God of Fire by Jaid Black

Author:Jaid Black
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2010-05-19T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Ragnar had told her that the year was 820. 820? God in heaven! A series of chills raced down the length of her spine.

Dara stood stoically at Ragnar’s side, pale as a sheet—or as pale as a woman with a golden tan was likely to get. She listened with half an ear to the words of the ceremony that were even now legally binding her to Ragnar for life. Laws that gave the Viking absolute power over her life and livelihood, at least within the confines of this time and place.

And when it was done, Ragnar and her new father Erik took to either side of her, led her from the meeting place of the thing, and into a procession that led the entire party to the jarl’s longhouse.

The Viking version of the wedding reception took Dara by complete surprise. Fighting amongst the men was commonplace and seemingly encouraged, wrestling bouts and sword matches breaking out over the tiniest of perceived offenses. Dara tucked herself closer into Ragnar’s side as a match of sword-letting broke out behind them. The warriors were cursing each other in Norwegian, so she hadn’t the foggiest notion what they were dueling over.

Ragnar, much to her amazement, didn’t even seem to notice. He was laughing and jesting with his father and the other warriors seated closest to them as he ate the foods that had been set out before them. Chagrined and more than a little peeved, she elbowed him in the ribs to gain his attention.

He cocked his head in her direction and raised a brow. “Aye, sweeting?”

Dara huffed. She cast her gaze nervously behind them, then back to her husband. “What if one of them trips and accidentally severs my head from my body?” she hissed under her breath.

Ragnar turned on the bench to behold the battling warriors for the first time. He shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “Both Aran and Selik are skilled with the sword, my love. No harm shall befall you.”

Her eyes narrowed menacingly. She didn’t care how skilled they were. The men were fighting right behind her and on her wedding day no less! Besides, accidents do happen. And any accident with a sword was bound to be trouble.

She was about to point out as much when Ragnar’s mother came to her aid. Until that moment, Dara hadn’t even realized her mother-in-law could understand her English, or “Saxon” as they called it. “Instruct your cousins to be seated, son.” Joran smiled sweetly at Dara as she set her dagger down to lie upon the trencher she’d been eating from. “‘Tis upsetting to your lady wife on this the most important day of her life.”

Dara didn’t know if she’d go so far as to call it the most important day of her life—perhaps the strangest one—but she smiled at Joran nevertheless before grunting something reproachful up to her husband.

Ragnar sighed, but relented. He had much work ahead of him this night and desired to concentrate his energies on thinking up a

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