Viking's Love (64 page)

“
It is what he wanted, Joran! I
couldn’t send you away in such a state. I won’t lose you. Do not
let him win this day with giving any more thought to it! It is
over!”

Joran shuddered and felt her hand upon his
shoulder, and turned and caught her to him, closing his eyes as he
buried his face in her hair. She held him until he ceased to
tremble and he looked down at her without shame as he felt her wipe
at his tears.

“
We will put this aside. I would live,
Joran! They have lost! Ulsted and Wulfstan no longer hold any
threat against us.”

Joran looked down at her and thought the Gods
gifted him with too fine of a wife than he deserved. He had no
right to have such a woman love him. She had become the air he
breathed. He vowed to protect her after Ulsted. He felt the pain of
his own failure as he met her gaze.

“
You have borne much to say those
words, Wife,” he said quietly, drawing strength from her emphatic
statement. “I ask you forgive me. Had I been here where I belonged,
this would not have happened to you!”

“
Had you been here, he would have
stabbed you in the back, and you would have been dead!” she shouted
and glared up at him. “You are here now! We will live, and we will
forget this day! There is nothing to forgive! You could have done
nothing! I do not blame anyone but the one who did this! Wulfstan
is dead. Speak no more of blame. You do us both a dishonor by even
thinking of it!”

Joran grabbed her and held her tightly, and
they stood thusly for some time before he raised his head to look
at her. She smiled through her tears and linked her arm in his as
she drew him back to their home. He followed with a heavy heart,
though considerably lightened at her encouraging demeanor. They
would forget this day.

He refused to give any more thought to his
failings in the past. He looked ahead to the future, and knew with
her at his side they could face anything together.

Allisande gave another irritated look at the
children who ran about the hall playing, and forced herself to not
snipe at them as they chased one another. She balanced her six
month old daughter in her arms, and smiled down at the sleeping
child.

She was the only child they actually named
after longer contemplation than her other siblings. Star Ivarsson
was born on the longest night of the year. A whole series of
shooting stars lit up the sky as she was delivered.

Despite the discomfort of the pregnancy, she
was by far her most delightful child. Joran warned her she was
showing favoritism, but she couldn’t help it, for she was
determined to have no more children.

Her three adopted sons were thriving under
Joran’s guidance. Talon, Grogan’s oldest, showed the promise of
being as fine a warrior as his sire. Cassia, Joran’s young sister,
and Ewan, Rowan’s eldest son, were still inseparable and were often
into mischief. Wynde and Raine were now walking and talking, and
fleeing the temper tantrums of their elder brother, Storm, who
tyrannized them all with his constant bellowing and ordering them
about.

With eight children to care for, Allisande
had little time to dwell upon anything at all these days. She was
looking forward to the visit now being planned to take Meghera home
to Lockwraithe. She was seventeen and bristling to be a wife. Years
passed quickly when one was happy.

Joran still held hope Meghera would meet one
of her own kind. The mysterious Lord Fallon of Rivenhahl
corresponded with Joran regularly through the merchant ships coming
in and out of Oslo, desiring to meet Meghera before they took her
to Lockwraithe. The stopover in York was excused to shop for the
trappings for Meghera’s wedding gown. Joran meant for her to meet
with Fallon.

Allisande stayed out of it for once. She
deferred to Joran’s wisdom Meghera needed to be with one of her
own. She grew to be just as disgusted with Collin as her husband
was. In almost five years, they’d not seen or heard from him since
he left his child bride in their care.

The years changed much, though Meghera was
still unwavering in her feelings for her husband. She grew to great
beauty, and power, though she hid it well now. She was determined
to be a perfect wife to Collin.

Joran thought she was headed for heartache
should she insist on trying to live as a human. He’d worked with
Meghera for years to cultivate her gift, delighted when each and
every discovery of what she could do was realized.

Lady Edwina was insistent Allisande bring all
the children when they came for the wedding. Collin and Meghera
would remarry when they returned to Lockwraithe six months hence.
The girl was eager to return to her husband; sure he would see her
as a woman and not a little girl now.

Terek was sullen as the day grew nearer, for
he adored Meghera and all could see he that he struggled with her
going back to England the most. The two shared a bond every since
she nursed him back to health. Terek would gladly die for Meghera.
She believed him a trusted friend, not seeing the love in his
gaze.

They lost Oram that winter. The old man was
given a funeral pyre the likes of which even Ivar would envy. Now
that the Vikings ceased to raid, most settled down in domestic
bliss. Harrick took Thora to wife. Joran freed her so they could
wed.

Merta married one of the heads of the
tribunal. The man was said to be so hen-pecked, he avoided his
longhouse altogether.

Ivar was thought dead by all, said to have
drowned while swimming the Irish channel to escape his pursuers in
Ireland. Joran grieved in his own way until the courier bird
arrived many months later.

His father and Leonie escaped Dublin after he
staged his own death. He wanted no more war where he went, and
wished them both well. He made no apologies to any, saying his
vengeance was behind him.

Allisande knew Joran was relieved to know his
father survived and sought a new life. He couldn’t have left the
conflicts sprouting up everywhere any other way. His brothers, Ubbe
and Halfdon, would never allow him to live peacefully. His enemies
would never let him retreat.

They were given Ivar’s residence in Oslo
since his father never intended to return, complements of Joran’s
uncle, Halfdon. It was now their home when they went into the
city.

Terek found Greta in a brothel in Oslo. She
denied any knowledge of Wulfstan’s deeds and the whereabouts of
Eric and Murdoch. The Danes were rumored to be in Denmark where the
fighting was. The woman claimed to know nothing of the killing of
all of Ivar’s serfs. When Joran went there to question her himself,
she disappeared.

The war for Rowan’s crown raged on. His army
was cutting a wide path through Denmark. Hedeby was a hotbed for
dissent among King Harald’s nobles, who all recognized Rowan was
Queen Grunhilde’s only living son and supported his bid for the
crown.

Rowan came back only once in the last five
years, to marry his lady and make her his queen. The wedding was as
festive as it was secretive. Even Ambryn had no idea what was
happening until Joran arrived at her cottage to collect her at
midnight. He officiated the ceremony that married them.

The unofficial Queen of Denmark remained
hidden among them, worries Harald would send assassins after them a
constant concern to Rowan. Ambryn was content knowing Rowan would
come back one day, a king or merely a husband, she didn’t care.

Ambryn’s son, Heath, was born during his
father’s absence. The boy was nearly four and still no word of when
Rowan would return for them. Ambryn didn’t give up hope. She took
in Ewan and the boy lived with her and her son in Grogan’s old
cottage.

A courier bird arrived often from Rowan to
alleviate his lady’s worries. The last message assured her the
conflict would end very soon. Ambryn was devoted to Rowan and
waited for him, refusing to give up hope he would win his crown and
come back for her and their sons.

Allisande was forced out of her revelry. A
crash resulted from the children’s antics. Her pitcher of flowers
fell from a nearby table. With the wolf barking and the children
screaming, she had to force herself to not become irritated.

“
Go ahead and get it over with, Wife.
You know you cannot hold your tongue for long,” Joran teased when
he arrived to see her fierce frown.

“
They are impossible children!”
Allisande bristled under Joran’s twinkling gaze. “I am heartily
glad we have decided to make no more of them! I should go mad from
all this noise!”

“
Who said we would make no more?” Joran
gave her a mocking look. “I but said we would wait for a time, my
ornery little wench. Such matters are not for you to decide, but
for your Chieftain.”

“
I remember the conversation far
differently, Viking!” Allisande glared at him, her violet eyes
narrowing. “There will be no more child-making, do you hear? You
will have to show more control over your rampant lust! I am running
out of patience, and we’re running out of rooms once
again!”

Joran chuckled delightedly, and decided he
wouldn’t point out how irritable his wife was of late. He estimated
their child would be born in winter this time, unlike the other
four, who had all been born in the summer months.

Allisande was scowling as he tickled her ear.
She slapped his hand away. He decided the plans for a new addition
to their longhouse couldn’t wait. She was right. They were running
out of room once more. She rose and put his sleeping daughter down
near the fire.

“
I mean what I say, Viking!” Allisande
said with a warning look he adored. “There will be no more
child-making in this house, with this woman, or I shall burn off
your man parts, as Meghera would say!”

Joran rose and smiled down at her in such a
way that made her glower at his knowing look. She rolled her eyes
as she realized the obvious reasons for her unruly temper of
late.

“
I mean it, Joran! This is the last
one, do you hear? Where do you go? Why are you laughing at me? Damn
you! Don’t you walk away from me! I swear I will put you from my
bed this very day, do you hear me, Viking?” She shouted as she rose
and watched his retreating back until he got to the stairs and
turned to wink at her.

“
Everyone can hear you!” Joran called
in amusement, and she stiffened as she spied all the serfs craning
their necks out of the kitchens to listen to them arguing with
delight. “Do not make promises you can’t keep!”

Allisande gave the serfs a ferocious glare
that sent them fleeing into the kitchens as she followed her
handsome husband at a dead run. She chuckled as she reached the
door to their chamber. He held the door open, a look of such love
in his eyes she felt warmed as she shut the door behind them. She
smiled as he stripped down and climbed upon their furs, smiling in
such a wicked, inviting way, she could refuse him nothing.

“
I predict we have enough time to
settle this argument before the children are aware of our absence,
Wife.” Joran’s blue eyes flared with desire as his wife’s garments
hit the floor, tracing every lush curve of her body.

“
What argument was that, Viking? You
run away to our room before any are ever finished!”

“
There was the one where you refused to
be a vessel of my lust any longer,” Joran reminded her and chuckled
heartily as she stalked purposefully to the bed. “Or no, it was the
one where you said you were done satisfying my errant desires and
wanted a reprieve. Or no, mayhap—”

“
I don’t recall ever saying anything of
a sort,” Allisande said as she dove upon the furs, chuckling as he
tickled her and rolled her beneath him.

“
Your memory is afflicted conveniently,
Wife.” Joran grinned as he rolled her beneath him. “I clearly
recall you saying I needed to get my rampant lust under control and
quit giving you children.”

Allisande smiled as her hands caressed his
rugged face, dimpling under his accusing stare. “It’s too late for
that now, Viking. It appears we have one more on the way. I was but
warning you of next time. It appears we need to show more restraint
after this one is born.”

Joran chuckled and gazed down at his wife
with love glowing in his gaze. “Now do you see why I run up here to
avoid fighting with you, Wife?”

Allisande smiled and held him tightly, violet
eyes filled with desire. “That’s not the reason why you run up
here, Viking. You fool no one. Why do you think I join you?”

The End