The Last Princess, page 14
‘Preparations are going well, girl,’ called Solveig as she leapt from the nearest longboat and approached. ‘You have a fine army at your command.’
I smiled at my friend, who refused to treat me any differently even though she now knew my true identity. Some of the Vikings didn’t know how to approach me since I’d stood in front of them in the great hall. It was going to take time and patience to reassure them that I was still the warrior slave girl they fought beside against Ozur’s men. I’d taken the fine dress off as soon as I could and now wore my shield-maiden outfit as I walked around Hedeby. Looking like a Saxon princess wouldn’t win me any favours here.
I studied Solveig as she walked toward me. She wore her hair loose, her face free of her trademark black paint. Since Baldred had emerged from my barn washed and dressed in Viking attire, Solveig had been smitten. Although she would never admit her feelings, I saw how she watched him, and I noticed the subtle changes in her—the lack of war paint being one.
‘You look lovely today, Solveig,’ I teased. She hated me mentioning her appearance in any way other than to tell her how fearsome she looked ahead of battle.
She snarled at me. ‘Where are your fine jewels today, my lady? Left them with your servants?’
I laughed and embraced her. Never had I felt such a connection to a person. Edmund had been an incredible mentor to me, but I was nothing more than a child when in his care. The bonds of friendship were unknown to me, as the royal court remained cut off from the real people beyond the fortress walls. Baldred had only bonded with me due to the horrific circumstances we found ourselves in at that time. I often wondered if our paths would have crossed had our husband-grabbing mission succeeded. He would have been just another soldier, just another face in a long line of guards assigned to protect and serve the Crown.
It was hard to think about how different my life was now compared to then. I’d survived so much and suffered at the hands of cruel men, but in the end, this had made me stronger—mentally and physically. My mother would have rolled her eyes in horror if she could have seen me standing beside a fierce shield-maiden, both of us dressed in trousers and tunics with swords at our hips, but I also hoped that once she recovered from the shock of my appearance, she would have been mightily proud of the strong woman I’d become.
‘Is everything set for tomorrow?’
I took a deep breath and gazed out over the water. The next day was Frigga’s Day, the sacred day for the goddess of marriage, and I would marry Leif in a Viking wedding ceremony that was to be the talk of the lands. Allies of Jarl Aaric had already started to arrive by land and water, eager to see the union between Viking and Saxon.
‘Ingrid has everything under control,’ I told her. ‘I’m to meet her in the bathhouse shortly, and I hoped that you would join me.’
‘You want me to be one of your bridal party?’ The shock on Solveig’s face made me giggle.
‘Of course I do. You are my most loyal friend, and besides, I’m not sure I can do this without you by my side.’
‘I thought you wanted to marry Leif,’ she said.
‘I do. I’m just nervous about the ceremony. I might look like a shield-maiden, but in all honesty, I’m terrified. I’ve only ever seen Christian weddings, so I’ve got no idea what to expect.’
Solveig linked her arm in mine and turned us away from the harbour, heading back into Hedeby.
‘There’s nothing to worry about, girl. I’m sure your Christian priests used blood sacrifices all the time back in England—oh, and then there’s the part where you have to strip naked in the great hall and chase a goat. Only then will the jarl let you marry his son.’
She laughed at my horrified expression. It was for this reason I knew I needed her by me throughout the ceremony. If anyone could make light of the proceedings, it would be Solveig.
‘If I see a single goat, I’m running,’ I said with a chuckle.
We made our way toward the centre of Hedeby at a relaxed pace. The speed with which everything was happening made my head spin most days, and I wanted to savour a few moments of tranquillity. I loved the way the small houses crowded together in this part of town, and how each street led down to the harbour. It made walking through the settlement simple, which was something I’d also loved about Bamburgh. You couldn’t get lost once you’d deciphered the layout.
The bathhouse was a small hut located behind the great hall with a single door and a vast amount of straw on the floor. There were two large circular wooden basins big enough to fit a single person. Both were full of water, but steam rose from the basin on my right. Ingrid was waiting for us and burst into a flurry of activity as soon as we entered the room.
‘The bathing is an important part of the ceremony, Edith,’ she told me, stripping off my furs as she went. ‘You must shed your clothes and status of a maiden and then wash away your old life. This will purify you so you are ready to enter your new life.’
I liked the sound of that—rinsing away all the heartache, horror, and deceit from my former life and emerging as a new Edith, a strong, fierce Edith.
With Ingrid and Solveig’s help, I shed my shield-maiden clothes until I stood naked in the small room. I stepped into the steaming basin and sank below the water, submerging my head and letting the liquid wash over me. The warm water was glorious against my skin, and as my face broke through the surface, I felt lighter than I had in a long time. One of the maids ladled two large stones out of the fire that blazed in the corner of the room and dropped them into my bathwater. The heat radiated through the basin and melted away all of the tension in my body.
‘I’ll have new clothes brought in for you,’ Ingrid said as she handed me a bar of soap. ‘You’ll have a fresh shield-maiden outfit to represent your new life, and I’ve also sent for a dress you can wear tomorrow. Everything is in place.’
‘Thank you, my lady. I’m not sure I could have arranged everything so well if it had been left to me, and I certainly don’t want to offend anyone by slipping into Christian ways.’
Solveig giggled, and Ingrid threw her a sharp look.
‘It will be perfect in every way,’ she said, turning back to look at me. ‘You will sleep in the great hall this evening, and we will help you prepare in the morning.’
I sank back into the water and sighed, thinking about my mother, father, and sisters and how much they would have loved to be a part of my wedding. We’d set out on a husband-grabbing mission many moons ago, and here I was on the eve of my nuptials to the perfect husband. I’d just had to sail across an ocean to find him.
‘Time to move to the next basin, Edith. You’ve washed away your journey as a maiden, and now you must plunge in the cold water to end the cleansing process.’
I stepped out of the warm water and shuffled across the straw, dropping into the second basin, which had been filled to the brim with icy water. The temperature took my breath away, and as the cold enveloped me, I hoped this was a quick ceremony.
Before I lost the feeling in all my extremities, Ingrid ushered me out of the water and covered me in a blanket. Her maid combed my hair as I tried to stop my teeth from chattering.
Changing into the new woollen trousers and tunic that represented my transition from maiden to wife was surreal. When I was a young girl in Bamburgh, I’d placed far too much attention on the dresses, shoes, and accessories I wore. I’d bicker over a dress with my sisters and squabble over a bracelet, but in reality, the clothes we wore didn’t matter. It was the heart and soul of who wore them that counted. I’d survived plenty of heartache along this journey, but it had taught me the most valuable lessons, and for that I was grateful.
‘I need to take your old clothes, Edith, and anything that represents your old life.’ Ingrid picked up my old shield-maiden outfit and the servant’s dress I’d brought with me at her request, and with it my mother’s amulet and bracelet.
‘No! Please, you can’t take them.’ I snatched for the jewellery and Ingrid squealed in fright at the vehemence in my voice. ‘They’re all I have left of my mother.’
Ingrid’s face softened at my words, but she kept hold of the jewellery.
‘You can’t have anything from your old life, Edith; however, I will keep them safe for you, and perhaps you could hand them to your own daughter one day.’
My heart ached as she left the room, taking my precious memories with her, but as Ingrid was the lady of Hedeby, I was powerless to challenge her. The wedding was a Viking ceremony, and I couldn’t risk alienating anyone in advance of us sailing for England.
Solveig slipped her arm through mine and supported me as we walked to the great hall. She didn’t need to say anything, and I didn’t need to answer. Solveig understood what the amulet meant to me and how painful it was to have it taken away.
Hanging garlands of flowers and greenery festooned the great hall, and lavish floral displays, bread, and meats decorated the tables. I’d never seen so much ale in my life.
Leif had been sent out with his brothers to sleep elsewhere, and I took his cot for the night. Lying awake in the middle of the night and listening to the soft snores of the maids in the next room and Solveig tossing about on her bed, I couldn’t stop myself thinking about what was to come once we landed on the English coast. Bamburgh would be well defended, and I knew that many men and women would die because of me. It was a sobering thought that didn’t sit easily with me.
A whispered conversation pulled me from my thoughts, and I swung my legs over the edge of the bed to investigate. Pulling back the curtain which separated the sleeping quarters from the great hall, I saw three burly men skulking in the shadows, their swords drawn.
Before I could grab for my sword, the tip of an axe brushed against my throat.
‘Hush now, girl. We don’t want to wake the entire town.’
The intruder took a step closer, and I gasped. It was a face I recognised, one I’d seen across a battlefield some time before. Ozur and his men had somehow managed to infiltrate Hedeby and enter the great hall. How many men did he have? Were we cut off? The panicked thoughts flooded my brain.
‘What do you want?’ I asked through gritted teeth.
‘I understand that Leif, son of Aaric, is to wed tomorrow, but I don’t seem to have received my invitation.’
The axe dug a little deeper, and I sucked in a breath.
‘Probably because you weren’t invited.’
He sniggered as he walked behind me, his arm enveloping my shoulder with his axe at my neck. I wasn’t sure he knew I was the intended bride, so if I could pull off my slave act one more time, I might survive the night.
‘You’re brave for a servant,’ he said, wrapping his free arm around my waist. ‘I like a woman with fight in her bones.’
He hauled me off my feet and proceeded to carry me through the great hall. His companions approached the black curtain, inching closer to Jarl Aaric’s private room. No matter the outcome, I couldn’t let them kill the jarl.
‘Attack! We’re under attack!’ I screamed as loud as I could. At the same time, I hooked my fingers around the wooden handle of the axe and pushed it away while Ozur was disoriented.
He was quick to recover and snatched at me again, binding his muscular arm tighter around my waist and snarling into my ear. We weren’t far from the main doors when they burst open and the guards rushed in with their spears, axes, and swords. I spotted Baldred near the front with a burning torch in his hand, and as his eyes circled the room, I prayed he wouldn’t see me for fear of his reaction. Too late.
‘Princess!’ he cried, tossing the torch into the fire grate and swinging in my direction.
‘Princess?’ Ozur spoke into my ear, and a cold chill settled in my bones. ‘Well, what a prize I’ve captured this evening.’
Jarl Aaric, Solveig, and all the household were awake, armed, and advancing on Ozur. His accomplices had doubled back to flank their lord as he crept closer to the doors. With an axe at my neck, nobody dared engage him.
We stepped out into the courtyard where a circle of warriors was gathering. There was no escape for Ozur and his men, and from the lack of fighting, I assumed that this was the sum of his raiding party.
‘What do you want?’ I asked again.
‘I came to kill Jarl Aaric, but I seem to have found something far more valuable. A bargaining tool.’
‘They will not bargain for me,’ I said. ‘I’m not a princess anymore. I’m just a slave, and they don’t care if I live or die.’
Ozur chuckled in my ear once more. ‘Oh, I doubt that. Judging by the look on Leif’s face, I’d say you’re far more than just a slave.’
In the darkness, I made out Leif’s form and the murderous gleam in his expression as the flames from the torches danced in their holders.
Ozur held my life in his hands and could use it to destroy everything we’d built. My crown drifted further from my grasp with every bite of the axe.
‘You destroyed my home, killed my sons, and drove me from my land,’ Ozur screamed across the courtyard as Jarl Aaric emerged from the hall. ‘Now I will do the same to you.’
Leif stepped forward into the circle, and Ozur jostled me in his arms, tightening his grip and lifting the axe, forcing me to lean my head back slightly.
‘I am a son of Jarl Aaric. If you want your revenge, then take it out on me.’ His eyes were cold as he stared at my captor.
‘Now, why would you want to fight on the eve of your wedding, Leif?’ Ozur licked the side of my face and ran his free hand across my dress to cup my breast. I could hear Leif’s sharp intake of breath.
I wriggled and fought against Ozur’s hands until he resumed holding my waist, the stench of his breath invading my nostrils as I waited to see what he would do next. He could destroy Leif with one swipe of his axe, taking my head off and killing his bride with one blow. Was that enough revenge for the man who had systematically tried to invade Hedeby for many moons?
‘Enough.’ Jarl Aaric stepped into the circle, which was now fully lit by rows of blazing torches. Solveig was circling around the back of the men toward me, and I hoped she would reach my side before my head rolled across the earth.
‘You come into my home in the middle of the night and threaten the life of an ally, you disrupt our sacred celebrations, and you dare to talk to me about revenge.’
I could see Ozur’s two men being held to the left of where we stood. Jarl Aaric strode over to them, drew his axe from his belt, and buried it into the skull of one of the men. The sickening crunch of bone breaking echoed across the open space. Ozur’s grip on me tightened. Aaric wiggled the blade until it popped out and let the man’s body slump to the floor. His companion squared his shoulders in readiness for death, something that always surprised me about the Vikings. There was no fear in their eyes when they took their last breath. Aaric’s axe did its job, and the second man fell to the floor beside his friend.
‘Now, Ozur, you are alone,’ shouted Jarl Aaric. ‘With nowhere to go and nobody to command. It’s over. Drop your axe and you may live.’
I could almost hear the thoughts stumbling through Ozur’s mind as he calculated his chances. He was trapped with no means of escape. He knew it, and I knew it, but he was a Viking, and fighting was what they did best.
‘Yes, Jarl Aaric. It does appear to be my time to enter Valhalla, but maybe I’ll take one last soul with me when I go.’
He pulled back on the axe slightly, and I felt his arm tense as he readied to strike. There was nothing I could do as my eyes met Leif’s. Horror was etched in every crease on his face as he launched himself toward me, but I knew he’d be too late.
LEIF’S PIERCING CRY filled the air as Ozur jerked back his blade to take off my head. A million images soared past me as I prepared for the strike: my father standing in front of me, his hands on his hips and a huge smile on his face; my mother sitting on her throne waving at the people, who adored her; and Edmund watching me spar with a guard, a look of pride on his face.
If I was about to die, then so be it. Perhaps I would make it to Valhalla for being a fierce shield-maiden. Shield-maiden. As the thought popped into my head, I heard the swish of a blade, felt the cool breeze as it brushed my cheek, and the spray of blood coating my skin.
My eyes stayed on Leif as he came closer and closer to me. I wasn’t falling, there was no pain, and I could hear the roar of the crowds. I was alive.
I looked down at my feet and Ozur’s severed head staring back up at me, his eyes frozen in time as Leif gathered me in his arms.
Solveig stepped into my view as she wiped the blood from her blade. Relief flooded through me as I buried my face into Leif’s chest. Tears flowed down my cheeks, but I didn’t want anyone to see me weep. I wasn’t meant to die today, which gave me hope that our mission to take Bamburgh was going to be a success. Their gods were on our side.
‘Are you all right?’ Leif asked me as he kissed my hair and wrapped his strong arms around me.
‘Yes,’ I said in a whisper. ‘Thanks to Solveig.’
‘She will be rewarded,’ he said. ‘If it wasn’t for the shield-maiden, we wouldn’t be holding our wedding in a few hours. Maybe when you’re my wife I can keep you out of trouble.’
I giggled and kissed him. It felt good to be in his arms, and I wished it was morning already so that we could be married.
‘Leif! Shoo, go back to bed,’ Ingrid said as she separated us. ‘You’ll have plenty of time for that tomorrow.’
Ingrid ushered me to my bed too, and I pressed my fingers to my lips, wanting to remember the feel of my husband-to-be’s kiss.
Frigga’s Day was bright and pleasant. The cold winds had changed, and there was a hint of spring in the air. Hedeby was buzzing with activity and cheerfulness as the wedding guests wandered around town telling their stories, reciting their poems, and drinking ale. Solveig told me that Leif had risen early to perform a sacred part of his ritual.
