Baldur sniffed to communicate he acceded this point then addressed Kell. “And what does your master do inland?”
Ho boy. I wasn’t certain Kell would like Frey being referred to as his master.
Kell, however, didn’t miss a beat but he also didn’t share masses of information.
“His wife is unwell.”
“I can hear that. And?” Baldur demanded.
“She caught a chill not long after we set sail. Not bad at first but it got worse. Laid up in bed, soundin’ funny and sick as a dog. None of the medicine we got onboard was doin’ her any good, The Drakkar set anchor and came ashore to go inland, find a doctor, get her somethin’ to help her so we can be on our way and she’ll quit sufferin’.”
“And you’re on your way to where?” Baldur asked.
“Chateau in Hawkvale. They got a baby to make,” Kell answered. “The Drakkar likes seein’ to that particular duty and didn’t want any distractions.”
I sighed heavily mainly because I would normally sigh heavily at Kell’s highly personal answer but also because I figured Sjofn would sigh heavily at Kell’s highly personal answer.
Baldur stared at Kell with distaste. My eyes slid to Broderick to see his on me and they were twinkling. He thought that was funny and I could tell by the way he was looking at me Sjofn would share in his humor so I gave him a little shrug and a small smile and his twinkle got brighter.
“Seems to me The Drakkar could send a man inland to find medicine for his wife so he could stay aboard and tend her,” Baldur noted and my eyes went back to him.
“And seems to me you don’t know my master much, I’m guessin’. Errand’s important, he don’t send no one to do it. The man does it himself,” Kell replied, Baldur straightened in his chair, obviously not liking Kell’s tone.
“Indeed,” Baldur murmured, scowling at Kell.
“He’s being very kind,” I put in, still rasping, I lifted my hand delicately to my throat as Baldur’s attention went from his angry contemplation of Kell to me. “I told him I would be all right, given time. But he’s concerned.”
“Taken with her, he is,” Kell added. “Don’t like to see her sufferin’ and also don’t like not gettin’ his husbandly privileges ‘cause she’s sufferin’, if you take my meanin’, yer grace.”
“I do indeed,” Baldur sniffed through a lip curl which, as much as I didn’t like this guy, I had to admit was pretty good, “take your meaning, my dear sir.”
“I’m pleased to hear this, Sjofn,” Broderick said quietly and I looked to him. “That The Drakkar has taken to you. This is lovely news.”
I smiled at him, he smiled back and it wasn’t understanding, like he knew Sjofn’s secret and felt for her; it was genuine, like he was truly pleased her arranged marriage was working out.
“We suit,” I whispered, taking the rasp down a notch because I was whispering but also saying it with feeling because it was true.
“I’m pleased to hear this too, cousin,” Broderick replied on another sincere smile and I smiled back.
“Well, I cannot say this comes as a surprise,” Baldur declared and I looked to him. “He practically dragged you from the Dwelling of the Gods. Vulgar, most assuredly, but telling.” He smiled at me, it was definitely not genuine, and finished, “But who would not be taken with Lunwyn’s Winter Princess, far and away the fairest beauty in that frigid land?”
I wasn’t all that hot on him calling Lunwyn frigid. It was, of course, frigid, strictly speaking, but there were nicer words to use.
It was then there seemed to be some commotion outside. The guards inside went on alert, four closing in on their king and two immediately going out the tent opening.
I turned in my chair, peering around Kell to see what was happening and didn’t have to wait long when one of the guards rushed back in, bowed and said to the furs, “The Drakkar is here.”
Uh-oh.
My eyes shot upwards, caught Kell’s and I saw his mouth surrounded by his bushy, white beard was tight.
Shit.
Then I leaned around again to look beyond Kell to see Frey, followed by Thad, Orion, Max, Annar, Lund and Oleg striding purposefully into the tent and Frey was looking pretty freaking displeased.
Uh-oh again.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded to know before he got five feet into the huge tent and I rose quickly, intent to move to him and find some way to give him a head’s up regarding what was afoot.
“You don’t bow to the king of the land whose soil your boots tread upon?” Baldur asked and he sounded pissed too, pissed and full of outraged affront.
Frey halted beside Kell, bowed shallow and swift, not bothering to wait for his command to rise. I got close to him, putting my hands on his chest, I pressed in as hard as I could and tipped my head back.
Then I rasped, deeper and far more harshly, “Husband, it is my duty to attend a king when called upon to do so.”
Frey’s brows shot together and his head jerked down to look at me the instant the first word came out of my throat.
“You get that medicine you were after, master?” Kell asked casually and Frey tore his eyes from me to look at Kell.
Then, cottoning on quickly, as was his way, he clipped, “No. I heard word the king’s men were at shore and, hearing that, I was certain he would call on my bride so I abandoned the search and returned instantly.” His eyes moved to Baldur as his arm moved to circle my waist and he pulled my front close to his. “And I was not wrong, the king called upon my bride.”
“Of course,” Baldur stated. “She is my niece which means you are now my nephew and the moment I heard your ship was anchored offshore, we rode to extend familial greetings.”
Frey’s jaw went hard.
Then he returned, “That is kind, your grace, but if we were in Middleland for an official visit, rather than to run a swift errand, we would have sent word and come to you to extend our familial greetings. Now my wife, who should be abed, is out in the cold.” He looked at Kell. “Did you not inform his grace that Finnie was ill?”
“Finnie?” Broderick whispered but Kell spoke over him.
“Sure did, master,” Kell answered and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing. “He said he’d send men aboard to attend her but she wasn’t hearin’ none of it. Said it was her duty and so on.” He flipped out a hand which eloquently (or as eloquent as Kell could be) said what he felt about royal duty. “So she dragged her carcass outta bed, got all tarted up and here we are.”
At that, I had to press my lips together harder. I caught a look at Thad as he was standing at Frey’s back right and I saw his jaw clench. It made him look annoyed but my guess was Thad thought Kell was pretty amusing too.
“My wife informed you she was ill and you sent word you intended to disturb her in her rest by sending men to my ship if she didn’t attend you?” Frey asked, his voice low and rumbling and unmistakably infuriated.
“It didn’t happen exactly like that, Drakkar,” Baldur stated.
“Then maybe you’ll explain exactly how it happened,” Frey mock-suggested. That was to say, it wasn’t a suggestion at all.
“It hardly takes two days to seek medicine, which is at least the amount of time you’ve been anchored off Middlelandian shore,” Baldur shot back and I tensed as he shared this information.
“Perhaps you don’t know your niece very well, your grace, she dislikes being ill, refused to admit she was and has an aversion to being tended. It took me that long to convince her I should go,” Frey totally lied.
“This is true, Father, Sjofn has always been a poor patient, as you know when she caught flu during that visit when she was sixteen,” Broderick put in smoothly then smiled at me. “Remember, cousin, I had to resort to sneaking medicine in your tea.”