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“Sjofn is the Goddess of Love. And love,” her eyelids suddenly fluttered dreamily. “Love,” she breathed then she focused on me with a strange intensity that made me—even me—squirm a little. “Love is everything
“Quiet, Sjofn, I must prepare in case The Drakkar has stormed out. I must try to plan what I will do to stop your father from throttling you.” Her head turned slowly to me, and she pierced me with her ice-blue eyes, which were, even in the torchlight, icy. “Or, perhaps, this time I won’t bother,” she remarked frostily.
It was The Dragon. It was my groom. And I got his name. I totally got it with the way he was glowering at me like he most assuredly did not like me. He also did not want to be there. And further, what he did want to be doing was slaughtering entire villages either with weapons or, perhaps, breathing fire at them and setting them alight.
God!—he was going to kiss me! Nope, he wasn’t going to. He did.
Wohden, god of power (his color was dark blue, and those who prayed to him or made offerings did so to shrines bearing his color or with gifts in his color), Hermia, goddess of motherhood (her color, light blue), Meer, god of war (his color, red), Adele, goddess of passion (her color, deep violet), Keer, god of destiny, (his color, gold) and Alabasta, goddess of wisdom and overseer of the earth (her color, green).
their adventures on the seas, their wide travels, the people they had to meet, the things they saw—well, I was me, the adventurer daughter of two adventurers.
And when I slept curled tight around my dark stranger husband, I slept deep
In ten and a half months, I was going home to my friends, my house, my money and new adventures. I wasn’t staying here, no way. They didn’t have planes here or cell phones or sushi.
Then he asked in a low, surprised, unhappier than normal unhappy voice, “By the gods, are you asking me to court you?”
A single elf held more magic than the evil she-God Minerva of Hawkvale and the benevolent Lavinia of Lunwyn, witch servant of Alabasta, Goddess of Wisdom and overseer of the earth combined. The magic of all the elves was only rivaled by the gods…and the dragons.
Not his Finnie. She fed on the challenge, bested it and ended up enjoying herself immensely. Something about this humbled him as his eyes moved over her face.
“Wife, as you know,” his face got closer to mine, “women can understand cats, deer, rabbits, mice, small birds and other such animals.” I blinked at him as my body locked in shock. Frey spoke on. “And men can understand horses, snakes, hawks, falcons, other birds of prey and predatory animals as well as those used in work or war, for instance, wolves and ox.”
“I like being here with you, Frey.” His arms tightened around me, pressing me deep into his hard body, but his head went back, and his lazy, heated eyes found mine. “This pleases me, Finnie,” he replied
“There has not been a Frey of the Drakkar for centuries. In ancient times, every generation birthed a Frey. That was, until one Frey betrayed the elves, betrayed his line and betrayed his country. The elves retreated to their underground realm, not to be seen for centuries. That was, not until my birth to the House of Drakkar and the Vallees declarations that I was, indeed, the first Frey for seven hundred and fifty years.”
“But the Vallees did not simply declare me the Frey. They also declared me The Drakkar.”
“As you know, the Frey commands the elves but The Drakkar…it is The Drakkar, my wee wife, who commands the dragons.”
Your husband made it clear that we were to make it clear to anyone who would listen that if anything were to harm you, he would call upon his beasts to wreak vengeance. And this, my daughter, is not an idle threat to make. This, Sjofn, is extraordinary.” Oh my God.
Life was meant to be lived, every breath was a gift, every risk was worth taking.
You are, my wee Finnie, beyond my wildest dreams.”
“I do not know, my wee Finnie, where I came from. But I’m beginning to know why I’m here.”
“She waits for me at windows and buys me dragons. There are reasons we walk this earth. I’m coming to realize mine.”
It was a sad story, actually, because Frey and Thad had learned from the maid that this sorceress, named Circe (totally kickass name, by the by) had displayed she held magic from practically birth. In order to control her power, Baldur had kidnapped her when she was very young. And to make certain to keep her with no attempts made to gain her return, he’d executed both of her parents.
Frey was Frey and Thad told me that, upon learning her story, he didn’t hesitate to agree to help her escape. Two, the sorceress’s maid had relayed that Circe had information about the elfin relic everyone was seeking, and she would pay for their efforts by providing this information to Frey.
the tea serves to heighten your senses, touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, and also it significantly heightens arousal. Alyssa has an ongoing dalliance with the head of the Ulfr House. She is a particular favorite of his and she visits him every time he comes to Fyngaard. Once, he had some tea that he shared with her, and she said it was marvelous (underlined twice)
“Frey Drakkar, I trust you with every inch of me.”
“I’m never cockamamie.” “Woman, you transported yourself to a whole ’nother world not knowin’ where your arse would land or what it would land in. Most women got at least some cockamamie in ’em, but you are head-to-toe cockamamie,” he returned.
“I told him you have the spirit of the sea, the spirit of a Raider,” he answered. “I told him you’re a Voyager like him and like me. The Voyager doesn’t settle, his feet itch to move, be it on ship, on land, in stirrups. The Voyager acts fast and thinks faster. He has courage. He doesn’t wait to face the risks that come his way, instead, he rushes to greet them.”
“Dad always said, never look back. Always look forward. Always look where you’re going. Never waste time on where you’ve been. You’ve been there so you don’t have to take that time, and wasting any time, even a breath, is a mistake. Memories can be shared of the good times, but they need to be shared while your eyes are to the horizon, faced forward.
“I love you, Frey. I’m in love with you. So in love, I’ll never stop loving you. Not ever. You, everything about you is beyond my wildest dreams.”
“Finnie Drakkar, I fell in love with you when you told me you had a rule about dead game on the kitchen table.”
“It is a measure of a nation their cunning! It is a measure of a nation their strength! And it is a measure of a nation,” I leaned forward and screeched, “their mercy
But it was also pressed by Apollo, the young head of the House of Ulfr and Drakkar’s cousin, for Ulfr was his grandmother, Eugenie’s House.
This was not surprising. Drakkar knew Apollo well, liked and respected him and he knew his cousin returned these sentiments.
The Korwahk Wife Hunt was well known, and although it had been happening for centuries in Korwahk, it was considered a savage ritual outside the Southlands.
“And, word is, she caught the eye of their king. He’s claimed her and made her his queen. The word is, after doing so, he declared great pride at her courageous nature and immense satisfaction with her astonishing beauty.”
“Word from Bellebryn is that Noctorno has reconciled with his wife.” Drakkar couldn’t stop his blink at this news for he knew Tor very well. They were friends, he held him in high regard and Drakkar knew Tor detested his wife regardless of the fact she was destined for him. It had been written in the sky at each of their births by the She-God of their land.
“It is known that Princess Cora is much changed, and she is the talk of Bellebryn and Hawkvale. Enough for that talk to make it here. They are calling her Cora, the Gracious.”
“Earlier, you said you’d replace him and, you see, I loved a man, and I lost him, and I know in my soul where it burns so strong it’s a miracle I’m breathing that he will never be replaced.” I hesitated, held his gaze and whispered fiercely, “Never.” Then I pulled in a delicate breath and noted, “So, you cannot love him.”
Apollo of the House of Ulfr was exceedingly gentle with me in a way that hurt since it reminded me of Frey. He was also exceedingly handsome in a way that also reminded me of Frey with his thick dark hair, big, muscular body and commanding presence (although his eyes were a stunning, pure, jade green).
“A wise woman once told me happiness is a line with contentment at one end and bliss on the other.” I squeezed his fingers again and went on fervently, “I hope you at least find a way to the middle of that line, Apollo.”
