I lifted to my toes and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
Chapter
25
Gunnar
She loved me. She’d said it.
Even though I’d longed to hear her declaration of love, had hoped she felt the same way I did, I hadn’t wanted to pressure her into saying it before she was ready.
Even now as she peered up at me, her ever-changing brown eyes radiated her love. She’d given up hiding it and was ready to embrace our future together no matter what difficulties would come our way.
Under other circumstances, I would have jumped and whooped then picked her up and swung her around until we were both dizzy and deliriously happy. But with Bernhard marching toward us with half a dozen of his guards, the celebratory mood was rapidly sucked out of me.
The coming encounter was rife with uncertainty, and Bernhard was unpredictable.
“Brother,” Bernhard called, striding to the front of his knights, his long cloak swirling around his legs, his hood shielding his face from view. “I heard the rumors you had gone into Hardanger Forest, but I had not believed them until now.”
Mikaela began to pull away from me, but I slipped my hand into hers again so that she couldn’t sneak away. I wanted her by my side. In fact, henceforth, I didn’t plan to let her go anywhere without me.
“You should have informed me of your plans.” Bernhard’s voice contained a forced lightheartedness that told me more than words that he was angry with me. In going into the forest without his permission or even without his knowledge, I’d slighted his leadership and his need to be in control.
“I had to act quicky.” I tossed him the first excuse I could find, and then realized I was easily falling into my old habit of trying to placate him, saying and doing the things that would hold his ire at bay.
As he crossed the last steps toward me, he took in our connected hands before lifting his attention to Mikaela’s face and studying her with interest.
I was tempted to blurt out that she was mine and I didn’t want him looking at her ever again. Especially in that predatory way he had about him. But before I could figure out how to voice my demand, his gaze darted to Sven and then to Frans.
Kirstin was amongst those crowding around Frans along with Valter and several other domestics. Frans was beginning to stir, their voices seeming to coax him back to life.
“Tell me what happened.” Bernhard pinned a glare upon me. His knights had spread out, raised their torches, and were peering into the forest as though they feared something might come barreling out at any moment. If they knew just how close the jotunn was, they’d likely race back to the castle. Although the jotunn had never been seen outside the forest, I feared what he was capable of doing now that he’d lost Sven and hadn’t captured me.
For a few moments, I relayed the events of my trip into the forest to help Frans. Mikaela listened too, not yet having heard of my near-death experience in the jotunn’s trap.
“Sven came to my aid with Frans.” I nodded toward Sven, who’d knelt beside Frans and was assisting the others in binding his wound more tightly before readying to transport him. “He’s our great uncle and has lived in the forest these many years as the jotunn’s slave. We have just now set him free.” Mikaela deserved the credit for freeing Sven, but I knew Bernhard wouldn’t see her deed as praiseworthy.
“Great uncle?” Bernhard examined Sven again, this time with narrowed eyes. “How can you know for sure he is who he claims?”
“I have his word.” A sliver of wariness pricked me. Ought I to move with more caution regarding Sven? “If his word is not enough, the burn scars on his face validate his identity.”
“If he has worked with the jotunn all these years, what will keep him from harming us?” Bernhard’s tone turned scoffing.
In the past I would have colluded with Bernhard while privately seeking to undermine him. But I had to speak up and be a voice of reason and truth. I straightened my shoulders. “He aided us from the forest and saved our lives. That is proof enough he is a good man.”
“I suppose you consider yourself the expert, now that you have gone into the forest and survived.” Tension oozed from Bernhard’s tone.
My muscles tightened at the coming conflict I’d always worked so hard to avoid. “After the difficult life Sven’s experienced, he deserves to spend his final days in peace and comfort.”
“Knowing so little about him, you would have him live at Likness Castle amongst my wife and children?”
Where else would he live? It was his home. In fact, he had more right to live there than either Bernhard or myself. But saying so would only threaten Bernhard and make him more opposed. “Once you take the time to speak with Sven, you’ll see you have nothing to fear.”
“Perhaps you are right.”
I almost startled at Bernhard’s concession. I’d expected a harder battle, even swift retaliation. This could only mean one thing—that Bernhard was scheming, and I would need to be extra wary. “Sven is a kind man.”
Bernhard rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Yes, and he may prove useful in telling us more about the jotunn’s weaknesses and how best to defeat the creature.”
Prove useful? I didn’t like the sound of that, especially coming from Bernhard. Bernhard would manipulate, connive, and threaten with any means possible to get the information he wanted. And I didn’t want him to do that to Sven. Besides, I knew why Bernhard wanted to kill the jotunn. So that he could have access to the chalice.
For an instant, I waged an inner debate whether to let Bernhard know I was aware that he was working with Rasmus to find the chalice. But I couldn’t take the risk of him trying to stop my mission. For now, I had to pretend ignorance. Perhaps I would even have to take Sven away from Likness Castle and Romsdal and settle him someplace where he would be safe from Bernhard’s wiles.
“Why did you go into the forest after the blacksmith?” Bernhard’s question pierced swiftly, almost as though he’d read my thoughts about the chalice.
“I wanted to help him.”
Bernhard glanced pointedly at my hand holding Mikaela’s. “You went in to aid the man who intends to marry the maiden you are taken with? Why, when you could let him perish and eliminate your competition?”
I bristled at the callousness of Bernhard’s suggestion. “Frans does not deserve to die.”
“Gunnar has my love already.” Beside me, Mikaela spoke quietly but with an undertone of anger. “There is no competition with Frans.”
Bernhard lifted his chin and peered down at Mikaela with a look of contempt I’d seen all too oft when he addressed servants. “Hold your tongue, woman. You are nothing but Gunnar’s newest mistress of the month.”
“No. You hold your tongue, brother.” My body tensed with the need to slam my fist into my brother’s face.
Bernhard wasn’t paying attention to me, however. Instead, his lips curved into a dangerous smirk. “When Gunnar is done with you, maybe I shall have you next.”
Hot anger rushed through me, and I lunged. Mikaela was mine. If Bernhard ever touched her, I’d break his bones, slowly and painfully.
“Wait, Gunnar.” Mikaela wrestled me back to her side.