Chapter 15
Freydis
Ake didn't say a word to me. I should be ashamed of myself—ashamed that I've brought this upon my family, that I've defiled myself before marriage.
"We have a problem," Ake said.
I nodded, understanding what he meant.
"I'm disappointed in you, Freydis," Ake continued. "The King knows. The Queen knows. Almost everyone in the house knows about you and Ragnar now."
I shivered, biting my inner cheek as I continued walking. I began to imagine the look on their faces. The Queen had already warned me not to go near Ragnar, and I disobeyed her.
We walked past a young man, and he bowed his head, waving at me.
"Damn you, Freydis. I thought you were better than this."
My stomach dropped.
"I should've shoved my sword in his eye. Fuck him. He never should have laid a hand on you."
"Stop it, Ake."
"Look at what he did to you. Soon, rumors about what happened between the Princess of Fellur and her uncle will spread."
"I am not a child. Just let me explain myself."
"I don't think I want to know what happened between you and him."
I ignored him. "I love him."
"And you think he loves you?" Ake scoffed. "That man who's twice your age? Who's bedded more women than one could count? You think he feels anything for you other than lust?"
"I know I shouldn't have done it with him—"
"He touched you. He defiled you. He shouldn't have brought you here."
"That's not the point, Ake."
"That is the point," he snapped. "He's using you, and after he's done, he'll leave for Nordeland, leaving you here—because he knows no man would marry you after he's used you."
"No."
"This whole thing is stupid—the fact that I can't do anything for myself. That I can't choose who I'll spend the rest of my life with. That I have no privilege." Something stirred inside me.
His jaw clenched and he stopped walking, turning to me. "Freydis—"
Before he could reach out to touch me, I danced out of his reach. My heart was pounding.
"Let's get this done."
I crossed my heart, bracing for what awaited me when I returned home. But first, I had to deal with the problem at hand.
We reached the home of the woman whose husband had been bitten by a Hound. She led us to the room where her husband lay, furs covering half of his body.
The woman walked towards him, curling her hand around the base of his head as she lifted him to sit.
"It hurts."
"I know," she murmured.
"How could you know?" he coughed. "You weren't the one bitten by a Hound."
I walked toward the man and knelt in front of him. Stretching out my hands, I prayed silently for the gods to hear.
'If this man is worthy, allow me to help him, oh gods.'
But nothing happened.
I looked at my hands, then back to the man. The wound on his neck should've been closing. He should be feeling better—but nothing had changed. He was only getting worse.
I swallowed hard and tried again, but still, nothing happened. What if the gods had turned their backs on me? Taken back the gift they'd bestowed upon me?
Ragnar's words echoed in my head. I was a child of the gods. Perhaps I should call upon Freyja. Perhaps she would help me.
I was afraid. So painfully afraid that this man was going to lose his life—just like the other woman. I sucked in a breath.
I'd read of Freyja among other gods. She was the goddess of destruction. In the book of gods, they called her cruel. Her blessings came at a price, and both humans and gods feared her. She had sent gods to the prison world after judging them. She had cursed a lot of people and even though she did change after meeting Bjorn, the darkness was still inside her.
I saw the man's eyes change to yellow. Saw two sharp fangs elongating. I watched him slowly turn into a beast.
Courage trembled and fled from me.
"Freyja," I gasped her name. "Cast your eyes on him, and if he is worthy, save him."
The air turned cold—no, it was thick and heavy.
There was a moment of silence. Then the man let out a piercing scream. His body arched off the furs, and I saw the wound split wide. Blood pulsed from it until the yellow faded from his eyes and the fangs retracted.
He collapsed, gasping for air.
A shiver ran through me as I stared at him. Ragnar's words continued to echo in my head. What if he was right? What if I was a child of the gods?
No!
I'd heard stories of how the children of gods suffered—how people tried to exploit them for their own gain.
If this was true, then I was in even more danger if people found out.
I quickly stood up, and without a word, started walking out of the room. Ake followed me.
I arrived at the house, and my stomach grumbled. I was hungry. I headed for the dining room, but before I could open the door, Siggy hurried toward me.
"My Lady."
"Siggy?"
"The King... he wants to see you in his hall."
"Why?" I asked.
"He told me not to share a word. You'll see, my Lady."
I followed her to my father's hall, and upon reaching it, my eyes widened when I saw Ragnar lying on the ground, the King holding a sword to his neck.
Ragnar's face was bruised. His hair was dishevelled, sweat coated his face, and his knuckles were pale from gripping the edge of the sword.
One of the warriors kicked Ragnar in the head.
"I need to understand what I did wrong," Ragnar said, spitting blood.
"You defiled my daughter," the King glared. "You dare come to my land and fuck my daughter?"
"Father, please—"
The King snapped his head toward me. "Tell me, did he force himself on you?"
"No!" The word flew from my mouth. "He didn't. Ragnar would never—" My lips trembled. "I chose him, Father."
"You chose him," the King repeated, as if the words wounded him.
"Oh, Harald," Ragnar spat blood. "When we were young on the battlefield, we fucked a lot of women. Women even younger than Freydis."
Harald frowned, lowering his head. "Do not compare our past to my daughter. For god's sake—she's your niece, Ragnar!"
"Better her first experience be with someone she truly loves."
"You bastard!" Harald threw the sword aside and grabbed Ragnar by the neck, punching him in the face.
"You've ruined her for me. She was supposed to marry a noble man. Bear strong heirs. What man would wed her now?"
"Fuck those men!" Ragnar snapped.
"I've spent my whole life loving you as my younger brother. I defended you against my wife, but maybe she was right after all. You are a monster, Ragnar."
"Father," I said, my hands trembling as I took a step forward. My heart pounded in my chest. "I chose him," I repeated. "I love him, Father."
Ragnar's eyes met mine, and his face softened.
"You foolish, naïve girl," the King said. "What did he do to you? Do you even understand what you're saying?"
"I want to be with Ragnar. I don't want to rule Fellur anymore. I want to be with him."
"What?" the King barked.
"I don't want to be Queen anymore," I said. "Wed me to Ragnar, Father. I want to sail north with him."
"You want to throw away your crown—everything—for him?"
"Yes."
"Brother, I want Freydis. I'll take her with me to the North. I'll wed her according to Viking tradition."
Without warning, the King grabbed the sword from the floor and pressed it to Ragnar's throat.
"Did the gods send you to destroy me?!"
Ragnar said nothing.
The King turned to me. "Perhaps you need some beating. When was the last time your mother used the cane on you?"
I shivered as I saw the look my father gave the two guards. They grabbed my arms.
"I should've sent you back to Nordeland the moment you stepped foot here," Harald said to Ragnar.
"I love her."
"Perhaps it's the throne you want. You know if you marry her and I die, you could rule Fellur with Nordeland," Harald said, rising from the ground.
"Take him to the dungeon. Bind his hands and feet. Don't give him food."
"No, please... Father!"
"And you," he said, turning to the guards holding me. "Take her to her mother. It's time she remembers the cane."