Rowan glared as the sails were unfurled and
glowered over the water. He felt like a villain in an epic romance,
spiriting the girl away under such circumstances. It was her choice
to make, and she was adamant to go home. She was moody in the days
that followed their departure, and all she did was cry over
Joran.

He knew Joran would confront him, and there
would be an ugly scene upon his return. He would be seen even
blacker than he already was. Ivar would spread tales of him lying
with Joran’s beautiful slave to destroy his feelings for her, he
knew. He grimaced for he had no wish to add further enmity between
himself and Ivar’s son.

Aelynn had come to him when Theron cast her
aside. He had taken what she offered. He had never spoken of it.
She had spread the tale, hoping to enrage her husband. He lived
with that regret now, knowing the possibility he might have
impregnated Joran’s wife that summer he stayed at the longhouse
while Joran was off raiding.

He could only assume Ivar had seen Aelynn as
a threat between himself and his son. Rowan wasn’t proud of his
part in it. Ivar asked him to seduce Joran’s wife. He was a young
man then and cocky, and full of his own prowess.

There were very few who were aware of what
truly happened to Aelynn during Joran’s absence. His lips tightened
when he remembered hearing how Ivar taunted Joran’s wife with his
son’s sexual exploits while they were raiding.

Aelynn grew to despise Joran, and became free
with her favors to wound him in return. Ivar’s son Theron became
her lover. He worried the matter would get back to Joran and pushed
Aelynn aside. Ivar denied her claims of telling her about Joran’s
alleged conquests during the raids. Joran spurned his wife when it
was discovered she carried another man’s child. Rowan knew who
possibly fathered her child, for it could have been his. He counted
the damning months since he had lain with her last, but remained
silent.

It wasn’t his place to come between a husband
and a wife. It wasn’t long after her death during childbirth that
Joran joined his father’s army. Ivar had his wish seen to
fruition.