Hakon woke early the following morning. His head and stomach ached from the previous night"s feast. His mouth and tongue felt like he had swallowed mud. As he pushed himself up, he noticed the sleeping form next to him and cursed under his breath. He had not intended things to go as far as they had with the t****l woman, but as the evening wore on, his reasoning had faltered.
Slowly, he climbed from beneath the furs and fumbled for his trousers, which lay in a heap on the floor beside the bed where the girl — what was her name? — had relieved him of them. As he pulled on his shirt and boots, his mind replayed the previous evening, searching for words and actions that he might regret, for a king who drinks overmuch, even among friends, plays a risky game. Save for his attentions on the gir
