Page 52 of Heart of Iron
Something tightened in her chest.Lena slid her hand into his, hiding it against her skirts.All eyes were on the river.She squeezed his fingers and he looked down, considering it for a moment before he squeezed back.
“Truce,” she whispered.“Just for tonight?”
“Truce,” he agreed.
A breeze stirred her hair as they climbed the stairs, bringing with it the rich, cinnamon scent of Lady Aramina’s perfume.Lena stepped into place beside the duchess and tugged her hand from Will’s.
Beneath the noise of the fireworks and the murmur of the crowd grew a strange, throbbing hum.A froth of water churned a hundred yards behind the last dragon-ship, and the sleek dark head of something surfaced.
“What is that?”she asked.
“A kraken submergible,” the duchess replied, her brandy-colored eyes intently watching the wave.“The stealthy killer of the Scandinavian naval forces.It’s the only thing that’s ever brought down one of our Dreadnoughts.”
Surprised that the woman had answered, Lena dared ask more, “I thought the Dreadnoughts were invincible?”
“You cannot fight what you cannot see,” the duchess replied.“And it’s only in the last minute that you can feel the throb of their propellers coming.Caught alone, even a Dreadnought can be sunk by their steel tentacles.”
The throb echoed through the air, almost humming against Lena’s skin.She could only imagine the force needed to create such a disturbance.
“They don’t usually venture so far from their waters, however,” Aramina mused.“They must be trying to impress us.”
“They’ve succeeded,” Lena replied, looking at the awed faces in the crowd as the domed metal and glass head of the submergible surged through the water to present itself.
The first dragon-ship docked.Two of the ship’s crews wore the blue regimentals of the Swedish military, with gold tasseled epaulets.Every one of them was as tall as Will.They moved with a militant efficiency and stood sharply to attention as a trio of officers appeared on the foredeck.
The final ship trailed with disdainful ease into the docks, edging just a little away from the Swedish vessels.Scarred and grizzled sailors manned the rails, glaring at the crowd.Thick wolf pelts trailed over their shoulders and most of them were heavily bearded.
The Norwegian clans.
Behind her the sound of metal boots rang on the cobbles.A carriage wheeled into the square, gleaming with mother-of-pearl inlay, coming to a halt directly before the platform.The Imperial metaljackets created a path, ceremonial rifles slung over their armor-plated shoulders.
The prince consort leaped out in all his elegant glory and the crowd cheered.
Lena didn’t know where to look.The world was a conflagration of color as the fireworks went mad.The prince consort opened the carriage door and handed the petite human queen out onto the quay.Behind them the Scandinavians were lining up, an enormous man in a scarlet coat leading them.He stood inches above Will even, and the chiseled contours of his cheeks were softened only by a full mouth.
Will flinched beside her at each explosion above, his nostrils flaring.Ofcourse.This was all so new to him.
She tugged at his sleeve.“I assume that man is the leader of the Swedish delegation.Count Stefan Hallestrøm of Skåld.They call him the War Hammer.Even the Norwegian clans step lightly around him and they’re not afraid of anything.”
Lazy amber eyes considered her.He was relaxing, which was precisely what she’d intended.
“The Norwegians are…tricky,” she replied.“Officially, the Storting was disbanded and they bend knee to the Swedish Court now.In the capital, most have adapted to the new ways; however, in the old country they’re rather more traditional.”She eyed the band of Norwegians scowling on the docks.“The man in front is Magnus Ragnarsson, the Fenrir of the Raven Clan.He might wear an eye patch and be older than you and me combined, but he’s considered crafty and his men are murderously loyal.To his right is his son, Eric.”Her eyes widened slightly.She’d heard reports he was handsome, but as the blond warrior smiled, half the ladies in attendance stopped breathing.Fans fluttered like an entire swarm of butterflies.“Don’t be fooled by his charm.You don’t rise through clan ranks without killing someone along the way.The higher they stand, the more blood they’ve shed.And he’s slated to take over his father’s role one day.”
Silence greeted this statement.She looked up and found Will watching her through dangerously narrowed eyes.“What?”
“I don’t thinkIneed be concerned ’bout his charm.”
Heat rose through her throat and cheeks.She fanned herself rapidly.“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You sighed.”
“I did not.”
“It seems you have a dangerous weakness for verwulfen men.”
“I assure you I do not.”Still, she couldn’t stop her curious gaze from sliding back to the golden figure on the docks, with his silver-leaf chain mail and the heavy ax at his belt.She’d once accused Will of being a barbarian, but here was one in the flesh.
A Norse god at the least.
