Hey everyone! Thank you very much for you support! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Anyway, here is the new chapter and guess what? They get married! Yaaaay! I tried to picture a good representation of what was a traditional Frank wedding (Wikipedia is your friend) and I hope you'll like it.

Thank you again for your support. You are the best of the best!

The day before the wedding, the king invited Rollo to share a meal with him and his daughter. He told Gisla it would be a good idea to know her future husband at least a little bit more. But she just wished she spent less time with him.

Rollo sat on a chair at the end of the table, facing Gisla, her father between them as the servants brought the dishes on the table. There was lamb, carrots, soup, snails and stew. Gisla was sure her father wanted to impress Rollo. She looked at him disgusted by his weakness. She could almost see him bow to her beast of a future husband. Rollo already started to eat. Gisla showed her annoyance. Rollo stoped in the middle of his move as Gisla looked at him disdainfully.

- Here, we eat AFTER we say the grace. But, obviously, a common pagan uncivilized beast like you wouldn't understand

- Gisla, her father said shoked, could you not …

- I will speak to him as I want. I may be his future bride but it won't stop me from treating him like he is, she said looking straight to the northman.

- Forgive my daughter for her harsh words, the king said to Rollo. I'm sure she didn't mean it.

- Yes, father. I meant it! He is the most uncultured beast I ever saw! He is dirty, he stinks, he looks like a pig and I wish he was never born!

She looked at him, smiling, convinced he didn't have a clue of what she said and expecting him to nodd with that dumb grin he had when she insulted him the last time. She wasn't at all expecting what he did.

- I understand, he said with his deep voice.

He looked at her, his eyes, full of admiration and desire. She couldn't take her eyes out of this man she hated. His sight was so intense she felt unconfortable. She finally managed to turn her eyes.

- Let's say the graces then, she said.

The king and her sang a song Rollo once hear Athelstan sing and they began to eat. Rollo was eating like he never eat before. He literally devoured everything he saw. He seemed to enoy the food that was given to him. Then, suddenly, he looked at her and calmed himself. He seemed like he wanted to please her. Then, he saw the snails, he took one and assessed it for a second before he said:

- What is that ?

- This is a very delicate dish only the highest ranked people can taste. I'm sure a great warrior like you can taste it witout feeling disgusted, Gisla said full of herself.

Rollo, put one in his mouth. He chewed it for a second and spat it out. He looked at it, disgusted, and then, he looked at her, puzzeled. It was as if he couldn't understand why people ate these.

- See, father? I told you he was a barbarian, she said. Do you still want to make me marry this man?

- I'm tired. I'm going to bed.

The king stood out of his chair and left the room. As expected from her father, Gisla thought. He will always be a coward. She stayed alone with Rollo withstanding his glowing eyes for a moment. And then, she left the room sayin:

- I'm tired too. I have to be in good shape when they will bury me tomorrow.

Rollo remained in the room, alone with the feeling that his bethroted will be his hardest conquest.

He woke up in the room the king had prepared for him, his heart racing in his chest. Today, he will be finally married.

The minister of god came to him and said it was time for the first step of his wedding. He led him to a great cistern of water made of marble and told him to enter it so he could bless him. He also told that Gisla already did I. Rollo did as he said and dived into the cold water while the priest said some things impossible for him to understand. Once he did that, he came back to his room to change. He braided his hair and combed it all alone. He also trimmed his beard and put on his white tunic he had made. He covered himself with a cloack and put a carved belt made of fine leather around his waist. As a final touch he put some flowers he picked near the tree he used to make the bed, in his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror and all of sudden, he couldn't recognize his own reflection. It was like another man stood in front of him.

Then someone knocked at the door and said:

- Rollo, it's time to go.

He left the room and his reflection to follow Sinric who led him to the church and to his bride.

Gisla was waiting at the entrance of the church. She was wearing a long white dress with golden ornaments on her chest, her waist was emphasized by a golden belt, her hair, hidden by a white veil with floral patterns embroidered in gold thread which was held by a crown. She was beautiful. Everybody in Paris gathered here to watch her being executed. But who could blame them ? She was their princess, of course they would come to see such an important event. She was happy her people came to support her.

Then he came. His imposing stature dressed in a white cloak and a dark cloak. He smiled genuinely at the men that came with him. He stopped immediately the moment he saw her. He looked like he saw the Holy Mother appear in front of him. Gisla never saw such a look. He stopped by her side still staring her and muttered two words with emotion:

- A goddess …

He offered his hand to her, which she grabbed with regrets, and they stepped together forward the alley. A lot of nobles were present including the count Odo, who was smiling, satisfied. A lot of these northmen Gisla hated were here too. It seemed that Rollo was respected among them. They all were clean, smelled good and braided their hair. She even doubted they were these men she saw fighting on the walls of Paris. They stopped in front of the altar and both kneeled on a cushion. From this moment, Gisla's mind was like shut down. It was like she saw the scene happen trough someone else's eyes: the moment they lighted the altar candle, the moment they pronounced their vows, the moment they stood in front of the crowd applauding at them, the moment the bishop gave them the host, the moment they gave each other the precious rings, the moment he looked at her with his genuine smile. It was like she didn't really live it. Then, the sound of the bells woke her up and suddenly she was back to herself, walking by her husband's side.

They headed to the banquet room, crossing the streets of Paris while the crowd congratulated her, telling her she was beautiful. But even so, she didn't smile. She felt so small between the giant, so exposed. They finally entered the throne room where the king was sit and he congatulated them

- As promised Rollo, I will now make you Duke. Kneel before me and kiss my foot as a sign of allegiance.

Rollo looked at him, took his foot and raised it to his mouth, making the king fall on the floor with surprise. He kissed it as he didn't even care and dropped it with a defiant stare. The king was too shocked and scared to even answer back to his unappropriate attitude. Obviously, the moment Rollo did it, all the nobles and the guard that were here gasped. Nobody treated the king like that, he was supposed to be the incarnation of God himself. The northmen, on the contrary laughed at this scene as Rollo turned to them grinning. The gards hastened to the king and tried to stand him up but he strongly rejected their help.

- I'm capable of get back to my feet alone!

Gisla held a laugh. His father was humiliated, that was the best wedding gift she could ask. After all, she thought, it was just good buisness after what he did to her.

They all headed toward the banquet which was well supplied. All started to eat at their seats. Gisla and Rollo were leading the great table. Apparently, the northmen managed to eat according to the frank traditions, which, she tought was probably thanks to Sinric, the wanderer. Count Odo came to her and whispered:

- Congratulation on your wedding princess. You will make a perfect wife for this beast.

- Thank you count. But I think I can take you for responsible of this mascarade. After all, it was you who told my father to give my hand in marriage to this dog she said to the count, a hateful look in her eyes.

- Now that you two are married, how about you call him by his name?

- It's a pagan name. It would burn my tongue in the flames of hell.

- You cannot insult him all your life, he said. One day or another, he will be tired of you and I bet he will kill you.

Gisla stared at him and staightfully said:

- Or I could ask him to kill you. After all, he is my husband

The count stand back, a little bit frightened by what he had probably done to himself. Still shocked, he went back to his seat and stared at her like he was thinking of the best way to kill her without a mark. Gisla smiled with satisfaction, she finally managed to put the count to his rightful place. Her husband was talking with some of his men. She stared at him a long time and decided to talk to him.

- Rollo.

He turned at her, surprised that she knew his name. And even more that she pronounced it.

- I hope you enjoy the food, she said. It's the best you could ever eat.

Then, she turned back to her plate and didn't speak again. Nor she looked at him again. But he couldn't take his eyes off her. He was looking at her the same way he did the first time he saw her.

Her father bent to her ear and told her:

- I asked two knights to escort and serve you when you'll leave. Consider it my wedding gift.

- Are you happy about letting me go, father, Gisla asked with her usual look.

- Every father has to let his daughter go, one day or the other. It was already the case with your sisters. Nothing could make a father suffer more than sending his daughters away.

He kissed her on the cheek and went back to his plate while Gisla looked at him. He looked sad, tired and maybe a little regretful. She surprised herself to think that, maybe, he wasn't such a bad father. Maybe, she thought, her life would be nice with her husband.

She was in front of her mirror, in her room, while servants bustled around, packing the last of her bags. She changed herself for the long trip that was ahead her. She was wearing a long blue dress made of flax with a belt around her waist, a large coat with a hood and a headband made of bronze. Her hair was brushed in two braids that were put on her chest. Then, when the room was empty, she headed toward the door and stopped for a moment, her hand on it. She looked at her room one last time, remembering everything she lived here. She was leaving her home, the only place she ever knew, to follow a man she had been married for a couple of hours. She was leaving her childhood. She shed a single tear on her cheek as she closed the door behind her.

Rollo was packing the bags in one of the three ships they kept when Gisla arrived horseriding escorted by two knights and followed by a cart full of bags. She unhorsed and gazed toward him to give him orders.

- We will take the great road by horse. Your men can take the ships. The journey will take at least 4 days, so we will make some breaks to sleep, to eat and to feed the horses. And I prefer to warn you: I will only sleep in an inn she said smugly.

Rollo asked Sinric who was by his side to translate some of the words she just said. After the translation, he turned to Gisla and stepped toward her, grinning.

- We will do as I planned, princess. You are not in charge here, I am, he said a large smile on his face. And I say we are splitting into two groups: you and I and a few of my men on these ships and the rest of them, your knights and your bags will follow by land. We will do the trip in 2 days. No more, nor less. No inn.

He moved his head so close to his wife he could feel her breath. She seemed a little upset but frightened all the same. When he realized that, he stepped back to turn to his men who were sitting on their places and ordered them to prepare themselves. The northmen who were supposed to travel by land got on their horses while Rollo helped his new wife to get on the ship. When everyone was ready Rollo gave the departure signal.

- Sail ! Move! No breaks until sundown!

Once he gave his orders, the riders left and the sailors began to row. When they lost the sight of Paris, Rollo left the front of the ship to join Gisla at the bottom of it. She was pouting as usual. Apparently she didn't appreciate not to be in charge. He sat next to her and put a blanket on her shoulder. She looked at him, confused and let a little "thank you" coming out of her mouth. Maybe he wasn't so rude after all, she thought.