I pressed my fingers to my mouth, horrified.
“Snorri attempted to free Bjorn many times. But it was not until three years ago that he succeeded, and it was at great cost in ships and men. Yet well worth it, for Harald lost his hostage and Snorri regained the son whose magic had the power to reveal the shield maiden. Though there are some who wish he’d never returned.”
“Ylva?” The lady of Halsar’s name rose easily to my lips.
Liv sighed. “Yes. Snorri was handfasted to Ylva when Bjorn was conceived with Saga during a moment of indiscretion. Though Ylva now has a son by him, as firstborn, Bjorn remained his heir. Status which he couldn’t claim as Harald’s prisoner.”
I twitched, remembering the night of the wedding, how Ylva had said she couldn’t stand Snorri being with another woman again. The first instance must have been Bjorn’s mother, and it had cost Ylva greatly.
“Ylva’s son is alive, then?” I asked. “If he is, why haven’t I met him?”
Liv nodded. “Leif is fifteen. He’s on a hunting expedition with his cousins, though I expect he’ll return soon enough. Snorri needs warriors more than Halsar needs meat.”
This revelation explained the animosity between Bjorn and Ylva. “When Bjorn returned, he regained his status as heir?”
“Yes.” Liv sat next to me on the bench, fixing her skirts. “But Leif has spent his whole life in Halsar and is Ylva’s son, so there are many who’d prefer him to be Snorri’s heir.”
“But it’s Bjorn’s birthright,” I said, not certain why I felt so defensive.
Liv smirked. “I see the flirt has won you over, though perhaps seeing the other side of his personality will cure you of that.”
She jerked her chin toward the front of the hall, and I turned in time to watch Bjorn trip over the entranceway, nearly sprawling to the floor before catching his balance. Liv laughed, but my eyes only burned, because nothing about this was funny. Quite the opposite.
“You’re late,” I snapped at the same time as Liv said, “I hope you feel half as bad as you look, Bjorn.”
He ignored me and grinned at her. “Not yet, but soon enough.”
His meaning registered and a rush of anger surged through me. “Are you still drunk?”
“Not as drunk as I was.” He turned his grin on me, but the straw stuck in his hair ruined the effect. That and the fact that I was angry enough to kick him in the balls. “Don’t give me that look, Freya,” he added. “I was only doing my best to enjoy my final hours of liberty before my father chains me to your side.”
I balled my hands into fists, hating the hollowness forming in my stomach. “Your liberty ended several hours ago.”
His gaze flattened. “And it already feels like eternity.”
I rolled my eyes to hide the hitch in my breath, because his behavior stung. More than anyone in Halsar, I’d felt connected to him. He’d shown me kindness and respect and had defended me against Ylva. But it seemed all of that didn’t matter as much as I’d thought. At least, not to him. “Get over it.”
“As pleasant as this conversation is”—Liv rose to her feet—“I’ve better things to do than watch you two bicker.”
Bjorn parroted her words as she walked away, which I was tempted to point out only proved them, but then he rounded on me. “Well? Are you ready?”
Don’t let him get to you, I screeched at myself. Don’t you dare give him the satisfaction. So through my teeth, I said, “Where do you wish to conduct my training?”
“Given you’re likely to fall on your arse many times, we’ll go somewhere less muddy,” he said. “The docks will do if you can manage not to fall in the water.”
Don’t let him—
Fuck him. I wasn’t going to take this behavior quietly. “I’m not the one struggling to stand steady on a flat floor.”
He huffed out an amused breath. “We shall see who makes it to the end of the lesson without getting wet.” Then he winked.
A fiery hot blush raced up my chest to my face. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not some simpering maid whose thighs turn slick just because an idiot man winks at her.”
One of the servants walking by heard my words and gaped. Bjorn gave her an apologetic smile. “I was talking about the fjord, Freya.” Then he shook his head. “Such a filthy mind you have. I think I’ll be most corrupted by our time together.”