Valeria glared at her son and then she sat back down.
“Well, for me, though you didn’t ask, dear cousin, I’m looking after my throat,” Franka put in at this point and Drakkar’s eyes went to her as he steeled himself against showing a reaction to her announcement.
“You have news,” he stated blandly.
“Indeed,” she inclined her head and leaned forward to the table that held a coffee service, china and a bowl of candies. Controlled and calculated, as was her way, Franka took her time selecting a white candy-coated almond and popped it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed under Drakkar’s impatient stare before she spoke again. “Baldur is away to the Southlands with thirty thousand men.”
Drakkar noted that Aurora didn’t move a muscle at this extraordinary news though she could not know it for he knew Atticus told her everything and the king also told him everything. Drakkar didn’t move a muscle either except to raise his brows.
“This interests me because…?” he prompted.
“You may…” she paused, studying him closely, “or may not know that Baldur had a plaything. A delightful specimen called Circe.” At these words, Drakkar continued to regard her impassively but fought against clenching his teeth. “A powerful sorceress but unfortunately for the lovely Circe, Baldur had found a nearly equally powerful witch to bind her powers so she could not use them to harm him or to escape him. Unfortunately for the revolting Baldur, he wasn’t shrewd enough to bind her to him so she could not find others to assist her to escape him. And this she did some months ago.”
“I was called here for you to tell me tales of King Baldur?” Drakkar asked skeptically.
“No,” Franka answered, “you were called here because Circe has been sighted and Baldur is off to collect her.”
Again, Drakkar raised his brows instead of clenching his teeth.
He had not spent a great deal of time with the sorceress Circe but the time he had, he liked her. Baldur had callously mistreated her for years, imprisoned her, used her in a variety of repugnant ways and through all that, by what had to be a miracle, she’d somehow retained her dignity even as four earlier escape attempts were thwarted and Baldur punished her for each in ways it didn’t bear thinking of.
It was not good news she had been sighted and worse news that her sighting had reached Baldur’s ears.
Drakkar had a feeling he would not be taking his bride to his lodge in Kellshorn or loading The Finnie’s cargo holds with Lunwynian water and onward to Fleuridia but instead sailing directly to the Southlands.
But at this point, he had to learn more without letting on he cared.
Therefore, he said with feigned resignation, “Again, Franka, I’m uncertain why you’re imparting this information on me.”
“The lovely but unlucky Circe has clearly had a misadventure since her escape and it has led to her being included in the Korwahk Wife Hunt,” Franka replied.
Drakkar stared indifferently at his cousin.
But he thought, Bloody hell.
The Korwahk Wife Hunt was well-known and, although it had been happening for centuries in Korwahk, it was considered a savage ritual outside the Southlands. Local women hunted by the Korwahk warriors felt honored to be chosen for this hunt. But those women not of the Southlands who were scouted, kidnapped and included in the hunt most definitely did not feel the same. As they wouldn’t, considering participation in the hunt meant they were paraded in front of the warriors, let loose then hunted and “claimed” as wives, in other words, the moment they were captured, they were raped.
After what Circe had already endured, Drakkar was dismayed to hear she’d now endured this.
Franka continued, “And, word is, she caught the eye of their king. He’s claimed her and made her his queen. The word is, after doing so, he declared great pride at her courageous nature and immense satisfaction with her astonishing beauty.”
At that, Drakkar relaxed.
He had been to the Southlands – to trade not to raid. He knew a number of Korwahk merchants and had met several Korwahk Horde warriors. He did not know Lahn, the king of Korwahk, but he knew much of him. Although Circe would likely find adjusting to her new life an ordeal, it was not unheard of, in fact, it was frequent for women even outside the Southlands to adjust to their lives with their warriors, so far as enjoying them and considering themselves Korwahk. King Lahn was greatly admired by his people, known to have honor and any bride he chose would undoubtedly be equally admired. Not to mention, he had great wealth which it was known warriors showered on their brides and if his people felt him honorable, and he had declared satisfaction with her, Drakkar hoped he would behave as such with his new bride.