The Mercenary's Claim Read Free

finished his low-voiced conversation with Ludolf and Helena while Gustav was busy conferring with the priest.
    “You call this ‘well’?” Lady Helena hissed. “After what you said about him?”
    “It could be that I exaggerated a little. I didn’t want you to think I was biased in his favor or felt divided loyalties. He was a childhood friend. Lord Ludolf is my liege. It is him and him only that I serve. Gustav will aid in that service.”
    Lord Ludolf kept his voice low, but a hint of amusement was entering with just a shade of hope. “You said he could not be trusted.”
    “He can’t. Not like one trusts a nobleman.” Steffan suppressed his grin. “But he knows how to get men to do what he wants. He’ll do what it takes to earn the reward you’ve promised. On that, we can rely.”
    Kirsten saw Steffan take his place beside Gustav and heard what was going on around her, but none of it made sense. “Mother?”
    Lady Helena ushered Kirsten over to stand in front of the priest. “We’ve no choice. This is your father’s command. It’s the only way.” Lady Helena glanced up at the tall man now grinning down at the priest. “The land and the title are more than what you need to join the ranks of the nobility. What are you going to do with a wife? Take her with you to the battlefield?”
    Gustav answered in a carefully jovial tone. “No, of course not, my lady. I’ll leave her in your tender care until I can return for her and take her with me to my new manor, which you have so graciously given us for a wedding gift. It’s true, I will be busy saving my new father-in-law from a villain’s unjust assault, but at least I’ll have the inspiration of knowing I’m fighting for my bride and her family. My family! Otherwise why would I interfere in a battle not my own? A battle, may I add, that the king has not seen fit to end? A grave risk deserves a great reward.”
    Even Kirsten, inexperienced as she was, could tell from his wooden courtesy and frozen smile that Gustav had given his terms and would accept no further negotiations. She forced herself to step forward, squeezing her mother’s hand one last time for luck, and turned to face the priest. “Father Paulus, I think we are in something of a hurry, so please don’t dally on my account. I am ready.”
    Gustav looked down at her and smiled broadly. “Fine! Let’s get on with it, Sepp. I mean, Father Paulus!”
    With the blood rushing in her ears, Kirsten could not hear the vows she spoke, much less the ones spoken by anyone else in the room, but she supposed it was Gustav she was married to when he leaned down and kissed her perfunctorily on the lips.
    “Right, then,” declared her new husband. “That’s that. Steffan, lead me back to that most useful secret tunnel and I’ll try to squeeze through it the way I squeezed in here. I’ve got a siege to break and a war to win. Good night, all. And, you, wife! Get back to bed. No wife of mine is going to go wandering around a castle at this hour. Your hands were like ice when I held them just now.”
    With that he was gone. Before Lady Helena was able to reach her, Kirsten had sunk to the floor.
     
    * * *
     
    Kirsten’s eyes fluttered open a few minutes later. “Mother? What just happened? I had the strangest dream. I dreamed there was a giant in the audience chamber and Father Paulus appeared and performed a wedding ceremony.
    Lady Helena picked up her daughter’s hand to show her the ring that had been placed on her finger. “No dream, I’m afraid.”
    “What happened? Why am I lying by the fire in the audience chamber, married to a common soldier?”
    “He’s not a common soldier and believe me when I tell you, it was not our intent when we contacted him. That giant, as you call him, was Gustav Jager. He’s got a large and very rightly feared army of mercenaries at his command, though how in heaven’s name he keeps order with that easy-going grin of his, I’ll never know. The offer we