The army amassed by Ketil, though not vast, was at least skilled judging by the practice sessions. She was no expert, of course, but Daphne said the men seemed more than competent. Quite how she knew that was open to question, but it was what Miriam wanted to hear, so she gave little thought to how easily the mercenaries had been overcome when taken by surprise. Their leader had seemed to be able to come and go as he pleased, though even he had been careless enough to leave himself unprotected a time or two.She had some thinking to do regarding the Norseman. Had she given herself to him initially to avoid being sent away? It was hard to say. Normally, she was not that bold or cynical, but circumstances dictated everyone’s behaviour, didn’t they? Daphne was a prime example of that, though still impossible to fathom. Irrespective of that, Miriam felt bound to him now. Yet, if it came to a choice between him and her people she did not know how she would make it. The kingdom needed a man

The element of surprise had not been enough. Hand-to-hand combat soon showed Ketil how inexperienced his new recruits were, but they lacked nothing in valiance and soon secured vital areas before he and Sigurd made their way to the Great Hall. The Masked King was not seated on the throne. In fact, he was nowhere to be found in this particular wing. They caught up with him in the mirrored room, a bejewelled lovely on his lap while yet another was chained to the wall naked and awaiting whatever punishment The Lizard chose to bestow. Sigurd wasted no time in knocking him out with one blow from his mailed fist. The courtesan seemed to be drugged, and barely reacted, but the other woman began to scream. “Be quiet,” Ketil urged, going up to her and freeing her from her bonds with the key he’d located around her tormentor’s waist. She promptly fainted, and he realised he should have removed his helm. Even Miriam seemed wary of it. There was little to be done after that. The dungeons were

Ketil became concerned that the trail had gone cold until he spotted the sign. The twig was only small, covered in thorns, and from a gooseberry bush but he found it significant. In truth, he and Sigurd had not tracked anyone for a while and certainly not with as vested an interest as this. “We will get them back, Sig,” he said, with more confidence than he felt. “And what if Asti finds her own trouble along the way?” “All the more reason to hurry.” The ground was soft in places, swamp-like, and he guessed they must be close to a main tributary of the river, perhaps one which led to the sea. Having spent a lot of time on land recently, he was having to re-acquire old skills while appeasing his morose companion. Being in charge wasn’t always easy, but he wouldn’t have it any other way, especially where she was concerned. A soft breeze caressed his scarred cheek, reminding him of Miriam as did the soft scents from honeysuckle and lovage. She’d picked some of the latter when Queen El

“This is getting us nowhere,” Ketil said, hunkering down to check yet another false sign. “Any ideas? Because I’m fresh out of them.” Sigurd thought for a moment. “Why did Asti follow them?” “You know why. She’s fiercely loyal, and Miriam was kind to her.” “Aside from that?” It was Ketil’s turn to think it through. “Astrid thought she could take them on, the men.” “And she did not give up, even when they took to the river.” “Our sister is a good swimmer. Sorry,” he said, holding up a hand. “I may be tired, but that is no excuse.” “You owe me one.” Sigurd grinned, to show there were no hard feelings. “More than that,” he acknowledged. “You did your best to look after Miriam when I could not. Why did you stay and pretend you wanted to take their coin?” “We needed a man on the inside. And I wanted to help Magnus and Orm.” He had been staring out across the water but now he looked down. “I should have thanked Jenna for doing what I could not.” “You had your hands full,” he pointe

They had been rowing through the night, knowing that there was less chance of being spotted that way. The two men didn’t concern them overmuch but the safety of the women was paramount.“We’re going to need to check Astrid’s impulsive behaviour in future,” Ketil said.“Leave that to me.” Sigurd sounded less than pleased.“Sig, it’s not her fault – what happened.”“She has the instincts of a warrior,” he grumbled.“Maybe it brought her through everything,” Ketil mused.“I’m going to beat her senseless.”“No, you’re not. You wouldn’t.”“Haakon would.”“Let’s not talk about him,” he growled.The sun was starting to peek through the clouds now and he thought about food for the first time in a while. Eels, maybe, or trout.“What will you do when we find them?” It was a valid question to which he had no answer. “You and the Princess, I mean.”“Which one?” he asked, playing for time.“Ketil.”He supposed he deserved that.“Never let her out of my sight again.”“What if she doesn’t want that?