Page 74 of Alliance Bride
When he raised his head, his lips brushed her forehead so lightly she almost wondered if she imagined it, but the heaviness she’d carried all morning lifted. He slipped his hand into hers as they stepped out of the stable, into the sunlight.
Here, Aevar spoke again, something in his voice searching. “Do babies go to your heaven when they die?”
She studied him for a moment. “Yes. They do.”
He nodded, his eyes distant but thoughtful. Though he said nothing more, it was enough. It meant he had been listening.
And maybe—just maybe—her faith meant something to him after all.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Eadlynattachedtworoundsilver brooches to the dark blue apron dress layered over her new lighter blue one. They were more ornate than the other pairs in Thora’s clothing chest. Pieces she’d long admired but hesitated to wear until today. The Midsummer festival was the perfect occasion. She strung a strand of red beads between them, the rich color striking against the blue, and gave her hair one final brush before leaving it loose for Ranvi to arrange.
The hall was already bustling when she entered. Trygg dashed around, shrieking with excitement, while little Alvir toddled after him, clapping and laughing, oblivious to the day’s meaning, but delighted by the joy clinging to the air.
Eadlyn scanned the room and found Aevar’s attention already locked on her. His eyes traveled from the beads at her chest to the fall of her unbound hair and back to her face. A smile curved his lips, slow and intent. Her heart skipped.
The last few days had deepened something between them. Since their honest conversation in the stable, Aevar had been morepresent. More open. Like something inside him had finally freed. Today, a quiet awareness pulsed between them as if something was building with each shared glance.
When she reached him, he leaned in, voice pitched low and private. “The new dress is beautiful.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Thank you. I had a lot of help from Ranvi.”
Before anything else passed between them, a wild battle cry rang out. Trygg sprang from a bench and launched himself at Aevar’s back. Aevar caught him with a laugh, steadying the boy as he shouted and wriggled. He had a particular knack for interrupting their moments. Aevar flashed her one last meaningful glance before surrendering to his nephew’s chaos.
Still smiling, Eadlyn found a seat for Ranvi to do her hair. Her sister-in-law took her time this morning, weaving in beads that matched her dress and tucking in small wildflowers they’d picked yesterday. A few times, she caught Aevar watching her with appreciation even as Trygg continued to chatter and climb over him like one of the small monkeys a traveling merchant had once brought to the palace.
As the family gathered for breakfast, Eadlyn leaned closer to Aevar. “Will Kian stay with me again during the sacrifices?”
She’d overheard Runar and Erik discussing the animals set aside—offerings for a bountiful harvest—and the memory of the last sacrifice lingered in her mind.
Aevar shook his head, and for a heartbeat she worried he would require her to attend this time. But then he said, “I will stay with you.”
“You won’t go?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary.”
He spoke it so simply, but it echoed with significance. What it meant, she couldn’t say and didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she prayed it might mean a subtle shift in his beliefs.
As soon as breakfast ended, the others gathered at the door, their voices rising with the day’s excitement. It took only a moment for them to realize Aevar had not joined them. Runar looked over his shoulder but made no comment. Kian, however, grinned as he backed toward the exit. “Well, I suppose I’ll go make myself useful. Someone’s got to make sure things are in order.”
With a wink, he vanished outside, leaving Eadlyn and Aevar alone.
Aevar turned to her. “Shall we take our walk?”
Eadlyn nodded, something in his eyes causing anticipation to grow inside her.
He reached for her hand, and they stepped out into the clear midsummer morning. Most of the village was empty, voices distant now. The path stretched before them, quiet and sunlit. Wreaths of greenery and flower garlands adorned the houses they passed, done to ward off evil spirits, according to Ranvi. Eadlyn had helped hang many of them the day before, praying as she did so that God’s love and light would shine through.
They wound along the silent road toward the fjord, walking side by side with fingers intertwined. As they neared the beach, she noticed the piles of wood stacked for the evening bonfires. They walked between them, and Aevar let her have her few minutes to pray as he always did. But she found it hard to focus when she sensed his gaze on her, warm and unrelenting.
She cracked an eye open. “Your staring is very distracting, you know.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Would it help if I turned my back?”
She laughed. “Not really.”
He stepped closer, something new stirring in the air between them. He reached into his belt pouch and held out a small linen bundle.
