So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)

He ducked his head, blushing.

“Oh, Freddy!” One of the three boys called as they approached his woolen bag. “We’re going to get your ball.”

Freddy spun around. “No!”

With a laugh, the boys snatched up his bag and darted across the meadow toward the forest. Freddy ran after them, yelling. Under the shade of a tall tree, one of them upended the bag and let the ball slip out onto the ground.

“No!” Freddy threw himself on the ball. “It’s precious! I can never let it go.”

“Precious!” The boys taunted him, dancing around him.

Brigitta sprinted toward them, her heart aching that poor Freddy was still repeating the words his mother had told him years ago.

“Come on, Half-Brain, let’s play.” One of them kicked Freddy in the ribs.

“Stop it!” Brigitta yelled.

“Who’s going to make us?” the tallest one jeered.

“I am.” Brigitta seized him by the ear and pulled him away. He looked to be about ten years old, so she was still taller and stronger than him.

“Ow! Ow!” The boy squirmed and tried to kick at Brigitta, but she knocked his feet out from under him, and he fell onto his back.

She smiled to herself. Rupert would be impressed by how well she’d learned self-defense from him on board the ship. She glared at the other two boys. “You want to play?”

“My lady!” Her guards dashed toward her from the camp. “Do you need any help?”

“Yes. Please take these boys back to the village and inform the constable that they have been behaving like cruel bullies.”

The boys started to protest, but when they saw how well armed the soldiers were, they went along quietly.

“Are you all right?” Brigitta hunched down beside Freddy.

“I guess so.” He slowly sat up, cradling a brown leather ball in his lap.

Brigitta sat beside him. “May I see your ball?” When Freddy passed it to her, a vision flitted across her mind. She saw his adopted grandmother carefully wrapping the golden orb with more wool, then sewing a layer of brown leather tightly around it.

She hefted it in her hands. “It’s much heavier than it looks.”

The grandmother joined them under the shade of the tall tree. As she settled on the ground, she gave Brigitta a wary look. “Who are you that the king’s soldiers follow your orders?”

“I’m a friend.” Brigitta passed the ball back to Freddy. “Have you heard of the pirate Rupert?”

The old woman snorted. “Everyone’s heard of him.”

Freddy nodded. “He steals gold from the bad king.” He covered his mouth. “I’m not supposed to say he’s bad.”

Brigitta smiled. “You’re right, though. Did you know Rupert is Embraced? He can control the wind.”

Freddy looked confused. “I thought Ulfie could do that.”

“He can.” Brigitta lowered her voice. “Your brother, Ulfrid, is alive. He’s been disguising himself as the pirate Rupert.”

Freddy blinked. “Ulfie?”

The old woman leaned close. “Are you serious, lass?”

“Ulfie’s alive?” Freddy shouted. “Where?”

“Not so loud,” his grandmother hissed, casting a worried look at the camp and then at Brigitta. “If you’re on Ulfrid’s side, why are you traveling with Gunther?”

“I’m trying to help Ulfrid regain the throne. I want to set things right.”

“So you’re a spy?” the old woman asked.

Brigitta smiled. “I suppose you could call me that.”

The woman continued to eye her suspiciously. “I’m not sure we should trust you.”

“I would never do anything to harm Ulfrid. I love him.” Brigitta’s cheeks grew warm. “We … we plan to be married.”

“I love him, too,” Freddy boasted, then his bottom lip protruded. “Why did he stay away from me? I missed him.”

“He doesn’t know you’re here.” Brigitta slanted a grateful look at the old woman. “You did an excellent job of hiding Freddy. Thank you.”

The old woman sighed. “My husband died two years ago. I’ve been so worried about what will happen to the boy if I…” Tears shimmered in her eyes.

Brigitta gave her a hug. Her senses didn’t pick up any secrets, other than Bjornfrid’s identity. “What is your name?”

“Dorina.”

“Thank you for saving Freddy.” Brigitta squeezed Dorina’s hand. “Rupert is going to be so happy to know his brother is alive.” Her eyes burned with tears as she smiled at Freddy. “Will you let me give the royal seal to your brother? It will help him reclaim the throne.”

Freddy frowned at the ball. “Mama said he might come back for it someday.” He offered it to Brigitta.

“Thank you.” She set the ball in her lap. “I’m going to hide this in my tent until I can pass it on to Rupert.” She glanced toward the camp. It was quiet. No one there seemed interested in the three people talking in the shade of a tree. Overhead, the eagle squawked as it left its perch and flew away.

Dorina gave Brigitta a stern look. “If anything bad happens with that seal, I will rain curses upon your head for all eternity.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll hand it personally to Rupert.” She smiled. “I guess I’ll have to learn a new name for him. Can you wait here? I want to send a friend to help you take care of Freddy until Rupert is able to claim the throne. Then you won’t have to worry about anything happening to you.”

“Thank you, lass.” The old woman struggled to stand up, so Freddy pulled her to her feet. “Come along, lad. We’ll finish the laundry while we wait.”

On the way back to the stream, Brigitta slipped the ball back into its woolen bag. Then she hugged Dorina and Freddy and headed back to the camp. There, in her tent, she explained everything to Sister Fallyn. She gave the nun the bag of gold she’d once stolen from Stefan.

“Please look after the prince,” Brigitta told her. “I’ll send Stefan to you as soon as I can.”

Sister Fallyn nodded with tears in her eyes. “Can you imagine what it will be like to see the two princes reunited?”

“I know.” Brigitta grinned. After she gave Rupert the seal, he would win the competition and marry her. Then he would announce his true identity and imprison Gunther. Then Rupert would become king and be reunited with Freddy. “It’s going to happen now, and it will be even better than we had imagined.”

Sister Fallyn quickly packed up her belongings, then gave Brigitta a hug.

“Good luck.” Brigitta walked her outside and pointed out Dorina and Freddy in the distance.

She watched as Sister Fallyn joined them, then waved as the three set off into the forest.

“Brigitta,” a voice whispered to her from behind her tent.

She turned. Rupert. She was tempted to tell him his brother was nearby, but she didn’t want to be seen talking to him. She slipped inside her tent and grabbed the woolen bag containing the hidden seal. Outside, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then edged toward the back of her tent.

Rupert smiled at her.

“Where’s your guard?” she asked.

He waved a dismissive hand. “I lost him. Couldn’t find the seal, either.”

With a grin, she handed him the bag. “I told you I was good at finding things. It’s hidden inside the ball.”