CHAPTER TWO: THE FEAST

IT HAD BEEN NEARLY a week since Sophie had been sold to Aslaug, and during that time, she hadn't had the chance to speak with her new owner. Most of her days were spent in the barn with the other slaves, where nothing was required of her. This left Sophie questioning the reason behind her purchase in the first place.

When she was first introduced to the other servants, Sophie was relieved to discover that one of them spoke her native language. The woman, who was nearly twenty years older than Sophie, proved to be a helpful guide as Sophie adjusted to this unfamiliar place. She taught Sophie about Viking culture, beliefs, and their language, although learning it was a slow process. Still, Sophie managed to pick up some words and phrases that might help her understand the pagans if they ever spoke to her.

Now, Sophie paced nervously in front of her new friend, who sat by the fading fire, knitting. For the first time in days, Aslaug had summoned her for a feast, as Helen had explained. Sophie's role was to assist in bringing food to the dining hall and serving the guests, alongside another young servant named Yelda.

Yelda, a blonde girl of Sophie's age but much skinnier, sat with the other servants, chatting with no sign of nervousness. They were all accustomed to this, which made Sophie envious. She was paralyzed with fear of making a mistake, although a part of her secretly wished to fail, hoping that it might lead to Aslaug releasing her. But she knew that Aslaug wouldn't simply let her go; she might even sell her to pagans worse than herself, a fate Sophie dreaded.

"Stop pacing, my child," Helen said, looking up at Sophie with gentle eyes. "There is nothing to fear."

"Everything is to be feared," Sophie replied, continuing her restless pacing. "What if I mess up?"

"You won't," the experienced servant assured her.

"You don't know that," Sophie countered, finally sitting down beside Helen. "You don't know me. I'm not good at this, like you and the others."

"You haven't tried yet," Helen said.

"No, I have. That's why I ended up here."

Before Helen could reply, a man walked in, directing Sophie and the other selected servants to follow him. Giving Helen one last glance, Sophie stood up and followed the young servants, each assigned a specific task.

"You've got this, my child," Helen called after her. Sophie hadn't expected to find such support in this place, but it seemed that Helen's encouragement wasn't enough, as her services weren't required by Queen Aslaug tonight. Sophie couldn't help but feel lost without her.

Following the Viking man and her fellow servants, Sophie entered a room where food was neatly arranged on tables, ready to be served. She could hear the boisterous laughter and chatter from the grand hall, separated from them only by a thin curtain, which did little to calm her nerves.

Following the lead of the other servants, Sophie picked up a large bowl of soup she was unfamiliar with and began following them carefully.

Her eyes widened as she entered the chaotic room filled with Vikings, all of them laughing and speaking loudly. Her gaze searched for Queen Aslaug, whom she found seated behind a dining table on a throne beside her husband King Ragnar, as Helen had explained. Before she could scrutinize King Ragnar, she noticed the servants placing the food on a large table surrounded by what seemed like twenty or more Vikings. Sophie was about to do the same when someone roughly nudged her shoulder.

Turning around, she saw the head of the servants glaring at her, gesturing towards the Queen's table. Sophie understood the unspoken message and, as she turned to go, the woman hissed some words she couldn't comprehend before walking away, leaving Sophie feeling alone and vulnerable.

With hesitant steps, Sophie approached the throne, placing the bowl on the table before Queen Aslaug and her husband. Yelda, her assistant, followed suit by placing a large plate down. Meanwhile, Sophie refilled King Ragnar's mug, but her nervousness got the better of her, causing her to knock down a jar that shattered on the floor.

Cursing herself, Sophie knelt down and hurriedly began to clean up the mess she had made. Once she stood up, ready to continue her tasks, she noticed King Ragnar's gaze fixed on her, his smirk evident. Of course, he would mock her for her mistake.

He said something she didn't quite understand as she bowed her head, moving on to fill Queen Aslaug's mug, while ignoring the peculiar look that passed between the King and Queen. To Sophie's surprise, Queen Aslaug seemed more amused than angry, a reaction that left her baffled.

Before she could turn and walk away, King Ragnar grabbed her wrist. "What's your name?" he asked using words she understood but pretended not to until Queen Aslaug interjected, distracting her husband. Relieved, Sophie walked away, as the Queen explained that she didn't speak their language.

As the feast continued, Sophie noticed the eyes of almost every man on her, especially those of King Ragnar, who hardly took his gaze off her throughout the evening. She did her best to avoid his attention, though he didn't seem angry; rather, he appeared curious, adding to her confusion. Everything felt bewildering, and she had expected to be punished for her earlier mistake, but instead, nothing had happened.

As the feast concluded, Sophie felt a sense of relief, grateful that she had made it through the evening unscathed. Finding Helen still awake at such a late hour, Sophie sat down beside her, her expression muted.

"How was it?" Helen asked.

"I messed up, just as I expected," Sophie replied, her voice weary. "And that King you told me about wouldn't stop staring at me."

"Oh, child," Helen said softly. "I understand how you feel, but King Ragnar is a good man. He would never harm you."

"It didn't seem that way," Sophie muttered as she slumped back on the bed.

"You have nothing to fear from him," Helen assured her.

"Why didn't they punish me for my mistake?" Sophie asked.

"They had no reason to," Helen replied.

"How do you know? The people I served before did."

"I just know, because as I told you, they are good people," Helen said, her sincerity shining through.

"You don't have to lie to me you know," she told the older woman. "I'm not a child and I've been through it all, I've seen a lot."

"I would never lie to you," Helen replied.