Page 20 of Haakon's Fate
A radiant smile rewarded the suggestion. She had ignored the teasing and looked genuinely grateful. This time it wasn’t his groin that stirred, but rather his heart.
“That’s a good idea. I will. Thank you.”
They stared at one another a long moment. Then Gytha gestured to the village.
“I’d better go. My father wanted us to leave this morning. He will be looking for me and I don’t want to worry him, not after…”
No. Not when he’d lost his wife so recently. Haakon would have asked how they were coping but he thought it better not to allude to her recent loss. He hadn’t forgotten her grief, and what it had provoked in him to see her in pain.
“Do you know what the worst about my mother’s death was?” Gytha said in a whisper, proving that was what she had been thinking.
“No. What was the worst thing about her death?” As far as he knew, everything was pretty terrible.
“Some people’s comments. They came to me and said… They dared tell me that she and the other people who’d died had surely been punished for their dark deeds. That their death in the middle of the church proved God’s anger more surely than anything they had ever seen. My own mother, who had done nothing but love and cherish us, to them was a sinner, a lost soul!” Her chest started to heave in anger and sorrow combined. “They said she had?—”
“Forget what they said. Just think of what you know,” he cut in. It would not help to dwell on the hurtful, stupid comments. “People are idiots. They think that pointing the finger at others will detract from their own failings. Your mother’s death was a tragedy she had done nothing to provoke, nothing more, nothing less, though I’m not sure knowing this helps in any way.”
“It does. Thank you for saying this, Haakon. It does help.”
They stared at one another for an intense moment and Haakon almost reached out for her hand.
“You!”
Gytha gave a squeak when a masculine roar tore through the air. A heartbeat later, Alberic appeared through the bushes, just like he had the other in the forest, a fearsome scowl distorting his face. And just like he had then, Haakon placed himselfbetween him and Gytha. The man was not going to touch a hair on her head, not if he valued his life, at least.
“What do you want now?”
His question was completely ignored.
“I blame you for this, do you hear?” the Saxon shouted, pointing a finger at Gytha. “You filled my daughter’s head with talks of your bloody Norsemen. I care not if you lust after them, you should not have dragged her into it. Dear God, what is the world coming to? Does your father know what kind of men you fuck? Does he not care you might end up carrying a child who is no more than a piece of filth?”
Haakon’s head was reeling so much that he didn’t even think to interrupt the flow of insults. How dare the man talk to a woman like that, a woman who was his daughter’s best friend? A woman who had done nothing wrong?
He was about to tell him in no uncertain terms where he could go spew his venom when Gytha took a step forward, her hands bunched into fists.
“Who I fuck is my business, not my father’s,” she said, her head held high. Fragile a moment ago, when she’d talked of her mother, she was now forged of pure steely determination. Magnificent. “And no, he cares not what kind of child I bring home to him. He will love it as his grandchild. Not that any babe could be called a piece of filth, anyway. Only pig-headed fools who barely deserve the title of men.”
Well, if he was not impressed by that answer. The little Saxon had pluck, even more than he had given her credit for. And she was right. Who she fucked was none of her father’s business. Much less that man’s. Perhaps there was no need to intervene, after all, she was doing a fine job on her own. Haakon stayed where he was, watching the scene unfold.
“Eadhild has married one of these dogs!” Alberic shouted, less than impressed by her defiance.
“I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed. She married a man called Halfdan. The perfect man for her, kind and supportive, who will love the children she gives him, even if they are girls.” By his side, Haakon felt her bristling with anger. He could tell this was something she had always wanted to tell the vile man and she really was formidable in her defense of her friend. Loyalty and courage were qualities he’d always admired. “Eadhild will be happy here, and a normal father would be happy for her.”
“Are you saying I’m not normal?”
A shrug, more disparaging than any actual insult would have been. “You tell me. Are you happy for her or too blinded by prejudice to see that she was lucky to find a man who loves her for who she is?”
“You will?—”
This time Haakon did intervene because the man pounced, aiming straight for Gytha with murder in his eyes. As long as he’d been throwing insults Haakon had let him get away with it, but he would not let him throw a punch at a woman.
He caught the man by the arm before he could touch her.
“Careful,” he snarled in his ear, “or you might get bitten. I’m a dog apparently, so I might tear you to pieces, and even enjoy it. Go back from whence you came and leave your daughter alone if you don’t want her husband to give you what you deserve for threatening her.” Halfdan would not let anyone hurt or even insult the woman he loved, that was for sure, and who could blame him? “Eadhild is happy here, as Gytha’s just said, and she will be well looked after. That’s all you need to know.”
It was obvious the Saxon would have loved to retaliate but knew himself to be beaten. He would never get the upper hand over one of the Norsemen he so despised. After one last muttered insult, he walked away.
Gytha let out a shaky breath when Alberic disappeared into the bushes. She had stood up to him as best as she could while he’d spewed his vile words, giving the impression she was not afraid but her legs were trembling. She had been certain she would find herself at the receiving end of one of his blows this time.
