Stealing the Valkyrie

Swan Maiden

"She is of gentle birth and a Lady," Ama corrected, taking Edithe's hand and inspecting her palm. "Such soft hands. I bet you've never had to work for anything. Not even Rollo."

"Well-" Dagmar interrupted, speaking to the others as if Edithe wasn't there, "-my husband says she is a swan maiden and that after the battle in Northumbria, Rollo found her bathing and stole her clothes so she would forget she was a Valkyrie and marry him."

Edithe couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not a swan maiden."

"But he calls you Valkyrie. I have heard him," Dagmar added, her eyes bright with youth and superstition.

"Yes, but as a term of..." she thought of the word rolling from his tongue, " affection ."

Dagmar smiled dreamily as did Hilde and Tyra, who asked, "what else does he say? Tell us, what is he like when you are alone?"

Edithe shrugged, unsure of what they wanted to hear, "when we're alone, mostly we just talk."

They giggled, sharing sceptical glances and even if they didn't believe her, Edithe had to admit, it was nice to be in the company of women who weren't old enough to be her mother.

"My husband," Hilde began as she fetched a bucket to add more water to the tub, "is like a pig, he sits in the corner picking at his toes while I do everything ."

"Well I hardly see mine," Tyra sighed, "when he comes home he falls asleep in the chair and in the morning he's gone. What about you Solveig?"

Solveig, who had been sitting silently in the corner, stood and circled Edithe, like a crow circling a wounded animal, her smile a sneer. "I know what Rollo is like when he's not talking . He fucks you, day and night until he grows bored and finds another woman to wet his cock. You're nothing special, Christian , and soon you'll be forgotten just like all the other women he's had in his bed."

Edithe resisted the urge to step backwards as Solveig advanced into her personal space, until they were staring each other down, barely an inch between them. Standing nude, with a stomach full of nerves, she felt in no position to fight and even words escaped her. Perhaps because a large part of her was wondering if what Solveig said was true. Would he grow bored and seek the company of another? Even if he did, it shouldn't have bothered her. She was only marrying Rollo for safe passage to Briton, what did it matter if he strayed into another woman's bed? But it did bother her, more than she'd care to admit.

Solveig laughed, "you're just a stupid Saxon whore, nothing more."

"That's enough!" Lagertha commanded, grabbing Solveig by the arm and pushing her aside. "If Rollo heard you talking like this he would gut you where you stood."

Solveig spat on the ground at Edithe's feet, "let him, I would rather die than serve his Christian whore." And with that, she left. The door flinging open, straining on its hinge and letting the cold air inside.

Goosebumps prickled on Edithe's skin and she hugged her arms around herself, for warmth and consolation.

"She's just jealous," Lagertha whispered, while the others began adding more water to the tub.

It was not difficult to imagine there were women, like Solveig, who would want Rollo for themselves. The Northmen placed tremendous value on a person's strength in battle and Rollo was fierce, strong, utterly unstoppable when he put his mind to it. But despite his strength and brutishness, there was still tenderness and generosity, understanding and good humour, things she placed great value on.

There was also the way the sun caught the green of his eyes and the way his smile crinkled into his cheeks. When that happened, Edithe thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen and would waste more than a moment just to gaze upon him. So yes, she could very easily understand why women wanted him and how easy it would be for him to stray.