*Catherine*
“Hvitserk is not coming back tonight,” Harald tells me, looking down at the ground.
I nod. I had assumed that’s what would happen, but I had hoped. We’re alone. So, terribly alone. “I don’t know what I am supposed to do.”
“I need to bathe,” he says, and I can see he’s not sure what to say. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’ll wait outside,” I offer, walking to the door.
“I don’t want to kick you out,” he says, stepping towards me and grasping for my hand. “This is your home, and I am yours. Don’t leave, but turn away if you want.”
I nod. This feels a bit scary, but he’s right. If I am to marry him, I can’t run from him. He dumps buckets of water into the tub, not bothering to warm them. I go to help, and it splashes back on my hand.
“This is cold,
