A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I know that last chapter was pretty intense, so I will just get right into it. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions. HUGE thank you to Ava Safari for beta reading this chapter!
Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten and be on the lookout for chapter eleven soon!
After riding the whole night, King Tom and his party showed no signs of stopping. While Hermione had initially tried to be as difficult as possible, the more leagues that Tom put between her and Thorfinn, the more futile it seemed. She didn't even know if Thorfinn was alive or not, and when she'd asked the man who'd hurt him what he'd done to Thorfinn, he'd only laughed at her.
"You know, I am quite capable of riding on my own," Hermione said snidely to Tom, not caring one whit that he was King, and she ought to show him more respect. "I've been riding since I could walk."
Tom laughed at her, before giving her a condescending smirk, as though she were nothing more than a naughty kitten. "I couldn't do that, Hermione," he said smoothly. "You would take off as soon as I let you out of my arms." To illustrate this, he wrapped his arms tighter around her.
Hermione shuddered in his hold. Tom had initially seemed so charming, but he'd quickly shown her his true colors. If things had been different, she was sure her heart could have been aflutter in her chest to be riding with him, but now she just wanted to get free of him, and back to Thorfinn. Their argument seemed so silly to her now. While she had still not forgiven Thorfinn completely, she felt that they were moving in the right direction.
"I wouldn't do that," Hermione responded smartly. "I'm not stupid. I wouldn't even make it a furlong before you'd catch me."
"My King, perhaps we should let Hermione try to get free," said a female riding on the horse next to him. Hermione had quickly realized that this woman, Bellatrix, wife to Rodolphus, was not her biggest fan. She'd been complaining about Hermione's presense the whole night, and Hermione could feel Tom becoming more and more irritated with her. "I am sure that Fenrir would love to chase her down," she said, smirking evilly.
"Yes, you know how much I love to play with my food before I eat it," Fenrir said, smiling broadly, showing off his red stained teeth. Fenrir was a true Dane, much larger than Thorfinn or Earl Ivar, with dark hair held out of his face in complicated looking braids. He could tell how frightened of him Hermione was, and had delighted in putting all his efforts into scaring her more. He heavily intimated that he ate people and that it was blood that had permanently stained his teeth.
Tom was not amused by the suggestion. "There will be no chasing Lady Hermione down," he commanded, grabbing a strand of her hair. "She is far too precious to me to do something like that."
"If I am so precious to you, then why did you take me away from my family?" she asked, feeling tears form in her eyes when she remembered the way that he'd killed Earl Ivar.
"I didn't take you away from your family, Hermione," he explained. "I took you away from your captors. You told me that the Rowles had taken you away from your own parents, when you were just a girl. You can try to lie to me, but I heard how much you resented them when we talked at the feast.
Hermione blinked back her tears. "I didn't resent them. Ivar was like a father to me! He raised me since I was just a girl, and has showed me nothing but kindness," she snapped back at him. "It was my own father who sold me to Ivar for food rent. And then, my real parents just moved on and forgot me, had several other children. I know that you think you are helping me, my Lord, but you are mistaken."
"You bonded with your jailers, Hermione. It happens to many hostages," Tom said indulgently, as though he was telling her some great secret. "It nearly happened to me as well. But I know what you are truly feeling, and I will help you get your revenge. You must only have faith in me."
"I was not a hostage with the Rowles," Hermione snarled back at him. She could see that now, more clearly than ever. "If anyone is my captor, it is you. Stealing me away in the night like some common thief. I will never have faith in you."
Tom gripped her chin in his hand, forcing her to twist her neck and look at him. She glared at him with all her might, wishing that looks could kill. "Oh Hermione, you are fierce aren't you? It just betrays your true nature," he answered. Hermione could sense that he had not been referring to her celtic heritage in a positive way, though he did seem to enjoy her anger. "I applaud your strength. Not many people would have the guts to speak to me the way that you have today, but I understand that you are under a lot of stress, so I will overlook it for now."
Hermione could take the hint that she had pressed her luck with the King too far this time, and she didn't want to do anything that could lead to her death. She still had hope that she could work her way out of this mess and get back to the Rowles. Her stomach churned when she remembered the sight of Thorfinn on the forest floor, and she prayed to herself that he was okay and hadn't been killed as well. Poor Osthryth. Hermione couldn't even begin to imagine how much she must feel.
"My Lord," Rodolphus - who seemed to be the King's most trusted man - said from his horse. "We should be reaching Hogschester in less than an hour, if we manage to keep this pace."
Hermione's ears perked up at this. She was intrigued to see Hogschester, even if she wished that it was under different circumstances. She wondered if their library was really as large as it was famed to be, and if King Tom would allow her to visit it.
"Malfoy," the King called to another one of his men. "You will ride ahead and ensure that our rooms our prepared. Make certain that they are aware of our new hostage," he teased. "I am sure that you will find our accommodations to be much better than what Earl Ivar provided."
"You cannot buy me with pretty rooms and dresses," Hermione said, raising to the bait.
"That much is clear," Bellatrix said with a grin. "Your dress wouldn't be fit to clothe a dog in Hogschester," the black-haired woman teased her.
Hermione's cheeks did color at the suggestion, knowing that she had been wearing her best riding dress, because she hadn't wanted to seem out of place with the Notts. However, she had certainly gotten dirty in the scuffle between the King and the Rowles.
"Bellatrix," the King said sharply. "I would like you to help Hermione adjust to her new lifestyle at Hogschester once we arrive. After all, we wouldn't want my future bride to look anything less than the part. Help her find the tailor to create a suitable wardrobe, and find her dresses to borrow from another Lady while she waits for them to be done," he commanded.
"Yes, my King," Bellatrix said, sounding miserable. Hermione would have laughed that her jibe had landed so poorly with a man she desperately wanted to suck up to, if it wasn't for the fact that she felt just as miserable at the prospect of spending any more time than necessary with Bellatrix. The other woman rode to catch up with her husband, leaving Hermione alone with Tom.
"You can dispense with the charade, my King," Hermione said with a frown. "You have me now and Earl Ivar is dead. You don't have to pretend that it is your wish to wed me any longer."
"Oh, that's where you are wrong, Hermione," Tom cooed, leaning into her. "I still want to marry you. All my advisors have been nagging me for months to find a wife and get her with an heir as quickly as possible, so I will do just that. The fact that picking you annoys them is a bonus, no doubt."
"Because I am a Brigante," Hermione said simply, knowing that the Anglo-Saxons certainly looked down on her. "I thought you wanted to rid the Kingdom of the Celts and the Danes."
Tom smirked at her. "A bit of propaganda, I assure you. You can tell these Ealdormen anything they want to hear, so tired of paying the danegeld, that they will do anything I say," he explained. "I have no particular grudge against the Celts - after all, I am one - nor the Danes. I surround myself with people like Fenrir and you because it makes people like Bellatrix so eager to prove how much better they are. They will do anything I say."
Hermione was a bit impressed with how calculated he truly was. "What's to stop me from telling Bellatrix or Rodolphus that you are just using them?" she questioned, realizing that he'd given her a very powerful piece of information.
"Well, they wouldn't believe you for one," Tom said with a laugh. "But, I am the only one keeping you alive in this city, in this Kingdom. You are here at my pleasure, and I can get rid of you just as easily. I hope that you will keep that in mind," he said, before grabbing her chin again to make her look at him. "You know, I really underestimated how passionate you truly are, my Lady. I think I am going to enjoy our time together."
She violently turned her head out of his grasp, not able to bear being under his heavy gaze for a moment longer. She did not think that she was going to enjoy her time with King Tom for one minute. Before she could think on it much longer, Hogschester began peeking over the skyline. Hermione gasped in surprise at the size of the capital city.
"Yes, it is very large isn't it. I had never seen anything so large when Salazar brought me here all those years ago," Tom said, a bit of genuine fondness in his voice. It was such a juxtaposition from his previous delight in telling her his schemes that he almost seemed like the Tom she'd met on that first night again. "I hate that my court must travel with such frequency, but I confess that I do most enjoy my time spent here."
Hogschester was sprawling and tall. There were buildings several stories high, and every chimney had smoke rising from it. Hermione had never seen anything of it's like, and it was certainly impressive to behold. She couldn't believe that if Tom had his way, she would be living here. It seemed to be too much.
The people of the capital came out of their homes once news came that the King was returning, all of them eager to get a look at their young ruler. They seemed equally intrigued by the woman who was sharing his horse, and called after her. Even though she was a truly a hostage, Hermione did not want to appear as though she was beaten down. She sat up straight, proud, doing her best to project that she was meant to be there.
Tom chuckled in her ear. "You look like you wish to be Queen, my Lady," he said. The words were seductive, full of promise. No wife of the King had taken the title of Queen in several centuries, Hermione knew. The woman who married Tom would be known as nothing more than Lady of Slytherin, but she wondered if he had plans to turn that on its head as well. She couldn't imagine what Bellatrix would do should she accept the title.
The royal quarters were located in the center of the town, and were easily spotted by their grand facade. Fenrir was waiting there to help her off of the horse, and he laughed at her when she shoved his hands off of her waist as soon as she found herself back on the ground. Another man came and took the King's horse back to the stables.
"My lady, I have to go speak to the Bishop. However, I believe that the Lady Bellatrix is very excited to show you around your new home," he said grinning at her, as though they were sharing in some secret.
Hermione turned to look at the fake smile that Bellatrix had plastered on her face and resisted rolling her eyes. "If you must," she said snidely to the other woman, taking her offered arm, as was expected of her.
"Pay attention," Bellatrix barked at her. "I am only going to show you this once, and you wouldn't want to get lost. You have no idea where Fenrir could be lurking."
She knew that it was likely an empty threat, but Hermione did heed Bellatrix's advice, keeping her eyes open while she tried to make a mental map of the grounds. The quarters seemed to be built around a lovely garden, which Hermione could see herself walking through during the day. On one end of the courtyard, there was a small chapel, which Hermione doubted she would set foot in. She did not follow this new Saxon god, and if Tom expected her to, then he had another thing coming.
On the other end, there was a hall where the Witen met. "Not that you will be invited to speak at the Witenagemot any time soon," Bellatrix said with a sniff. She led her down a winding hallway, trying to purposely confuse Hermione, she was sure. "And here is where you will be staying," she said, revealing a simple, but well appointed room. It was much nicer than anywhere she'd ever stayed.
"Where is the library?" Hermione asked, wondering why Bellatrix had skipped that part on their tour.
"Library?" Bellatrix asked as if she had never heard of that word before.
"You know, a small room where they would keep records and correspondence of the Kingdom," Hermione explained gently, knowing that it was not a common room for many families.
"I know what a library is you little fool," Bellatrix snapped back at her. "What I don't know is why you would think that King Tom or heaven forbid Bishop Severus would ever let you set foot inside of it," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, the King seemed quite impressed with my ability to read and write," Hermione responded, not caring if she sounded haughty. "I would think that is at least part of the reason why he selected me to be his future bride. It only makes sense that I would have access to it."
"I wouldn't try your luck," Bellatrix said with a grin.
"No problem. I will just have to ask Tom next time I see him," Hermione said, holding Tom's interest in her over the woman's head. There was no reason that she couldn't try to manipulate Bellatrix in the same way that the King did once he explained it to her. "Well, if you refuse to show me the library, you could at least show me where you people bathe. I am terribly dirty after all that traveling."
Bellatrix gave her a look of disgust. Hermione nearly cursed herself for forgetting the Saxon's peculiar distaste of bathing. She could admit that it had been a large adjustment when she first came to live with Ivar's family, but now she couldn't imagine not bathing at least once a week. Perhaps she would just have to find a stream a little ways out of the city.
Thinking about the Rowles made a fresh wave of sadness come over her. "Never mind, Bellatrix, I will just have someone take me tomorrow," she said softly, hoping the other woman would take the hint and leave her alone. "I would like some time to myself right now. There are a lot of adjustments to be made."
Bellatrix didn't need to be asked twice to leave her presence. "Fine. The tailor will be by first thing in the morning, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting," she ordered, before turning and leaving Hermione alone in her new room.
Hermione immediately made her way to her bed, laying down in a heap. Thinking of the way that Earl Ivar had died for her, protecting her, filled her heart with an ache she didn't know she could feel. She wished she'd been more honest with him when he'd been alive. And Thorfinn - how she wished she could tell him that she wasn't that mad at him anymore. She couldn't stand it if he'd died thinking she hated him.
In her heart, though, she knew that Thorfinn was alive. She hoped that he was coming to save her, but she would certainly understand if he didn't. After all, his father had been killed because of her. She wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to see her ever again.
Whether Thorfinn came for her or not, Hermione made a promise to herself that King Tom was not going to get away with this. He might have thought she was resentful of Earl Ivar, but nothing could be further from the truth. If King Tom thought that she was just going to go along with his plans like a good little Saxon, he had another thing coming. People had gone out of their way her whole life to remind her that she wasn't a Saxon, and she was more than willing to embrace that now.
Pulling up her sleeve, Hermione traced the faded blue tattoo that circled her arm just above the elbow. Never had she been so happy to have the reminder of who she truly was. She was Hermione, daughter of Ivar, and she had the blood of Cartimandua in her veins.
She would get her revenge on King Tom, even if she died trying.