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swallowed him whole. 
    Darc walked away ignoring the torment of her bare emotions in her wide eyes and gaping mouth. Those haunting eyes had looked his way too often on the journey here and had bothered him a great deal. Ignoring her had not helped much. He told himself he cared not for what she had to say now or if she was upset with his order. She needed to get used to it.  Sooner rather than later. 
    ‘Come Kelbie, we shall see what waits for us in our rooms.’ Caroline leaned down to the little boy’s ear and he turned wide brown eyes of fright on her, his tight reddish-brown curls moved with the light draft blowing through the dark castle. 
    ‘Ma-Mama? We stay here?’
    ‘Aye, we stay.’
    His bottom lip poked out, tears filled his eyes and Caroline felt her own tears sting hers. 
    ‘I want to go home,’ he sobbed.
    She picked him up and snuggled her face against his neck. So did she! Even as horrible as Halvard had been, she knew what she’d faced there. Here, she did not.  Looking up, she caught Laur’s nod and followed the older woman up the winding steps.
     She hugged Kelbie’s tiny little body tighter to her chest. She wanted to turn and run back home too. But their home had been burnt to the ground. The old servant moved to close them inside the cold room and her cool tone broke the quiet.
    “The bath will be here straight away. Someone will be up in the next hour with your supper.’ 
    ‘Wait!’ Caroline cried out, her hand outstretched. 
    But the woman closed the door on them with a boom. Even the room was nigh bathed in darkness. Two tapers lit in the corner showed a large four poster curtained bed, two large chests of fine wood, a vanity with a small looking glass above it, a door that looked like it might lead to an enclosed smaller chamber and her soot stained small sack of belongings sat on the floor next to the large stone hearth that took up the whole wall on the other side of the decent sized room.  There was enough room in here for both she and Kelbie. 
    She was glad for she did not wish to leave her son out of her sight as long as they remained under this roof. 
    Kelbie’s quiet sobs broke her heart and she tried to set him down, but he refused, she sat on the thick rich furs upon the bed and rocked him. Once he slept she would examine the room more. She was so very tired and dirty.
    Her new husband’s face came back to her. He might have been considered handsome at some point in his wretched life if he not had that uneven and hideous gouge on his face. What was she thinking? Caroline released a heavy sigh. Her mind was still numb from the jarring events of the past few days.
    That ill-healed scar ran the length of his chiseled face and the dark whiskers which covered his strong jaw did little to hide it. His hawk like nose looked like it had been broken more than once. But it was his penetrating blue eyes that had seemed to burn right down into her soul that held her attention when he had stood like a wooden and broken man beside her in the quick ceremony.
    After the king had departed, they had ridden hard and fast here. He had spoken not a single word. Not even the simplest inquiry to her about their well-being. She knew he had felt her eyes on him for though he spoke not a word, his eyes watched them closely.
    Aye, this Norman was indeed cold. Had she no need to survive for Kelbie, she wished she lay as dead as her first husband.  
    Kelbie’s relaxed breathing told her he’d fallen asleep and she laid his small body sideways on the high bed, drawing the fur coverlet over him and removed his dust covered and scuffed shoes. Quickly she wet a soft cloth in the water filled washbowl and carefully wiped the smudges of soot free of his face, hair and small hands. He moved not at all and once done, she stepped away from the bed.
    Only then did she allow her emotions to become unhinged and her tears to fall. His little body looked so vulnerable and small. How was she to protect