3 book of the series
Feeling the anger well up, she slowly rose from the table, " No one will come and save us! Alfred will marry a Mercian lady, and they will form a strong alliance to overthrow these heathens" -her eyes bore deeply into Elfreda's...
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His eyes focused on her. She was sitting with her friends in the corner of the room. By a small table meant just for them. Were they even her friends? The blonde obviously was as she had cried for Aethelthryth. Ubbe found out last night, when he led them to their room, that her name was Elfreda. The other brunette was Cyneburga. Ubbe didn't understand how someone could name their daughters so stupidly. Aethelthryth ignored him and practically threw him out of her room. As if she was in command. And to her chagrin, he just grinned and bowed, enjoying her commanding voice.
Ronja was sitting on the throne, Ivar next to her, with one hand caressing her stomach and the other offering her berries. Ubbe envied them for their open relationship. No one would dare to even scoff at their affection. Ubbe focused his eyes back on the doe-eyed girl. Just thinking about those eyes made her turn to him. She held the contact, and he felt being set on fire by her glare. Then she turned back around with what looked like a huff.
"He keeps on watching me," she complained with that posh English voice. Elfreda looked over her shoulder. It wasn't hard to spot the man Aethelthryth meant. He was staring.
Cynerburge leaned across the table, "That's Ubbe, brother of the man leading their army," she whispered. Aethelthryth gave her a confused glance. "How do you know?"
The brunette looked around before pushing her hair over her shoulder, "A lot of these men know English for the right price." The suggestive look didn't go unnoticed by any of the girls. Aethelthryth grimaced, and Elfreda gasped, "You slept with them?!"
Cynerbuge gave her an annoyed look, "Lesser the judgment will you. They would've raped me sooner than later, and now they'll leave me be." Aethelthryth scoffed. She would rather stab herself than allow these men to lay with her.
"Thou stupid if you think they will leave you alone." There was the accent again, she thought. She always hated it. "And, besides, they smell, like horseshit, I will barf would they try to touch me."
"Then I guess you will be barfing soon from how the man is watching you," smirked Cyneburge. Aethelthryth's teeth clenched, and she turned. Her eyes found Ubbe's. Her brows furrowed at how attractive he looked now that he has washed, without the blood all over him. She threw him a sharp glare before turning towards her friends. Her big brown eyes settled on the cutlery knife.
Then they settled on the cross hanging around Elfreda's neck. Maybe she should pray more. Her inner self scoffed at that thought. If anyone was going to save her, it definitely wasn't God. What a blasphemy. Her delicate hand reached for the knife. And before anyone else other than her friends could see, she grasped it. With more fumbling around, she hid it under her skirt on her lap. Cyneburge smirked, and Elfreda crossed herself.
"That's a bad idea, my lady." Always the voice of reason, Elfreda whispered. Aethelthryth shook her head, "Would you be rather for me to let him crawl between my legs!" Elfreda shook her head.
"It's time for you to get to your rooms," the harsh distinctive voice sounded from their side. Gasps surrounded the table as they turned to the man who was the reason for their gossip just minutes ago. Aethelthryth noted how tall he was and just how the tattoo going over his right side of face looked dangerously alluring. With her hands tightly locked together, one of them, convulsively gripping the dull knife, she stood up. It must've looked stupid, her skirts crumpled, and she looked ready to have a stroke.
His lovely eyes squinted at her questioningly. He gestured with his head for them to start moving. With her head held high, she walked past him. She thought she heard a gruff laugh coming from him, but she might've imagined it. Once they reached the room next to her, which used to be filled with her dresses, Ubbe paused. He opened the door, and Aethelthryth frowned. Where were her dresses?
"This room is yours from now on. You don't leave it unless someone commands you!" The command in his voice was clear, but it did sound more gentle than she imagined a man his height sounding. Cyneburge marched inside with a confident swagger, and Elfreda gave her an uncertain look. Aethelthryth nodded at her reassuringly. With one last look, she unsurely walked into her room. Ubbe closed the door behind them and used the latch to lock them inside. Aetehlthryth grew more unsure.
"Yours stays the same." He opened the doors for her, his eyes fleetingly looking around. What was he checking for? She straightened her posture and slowly walked around him. His hand gripped the handle.
His eyes almost suggestively glided over her posture, "Same goes for you. Don't leave this room." With squinted eyes, she nodded at him. She didn't have any latch on her doors, which made her confused. Weren't they going to lock her also. Her stomach tightened when the male didn't leave.
"You need to hide that knife better next time." With a lewd smirk, he closed the door. She scoffed angrily before throwing the knife on her bed. She should've known a warrior like him would notice. With a frustrated sigh, she fell backward on her bed. A sigh left her before she let out a frustrated groan into the bed. Why was he so damn attractive?
