Chapter 44: Chapter Three

ADA

“Welcome. I am Oisín, steward to King Toren. This is my wife, Myrna. I am sure you are fatigued from your journey, so we won’t waste time with formalities. Myrna will get you settled tonight.”

“Thank you,” I responded. As I stood up straight, both of their eyes traced my entire body, stopping on my stomach.

I began to worry I was in grave danger, since no one seemed to have been aware of my current state before my abduction. I self-consciously smoothed my dress.

During the trip, we had not stopped to bathe at all. The servant traveling with me went so far as to wrap my entire head with a cloth to shield it from grease and dirt.

I was fully aware of how desperately I needed a bath.

“Well, I certainly hope that is a baby in there,” Myrna said.

“Yes, I am about six months along.”

“That is a relief. The king will certainly be surprised,” she said aloud, although it seemed those words were not meant for me to hear.

“I’m sure you are tired. I will show you to your room. We have hot water waiting for you to freshen up, and the kitchen is preparing you a hot plate of food.”

“So it ~is~ the king who has brought me here.”

“I believe I have said too much. Follow me, dearie, before I say anything else.” The steward and his wife exchanged cautionary glances with each other.

I followed Myrna into the castle and down a long, dark hallway. She held the only light, and I made sure to follow closely behind.

It felt as though we walked forever, weaving between doorways and staircases, until we finally came to a wooden door, which she opened to reveal an extremely large room.

It was the size of my entire farmhouse in Kilcoran. There was a fireplace at one end and a large bed at the other. In front of the fireplace was a beautiful sitting area with a bearskin rug.

I could hear Myrna speaking, but I was overwhelmed by the extravagance of the room.

“The tailor will be here tomorrow to take your measurements for new dresses.

“For now, you have a nightdress, and I will have the one you are wearing cleaned tonight to be ready for the morning,” she said, standing by a wardrobe.

I walked over to where she was standing and could not believe that there was a full-length mirror in my room. I looked at myself.

I was not a pretty sight at the moment, but for the first time I saw in entirety what the world saw, what Cayden saw. Myrna seemed confused by my fascination with the mirror.

If she’d known that for most of my life I had used the back of my mother’s silver dish to view myself, she would most likely laugh in my face.

Before I could stare too long at myself, Myrna ushered me into another room. It was much colder than my bedroom. I looked around to find a tub for bathing at the other end.

“Should I help you disrobe, so you are able to wash while the water is still hot?”

I was still unsure what to expect from my new residence, but being able to wash my hair and freshen up did sound magical.

This was a good opportunity to pry for some more information, since Myrna seemed like the type of woman to speak first and think later.

“Will I be eating breakfast with the king tomorrow?”

“Oh no, dearie. He recently voyaged to Frankia and England; can you believe that? He will not return for a few months.”

“Oh my…that seems like a very long time. What brought him there?”

“To form an alliance. It seems many of their towns are being raided as well.”

I felt conflicted about this news. I understood the need to protect the townspeople from the Northmen.

I had seen firsthand how they tortured, devastated, and killed innocent men, women, and children in the towns they conquered.

But I wondered if, instead of making an alliance with England, the king should make an alliance with the Vikings. Dundalk was an uncommon place where the Irish and Danes came together.

Both cultures and customs were accepted, all because Cayden’s grandfather married his daughter to a Viking. Would this not be a better solution? A simpler solution?

“What was the king’s name again? I wish to know how to address him.”

“King Toren, and that is the last I will say on the subject.”

After finishing my last preparations for the night, I got into bed. It was a striking four-poster made of the finest wood. I admired the craftsmanship and design that had gone into it.

The bed itself was the comfiest I had ever been in and made my bed in Kilcoran feel more like a stone slate. I watched Myrna place another log on the fire.

“There are two guards outside the door if you need anything. I will ready myself for bed and return.”

“Return?”

“Of course. Sable will be your official servant. Today was her last day of training for the position. You will meet her tomorrow.”

“She will sleep here every night?”

“Yes, dear. What did you think the bed at the end of yours was for?”

I looked over to see a small bed that lay perpendicular to the foot of mine, big enough to fit one person.

After months of being around people I trusted, the thought of a stranger sleeping in the same room as me was unnerving.

“I do not require another to stay here with me.”

“It is for your protection…and purity. But that does not seem to be an issue for you anymore. It will all take some getting used to, I’m afraid. Sable and I will help you along the way.”

“I daresay I will need all the help I can get. I don’t entirely understand my role here. If I did, I might adjust better to my new position.”

“For the sake of your adjustment, I will tell you. You are King Toren’s daughter. You are royalty,” she said bluntly, and left.

“Royalty?” I mouthed to myself. The king was my father? But how? Everything felt turned around, and I was too overwhelmed to even begin processing this strange idea.

To keep myself from completely breaking down, I decided to keep silent instead of asking any more questions when Myrna returned.

I was tired from the journey, and now with this news, I just wished to sleep and deal with it in the morning. Closing my eyes, I thought of Cayden, wondering if he would ever find me.