The Golden Wolf by Linnea Hartsuyker

Author:Linnea Hartsuyker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

22

Svanhild met the eyes of Harald’s followers without truly seeing them, nor could she hear the words that Harald said following his announcement of their divorce. She had never before known anger like this, a heavy bowl sitting on her chest, keeping her motionless, for any movement would spill it. Even turning to meet the eyes of those who wished to enjoy her discomfort seemed dangerous. She met Ragnvald’s last and saw helplessness in them.

She stood still, rooted to the ground while Harald finished Rolli’s trial. Hilda wept, Rolli hung his head. Ragnvald looked angry and Harald empty. A wolf-king, hunting man-pelts, Hilda had called him. Svanhild saw a weak king, no match for the strength of her anger. The crowd flowed around her as she stood like a rock in a stream until Ragnvald came over to her.

He touched her shoulder hesitantly. “So much is happening at once—I did not want you to find out like that. Harald is divorcing all his wives, to pay for the lives of his sons.” He tried again to get her to look at him. “And mine.”

Svanhild did not move. The bowl of water on her chest felt heavier still. If she let herself speak, she would scream like an evil spirit, and Ragnvald would deserve her curses, but a small part of her, the part not wild with anger, nor pressed down by it, knew that she held some power here, even now, and would have only one chance to use it.

“We spent the last fourteen years building Harald’s Norway,” she said, holding her voice as steady as she could. “Our Norway. That was what you said when Harald stopped treating me as his wife. When he stopped being king. You told me it didn’t matter because we were building a kingdom. We were its rulers.” Her voice choked, which made her angrier still. “Svanhild Sea Queen.” Angry tears spilled over her cheeks. “That’s how you convinced me to remain married to him—you said we were ruling for him.”

“And we can continue,” said Ragnvald. “Very little will change.”

“Everything will change,” Svanhild cried. “I tied my life to this, to him, and my reward is humiliation heaped on humiliation.”

Ragnvald squeezed her shoulder. How many times in the past had he comforted her when her husband would not? She accepted his touch for a moment and then shook him off.

He spread his hands helplessly. “Svanhild, he will take you back, don’t you see? Just as soon as he has made an heir with Erik’s daughter.”

“Back to what? Ignored and humiliated—his wife when it suits him and only when it suits him. Were he not the king I would have grounds to divorce him ten times over, but now he has done it for me.” She laughed, and the sound did not seem like her own. “You should have broken with him over this, as everyone thought you would. If you took Harald’s place, everyone would follow you. Or if you prefer not to rule yourself, make Halfdan into your ruler for you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.