Captive Heart (10 page)

“I will not trouble Mylan about you, for I know him to be a serious man who would not be amused by such a ridiculous tale.” Surveying the lot of them he exclaimed sadly, “You are as poor a group of slaves as I have ever been forced to sell, but perhaps my wife can scrub you up so you will bring a fair price.” He gestured toward a billowy figure in the corner and she came forward to offer her opinions, which were no better than his.

“Sell them tomorrow with the others we’ve gathered, they are scrawny enough as it is and I do not wish to feed them until they grow fat!” The hag sucked what few teeth she had remaining in her head and turned away, leading the group into the rude shelter that served as the quarters for the slaves being held for sale.

Celiese nearly fell asleep in the steaming tub, the warm water bringing a relaxing comfort she’d almost forgotten, but before she could enjoy more than a few seconds’ pleasure the nasty old woman began to scrub her hair with a coarse-bristled brush. She cried out in pain and pleaded with her to stop, but that did not deter the unsympathetic creature from using her most diligent efforts to wash her clean. The tunic she was given was much too short, but Celiese was dreadfully afraid women were displayed nude before buyers and that worry kept her from eating any of the meager meal they were served for supper. Her female companions were varied, all as unhappy as she, but none spoke her native tongue nor appeared friendly, and the three girls from Aldred’s home continued their spiteful insults for half the night, complaining to everyone how she had brought ruin upon their home.

At dawn Celiese vowed to endure whatever public humiliation she had to suffer with every bit of dignity she had left. In spite of the slavemaster’s unkind words he apparently thought her worth a handsome price and kept her back until all the others had been sold. The sun was high overhead when she was brought out, and as she had feared she was quickly stripped naked, but she reminded herself as she always did that her blood was as fine as that of a princess and her appearance should be regal as well. She held her head proudly and scanned the crowd with a defiant stare, silently insisting the assembled group respect her. Her fiery emerald gaze had the same effect that day as it had had on the Torgvalds, and more than one man turned away, knowing he lacked both the skill and strength to tame such a vibrant beauty.

When a man standing just to her left spoke up she turned, startled by something in his voice. He was tall and well built, and his amber eyes could belong to only one family. Celiese whispered quickly while his attention was focused upon her face, “I am your brother’s wife, Mylan’s wife! Do not let one of the others buy me!”

The handsome young man gasped in astonishment, then called to the auctioneer, “Who is this woman?”

The old man smiled broadly, delighted to see the well-dressed and obviously wealthy man display such interest in the striking blonde. “What does her name matter? You may call her whatever you choose. She was a slave in the house of Raktor, that he wants her no more is your good fortune. Now what is your bid?”

“A former slave of the Torgvalds cannot possibly be my brother’s wife!” Laughing, the man folded his muscular arms across his broad chest and regarded Celiese’s elegant figure with an appreciative glance.

“It is the truth!” Celiese insisted, incensed he did not believe her.

“My brother is not married, so how could you be his wife?”

Exasperated, Celiese attempted to prove she knew the man at least. “I do not know your name, only that you and your brother are here trading. Mylan is the eldest, while Erik, your younger brother, is sixteen. You have your mother’s eyes, her name is Thulyn.” Turning as she heard another man offer a generous bid, she urged him to help her. “If you are so foolish as to let another man buy me, Mylan will be furious with you! You can sell me yourself if what I say is not the truth, but what if it is?”

Not pleased by her taunts, the amber-eyed man waited a long moment before tossing a bag of gold at the auctioneer’s feet. He then leapt up onto the raised platform where Celiese stood and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. “There has been some mistake, this woman should never have been offered for sale, but my purse contains more than enough to cover any bid you could have hoped to receive.” Not waiting for an argument from the elderly man, he picked up Celiese, carried her across the square and down a narrow street, laughing all the way at her keen embarrassment, for no matter how tightly she clutched his cloak to her breasts it continued to fall open, displaying her nakedness to all who passed by. When he reached his inn he took her to his room, where his brother answered his knock and exclaimed in horror.

“Andrick! What have you done now? You know mother will never permit you to keep such a woman!”

“Oh, yes, she will.” Andrick placed Celiese upon her feet as he introduced her. “May I present our brother’s wife, who somehow had the great misfortune to be put up for sale at the slave market this morning.”

Celiese looked quickly from one man to the other. Mylan had not mentioned that these two brothers of his were twins, but clearly they were. Their hair, while blond, was not as fair as his, nor their features so finely carved. While they were a handsome pair they were clearly nothing alike in temperament, for while Andrick appeared to be amused, his twin clearly was not.

“What lie is that? Mylan does not even leave his farm—he’d not go seeking a wife for any reason!” Appalled, the young man snarled his question.

Not dismayed, Andrick proceeded with his introduction. “This is Hagen, and let me warn you now, dear lady, this is his usual mood. Had he seen you as I did he would have walked off without replying to your plea for assistance. Perhaps this morning was a more fortuitous one for you than you had imagined.”

“Fortuitous indeed!” Celiese exclaimed, suddenly wondering if she were any better off than she had been. Taking a deep breath, she hastened to explain how she’d come to be in Kaupang and why it was imperative they return to Danish shores at once. She wanted to leave nothing to their imaginations, so she described the horrors she and Mylan had suffered in vivid detail, but she feared she was rambling in her narrative, telling her tale in too disorganized a fashion to be understood. But she was nearly faint from hunger and sick with despair. She was certain she was making no sense at all when Hagen interrupted her.

“Describe my brother’s room to me, if you can. If you were married at our home as you claim, that should be a simple matter for you” His sneer made it plain he thought her incapable of producing such a description.

“His room is large, at the top of a narrow flight of stairs. The fireplace is opposite his bed, there is a row of windows, and although it was late at night when I was there he told me they faced the sea.” She’d had far too much on her mind to notice the view at dawn, but hoped Mylan had not been teasing her, since Hagen seemed to regard his question as an important test.

Andrick laughed at her comment. “Did he now?” He glanced at his sullen twin and nodded. “We will take you back with us, because your tale is amusing, but if it is no more than a cleverly woven lie I’ll warn you now that you will be very sorry.”

“Did you not recognize any of the others from your household? There were others, both men and women, who were sold before I was.” Celiese was surprised he’d not seen them, for their very presence in Kaupang would prove her point.

Andrick shook his head. “No, I had just happened by, we have finished our business here and are preparing to sail. I wanted to purchase no slaves, but something made me stop when they brought you out. The sparkle of the sunlight upon your hair perhaps, or—”

“You needn’t say it!” Celiese cautioned him sternly. “Mylan will be angry enough without your telling him you have seen me naked!”

“Yes, that is true. If by some strange happenstance you are actually Mylan’s bride, his anger should be considerable.” When Hagen offered no objection Andrick continued, “We had planned to leave in a day or two, but now we’ll sail on the morning tide, as this will be worth rushing home to confront. I cannot believe a word you’ve said is true, not that Mylan would consent to any marriage, nor that even a villain so foul as Raktor would stoop to such treachery as you have described.”

Exhausted and having no hope of explaining anything more coherently than she already had, Celiese yawned sleepily. “May I please go to bed?” Tossing Andrick’s long cloak aside, she climbed into the nearest bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and was sound asleep before either of the astonished brothers could reply.

It was late afternoon when Hagen shook Celiese’s shoulder to awaken her. “I’ve found all the others, and it was well worth the expense to hear what they had to say about you!” His menacing expression left little doubt that the people from his home had continued to blame her for their misfortune.

Celiese rubbed her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to make them stop hurting, but she ached all over, and the few hours she’d rested hadn’t been enough to heal her many bruises. “I know exactly what they said. None believes in my innocence, but Mylan knows the truth, and he is the only one you must ask.”

“I must?” the amber-eyed man snarled angrily at the sleepy blonde.

“Hagen, there will be time enough to question this young woman aboard our ship, let’s not waste another moment in so futile an argument.” Andrick stepped forward to end the bitter confrontation he knew was coming, for Hagen’s fierce temper was not one he wished to see provoked needlessly. “We cannot delay now we know what has happened at home in our absence. We are sailing on the evening tide, and you must be ready to come with us.”

Celiese looked up at the well-built brothers, uncertain as to what they expected her to do to prepare for such a journey. “As you know, I have no clothing, nothing at all. How am I to make my way to the docks?”

Andrick turned away briefly, then returned with a pale yellow gown, which he laid in her hands. “This is all I could find. Even if it does not fit well, it will still far surpass my cloak as a garment.”

“Why, this is lovely!” Celiese smiled widely as she thanked him. “You have been as good to me as if you were my own brother rather than Mylan’s. I did not know such good men even lived in your land until I met your family.”

Hagen frowned impatiently, certain he’d done nothing to deserve such a compliment, but when Andrick took his arm he turned around too in order to give Celiese some privacy in which to dress. “Did you think of shoes for the woman, or a cloak? It will be cold aboard our vessel. She will become too easily chilled and if she falls ill she will be an even greater burden to us all!”

Laughing, Andrick explained to Celiese, “You must ignore Hagen’s rudeness, for clearly he is as concerned about your welfare as I am.” He had to duck then to avoid a fist thrown in his direction, but he was light on his feet, and Hagen had had no real intention of harming him.

Alarmed by the roughness of their play, Celiese pulled the pretty gown over her head and secured the brooches that fastened the garment at the shoulders. “I will not need shoes, nor a cloak. Now let us hurry, for Mylan needs your help desperately, and I do not want to delay your departure if it can be hastened.”

Andrick grinned at her spirit and reached out to take her hand. “I did not even think of shoes, but you are welcome to wear my cloak again.” He picked up the soft brown cape from the bed where she’d dropped it and draped it over her shoulders before leading her toward the door. “You bring our belongings, Hagen, and I will see to Celiese’s safety.” Considering he had the best of that bargain, Andrick hurried the young woman through the door before his twin could offer an alternate plan. When they reached the dock where their merchant vessel lay at anchor, Celiese was greeted by insolent stares and coarse insults from the group of servants Hagen had reassembled. Neither man had expected such outrageous behavior from their slaves, nor would they tolerate it either.

“I do not want to hear another voice raised against this woman. I am content to let Mylan settle this dispute with his wife himself, and if there are any of you who would like to argue that matter with me, then step forward and say so now!” Andrick moved in front of Celiese, shielding her slender body from any attack, verbal or physical, but she slipped around him to confront the hostile group herself.

“You need not thank me for telling Aldrick and Hagen of your plight, since you undoubtedly have already expressed your gratitude to them for rescuing you from owners who could not possibly have been so kind as they!”

Amused by her spirited taunt, Andrick laughed loudly and gave Celiese a warm hug. “Come, let us begin this journey, for it cannot end too swiftly to please me.” He joined his brother in the last-minute preparations to sail, while Celiese stayed close by his side, unwilling to join the huddled crowd in the bow when she knew how greatly they despised her.

Celiese leaned against the rail near where Andrick stood holding the tiller and let the breeze blow through her long hair as if she were the most carefree of passengers, as the heavily laden ship left port on the rising tide. When Hagen relieved him, Andrick stepped up to her side, and she turned to thank him again. “I am as desperate to see this voyage end as you must be, Andrick, but I want to thank you again for not believing the worst of me, for I do not deserve the abuse your servants seem to delight in hurling at me.”

Andrick had found the lithe blonde so sincere in all she said that he could not bring himself to believe his brother would rebuke her for her part in Raktor’s deceit. “I am glad you could so readily see that our family is unlike the Torgvalds. We are hunters and traders, we do not raid your homeland as they often do. Mylan is a tireless hunter and explorer. I doubt he will ever be content as long as there is the prospect of new lands to discover, but he finds the bargaining we enjoy a tedious bore. He is adept at the excitement of adventure, while we are the ones considered best at shrewd trading.”