The two servants bowed respectfully and closed the door behind them.
"You haven't got the slightest idea what is expected of you, do you?" The absurdity of it had her mind reeling, for she couldn't fathom what would happen if she attempted to bed her.
Vevina had to clear her throat before she could finally speak. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Nor was I expecting you," Astrid countered, and began scrubbing her long messy hair with the bar of soap the servant girl had left on the small stool beside the tub along with towels.
"I know you don't want me..."
"Want you or not, I'm stuck with you," Astrid said before dunking her head to rinse out the soap and finally start scrubbing the grime off her shapely body. She gave herself another rough scrub, to rid herself of every morsel and stench.
"I will be a dutiful wife to you," Vevina said. "And to your brother."
"Must be great to be you," Astrid stopped scrubbing for a moment. "Are you going to service both of us at the same time?"
"I will grow used to it."
Astrid shook her head. "Again it sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself rather than me." She held up the soap. "Start now. Scrub my back."
She surprised Astrid when she didn't hesitate. She pushed up her sleeves, walked over to her, took the soap, and went behind her to do as she asked. When she heard her gasp, Astrid realized she possessed little strength and she grew angry.
"They're just battle scars. If you cannot stomach touching them, I will have one of the maids to do it instead."
She felt the soap against her back and thought that as long as Vevina didn't have to lay her hands on her scars, she was all right, therefore, Astrid was stunned when she felt her hands lather the soap across her back, and was even more stunned when she felt herself grow hot at the gentle touch.
She remained still and silent, secretly enjoying the feel of her hands tenderly massaging across her shoulders, down the center of her back, and along her sides, though she never once went past the water to the more intimate territory.
Astrid grew hotter not from the steaming water but in response to her innocent touch. She throbbed and at that moment her only thought was to get out of the tube throw her on the bed, hike up her skirt, and drive into her softness until she satisfied her ranging need.
A barbaric thought for sure and one that made her angry, angry that she could even think like a man much less act like one. Vevina was her brother's wife and innocent, she didn't deserve her wrath or to be the instrument that quenched her need.
"Get out!" she bellowed, and she heard her stumble and fall. "Now!"
She heard the door slam shut and groaned. It had been long, too long since she'd had a woman's touch, and her hunger was too much for an innocent one to suffer.
Astrid could take one of the willing servants, as she had many times before, but it was her wedding night, and she would disgrace her family if she did.
She groaned again and knew she would need to relieve herself if she was ever to get through this night, and when she was finally, dressed, and walking down the staircase, she realized that her new wife and her touch had never left her thoughts.
~*~
Vevina knew when her wife entered the hall. all the women's and men's eyes shifted and the servant girls smiled while some cheeks blossomed red. The men cheered, and she had no choice but to look her way.
She was a chieftain in every sense of the world, tall, beautiful, proud, defiant, and much more lovely devoid of grime. But then, she already knew that, having gotten a full view of Astrid in their bedchamber. If Astrid ever thought to strike her, she would surely suffer pain. Her stepfather had raised his hand to her for years. Was it only a matter of time before Astrid did too? She had told her she wouldn't hurt her, but her stepfather had promised the same. How would she protect herself against someone who owned her life now?
And what would it be like to be intimate with her, a woman? In her mind's eye, Vevina saw her wife naked, and that frightened her. She was the same and yet much too different from her. Vevina was not completely ignorant of men and marriage, though she'd learned what she knew from listening to other women in the village.
She knew her duty, though not how she would carry it out. Astrid was more, much more than she ever imagined from her twin brother. Oddly, the thought of intimacy with Arthur had not disturbed her, but then he had been kind and gentle with her, not so Astrid.
"Where is my plate, wife?"
Vevina jerked her head up to see Astrid towering over her on the dais. Her gold eyes remained fixed on her as if delving deep inside her soul, and she quickly reached for the empty pewter plate in front of her and began piling it with food from the platters spread on the table.
Astrid took the vacant seat between her and her brother Lancer and tapped at her plate. "Whose plate do you prepare?"
"Yours of course," she answered and swapped her empty plate with the full one in her hand.
"What of you?"
She couldn't eat a speck of food, she knew her stomach would not tolerate it.
Astrid seemed to read her thoughts with her questions. "Not hungry?"
She shook her head.
She thought Astrid would force her, but she simply turned away to speak with her father, who sat on the other side of the table. Relieved that she would not torment her with demands to eat, Vevina remained seated at the edge of her chair with a sharp eye on her wife's plate and her tankard, to make sure both remained full.
Her stepfather walked by and leaned down to whisper to her, "Tend your wife, or you'll feel my hand."
Vevina froze, not believing her ears. She thought marriage would free her from her stepfather's brutality, but with Astrid who didn't want her would she care how her stepfather treated her?
"Vevina."
She heard her name being called far in the distance but couldn't answer.
"Vevina, what's wrong?"
She shook her head, realizing her wife was speaking to her, and quickly made an excuse. "Deep in thought."
"You often turn ghostly pale when deep in thought?" Was that concern she heard in her voice? She couldn't be certain since Astrid's scowl made it appear otherwise, and yet, she was almost certain she had sounded as if she actually cared. Perhaps it was simply wishful thinking on her part, to have someone to worry over her.
"She pales for what she knows she must face tonight, sister," Lancer said with a laugh and a slap on his thigh.
Vevina was grateful for the distraction since she had no truthful answer to her wife.
"You have not changed, Lancer," Astrid said. Vevina was surprised by Astrid's accusatory tone. Her brother jested with her, while she appeared so serious.
"Why change when I am perfect the way I am?" Lancer laughed and gripped her sister's shoulder. "You're home now. There is nothing more to worry about."
"There is Rohan."
Lancer took a deep breath. "We have searched endlessly for him as we have for you."
"Do you continue to search?" Astrid asked.
"Every day," her father answered. "Perhaps it is time for us to talk. That is if your wife does not mind your absence."
Vevina was not surprised when Astrid turned to her and said, "I will see you later at the bedchamber."