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“Oh, yes, she will.” Andrick placed Celiese upon her feet as he introduced her. “May I present our brother’s wife, who somehow had the great misfortune to be put up for sale at the slave market this morning.”
Celiese looked quickly from one man to the other. Mylan had not mentioned that these two brothers of his were twins, but clearly they were. Their hair, while blond, was not as fair as his, nor their features so finely carved. While they were a handsome pair they were clearly nothing alike in temperament, for while Andrick appeared to be amused, his twin clearly was not.
“What lie is that? Mylan does not even leave his farmâ??he would not go seeking a wife for any reason.” Appalled, the young man snarled his question.
Not dismayed, Andrick proceeded with his introduction. “This is Hagen, and let me warn you now, dear lady, this is his usual mood. Had he seen you as I did he would have walked off without replying to your pleas. Perhaps this morning was a more fortuitous one for you than you had imagined.”
“Fortuitous indeed!” Celiese exclaimed, suddenly wondering if she were any better off than she had been. Taking a deep breath, she hastened to explain how she had come to be in Kaupang and why it was imperative they return to Danish shores at once. She wanted to leave nothing to their imaginations, so she described the horrors she and Mylan had suffered in vivid detail, but she feared she was rambling in her narrative, telling her tale in too disorganized a fashion to be understood. But she was nearly faint from hunger and sick with despair. She was certain she was making no sense at all when Hagen interrupted her.
“Describe my brother’s room to me, if you can. If you were married at our home as you claim, that should be a simple matter for you.” His sneer made it plain he thought her incapable of producing such a description.
“His room is large, at the top of a narrow flight of stairs. The fireplace is opposite his bed, there is a row of windows, and although it was late at night when I was there he told me they faced the sea.” She had had far too much on her mind to notice the view at dawn, but hoped Mylan had not been teasing her, since Hagen seemed to regard his question as an important test.
Andrick laughed at her comment. “Did he now?” He glanced at his sullen twin and nodded. “We will take you back with us, because your tale is amusing, but if it is no more than a cleverly woven lie I’ll warn you now that you will be very sorry.”
“Did you not recognize any of the others from your household? There were others, both men and women, who were sold before I was.” She was surprised he had not seen them, for their very presence in Kaupang would prove her point.
Andrick shook his head. “No, I had just happened by, we have finished our business here and are preparing to sail. I wanted to purchase no slaves, but something made me stop when they brought you out. The sparkle of the sunlight upon your hair perhaps, or…”
“You needn’t say it!” Celiese cautioned him sternly. “Mylan will be angry enough without your telling him you have seen me naked.”
“Yes, that is true. If by some strange happenstance you are actually Mylan’s bride, his anger should be considerable.” When Hagen offered no objection Andrick continued, “We had planned to leave in a day or two, but now we will sail on the morning tide, as this will be worth rushing home to confront. I cannot believe a word you have said is true, not that Mylan would consent to any marriage, nor that even a villain so foul as Raktor would stoop to such treachery as you have described.”
Exhausted and having no hope of explaining anything more coherently than she already had, Celiese yawned sleepily. “May I please go to bed?” Tossing Andrick’s long cloak aside, she climbed into the nearest bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and fell sound asleep before either of the astonished brothers could reply.
It was late afterno
on when Hagen shook her shoulder to awaken her. “I’ve found all the others, and it was well worth the expense to hear what they had to say about you.” His menacing expression left little doubt that the people from his home had continued to blame her for their misfortune.
She rubbed her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to make them stop hurting, but she ached all over, and the few hours she had rested had not been nearly enough to heal her many bruises. “I know exactly what they said. None believes in my innocence, but Mylan knows the truth, and he is the only one you must ask.”
“I must?” the amber-eyed man snarled angrily.
“Hagen, there will be time enough to question this young woman aboard our ship, let’s not waste another moment in so futile an argument.” Andrick stepped forward to end the bitter confrontation he knew was coming, for Hagen’s fierce temper was not one he wished to see needlessly provoked. “We cannot delay now we know what has happened at home in our absence. We are sailing on the evening tide, and you must be ready to come with us.”
Celiese looked up at the well-built brothers, uncertain as to what they expected her to do to prepare for such a journey. “As you know, I have no clothing, nothing at all. How am I to make my way to the docks?”
Andrick turned away briefly, then returned with a pale yellow gown, which he laid in her hands. “This is all I could find. Even if it does not fit well, it will still far surpass my cloak as a garment.”
“Why, this is lovely!” Celiese smiled widely as she thanked him. “You have been as good to me as if you were my own brother rather than Mylan’s. I did not know such good men even lived in your land until I met your family.”
Hagen frowned impatiently, certain he had done nothing to deserve such a compliment, but when Andrick took his arm he turned around too in order to give Celiese the privacy in which to dress. “Did you think of shoes for the woman, or a cloak? It will be cold aboard our vessel. She will become too easily chilled and if she falls ill she will be an even greater burden.”
Laughing, Andrick explained, “You must ignore Hagen’s rudeness, for clearly he is as concerned about your welfare as I am.” He had to duck then to avoid a fist thrown in his direction, but he was light on his feet, and Hagen had had no real intention of harming him.
Alarmed by the roughness of their play, Celiese pulled the pretty gown over her head and secured the brooches to fasten the garment at the shoulders. “I will not need shoes, or a cloak. Now let us hurry, for Mylan needs your help desperately, and I do not want to delay your departure if it can be hastened.”
Andrick grinned at her spirit and reached out to take her hand. “I did not even think of shoes, but you are welcome to wear my cloak again.” He picked up the soft brown cape from the bed where she had dropped it and draped it over her shoulders before leading her toward the door. “You bring our belongings, Hagen, and I will see to Celiese’s safety.”
Considering he had the best of that bargain, Andrick hurried the young woman through the door before his twin could offer an alternate plan. When they reached the dock where their merchant vessel lay at anchor, Celiese was greeted by insolent stares and coarse insults from the group of servants Hagen had reassembled. Neither man had expected such outrageous behavior from their slaves, nor would they tolerate it either.
“I do not want to hear another voice raised against this woman. I am content to let Mylan settle this dispute with his wife himself, and if there are any of you who would like to argue that matter with me, then step forward and say so now.” Andrick moved in front of Celiese, shielding her slender body from any attack, verbal or physical, but she slipped around him to confront the hostile group herself.
“You need not thank me for telling Aldrick and Hagen of your plight, since you undoubtedly have already expressed your gratitude to them for rescuing you from owners who could not possibly have been so kind as they.”
Amused by her spirited taunt, Andrick laughed loudly and gave her a warm hug. “Come, let us begin this journey, for it cannot end too swiftly to please me.” He joined his brother in the last-minute preparations to sail, while Celiese stayed close by his side, unwilling to join the huddled crowd in the bow when she knew how greatly they despised her.
She leaned against the rail near where Andrick stood holding the tiller and let the breeze blow through her long hair as if she were the most carefree of passengers as the heavily laden ship left port on the rising tide. When Hagen relieved him, Andrick stepped up to her side, and she turned to thank him again.
