Free Enthralled: Viking Lore, Book 1 by Emma Prince

lie
next to Laurel. She was a thrall, which meant she had no choice in the matter.
He didn’t want her that way. Despite his frustration, he lowered his voice.
“You know better than anyone what it means to be forced by a man, Madrena. I
would never do that to Laurel—or to any woman.”
    When Dalgaard had been
attacked a handful of summers ago by a neighboring village, many had been
killed—and others, like Madrena, had been violated and made half-dead by the
damage the event had done. Eirik and Alaric had stayed by her side through the
bed rest, the nightmares, and eventually the long hours of training when she’d
been well enough to learn how to wield a sword. Eirik’s father had always
taught him that men’s use of force against women was cowardly and dishonorable.
After witnessing what Madrena had gone through—what she still lived with—he’d
vowed never to do such a vile thing.
    Madrena dropped her
arms and stepped toward Eirik so that they were practically nose to nose. “Ja,
I don’t need you to remind me,” she bit out quietly. “And I know the code of
honor you hold yourself to. But soon enough we will be back in Dalgaard, where
she will be expected to behave like a thrall—and you’ll be expected to treat
her like one. You may not get the chance to treat her as well as you have been
these past few days.”
    If it were possible,
Eirik’s mood darkened even more. “What do you want me to do, Madrena? Treat her
poorly so that she will adjust to what awaits her in Dalgaard? Or treat her as
my equal while I can, only to make her place as a thrall that much worse when
we arrive?”
    “You could at least
explain things to her before we reach the village,” Madrena replied, though
instead of her usually sharp tongue, she softened the words. Her pale eyes
searched his face, but he wasn’t sure what she saw there. “You clearly care for
her.”
    “What a cursed mess,”
he muttered. Was his interest in Laurel really so apparent? Grimar had sensed
it, but then Eirik had proved him right by rescuing the girl and claiming her
for himself. Judging by Madrena’s words, he was making a spectacle of himself
to his crew as well. Even now, his eyes tugged to where Laurel sat. He found
her watching them closely, her head cocked to one side.
    “Grimar has been
telling anyone who’ll listen that he wants to call a council meeting when we
get to Dalgaard,” Madrena said lowly.
    Eirik’s head snapped
back to her. “What?”
    “He says he wants to
put the question of the girl’s ownership to the Jarl.”
    Eirik cursed. Why
couldn’t Grimar simply let the matter go?
    And a council meeting
could have more serious consequences than his cousin’s vitriol. Eirik feared
what a meeting regarding Laurel would mean in terms of his standing with his
uncle. If Jarl Gunvald sensed that Eirik’s claim on the girl was a roundabout
way of challenging his Jarlship, Eirik would have to decide between his desire
to protect Laurel and maintaining peace within the village.
    “Enjoy her company
while you can, or not,” Madrena said over her shoulder as she turned away. “But
you should warn her about what awaits her in
Dalgaard.”
    Eirik’s eyes fell on
Laurel once more. Thank the gods she couldn’t understand their language,
otherwise Madrena’s words would have likely confused and frightened her. But
that was also another problem to add to the pile. He needed to teach her his
language, teach her how to swim, prepare her for life in a Northland village,
caution her about how she would be treated as a thrall—and warn her about the
council meeting that would decide her fate.
    He sighed and stepped
toward her. Those dark eyes followed him, unreadable underneath the awning’s
shadows. He crouched before her, pinning her with his gaze.
    “We need to talk.”
     
    Laurel had to suppress
a gasp of surprise when Eirik’s vivid blue eyes took hold of her. When he
spoke, she was struck silent for a moment. Even though he