Okay.
Phew.
That seemed to go well.
“Come, my dear, embrace your brethren,” Baldur ordered, I looked back at him, saw he had his hands to the arms of his throne, appearing like he was preparing to shift his bulk from the chair and I lifted a fluttering hand to my throat.
“If it pleases you, your grace,” I rasped harshly and saw Baldur blink before his brows drew together and he sat back, “for your welfare, I will not.” I pushed out, moved my hand from my throat to my mouth, coughed roughly yet delicately (yep, I pulled that off and was pretty freaking proud of myself doing it), dropped my hand and finished, “I’ve caught a chill in my throat and I do not wish you to catch it.”
“Yer grace,” Kell cut in and I turned to him to see he was still bent low, eyes to the furs at our feet, “if we could have your leave to get our princess a chair. She’s unwell and don’t have a lot ‘a energy.”
“See to a chair for Princess Sjofn, Phobin,” Baldur ordered, the face of the man behind Broderick grew slightly hard at being ordered about then he moved off toward some furniture sitting at the side of the tent.
The good news was, Phobin and Broderick were here so they weren’t wherever Frey was.
The other good news was, so far, I was pulling this off and Kell had fallen in with the plan.
And luckily, there was no bad news.
Yet.
“Guard of Sjofn, you may also rise,” Baldur muttered distractedly and I looked to my left to see Gunner had, as well, been bowed to this king all this time.
What a dick, leaving them like that. It wasn’t like it was hours but still.
I shook off this irritation as Phobin brought me a chair. I smiled at him then collapsed in it pretending to pretend I was not actually collapsing in it but regally taking a very needed load off my princess feet.
When I was settled, Gunner and Kell took their places, Gunner at my left back and Kell at the right.
“If you are so unwell, niece, why did you make the journey? My men could easily have attended you on your husband’s vessel,” Baldur made a good point and I looked at him.
Shit. This was true.
I thought fast.
Then I rasped, “You are my father’s brother but you are also king.” He winced at my voice with the addition of a curled lip to show his distaste, the latter of which I didn’t like all that much. I mean, I wasn’t actually sick but he didn’t know that and no one could help being sick. “It is my duty to attend you,” I concluded.
“That is my sweet Sjofn,” Broderick said softly in a lovely, deep, gentle voice and my eyes went to him to see his were soft and warm on me. “Always putting duty above self.”
Well, not always.
I obviously didn’t mention this but tipped my head to the side and smiled at him.
“And your new husband?” Baldur asked, I looked back at him and opened my mouth to speak.
“Inland,” Kell grunted before I could say anything, Baldur’s eyes narrowed in annoyance and they shot to Kell.
“Did I give you leave to speak for my niece?” he demanded to know.
“You didn’t, father, but you should,” Broderick stated firmly but softly. “It’s clear Sjofn experiences pain every time she does.”
Baldur sniffed to communicate he acceded this point then addressed Kell. “And what does your master do inland?”
Ho boy. I wasn’t certain Kell would like Frey being referred to as his master.
Kell, however, didn’t miss a beat but he also didn’t share masses of information.
“His wife is unwell.”
“I can hear that. And?” Baldur demanded.
“She caught a chill not long after we set sail. Not bad at first but it got worse. Laid up in bed, soundin’ funny and sick as a dog. None of the medicine we got onboard was doin’ her any good, The Drakkar set anchor and came ashore to go inland, find a doctor, get her somethin’ to help her so we can be on our way and she’ll quit sufferin’.”
“And you’re on your way to where?” Baldur asked.
“Chateau in Hawkvale. They got a baby to make,” Kell answered. “The Drakkar likes seein’ to that particular duty and didn’t want any distractions.”
I sighed heavily mainly because I would normally sigh heavily at Kell’s highly personal answer but also because I figured Sjofn would sigh heavily at Kell’s highly personal answer.
Baldur stared at Kell with distaste. My eyes slid to Broderick to see his on me and they were twinkling. He thought that was funny and I could tell by the way he was looking at me Sjofn would share in his humor so I gave him a little shrug and a small smile and his twinkle got brighter.
“Seems to me The Drakkar could send a man inland to find medicine for his wife so he could stay aboard and tend her,” Baldur noted and my eyes went back to him.
“And seems to me you don’t know my master much, I’m guessin’. Errand’s important, he don’t send no one to do it. The man does it himself,” Kell replied, Baldur straightened in his chair, obviously not liking Kell’s tone.
“Indeed,” Baldur murmured, scowling at Kell.
“He’s being very kind,” I put in, still rasping, I lifted my hand delicately to my throat as Baldur’s attention went from his angry contemplation of Kell to me. “I told him I would be all right, given time. But he’s concerned.”
“Taken with her, he is,” Kell added. “Don’t like to see her sufferin’ and also don’t like not gettin’ his husbandly privileges ‘cause she’s sufferin’, if you take my meanin’, yer grace.”
“I do indeed,” Baldur sniffed through a lip curl which, as much as I didn’t like this guy, I had to admit was pretty good, “take your meaning, my dear sir.”
“I’m pleased to hear this, Sjofn,” Broderick said quietly and I looked to him. “That The Drakkar has taken to you. This is lovely news.”
I smiled at him, he smiled back and it wasn’t understanding, like he knew Sjofn’s secret and felt for her; it was genuine, like he was truly pleased her arranged marriage was working out.
“We suit,” I whispered, taking the rasp down a notch because I was whispering but also saying it with feeling because it was true.
“I’m pleased to hear this too, cousin,” Broderick replied on another sincere smile and I smiled back.
“Well, I cannot say this comes as a surprise,” Baldur declared and I looked to him. “He practically dragged you from the Dwelling of the Gods. Vulgar, most assuredly, but telling.” He smiled at me, it was definitely not genuine, and finished, “But who would not be taken with Lunwyn’s Winter Princess, far and away the fairest beauty in that frigid land?”
I wasn’t all that hot on him calling Lunwyn frigid. It was, of course, frigid, strictly speaking, but there were nicer words to use.
It was then there seemed to be some commotion outside. The guards inside went on alert, four closing in on their king and two immediately going out the tent opening.
I turned in my chair, peering around Kell to see what was happening and didn’t have to wait long when one of the guards rushed back in, bowed and said to the furs, “The Drakkar is here.”
Uh-oh.
My eyes shot upwards, caught Kell’s and I saw his mouth surrounded by his bushy, white beard was tight.
Shit.
Then I leaned around again to look beyond Kell to see Frey, followed by Thad, Orion, Max, Annar, Lund and Oleg striding purposefully into the tent and Frey was looking pretty freaking displeased.
Uh-oh again.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded to know before he got five feet into the huge tent and I rose quickly, intent to move to him and find some way to give him a head’s up regarding what was afoot.
“You don’t bow to the king of the land whose soil your boots tread upon?” Baldur asked and he sounded pissed too, pissed and full of outraged affront.
