Chapter 126: Bond, Part 1
Håkon woke wrinkling his nose at the smell of incense. Goddesses, had they filled the room with the damnable stuff? Groaning, he lifted his face from the pillow in which it was buriedand stilled when he saw the imperious-looking woman sitting in a chair beside his bed, bent over needlepoint.
Bed? Where was he? Håkon rolled onto his back and sat up, looked around the rather austere looking room he was in. The walls were bare save for two heavy tapestries covering the windows, each one depicting tepid scenes from scripture. The floor was scattered with older tapestries, too worn to be of use on the windows but suitable to help cut the chill against feet.
An enormous fire burned in the fireplace across the room, adding a pleasant crackling, snapping sound to the distant hum of Priests singing hymns.