Now we come to a part of mine in the story. I continued in the farming as usual and I was also invited to the wedding. Of course I was made to prepare but my mistress Helga Hofferson wanted me to partake in the feast. Though after the official union ceremony, they were holding a sacrifice of a yak. I requested if Father Armonde, Fergus, the other priest, and I would be allowed to leave when said sacrifice was conducted and ironically she allowed us.

I was made to serve the others there and ironically, I was just made to set all the food for everyone to pick and choose rather than serve course by course. It was unusual but there was nothing immoral about it.

"Alright, some drink Louis," Helga requested.

As I went to pour her drink, I noticed her mug was full and then she handed me a mug instead.

"Some for yourself please," Helga demanded.

"Well, who am I to refuse such courtesy?" I said.

But it was not the drink I was accustomed to. I was used to the sweet taste of wine and this was even more bitter than the ale of the highlands of the lands of the Picts and Celts themselves. I had a sour look on my face as soon the laughter in the room, even from Fergus himself meant that I was to drink the ale simply for the entertainment of everyone else.

"Oh my, that's certainly not wine!" I exclaimed.

"No," chuckled Helga. "It's a proper drink of the northerners! That's our own classic Berkian lager!"

"Well if you can handle that drink, then you can certainly handle the ale we have among clan Dunbroch to be quite…FRANK!" Fergus joked to the amusement of those in the highlands.

"I hope you don't take offense at that because those who Picted a fight with him have regretted it!" Fergus joked along with him.

"Oh don't be overly Germanic," I replied jokingly. "I should get back to serving you all, especially the bride and groom."

"Oh no, you're just fine," the bride said.

"We want to see how you handle the ale," the groom declared.

I was afraid he would say that as I wasn't sure if this was an attempt to humiliate me or simply to see my reaction to the bitter ale of the north. My tastes in strong drink were always the sweet kind. But seeing how far north they were, it was obvious that no grapes grew in this region. I remembered that most slaves wouldn't be treated this well in most societies and I also remembered that in every situation we should give thanks to the Lord. I eventually grew accustomed to it and finished the lager and surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad.

"He did it!" the groom cheered. "He's okay! I see why my sister wanted him as a slave."

"Oh he's more than just a slave to me brother," Helga replied. "His knowledge in foreign languages as well as farming and his strength make him a valuable asset which is why I need him in good health. Besides he has great stories to tell to."

"Well ultimately I have one purpose and that is to serve God and hope to point you in the direction of the one true God that you might all accept Him," I said.

"It baffles me how your God only asks us to worship Him alone and no other gods," the groom declared. "Plus many around here want to kill you for suggesting such a thing."

"Than if I must die for the seed of God's church here to be planted in Berk, then so be it," I replied. "Plus if I were to run away when there is a group of people unreached by the Gospel, then what kind of man would I be? I do this all for the Lord."

"You see?" said Helga. "His God commands him to be subservient, yet at the same time he himself can be stubborn in other areas such as the traditions of his people in only worshiping one God. He's subservient and yet willful at the same time. I like that."

"Perhaps he could help in the future should my wife be with child in the future," the groom said.

"I certainly hope so because I was the last son of my family," I replied. "I was about to become a priest and take my vows but now I'm here as a Berkian's slave now."

"Well you're Berkian now," said Helga. "Slave or not, you're one of us and I hope you feel the same way."

I didn't feel like a Berkian. The one place I could go to find comfort was in my prayers. But even the way they ate as well as their everyday behavior was strange. Some actions which I originally thought were immoral were really just different as they didn't violate any Scriptures. But still it seemed strange and there was little to no comfort of the ordinary.

Though apparently, I was soon to find out that I was about to endure some of the same trails as that of Joseph when he was Potiphar's slave in Egypt. It was after the feast that I had prepared the wedding suite. I then began to move some of the furniture in hopes to keep busy. Unfortunately, Helga had other plans. It was later that I soon saw that Helga had been wearing a robe of bear's fur as she had just come from bathing and as she moved to put a comb away, she had left her lower leg up to her knee exposed which placed me in a very uncomfortable position. She then turned and smiled at me and I turned away slightly blushing at her grin.

"You know, we have the night alone and downstairs here, it's just you and me," Helga said seductively.

"No, I cannot do this!" I refused.

"Do you not like women?" Helga questioned.

"Of course I like women. But you know I was meant to become a priest, right?" I replied.

"But you're not a priest yet and I know enough from Father Armonde the details of a priest's life which you have yet to take up," Helga replied as she then pushed me to her bed with her right hand on my chest. "Besides, would you deny the will of your mistress? After all, you are my property."

"If it meant obedience to God and a respect to your virtue then yes," I replied as I gently pushed her away. "Besides, I may be your property but you are not mine and by making love to you, I'd be stealing from you what God commanded me not to take. It is against the commands of God for a man to make love to a woman who isn't his wife or a woman to make love to a man who isn't her husband! Plus Saint Paul said in his first letter to the church in Corinth that the husband's body is the property of the wife as well as that of the wife's body being the husband's property and the one thing I like about your culture is that a woman is allowed to have property and by doing this, I would feel even worse than if I had violated the virtue of a Frankish woman!"

"My father died when I was very young and my mother was left alone to look after my older brother, my sister, and I. She couldn't inherit property and thus she had to give me away to the church in order that I could be taken care of! Though some of your ways are what I consider backwards, this way of women owning property and receiving more respect under the law is ahead of the ways of most of the mainland in Christendom itself, especially as the men have not been living up to their Christian values. If I were to make love to you, I'd not only be dishonoring the ways of my people but also be dishonoring the ways of your people even more so and dishonoring God! Have you already given away your virginity so easily?"

"I never thought of it that way before, especially as most Berkians don't consider waiting till marriage to make love," said Helga.

As she said that, my heart sank seeing as fidelity in marriage wasn't as prized. In most ways, these heathens were a barbaric people and seeing how lightly they took such physical intimacy broke my heart. But what words came from her next warmed my heart and gave me some slight hope.

"That is a beautiful romantic custom you Franks have," said Helga. "I myself have not known a single man on Berk because I turned down so many among Haddocks, Haggerman, Ingerman, even those pigheaded Jorgensons, because they only sought me as a prize in hopes of sharing something with me. In truth, you're the first I offered myself to at all. But seeing as you treasure a virgin bride through the eyes of my own people as well as through the eyes of your own people and sanctified by the will of your God, it's the most romantic and most beautiful way of treating a woman I've ever seen."

She ironically blushed as she smiled. Though part of me wanted her, much to my dismay. I was afraid that I might be being engulfed by lust. But I also admired and admonished her for her respect to the ways of my own Franks as well as the respect for my decisions and my faith and I realized that I was in love with her. But part of me was ironically still angry with her that I wasn't in Francia anymore. But it gave me hope that she was still a virgin even knowing what went on in their culture but I was still wondering if I'd be whipped for disobeying orders as I technically went against her command.

"So, am I to be beaten for disobeying your orders still?" I asked.

"Oh I'll beat you alright," Helga replied. "Just not with any physical force. It's time that you and I have some other kind of fun to both our likings; especially with a game I hope you'll enjoy, Maces and Talons."

"Thank you mistress," I said.

"Though I must admit, I have never met anyone who respects me in the perspectives of my own people while in a completely different religion. It's really sweet," Helga replied as she then kissed me.

I was wide eyed at first and blushed but then closed my eyes briefly and kissed back. I didn't know if it was wrong or not but I remembered reading nothing in the Scripture forbidding lip to lip contact