Chapter 24
Freydis
Moments after Harald exited the hall, guards rushed in, storming toward Ragnar. I moved to stand in front of him, but the guards shoved me aside.
"Let him go!" I screamed. "Where are you taking him?"
"By the King's order, Ragnar and his men are to leave Fellur immediately."
"No! Let him go! You can't take him!" I screamed, lunging forward only for Ake's strong hand to grab me.
Ragnar resisted, and the guards responded by hitting him with their fists and the wooden ends of their axes.
No.
They were going to hurt him.
I tried to move, to protest, but Ake's strong arms held me in place. I screamed, helpless. Blood oozed from Ragnar's face as the guards continued beating him while laughing.
Ake held me tight, whispering things I couldn't hear. His words were meant to comfort me, but they brought no comfort as I watched Ragnar suffer. Every moment felt like an eternity.
When the guards finally stopped, they laughed again. Then Harald strolled into the hall and knelt beside Ragnar.
He grabbed the front of Ragnar's tunic, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"Touch my daughter again and I'll take your head," Harald growled, then let go of Ragnar and kicked him in the chest.
Ragnar's lip was split open, his eyes swollen with blood, yet he smirked at his brother.
Harald walked over to Lagertha, who was still wailing on the floor. Though she resisted him at first, she eventually took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. As they walked out of the hall, she paused near Ragnar and spat in his face before leaving.
The guards dragged Ragnar out.
Suddenly, my head felt very light. The world began to spin, and I closed my eyes, leaning against Ake.
"Freydis?" he called.
A shiver ran down my spine, and in the next second, I blacked out.
…..
I gave myself over to darkness in my room. I slept thinking of Ragnar, woke up still thinking of him, and then slept again. When I couldn't sleep, I lay on the furs.
If only I had known things would end like this, I would have fled to the North with Ragnar the moment he proposed it.
Tomorrow, I was to marry Brok, and the thought made me sick.
Siggy came and went, bringing food, but I couldn't bear the sight of it. Ake guarded my door, ensuring I couldn't escape. The best moments were when I slept and dreamed of Ragnar. The two of us sailing north together, living a quiet life.
Perhaps I should kill myself before I marry that bastard, I told myself. The thought didn't seem so terrible after all, I was to be taken to Eastland after the wedding. If I stabbed myself with a dagger, the suffering would end.
Siggy came to my room late in the afternoon and told me that Ragnar and his men had left for the North. My heart shattered, and I buried my face in the furs.
Was this what grieving felt like?
I had never been in love before, and now it felt like I was drowning.
Before Siggy left this time, she gave me a tea made of honey water and herbs. I drank it down, and the moment she was gone, sleep consumed me.
I dreamt of a church. I saw myself praying at the altar of God.
"I'm broken," I said. "And I no longer know how to mend myself."
I took a deep breath. "Tomorrow I am to marry Brok..."
"How blind you are, child," a voice whispered.
I lifted my head, startled. The air around me had shifted.
"Do you not see how much power runs through your veins?" She questioned. "Yet you wail for two mortal men. Freydis you are sought after, soon they'll hunger for you."
I saw her shadow on the wall; tall and wrapped in a gown that hugged her curves.
"Are you... are you an angel of God?"
She didn't answer. I turned around.
A gasp escaped me.
Her dress was soaked in blood. Her long blonde hair was a tangled mess. Blood smeared her face.
Something hit me. I had seen her before.
In my dreams.
The woman smiled, revealing her teeth, and two sharp fangs sprang out.
I woke up screaming. The door burst open, and I was surprised to see Brok walk in with Siggy. If it hadn't been for the candles Siggy had lit earlier, I wouldn't have recognized him.
Brok yanked the furs from my body.
"You will attend the burning tonight," he said. "See that you dress in fine clothing, as befits my soon-to-be bride."
"Burning?" I asked, turning to Siggy.
"A woman with the forbidden mark was caught. She is to be burned in front of everyone," Siggy replied.
My eyes widened.
The forbidden mark.
The same mark I had on my lower back.
They were going to burn her for it.
I shivered and wrapped the furs tighter around me. "No... Please, leave me be."
"If you won't rise and let Siggy dress you, I'll strip you down and do it myself."
The tea still made me feel dizzy. I needed sleep. Maybe then the pounding in my head would ease.
"Please….. I can't…. I need more sleep."
"Guard!" he yelled, and the door opened.
An Eastlander guard walked in, heading toward my bed. But I quickly stood up before he could touch me.
He grabbed my shoulder. "Do as the King commanded, lass."
"He's not my King," I snapped. "I never agreed to marry him!"
He stepped closer, his eyes vain and cruel. "I paid handsomely for your bride price. I would not let you disrespect me."
"Let go of me," I frowned. "Don't think I'll ever love you."
"Tove was right. I should've married an ugly woman with a sharp mind. Not a defiant little vixen."
He took a step backward and turned around. "I shall look forward to seeing you at the burning."
His guard followed him, but Siggy lingered. "Save yourself some pain, girl. It would do you no good to rebel him."
I ignored her and headed for the bathing chamber.
. . .
The woman who was to be burned was brought forward by a warrior. A sack obscured her face, and her wrists and feet were bound to a pole. Her brown dress was torn and looked like rags on her. Blood stained it from the beating she had received. Her hair was light brown, cascading down her back.
Leave her alone, I wanted to shout at the people throwing stones at her. Some held burning wood, ready to light her at the King's command. Brok stood next to me, a wide smile on his face, and I could only wonder why he wanted me so badly to witness this. I'd witnessed one a few months ago, and it took time to recover from the trauma.
Those who have the mark and practice rune magic are labeled witches, and by the law of Fellur, they are punished by death, burned alive. Harald would not allow them to be stoned or hanged because he believed they might rise from the dead and come for revenge.
From her skin, the woman looked old. She'd managed to hide the mark, until now.
A warrior pulled the sack from her head, confirming my guess. Her eyes were pale blue, with little pigment in them, making her look terrifying. She blinked, turned her head, and stared straight at me.
"Speak witch! Who are you!" shouted a guard.
She blinked again. "My name is Yyla, and I am a child of a god."
"A child of a god or a demon?" Harald asked.
"You're all blind, aren't you? The gods are real!" she cried. "And their children stand amongst you!"
I shivered. What if she exposed me?
A stone came hurling out of the crowd. I clenched my hand as it struck her. Blood ran down her forehead from a deep wound.
I squeezed my hands. Oh Lord, please keep her safe. Don't let them kill her.
Even with blood pouring down her face, she didn't falter.
"The gods are angry with you," she said, "and soon deaths will visit Fellur. A warning from the gods! Mark my words!"
A warrior smacked her across the face.
Harald stepped forward. "So long as I'm King, witches shall never go unpunished. We will continue to hunt them down and bring an end to them. Burn her now!"
I shook my head. I didn't want to witness this. I couldn't handle another trauma.
I retreated, taking a step backward. But as I did, the people made way for me, creating a long path that led to the woman. I couldn't escape this.
"Freydis," a familiar voice called out from the crowd. I felt Ake wrap me in his arms and pull me away.
"Don't look."
I sobbed in his arms. "They're going to kill her."
"Look at me instead," he whispered, and I lifted my gaze to his ruffled dark blonde hair. I stared at his golden skin and the lines that taut his forehead.
He held me tighter so I wouldn't fall. Dizziness from the tea shook me, and I leaned into his arms, my eyes closing.
"It's all done," he whispered.
When I turned my head, the woman was no longer screaming. Her body had been reduced to ashes.
I drew a shaky breath, shook my head, and fell asleep in Ake's arms.