“Good morn, Astrid,” the king said as we sat, having as much trouble taking his eyes off of her as the rest of us. Every man in the great hall, for that matter. “I appreciate you presenting yourself as I requested for this journey. ‘Twas a lot to ask of you, but ‘tis what the remaining Norse at the shore will need to see, then all to follow as we travel.”
While I appreciated seeing her like this more than I’d expected, I remained frustrated that Alexander had asked this of her. It not only endangered her life but his while she traveledwith us. There were bound to be plenty of rogue Scotsmen who might rightfully try to attack her for being Norse.
The king seemed convinced this was the best course of action, though, and he was by no means a coward, but a fierce warrior, surrounded by equally seasoned warriors, including myself, so I had no choice but to trust his judgment. Nonetheless, I intended to take my new task as her personal guard very seriously. Not just because she was my wife now, but…what? It was hard to put words to, even in my mind.
All I knew was that I would die to protect her.
“Of course, King Alexander,” Astrid said, pulling me back into the conversation when she assured the king with a single nod and admirable courage that she was all right in her attire. She could hold her own, and it certainly appeared that way.
I couldn’t help but notice, as she sat between Father and me, eating and conversing with the others, that she’d tucked the stone around her neck beneath her tunic and kept her cross visible. I knew Father had asked her to wear it to protect her in these parts, and while it angered me at first because she did not believe in our God, I now understood his reasoning. The sight of her wearing it in her current attire would no longer raise eyebrows, either, given that so many Norse had converted. If anything, on our journey ahead, it might very well help bridge the gap.
Though Florie had unfortunately gone her own way to dine at a table with the lesser born, as was proper, especially in the king’s presence, she rejoined us outside after we broke our fast. Given that the weather wasn’t as bad as we had feared the night before, we would be ready to travel within a few hours and be settled at the encampment at Largs before nightfall.
With Father overseeing most of the preparations and choosing which warriors he felt best suited to travel with us, I was able to set aside time with Florie, Stewart, and— it justso happened— Astrid. As the four of us mingled amongst the people who were setting up their carts to sell wares or going about their daily activities, I couldn’t help but feel the rightness of us together. Where I had long been friends with Stewart and Florie, Astrid somehow seemed one of us in that moment, even though they clearly felt she had been for some time.
“’Twill be hard for Florie,” I said at one point as Stewart and I walked a ways behind them. “I see clearly now she loses not two close friends whilst we are away but three.” I eyed him knowingly, yet again, seeing the way he looked at Florie. “And mayhap more, whether she realizes it or not?”
Though hard to envision my amorous friend settling down with one lass, we were only getting older, and Florie was a catch, to be sure. Add to that the deep friendship they already shared, and I could see them being truly happy together.
“I dinnae think she realizes it,” Stewart said softly, admitting to his affection for Florie. His gaze lingered on her as she laughed about one thing or another with Astrid. “But aye, I can admit I would not have minded staying around here a tad longer.”
“No doubt,” I said. “Why not tell her that? Mayhap ‘twould be something she would like to hear.”
“Mayhap,” he murmured, leaving it at that, yet I saw the way he kept looking at her, as if wondering if he should.
By the time we returned to the courtyard, final preparations were underway, and my horse awaited me, already saddled. Although I would have rather Astrid ride with me so I could keep her as safe as possible, there would be too much traveling over the coming days for just one horse to carry two people.
It seemed Father already had that in mind, when he brought over one of his prized horses. A magnificent mare as snow white as Oksana, and one of, if not the very best, horsemy father owned. She was descended from my mother’s favorite horse, and while he’d initially intended solely to breed her, she had also proven well-suited to riding. Moreover, she had been caught in a battle or two and did better than most horses, taking orders well and remaining calm.
“Howbeautiful, Lachlann,” Astrid exclaimed, her pale blue gaze sparkling with admiration at the impressive beastie. Clearly knowing her way around horses, she ran her hand along the horse’s nose, neck, chest, and legs, sizing up her strengths as well as feeling for heat and swelling or any signs of discomfort. “Who does she belong to?”
“You, Astrid,” Father said, surprising me, given his sentimental attachment to this horse. His gaze flickered over me briefly before he smiled warmly at her, vague enough with his words to get away with it. “Let us call her a wedding gift from me to you.”
Astrid stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. “Truly?”
“Aye, truly.” He smiled from the horse to Astrid, undoubtedly pleased to do this for her. “Whilst there are certain areas of the highlands she couldnae handle, she’s more sure-footed than most horses and can be depended upon if you end up battling.”
Astrid nodded, her gaze still alight with admiration, while she continued looking over the horse. “’Tis good to know.” She glanced from Lachlan to the mare. “Does she have a name?”
“We call her Wyvern,” he said. “’Twas a favored name by the wee bairns around here when she was but a foal. They claimed she looked like a mystical beast born of folklore, so Wyvern it was.”
“I like that,” Astrid said softly, meeting the horse’s eyes. “’Tis nice to meet you, Wyvern.” Smiling, she gazed at Wyvern almost as if she could communicate with her in some magical way. “I think we will do just fine together.”
As if Wyvern agreed, she nuzzled into Astrid’s touch, invoking a ripple of laughter that was music to my ears. I had never heard her laugh like that, as if her soul had just broken free of shackles, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“’Tis a fine-looking animal,” Gustav praised when he and the king joined us, mounted and ready to go.
“’Tis,” Astrid agreed. Her smile faded, yet the warmth in her gaze remained when she looked at my father. “’Tis a truly kind gift. Thank you, m’laird.”
“You are verra welcome, lass,” he said as she swung up into Wyvern’s saddle with ease, the sight of her on the horse every bit as magnificent as the horse itself.
“I wish you many safe trails on her, Astrid,” Da continued, “and look forward to your return.”
“As do I look forward to seeing you again.” Astrid blinked back tears as she looked at my father. “Take care of yourself in my absence.”
“Of course,” Father assured her before focusing on me. He clasped my arm, hand to elbow, and held on a little tighter than normal, almost as if he didn’t want to let me go. As if he feared he would never see me again. “Bring her home safely, son. ‘Tis an order.”
“Aye, Da.” I bit back my own emotion, praying Astrid was wrong about his health, yet I saw the weariness around his eyes and feared she was not. “You have my word.”
