Book two of Blind Love
After being saved from the Saxons and brought back to the man she loves, Ailbe has grown far less naive. Still a gentle soul with a heart of gold, Ailbe begins to find the balance between compassion and subservience. She becom...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ivar stayed with Ailbe throughout the night, even though they were in silence for most of their time together. It didn't matter, not to either of them. The silence was comfortable and Ailbe enjoyed his company. Ivar just found it comforting to know that she was still breathing.
"The men have started calling you Ailbe skjǫldr-hjärta because they say you can't die." Ivar broke the silence finally.
Ailbe furrowed her brows in confusion. "What does it mean?"
"Ailbe Shield-heart." He answered, looking down at her with a proud smile.
Ailbe formed a smile of her own, thinking about the name. It surely was honorable to say all she'd done to earn it was not die. Still, she appreciated it and those who gave it to her.
"What will you do with them?" She asked gently, her voice still raspy. "The person that poisoned me."
"Rip the lungs from their body and mount their head on a spike." He answered bluntly, as though he hadn't just spoken about brutally killing someone.
Ailbe's eyes widened, mouth hanging just a little agape. "Ivar!" She exhaled in shock. "That's terrible!"
"If we don't send out a message, they'll do it again." He dictated calmly. "Besides, they poisoned you. Why do you care what happens? Hm?"
Ailbe went quiet, her cheeks heating ever so slightly as she thought about her answer. "I don't want to be known for things like that."
"You won't be." He shrugged casually. "I'll kill them myself."
"Ivar please." She pleaded. Concern etched across her features. "Why can't we just leave?"
At this, Ivar became intrigued. His ocean eyes sparked with curiosity, looking at her with a narrowed gaze. He knew she was hiding something, or at least that she was avoiding something, and it made him question her motives.
What was going on behind her vacant eyes? What was she thinking that he simply couldn't see?
Questions bubbled to the surface of his mind, filling him with yet more curiosity. He watched her closely, her every action however miniscule.
"Why do you want to leave?" He questioned finally, searching for any kind of hint as to why she was acting so strangely.
But instead, she simply let a singular tear seep down her cheek. Her eyes clouded with glassy tears so that the green behind them became blurred. Her lips trembled before finally letting out her words. "I don't want to stay here." She answered. "I don't want to be in this place anymore. I want to go to Kattegat with you and I think that if I stay here any longer, I won't make it there."
"Do you know who poisoned you?" He asked suddenly, making her freeze. His voice was cold and unlike his usual tone when speaking to her.
"What do you mean?" She stuttered slightly.
"Do you know who poisoned you?" He repeated in a firmer tone, a tone that sent chills down her spine.
"Why would you ask me that?" She proceeded.
But Ivar just continued to watch her reaction, his thoughts being affirmed by all of her words and actions. "Because you wouldn't lie to me." He narrowed his gaze at her.
