Sigrid giggled. “It looks as if he has worms growing from his head,” she said.
Frida linked her arm through Sigrid’s. “It is good to spend time with you again, Sister,” she said. “Being married to Torsten is wonderful but it is not the same as having a sister to talk to.”
“I miss you,” Sigrid said. “It is lonely without you sleeping nearby at night. I have no one to talk to.”
They continued their walk through the marketplace, dodging small children and a runaway chicken as they walked through the farmers’ section.
Sigrid laughed. “I would not wish to be that chicken when they catch it,” she said.
“Perhaps it will become chicken soup for their evening meal,” Frida replied.
“The markets are a lot like the village,” Sigrid mused. “People and animals and chores are the same wherever you are.”
“Look! What are those men doing?” Frida pointed into the central square of the marketplace, where a group of men was setting up what appeared to be a platform.
Sigrid looked at the sky. “I would like to find out but it is time we went back. Mother will be expecting us to take a turn serving the customers.”
“We will return tomorrow,” Frida decided. “Perhaps something important is going to happen.”
Early on the second day of the markets, Einar wandered towards the center of the marketplace. There seemed to be an air of excitement and he wondered what was going to happen. When he reached the center, he saw a group of men working on a platform. What was happening? Was someone important going to address the crowd?
“What is the platform for?” he asked a passing man.
“Have you not heard? The King is coming! He will address the people today and we must be ready for him.” The man hurried on his way without a backward glance.
Einar felt excitement rising inside him. He had only caught a glimpse of the King once. He had no duties for the moment; he would wait to see if the King came soon. He did not want to miss hearing what the King had to say.
He stood back to watch the men working to finish the platform. It was almost done and would provide a fine place for the King to stand to address the people. The men were working quickly; it seemed as if they might be trying to make up for lost time.
A moment later, a tall man with wavy dark hair turned his face towards Einar.
“That is Hagen!” Einar gasped aloud.
No one paid any attention and Einar took the opportunity to observe the man who had broken Sigrid’s heart. He was handsome and self-assured; now, he was dressed like a nobleman. Einar supposed that the King had given him an important position in the administration of his affairs, so that was not surprising. Einar looked around; surely in this crowd, Sigrid would not notice the man who had hurt her so deeply. He hoped she stayed well away, safe at her booth.
No sooner had the thought entered his mind than he saw her. Right near Hagen. Worse still, her eyes were fixed on the man who had broken her heart. He watched as a storm of emotions crossed her face; anger, followed by grief and pain.
And then rage took over. She drew in a deep breath, eyes glued to the unsuspecting Hagen’s back. Her face was red and her cheeks were puffed out with the effort of holding all her emotions in check. She looked around, trying to distract herself. Instead, her eyes fell on the ground in front of her, where a passing ox had deposited a steaming heap of dung a short time before. A wooden shovel stood leaning against a cart.
Einar gasped as he saw her looking at the shovel, murder in her eyes. She wouldn’t! Would she?
In one smooth movement, she grabbed the shovel and slid the steaming pile of dung neatly onto its broad head. Eyes narrowed and teeth bared in a fearsome grimace, she darted towards Hagen. With a swift flick of her arm, she raised the shovel high and dumped its load on his head, banging it down hard for good measure.
“How dare you!” she shouted, unleashing a commotion all around her as the men looked up in surprise.
Hagen sank to his knees with a grunt, blinded by steaming green dung running down his face.
“How dare you!” she shouted again. “You are the biggest coward in the land. You ruined my life! How dare you treat me like that!” She hit him on the back with the shovel again.
Einar clapped his hand over his mouth, trying to hold in the great bellow of laughter that threatened to erupt, but he could see that Sigrid now had bigger problems to deal with. A group of men surrounded her, shouting with outrage and waving their fists. Two of them caught her by the arms and dragged her away from Hagen before she killed him with her shovel. Einar hurried towards them.
“Let me go!” she screeched. “He is a coward and a liar and he deserves it!”
“We will not have you hitting the King’s man with a shovel, wench,” one of the men growled. “We will lock you up where you cannot cause any more trouble.”
“No, you won’t,” Einar said with authority. “Take your hands off her.”
“Who are you to tell us what to do?” one of the men sneered. “She has assaulted the King’s man and caused an uproar. She deserves to be punished.”
Einar drew himself up to his full height and flexed his large hands before reaching for the axe strapped to his side. The other men stepped back. “It is against the law to handle another man’s woman!” he said, pure menace in his tone. “She is my betrothed. Now get your hands off her!” he roared, rushing towards them with his axe in his hand. The two men holding Sigrid dropped her on the ground and ran. The others followed, Hagen among them. They knew they were in the wrong and it would not do to be caught just as the King was about to arrive. It was not a fight worth pursuing.
Einar hurried back to where Sigrid was still sitting on the ground.
“Are you hurt?” he asked anxiously, kneeling beside her.
She shook her head, tears spurting from her eyes as the aftermath of the situation set in. “I could not help it!” she sobbed. “I saw him there, going about his life as if nothing had ever happened to him and it felt so unfair! He made my life so hard and he does not even care!”
Einar rubbed her shoulder. “I know. He should suffer the way he made you suffer.”
“I have been the subject of ruthless gossip. Even my own friends no longer treat me the same way they used to. Everyone assumes that I did something wrong!”
“I know,” he soothed. “It is unjust.”
“But it was a foolish thing to dump ox dung on his head. I did not stop to think that he might have many powerful allies nearby.”
“It was not the wisest thing to do,” he agreed. “But it was funny.”
“You saw the whole thing?” her face twisted with mortification. “Why did you not stop me?”
“By the time I worked out what you were about to do, it was too late. Besides, I was enjoying watching him get what he deserved.”
“And yet again, you had to rescue me.” She put her hand over his and looked into his eyes. “You are a good friend, Einar. Thank you.”
They both looked up as someone approached them. Sigrid recognized the young man who had brought them word that the King would be visiting Merilant. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring at him defiantly. Einar stood beside her protectively, ready to deal with more trouble.
“I come in peace,” the young man said. “I am Dag, the messenger of the King.”
“I remember you,” Sigrid muttered warily.
“I saw what happened,” Dag said. “I do not blame you for being angry.”
“I thought you were coming to cause me harm,” Sigrid said tightly.
He shook his head. “No. I came to see if you were hurt.”
“I am fine.”
“Why did you hit him with a shovel full of ox dung?”
Sigrid looked at him. “He is your friend. I am sure you know more about his affairs than I do.”
He sighed. “I believe you deserve an explanation,” he said quietly. “Hagen did not give you one, did he?”
She sh
ook her head, tears threatening. “He sent a messenger to tell me that the betrothal was over,” she said. “He did not have the courage to come himself or to explain why.”
Dag looked uncomfortable. “There is much you do not know,” he finally said. “It relates to the King’s strategies and the politics of the land. But I will tell you this much: the King made Hagen a very good offer if he would marry the widowed daughter of a jarl who converted to Christianity. It offered the King a way of forming a powerful alliance. Hagen found it too tempting to refuse and so his betrothal to you had to end.”
“He is a man of worthless character,” Sigrid sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“He is ambitious,” Dag said. “He wishes to have power and wealth and this was one way he could make that happen. If it is worth anything to you, I think he did regret ending your betrothal.”
“I cannot believe I was fool enough to ever believe that he loved me,” Sigrid said. “He is a liar.”
Dag sighed. “I know that none of this helps a lot but I just thought you deserved to know what happened.”
“Thank you,” Sigrid said, acknowledging his attempt at righting a wrong.
As Dag walked away, she laid her cheek against Einar’s strong arm. “I am so glad you were there when I needed you,” she said. “I shall try to think before I act in such a manner again.”
“I am glad I was there too,” he said. “I am also glad that you got an explanation for what happened to you. At least you know why now. I do not know if that helps.”
“In the future, it will. I need some time to think about it now. I can see now what a shallow and worthless person Hagen is.”
“Do not be too hard on him,” Einar said. “We all make mistakes. One day, he might realize that power and wealth are not as good as having strong ties with family and friends. I know what it is like to lose my family. I would choose them over wealth and power any day. Pity Hagen, for he does not realize their value.”
“They are wise words,” she said. “Now, shall we leave the scene before there is more trouble?”
CHAPTER 11
Leyna couldn’t believe what she had just seen. Sigrid had hit that young man over the head with a shovel full of ox dung! And then Einar had come to her rescue by declaring that she was his betrothed! Never in all her years in the village had anything like this happened. Her eyes sparkled with the delight of a story that was too good to keep to herself. Pushing through the crowd, she hurried back to the booth, where Leopolda was taking her turn at selling their handicrafts and garden produce. Her grey hair bobbed up and down beneath her headscarf and her arms pumped furiously as she rushed to spill the news before Leopolda heard it from someone else.
“You will never believe what just happened!” Leyna exclaimed breathlessly.
“What is the hurry, Sister?” Leopolda looked at Leyna’s sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks and guessed that she had some juicy news to tell.
“That young Sigrid, I always knew she would get herself into trouble,” Leyna said, waving a finger to emphasize her point.
“She is a spirited one,” Leopolda agreed. “What has she done now?”
“She dumped a shovel full of ox dung over Hagen’s head!”
“Was he not her betrothed? The one that ended their betrothal?”
“That is the one. The King’s man. Totally unsuspecting, he was!” Leyna cackled as she recalled the look of shock on Hagen’s face. “It was a naughty thing to do, there is no doubt. But that young man learned the hard way that she was not pleased with his actions. You should have seen him. It was fresh ox dung, still wet. He looked an awful sight with it running down his face!”
Leopolda laughed with glee. “He will not upset Sigrid again,” she said.
“He is an important man who works for the King,” Leyna replied. “But that is not the end of the story.” She leaned close, her eyes wide. “After that, Sigrid fell under the wrath of the King’s men. They grabbed her and dragged her off. They were going to punish her and lock her up where she could not cause any more trouble!”
“What happened?” Leopolda gasped.
“Einar was there and came to her rescue!”
Leopolda was speechless, her mouth open in a wide O of astonishment.
Leyna wasn’t finished yet. “There is more to the story!” she said, breathless from excitement.
“What else happened?” Leopolda asked eagerly.
“The men did not wish to let Sigrid go at first. They argued with Einar. So he told them that they were breaking the law by handling another man’s woman and that she is his betrothed. And then he roared the most terrible roar and lunged at them with his big axe! He was a fearful sight, so huge and hairy and angry. I am not surprised they all ran away. Even Hagen, with the dung still dripping down his face!”
Leopolda clapped her hand over her mouth and stood still with shock. “That is the most amazing thing I have heard in years!” she finally exclaimed. “We must tell Emiline the news.”
And a moment later, the two old women abandoned their booth entirely and rushed over to see Emiline.
It took an hour for the news to reach Minna. Ahren hurried up to her booth with something on his mind.
“Is it true?” he asked eagerly.
“Is what true?” Minna looked puzzled.
“Sigrid chased Hagen with an axe! And then Einar threw ox dung at the King’s men and declared that he is her betrothed!”
Minna looked at him in disbelief even as a sinking feeling descended upon her. What had this feisty youngest child of hers done now? Ahren was standing in front of her, looking eagerly at her for confirmation of his news.
“Sigrid is not here at the moment,” Minna told him. “I cannot tell you if this is true or if it is some fanciful tale invented by gossips and busybodies.”
He looked crestfallen. “In that case, I shall leave you to your work. Good day, Minna.”
As Minna waited for Sigrid to return to take over serving the customers, she thought about what Ahren had said. In her experience, there was usually some grain of truth in a fanciful story such as this one. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she wondered what trouble her daughter had found this time. She had the looks of an angel and the heart of a she-bear. She was so much like Minna.
A few minutes later, Sigrid returned. There was mud on her tunic and her cheeks were flushed but there was no other indication of any misadventure.
“What is this I hear, young lady?” Minna asked sternly. “You attacked Hagen with an axe?”
Sigrid got a stubborn look on her face. “I see the gossips are alive and well,” she said. “No, I did not attack Hagen with an axe.”
“Then would you mind telling me what happened? I should not be left to the mercies of the rumor merchants to learn news of my own family.”
Sigrid sighed. “It is true, Hagen was involved.”
“Well, what happened?” Minna prompted.
“He was helping the King’s men set up a platform for the King to address the people,” she said. “I saw him there and I … I … felt enraged.”
“Enraged?” Minna asked, her eyebrows arched so high they were almost hidden beneath her hair. “And what happened when you were … enraged?”
“There was a steamy pile of ox dung right in front of me. And there just happened to be a shovel nearby …” She stopped, unwilling to reveal the extent of her folly.
“Am I going to hear the rest of the story?”
“I could not help it, Mother. He wronged me.”
“Do I have to guess how he paid?”
Sigrid sighed again. “I scooped up the ox dung with the shovel and dumped it over his head.”
Minna’s face was doing contortions as she tried to smother the huge bubble of mirth that tried to escape. It was almost impossible to look severe.
Sigrid turned outraged eyes on her. “He deserved it,” she said hotly. “He deserved to pay for what he did to me.”
“And do y
ou think that was a wise way to take revenge?”
Sigrid shook her head. “It turned out to be very unwise.”
“So why did I hear that you chased him with an axe?”
Sigrid decided she’d better own up to the rest of the story. “I did not chase him with an axe. The King’s men grabbed me, intending to lock me up where I could not cause more trouble. Einar was nearby and when they would not let me go, he chased them with his axe. They dropped me on the ground and all ran away.”
“Is that all there is to the tale?” Minna prompted.
Sigrid looked uncomfortable. “Umm, no,” she mumbled.
“Well go on, I wish to hear it all.”
“The men argued with Einar at first. They did not want to let me go. So he told them they were breaking the law by handling another man’s woman. He said we are betrothed. And then he roared the most fearsome roar and rushed at them with his axe.”
Minna put her hands over her face. “You do get yourself into some scrapes, Daughter,” she said. “First you attack the King’s man with ox dung. Then you get dragged away by his friends. And now you are betrothed to Einar!”
“We are not really betrothed, Mother. Einar just said that so that the King’s men would let me go.”
Minna looked at her. “You already know that betrothal is a serious thing,” she said. “Breaking it is not to be taken lightly. You of all people know this.”
Sigrid looked alarmed as the implications of her actions started to sink in. “My reputation is already in tatters, thanks to Hagen,” she muttered defiantly.
“It will be a whole lot worse if you do not follow through with betrothal to Einar,” Minna warned. “Many people have decided that perhaps you were not the reason that Hagen ended the betrothal. They are well aware that there are political matters taking place behind the scenes. But if it happens a second time, you will be forever regarded as a woman of questionable morals.”
“I am already seen that way,” Sigrid said bitterly. “Even my friends treat me differently.”
“It will be much worse,” Minna warned. “The choice is yours, but I want you to think about it carefully.”
Sigrid: Spurned (Viking Guardians Book 4) Page 7
