The king looked up at Fleya. The witch was on her feet now, looking compassionately at him. He struggled to identify how he felt about what she’d done. Anger was his foremost emotion; anger and resentment. But there was something else – a kind of relief. At least, awful as it was, he knew the truth.

He rose and stood before the witch, trying to show strength and bravery as his father would have. But he knew that she could see through this pretence.

‘It wasn’t your doing, Erik.’ Fleya reached out and pushed back a hair that had fallen across his face. ‘You were no more a part of those terrible deeds than I was.’ Taking a small step backwards she looked him up and down, and nodded. ‘You will be a fine ruler for your people, my King. Mirvar will be proud of the man he left to protect the kingdom.’

‘I appreciate your words,’ he said. ‘And I will endeavour to see that they are borne out.’ Pulling himself up to his full height, the ruler strode over to the window on trembling legs and threw open the shutters, allowing the daylight into the room before turning to face her again. This time his expression was grim. ‘But before I can begin my reign, I must avenge my father’s murder. I know where Kelewulf is.’

27

‘I’m going with them,’ Astrid said, fixing her brother with a look that probably worked on every other person in the kingdom.

‘You most certainly are not.’

‘You can’t stop me.’

Erik gave his sister a stony look. ‘I think you’ll find I can do exactly that.’

‘They need me,’ she said, nodding at Fleya and Lann.

‘You are a princess of this kingdom. You are not—’

‘I think we’ve already established I am not really princess material.’ She grinned fiercely when he flushed at her words. ‘I have made my peace with that, brother. I am a shield maiden, though. I am trained in combat and am the best archer in all of Stromgard.’ She paused and shot Lann a look. ‘I’m the best fighter in this longhouse right now.’

‘You might be the best archer, sister, but—’

‘Best fighter,’ she repeated. ‘With whatever weapon you choose to name.’

Erik snorted. ‘I find it astonishing you can say such a thing when you witnessed what Jarl Gudbrandr did to the mercenary Oknhammer!’

‘Really? Well, let’s see, shall we?’ Reaching into a sack by her side, Astrid pulled out two heavy wooden training swords. Lann just about caught the one she threw in his direction. ‘Well?’ she said to the young jarl. ‘Shall we show our king what kind of fighter you are?’ She nodded at the sword in his hand. ‘Prepare to defend yourself, Jarl Gudbrandr.’

‘Astrid, I want you to stop this—’