Destiny Enslaved (editing)

part 61

Vikings part 61


‘’What have you done, witch?’’ He asked again.
But I remained silent as he rose from the bench. His head hung as he turned to look at me. A grim reflection of his father’s mannerisms. He was so much like Ragnar, yet his troubled eyes lacked his father’s playfulness. Even dead Ragnar had a zeal to his nature.
But the man in front of me was lacking. Lacking something I had also lost- until he saved me; he had no hope. And it tore at my heart to see it.
I stood with a stony demeanour - I couldn’t let this destroy me- too much made no sense…
“What do you want me to say Bjorn?” my voice as cold as the air; I wasn’t sure he heard me at first. But then he rushed towards me; his face flushed with heat. I stood my ground as he approached. my eyes flickered to the floor to see the growing light coming from the still open door- at least I had an escape.
Bjorn came to stand toe to toe with me, his burning gaze from above almost biblical.
‘’you- you will cost me everything.’’ His voice was restrained- eerily calm- as he continued ‘’ I thought to purge you from my body with Torvi’s love but – there is a storm in my blood that will not be quelled - I am a ship about to wreck on the rocks…’’
‘’why am I here Bjorn?’’ I remained stoic in my expression. But I could not deny the attraction I had felt for Bjorn – was it just lust ? no… there was more than that… I wouldn’t disrespect us by putting it all down to the rush of freedom.
But was that spark enough to carry us through tough times? From what Bjorn had shown me so far, I did not believe he would stand by me...
His face softened and his raised arms slowly encroached for him to gently grasp my shoulders.
‘’Magda has brought you here- to me- because I have bought her oath from Finehair…’’ he spoke low and deep as his lips came to graze the top of my head. ‘’I give her oath to you- she will have no allegiances other than those to you and yours.’’
His hot breath tingled along my scalp as he inhaled deeply.
‘’that is how I came to be here Bjorn not why.’’ I stepped back gliding away from Bjorn’s chest to feel the cool breeze at my back.
‘’the shieldmaidens who have flocked to you- I have freed them of their oaths- all may now be wholly yours.’’ He spoke still looking down into the space where I had been.
‘’Bjorn,’’ he looked up then his eyes darker than before.
‘’I will provide for you - a great hall with servants- gold and furs- you will be a queen.’’ He approached slowly.
A tremor inside told me to stand my ground.
‘’Bjorn. What. Do . you. Want?’’ I enunciated each word- I was tired of puzzles.
His eyes bulged as his nostrils flared suddenly rushing to embrace my chest like a bear ‘’isn’t it obvious?!- it’s you- I want you by my side.’’ With that, his lips clashed with mine; feverish and rough. His embrace was familiar but painful. Especially when a pair of lazuline eyes flashed into my mind.
‘’no’’ I grunted as I shoved Bjorn back. He looked at me scornfully. I had had enough of his judgement.
‘’you didn’t want me the other day – in fact you made it very clear that your mother and your wife took station above me.’’ I almost hissed the words trying to keep from alerting Magda – I didn’t need her getting in the way.
''I didn’t want to be seen as weak- I need to lead these people now that Ragnar is dead. We will be forming a great army…’’ he turned away seeming so burdened by what only he knew.
‘’you’ll have need of my powers – is that why you have come back to me? - am I to fall for this scheme of yours now or do you want me to pretend I know nothing of the world for a while?’’
‘’That’s not what I am saying’’
‘’Either way its not what you should be saying- you have a wife and children who have been waiting for you. And you let me think you cared for me - what a fool I am-‘’
‘’No-’’
‘’Yes!- you have saved me from death in one hell to let me find it alone in another.’’
‘’Stop- I didn’t come here to fight-‘’ he stepped away but I was on his heels the fire inside spurring me on.
‘’Then what exactly did you come here to say Bjorn?’’
‘’I want you to be my wife’’. He almost stunned me with that statement but the image of his doting wife came to mind.
‘You already have one Bjorn- ‘’
‘’I want you to be my second wife- you and Torvi would be equal in my household.’’ He was suddenly smiling coming to face me and grasp my hands. He thought he had solved the whole problem between us.
‘’I don’t know what to say’’ I was honest at least. I had no idea how he thought I would react. Punching him was first to mind. But then my mind began seeing the image of Bjorn and I with a family of our own… I stifled the dry laughter that rose in revolt to the idyllic scene.
‘’Say nothing’’ Bjorn said still holding my hands as he inched closer to me ‘’ - just promise me you’ll come to the feast tonight- come and see what your life will be like- here with me -answer me tomorrow …’’
Nothing more was said before he moved past me towards the door; his aura was lightened by his delusions it seemed. 
A few minutes of being frozen in a state of disbelief bordering on hysteria- all the tumultuous thoughts that crashed through my overwhelmed mind passed in silence. I stared at the worn but littered floor of this abandoned family home…
Was it worth it in the end? To leave a settled life for ambitions turmoil?
I would have to ask Ragnar next time…
Eventually I slowly plodded to the front gate where Magda waited dutifully. She did not turn to face me as I came to her side. I could understand.
‘’I hope this will suffice as proof of my trust in you Magda.’’ She uncoiled visibly beside me. ‘’so, I feel I can promise you this ; if you lead me into an ambush again- even if from a supposed ally- I will break your nose.’
My words sent a jolt of surprise through Magda and she was left frozen in her thoughts as I marched back up the beach.

I returned to the cottage in time to pretend I had simply been for a walk. The shieldmaidens accepted this once Magda had joined us and faked an apology for being held up in conversation. Still, though I showed Magda the same civility as I did the other women who had ‘flocked to me’; a look of uncertainty had tainted everyone’s expression as they looked from Magda to me. The only one who was either unaware of this new element in our dynamic or simply didn’t care was Tori. He had been watching from the corner with his eagle like eyes until he pushed off to meet me on my journey to the bedroom.
‘’you have been gone a while, my lady.’’ He stated easily though I knew it was loaded with intrigue. When I continued on my way in silence Tori simply followed in the same fashion. Upon reaching the curtain that shielded the master bedroom from sight I turned on my heel to confront my man sized shadow.
‘’what is it that you need from me tori?’’ i was curt and cold but it did not change the blank expression on his face.
Then, staring into my eyes earnestly he replied ‘’I don’t want anything from you my lady- I wish to be of service....’’ he glanced around the hallway to make sure we were alone before continuing. ‘’I can be your eyes and ears- Bjorn trusts me... or at least he sees me as no threat to him.’’ Tori chuffed with a smirk.
This proposal gave me pause. In which I was thrown back to memories of growing up in a palace full of conspiracy and deceit... I must have shown my displeasure in some way prompting tori to explain further.
‘’ Bjorn has already asked for my services, my lady.’’
‘’in what way?’’ i asked with some astonishment. At both Bjorn’s request and tori's exposition of it.
‘’as i have offered to you, ‘’he leaned against one of the great wood posts. He appeared to ease into the wood and lost his guarded demeanour. ‘’he wants me to be his spy- he said that in return i would be made a drotten in England...’’ tori looked down almost scoring the floor with his harsh stare.  ‘’i accepted his offer, my lady.’’
Then his head whipped to face me his ebony and amber eyes lockig with mine as he stood upright before me. He was a little taller than me- perhaps it was therefore natural for my stomach to flip like a ship in a storm.... not that i understood why i suddenly had this... unease.
‘’i accepted because I knew if i did not then another would.’’ Tori stated this and I knew it to be true... it was practical of Bjorn to keep eyes on his ‘property'...
A sneer jump to my lips at the idea of Bjorn believing he owned me. I no longer had a master ordained by the emperor... I knew better now And I wasn’t about to let that bear of a man claim me in anyway. I had my own path to follow- gods be damned!
‘’my lady, i need to know if i have your blessing in this.’’ tori's stern voice alone would have exuded confidence. However when i looked again to his eyes they were tainted by fear...
we know this look...  the fichfich had slithered in through the cracks of my armour as i tried to remember when i had seen that earnest fear and false bravado staring at me before... he  will join us... another soul to take... another victim to your fate.
I raised my chin as I answered boldly. ‘’do as you must, Tori... i will trust you.’’ As I said the words I knew that they were logical- tori had not been obliged to tell me of Bjorn’s request and yet he did. He did so based on his own conscience despite what i had done to fell...
I had no evidence to not trust him... still an unease gripped my stomach as i felt the voices tapping on my conscious trying to get back into my mind. And a cutting realisation came to me; it would always be this way...
‘’thank you, my lady’’ tori spoke through his barely restrained crooked grin before he bowed and turned on his heel to go about his business.
‘’tori’’ the boy paused to turn back unsure, ‘’be careful.’’ Was all i said. As I turned away glimpsed the grin widening on his young face.
I heard his light footfalls bounce away like a happy pup...
I didn’t know if what i had done was right – but it appeared the lessons I learned in the palace wold be necessary to apply in this new world- we may have seen them as savages but even wolves play games...

Hello I hope you are all well and wish you a peaceful end to 2023
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