listen.
"I
have made a promise to Valdrik for the safe return of my daughter," Hadarr
announced loudly.
Valdrik
stood then, too, and faced Hadarr expectantly. Finna looked between the men
with vapid disinterest for Valdrik's prize to come for bringing her home. She
could only feel pity for her poor sister. She glanced to the other woman only
to find her smiling, her eyes sparkling with admiration for Valdrik.
Finna
just barely stopped herself from snorting.
Hadarr
reached for Finna, surprising her, and before she realized his fingers were
around her arm, he gently pulled her up by the elbow to stand at his side, too.
Confused, Finna looked out over the room before she found the Jarl's stare on
her. Hadarr gazed into her eyes as he spoke, his eyes the same color as her
own. She swallowed the lump in her throat, apprehension mounting.
Surely not.
"When
Valdrik left, I offered him everything I possessed to return my eldest daughter
to me. I offered my lands, my place as Jarl." Hadarr drew his gaze to
Valdrik and turned to place his other hand on Valdrik's shoulder, speaking to
the room now as he stood between them. "Alas, the good man he is, he did
not accept." Hadarr paused as some in the room found amusement in that,
cheering as though they anticipated something, though Finna could not imagine
what.
Nay,
she could imagine.
She
only hoped she was wrong.
Hadarr
continued. "But he did accept
the promise of my daughter's hand in marriage, and I give him this. As you are
all aware, I have no sons, and so I also name Valdrik my heir through marriage
to my daughter—" he stepped back and joined Finna and Valdrik's hands
"—Finna."
Finna
went stock-still at the touch of Valdrik's rough, warm palm encasing hers.
Low,
so only they could hear, Hadarr said, "I place my daughter under your
care, Valdrik."
The
hall remained silent.
No
more cheers went up for them.
Finna
looked sharply at Valdrik, his mouth fallen ajar as he stared blankly across
the hall.
Nay!
This could not be. She shook her head, slowly at first, and then rapidly.
"Nay!"
she cried. "I do not wish this." She pulled her hand free and turned
on Hadarr.
Her
father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "'Tis for the best,"
he said.
Finna
whirled on Valdrik accusingly. How could he have not told her? But he did not
look at her, he had turned, his stare fixated over her shoulder. Finna turned a
complete circle as she looked back to the hearth to find the young woman who
had comforted Surguilde.
Her
sister.
Finna's
mouth fell open, too, but at the girl's beauty, beauty she had failed to notice
before. It was no great wonder why Valdrik stared in her direction. The young
woman's hair was long and silken, and her soft blue eyes sparkled with tears.
Her newfound sister turned and fled the room then.
Surguilde
came to her feet. "Geera," she called. With a twinge of tangible
panic, the older woman hastily looked between the daughter fleeing toward a set
of stairs and back to Finna.
"Go
to her," Hadarr urged gently.
Surguilde
sighed, shaking her head. Her brow pinched, drawing worried lines on her
forehead. "Nay. I cannot desert one child for the other." She whirled
around. "This was too much, Hadarr," she said. Her fists balled on
her hips, and her ire shredded her husband where he stood. "Geera shall be
fine, but Finna…" She turned to Finna and stretched out her arms with her
palms up. "Come, child," she said. "You look as though Valdrik
has dragged you behind his horse all the way to us. What did you do to
her?" she asked Valdrik, a hint of an accusation in her tone.
Surguilde
pursed her lips at him, causing Finna to smother her snort of laughter.
Finally,
someone to put the lout in his place.
Valdrik
slowly lifted a brow, obviously unaccustomed to being reproached. As though he
thought back on his actions, he cleared his throat and smoothed on a look of
innocence. With one hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword and the
other wrapped around
"I
have made a promise to Valdrik for the safe return of my daughter," Hadarr
announced loudly.
Valdrik
stood then, too, and faced Hadarr expectantly. Finna looked between the men
with vapid disinterest for Valdrik's prize to come for bringing her home. She
could only feel pity for her poor sister. She glanced to the other woman only
to find her smiling, her eyes sparkling with admiration for Valdrik.
Finna
just barely stopped herself from snorting.
Hadarr
reached for Finna, surprising her, and before she realized his fingers were
around her arm, he gently pulled her up by the elbow to stand at his side, too.
Confused, Finna looked out over the room before she found the Jarl's stare on
her. Hadarr gazed into her eyes as he spoke, his eyes the same color as her
own. She swallowed the lump in her throat, apprehension mounting.
Surely not.
"When
Valdrik left, I offered him everything I possessed to return my eldest daughter
to me. I offered my lands, my place as Jarl." Hadarr drew his gaze to
Valdrik and turned to place his other hand on Valdrik's shoulder, speaking to
the room now as he stood between them. "Alas, the good man he is, he did
not accept." Hadarr paused as some in the room found amusement in that,
cheering as though they anticipated something, though Finna could not imagine
what.
Nay,
she could imagine.
She
only hoped she was wrong.
Hadarr
continued. "But he did accept
the promise of my daughter's hand in marriage, and I give him this. As you are
all aware, I have no sons, and so I also name Valdrik my heir through marriage
to my daughter—" he stepped back and joined Finna and Valdrik's hands
"—Finna."
Finna
went stock-still at the touch of Valdrik's rough, warm palm encasing hers.
Low,
so only they could hear, Hadarr said, "I place my daughter under your
care, Valdrik."
The
hall remained silent.
No
more cheers went up for them.
Finna
looked sharply at Valdrik, his mouth fallen ajar as he stared blankly across
the hall.
Nay!
This could not be. She shook her head, slowly at first, and then rapidly.
"Nay!"
she cried. "I do not wish this." She pulled her hand free and turned
on Hadarr.
Her
father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "'Tis for the best,"
he said.
Finna
whirled on Valdrik accusingly. How could he have not told her? But he did not
look at her, he had turned, his stare fixated over her shoulder. Finna turned a
complete circle as she looked back to the hearth to find the young woman who
had comforted Surguilde.
Her
sister.
Finna's
mouth fell open, too, but at the girl's beauty, beauty she had failed to notice
before. It was no great wonder why Valdrik stared in her direction. The young
woman's hair was long and silken, and her soft blue eyes sparkled with tears.
Her newfound sister turned and fled the room then.
Surguilde
came to her feet. "Geera," she called. With a twinge of tangible
panic, the older woman hastily looked between the daughter fleeing toward a set
of stairs and back to Finna.
"Go
to her," Hadarr urged gently.
Surguilde
sighed, shaking her head. Her brow pinched, drawing worried lines on her
forehead. "Nay. I cannot desert one child for the other." She whirled
around. "This was too much, Hadarr," she said. Her fists balled on
her hips, and her ire shredded her husband where he stood. "Geera shall be
fine, but Finna…" She turned to Finna and stretched out her arms with her
palms up. "Come, child," she said. "You look as though Valdrik
has dragged you behind his horse all the way to us. What did you do to
her?" she asked Valdrik, a hint of an accusation in her tone.
Surguilde
pursed her lips at him, causing Finna to smother her snort of laughter.
Finally,
someone to put the lout in his place.
Valdrik
slowly lifted a brow, obviously unaccustomed to being reproached. As though he
thought back on his actions, he cleared his throat and smoothed on a look of
innocence. With one hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword and the
other wrapped around
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