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Ohthere who, I am sure, understood naught of it but what he saw."
I
" never blamed Royce for it. How can they? Thorolf knows. Oh, curse Uncle Hugh for being
so quick-tempered and striking him down."
"They are all angry, love. Did you think it would be otherwise when we come here and find
you enslaved and forced to share the bed of your captor?"
"I will kill Selig!" Kristen stormed. "He knows I am not forced. Why did he not tell you so?"
Brenna laughed at her daughter's vehemence. "Mayhap he lost sight of that in his anger. But
I am glad to hear it. Now calm down, love. Getting angry yourself is not going to solve aught."
Royce asked with forced evenness, "Am I to assume you have freed my prisoners?"
"Aye," Brenna replied. "That was the easy part. Your yard is not well guarded, Saxon."
"The patrol in the woods?"
"Taken."
"You mean killed!"
"A few were. It could not be helped. Your guard on the gate also. The only reason we
withdrew outside your walls without taking your hall is that you have Kristen inside it. You
have the upper hand as long as you hold her. But they will not go away, Saxon."
"My name is Royce," he said curtly.
"And mine is Brenna. And if we have come to first names, then let me tell you: I could have
killed you while you still slept and taken my daughter out of here to safety."
"Your men apparently want my blood," he returned angrily. "Why not you as well?"
"I did think of it."
"Mother!" Kristen protested.
" 'Tis true, love. As God is my witness, I wanted to see him and all his people dead. I finally
understood, after all these years, how your grandfather felt, and why he sought revenge
against my people for what had been done to your father when he was captured in a raid. I
came here for revenge myself, just as Anselm did when he captured me."
"But how did you know where to find us?"
"Ivarr's wife. You know what a worrier she is. Ivarr had told her what they planned, and long
before the ship could be expected back, she came to Garrick and confessed all. But we
thought we came for naught when we found Jurro monastery only a ruin. We thought the men
had succeeded in the raid and we had left home too soon, that you were probably there
now. We were making our way back to the ships "
"More than one ship?" Royce interrupted.
"Three," Brenna replied. "So if you were thinking about fighting us, do not. We came
prepared to fight, with over a hundred men."
Kristen found his hand. "You would not fight my father, would you?"
He only grunted in answer. Brenna made a sound very like it. "He may not have a choice,
Kristen."
"Nay, there will be no fighting," Kristen insisted stubbornly. She scrambled out of bed, pulling
the sheet with her. "Mother, I Oh, God's teeth! I want to see you, Mother. Stay where you
are." She swiped up a candle and left the chamber to find a torch to light it.
Royce reached for his clothes, then proceeded to calmly put them on. "You said why you
wanted to kill me, Brenna. Now tell me why you did not."
"Because I was captured and enslaved once myself, yet I came to love the man I was given
to. Garrick is my husband. He has come here not as a Viking, but as a father. And 'tis the
father you will have to deal with."
"I could take you now," he speculated, strapping on his sword. "I would then have two
hostages to bargain with."
There was soft laughter from across the room. "I would not try it."
He said nothing as light moved toward the door. A moment later, Kristen appeared,
shielding the candle with her hand, with the sheet drawn over her shoulders and around her.
"Oh, Mother, put that down," Kristen chided. "He is not going to attack you."
With light now, Royce was staring at an evil-looking crossbow trained on his chest, and it
was not even one of his own. Brenna had brought it with her.
He began to laugh at his own foolishness in underestimating the woman. He would have
been in for quite a surprise if he had tried to disarm her in the dark.
Kristen scowled at him, seeing his hand on his sword hilt. He grinned at her, putting both
hands up in surrender. And then he watched as mother and daughter were reunited, Kristen
running into Brenna's outstretched arms. But it was Kristen who towered over her mother.
Royce shook his head, amazed. How could this woman be Kristen's mother? She was so
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