Tales of the Vangen: The Siege of Middengard (Book 2)

Chapter 47: Truth

"So let me get this straight. The man we first captured is Brand's dah, right?"

Cent nodded. "That's right."

"And now we have his mah?" Elba scratched at her head. "Willingly?"

"Correct."

She shook her head. "We'll be having to set the table soon then won't we? Next thing you know some cousin's gonna come springing out of the ground. We'll have a right and proper reunion then."

Cent gave a genuine snort of amusement. "God's balls girl."

"What? It's true. I don't believe in coincidences. " Elba scooped up a lantern held on by a hook and shined the light down towards a set of steps. "He's down here?"

"Aye, we keep him chained up with the larder. Hard to miss." Cent waved a disapproving hand. "Right talker that one is. A real jabber jaw. Had to plug him up lest he start dribbling all over the place."

Elba rolled her eyes. "Ankle deep, I reckon." She descended the steps, the lantern's light illuminating her way. It wasn't hard finding Jonas once she'd reached the bottom. Even with the gag she could still hear his muffled protests. It led her straight to him.

"Jonas!" She leaned over a barrel, found the man rattling his shackles on a bed of straw. He was chained to the wall with enough distance for him to lean slightly forward and shout more expletives at her through the wad of cloth in his mouth.

"That's great! Hold still." With one hand she grabbed him by the jaw and with the other she yanked out the gag. There was a slight pop as Jonas gave a gurgling inhale of breath.

"You fething bitch! Get me out of these chains at once! I will not be handled in this way!"

Elba slapped him. "Jonas! Get it together. Your wife is here to see you."

"How dare y—," The man paused mid tirade, hand still clutching at his cheek. "My...wife?"

"That's right. Now, stand up and make yourself presentable."

It was a long walk back to the hall, or it felt long given Jonas wouldn't stop talking the entire time. "Why is my wife here? What does she want from me? Let me out of these chains." Blah, blah, fething, blah. It was only when they'd reached the place that the man finally went quiet. His jaw clicked shut the moment he saw her. Astrid stood with two guardsmen flanking on either side of her. Libro, Civis and Regis sat tentatively at a table, their expressions grim, but curious.

"Leave us," Libro said, motioning to the two men and they silently filed out of the room.

"Hello Jonas." Astrid's voice came out like a bell chime, a single clear note hinting at nothing, giving away nothing. Elba watched as she reached for something behind her back.

"Astrid? What are you doing here? What's going—,"

"Brand's dead."

Jonas blinked. "What?"

She turned her nose up at him. "Did you not here me? I said our son is dead."

"I...but," Jonas shook his head. "How could—,"

"Because you were tricked!" Astrid cut him off again with a snarl. "Again! Because you thought you were so clever! Because you thought you could use our son to get ahead in life." Her rage dissipated back into a mask of patient indifference. "But how could you have known? You were pushed across the board alongside me. Our brother played us both for fools."

"Astrid, what are you talking about?" Jonas's surprise quickly boiled back into rage, voice rising with his temper. "Get me out of these chains at once or I'll—,"