Taming His Viking Woman
THE SEA KING’S WARRIOR BRIDE Legendary shield maiden Sayrid Avildottar will marry no man unless he first defeats her in combat. And in powerful sea king Hrolf Eymundsson she has finally met her match.Hrolf might have won her lands – and her body – but can Sayrid welcome a stranger to her bed? The world of fighting is all she knows! But with a husband intent on seducing his new bride perhaps, just this once, Sayrid will discover that surrender can bring the greatest pleasure of all…
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‘Sayrid, I marry a woman—not a man. Find a dress.’
Sayrid stared at Hrolf uncomprehendingly. ‘A dress?’
‘You do own a dress…don’t you?’
She released a breath and offered a prayer up to all the goddesses in the Aesir and Vanir. At last—a way to postpone the evil day with dignity. Somehow she’d discover what he truly wanted before she started believing that he wanted her. She could use this to buy time and find a solution to the mess. It wasn’t over until the ceremony was done.
‘My best dress is at home. What a pity. We will have to name another day, when I can be attired in the sort of clothes fit for a sea king’s bride.’
‘Borrow one.’ A glint showed in his eyes as he raked her form. ‘Or come naked. But I marry a woman. Today.’
This story came about because I love seeing how women survived in male-dominated professions in bygone eras. So when I discovered it is highly probable that there were Viking shield maidens—aka female warriors—I knew what my next heroine Sayrid Avildotta would be.
While I was writing this book I was able to visit the Viking exhibit at the British Museum and see some of the artefacts there, such as ships, swords and several hordes of gold and silver. All exciting stuff. However, the Viking skull with filed teeth did make me wince …
The book from the exhibit—Vikings: Life and Legend—which details the latest research on Viking life, was also useful in answering several questions about the current thinking on certain aspects of Viking culture (for example, the misidentification of various pendants as Valkyries when they could easily be a depiction of real shield maidens).
I do hope you enjoy this tale of a shield maiden and the warrior who shows that she can be a woman as well as a warrior.
As ever, I love hearing from readers. You can contact me through my website www.michellestyles.co.uk, my blog www.michellestyles.blogspot.com or my publisher. I also have a page on Facebook—Michelle Styles Romance Author—where I regularly post my news. And I’m on Twitter as @michelleLstyles
MICHELLE STYLES was born and raised near San Francisco, California. She currently lives near Hadrian’s Wall with her husband, a menagerie of pets and occasionally one of her three university-aged children. An avid reader, she became hooked on historical romance after discovering Georgette Heyer, Anya Seton and Victoria Holt. Her website is www.michellestyles.co.uk and she’s on Twitter and Facebook.
For my aunt Sandra K Erickson
Contents
AD 830—north-east Sweden
Sayrid Avildottar stood in the ice-cold pond, fish spear raised, her eyes on a particularly large sea trout.
She and trout were old adversaries. Fishing helped to hone her eye and her hand when she was at home as well as providing food for the table. And out here in the pond, no one ever complained that she was far too tall, too clumsy or too unwomanly. Not that anyone did much these days. She’d proved her worth with five seasons of profitable sea voyages.
It was amazing how quickly people fell silent when you had gold in your purse, a reputation as a canny trader and a sword by your side that you knew how to use.
The jaarl would surely relent and allow her to lead a felag further east where fortunes truly could be made, instead of always trading with Birka and having to pay tribute to the various sea kings who prowled the sea lanes. And after that, she would never need to go on a voyage again. She would be able to stay at home and make sure her lands were safe. It would give her half-brother, Regin, time to become the capable warrior that she knew he could be and give her half-sister time to choose the warrior she married, instead of being forced into an unwise alliance with a man who had little respect for her.
She simply had to work out a way to make the jaarl see it was in his best interest.
The trout spun round and started back towards her, making its final bid for freedom. Sayrid balanced on her toes, waiting for that precise heartbeat when her spear would be most effective.
‘Sayrid! Sayrid!’ Her half-brother’s voice resounded about the pond at the very instant she was about to thrust the spear.
The spear fell harmlessly into the pond and the fish flashed away.
‘This had better be good, Regin,’ Sayrid called back, retrieving the spear and vowing that next time the old trout would not get away so lightly. ‘You’ve cost me a fish supper.’
‘Blodvin has sent an urgent message about the marriage.’
‘What can be important about that?’ Sayrid peered into the water, trying to spot the trout again. ‘The bride price was sworn last jul-tide. It was more than it should have been, but dewy eyes, honeyed curls and a sizeable portion of land come at a price.’
