“You feast and talk without me,” he roared. “What lies have you concocted to tell me?”
Two of his men followed him in and stood behind him to either side, their eyes darting around the room before settling on the dais.
Purity instinctively reached for her husband’s hand only to find he did the same, their hands meeting under the table and grasping onto to each other tightly. He was there for her, just as he said he would be.
“Abbott Thomas has confirmed that Arran and Purity wed weeks ago. That negates the arrangement we had and the proxy marriage,” Galvin said as if that settled it.
“I’m to take your word for this when I don’t even know if this man is who you say he is?” Brynjar demanded.
Abbott Thomas stood, his stern countenance having returned. “Do you accuse me, a man of God, of lying?’ He didn’t wait for a response. “But then what else is to be expected of a heathen.”
Brynjar’s nose flared. “You’d do well to remember you speak to a heathen.”
“So what you say then is that you do not care for the truth,” the Abbott said. “You want your way regardless of it.”
Brynjar laughed. “Who would have thought a man of God could be so wise? Purity is my wife and this land belongs to me. I have signed documents.”
“Let me see them,” the Abbott demanded.
Brynjar stretched his hand out and with a snap pointed to the Abbott. One of the men behind him removed something tucked in the furs at his chest and took it to hand to the Abbott.
The Abbott took a quick glance. “As I thought. This was written in your homeland and in your language. It holds no validity here. You need a document in the language of this land and you would have had to wed Purity here before a cleric for this to be sanctioned on this soil.” He looked to Galvin. “Did you not explain this to him, Galvin?”
Brynjar turned a snarl on Galvin. “YOU LIED!”
“I did not. I told you more documents would have to be signed once we arrived here. I had them waiting, all prepared,” Galvin insisted.
“You lie!” Brynjar raised a fist and shook it at him. “I’ll see you pay for this,”
Arran stood, his voice powerful as it rang out in the Great Hall. “Whether Galvin lied or not no longer matters. You will leave and return home and never show yourself on this soil again, for if you do—it will be your dead body your countrymen take home.”
“YOU DARE THREATEN ME?” Brynjar roared.
“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” Arran said, his glare filled with rage.
Freen hurried into the room and didn’t wait to speak. “Wolf sends warriors.”
The ramification of his remark caught everyone’s attention.
“You’ve not heard the last of me.” Brynjar snarled, turned, and stomped out of the Great Hall.
“See that he leaves, Freen,” Galvin ordered and Freen bobbed his head and hurried out.
“Brynjar will not be made to look the fool,” Arran said. “He will not go peacefully.”
“He is on foreign soil with few warriors. He can’t be foolish enough to think to attack,” Galvin said, worry evident in his wide eyes.
“You’re right. He’s not foolish enough to think that. Though, he will not depart without at least leaving some suffering in his wake,” Arran advised.
Galvin turned a worried expression on Arran. “Surely, the warriors Wolf sends will discourage him from that.”
“Unless Brynjar can strike before they arrive,” Arran said.
“How when he doesn’t have enough men?” Galvin asked.
“Brynjar needs just one person he can make suffer horrendously and whose death would affect everyone to get some satisfaction,” Arran said.
Purity grabbed her husband’s arm. “You will not leave my side.”
“Of course,” the Abbott said with a knowing nod. “If he kills Arran, then he can demand the agreement he made with Galvin be honored.”
“This is all nonsense,” Galvin claimed. “Our warriors guard us well and Wolf’s warriors camp outside the village with more of his warriors on the way. Brynjar is helpless to do anything.”
“Brynjar has never been helpless. He will do whatever he has to, to see this matter done,” Arran said.
“You make this man out to be far wiser than he actually is,” Galvin argued. “He’s a Northman, a heathen—”
“Precisely,” Arran interrupted. “He’s a heathen and battles far differently than you’re familiar with, Galvin. You may think it nonsense until you suffer at his hands and know what it is like to be touched by the devil. And while we may think I am the likely target, Brynjar may think otherwise. He could come after Purity and attempt to take her back to his homeland with him. Or he could come after you, Galvin, for lying to him. Though I believe he would be more inclined to come after me. He would gain more from my death and it would satisfy his pride to capture me again and make sure Wolf didn’t save me this time.”