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‘You defied my father for weeks?’ Ash’s mouth dropped open and he didn’t even bother to hide his astonishment. ‘Kara!’
‘I found it easy when we were speaking about my child.’ Kara jutted her chin out. ‘Hring learnt that I might bend with the wind, but my backbone is flexible steel, rather than brittle straw. I bend, but I do not break and there are some things that I am immovable on.’
Ash heard the warning in her voice. She had defied his father and she’d defy him over this. His wife had the determination of a thousand men. ‘I wish you had told me the truth straight away.’
‘I wanted you to think the best of Rurik. I didn’t want you to turn your back on him.’
Ash ran his hand through his hair. He’d made so many mistakes today. This time he had to get it right. ‘But the fact that you and Rurik survived is down to you, rather than Gudrun. You always refuse to take credit for your skill.’
‘It is in the past, Ash.’ She clasped her hands together. ‘But I want you to understand why I claim the right to have final say on my son’s upbringing.’
Ash’s heart thumped. His son’s future hung in the balance. Rurik was not going to grow up living in fear. Or trying to do things when he didn’t know how to use the equipment properly. Training a warrior properly was a difficult and delicate task, but Rurik had to be one, otherwise he’d lose the estate. Selfishly he didn’t want to lose Kara either.
‘Rurik is my son. He will inherit these lands and all that entails some day. I mean to make him a good leader of men.’ He paused and fixed her with his eye.
Kara backed away, becoming a frightened falcon again. ‘I know the sort of training you went through. Rurik won’t survive it.’
‘Which is why I know how not to do it,’ he said quietly. ‘You must believe me. I will look after Rurik. Give me a chance. Give me the chance to make it right.’
‘He is far too young. Let him have time to grow up.’
Ash moved over towards her. He had made a mistake earlier, rushing her, trying to bend her to his will. He should have bided his time. After all this time he still needed a lesson in patience. ‘Kara, trust me. You once said you would always trust me. Trust me in this one thing. Make good your promise.’
‘Are you trying to provoke another fight?’ She nodded towards the bed piled high with furs. ‘So you can kiss me and then we fall into that bed?’
‘The last thing I want is to argue with you, but I do want your assurance that you will try to make this marriage work. I know I am giving you time, but please can we work together instead of against each other?’
Asking, not demanding. Kara swallowed hard and her heart pounded. It was far harder to fight against him when he was like this. ‘I will try.’
His eyes became hooded. ‘I want Rurik to grow up with parents who can work together, rather than who are constantly at each other’s throats. See if we can make this marriage work by letting me train our son the right way.’
She gave a hesitant nod, accepting what he said. She, too, could remember the fights her parents had had. Always arguing passionately over something on the rare occasions that her father was home. ‘Rurik appears to like you. One of his greatest desires is to be a strong warrior like his father.’
He dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. ‘He only knows stories about the old me. Give him time. But let me use that admiration to ensure he knows how to hold a sword, to skate and to swim.’
‘You rescued him from near-certain death,’ she reminded him with a frown. ‘In Rurik’s eyes, you are already his hero.’
‘Any one of my warriors would have done the same for a child. I happened to be the closest.’
Kara stared at him. The old Ash used to trumpet his success, making it seem like he was a greater warrior than he was. Ash had changed in more ways than she ever thought possible and she found she admired the new Ash. ‘Don’t ever dismiss what you have done to me again. Making it less doesn’t change its importance to Rurik.’
She fancied a bit of respect came into his eyes. ‘I had never considered it.’
‘Next time do.’ She crossed her arms, aware of him and the fact that he was in her room.
‘I will ensure he is properly trained, Kara. Not how my father trained me, but with challenges appropriate for his age. It will be risky, but he won’t have to do dangerous things.’
‘Do...do you truly know how to make boys into proper warriors?’
