Chapter 13

The ships docked at the port near Rollo's home in Francia. They had arrived late into the night, so Rollo invited everyone to make camp for the night before leaving for Kattegat the next day. Bjorn had accepted the offer and ordered the men to set up camp for the night.

Ylva waited as the men rushed off the ship to make camp before stepping onto the dock herself, but the moment her foot touched the dock she was swept up by a pair of strong arms. Halfdan lifted her with his strong arms and spun her around before pulling her in close for a kiss.

"I've missed you," Halfdan said breathily with a huge grin on his face.

Ylva planted a small kiss upon his lips in response, "and I you."

Halfdan's grin widened as he gazed happily at Ylva standing before him. Their moment was interrupted when a laughing Harald slapped his brother on the back, "come brother, you can enjoy your woman later. Rollo has invited a few of us to spend the night in his castle." Harald gestured to the enormous stone structure that stood beyond the docks.

A few of Rollo's men came to the docks to escort the invited party to the castle. Harald began walking toward the men and Halfdan offer Ylva his elbow, which she accepted, before guiding her to the group of waiting men.

They were led into the castle with Rollo at the head of their party. They were greeted by a young scowling woman with dark hair. The moment Rollo took a step towards this woman she began screaming at him. Rollo did his best to calm her, but she slapped him square across the face and she stormed out from the hall.

The men snickered, and all gave Rollo knowing looks, as though they all were well aware of the consequences of doing something that angered their respective women. Halfdan snickered beside Ylva as well. Unbeknownst to the group, Ylva understood the entire altercation. She listened to the woman's insults and hatred towards the group. While the men laughed and joked with Rollo, Ylva's eye cautiously roamed the room looking for weapons and escape routes in case Rollo's wife decided to order her soldiers to attack them.

A few servants entered the room shortly after to escort everyone to their chambers for the night. Everyone was given separate rooms in the large castle, but when the servants tried to escort Ylva to a separate room Halfdan wrapped a protective arm around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, unwilling to be separated from her.

The servants looked exchanged looks with each other and tried to coax the pair into separate rooms, but Halfdan would not allow such a thing to happen. The servants tried in vain to separate the two, but without sharing a language.

"What is the problem here," asked Rollo's wife as she walked down the hallway towards them. The servants frantically tried to explain to their lady that the two Vikings refused to be separated into separate rooms.

"Of course they don't," she said with a disgusted look. "They want to soil my home with their unwed romping," she paused as she looked at the Ylva and Halfdan. "Show them to the dungeons, they can be together there. Chained."

The servants looked at each other before one left to fetch some guards. "Pardon, my lady," Ylva began in the language of Francia, "but we do not mean to offend you. My husband is just very protective and wishes to keep me at his side at all times."

"You speak Frankish," Rollo's wife asked.

"Yes, I was born here in Paris. I was taken during the Viking raids."

An angered expression took hold over Rollo's wife's face, "allow me to have my guards take you from this man, I will welcome you into my household and free you from this savage pagan," she spat the last few words with a hate-filled look towards Halfdan and his hold around Ylva's waist.

"You are very gracious, my lady," Ylva said with a sweet smile, "but you misunderstand. This is my husband, he saved me from being taken against my will and has been kind to me. I would like to stay with him as he wishes."

"Very well, but should you change your mind you must come find me," with that, Rollo's wife waved off her servants and left the pair alone to enter their shared chamber.

Once Halfdan shut the chamber door behind them, he turned sharply towards Ylva, "you speak their language?"

"I speak many languages," Ylva responded as she walked towards the large bed in the room.

"What did you say to her?"

Ylva looked back at Halfdan with a smirk, "I told her that I was stolen away during the viking raids and you stepped in before my innocence could be forcefully taken." Ylva then took on a tone of false bravado, "and through your acts of heroism, I fell in love with you and we married."

Ylva laughed softly as she laid back on the bed, but Halfdan did not laugh or move to join her. Ylva sat up only to see a serious look on his face as he gazed at her intensely, "Halfdan?"

He didn't respond, he just strode across the room and pushed Ylva back down onto the bed and began attacking her lips with his own as he began tugging at her clothes. His tongue found its way into her mouth as his hips ground against hers, eliciting a soft moan from her.

Her moans sent a shiver through his body and her began to leave wet kisses against her jaw and down her neck and her back arched upward towards his touch. Halfdan chuckled at her eagerness and pushed her back down upon the bed as he continues his assault upon her neck and collarbone.

Halfdan paused his kissing and pulled Ylva's clothes off of her and threw them across the room before resuming his kissing, only moving slightly further down with each kiss. Ylva squirmed beneath his lips in anticipation. He was taking his time making his way down to her wet, eager center. She was moving her thighs together, trying to create some friction between them, but Halfdan quickly separated them as a sly smile crept across his face.

Halfdan ceased his kissing upon her stomach and returned to her jaw, moving much slower down the length of her than he did before, causing Ylva to growl in frustration. Halfdan chuckled against her skin sending vibrations through her body, intensifying the sensation of his lips against her body, but she held still knowing he would only start over and move even slower if she moved.

His kisses progressed further and further down her body, slowing down to pay special attention to the soft, sensitive skin inside her thighs. His beard gently grazing her lower lips causing Ylva's control to slip and she moved her hips closer towards his wonderful lips. Halfdans lips stopped in response and he sighed before moving himself back up her body.

Ylva let out another frustrated growl as she threw Halfdan off her and onto the bed beside her. Ylva planted herself above him, her knees pressing his shoulders down into the bed. She could feel his hot breath against her lower lips as she held herself above him before she lowered herself and sat upon his face.

Halfdan chuckled once more against her before giving in to her desires and ran his tongue along the length of her slit. Licking, biting, and sucking at her lips. Paying special attention to her most sensitive nub by running circles over with his tongue. Ylva moaned in response as she moved her hips in rhythm with his touch. Ylva's head fell back and she arched her back, as she found her release. Pleasure raked through her body as she rolled off of Halfdan gasping as the pleasure slowly ebbed from her body.

Haldan remained beside her, licking her sweet juices off his lips as he patiently waiting for her to come down from her climax. He rolled over and began gently tracing a scar on her abdomen, waiting for her breathing to slow.

"Ylva, my love," Halfdan said softly.

"Shhh," Ylva responded as her fingers began to absentmindedly run through the unshaved half of his hair.

Halfdan groaned at her response and stood up from the bed. He harshly removed his clothes before returning to the bed. He flung himself at her, nuzzling his face into the space between her breasts. "Come my love, surely you will not be so cruel," Halfdan pleaded.

Ylva merely let out a soft laugh in response before running her fingers through his hair once more, only this time her fingers tightened, and she roughly pulled his head up to her lips. She kissed him softly and slowly, enjoying the lingering taste of herself on his lips.

Halfdan responded to her gentle kissing by wrapping his arms tightly around her and held her firmly against him. Her body fitting perfectly against his. Halfdan's shaft throbbed with desire as its proximity to her warm flesh fed his arousal.

Ylva moaned in response to feeling his member press hard against her, and she reached down between them to stroke his shaft. Halfdan groaned loudly as he nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck, placing soft whisper kisses on the sensitive skin.

Halfdan gently stopped Ylva's hand and slowly positioned himself above her. Lining himself up her looked into her bright green orbs as he entered her depths. Ylva gasped softly as her walls stretched pleasantly to embrace his girth. Halfdan slid slowly in and out of her warm folds, enjoying the feel of her around him.

He continued thrusting slowly into her enjoying the feeling of her fingers tracing circles along his back and relishing the soft, sweet moans that escaped her lips as they both grew closer and closer to their climax.

As Halfdan felt himself nearing his end, he spoke, "my Ylva." He received a soft moan in response and he wrapped her tightly in his embrace as his came. He breathed in her scent as he finished, again placing soft kisses along the curve of her neck as they drifted to sleep, still joined together.