Dream of Me/Believe in Me

he had momentarily assumed but only a woman. A very dour-faced, shrill woman.
    “Viking!”
the creature screamed again. “Save us! We'll be—”
    “What on earth … ?” Cymbra murmured sleepily. She sat up, looking from her irate husband to her frenzied half-sister. Softly, she said, “Daria, this is my husband, Lord Wolf Hakonson. He is a guest here. Pray treat him as such.”
    Daria's eyes glazed over. Tiny flecks of spittle shone at the corners of her mouth. She had told herself this could not be, not even her despicable brother could go so far as to make peace with Vikings because the contemptible cow lying before her had spread her legs for one and gotten a son in the process. It could not be, yet even through the twisted darkness of her rage she saw that it was and knew she had failed. But only for the moment, only that. Shewas better than they were, smarter, more deserving, superior in every way. This was only a setback; she would prevail in the end if only because any other possibility was utterly unthinkable. But to win, she must survive, and to do that, she must hide herself quickly from the too-keen gaze of blue eyes focusing on her now in belated but growing puzzlement.
    “A guest?”
Daria shrieked. “In here? It isn't bad enough that there are thousands of them outside, they are to be allowed in, too?”
    Cymbra summoned patience, finding it easy to do when she was filled with such joy. Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to Wolf. Vaguely, she remembered him returning to her the night before and laying their son in her arms. He had made to go then but she called him back with a soft word. After so long apart, she could not bear to be without him. He stayed gladly, sleeping in his clothes beside her on the bed, waking in the night to bring her the baby to nurse. Still dazed and weary from the exertion of childbirth, their first tender hours together as parents touched her deeply.
    But now the world intruded and she was resigned to it. “They will all be in here soon enough,” she told her half-sister gently. “Hawk plans a feast to celebrate the birth of his nephew as well as the alliance.”
    “Vikings within our gates! I cannot believe it. What can he be thinking of? And a feast—it's impossible, absolutely impossible, we could never manage.” Her small, flat eyes glared at Cymbra. “You've caused all this, it's your responsibility. How long do you mean to lie there? Surely you can get up and—”
    Whatever Daria would have said next was cut off by the infuriated Viking who pointed to the door and snarled,
“Out!”
    She skittered away but not without a look of purevenom. Cymbra promptly forgot her. She leaned back against the pillows, regarded her husband, and smiled. “You do that so well.”
    He raised an eyebrow in question. Her smile deepened. “Remember that day in the kitchens?”
    He did, and to her delight, he blushed. Cymbra laughed and held out her arms to him. He was just drawing her into his when Miriam bustled in.
    “Enough of that. My lady needs looking after.” She glanced at Wolf. “And if you don't mind my saying so, you could do with a clean-up yourself.”
    Far from taking offense at the old woman's directness, he rubbed a hand over his whiskered jaw and grimaced. Pausing only to drop a light kiss on Cymbra's brow, he said, “I'll be back when I'm more fit,
elskling.”
    “That dear man,” Miriam murmured as the door closed behind him. Smiling, she went to help her mistress.
    S EATED ON A SMOOTH WOODEN BENCH, NAKED AND dripping sweat, Wolf studied the man across from him. Allowing for a certain tendency to provoke thoughts of murder and mayhem, Hawk wasn't a bad sort. For one thing, he had a sauna, which he claimed to be the only good idea he'd ever gotten from the Danes. Then, in all honesty, he'd only done what Wolf himself would have if their positions had been reversed. And lastly, he was Cymbra's brother; it was in their interests to get along for her sake and for the sake of both their peoples.
    Reflecting on what they had accomplished so far as well as what remained to be done, Wolf said, “This alliance puts us in good position to withstand the Danes, but more is needed.”
    Hawk tossed a ladleful of water on the fire stones. He was amazed—and relieved—to find himself so at ease with his sister's abductor. Love bewildered him; up untilvery recently he would have sworn it didn't exist. Now he was willing to admit that in this one solitary case, it