Page 89 of Alliance Bride
She nodded and dismounted. He was right. She should know how in case she was ever out on a boat.
“You’ll enjoy learning here better than in the fjord. It’s warmer.” He waded into the shallows.
Eadlyn peered down at her dress. She wouldn’t be able to swim well fully clothed. She’d have to shed some of it. With a breath, she unfastened the brooches at her shoulders and eased off her dresses, draping them over her saddle. Then she kicked off her shoes, the soft grass cool beneath her bare feet.
Down to her shift, she approached the water and crossed her arms, nerves prickling under her skin. “You swear to me you won’t let me drown?”
His answering grin was full of mischief. “You have my solemn oath; I will not let you drown. I have an alliance to protect.”
“Oh, is that all it is?”
He shrugged, though his smile grew deeper. “There may be other reasons.”
Insides fluttering, she followed him into the pool. The water was cool, but pleasantly so. Aevar reached for her hand, steadyingher as he explained the motions of swimming. No pressure. Just calm instruction. His fingers remained firm around hers until she gained confidence. She splashed a little at first, ungraceful, but laughed. The water held a refreshing joy. No wonder the men liked to swim after sparring.
As she grew more comfortable, Aevar drew her in deeper. When he let go so she could try it on her own, she treaded water for a few glorious moments before she sank. Her head dipped toward the water, and panic spiked. She reached out blindly. His arms wrapped around her, lifting her above the water. She clung to him as he drew her back into a shallower area of the pond.
Her heart thudded in her ears, but his voice was close and calm. “I told you I wouldn’t let you drown.”
Eadlyn released a breathless laugh, the burst of fear draining, and she tilted her head back to look up at him. Immediately, she found herself held by his eyes. Something unspoken passed between them. Something deeper than teasing, and his gaze softened. He bent, and his lips touched hers. The kiss began slow and gentle as the water around them. But it deepened, like a current pulling her under, steady and consuming and yet safe. While she had feared drowning, she did not fear this. His strong arms pulled her closer, and she let herself sink further into his embrace, everything else fading.
A sudden flurry of birds took flight, their wings slicing through the quiet. Eadlyn gasped and pulled back, her pulse skipping. On the far side of the pond, the horses stamped, their ears perked and alert. Memories of the attack leapt into Eadlyn’s mind.
Aevar’s face shifted, calm vanishing. Gripping her arm, he guided her to shore. As soon as they reached the horses, he yanked out his sword and pushed her behind him. For a long momentthey stood in tense silence, Eadlyn’s breaths coming rapidly. She tried to slow them down, but the fear only grew. All was silent, yet the horses did not relax, and neither did Aevar.
Finally, he called out, “Show yourself!”
The silence stretched like a taut bowstring. Eadlyn’s skin prickled, every nerve alert. Was it Kalgorans? A bear?
The brush rustled, and a rider emerged.
Oda.
Relief hit Eadlyn first, followed by a hot flush of humiliation. She crossed her arms over her shift, the fabric soaked and clinging. Aevar’s sword did not lower.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
Oda didn’t answer, her attention lingering on Eadlyn with open disdain.
“Were you spying on us?”
She gave a derisive snort. “You don’t own the forest. I can ride where I please.”
He pointed the sword at her. The sharpness of his voice revealed barely contained fury. “Leave. Now.”
Her lip curled, but after a tense beat, she turned her horse and disappeared into the trees. The silence she left in her wake was deafening.
Eadlyn exhaled a shaky breath and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, the wet fabric chilly against her skin and leaving her feeling exposed. Not because of Aevar, but she prickled with the uncomfortable sensation of more eyes watching them. Surely Oda was the only one around, but now every bush and shadow seemed to hide onlookers.
Aevar turned to her, his jaw clenched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was out here.”
She nodded, trying to calm her breathing.
He seemed to sense her discomfort, and the regret increased. “Let’s go back to the village.”
They dressed and mounted their horses. Neither spoke much on the way back. The ride was different from earlier, shadowed with unease and watchfulness. At the longhouse, they dismounted.
“I’ll take care of Hiroc for you.” Aevar took the horse’s reins but did not walk away. Instead, he searched her face. “Are you all right?”
