The Viking Slave

Chapter 31: From Princess to Slave

Oliefsborg: Two Weeks Later

Lorna looked down at the strings that tightly held her wrists together. She felt betrayed and lonely as she sat alone in the corner of the longhouse watching Bard, Knute and Erick talk. The glow from a small lantern above her illuminated Jezebel's form nearby.

"Is she alive?" Jezebel's faint voice asked, stepping closer to Lorna. She swaddled her child close to her chest. "I must know."

Lorna shrugged, wriggling her wrists around once again in hope they would miraculously come loose. "I do not know what you are talking about." She leaned her head back against the wall in despair. "Frankly, I do not care what you are talking about. I only wish I was home."

Jezebel eased down beside Lorna, loosening the tight ropes. "I am talking about Astrid Egger. Is she alive?"

Lorna nodded in response. "Why do you care? It is not like she is anything to you."

"Oh, but she was." Jezebel whispered, looking down at her child with tears in her eyes. "I was once her friend. She was once..." She shook her head. "Whatever now it is in the past and I have tried to let my past go." Jezebel looked at Lorna hastily. "Then if she is alive, why did they get you instead of her?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Lorna asked, rolling her eyes annoyed. "You are one of them why should I tell you anything! They all lie!"

"I can get you out of here." Jezebel whispered, pulling the roped tight once again. "If you answer my questions..." Her voice trailed off as she arose. "Princess."

Jezebel smugly smiled, waltzing toward the throne where Erick sat with his son. Bard paced back and forth, rubbing the thin layer of scruff that had grown upon his face.

"I have sent a man to bring my forces here from Lundur." Bard stopped cold in his tracks looking down at Lorna. "And when he returns we will take this little princess back and get the one we actually need." He snapped, continuing with his paces. "I cannot use her for anything she is too young."

"But is the princess!" Jezebel shouted, jumping up from her chair. Erick buried his face into his palms. "She is the niece of Astrid's husband."

Bard looked at Jezebel amused and began laughing hysterically. "If she is a princess," he caught his breath. "I am a king."

"She is correct." Knute piped in, raising his hand. "Lorna is the princess and Astrid is the queen."

Bard's laughter left quickly, turning into deep thought. He made his way back to Lorna, who was now curled up into a tight ball attempting to sleep.

"Wake up!" Bard yelled, pulling Lorna up. "Why did you not tell me you were a princess? You know I have always wanted to marry royalty."

Lorna pursed her lips angrily, jerking her arm away from him. "Well you will have to wait on doing that, because I am not interested." She spat in his face. Bard led her to the table where he forcefully sat her down.

"If you wish to live and wish your kingdom to live," Bard mumbled in Lorna's ear, running his finger along her jawbone. "Then you will do as I say."

Lorna stared daggers at Bard. "I do not think so. My will uncle would kill you as soon as you sat foot in his castle, if Astrid did not get to you first." She smiled cockily. "You were the one who took everything from Astrid, even the skin on her back! No wonder she turned out the way she did, she lived here for her life!"

"Shut up, Princess!" Bard backhanded Lorna. "Spoiled children like you are why we raid, pillage, and kill. It teaches you lessons; lessons that you will not learn any other way." He leaned forward, kissing Lorna aggressively as she pulled her body away. "We will go to wherever you came from and we will get Astrid."