Her eyes widened as they met his. ‘You do not mean that.’
He could not help but smile at the challenge. Strangely, he enjoyed that about her. ‘Do you question your lord?’
He teased her on purpose and was gratified when the spark returned to her eyes and she tilted her head. ‘Daily.’
He could not help the chuckle that came from deep in his chest. His fingers tightened a little on her soft cheek as he drew closer to her. It did not matter that Cedric and the others were near, or even that several warriors watched them from below. He wanted to kiss her, to claim her in a way that suddenly felt vital to him. The way her gaze touched on his lips made him think she wanted it, too.
‘I want to kiss you,’ he whispered. Remembering their last kiss, he added, ‘But I do not want to risk a broken nose.’
‘Then you do not want to kiss me badly enough,’ she said with a devilish gleam in her eyes and pulled herself free. She glanced back over her shoulder at him as she made her way down the steps.
Far behind her and over the opposite wall, the cold sun glinted off the small portion of sea that was visible. He had crossed that sea less than a week ago, but it might have been a lifetime. Little had he known that he might find a home waiting here for him. Or that he might find her.
Tendrils of auburn had escaped their confines to trail behind her in the wind. They beckoned to him and he was helpless to resist their call. With the exhilaration of a promise to come burning in his belly, he followed her.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the village. Her eyes lit up with love and enthusiasm as she showed him each shop or greeted a villager. It was clear that she loved this place. If the truth be known, he was a little envious of how she belonged here. It made him want to marry her even more. Not only so that he could belong to her, too, but so that he could protect this for her.
By the time they were heading back to Mulcasterhas, Rurik had almost forgotten that the marriage had all but been arranged. Had life been different, and she a woman back home in Maerr, he would have pursued her. But life was not different for them, nor would it allow them to forget who they were. A warrior left the gate as they approached and met them halfway up the road. Cedric rode ahead to intercept him, but after a rushed conversation turned back towards them with a grim expression on his face.
‘Jarl Eirik is on his way,’ he called out. ‘He should arrive by tomorrow evening at the latest. Earlier if he doesn’t stop tonight.’
Annis took a breath on a swift intake. Rurik wanted to reach for her, but he doubted she would find comfort from him. Instead, he tightened his grip on the reins, making his mare prance a bit in place. ‘We must marry tonight.’
Cedric nodded. ‘Agreed. Tonight, and by tomorrow he will not be able to question the validity of the marriage.’
A quick glance at Annis found her none too pleased, but she straightened her shoulders and her chin went up a notch. A sure sign that she was resigned. Rurik stifled a curse that it had to happen this quickly. They had had no time alone. Other than his hasty reassurance, she had no guarantee that he would hold to his word. He did not want a marriage like his father’s, but under the circumstances he was not at all certain how to avoid it.
The wedding took place that evening. A simple affair with Cedric, Wilfrid, Rurik and herself, along with a few words. There was no banquet or long list of guests as had been present with her first wedding, but then Annis did not really require those things. It was only that it all happened so fast that it did not even seem to be real. How could a few spoken words change things so completely?
As impossible as it seemed, they were man and wife. The meal passed in relative silence, with no one eating very much. While she was worried about the night to come, the men were more worried about Jarl Eirik. The conversation centred on what might happen tomorrow and strategies on how to approach the man. Annis thought she participated, but she could not be certain. She was too focused on the Norseman at her side.
Her husband. He had promised to divide the duties between them, but nothing else had been spoken about that. Would he follow through with that? No one would force him. Had he merely said that to gain her co-operation? He need not have. She had no better options. She would have wed him regardless.
Would he be rough with her tonight? He had not changed physically in the hours that had passed that day, but he somehow seemed larger, stronger, bigger boned than she had noticed before. He had been kind to her that day when he could have been harsh. Then again, he had come here to destroy her family. What if he had decided that if there was no satisfaction to be had in punishing Wilfrid he would punish her instead? What did she really know of him?
Without realising it, she found her thoughts propelling her to her feet. All of the men except Wilfrid stood abruptly and he looked at her in confusion.
‘I am tired. I wish to retire.’ It was the only explanation she could think of, when she was actually going off to question her very
