Lord of Raven's Peak - Catherine Coulter [94]
“Sometimes,” Merrik said very slowly, “there are circumstances that we cannot change. You are a prince, Taby, actually you could become the heir to the duke of Normandy, the illustrious Rollo. Do you remember him? No? Well, you will probably recognize him when you see him again. If you don’t recognize him, it won’t matter, for you will come to love him and respect him. Laren tells me that he spent hours with you before you and she were taken away.”
“I don’t like this man Rollo.”
“Taby, one day you will be a man and a very important man at that, even if you don’t become the duke of Normandy. When that day comes, why, I will bow down before you and kiss your hand. If you are not pleased with me, you can make me eat with the pigs. What do you think of that?”
“I know you, Merrik. You love me but you wouldn’t ever want to bow down to me or anyone.”
Merrik ran his fingers through Taby’s hair, a rich, thick thatch of deep reddish brown. He was a beautiful child. He would be a handsome man. He felt pain deep and deeper still. Still, it was right that the child take his place, that he become the man he was meant to be. After all, Merrik thought, he had the sister. He said, “It won’t be for a while yet. First your sister will wed with me and then I will go see your uncle Rollo. Perhaps I will also meet your cousin, William Longsword. Laren tells me she trusts him and that he is honorable. How old is he, Laren?”
“William is only twenty-two, nay, now he is twenty-five, about your age, Merrik.”
“And he has been wedded for five years?”
“Aye. Heirs are important.”
Taby said, scuffing the toe of his leather shoe in the hard-packed earthen floor, “I don’t remember him, Laren. I don’t remember this Rollo either. I don’t want you to go to him, Merrik. If he doesn’t like you will he stick his sword in your stomach?”
“I trust not. Why would he when I will come to tell him our boy is alive and well?”
Taby was silent then. He looked at Laren and smiled. “Do you love Merrik, Laren? As much as you love me?”
“Oh yes, Taby.” She never hesitated, not for an instant, nor did she look at Merrik.
“All right,” Taby said and pulled out of Merrik’s arms. He didn’t look back, merely ran to where Kenna and several other boys were playing with feather-stuffed leather balls and making figures out of strings.
“Do you really, Laren?”
She still didn’t look at him. “It is what I told Taby.”
“Will you tell me?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It will give you power over me.”
He smiled. “I already have sufficient power over you. I have no need of more.”
“You bray like a goat, Merrik, and you grin shamelessly whilst you do it. I will help Sarla. We will be wedded this afternoon, forget you not.”
“Goats don’t bray, only asses. Is that what you believe me to be, Laren?”
“Nay, you are a man, Merrik.”
“Then why are you holding your hand over your mouth? To keep your laughter behind your teeth? Don’t answer me more, woman. Think about tonight, for then I will take you again. I have missed holding you at night, Laren.”
“It is right and proper that you miss me. It is also right and proper that you not practice on Caylis or Megot. I want you to lie in the bed and think about me. Only me.”
“I cannot even think of Caylis or Megot?” He laughed. He looked at her, then laughed harder. Then he left the longhouse, shaking his head.
The ceremony was brief and in the Viking tradition. All the men stood beside and behind Merrik, the women beside and behind Laren. All wore their finest clothing and jewelry, the women in vivid linen gowns of scarlet, made from oak gall, bright blue, made from woad dyeing, and Laren’s own gown, a beautiful saffron linen made from the bulbs of autumn crocus and presented to her by the women of Malverne. Two freewomen of Malverne knew how to dye wool and linen to perfection and provided all the colored cloth required. Laren had never seen such beautiful colors, even at the court of her uncle Rollo. She wore a woven crown of white daisies. Her hair seemed even redder under the early afternoon sun, shining like a sunset curling nearly to