her?”
“The queen al owed us to break those vows if we meet the right woman. You yourself are mated, Sven.”
“Not to a female who chained me in a dungeon, stripped me and branded me!”
“Some of that isn’t true, Sven. I seem to remember you stripped and in a cel .”
Heat grew on Sven’s cheeks. “That was different,” he said gruffly. “Thea did it for love. This woman took you against your wil and forced vows on you.”
“She did not. I made them wil ingly.” Harlan met Sven’s incredulous gaze. “Please return without me and give the king and queen my apologies.”
Sven turned to the other men who had now gathered in the courtyard and were silently watching the exchange. He glanced at the princess and then again at Harlan.
“I’m sorry, Harlan, but you’l have to make your apologies to the king and queen yourself.” His men closed in around Harlan and the princess. “If you can’t leave her, we’l just have to bring the female as wel .”
Chapter Seven
Inga slowly came back to consciousness and realized she was in bed and that someone was mopping her brow with a soft cloth.
“It’s al right, Princess,” a soothing male voice murmured.
“We’l take care of you.”
She opened her eyes and found a strange male looking down at her, a smile in his soft brown eyes. “I’m Thoran.”
“Where am I?” Inga struggled to sit up and Thoran immediately assisted her.
“You are at the king’s summer palace.” Thoran patted her arm. “I understand that you were reluctant to leave your temple. Sven decided it was easier to knock you out rather than have you injure yourself in a fight.”
“How dare he!” Inga croaked.
Thoran shrugged and Inga noticed that his muscled chest was bare and two gold rings around his biceps were his only adornment. “It’s true that Sven isn’t the most patient of men. But he considered it his primary duty to bring you to the palace and keep you safe.”
Inga pushed Thoran’s hand away. “I want to see my mother immediately!”
“I believe she is in private session with the king in his council chamber.” Thoran sat back. “Would you like to bathe first and then we can go and see if they have finished their discussions?”
“I’m supposed to be there with her,” Inga snapped.
Again his smile disarmed her. “I’l send and ask. But would you not like to bathe?”
Inga dropped her gaze to her soiled tunic. “Al right, I wil , then.”
Thoran stood up and Inga realized he was both tal and broad shouldered. “Let me cal a servant to let your mother know that you are awake and then I’l prepare your bath.”
“I don’t need you to…” Inga’s querulous reply faded as Thoran simply bowed and walked away from her toward the large door where another man waited. Both men wore simple white silk loincloths that did little to hide their taut buttocks or the heavy bulges of their cocks.
“I see you are awake, Princess. Harlan wil be relieved.”
Inga turned to see the blond man who had accompanied Sven on the raid rising from a chair by the window. Had he been there while she slept? She’d been exposed to more men in the last few hours than in the whole of the rest of her life.
“Who are you?”
He bowed. “I’m Bron, my lady. One of the queen’s servers, like Harlan.”
Inga raised her chin at him. “Who is Harlan?”
Bron frowned. “You’ve chosen him as your mate and branded him with your name and yet you don’t know his?”
“I choose his name, male. When, and if, he pleases me enough.”
“He has a name. It is Harlan and it suits him wel .”
“That is not your concern.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“My male.”
“ Harlan is currently locked in a cel awaiting the judgment of the king and queen.”
Dread coalesced in Inga’s stomach. Was he in trouble because he had chosen to stay with her? She stil couldn’t believe that he had done such a thing. She’d never expected
“The queen al owed us to break those vows if we meet the right woman. You yourself are mated, Sven.”
“Not to a female who chained me in a dungeon, stripped me and branded me!”
“Some of that isn’t true, Sven. I seem to remember you stripped and in a cel .”
Heat grew on Sven’s cheeks. “That was different,” he said gruffly. “Thea did it for love. This woman took you against your wil and forced vows on you.”
“She did not. I made them wil ingly.” Harlan met Sven’s incredulous gaze. “Please return without me and give the king and queen my apologies.”
Sven turned to the other men who had now gathered in the courtyard and were silently watching the exchange. He glanced at the princess and then again at Harlan.
“I’m sorry, Harlan, but you’l have to make your apologies to the king and queen yourself.” His men closed in around Harlan and the princess. “If you can’t leave her, we’l just have to bring the female as wel .”
Chapter Seven
Inga slowly came back to consciousness and realized she was in bed and that someone was mopping her brow with a soft cloth.
“It’s al right, Princess,” a soothing male voice murmured.
“We’l take care of you.”
She opened her eyes and found a strange male looking down at her, a smile in his soft brown eyes. “I’m Thoran.”
“Where am I?” Inga struggled to sit up and Thoran immediately assisted her.
“You are at the king’s summer palace.” Thoran patted her arm. “I understand that you were reluctant to leave your temple. Sven decided it was easier to knock you out rather than have you injure yourself in a fight.”
“How dare he!” Inga croaked.
Thoran shrugged and Inga noticed that his muscled chest was bare and two gold rings around his biceps were his only adornment. “It’s true that Sven isn’t the most patient of men. But he considered it his primary duty to bring you to the palace and keep you safe.”
Inga pushed Thoran’s hand away. “I want to see my mother immediately!”
“I believe she is in private session with the king in his council chamber.” Thoran sat back. “Would you like to bathe first and then we can go and see if they have finished their discussions?”
“I’m supposed to be there with her,” Inga snapped.
Again his smile disarmed her. “I’l send and ask. But would you not like to bathe?”
Inga dropped her gaze to her soiled tunic. “Al right, I wil , then.”
Thoran stood up and Inga realized he was both tal and broad shouldered. “Let me cal a servant to let your mother know that you are awake and then I’l prepare your bath.”
“I don’t need you to…” Inga’s querulous reply faded as Thoran simply bowed and walked away from her toward the large door where another man waited. Both men wore simple white silk loincloths that did little to hide their taut buttocks or the heavy bulges of their cocks.
“I see you are awake, Princess. Harlan wil be relieved.”
Inga turned to see the blond man who had accompanied Sven on the raid rising from a chair by the window. Had he been there while she slept? She’d been exposed to more men in the last few hours than in the whole of the rest of her life.
“Who are you?”
He bowed. “I’m Bron, my lady. One of the queen’s servers, like Harlan.”
Inga raised her chin at him. “Who is Harlan?”
Bron frowned. “You’ve chosen him as your mate and branded him with your name and yet you don’t know his?”
“I choose his name, male. When, and if, he pleases me enough.”
“He has a name. It is Harlan and it suits him wel .”
“That is not your concern.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“My male.”
“ Harlan is currently locked in a cel awaiting the judgment of the king and queen.”
Dread coalesced in Inga’s stomach. Was he in trouble because he had chosen to stay with her? She stil couldn’t believe that he had done such a thing. She’d never expected
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