Page 8 of A Viking's Captive

The king looked at the men standing before him. “Think hard. Do ye wish to sacrifice yer lives to challenge one of the strongest warriors in our entire kingdom? State yer intentions now if ye do, and we will clear the floor for yer fight.” The men who initially challenged Rathnon’s claim to Ilona remained silent.

Solemnly, the king of Norway pronounced, “I declare Rathnon’s claim to take Ilona as his wife is valid. The two of ye will be wed in less than a fortnight.” Cheers resounded in the great hall.

Rathnon turned to Ilona and beamed a glorious smile at her. He pulled her to him as he gauged her reaction to the king’s proclamation. Ilona smiled shyly at him. Rathnon pulled her into an embrace and kissed her lips while others in the hall shouted and cheered him on. Ilona felt the soft press of his warm lips to hers—a kiss that dazzled her and left her blushing. It was her first kiss and the kiss she had imagined while at sea. He released her and left her dazed.

“Thank ye, my king. We are grateful to ye.”

Ilona followed Rathnon’s example and curtsied when he bowed to his king.

Rathnon wasted nae time and led her out of the hall and back to his chamber in the castle he let her use. He kent her fatigue from all the events heaped upon her. Fiercely protective, he didn’t want to tempt the fates, with other men challenging him for her hand. In their room, the fire glowed from the burningembers, bathing them in a radiant golden glow. Rathnon lit a candle in a lantern on a small table by the bed.

Rathnon removed a folded parchment from his pocket and pointed to the fortress and called it by name. He called the city, Bjørgvin, later ken as Bergen, Norway, and had her repeat the name. For her, Rathnon traced a route away to a village and pointed to each of them, indicating where they would travel, presumably to live. He pantomimed laying his head to sleep and then pointed to the village. It seemed they would journey there tomorrow. Ilona nodded, indicating she understood. He tucked the parchment away and pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her again, more ardent than before.

Nae words were needed to convey their feelings when they kissed. Reluctantly, Rathnon led her to the bed and told her, “Sove.” (“Sleep.”) Ilona repeated the word and nodded, then he left her in the room alone.Will he return and sleep with me? If nae, where will he sleep?Ilona undressed, washed her face and hands with water from a bowl, and dried with a linen towel. She slept in her linen shift.

Helga had washed Ilona’s original dress and repaired a small tear in the material, leaving it on the foot of the bed for her. Ilona intended to wear it on their journey. Although she appreciated the clothes she’d received, she would need to wash them often.What will tomorrow bring? Will we be married in the village he pointed to on the map? How long will we need to ride to get there? Will the villagers welcome me as the intended bride of Rathnon?A myriad of other questions barreled through her mind, like waves one after another as they crashed upon the shore. Eventually, dreamless sleep overtook her.

The next morning, Helga awakened her and brought her warm water to wash with. Helga helped her dress in a new blue dress and brought a small fabric sack of coarse material.

“Yer ride is nae that long and ye will make a good impression in this dress instead of yer old one.”

“Aye, takk.”

Helga folded the dress Ilona had worn to the feast and placed it inside the sack. Helga also packed a small quilted narrow cloth, soap, and a new brush for her hair. Afterward, she brushed and braided Ilona’s coppery locks in one long braid and tied the end with a strip of fabric to hold it in place.

Nanna knocked on her door, and Helga bid her enter. Nanna carried a serviceable dress for everyday with long sleeves in a dark blue color. She gave the dress and a pair of socks to Helga to pack in the sack.

“Thank ye both for yer care and generosity. Do ye ken how long the ride is to the village Rathnon is taking me? Will we be married and live there? Does he have family there? Do ye ken what type of work I will do?”

“The ride to his village is a few hours, depending on the way ye go. I do nae ken if ye will be married there or if the king has decreed for ye to be married here. Ye will go there to live and will remain there even if the king calls back Rathnon to go raiding or warring. I do nae ken exactly, but ye will need to garden, keep yers and Rathnon’s garments clean and repaired, and weave cloth. I do nae ken if ye will live in a longhouse with others or by yerselves with his aunt, who is his only relative. I ken he wishes to introduce ye to his aunt, who will help ye prepare for yer wedding.”

“Thank ye. It helps me to understand what is expected of me. I thought we would stay here longer for me to learn yer language.”

“I thought so too, lass, but Rathnon is eager to leave right away. He will be here soon to take ye to break yer fast before ye leave. Do ye ken how to read and write?”

“Aye, my father taught me.”

“Do ye ken how to embroider?”

“Aye. My mother taught me when I was a young lass.”

“Good, I will give ye needles, thread, and an embroidery hoop, as ye need to embroider cloth for yer wedding dress. Later, ye will need to embroider fabric for Rathnon’s shirts. He likes the same colors as ye do.”

“It is too much for ye to give me many things. I can nae repay yer kindness or generosity. I have nothing to give ye in return.”

“I do nae expect anything in return from ye, child. Be a good wife, try to please Rathnon and make him happy. That is the only payment I seek. I hope one day to see yer bonnie children and rock them to sleep.” When Nanna saw Ilona’s blush, it made her question something else.

“Do ye ken what happens between a man and a woman on their wedding night, lass? I will answer any questions ye have. I would nae wish for ye to go to yer marriage bed ignorant. Although I imagine Rathnon will teach ye as ye go.” Nanna smiled endearingly at Ilona, reminding her of her mother.

“Aye, my mother explained to me what she thought I should ken when my courses started. My father taught me to defend myself if a man attempted to overpower me.”

“Ye look young. How old are ye, lass?”

“I am nineteen years of age. There were few opportunities for me to meet others, as our farm was remote. I worked helping my parents on the farm and caring for our animals. I had been looking forward to the fall harvest when a nearby village would hold a festival.”

“I am sorry ye were taken from yer home. There will be new festivals and celebrations for ye now. Ye cannae dwell in the past. Our circumstances change, and many are out of our control. We cannae change yesterday and have little say about our tomorrows. What we have power over is today. If we make each day as good as it can be, our yesterdays will be forgotten except for sweet and dear memories. We will take care of our tomorrows as best we can. I wish ye every happiness with Rathnon. He will be a good husband for ye. Even though ye may be angry he stole ye against yer will and took ye far away from yer home, give yer heart to him. He is a good man and deserves happiness. As a great warrior, Rathnon has been on raids since a young man. He waited all these years to find the right woman he could love and hope she could come to love him.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Helga opened it to find Ilona’s betrothed.