""Should I stop?" I whispered." hahahahahaha

I feel like I need a more descriptive passage dedicated to Edvard's manhood. 

Fornicating lol

I was always so upset at Edvard's arrogance here. Espeically knowing he knew from the very beginning. He just couldn't get over that pride. I'm a bit more leniant with Bella's miscomunication considering she was you know...kidnapped and enslaved lolol

These are familiar chapters now coming back to me. I've read this story so many times and still have so much love for it.

I miss this story. Every year I come back to it... please post another chapter this year. We still have a few weeks yet.

I really like this story, waiting patiently for the next chapter. If I may suggest that you make this story into three mini books, the beginning of this love story, second marriage and children making changes to unjust practices etc., third watching their grown-up children, take over and make the village stronger, self sufficient, etc. Just an idea to think about, with any twist and turns you may through into them. I  feel strongly that if you publish this story it will sell, may be send a copy to Netflix? They could make it into a movie? With all that is going on in this world, covid etc., people need an escape to simpler times.

I wish you good fortune and prosperity. You're a really good writer, like to read your stories, hope you finish them all.

I really like this story, waiting patiently for the next chapter. If I may suggest that you make this story into three mini books, the beginning of this love story, second marriage and children making changes to unjust practices etc., third watching their grown-up children, take over and make the village stronger, self sufficient, etc. Just an idea to think about, with any twist and turns you may through into them. I  feel strongly that if you publish this story it will sell, may be send a copy to Netflix? They could make it into a movie? With all that is going on in this world, covid etc., people need an escape to simpler times.

I wish you good fortune and prosperity. You're a really good writer, like to read your stories, hope you finish them all. 

I really like this story, waiting patiently for the next chapter. If I may suggest that you make this story into three mini books, the beginning of this love story, second marriage and children making changes to unjust practices etc., third watching their grown-up children, take over and make the village stronger, self sufficient, etc. Just an idea to think about, with any twist and turns you may through into them. I  feel strongly that if you publish this story it will sell, may be send a copy to Netflix? They could make it into a movie? With all that is going on in this world, covid etc., people need an escape to simpler times.

I wish you good fortune and prosperity. You're a really good writer, like to read your stories, hope you finish them all. 

Dying for the next chapter

Re reading this story again and it is still so sooo good. Hope you find the inspiration to finish this story! Hope all is well! :)

Love and miss this story

Love and miss this story

Love and miss this story

I've re read this so many times I loved it! 

Can't believe I missed the last chapter!! Cannot wait for the wedding!! 

Hope you are all well with all of the craziness of 2020

Please update soon xxx

I've re read this so many times I loved it! 

Can't believe I missed the last chapter!! Cannot wait for the wedding!! 

Hope you are all well with all of the craziness of 2020

Please update soon xxx

I've so enjoyed reading this story for the third time!  I really hope all is well with you and your family, and that you will return to this story and we'll get to see how it all turns out. You're a wonderful writer and I appreciate you sharing this with us! 

This story just gets even more amazing everytime I read it.

A year has passed again, but it was well worth the wait. 

I hope you and your family are being safe during this quarantine. 

Happy Holidays, from Texas💙�

I love this story so much. I always come back to it! I hope you update it sometime in the future!

I love this story so much. I always come back to it! I hope you update it sometime in the future!

I had followed this story on Fanfiction so many years ago and had been sad when you decided to move on from the story for a while. I was so happy when I went to reread it and found new chapters here! I absolutely love this story and  can't wait to see where you take it.

She has really grown into her role in her new culture:  

‘I knew I had to witness this, if nothing else than to relay it to Tonna, whose injuries were being tended to and to assure her that her tormentor of a husband was truly gone…’

An absolutely chilling speech by Edvard over Jamarr’s corpse.  And THEN, the corpse not only gets beheaded, but has an iron stake driven through it.  Echoes of all sorts of vampire and zombie legends.    

It made me wonder what the burial of Jamarr’s co-conspirators was like.  Would Edvard and the others only have paid this much attention to the leader?

I liked Bella’s solution to Edvard and Beni arguing over who should carry Bella back to Einarr’s house.  

Poor Jutta!  Not only has she turned out to be one of several bed thralls for Miki, but she’s been through this horrible time with Jamarr’s men – no wonder she misses her mother!

Wonderful:  ‘ I knew I had no power to order her released from Miki’s service, but Jutta wanted to be with her mother, and I would be damned if I did not at least attempt to bring her home with us.’

And it’s good that Edvard notices this:  “She cringes away from men now . . . even me.”

Lovely, at the assembly:  ‘He was standing, holding out his hand for me to join him at the head of the long table. He had risen for me – in front of everyone.’

Wow, the role of an ally is demanding:  “I will remain until Einarr’s return and help him dispense justice on the traitors before returning.”

No matter how much Edvard would rather go home.  But it’s true, Einarr’s village has been so decimated and traumatized, it doesn’t seem wise to leave them on their own.

That’s nice that at least the wedding has been moved up.  The original plan was to give them something to celebrate in the dark days of winter, but the village could use something to celebrate now.

Sweet, Bella to Edvard:  “You are . . . so very kind. I wish more people knew it.”

Interesting, Edvard thinks some of his men will stay at Einarr’s village:

“The unwed ones, most likely,” he confirmed, “the ones who have few attachments or no land of their own. There are widows here now and lands that need farming.”

Tonna certainly had an inventive idea of how to escape the future she doesn’t want. 

Ugh:  “Tonna is an unwed woman and therefore under [Miki’s] authority.”  So even a widowed woman has no autonomy.  They would probably think of it as protection.

I’m sure Bella’s right about how Tonna’s story will be told:  ‘Such a rare event would make for a good story to tell around the hearth in the deep of winter— its conclusion, obviously, being the death of a foolhardy woman who behaved too much like a man.’

I loved that when Bella tries to plead Tonna’s case, what she gets from Edvard is “Trust me”.  A test for her.  

Beautifully described:  ‘Edvard was a sight to behold: Tall, well-muscled and broad shouldered, his green eyes alert and his hair pulled back at the nape of his neck, he was dressed simply in a tunic and trousers to ease his movements, feeling no need for armor or padded clothing against such an obviously inferior opponent.’

Good exchange with Jutta before the combat:

“What are the rules?” … 

“The strongest, luckiest one survives.”

Oh.

I wonder if the offer for someone to barter for Tonna’s forfeited life was a common practice, or Edvard’s invention for the moment.  This is good:  ‘If Miki bartered for his sister’s life it would not change her circumstances, but rather force her to remain in a place where she was despised by nearly everyone.’

I enjoyed that Bella and Edvard made a performance of the bartering, adding to the story that would be told.

Sniffle:  ‘…Jutta and I tended to the defeated warrior within the privacy of our bed chamber, feeding her and urging her to rest, promising her that she could let herself sleep without fear, that all three of us could.’  The things we take for granted today!

A lovely final image, the three women in the ship looking toward home.  So well done!!

As you say, we’re so close to the end!  I hope your health, your circumstances, and your muse provide you the time and motivation to keep writing.  Whenever you get to it, we’ll be here eagerly waiting.

Yes, Bella’s really in a pickle now, in Jamarr’s bedroom with his dead body and blood all over her.  ‘The men had not seemed particularly loyal to Jamarr, but I found it difficult to believe they would congratulate me on killing their leader.’  We’d probably be back to the principle of Einarr’s men being glad to see Tonna put in her place.

Wonderful, it even made me tear up a little:  “May the gods be with you, Tonna. Valhalla will gain a fierce shield maiden.”

How ironic that the one person to really understand and value Tonna was one she thought of as a “foreign whore”.

Geez, I can hardly imagine wearing a long dress, wrapped in a fur, running through unfamiliar fields and forests as it grows dark.  Oh yes, while notably pregnant!  Must be pure adrenaline.

It made me smile that Bella assumes she must have died in her sleep – and Edvard too on his journey - to see him again.  ‘Was this Heaven or Valhalla? I did not care.’

What a time for Edvard to find out about Bella’s pregnancy!

Oh, Edvard and his men think it was Einarr who attacked their village.  What a story Bella has to tell.  And finally, she gets to collapse in Edvard’s safe arms as she relives the last few days.

Lovely:  ‘In the moonlight, his eyes looked silver, his face taking on an other-earthly glow. In that moment I would have believed him, had he told me he were, in fact, a god come down to earth. No mortal man could possibly be built so strongly with a face so beautifully sculpted as his. It did not seem plausible that he should be real, that he should be mine.’

And then Edvard’s story, that Bella had called to him in his dreams!  A nice echo back to canon, that Edvard tried to keep her safe from Jamarr but ultimately failed.  Shudder, he thinks Jamarr may even have succeeded in violating her.  

Aww:  ‘All that remained was bliss as he kissed me, his mouth gently tentative, his scent and warmth reviving almost forgotten parts of me.’

Go, Bella!  “I am well. But there are others who are not. We must save them, Edvard. All of them.”

A most welcome chapter, ending with Bella and baby safe with Edvard and Emundi.  

I forgot how fast this story moves!  Two chapters ago Bella’s main problem was having to send Edvard away if he wanted a booty call.  Now she’s not only been kidnapped along with other village women, but there’s this unholy alliance of Tonna and Jamarr!

For hardly knowing any of these people, Bella does a good job scoping out who’s who.  So this must be Einarr’s village she’s been taken to.  

This is so tough, but she manages:

‘Never before had I felt such a surge of rage in my blood, and I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stand still before [Jamarr] and not foolishly launch myself at him to scratch his eyes out.’

Her family would be proud.

OMG, Jamarr had wanted Ro-se too!  

Interesting twist, that the men did not bargain for abducting the betrothed of the chieftain!  Thank goodness Laugi stood his ground and argued for his own strategy.  “We will vote on it.”  Not part of Jamarr’s plan!  A good sign:  ‘…all them seemingly unafraid of ridiculing their so-called chieftain.’

Hmm, if Bella had not managed to get free of Jamarr in that moment, who knows how differently this might all have gone?  

A welcome moment of levity:  “This one here is likely to bite your kokkr off, in any event. Let Edvard Karlsson worry about losing his manhood.”

Oh geez, Tonna married Jamarr??  I’m guessing she really wanted no part of HIS kokkr. 

Jutta provides some valuable perspective, having seen the takeover of Einarr’s house.  How scary that Miki has been “injured”.  I can imagine him standing up for his master.  

So Tonna has made a heroic choice:  “…Jamarr betrayed her. He made her choose who was to marry him, her or her younger sister. Tonna chose herself. She would not subject her sister to his violent ways.”

Aggravating but entirely believable:  Einarr’s remaining men were not loyal to Tonna.  

“No man will follow the leadership of a woman, Bella. They like that she has been subdued. They have no honor.”

I bet they are happy to see her “put in her place”.

Hmm, so Jutta is skeptical that Edvard will fight the outlaws:

“They have taken mostly thralls and will ransom you and the few other free women.”

So that thing about having to compensate the owner for a thrall doesn’t apply when they’re kidnapped?  

I hope Bella’s right:  ‘I knew his heart. He would not abandon anyone – free or thrall – to the cruelty of Jamarr’s leadership.’

Yikes:  ‘The men here were nothing but animals, every bit the savages I had believed Vikings to be before coming to Edvard’s village.’

And now Bella understands that to protect her pregnancy she has to escape as soon as possible.  That won’t be easy.

The description of Tonna’s state after being alone with Jamarr was chilling.  It must have been extreme to draw this reaction from Bella:

‘She had tried to separate me from Edvard, called me a foreign whore, and even formed an alliance with Jamarr to obtain power for herself, but all I could feel was pity when I looked upon her now, the husk of a woman she had become under the foot of a cruel and violent husband. I knew her life. I had lived it myself.’

Jamarr seems to enjoy telling Bella what Tonna’s role was in his rise to power.  Quite a moment:  

“She deserves this, does she not?” he asked me, his eyes glinting with madness, “for betraying her own family.”

… “No one deserves this. No one.”

I bet:  ‘…having to witness the cruelty of Jamarr and the rest of the men and being unable to stop them was soul-shattering…’

Makes sense that some of the other outlaws who have been called to join Jamarr, would rather have a fresh start in a new land than an ongoing feud with the other chieftains.

Tonna’s desperation seems understandable.  She must believe that it would matter to the other men if it was known how cruel Jamarr was to her?  After all she is a free woman, from a prominent family.  

Good perspective, compared to what we think of as freedom:

“You are a free woman,” I said.

“I am free to marry and free to bear children, nothing more.”

I’ll take my life, thank you very much!

Definitely an unexpected twist, that Tonna agrees to help Bella get away.  Then she fights like a tiger – a skilled tiger.  Wow, what an action scene!  And who knew having had to sacrifice the goat would come in so handy.  A shallow cut would have been useless.

Yeah, Annie and Aretha are the perfect soundtrack for this moment.  But Tonna and Bella are definitely not out of the woods yet.  “Eeek” is somewhat of an understatement!

I have come back to this story to reread it with the hope that you will finish the last three chapters (from what you have said, two chapters and the epilogue). I hope that you are safe and healthy with all that is going on in the world today. I pray that you are able to bring this story to it's  rightful Viking closure so much sooner rather than later. Prayers for you and your family to be safe and healthy!! 

I’m so sorry to hear about your Mom.  However hard it may have been, I bet you will never regret having been there with her.

I sure remember THIS chapter, too.  Edvard slips away on the ship, and by the end of the next chapter all hell breaks loose!

Aarrggh, it’s so unfair that she has to keep her pregnancy to herself!  Thankfully, though, by the end of the chapter, she finds a friendly confidante.

Sweet, for Arndis’s child:  ‘We sewed and wove tiny shifts and soft hats together, and I delighted secretly in the knowledge that I would soon do the same for my own child. ‘

‘Men had no place in the house when a child came into the world.’  That was true enough in Western cultures a few decades ago!

Oh that’s right, this is Beni’s first biological child.

Clever, an escape route!  If the attackers were Vikings from other villages, though, they might have known and guarded these other exits.  Didn’t seem to happen this time.  

Wow, Bella showed such courage, giving Arndis and her children a chance to escape. 

Smart girl:  ‘Let them believe me meek and docile. Perhaps that would make escape possible later.’

This is the second time in her brief life that she’s been kidnapped from her home.

Do I understand this right, some of the attackers were just keeping the village men busy, and ran back into the forest instead of boarding the ships?  Allies, then.  Ugh.

Sigh, after she defends the other captured woman:  ‘I had saved neither her nor myself. I had only delayed the inevitable.’

Tonna and Jamarr!  What are they doing together??  This can't be good.

This chapter is such fun, because Bella gets an entirely new angle on her new life and her homeland.

A nice scene with Bella and Arndis:  ‘I felt immense gratitude for her kindness and vowed to myself that I would find time to make a beautiful dress for her to replace the one she had given me.’

Interesting:  ‘Arndis spoke no cruel or harsh words when giving orders, but was not as friendly with the thralls as Ester and Ro-se had been. Perhaps she needed that distance, having had once been a thrall herself?’

Bella seems to be wise enough to take her cue from Arndis’ behavior.

How strange it would be to live in the same house as Edvard’s son by Arndis!

Wow, a real do-over:  "Bella," Arndis said quietly. "You are, for all intents and purposes, a maiden once more."

It’s fairly shocking, though, that as a “maiden”, her honor, her sexual choices, belong to her brother more than to her. Not that this is unusual, of course, just such a contrast to her status as a thrall.

Well thank goodness Arndis tells her what is expected of her, before she can make a mistake:  ‘Now I knew that it would be my responsibility to keep all of us safe by denying Edvard.’  I like how she reasons through what Edvard’s ultimate motivation would be.

Yeah:  ‘I was now a free woman, and yet I had never felt more as a piece of livestock being auctioned off.’

Nicely said:  ‘My heart pounded furiously and my thoughts flitted about as though they had sprouted wings.’

Geez what a complicated set of transactions!  But it’s heartening that the three parts of the bride price work to her advantage.

This made me smile:  ‘However, we were now betrothed, soon to be married. How could I possibly be expected to return to my bread dough after such a momentous occasion?’

Smart girl.

From Arndis:  ‘“Now he must celebrate with the men. That is our way."

"Then it is my way, as well," I agreed.’

I read the first 18(?) chapters of My Viking in my early teens on FFN. Recently, I had the urge to reread, even though I thought it had been abandoned. Imagine my surprise to find that not only was it not on FFN any more, but that it had been updated too! A very wonderful surprise.

I love this story, and it's been such a fun opportunity to learn about viking culture from Bella's point of view. Your Bella is such a wonderful character -- the way women flock to her loyalty is really such a strong symbol of her kindness and strength - something often lacking in fandom!Bellas.

I can't wait for your next update! I hope you're well, and happy!

Yeah, he’s a guy all right:  "I will not deny how much I enjoy having you serve me and tend to all my needs. It makes me happy to know that it is enjoyable to you, as well.”

It’s nice that Edvard seems to understand that this could be hard for Bella:

"I have changed my mind," my Viking said, unexpectedly. "Jakob will come here to speak with you. I would not have you entering Jamarr's former house."

I like that Bella is smart enough to see it is in her own best interests to follow the customs that apply as a member of Beni’s household.  And that she decides to be discreet by not asking Jacob too openly about how/whether she could lie with Edvard again.

And yet:

"I will have you again before I leave," he said, eyes burning with unfulfilled lust.

"How?" I gasped.

"I am chief," he boasted with a grin. "I shall find my way between your thighs and none will be the wiser."

Promising!

Sweet:

‘"I believed my life to become a living hell upon my arrival. I never expected to find affection…or friendship."

Jakob returned my smile tenfold.’

Uh oh, Jakob re Jamarr’s household:   "There will be trouble if I am away for long."  He has already observed how everyone was treated like children.  I’m guessing there’s not a lot of maturity and hardly any selflessness.

Sigh, later in the day ‘I saw that Edvard had returned to the house and felt the greatest desire to rush to him, to embrace him, but I knew that I could not. Not anymore.’  Damn!  Also she realizes she should not interfere with this:  ‘I knew that he was now playing the part he had perfected so well over the years; the strong and unaffected chief.’

Interesting ceremony.  Especially when Bella realizes that the contents of the purse which will buy her freedom are ‘Plunderage! These were stolen!’

An uncomfortable reminder of who these people are, however civilized much of their society has proved to be.  It also reassures her that Edvard shares the bounty from his “expeditions” with the village.

Wow:  "It would please this thrall greatly if my master would sit in the seat of honor and have me serve him one last time."

True in Bella’s case, but how often might this be an outright lie?

Good lord, the goat slaughter takes place in the house??  Sounds messy.  And then holy crap, she has to actually chop off the head!  Bad ass indeed.  Of course in that time nobody had any illusions about meat coming from supermarkets.

This was unexpectedly funny, from Ro-se:  “You cannot attend your own feast looking as though you have been in battle."

Well described:  ‘Until this moment, I had not been regarded as a person in Viking society. I had been property of my master, plain and simple. Now that had changed. I was a free woman and I had rights.’

Empowering advice from Ro-se:  "Always hold your head high, Bella. You are a daughter of Vikings now and we do not cower."

Nice:  ‘Saying farewell to Isabella from Swan cottage had been a long and painful process but now it was done. I was her no longer. I was Bella Benadóttir, future wife of Edvard Karlsson, and I would one day help him lead our people.’

Amusing that once Bella is a free woman, the unattached men from the village are suddenly buzzing around.  ‘I did not care for their words, nor did I like the manner in which they looked upon me…’

And then Beni tells her that until Edvard declares his intentions to the whole village, “I am free to receive offers on your behalf. I suspect the first suitors will arrive in the morning seeing how you have enamored them so."

No wonder Edvard is scowling into his ale.

Interesting that Bella realizes a suitor ‘was not looking for affection in a wife. To him, as it was for most, marriage was a means of making alliances and now I belonged to a rich family.’  Not so different from her own first marriage, although at least she has something to say about the choice (thanks to Beni).

Smile:  ‘Edvard possessed no skills in this area and yet I treasured our stumbling dance even more, knowing that he did this to be close to me.’

And to keep others from getting too close!

Oh, and he has at least as much trouble as she does with sending her away from his bed!  That was a good scene, a drunken Edvard’s public behavior being restrained by Beni.

Quite a conundrum:  ‘Now my only worry regarding Edvard was to decide whether or not I should allow him access to my very willing body or if I should keep him at a distance as propriety dictated.’

I’m guessing she will surprise herself and Edvard by choosing propriety.  She has developed some pride in her own standing.

Quite a day for Bella!

I smiled at Edward’s catalog of his shortcomings, even after Bella has stated so clearly “I am yours”.

Yikes:  “I will love you until the day my life is claimed by a warrior superior to me."

A little dose of reality among his romantic promises.

The thing most people don’t understand about dowries is that they can be called back by the wife if the marriage fails.  It’s kind of like her own escape fund.  At least this is true in many places.  Now on a practical level, whether that can be enforced might be a different matter.

Smile again:  ‘"When may we be wed?" I asked, failing in my effort not to seem overly eager.’  Too bad she is disappointed in the answer.  

Excellent conversation about why he did not free her immediately.  Good for him for being honest enough to admit the truth.  We also learn his intentions in that fateful conversation with Jamarr, and how her resulting fury affected him:

"I wished for your adoration and affection but saw only resentment and anger when you looked upon me that day," he said quietly. "I could not free you. You would no longer be mine. I could not keep you by my side if you were free. You would have chosen another man and I could not risk that.”

And while we ALL wish he had explained to her about the conversation with Jamarr, he is not perfect:  "I am a stubborn, proud fool at times. I did not want to show you how much power you wielded over me then.”

I bet Ester and Ro-se wanted to smack him.

That is a sad back-story with Jamarr.  It’s easy to see how he might have expected to become chief when Karl died.  Interesting that the “Ting” (all men, of course) had a say in whether Edvard or Jamarr became chief.  

And the story about Jamarr assaulting Lina when she was still so young:  “He has not touched any of our thralls since that night and I foolishly believed that would also apply to you."

Awesome:  "Not that I am opposed to debauchery," he clarified and claimed my lips in a heated kiss. "But not at the expense of our thriving and all of us surviving the winter."

‘For a brief moment I contemplated asking Edvard how many women he had claimed but decided that I had no desire to know.’

Good choice!  You really don’t want to know.

Interesting, and good news:  “Einarr will not risk Jamarr assaulting any of his people. He wishes to catch him almost as much as Emundi and I. Our alliance stands, despite my refusal to marry their sister."

Fun, Beni’s teasing:

‘"You are welcome in this house always. Even after your marriage, should you tire of this one."
He motioned to my Viking, who scowled fiercely upon hearing Beni's playful words.’

A nice domestic scene with Beni and Arndis and Bella beginning to learn about each other.  It does sound like a good home for Bella.

Aww:  ‘I took my place behind Edvard, as it was fitting for a thrall, but before we walked home he turned and smiled at me.

"Tomorrow you will walk by my side, beautiful one. As it was always meant to be."’

That could be a hard habit to break!

I like this because it's not just about sex but a love story with some humour but I like some lemons haha;

Oh yes, I remember this chart from the first time I read this story, long ago.  It’s still just as hard to read.

What a nice, and unexpected, apology from Emundi to Bella.  The recognition from him and from Ro-se lends a different kind of solidity to E&B’s relationship.

I laughed out loud at Emundi’s fear that Ro-se might hex him.  

Unexpected parallel with Bella’s homeland:  ‘I shivered lightly at the thought of the kinds of dark magic that might dwell in this land for I did believe in it.’

What a relief that Bella is finally confident of the difference between the behavior between them in public and in private.  I actually liked that she said “As you wish”, to acknowledge Edvard’s public status.  It sure didn’t fool Emundi, though!

Smile:  ‘… my new favorite task of warming our bed and pleasing my Viking.’  She even begins to take pride in her place in Edvard's house.

I like too that she is deferential with Ester, asking for permission to go talk to Jakob.  

Whoa, I guess Edvard has been very successful at maintaining his fearsome public image, if the other thrall (who turns out to be Jamarr’s) is grateful she’s not in Bella’s position.  She thinks of Edvard as ‘a terrible beast with his large muscles and cold eyes’.  I wonder if her shock at Bella being on her own out of the house, is partly due to Bella using Edvard’s given name.

Ah, yes:  "Do not speak his name!" she hissed. "He does not allow it!"

What an evil dude, implying a threat toward Ester or Ro-se to distract Emundi, while Edvard is travelling.  Bella surprises even herself:  ‘Never before had I encountered such a craving for violence, and though it startled me greatly, I did not regret my harsh words.’

I imagine this is sadly true of a slave:  “I could kill you this instant and all your master could do was demand payment."

This could have been over very quickly if Bella hadn’t fought so hard.  Sad but useful that ‘I had grown accustomed to pain from the hands of my cruel husband’.  Ugh:  ‘My husband always spared my face during his abuse but Jamarr had no such reservations.’

I liked that when Ro-se jumped on Jamarr, Bella wondered if she might be Freja.  But after he injures Ro-se he knows he has made a fatal error.  I loved that in Ro-se’s reply to him, she doesn’t back down one bit.  

Do not mess with Ester!  "No!" Ester said with authority. "You will find the one who did this to my daughters and you will bring him back here, preferably alive that I might witness as you claim his worthless life."

Of course it’s great that she says “daughters”.

Amazing scenes between Edvard and Bella after the brothers rescue the women from Jamarr’s house.  

‘I had known for some time that I harbored affection for Edvard and wanted to serve his every need. I wanted to ease his troubled mind, be his friendly harbor and make him smile.'

Aww, if that's not love, it's awfully close.  It's sobering to remember how true this is:

‘The sensation was unfamiliar to me and the notion even more so.' 

Nasty memories:  ‘I went into my marriage thinking that if I performed my duties perfectly, my new husband would treat me kindly and feelings might emerge.'  

Ugh, "performed my duties perfectly".  A standard that women of my mother's generation still believed in.  It probably haunts more of us today than we even know.  And it doesn't work now any better than it did in Bella's day.  The person hoping that being "perfect" will draw affection from the person with all the power, has no power.

Another layer:  ‘I did not even know the Viking word for love.

Does it exist at all?'

It's probably smart of her not to assume the concept is part of Viking culture.

Sigh, she's still ultimately powerless:  ‘Now I could only do my best to please Edvard so that he would follow his brother's example and make me his wife.'

But at least she has reason to be confident in his good character.  Not to mention the stellar sex!

Also, of course, she has to convince him that any children she might bear will be his.  How convenient that he had his spy.  And even though my feminist heart squeals in protest, this is sweet:

"Though you please me greatly by telling me this. I know that you are a good and honest woman and I am happy that you want to put my mind at ease now that you are in my bed once more."

OK, so she does have some leverage - even while she was not his bed thrall, he couldn't tolerate "the mere thought of another man touching you".   

This was chilling, the reason he completely trusted Jakob:

"I know of his wishes for the future and I control them."

Well-imagined scene in the main room, when E&B head to the bathroom.  I smiled when Bella saw Miki and Jutta:  ‘I found myself wondering if Edvard and I looked the same when we were together...' 

This is so much of what draws Bella to him:

‘I took all of him in with my eyes as I reached him and not too long ago I would have been terrified of the sight in front of me: A strong and powerful naked man with lust burning in his eyes was reaching for me. He could so easily hold me down and violate me should he want to do so, and no one would come to my rescue if he did. I knew this and yet I felt no fear.'

Good girl, getting inspired to bring her skills up to Jutta's.  The jealousy doesn't run only in one direction:  ‘I alone would be in Edvard's bed from this day forth. I alone would bring him joy.'

Interesting, although she has worked very hard, she has also eaten better than she did in her homeland, and her body has filled out.  ‘Not once had I gone to bed with an empty stomach...'  It makes me wonder how often that happened before.

Wonderful, when she asks if she can touch him:  ‘Edvard broke into a grin, lay back on the bed and raised his arms above his head thus giving me complete access to his naked form.  ..."Do with me what you will."'

Such a tempting invitation, and one suited to calm a novice.

Very good:  ‘I realized just how passive I had been during our previous encounters. That would change after tonight. He would never be in doubt of my desire for him again.'

Oh, poor baby, so frightened of fellatio.  He handles it just right, of course, including staying still.  This was particularly encouraging:  

‘"Do you recall how it felt when I did it to you?"
My eyes snapped up to his and my face flushed.

"Yes, you remember," he chuckled at my reaction.'

Re her husband's treatment of her:  ‘"I wish he were still alive that I might have the pleasure of killing him," Edvard said in a low and frightening voice.'

Go, Edvard.  Interesting too that he doesn't understand why she didn't / couldn't leave him.

Oh my, and when he talks about being sad about her weeping at night in the communal beds:

"I do miss my family," I admitted. "But mostly I...I longed for you."

Quite an admission.

She is so on the right track!

‘I surprised both him and myself when I grasped his wrists, pushed him back on the bed and raised his arms above his head. He surrendered easily and closed his eyes which prompted me to take a moment to admire him.'

It's chilling, though, how she keeps looking up to check that his hands are nowhere near her.

Ha ha:  ‘His lips sought mine immediately and it did not seem to bother him that I had just had his manhood in my mouth.'

A benefit of being clean!

Delightfully playful:

"All night?" I questioned. "Is such a thing possible?"

"Let us find out..."

Nicely said:  ‘I felt lost in his mossy gaze; so warm, so tender, and I never wished to be found again.'

I enjoy that your Bella can be so literal-minded.  When he asked if she enjoyed her orgasm,

‘I did not know why he asked for I thought it was evident that I did enjoy it very much.'

This is an interesting statement of why she feels safe with him:  ‘Edvard would not be careless with me and he would not harm me.'

That conscious carefulness is even more to be valued than lack of intent to harm.

Sniffle:  ""Bless her, Freja..."

i love this story 

I love this story so much 

I love this story so much 

It’s a pleasure to watch Bella’s knowledge of the world expand.  Specifically she talks about the Vikings’ industriousness and their personal cleanliness.  (That certainly fits with my Norwegian mother – she wore us out with cleaning and chores!)  And later she learns about their “strange heathen religion”, an oral rather than written tradition.

She also finds that Edvard has many virtues besides being handsome and wielding heathen magic.  I like these specifics:  ‘We ate as well as the family, the children were allowed to play and did not have many chores and never once did I witness violence.’  How many enslaved people throughout history had that much?

What a great moment:  ‘I was sitting on the edge of the bed, combing out my hair while lost in my own thoughts when I had the distinct feeling of being watched. I looked up and nearly dropped my comb when my sleepy eyes met the burning dark gaze which was Edvard's. On some level I knew that he had still wanted me even after I rejected him, but up until that moment I had felt assured that he had moved on, since he still took Jutta to his bed every once in a while.’  

And ‘even though it was no concern of mine, it still pleased me to know that they did not share affection.’  

Smile, after her erotic dreams ‘I always found it extremely difficult to take my eyes off him the following day and if he caught me looking at him I could not hide the blush on my cheeks.’

I’m sure he noticed!

Aww:  ‘But I did miss him, my Viking, and there were some nights when I was so lonesome that I considered running to his bed chamber to beg him to take me back…’

Jacob was kind to think of warning Bella what to expect with the visitors and the feast.  

Once again we run into a limit to Edvard’s power:  "It would be considered an insult if Edvard forbade them to touch his thralls during and after a feast. Not many Vikings treat their serfs as well as Edvard does, and they certainly do not care about consent from female slaves."

Oh geez:  "If you do not struggle they will not harm you," [Jacob] said... "And if you drink plenty of mead it will make you drowsy and not care so much."

Interesting that she thinks about “submitting” to her husband in much the same way.

Surprising – the Vikings treated one another the same as their offshore targets:  ‘Without the alliances we would every day face the risk of being attacked by other Vikings, and if they were victorious we thralls would be snatched up and brought back with the victors…’  I can imagine the “alliances” being carefully maintained from one generation to the next.

Her bafflement made me smile:  ‘I gaped at him. Was Edvard giving me a bath? What would ever possess him to do such a thing?’

Funny that he’s inept at washing her hair.  I suppose his wife always had servants to do it.  He certainly has figured out the pleasure of the bathing part!

Such a vivid image:  ‘The only sounds in the room were the crackling of the fire and our breathing. Mine; shallow and fast with nerves and Edvard's; deep and slightly ragged.’

A particularly well-done exchange, as he instructs her on what he expects at and after the feast:

‘"You will spend the whole night with me!" he growled.

My eyes snapped open in shock and I sat up straight. I was saved! I would not be violated by the strangers!

"Do not fight me on this, woman," Edvard warned, as he mistook my reaction to the news.’

And when he abruptly walks away, ‘I sat in the cooling water with the very distinct feeling that I had somehow displeased Edvard, but I could not for the life of me figure out how.’

I agree – he confuses me too!

The plot thickens:

‘I had thought it enough to merely dwell in Edvard's house to remain unharmed... I needed to be Edvard's woman to feel completely safe and this was what he wanted.

I want it too.’

Considering that she walked away from him mere days after arriving, this must certainly be true:  ‘I now had a slightly better understanding of the ways of this world and I confess that the more I learned, the more I realized how good and noble Edvard was.’

A sweet and hopeful moment, while he’s at the table drinking with his guests:

‘He must have sensed my eyes on him because he suddenly looked straight at me and I found myself lost in his mossy green gaze for a moment or two. Heat rose to my cheeks and my lips curved up in a smile. He regarded me with what seemed like caution at first but then his eyes warmed and he returned the smile that I had given him.’

Great wording:  ‘He was still in there, my Viking.’

I like her resolve:  ‘It would not be an easy feat to let go of my apprehension and fear of being hurt once more, but for my Viking I would try.’

Good for her:  ‘If I was to have even the slightest chance of becoming his wife I needed behave like a grown woman he would want by his side all the time and not merely use for pleasure.’

I wish she could say this to him out loud, although at the moment it’s progress that she even admits it to herself:

‘Be my Viking once more, Edvard, and I will gladly be your woman. Show me kindness, open your heart to me. Share your thoughts, please, and I will tie myself to you and never leave your side again.’

I laughed at your author’s note that ‘We might just get a lemon if these two don't screw things up again.’  So it’s up to them rather than you, is it?  I believe you!

i read this years ago and when the updates stopped I gave up. However I started watching The Vikings and thought of this I was so pleased that you had started to write again. I hope you finish it. Great Story

I read this years ago but gave up waiting for updates but recently started watching The Vikings and remembered this. I was very pleased you were working on it again and hope to see it completed. I am re-reading and loving it.

We’re on tenterhooks now, wondering what Bella’s post-bed-thrall life will be like.

Worrisome:  Ester ‘greeted me with a warm smile which made my insides ache, for I knew that it would most likely be the last one I was ever to receive once she learned that I had rejected her son.’

That’s a good distinction, that it was Bella who rejected him, not the other way around which must have happened before.  I wonder how Edvard will “spin” this with others in the household and town.  But Bella does believe that others in the household know what happened, at least the outcome.

I was a little surprised that she was still expected to serve him meals.  Maybe any thrall might be assigned to do that?  

I love the way she says this:  "Edvard, I…I am sorry," I whispered and shifted my weight. "That I could not be what you wanted."

Interesting way to look at it:  ‘I almost envied these heathens their ignorance that they may fornicate without a care in the world and simply enjoy the pleasure they felt.’  But she would be convinced the “heathens” were destined for hell, so it’s not a simple trade!

I liked your making Jacob a countryman of Bella’s, a great reason for a warm friendship.  Good story about his mother refusing to let go of him when she was captured.  

Ooh, fun to get a glimpse of Edvard and Emundi’s father!  Nice, Edvard and Jacob "grew up together and were as close to friends as two children of different stations in life can be.”

Jacob certainly encapsulates Bella’s dilemma re being Edvard’s woman, and suggests she has misjudged him.  Ah, she is surprised that Jacob describes Edvard as being “lonesome” after his wife’s death.  

She really has a puzzle to mull over now, with the paradox of Jacob’s view of how Edvard views his woman – plus her own sweet experience – versus the way he had spoken of her to Jamarr.  ‘But what would be the purpose of Edvard's slander if he did not care about Jamarr's opinion? Why had he felt the need to demean me in such a humiliating way, tainting everything we had done together?’

I’m confused too!  But I bet he has no idea how strongly she reacted to that encounter.

She tells Jacob ‘”I wish to remain in Edvard's house."

It was the only steady point in my life, and the mere thought of being married off to a stranger made me quiver with fear. At least here I knew what to expect... And I would still be able to see Edvard every day.’  

Aha!

Smile:  ‘…a handsome man who knew the wickedness of my flesh before even I did.’

That’s the best kind!

Hmm, interesting opportunity for a private conversation after she “swoons” out of exhaustion while cooking and burns her hand.  This was a great line:  ‘"What happened?" I whispered and closed my eyes, not wanting to see the cold amidst all the beautiful mossy green.’

I have to hand it to Bella, she takes advantage of every chance to tell Edward what’s on her mind.  What a relief, being reassured that he has reconsidered his initial words:  "I spoke too soon when I said that you did not have a place here in my house.”

On the other hand, she learns ‘I must not touch Edvard again.

I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of never feeling his arms around me but it could be no other way with us.’

A nice moment:  ‘…the women began to sew and make wool into yarn. I could not help but smile a little when I settled among them with a needle and thread of my own. This was familiar to me. This I could do without worry or fear.’

Oh, he has heard from someone about Jamarr’s approach to Bella during the feast.

‘I raised my face carefully and fought the urge to wince for I felt certain that I would be struck.

Edvard had a most foul temper and no matter what I did, I ended up displeasing and disobeying him.’

Hard to argue about that.

Oh my, when she questions his intentions with Jutta, 

‘He was out of his chair immediately and pinned me against the door with his large firm body.

"What I do with her or any other woman is no concern of yours!" he hissed angrily. "You are but a serf! You…you do not mean anything to me!"’

Huh, just a moment before I would have sworn something different…  And then I laughed out loud when the door closed behind Bella and he ‘let out an angry roar which caused me to flinch followed by the sound of furniture breaking’.  

Ugh, so much more consequential than all the boys swarming around at Forks High:

‘…when I saw a few of the other male thralls give me hopeful looks and make room next to them, I found myself moving towards Jacob with a thundering heart.’

Good to know:  "Edvard only allows fornication among the thralls so long as both are willing."

Sigh:  ‘I could certainly not obtain rest with such impropriety going on all around me and attempted to think of something else.’  

Aggravating to think about:  Jutta ‘would never think to reject [Edvard] and would gladly lie with him without feeling so much as a shred of guilt.’

But it’s not as bad as it could have been, when Jutta returns to the common room to sleep:  ‘Edvard slept alone tonight and I could not stop myself from foolishly hoping that perhaps he would think of me a little while before falling asleep.’

Oh my gosh what a lovely moment when Edvard comes by her bed:  ‘I felt his eyes on me and next my cover being pulled up around my shoulder to better keep me warm. His hand stroked my hair gently for a moment before I heard him stand up and walk away.’

Really missed you!!!  Welcome back!

Poor Bella:  ‘What has become of me?’

In such a short time, too.

Ouch, her husband ‘had hurt me in the most brutal of ways but he had never made me a sinner. … Now I would burn in Hell and for what? A savage heathen, who brought me pleasure only to betray me, humiliate me and mock me for giving in to him easily?’

I’m skeptical that it would even be possible for Bella to communicate to Edvard how he had hurt her.  (Thinking of the struggles modern women have faced on the same issues over the last 50 years – impossible in her situation.)

Uh oh!

‘No more! He could take me daily but I would never again grant him access to my body willingly. ... He admired my bodily strength? Fine, let him feel my struggle against his advances then. He did not want a mindless woman? Good, for he would hear exactly what I thought of him!’

Oh, she got a good shot in here:

‘"You said that I was allowed to speak freely when we are alone!" I reminded him.

"If you were respectful about it, yes!" he growled.

"How do you expect a lowly whore such as me to know the difference?" I asked, with venom dripping from my voice.’

This is really the bottom line, isn’t it?  “Do not forget your place, Bella!”

She might have gotten very lucky in the master who chose her, but she is far from free.

‘And finally my fear overrode my anger. …  My tender and playful Viking with the beautiful smile had vanished and the man who remained was a stranger to me; a livid stranger who looked as though he was more than capable of inflicting bodily harm.’

But when she “cowers” before him, that seem to bother him more than her defiance.  Interesting!

A heart-wrenching line:  ‘I felt so alone and frightened that for several minutes I could not stand but merely rocked back and forth on the floor while holding myself because I had no arms but my own to find comfort in.’

OMG, then Ester remarks on not only Edvard’s but also Bella’s temper, and concludes:  "Bad thrall."  …   "You, good wife…"  And then observes that Edvard needs a strong wife, and Bella is strong in body and mind.  Totally unexpected!

I laughed out loud when Ester imitated Edward’s roar.  

Ester is remarkably cool-headed:  ‘I was slightly stunned that she trusted me to wield a blade already. Did it not concern her to hand me a weapon?’

She seems to trust her own intuition.

I enjoyed the scene of the women gathering for lunch, and commenting on Edvard’s assets.  ‘They all roared with laughter whereas I gasped at their impropriety and hid my face.’

But Bella manages to join in, good for her.

Hmm:  ‘The thought of seeing him every day but never again being alone with him almost brought tears to my eyes and this shocked me greatly. How had I become so attached this quickly?’

Oh shoot, and of course Edvard overheard her comment to the other women.  

Ouch:  ‘"You will spend the rest of the day in my mother's company for you have not earned the right to be in mine," he said without emotion.’

Wonderful:  

‘The tiniest of whimpers escaped my throat and he smiled triumphantly against my lips before covering them again with his own. When he finally released me I was panting, my face was flushed and I felt lightheaded as I stumbled away from him as if in a daze.

His magic has grown stronger still! Perhaps he was making a spell in his absence?’

Heathen dazzling!

I wonder if this was Ester’s decision or Edvard’s?  ‘I was slightly stunned to discover that I was to dress as nicely as them for the feast.’

Dang it:  ‘"It is comforting to know that my beauty has no skills in the art of deception," he said with a grin.’

Wow, it is SO hard for her to distinguish who the "real" Edvard is, and how to deal with him:

‘I nodded wordlessly and swallowed back my tears. He would no longer see how weak I was, how I longed for his gentler side.’

This is Edvard, after all, so I don’t quibble with it – but it makes me think of all the women in lesser positions throughout history, and now:  “You will find life much easier when I am pleased with you.”  How many have felt they had no choice but to yield, and abandon their true selves?

Interesting backstory about how her parents had struggled to feed her family.  Downright creepy though:  ‘I had noticed that food had not been lacking this past winter when I had returned to my family's house after my husband's demise and I felt certain that my father had received a pretty penny for me when he gave me away.’

When he sold her, in other words.  Marriage is so romantic...

At least he expresses some sympathy for her sadness at the loss of her family.  Even though he and his crew were the ones that took her from them.  Aaarrrgghh!

But then, a charming story about Ro-se and Emundi's early days.  She still didn’t have the choice to go home, though.

I’m with Bella on her final thoughts:

‘”Let us have a wonderful night."

Yes, master, I thought darkly.’

Such a good chapter! I love happy endings for all, as sappy as that is. Also, I’ve read this story since you started it and I was so pleased to see you didn’t abandon it.

I thought u were joking when u said u will get this story ended by 2021 but it looks like u mote us e been serious .I love all ur stories and would love to see this one done. 

I thought u were joking when u said u will get this story ended by 2021 but it looks like u mote us e been serious .I love all ur stories and would love to see this one done. 

Thank you. What a wonderful way to begin 2020. I went back to chapter one, and am so glad I did. This is such a rich tapestry of words. Thank you so much for your perseverance throughout your own saga. Thank you for sharing.

I squealed when I saw an update. I think if you continued the story with quarterly updates for ten more years, I’d be in Valhalla! Lol. So glad the decade is starting on a positive note for you.

Annie B

:D

I am so happy that you are back to finish the story. I look forward to reading the rest of this story and reading any others that you write.

Love that you still post! Makes me so happy to see this post in my email