My viKING

chapter 22

Iona woke up with a familiar feeling, the back of her neck is in a staggering pain as the nausea started to settled.  She smells the familiar scent of the salty breeze and her environment is in mobile condition. She lift her eyes to scan her environment and saw that she is in a crampy and dark environment, a single light illuminates the room and it came from an eye sized crack from the uppper wall. The sound of Water drips slowly from the roof as she is trying to recall a familiar place.  A moment of stillness passed as she realized that she is in a boat, A boat!  The feeling cannot sink in to her nerves, she remembered how they were transported from Ireland in which they were forced to stick with each other in a dark room underneath the boat. But the room she is trapped in is much smaller and she wondered who dared to take her captive. That's where she realized how her own friend betrayed her,  Beausna must have been happy right now as she do not see her as her rival anymore.  Iona felt her heart was abusedly pinched as the idea of not being with brynjar came to her nerves, she looked around to find her escape.

A thud was heard as the small heavy wooden door was opened extensively by a man who is way beyond her age. He has a thick aging beard and a slightly thin frame. His hands are buisy holding a cup and a plate of food,  she assumes it is her first meal of the day. The man wore a grim expression on his face as he put her supposed to be food in front of her and quickly left before another thud was heard to indicate a heavy barricade is sealing the door. Iona can feel her grumbling belly as the life inside her began to move endlessly as if indicating it's hunger, she stared at the food in front of her and she can't help but to have a second thought. Her hunger is beating her reasons whether the food contains poison, the cup contains a full length of water as the food itself is composed of meat, a fine one. The one who must have captured her must be of nobility or high status to offer such meal to a prisoner. She quickly dug in with much gusto as the life inside her moved in response as if indicating it is thankful that she at least ate. 

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As the night fell, Brynjar paced back and forth in his cabin as the news of Iona's escape outraged him.

'Come,  you must go back to bed' lured beausna who is now settled and ready on what is to come of her betrayal.
Brynjar gruntled in response as his paranoia intensified. 
How can she betray me? That vile woman! I should not have trusted her!  He thought to himself.

'You had a long day,  come rest' Beausna lured again, never giving up.
Brynjar must not have heard her please as he said nothing in response.

Suddenly a knock was heard.
'What is it? ' asked brynjar in an irritated manner as he opened the door. A thin servant girl with a long red hair and simple slave dress greeted him in a respectful manner as she plead out her concern.

'The Lord Harflr wants to see you immediately' she weakly said as she bowed deeply and left,  Beausna was irritated as Brynjar still wear his disgruntled expression.

'I heard that that servant girl of yours have escaped' said lord Harflr patiently as they both sat face to face in the kitchen.

'I heard that too' replied brynjar with a sigh as he gulped his mead.

'You should not have let her escape '

'She's just a servant,  she cannot go that far'

'That's where you are wrong and the reason that i have called upon you at this time of the day is not to talk about simple peasants'

'What do you mean? ' brynjar asked in a risen interest as he stared at his stern father for answers.

Lord harlfl rubbed his chin with his fingertips as if thinking deeply on how to say it in a serious manner.
'That servant girl of yours is not just an ordinary servant, the choice of bearing your seeds inside of her is the best idea you could have done. '

Brynjar stared at his father with confusion, thinking how the old man took a keen interest in his sex life but most importantly to how he acknowledged it.

Lorf harlfr must have sensed his older son's discomfort as he chose not to beat around the bush.

'That servant girl is the princess of Ireland dressed as a common peasant.  For some reason she must have been wearing it longer than the raid. You are lucky Walfer did not notice it earlier or you must not have got a more legible price'

Brynjar was taken abacked,  shocked of the discovery that was just infront of him all along.

'How do you know? ' he asked absent mindedly.

Lord Harlfr raised his eyebrow, surprised that his son even asked considering that he is the most powerful man in the land and a man in his status should know everything that concerns the most important matters.
He cleared his throat to hide his irritation.

'I always know' he replied.

Brynjar still cannot acknowledge the fact that he was idle enough not to notice or even ask. Which brought to the realization that he never even asked something personal about herself. So engulfed with his selfishness that he failed to notice even the most basic Of details.

'But what concerns me now is the rumor that walfer planned to get her in his own favor' muttered Lord Harlflr before taking another swig of mead.