Chapter 29: An Unexpected Savior

Astrid pulled on her thick wool cloak over her velvet dress. She calmly walked down the stairwell from her chamber humming the same tune her mother used to sing to her. Since the Northmen had arrived several days before, her mind had been consumed with memories of her past, however, she did not let them take her happiness.

Astrid stopped beside the throne room, where Deman sat with a couple men dressed in black leather drinking wine. She watched them quietly from the doorway, listening closely to what they wee talking about only to realize they were very hushed. After minutes of eavesdropping, Astrid turned to leave.

"Astrid!" Deman's voice yelled, echoing through the empty room.

Astrid stopped cold where she stood, dreading what he was going to say to her. She scrunched her face up, resembling as if she were in pain, and turned around calmly. Deman stepped out of the doorway, his face written with concern. His eyes wondered around the halls and to the empty spaces around her.

"Where is Lorna?" He whispered hastily, glancing over his shoulder.

Astrid confusingly rolled her eyes from side to side, shrugging her shoulders. "I do not know. I have not seen her all day."

Deman began rapidly pacing back and forth, running his head frantically. "I have not seen or heard from her all day." he worriedly faced Astrid. "That is not like my Lorna. I am worrying about her."

Astrid smiled at him reassuring. "I am sure she is just out taking a walk. She has life-changing events forthcoming." She held his shoulders tightly. "She is probably just letting her mind become settled, that is all."

Deman nodded and stared at the ground. "What if those men have her!?"

"Do not think like that!" Astrid suggested, tilting his head up quickly, staring deep into his eyes. "She would not go around them, I know that." She laid her hand lightly upon his cheek, making small calming circles with her thumb. "I will go and find her."

"Take this with you." Deman said, reaching Astrid a sheathed dagger. "I do not want you to take any risks." He smiled softly, placing a tender kiss upon her lips before returning to the men inside.

Astrid watched him as he continued on with his business. She looked around hoping that Lorna would appear, but she never came. Quickly, Astrid slipped the sheath onto her belt which hung tightly around her waist. She took one last look around before she left the castle.

A brisk air blew, sending shivers down Astrid's spine. She pulled the thick, black material up around her body, shielding it from the cool winds. Winter would soon be coming, which made her concern rise even more. Raids would begin in spring after the crops were raised and last until winter came. Once winter ended, they would make their first raids more intense than the rest. Astrid feared that the kingdom would be the first target of their spring raids since they had finally found her.

Astrid walked through the village, watching closely for Lorna while speaking kindly to the people she passed. She noticed a group of children playing joyfully in the square. They pretended to be soldiers in battle, thrusting the wooden swords at each other with chipper laughs and smiles, just as she used to do with her father. She watched them momentarily until their mothers called for them. She then continued past them, strolling past the fish and vegetable stands with the same delightful smile stretched upon her face. Beside the livestock stables were several Northmen inspecting the animals inside. She sped past them, hoping they did not recognize her. Her heart felt heavy at the sight of them.

Astrid stopped suddenly at the end of the path, whirling around while her eyes scanned the crowds once again for Lorna. She was not there. A sense of panic overcame her. She frantically ran back through the village looking carefully inside the markets and large crowds. Lorna was still nowhere to be found.

"Have you see the princess?" Astrid breathed heavily, asking a passing lady.

The older lady gave Astrid a blank stare, refusing to speak.

"If you have," Astrid pleaded. "Please tell me. We cannot find her."

The lady nodded. "I seen her earlier when I was buying my vegetables. She was talking to a man." The lady looked around a moment. "He was a dark haired man. I think he was one of the Northmen, but I am not certain."

"Did you see where she went!?" Astrid nervously cried, placing her trembling hand on her reddening face.

The lady shrugged. "I am sorry, but I did not."

Astrid let out a deep sigh, as if she had been punched in the stomach. She quickly thanked the woman and moved hastily throughout the village once more, calling out Lorna's name. After a while of searching, Astrid stopped abruptly beside the blacksmith and plopped onto the cold, hard ground, letting out a disappointed groan.

"My lady!" The blacksmith shouted as he left his work, rushing to her side. "Are you alright!?"

Astrid raised her hand, motioning for him to stop. "I am fine. I just needed to rest." She pushed herself up, making her way inside the small lean-to shack. She leaned her back against the wooden beam. "Is there any possible chance that you have seen Lorna, the princess?"

"I seen her talking to a man. I would say about an hour ago." He looked at her confused, reaching Astrid a deep spoon filled with water. "Is she alright?"

Astrid sipped the water, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Thank you." She reached the wooden utensil back to the man then turned to leave. "I suppose she is just fine."

"She spoke to me." He spoke calmly. Astrid spun around, interested with what he had to say. "I said, 'Good day, my lady.' She stopped and said, 'Hello Einion. How are you on this-"

"Did she say anything of where she was going?" Astrid bluntly cut him off.

Einion shrugged. "Something about visiting her mother and father. She was getting flowers for them."

Astrid shook the man's hand graciously before taking off into a sprint. She passed through the village walls, rushing quickly toward the cemetery near the small grove of trees just outside the stone barrier. A high pitched cry came from the cemetery, causing Astrid to run to the sound. She felt her heart beating fast in fear with each sprint she made. Another high-pitched scream rang loudly with the sound of a painful groan. As she neared the cemetery, a female's cry echoed with the sound of comforting words from a man.

"Lorna?" Astrid called out, reluctantly stepping inside the gate, looking around slowly. Beside a large stone was the legs of a motionless body. She swallowed hard, taking baby steps toward it. "Lorna, is that you?" She spoke out again, reaching the body of a dead man.

Astrid stared down at the beat up, bloody man whom she did not know. Her eyes moved up his body, noticing a small knife buried into his chest. She averted her eyes from the unknown murdered man locking her gaze upon Lorna who was wrapped in a stranger's arms.

"Lorna!" Astrid cried, rushing to her side. "What happened to you!?"

Lorna sat up with tears streaming down her bruised face. "That man..." She paused, catching her breath. "Tried to rape me!" She shrieked, burying her head into Astrid chest.

Astrid patted Lorna's head softly, glancing up at the man who had comforted her. Knute stared at back her with a calm expression on his face. He arose from the ground where he had been sitting and walked over to the dead body, pulling the knife from his chest.

"You will not have to worry about him anymore." Knute said, wiping the blood from the blade. "Now that I know she is safe, I will be leaving."

"Wait!" Lorna blurted, reaching her hand out to him. "You saved my life and I am entitled to repay you."

Knute shook his head, sauntering back toward them. "You owe me nothing." He coyly whispered. "Call it a good deed."

Lorna gazed at him deeply, studying him closely. She opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by Astrid.

"Knute," Astrid spoke, approaching him. "Why were you here!?" She glared at him aggressively, straightening her posture.

Knute dropped his head, focusing upon a small red flower. "You would never believe me if I told you the truth."

Astrid glanced at Lorna, who straightened her presentation.

"Let us invite him to come and dine with us." Lorna suggested, tightening her bodice. "He can tell his story, while he is being repaid for his gallant deed."

Astrid reluctantly nodded. "I suppose you could return with us." She focused her stare back onto the dead body. "We will need to do something with him."

"He is just a traveller, Astrid." Lorna piped in, going to Astrid's side. "No one will miss him."

Astrid disagreeably shook her head. "We will bury him later, until then you need to get back to the castle. Deman is worried sick about you." She laid her hand on Lorna's back, leading her from the cemetery.

Lorna abruptly stopped beside Knute, reaching out her hand to him. "Come with us."

He blankly stared at her soft, pale hands. Astrid smiled at him.

"Do come." She suggested, motioning him to them. "You will be our guest."

Knute nodded, leaving the location with them. They strolled through the village, returning to the castle.

Inside, Deman sipped his wine anxiously beside the door waiting for their return.

"There you are!" Deman shouted, pulling Lorna into a tight embrace. They hugged for several minutes before creaking apart. He inspected her bruised face. "What happened to you, my dear?"

Astrid entered with Knute trailing behind her. Deman's head perked up with anger.

"What is that man do-" Deman started to argue, pointing at Knute.

"He saved your niece's life." Astrid snapped aggressively leading Knute into the feasting hall, where he sat down at the table with a bountiful amount of food scattered along the white table linen. "In return for his service, we have invited him to dine with us."

Deman reluctantly nodded. "May I speak with you..." He addressed Astrid disgruntled. "Alone."

She looked around momentarily, passing beside Lorna and Knute, who were seated and waiting to eat. Deman pulled the heavy wooden doors closed behind him.

"What happened out there!?" He paced back and forth, raising his voice. "Do not hide it from me!"

"Lorna was almost raped by a traveller. He was there and helped her." Astrid informed, moving her eyes with the steps Deman made. "Other than those bruises on her face, she is not harmed; only in shock."

Deman let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God." He reached for the door.

"Also," Astrid spoke hastily. "There is a dead man in the cemetery."

Deman laughed. "They are all dead, dear." He joked, wrapping his arm around her neck.

Astrid rolled her eyes slightly. "I meant that the man who did that is laying dead..." She paused, taking Deman by the hand. "Above ground. Someone will need to bury him."

"We will take care of it later." He smiled, pushing the doors open. "Right now we are going to dine with our guest.

Astrid sipped her wine, staring at Knute from across the table. The four at their meals in complete silence. Deman focused his gaze upon Astrid as she watched her familiar friend.

Deman cleared his throat, sitting his eating utensils down. "Thank you for saving my niece's life." He announced smiling kindly at Knute.

"It was really nothing." Knute replied, biting into the freshly cooked meat. "Thank you for this wonderful meal."

Astrid smiled at him then glanced back down onto her full plate. "If I may be excused?" She asked, rising from her chair.

They watched her leave hastily in silence. Knute placed the linen napkin upon the table and followed Astrid into the long hallway. The sunlight from the many windows chased any darkness away.

"How long have you been here?" Knute questioned, stopping behind Astrid.

"Months, I suppose." She simply replied, shaking her head. "I do not know for sure.

Knute nodded without speaking. A awkward silence came over the two of them.

"Since the time I met you," Astrid shattered the silence, chuckling to herself. "I never knew you spoke my language. Why did you not tell me?"

Knute shook his head in doubt. "I do not know." He sighed. "There has been so much of my past I have wanted to forget and that language..." His trembling voice trailed off. "That language brings back pain for me."

Astrid stared at him confused, spinning her wedding band around her cold hands. "Who are you!?" She asked boldly, holding her stare into his. "You are not the same Knute I remember in Oliefsborg."

"You never knew me, Astrid." Knute said, putting his hands into Astrid's. "I never told you the things of my past!" He quickly turned from her, staring from the window. "I once lived here with my mother and father until he died." Knute mumbled, looking over at Astrid with soft eyes. "He is buried in that cemetery and I was trying to find him when I heard Lorna scream. I did what I had to do, Astrid."

"You lived here!?" Astrid asked, feeling a strong wave of emotion build inside her.

Knute nodded. "I was young and cannot remember much, but as soon as our ships landed here I knew I was home. Memories of my short-lived childhood flooded me once again. Then I clearly remembered the day they came." He paused, letting out a shaky breath. "I remember they could never get into the castle so they fled the land. We lived beyond the castle with many other families because we were too poor to be inside the walls. They took me and my mother and some other families." He shook his head. "When my mother died Erick freed me and taught me how to speak their language and showed me how to live like them. He always had a soft spot for outcasts. I was trained to fight and be leader. Since then that is all I have ever known."

Astrid was shocked into silence. She wrapped her arms around his neck, confused yet amazed with what he had just told.

"Is that why you treated me different?" Astrid whispered in his ear, pulling away from him.

He nodded and smiled meekly. "When I first seen you, I remembered me. I knew I could not hurt you or see you go into a brutal life." He caressed Astrid's face, as tears welled inside her eyes. "I knew what it was like. I have always known what it was like." Knute placed a kiss atop Astrid's head. "Do not cry now. You have always been brave; you will always be brave."

Astrid wiped her eyes and stepped away from him without speaking. She started to walk away.

"Astrid," Knute spoke, rushing to her. "We are leaving in the morning hours. This will be the last time I see you."

"Do not say goodbye." Astrid whispered, laying her hand on his cheek. "Goodbyes are only a painful truth that you will never meet again." She wrapped her arms around his slender waist, laying her head upon his broad chest. "I do not want to say goodbye to people anymore. I have had too many."

"You are married now." Knute mumbled, pulling her back. "You will never have to say goodbye again." He turned away from her. "If you feel alone, look up at the moon. I will be looking at it, too." He glanced at her and smiled. "We will never be that far apart."

Astrid nodded, turning her back to him, hiding what emotions covered her face. Knute stopped beside the door, contemplating whether he should turn or go.

"There you are!" Deman's voice rang loudly through Knute's head, causing a wave of sadness and hate to come over him. He watched Astrid leave with Deman from the corner of his eye and left himself.

He returned to the ships down beside the water and looked up at the castle once again with hopes Astrid would be looking back at him with the same feeling he held; but she was not there only a memory and a new lady... a stranger whom he once knew.

Thanks for reading! Remember to vote & comment.

I am sorry if this chapter didn't make much sense, I wrote it quickly and in pieces.

💗Sarah Jane💗