Cap VII

It was early morning and still cold.

A breeze rustled over the waters, and up the fortress' stone walls. High on the ramparts, Eva felt at peace, feeling the rising winds as a part oh her. She placed her thin fingers on the cold stone of the parapet and leaned in to watch the men practicing their war-faring. Swords, battle axes, crossbows, the Vikings mastered the techniques needed for each one. With the right military discipline, they would truly be unstoppable. They were fierce, fearless and ferocious, more beasts than men. Yet the man who led them, the great bear, was different. Towering above his countrymen, Rollo had an incredible strength, and his mind, she'd come to know, stretched beyond his barbarism. He didn't sought to plunder- he wanted to forge a kingdom, learn about his adoptive land. Despite their resentments she couldn't help but admire him- he was an remarkable man. As if sensing her attention, Rollo turned, just as her long dark hair was sent behind her, caught by a gust of wind.

"If it's an alliance you want, than stop provoking me. Stop defying, stop fighting me at every turn."

His words still echoed in her mind. Days after their last argument, he remained distant and sullen. Eva could have ignored the whole situation, if she wouldn't have sensed a spite, simmering inside him. It glistened in his eyes. It was dangerous. But she wasn't afraid- the thought of becoming Rollo's enemy saddened her, just like a terrible loss, as if she'd failed to grasp something vital. She held his gaze until he turned away, than headed back for her private study. There were plans all over the well polished desk. She'd organized the festivities down to the last detail. The wedding was set for two days hence, to be followed immediately by their coronation. To receive greater recognition from the Pope and the people, they were going to say their vows before a bishop. Everything was falling in place, but she couldn't shake a deep sense of unease.
It felt like walking on thin ice, over waters of unknown depths.

[Two days later]

Eva repressed a shiver. Countless flickering candle lights fought with the shadows. It was cool inside the church and the air resonated with chanting. The ancient stone dome gathered up the voices and sent otherworldly echoes back. As she walked down the aisle, Eva tried to forget the hundreds of eyes prying her every move. Let them watch. She focused on the rustling of her gown and kept on walking slowly, becoming by each step she took, more aware of her groom. She halted next to the Viking and both bowed their heads before the Bishop. Eva fixed her eyes on the candle flames withholding a sigh - she'd forgotten how long these rites took. The chanting. The prayers. The vows. The exchanging of rings. More chanting. The bishop blessing the wedding... As the ceremony passed in a haze of incense and smoke her mind reeled. Rollo was a hard man, but he was not a cruel one. She would be bound, for the first time, to a man she found...interesting.

- "My Queen?" The voice of her new husband. His voice.The voice of the king.

Eva tore her gaze from the yellow flames. It gave her a jolt to see him- he was so much the warrior, that it had been difficult to imagine what he would look like wearing a crown. He bore it well. His head held high and proud. He looked distinctive. The rites were finally over. She was married to the heathen, the most fearsome warrior.

Outside the wind had swept all clouds from the sky and cheers rose from hundreds of throats as the King and Queen appeared; Eva a willowy figure, clad in a floor-length gown of emerald silk and beside her, Rollo, a true force of nature.

-"Smile beloved! Let all know just how pleased we are to be together!" Feeling the sting in his patronizing voice, Eva smiled a tight-lipped greeting, which somehow made him feel petty.

Damn her! Constantly rigid with pride, showing compliance but never submission. She would test the most patient of men with her flashing eyes and deceitful ways. And he was not a patient man. No matter how sweetly she spoke, each word that came out that perfect little mouth, hid a sharp blade behind. She offered an alliance, as only a king might- submitting to a greater power while seeking opportunities to reassert herself.

For a moment, Eva felt Rollo's eyes on her face, as if he was trying to guess a secret; then she felt his lips, hard, upon hers. As he held her still, she pressed her palms against his chest to soften his assault. This was no swift brush of lips, he took his leisure as if he branded her! When he released her, she was struggling for breath.

In the banqueting hall, Rollo took his seat at the head of the table, with Eva sitting on his right. Servants bearing loaded trays came out from side doorways and worked their way around the table. Rollo lifted his goblet.

-"Drink with me, wife! For this happy union between Norse and Franks, your victory!"

Eva's eyes stopped on the rim of her own goblet- the kiss, his words - he was trying to undermine her in front of her...their people; reduce her to a simple wife... not a Queen. Very well, she thought, than rose, holding up her goblet silently, until she had all the needed attention. She would be the martyr - let her oppressor take the hisses.

- "To our King! May he be everything he wishes to be; and may his Queen be everything he wishes her to be!"

She drank deeply, feeling the warmth of the wine flow through her veins. People were cheering but despite the amused smirk on Rollo's face, his eyes sizzled through her. Awareness burned between the two and Eva's eyes widened as she realized he was about to do something. Without a word, he picked her up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder, as if she weighted nothing. The entire hall burst into shouts of encouragement as he marched out, carrying her royal posterior, up in the air. He climbed the stairs and walked the corridors leading to his chambers, pleased to see the mouths of those witnessing the scene, literally hanging open. In his room, he tossed her bluntly onto the bed, than crawled on top of her, like a predator. He kept looking at her, right in the eye, his large body pinning hers to the mattress.

- "Are you done acting the barbarian?"

- "Hardly! Several other... things come to my mind."

- "You do not frighten me! Force yourself on me again; I'll wear the bruises you leave like a badge of honor!Go ahead! Be done with it!"

Without blinking, Rollo's eyes stared into hers. Force yourself again. He brought his head down to her and inhaled deeply the sent of her skin.

- "You are a liar Eva, a very beautiful one. I never forced anything, we enjoyed each other. "

She neither accepted nor rejected his proximity. She simply stood, clenching her skirts. He touched her hair and took his time to study her, smoothed an eyebrow and traced the contour of her mouth.

- "Some men would find pleasure in breaking you by force. But I do not want you lying dead-still beneath me, tolerating my touch. I have no taste for frigid women."

A pained look crossed Eva's face. Rollo made her want to throw herself into his keeping and forget all she had painfully suffered. But it was hard to open up. Having been self-reliant for so long, she doubted she could change.

- "What is it? What's going on in that steel mind of yours? You don't need to fear me or fight me, I am not your enemy."

- "From where I stand Rollo, it's quite hard to believe your words. Prove them. Start by getting off of me."

Rollo huffed amused, got off the bed and went to the table to pour himself some wine. He studied her while he drank. She really was beautiful; but she wasn't his. He was richer than an Jarl, handsome and strong. Any woman would open up for him. Even Eva.
The trouble was, she would not open her heart.