“I do listen to you, you just happen to talk when I am busy, or eating, or sleeping, or…”

Eric snickered at the unamused look displayed on Isobel’s face as she stood with arms crossed and foot tapping on the floor. “I am listening to you now, my love. Now, what were you trying to tell me?” he asked, as he reached out for his wife and pulled her down to sit in his lap.

Isobel wrapped her arms around his wide shoulders and continued. “As I was saying, something is going on and it has to do wit’ that lass. That man who was killed at the gate, they say he was her husband. If William invited enemies or trouble into our midst, especially now…”

“I will talk to William and John, and whoever this lass is,” Eric said cutting her off.

“Thank you.”

Eric helped Isobel down from his lap and stood. Walking to the door, he opened it and summoned his guard.

“Gather William and the lass who is staying in the guest rooms upstairs, and meet me in the library.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the guard replied.

Eric would take care of this mess once and for all.

Lara sat on the edge of her bed, her hands shaking and mind spinning. Dermot was dead. Lara felt a sense of relief and freedom, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was overjoyed. No longer was she bound to a loveless marriage. No longer did she have to fear him and what he would have done to her. No longer was she forced to bare his children, or be forced into warming his bed. She was a widow and free. Falling back onto the bed, she spread her arms out wide and breathed.

A soft knock came from the door. Sitting up quickly, she hurried to the door. Opening it, she smiled widely at Bram, who was standing in the corridor. Today, of all days, he looked rather handsome, shedding his dirty brown shirt and worn-out kilt for a clean white tunic and a pair of dark brown trews. With her new sense of freedom, she felt the walls she’d erected around her heart soften. Now there were no more reasons or excuses for pushing him away. Looking at him now, a flood of emotions began to overwhelm her.

“Are ye alright?” he asked.

“Aye. I am more than alright. Come in. I have so much to tell ye,” she boasted, grabbing his hand and dragging him inside the chamber.

Sitting down in opposite chairs next to the hearth, Lara retold the story of what had happened between John and Dermot. She told him everything except what truly mattered - how she felt towards him.

“I have word that the boat for Scotland is leaving earlier than scheduled. So I have come to apologize that I have to break my promise. I will no’ be here to attend the coronation.

Bram did not want to leave, though he knew it was time. He had fulfilled his promise, and every journey had to come to an end. Standing up, he quietly walked towards her. Leaning down, he grabbed her hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

“It has been a true pleasure, my lady,” he said as he lowered her hand and started towards the door. As he opened it, he heard Lara call out to him.

“Bram,” Lara’s voice trembled as she looked at him with desperate need.

Bram turned back to face her. “Aye.”

“I…I dinna want ye to go,” she whispered, staring into his eyes.

Bram could see the sadness in her eyes and a frown forming on her face. His heart skipped a beat. Hearing those words was all it took to change his mind. They were all he wanted to hear.

Slamming the door shut, he ran back to her. With great urgency, he grabbed her, pulling her into his arms, and tightly pressing her body against his. Lowering his lips, he kissed her firmly, with fervor, filled with want and need. Her lips were moist and tasted as sweet as nectar. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. He wanted to touch her; to feel her bare skin against his.

Bram was completely lost in the moment. Had he been another man, he would have ripped the dress right off her and taken her right then and there. He kissed her again and again, rubbing his hands wildly through her hair and down the expanse of her back, keeping her body against his so that there was no distance between them.

This was not meant to be a sweet and gentle kiss. This kiss was meant to ravish her, to breathe all of her in; her heart, her body, her soul. He kissed her as if his life depended on every touch, every breath; and when she pressed her body closer to his and deepened the kiss, he felt as if he was about to come completely undone. Emotions exploded through every chamber of his heart and each corner of his mind. In the back of his throat, he growled as his body ached with need. She was his, always and forever.

Bram’s kiss caused Lara to become feverish. With each kiss, her desire and passion built higher than she had ever experienced or imagined. Sucking in sharp breaths of air, she felt as if she was about to swoon, but his grip kept her upright as she melted into him. She had been holding back for so long that this release of emotion and desire freed her from the inner torment she felt. She wanted Bram, all of him.

As they interlocked their fingers, Lara slowly started to calm herself as if she was descending from an imaginary summit.

“I ne’er want ye to leave,” she whispered against his lips.

With her eyes still closed, she rubbed her cheek against his stubble and breathed him in. Bram loosened his embrace just enough to smile down at her. Raising his hand, he gently rubbed the side of her cheek. Lara’s eyes were misty; not from sadness or anger, but from a sort of bliss she had never known. Reminiscing over the past few weeks, she knew her feelings were as certain as the moon and the stars that hung in the heavens. She loved him with her whole heart.

Startled by a loud pounding at the door, Lara was swept back into reality and jumped out of Bram’s embrace. Heaven knew what would happen if her father came upon them, only hours after the death of her husband, bastard though he was. Trying to gain composure, Lara patted down her hair and straightened her dress on her shoulders. With a deep breath, she opened the door.

“My lady, you have been summoned to meet in the library,” one of the royal guards informed.

“Summoned? By whom?”

“King Magnusson, my lady.”

Why would the king want to see her? She held no title or land and was no one of importance. Nervously, she looked back at Bram. Biting her bottom lip, Lara followed the guard down the long hallway, with Bram following closely behind.

Eric stood next to the windowsill, staring out into the valley below. Heated by his discussion with William, he was convinced that William had lied. His story did not make any sense and was full of holes, as if he purposely meant to keep out important details. Eric may have been old and his memory had been fading from time to time since his illness, but he was not daft enough to overlook such. He needed to be able to trust William and his son.

His decision to fabricate the relationship of John as his cousin’s son, allowing him to take the throne, had not come easy. But his hatred for his brother made the decision vital for his people and all of Norway. His brother did not support the war with Denmark, which was critical for Norway to maintain political power. He feared that if his brother became king, Norway would fall into the hands of either the English or the French.

William sat quietly across the room from where Eric was standing. Both of them waited for Lara to arrive. William tried to speak to defend himself, and tried to convince him that his daughter was daft and did not know how to present herself in front of royalty, but Eric would hear none of it. He would meet the lass and calm his wife’s worry.