“You’ll find out, all in good time,” she said. “Or should I say . . . in bad time?” She smiled, then giggled and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
MacKay stood there not knowing what to think. The wind whipped his cloak in the cold breeze. Blowing snow hit him in the face. His chest ached, and all he wanted was a warm fire and a tankard of ale.
“What do we do now, my lord?” asked Ollie, looking just as bewildered as MacKay felt.
“What can we do? We’re trapped on some godforsaken frozen island in the middle of nowhere.” MacKay looked at his surroundings and shook his head. “I don’t know where we are, but I’m willing to bet it isn’t England or Scotland. If we don’t find shelter soon, we’re going to freeze to death. Look around for someone – anyone that might be able to help us.”
“No need to look. I think they found us.” Ollie nodded to an army of men coming down a hill and headed their way. Most were on horseback. Some of them ran alongside the leading soldiers. All of them were armed to the hilt with swords, battle-axes, daggers, and maces.
“Shall we fight, my lord?” asked Ollie, holding his sword in front of him.
“Nay,” said MacKay. “We are but two men against a small army. Put away your weapon, Squire. We have no choice but to surrender.”
MacKay shoved his sword back into the scabbard and held his hands above his head. Ollie did the same.
“You there!” snarled a soldier as the men surrounded them in a circle. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“I am Sir MacKay de Bar, and we are not here by our own doing.”
“What do you mean?” asked the soldier, pointing the tip of his sword at MacKay’s neck. The man remained seated atop his steed.
“We were tricked and brought here by an old witch and her daughter,” Ollie blurted out.
“Witch? There are no such things as witches,” said the man.
“I wish that were true.” MacKay’s hand went to the scar over his heart.
“Hands above your head!” snapped the man.
MacKay slowly raised his hands over his head again.
“Queen Eira will only kill them later. Save her the time and do it now,” said another of the soldiers.
“Queen Eira?” asked MacKay. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her. I am not even sure where we are. I would like to meet her.”
“The queen doesn’t take audiences with anyone,” snapped the first man.
“Why not?” asked MacKay.
“She doesn’t like people. Plus, she doesn’t like anyone looking at her so intensely the way you are doing to me.”
“Is she that ugly that she thinks her face would repel us?” asked MacKay.
“Don’t talk that way about our queen.” The tip of his sword came closer to MacKay’s throat. “I think mayhap killing you now is the answer.”
MacKay reached up and clamped his hands over the flat sides of the soldier’s sword, yanking and bringing the man to the ground. With one foot, he stepped on the man’s chest as he flipped the sword in the air and grabbed it by the hilt, pressing the sharp tip against the man’s throat.
“Then again, I could kill you instead,” growled MacKay. “Now, take us to your queen.”
The army moved forward, but the soldier stopped them. “Nay, stay back,” he called out. His eyes turned up to MacKay. “What is it you want with her, Sir MacKay?”
“All I want is to get off this frozen piece of earth and go home. But for now, I would settle for a hot fire and a tankard of ale and an audience with your queen.”
“Done,” said the man.
MacKay hesitated, his eyes scanning the rest of the army.
“This could all be a trick, my lord,” Ollie warned him. “I don’t believe he’ll keep his word.”
“Will you keep your word?” MacKay asked the soldier.
“Yes. I would nod, but you’ve got the blade so close it would severe my head if I did so.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but I’ll keep your sword for now. And my squire and I will ride your horse back to the castle.”
“Nay, don’t let him do it,” someone yelled out.
“It’s either that or I push the sword deeper into your neck,” snarled MacKay.
“All right, I’ll do it,” said the man.
MacKay moved the tip of the sword away from the man and held out his hand to help the warrior up. The soldier hesitated, but then took MacKay’s hand, and got to his feet.
“What’s your name, soldier?” asked MacKay.
“I’m Angus,” the man answered. “I am the queen’s head guard.”
“Who is the king of this godforsaken place?”
“Skol Island doesn’t have a king,” Angus told him. “Queen Eira claimed the throne recently, and I guarantee you she will never have a king at her side.”
“Why not?”
“Lady Eira is cold-hearted and cares only about power and war. You will see for yourself. She holds no favors with men.”
MacKay chuckled. “Well, that is fine with me, because I am not looking for favors. I only want to get home, so I think we’ll get along just fine.”
“No one gets along with Queen Eira,” said Angus. “She is homely both inside and out. But if you tell her I said that, I will strike you down dead faster than the words can leave your mouth.”
“I’m not in the habit of telling any woman she is homely,” said MacKay. “Ollie, get on the horse. We’ve got to meet this Queen Eira and convince her to send us home where we belong.”
Chapter 3
Eira sat at her long dais table all by herself, as usual, eating her meal. A young female servant stood behind her, along with the cupbearer. The hall was crowded with her warriors, both male and female, who all sat below the salt. Eira’s hounds, Odin and Thor sat at each side of her waiting for table scraps. Her father had trained these dogs to kill. They were chained up to a post at the foot of the dais in front of the table. No one walked anywhere near them for fear they’d be bitten.
Ever since Eira claimed the throne, her life had changed drastically. Never again would she depend upon another person. Neither would she trust anyone – especially a man. She could count on no one but herself. She didn’t need friends or alliances. Eira was a warrior and queen, and never again would she be considered just a lady.
The door to the great hall burst open. Angus charged into the room followed by an entourage of soldiers and two strangers.
“Queen Eira,” said Angus, hurrying to the dais with the others following close behind him.
“What is the meaning of this?” she asked. “You dare come into my great hall before you’ve washed? You are interrupting my meal.”
“We have the prisoners you instructed us to capture, my lady.” Angus pointed to the two strangers behind him. One of the men looked to be about her age of four and twenty years. He had shoulder-length brown hair and bright green eyes. The boy at his side was about the same height but looked slimmer and younger. He had blond hair and brown eyes. Their appearances and the way they were dressed intrigued her. They weren’t from the lands this far north. Their light traveling cloaks had no fur, and their uncovered heads suggested they came from a much warmer climate.
“Why do you bring prisoners here instead of taking them to the dungeon?” asked Eira.
“It is by your orders that I brought the men to you,” explained Angus.
She slowly took a sip of wine from her cup and placed it back down. All the while, her eyes were fixated on the strangers. Angus had told her he thought they were an English knight and his squire. She supposed it could be so. She’d never been to England. Her earlier days were spent in Scandinavia before her father conquered and claimed Skol Island, declaring himself king of the frozen land.
“So, I did,” she said, picking at a hunk of bread and nibbling on it as she spoke. “Did you kill the women as I commanded?”
“Kill the women?” asked the dark-haired knight.
“Silence!” she snapped. “Y
ou will not speak.”
“I did not kill the women, my queen,” said Angus with a bow of his head. “They disappeared before we could reach them.”
“Disappeared? Then go find them.” Her dogs whined, and she shot them a sideways glance. “Or perhaps I should send Thor and Odin out to do the job since you can’t seem to follow orders.”
“They are gone, my lady,” protested Angus. “Not even the hounds could find them. I saw them disappear into thin air.”
“Nonsense,” she sniffed. “You!” She pointed at the knight. “Where are they?”
MacKay felt his chest ache when the queen spoke to him. The pains were getting worse. He could barely concentrate on what the woman asked him.
“Tell Queen Eira where the women are hidden,” said the guard named Angus.
“Hidden?” He rubbed his chest and exchanged glances with his squire.
“You’d better tell her, my lord,” whispered Ollie. “She doesn’t seem to be very patient.”
“The women were witches,” MacKay said outright, taking a step nearer to the table. The dogs growled and snarled at him, and he took a step back. “They brought us here from England and then they left. You’ll not find them anywhere on this island, I guarantee it.”
The woman looked like a hardened warrior. She was not very comely, but rather plain, just like Angus said. She frowned the entire time, causing a vertical line to crease her forehead between her brows. Her voice sounded gruff, and her demeanor was harsh.
“You are lying,” she spat. “Do you know what I do to liars?”
Before he could answer, she picked up a hunk of venison from a platter and held it up. She glanced over the edge of the table to the large hounds sitting there. He wasn’t sure what kind of dogs they were. They were big and hairy and uglier than any hound he’d ever seen.
“Odin, Thor, show my guests what happens to my enemies.” She threw the meat to the floor, and it landed at MacKay’s feet. The hounds rushed around the table, and both of them clamped their jaws around the meat at the same time. They growled, and the hair on their necks stood up straight. They fought each other, tearing at the food with bloodlust in their eyes.
MacKay jumped backward to get out of the way, crashing into his squire in the process. They both fell to the ground. The warriors filling the room all laughed and threw food at them.
“My lord, if you want me to do it, I’ll fight to the death against them,” whispered Ollie.
“Aye, no one will treat us this way.” MacKay jumped up and unsheathed his sword. Ollie did the same. They stood back-to-back, ready to take on the entire room full of warriors. MacKay was always up for a fight and his patience ran short today.
Angus drew his sword. So did a half-dozen of the men who had followed him into the great hall. A fight broke out and MacKay did his best to keep the men at bay.
Eira watched in amazement as the two fools tried to take on an entire room full of fighting men. They were warriors in every sense of the word. She liked this. Slowly getting to her feet, she watched as the intruders held their own. Her attention could not be torn away from the man named MacKay. She had never seen anyone so quick on his feet and with such fast fighting moves. Aye, these men would be a welcome addition to her army.
“Stop!” she cried. Immediately, her men pulled back, leaving the two strangers standing alone in the center of the room. They still held their swords at the ready.
“Shall I take them to the dungeon now, my lady?” asked Angus.
“Not yet.” Eira made her way down from the dais. Her eyes fastened to the two men. She made a straight line toward them.
“Stay back, my lady, they are armed,” warned Angus.
“I know that, you fool.” She walked right up to the knight and stopped in front of him. “What is your name?”
“I am Sir MacKay de Bar, my lady,” answered the man. “And this is my squire, Ollie.”
“You will address me as your queen,” she retorted.
“What?” He looked at her as if confused. “I have only one queen I serve, and that is the Queen of England.”
“You are my prisoner now and will serve me,” she said.
“I will not,” he boldly stated. Eira reached out and knocked the sword from his hand. In a second, she had him in a headlock. His squire raised his sword, but MacKay stopped him.
“Nay, Ollie, drop your weapon,” said MacKay, still in her grip. “We don’t harm women.”
“Take them to the dungeon,” spat Eira, pushing MacKay toward Angus. Her men surrounded the prisoners and led them away. As they left the great hall, MacKay looked back over his shoulder at her, his eyes interlocking with hers. Eira wasn’t sure why, but a surge of emotions ran through her. This man interested her like no other. His fighting skills impressed her but his words to his squire saying they wouldn’t hurt women made her feel confused. Her army consisted of both males and females. They were treated the same way. When her father and brothers were alive, they always thought of her as one of the men.
She was queen, but she dressed in breeches and a tunic with a weapon belt like a man. Eira had trained her men to show no favor to anyone, not even women. And they hadn’t. But something about the man named MacKay not wanting to hurt her made her feel something she hadn’t felt since her mother was alive when she was just a child. Respect for women. Still, he didn’t respect her as a queen.
That enraged her once again and she turned and stormed away. Something about this man had made her let down her guard and that would only make her weak. Nay, she couldn’t let that happen. He was a man, no different than any other. She stopped in her tracks and turned back, watching as they hauled the men away. Then she walked over and bent down, picking up MacKay’s sword. She inspected it and ran her fingers along the flat side of the blade. She needed to know more about this stranger name MacKay de Bar.
Chapter 4
MacKay woke up the next morning to find someone kicking him in the side. His eyelids fluttered open. A quick scan of his surroundings reminded him he was a prisoner, lying on the dungeon floor next to his squire. It took him a moment to focus in the dim light, but then he recognized the person standing over him as his half-sister, Medea.
“Medea!” MacKay jumped to his feet. “Get us out of here.”
“I’d love to help you, Brother, but unfortunately my mother won’t let me. Good thing you broke her magic mirror or she’d see me here right now.”
“If you’re not going to help me, then why are you here? Just to gloat?”
“While that is fun, I’m not here to help you or to gloat.”
“Then why don’t you leave?” He felt another pain in his heart and rubbed a hand over his chest.
“That’s why I’m here.” Medea nodded her dark head toward his chest.
“This pain has something to do with the curse, doesn’t it?”
“It does. My mother wants me to stay close and watch. I’m to summon her when things get exciting.”
“Exciting? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He rubbed his chest again.
“It means, by the way you are rubbing your chest, I’d say the curse is getting stronger.”
“I don’t know what curse you’re talking about.”
“You will, soon enough,” she said with a chuckle. “By the way, you’ll see me here and there around the castle, but you are not to say anything to that snide woman, Eira. If you do, I won’t help you after all.”
“What? I thought you said you weren’t here to help me.”
“That is what I told my mother, but I’m not so certain yet what I’m going to do. Now, remember what I said.” She put a finger to her lips and winked. “Stay quiet, and I might help you after all.”
The sound of the outer prison gate being unlocked echoed in the underground chamber. His squire stirred while Medea disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
“What – who was that?” asked Ollie, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
“Medea,” said MacKay
in a low voice. “She might help us, but we can’t give away her presence in the castle. So, keep quiet if you see her.”
“Aye, my lord.” Ollie got to his feet as footsteps echoed in the dungeon, heading their way. The underground cells were loaded with prisoners who all shouted out and banged at the iron bars of their doors.
“Quiet!” snapped the voice of the queen. “Whoever makes noise next will be executed on the spot.” She walked up and stopped at the door to MacKay’s cell. Angus was right behind her along with two other guards.
“Good morning, my lady,” MacKay greeted her, wanting to rip off her head for putting them here. “Have you come to inquire how we slept or did you want to watch us piss on the floor?”
“Get him out of there,” the queen commanded her men. “Both of them.”
One guard unlocked the cell door. Angus stepped in and grabbed MacKay by the elbow. There was no use fighting it. He had no weapon, and there was nowhere to go.
“Bring them both to the practice yard. Don’t give them any weapons until I get there, and be sure to keep a close eye on them.”
“Aye, my lady,” said Angus, yanking MacKay toward the door.
MacKay stopped in the doorway and looked down at Queen Eira. Her white hair was pulled back in a braid and hung down her back. She wore breeches and a tunic and boots like a man would wear. The woman was plain, and he wouldn’t have even taken another look at her if his eyes hadn’t interlocked with her bright blue eyes.
They were like windows to her soul. When he looked into her eyes, all thoughts of her gruffness and manlike appearance were lost. He was pulled into the swirling blue depths of bravery mixed with innocence. Something he saw there didn’t match what he saw on the outside. There was a kind, feminine side of her hidden deep within. Or was there?
It confused him, and he shook his head. When he looked back at her, things instantly became different. Her eyes were no longer translucent, but opaque. They held sternness and anger within them. Aye, she was naught but a cruel, cold-hearted warrior after all. What he’d glimpsed was only wishful thinking in his mind.
Heart of Ice_Snow Queen Page 2
