Chapter 16
Freydis
I was dragged into the Queen's room by two guards. Her servant girl had already ran ahead to give her the gist of what happened. I had never seen my mother so angry before.
My heart pounded against my chest as she stared at me. She was beyond furious—her brows drawn, her expression sharp and heavy. She held a cane in her hand as she stood there.
I opened my mouth to explain myself, but she walked toward me. I quickly stood up from the ground and attempted to run, but she struck me with the cane. The strike was so hard that I fell back to the ground, crying in pain.
"How dare you?" she seethed. "How dare you, Freydis?"
Pained to my bones, I drew a shallow breath. I knew I had to choose my words carefully. It wouldn't stop the beating I'd receive, but maybe the beating wouldn't be as severe.
"I'm sorry," I started. "I—"
"Ingrid told me everything," she hissed.
The muscles in my shoulders stiffened. When I looked at my mother's maidservant, Ingrid, she was grinning.
"Ragnar should be the last man you'd be with," she spat. "The gods showed me a vision about him. I warned you. I saw him in my dream with the face of a beast."
"Ragnar is no beast," I snapped, and just as she raised her cane again, I rolled away.
My muscles tensed.
"Remove your clothes, Freydis," she said.
I hesitated for a moment as I stared at her, knowing this was not uncommon for my mother. She always liked hitting me on my bare skin.
"Do not test me," she warned, her grip tightening on the cane.
"I'm sorry. It's just that... we're not alone," I said, referring to the two guards in the room.
"What more do you want to hide when you already defiled yourself? Haven't you brought enough shame upon yourself?" she asked.
Still, the guards left the room, closing the door behind them.
Willingly, I stood up from the ground and removed the clothes from my body. Ingrid came forward, took my clothes, and placed them somewhere safe.
"Look at me," she demanded, and I slowly turned to her. Her blue eyes traced my body, inch by inch, until they reached my bottom. Her jaw clenched. "You are no longer a virgin. You disgrace me, Freydis."
"I'm sorry," I murmured.
"Shame," she spat. "If only you had been seen with him in the mountains or somewhere else, it would've been easier to stop the news from spreading around the village. But it's everywhere now. What man would marry a girl who's been defiled?"
I wanted to roll my eyes. As if the men she spoke of were virgins themselves.
"You have tied my hands behind my back. You have shamed me and your father. And for what? Ragnar, whose cock has no self-control and would fuck anything that has cunt? You think you're any different from the other women he's bedded?"
"Maybe he's not perfect, maybe he's exactly as you described—but I love him," the words flew out of my mouth. I had tried—tried to control myself.
"Shut up!" she snapped. "So naïve and foolish. You think what you feel for him is love? What words has he said to you that made you this blind and dumb?"
I ignored her.
"After this, you'll go to the prayer hall and ask the gods for mercy for defiling yourself."
Anger rose in my chest. I was surprised my heart didn't explode.
"Ten lashes will put some sense into your head," she said. "I hope it will—but I doubt it."
I already knew how this was going to happen, so without a word, I approached the table. But this time, I wanted to turn around and run away.
But then what?
That would make her even more furious, and word would make its way back to the King. He would be so disappointed.
I lay my body against the table so that my back and arse were exposed for her to whip. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ingrid smiling. How much I hated my mother's thrall. Sometimes, I wanted to carve her eyes out with my dagger.
"There will come a time when you realize this beating is for your own good," she said. "This will ensure you do not dishonor the gods."
I squeezed my eyes shut when I saw her cane coming toward my back. My body jerked against the table as pain spread across my skin. I gasped for air, bracing for another strike. My body clenched tightly, and I gritted my teeth.
I knew exactly what she wanted to hear—my cries. She would only hit harder if she didn't see my tears.
When the next strike landed on my back, I cried out in pain. The burning was intense.
I squeezed my eyes tighter.
Eight more.
Eight more, and this would be over.