Page 52 of Alliance Bride
Aevar ran his hand over the horse’s ebony coat and bulging midsection. Movement from the foal inside rolled against his palm. Any day now. The mare turned her head and nudged his shoulder, her breath hot through his tunic. He reached up and rubbed the white star on her forehead, and she sighed, leaning into him. Vega had been Thora’s horse; one she’d raised from a foal.
She had loved horses. She’d dragged him out here to the stable almost daily. This had been their place. A quiet escape where they talked and dreamed and stole kisses. It smelled the same as it always had—sweet hay, oiled leather, and the earthy musk of the horses—but the memories thickened the air and made ithard to breathe.
A door creaked. Aevar blinked, brushing away the sting in his eyes, and dragged himself back to the present. Edgar, the old thrall who oversaw the stables, joined him at Vega’s stall. He had been here for as long as Aevar could remember, as much a fixture of the stable as the worn wood beams and the leather tack hanging on the walls.
“How’s our girl?”
Ever since Thora had died, Edgar had become as attached to Vega as Aevar was. Edgar had been the one to teach Thora everything she knew about horses.
Aevar rested his palm against Vega’s side one more time. “She’s doing well.”
Edgar reached in to stroke the mare’s shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on her, as always.”
“Let me know if anything changes.”
Outside, Aevar headed toward the fields. Halfway there, he spotted Kian strolling from the longhouse. “Where have you been?”
Kian gestured back the way he’d come. “Off being useful, as usual. Took your wife for a walk.”
Aevar frowned. “A walk?”
“She’s wary of going alone now. Figured someone ought to keep her company.” He considered Aevar for a long moment. “You know, she’d probably appreciate it ifyouoffered to take her in the mornings.”
Aevar fought not to wince. The idea of spending more time alone with Eadlyn—hearing her laugh, watching her smile, feeling everything he couldn’t afford to feel—made his defenses strain at the seams.
Kian watched him too closely. “Listen, I get it. You’ve got your reasons, and I know it’s painful, but I’ve got to tell you, I think you’re missing out on a real good thing with her.”
Aevar gave him a sidelong glance and remained silent.
Kian shrugged. “Just saying.” He turned away, but Aevar caught the words muttered under his breath. “I can’t stop you from being afifl.”
Aevar shot a look at his back, grinding his teeth. First Móthir. Then Braan. Now Kian. He didn’t need everyone ganging up on him like this. What happened to all the protectiveness when he’d agreed to marry Eadlyn in the first place?
When he returned to the longhouse that evening, he steeled himself. The women worked together near the fire, preparing the meal as the children darted between benches. Eadlyn met his eye. He held her gaze only briefly, but long enough to catch the uncertainty in it. He turned away, fixing his attention on Erik andFathir’sconversation.
A few moments later, he heard her approach before she appeared. Her expression was tentative, searching his face as if for reassurance. Nothing like the way she’d smiled and interacted with him just over a week ago. The change punched something deep in his chest that ached of longing layered with guilt.
He quickly buried it. He couldn’t let himself want what he could not afford to lose.
When she realized he would give her nothing more, resignation claimed her expression. The voice that usually held so much optimism was dull.
“If it’s all right with you, I’m going to ask Heida to teach me how to defend myself. I’m tired of feeling defenseless. I’ve felt itmy whole life, and I don’t want to live in fear of another confrontation like the one with Sig.”
Her tone carried a determined undercurrent.
Aevar nodded. While it would always be his duty to protect her and the alliance, life here did not suit those who could not put up a fight. “That is a good idea.”
“Tahk.” She dipped her head and walked away without saying another word.
He watched her go. It was what he wanted. Distance. Detachment. Safety. Yet something hollow gnawed at him. He dragged a breath into his lungs, trying to steady the ache, and caught his mother’s disapproving look from across the hall.
Eadlyn stirred at the sound of Aevar’s voice, low and brief, followed by the soft thud of the door closing. She blinked away sleep and lifted her head, but he was already gone. A sigh slipped past her lips.
At least right after they’d been married, he seemed to tolerate her. Now he couldn’t seem to get away from her fast enough. Despite Kian’s reassurance, she couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion Aevar blamed her for Sig, as if something she had done had made the encounter possible. Everything had changed that day, and no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she found no other explanation.
She sat up and bowed her head, folding her hands in her lap. Her whispered prayers tumbled together, not polished or poetic.Just a tattered hope tangled with confusion. She wasn’t even sure what to ask when it came to Aevar anymore. Only that he might one day stand the sight of her again.
After several minutes, she got up and reached for the long tunic and trousers she’d found in Thora’s chest. Heida had said training would be easier in something less encumbering than a dress. A leather jerkin laced over the top, snug but comfortable. She glimpsed herself in the polished metal mirror on the wall and released a soft laugh. Edward would have teased her relentlessly, and Galen would have frowned but then offered to show her how to hold a sword.
