Page 66 of Mastered By the Viking King

She twisted to see his face. His expression was one of pure determination. He moved quickly, getting them both away from the hole in the ice with the help of a few branches he must have thrown down to spread his weight.

Finally, they reached the bank. He collapsed onto his back, and drew her onto him.

“Njal,” she managed, the cold making her voice quake, her teeth clatter.

“Tove. My love.” He cupped her face. “I thought I had lost you.”

“No… I am… why are you here…?” She shivered with every word. Her wet clothes were as heavy as logs laying over her back, making it hard to breathe.

“The sea was impassable. We returned so as not to invoke the wrath of the gods for our stupidity.”

“Mama, you are well?” Knud appeared by their side. He too was shivering.

“I am so… cold.” She shivered again, and closed her eyes.

“We must warm you.”

“I will take the boy.”

Tove recognized Wanda’s voice.

“Thank you,” Njal said, “And thank you for telling me they had come to the lake.”

“Thankyoufor saving our beloved queen,” Wanda said, anxiety etched in her voice. “Come here, Knud. You’re a bad boy for going on the ice, but we will still warm you, and get you fed.”

Their words were dreamlike to Tove. She was slipping into her own freezing world. All that existed was the ache in her muscles and the shivering in her spine, each tremble creating a quake that radiated outward. Her teeth had stopped clattering; even that was too much effort when all she could think about was the cold.

“Tove.” Njal was on his feet, dragging her up with him. “We need to get these off you.”

He was pulling at her cloak, yanking at her pants and tunic.

She shivered in his arms, her knees giving way.

He caught her, even as he continued stripping her, dropping the sodden clothes to the ground with a loudsplat. Then she was cradled in his arms, and he was striding along the bank. He ducked into the forest, keeping her pressed to his chest.

The cold wind sliced into her exposed skin. She tucked her hands beneath her chin, huddling against his furs. She’d never been so cold. It had penetrated to every corner of her body and dulled her mind. Even her eyelashes had frozen.

When they reached the town, Tove was vaguely aware of voices, sharp and panicked. A blanket was thrown over her nakedness. But Njal didn’t slow, marching on.

Soon, Tove found herself surrounded by humid heat. She managed to open her eyes as warm air flooded her lungs. He’d brought her to the bathing room, holding her above the surface of the hot spring water.

“Here,” he said softly. “This will warm you.”

Suddenly, a blistering heat engulfed her feet. “Oh! No! It’s burning!”

“It’s not, it’s the same as it always is. It just feels too hot because you are so cold.”

He lowered her further.

She clung to his cloak as her rump hit the water, the searing heat seeping between her legs and into her chilled cunny.

“That’s it,” he said. “Soon, your blood will be hot again.”

Her teeth set about chattering once more, and she stared into his eyes, a gaze she’d truly believed she’d never see again.

“My love, I could not have lived without you,” he said.

She didn’t answer, the hot water she was submerged in both blissful and painful.

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