Chapter 6
Rollo felt the warmth of Gisla as she rested near him and was pleased. It was almost as if she was a perfect fit under his arm. He knew he should be sleeping but he could not bring himself to do it. If he were not awake he would miss this moment.
Her soft breath moved the strands of his beard in rhythm, and her heart was so near his he could feel every beat of it. There was a unity in this moment. A balance. And all of it would melt away at first light like the dew off the grass in the morning.
What he would give to spend a lifetime in this moment. For this was the time it was just the two of them together as people. She was not a princess and he was not a Viking. They were simply two people here together.
Gisla stirred a little. "You are still here." She mumbled in a half awake voice.
"Yes. You said I could stay a little while longer."
"That was hours ago." She reminded him.
"A few hours is only a little."
"But suppose we are discovered?"
"Do not fret," he said in reassurance, "I will be gone before anyone sees. Go back to sleep princess. We will not be found."
"It looks like a garden fell from the sky." Gisla heard a maid whisper in the morning.
She opened her eyes to find herself covered in tiny white flowers and tangled green stems. She must have fallen asleep with the flowers in her hand and forgotten all about them.
"What is all this?" The matron in charge of the maids asked Gisla.
"It is…well… I…" Gisla started as she tried to think of an explanation. She finally settled for, "They are here because I wanted them to be. I am ready to be dressed now."
The matron gave a stern look and for the briefest moment Gisla thought she saw the woman's eye focus on the other side of the bed.
"Very well, princess." The woman answered in a brisk way.
Gisla tried to suppress the panic that was rising inside her. The woman had seen something.
The sun was pleasant outside in the gardens and Gisla walked to and fro across the court yard. She needed to find the mysterious night visitor, she simply must speak to him and tell him that he could not come to her again. Her skin crawled at the idea of all the stories her maids must already be spreading about her.
Down one particular garden row she spotted what she was looking for. There among the neatly kept rows of flowers was a plot full of muguet. The ground around the flowers had been trampled and flowers had been taken. This was the spot her bouquet had been collected from. She sat down on a near by bench and prepared to wait. She hoped he would come again, this was the only clue she had.
A disturbance entered the garden and Gisla looked over her shoulder to find the heathen over on the other side of the court yard throwing rocks at birds. Gisla whipped around not wanting to look at him any longer. She did not know why he always had to ruin things.
By and by the commotion stopped and she hoped he had gone to his Frankish lessons for the day. She was very grateful for those lessons, for it kept him preoccupied and away from her for at least a few hours of every day. Quiet again returned to the garden, but then was broken by foot falls. Gisla looked up to see that the pagan was approaching her.
She glanced about looking to see if she was alone except for him. No one else seemed to be in the entire area. She gave a nervous swallow. No one would be around to help her if he attacked.
He sat down on the far side of the bench and looked at her expectantly. Gisla dropped her gaze to her hands and began to fidget nervously. What did he want with her? Had she not made it clear enough to him she wanted nothing to do with him? Soon the Cardinal would return and this sham of a marriage would be over. Soon she would be free of this oppressor.
He scooted closer and she felt her heart leap into her throat. She jumped up from where she was sitting. She had to leave. She trembled in fear as she walked past him. She knew he could reach out and grab at her at any moment.
He did nothing to stop her and as soon as she was past him she picked up her feet and started walking faster. She then heard a sound, and even though she was not a safe distance away she had to turn and see what it was. He was laughing at her. Gisla felt her cheeks color red. She was not accustomed to any one ever laughing at her. What could it be that he found so funny?
Her night visitor had once asked what her husband had ever done against her, and now Gisla was beginning to count the ways.
A slight stirring in her bed chambers alerted her that her visitor had returned. She readied herself to deny him entrance into her bed no matter what he said. She had already risked too much. She felt the bed shift and sat up.
"You may not get in. You may not stay here another night." She said in her most regal voice, hoping to intimidate him.
"Oh, and what has changed since last night?" He asked as he turned down the covers and slipped between the sheets.
Gisla did not feel light hearted at his antics. "Get out." She said when she saw what he was doing.
When she realized he was not moving she began to shove at him and told him again to leave.
Her pushes did nothing to move him and only caused him to laugh. He then moved so that he was in the middle of the bed and Gisla had to retreat to the edge.
Gisla began shoving at him once more, "No, I said get out, not 'move farther in'. Do as I say. You cannot be here."
"And why not?" He asked his voice giddy with amusement as her little hands pushed at him.
"You cannot stay here because people are growing suspicious. I cannot have people thinking I invite strange men into my bed. I would be disgraced."
"But you do invite strange men into your bed," the man almost giggled, "besides you would not be disgraced if I was found here."
Gisla was losing all patience with him, "How dare you imply that I am not a virtuous woman. I am not some whore. The people of Paris would be scandalized if they knew you were here."
"No they would not. Many of them would actually be impressed I think."
"Why would they be impressed?" Gisla asked her voice tinged with scorn.
"Because like I already told you I am a very important man."
"No," Gisla corrected, "you said you were a very strong man."
"Well I am that too." He conceded, his voice filled with pleasure. "Goodnight princess." He said and then rolled over to his side of the bed.
"No you cannot stay. You must leave and not return. You cannot come here to speak with me again." She began to push at him again.
A rumbling laugh escaped him and he answered, "I do not come to speak with you. I am simply here because your bed is more comfortable than mine. Now be quiet I wish to sleep."
Gisla did not give up on her pushing, but soon realized it was pointless. Reluctantly she lay back against the pillows.
"I am glad you see things my way." The voice taunted her.
"I do not see them your way," Gisla snapped, "I simply cannot move you because you are too fat."
Author's Note: Please review, each one means so much to me.
