chest if she had the nerve. Instead she craned her neck to glare up at him.
“You are heartless, Royce! I have always said ’twas so!”
“Have you, lady? Then ’twill come as no surprise to you if your words do not wound me. Go and repair the ravages to your face. You can return and sit with Alden as is your wont—if you can do so quietly.”
The two maids had already flown the room. Darrelle stalked out now. Eartha knew she wasn’t included in the order to leave, but took herself below with her basket of herbs anyway. Royce was left staring at his sister’s frightened little face, and his expression softened.
“I am not angry with you, midget, so do not look at me so,” Royce said gently, holding his arm out to her. “Why were you crying? Because you think Alden will die?”
Meghan ran toward him and threw her arms around his hips, for she was no taller than his waist. “Eartha said he might not, so I was only praying, but then Darrelle was crying and—”
“And our cousin is teaching you bad habits at an earlyage, midget. You were right to pray, for Alden needs your prayers so he will recover quickly. But do you think he would want you to cry, when you should be happy that he is still alive after facing our worst enemies?” He was loath to talk more of the overuse of tears to her, for she was a timid child who burst into them for the smallest reason. Instead he picked her up and dried the tears from her red cheeks. “’Tis bed for you, Meghan, and your prayers for Alden until you fall asleep. Go on, now.” He kissed her brow before he set her down.
“My thanks, Royce.” Alden spoke weakly from the bed as soon as Meghan closed the door behind her. “I do not know how much longer I could have pretended to be asleep. But every time I opened my eyes, Darrelle screamed at me to get well.”
Royce burst into laughter, pulling a chair up beside the bed. “Seldon, that foul excuse for a man, told me you had a gut wound. God’s breath, I did not expect to find you still alive, let alone able to talk!”
Alden tried to grin, but gritted his teeth instead. “A little to the side of my victuals sack, but close enough that the blade might as well have spilled my guts. God, it hurts! And to think that a lad with the prettiest eyes I have ever seen did this to me.”
“Describe him, and if he is one of those below, I will see he suffers the most before he dies.”
“He was just a smooth-faced boy, Royce, who should not even have been with those others.”
“If their children can raid, then they can die,” Royce said angrily.
“Then you mean to kill them all?”
“Aye.”
“But why?”
Royce glowered. “You know why.”
“Aye, I know why you would like to, but why will you, when you can make use of them instead? They are defeated. We have their ship, and Waite tells me it carries a rich cargo, which is yours now. Lyman has been complaining repeatedly that the serfs he has to use are not strong enough to carry the Roman stones to build your wall. Look how many months it has taken just to bring those few piles here. He is already drooling over the strong backs of the prisoners. Admit it, Royce: The Vikings could build your wall in half the time, and think of the irony, that they should be used to keep out their brothers the Danes.”
Royce’s expression did not change. “I see you and Lyman have already been speaking about this.”
“He would not shut up about it all the way he carted me back here. But he has a point, Royce. Why kill them, when keeping them alive would serve you better?”
“You know you are closer to me than my own brother ever was, Alden. How can you ask me to live with the possibility that they could escape and slaughter us all while we sleep?”
“I would not ask that. Precautions can be taken to ensure they cannot escape. Just think about it, before you condemn them.”
The door opened then and Darrelle stood there, her eyes dry now but still shooting daggers
“You are heartless, Royce! I have always said ’twas so!”
“Have you, lady? Then ’twill come as no surprise to you if your words do not wound me. Go and repair the ravages to your face. You can return and sit with Alden as is your wont—if you can do so quietly.”
The two maids had already flown the room. Darrelle stalked out now. Eartha knew she wasn’t included in the order to leave, but took herself below with her basket of herbs anyway. Royce was left staring at his sister’s frightened little face, and his expression softened.
“I am not angry with you, midget, so do not look at me so,” Royce said gently, holding his arm out to her. “Why were you crying? Because you think Alden will die?”
Meghan ran toward him and threw her arms around his hips, for she was no taller than his waist. “Eartha said he might not, so I was only praying, but then Darrelle was crying and—”
“And our cousin is teaching you bad habits at an earlyage, midget. You were right to pray, for Alden needs your prayers so he will recover quickly. But do you think he would want you to cry, when you should be happy that he is still alive after facing our worst enemies?” He was loath to talk more of the overuse of tears to her, for she was a timid child who burst into them for the smallest reason. Instead he picked her up and dried the tears from her red cheeks. “’Tis bed for you, Meghan, and your prayers for Alden until you fall asleep. Go on, now.” He kissed her brow before he set her down.
“My thanks, Royce.” Alden spoke weakly from the bed as soon as Meghan closed the door behind her. “I do not know how much longer I could have pretended to be asleep. But every time I opened my eyes, Darrelle screamed at me to get well.”
Royce burst into laughter, pulling a chair up beside the bed. “Seldon, that foul excuse for a man, told me you had a gut wound. God’s breath, I did not expect to find you still alive, let alone able to talk!”
Alden tried to grin, but gritted his teeth instead. “A little to the side of my victuals sack, but close enough that the blade might as well have spilled my guts. God, it hurts! And to think that a lad with the prettiest eyes I have ever seen did this to me.”
“Describe him, and if he is one of those below, I will see he suffers the most before he dies.”
“He was just a smooth-faced boy, Royce, who should not even have been with those others.”
“If their children can raid, then they can die,” Royce said angrily.
“Then you mean to kill them all?”
“Aye.”
“But why?”
Royce glowered. “You know why.”
“Aye, I know why you would like to, but why will you, when you can make use of them instead? They are defeated. We have their ship, and Waite tells me it carries a rich cargo, which is yours now. Lyman has been complaining repeatedly that the serfs he has to use are not strong enough to carry the Roman stones to build your wall. Look how many months it has taken just to bring those few piles here. He is already drooling over the strong backs of the prisoners. Admit it, Royce: The Vikings could build your wall in half the time, and think of the irony, that they should be used to keep out their brothers the Danes.”
Royce’s expression did not change. “I see you and Lyman have already been speaking about this.”
“He would not shut up about it all the way he carted me back here. But he has a point, Royce. Why kill them, when keeping them alive would serve you better?”
“You know you are closer to me than my own brother ever was, Alden. How can you ask me to live with the possibility that they could escape and slaughter us all while we sleep?”
“I would not ask that. Precautions can be taken to ensure they cannot escape. Just think about it, before you condemn them.”
The door opened then and Darrelle stood there, her eyes dry now but still shooting daggers
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