She led him back to the hill in silence. The jarls stood in a circle around the altar, and the king waited on the opposite side of the stone table, a young lamb in his arms. Once Camden reached his place, King Gunnar laid the bleating animal on the slab and offered Camden a dagger. Though it turned his stomach to do so, Camden took the blade and thrust it into the animal’s heart.
One by one, he visited each stone in the henge and painted the rune symbolizing one of their deities upon its pale surface with lamb’s blood. And with each one, he swore himself to their everlasting service.
When it was done, he returned to the altar and knelt. “I pledge myself to the gods and to Ridaeron,” he said in a clear voice, careful to make sure he spoke every syllable in the guttural and harsh language correctly. Then, before he could stop himself, he added, “I pledge myself to my queen. All I have, all I am, is hers.”
A low murmur spread over the spectators, and he picked up the gist of a few comments. Some had expected him to bow out, to die as an Eislander before he accepted their ways. They didn’t know him well. If he was anything, it was stubborn.
What good could he do upon a ship in Eisland, when he had a far better chance of saving his people from within the kingdom of their enemy?
It seemed a worthy sacrifice.
“Rise now,” Brynhildr said, eyes glittering with unconcealed pleasure. She turned a smug smile to her husband, who only looked increasingly agitated, his mouth drawn into a tight frown. When she gazed upon Camden, nothing but warmth remained. “With this sunrise you are reborn a son of Ridaeron. From this day forward, you are to be known by all as Sigurd.”
* * *
Queen Brynhildr and Camden will return this fall in Sigurd and the Valkyrie. We hope you enjoyed Caecilia’s story of redemption, as well as the foray into the Ridaeron Dynasty. Many of you have been asking when we would get to their culture, and now it’s finally time!
In the meantime, if you need more merpeople, check out Nicole’s solo work.
Return to Atlantis
Other Books by Vivienne
Fairy Tale Retellings
Beauty and the Beast
Red and the Wolf
Goldilocks and the Bear
Belle and the Pirate
Zarina and the Djinn
Rapunzel and the Griffin Prince
Fantasy Romance
Fantasy and Dragons or Mermaids
All That Glitters
Return to Atlantis
Sci-Fi Romance
Super Sexy Aliens, Cyborgs, Psychics.
Reverse Harem Romance
Three Greek gods, one reincarnated modern goddess
Divine Ambrosia
Paranormal University
College has never been this exciting. Or hot.
The Hidden Court
The Scary Godmother
Birds of a Feather
Dragons
Loved by the Dragon
Smitten: Dawn of the Dragons #2
Crush on a Dragon: Dawn of the Dragons #3
God of Mischief: Dawn of the Dragons #4
Military Shifters
Hot and Wild military alphas
The Right to Bear Arms (Book #1)
Let Us Prey (Book #2)
The Purr-fect Soldier (Book #3)
Old Dog New Tricks (Book #4)
Texas Pride (Book #5)
A Man of Many Talons
Impractical Magic
Impractical Magic
Better Than Hex (Impractical Magic #2)
Blood Heiress
Blood Kissed
Werewolves of San Antonio
Training the Alpha
Mythological Creatures
Making Waves
Epic Fantasy by Dominique Kristine
Shadows for a Princess
A princess who would rather die than wed. A warrior priest who would rather kill than see her harmed. A kingdom of shadows and treachery that threatens them both...
* * *
At the age of twenty-eight, Princess Ysolde Westbrook is a spinster duchess, the adopted daughter of Hindera's eccentric monarch. Commoners love their benevolent leader, but the kingdom's gentry take offense to the outsider among them. Amid noble plots and demands for her to marry a local aristocrat, an assassination attempt places her life in peril--if she will not have one of them for a husband, they would sooner see her dead.
Finding allies in strangers with powerful gifts and even darker secrets, Ysolde must learn what it means to lead and find her own inner strengths. Whether or not she survives the tangled web of treason will determine the fate of her duchy, the royal family, and the kingdom she loves.
About the Author
Vivienne Savage is the pen name of two best friends who write everything together. One works as a nurse in a rural healthcare home in Texas and the other is a U.S. Navy veteran. Both are mothers to two darling boys and two amazing girls.
All of their work varies in steam level, so pop by the VS website for details on which series is right for you!
For more information
www.viviennesavage.com
[email protected]
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