Page 94 of Alliance Bride
Something in his expression changed subtly. He reached into the pouch and withdrew a round silver object—an arm ring like she’d seen others wear, including Ranvi. Her heart thudded as he took her hand, his thumb brushing across her wrist as he slipped the ring up her arm to rest snugly above her elbow.
His eyes found hers again, more serious now, and she knew this was more than a piece of jewelry or symbol of status or wealth. This meant something. She could hear it in his voice.
“When I married Thora, I swore to her there would be no one else. That I would remain faithful to her and her alone. Even after she died, I felt bound to that oath. But I’ve come to realize I buriedthat promise with her, unbroken. I now give you the same oath. For as long as we both draw breath, there will be none but you.”
Eadlyn didn’t try to stop the tears from welling. They burned but were full of something too deep for words.
“You have the same oath from me,” she whispered.
He leaned in and kissed her. The kind of kiss that sealed vows.
When they parted, she studied the ring on her arm. Intricate knotwork wove around its surface. And there, at the very center, so subtle she almost missed it, was a cross. Her throat tightened again, and her fingers brushed it with wonder. All this time, he could have tried to forbid her from practicing her faith. It was what she had expected before meeting him and his family. Instead, he’d shown her nothing but respect and acceptance.
She exhaled, letting the wave of emotion wash through her and settle. “It’s beautiful.” She looked up at him. “Your mother and Ranvi, were their arm rings given with the same oath?”
“Yes.” His hand caressed her arm. “My father taught us that we should cherish our women. He believes that if a man cannot honor one woman for a lifetime, he has no business taking a wife.”
“Your father is a good man. And he raised good men. Even in Essix, most do not hold their marriage vows in such high esteem.”
“Some have mocked us for it, but it’s important to us.”
“I’m sure their marriages are much less pleasant.”
He nodded and reached up, cradling her face and skimming his thumb over the scars on her cheek. Drawing her closer, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and murmured, “Ást mín.”
She repeated the phrase. “My love.”
Though his actions had already made it clear, this was the first time he’d uttered the word.
He drew back to look her in the eyes. “Yes. My love.”
Chapter Thirty-five
“Trygg,don’trunsofar ahead,” Ranvi called as they walked along the forest path.
Even from a distance, they heard his dramatic sigh and saw the slump of his little shoulders, as if obedience were a burden too great to bear. Eadlyn laughed at the display, and Inga joined her. Ranvi shook her head with a long-suffering smile.
“I don’t know what I’ll do with him once he gets older.”
Inga smirked. “When he’s older, he’ll be off with the men, and Erik will have to deal with him. Then you’ll be chasing after Alvir instead.”
They laughed again, the sound floating through the trees. Eadlyn’s thoughts turned inward. What would her future children be like? Before the alliance, she never imagined raising a child somewhere like Nordra in a culture so different from her own. Uncertainty came with that. Sons raised to be warriors. Daughters taught to bear hardship with strength. Life here would not be easy. But the hesitancy didn’t last long. She would raise her childrenwith Aevar, and she knew without question he would be a good father, just like Runar and Erik.
As for the rest? She breathed out and peered up at the trees. The dangers they might face were not hers to control. They were in God’s hands.
Some ways from the village, they reached a spot lush with bilberry bushes and found where they had been picking yesterday. They’d spent three days collecting the dark berries to dry for the winter. Unlike when they’d picked strawberries, Aevar hadn’t joined them—something that stirred a little disappointment—but the men were busy with the hay, an equally essential task before the season changed.
Still, they weren’t alone. Heida had accompanied them, axes strapped to her hips, sharp eyes sweeping the tree line for any sign of danger, be it beast or man.
The bilberry bushes were dense and low, only reaching Eadlyn’s knees, but thick with dark fruit. She knelt to fill her basket, the sweetness of ripened berries plump under her fingers. Katla joined her, eager and bright-eyed. Ranvi and Inga picked nearby, keeping half an eye on little Alvir as he toddled between the shrubs, occasionally plopping down with a giggle. Trygg, meanwhile, had taken up his usual role as defender of the patch, swinging his wooden sword at invisible enemies, leaping from logs, and narrating imaginary battles with great enthusiasm along the forest’s edge.
Not long after, he shouted, “I found mushrooms!”
Heida strode over to inspect them and gave an approving nod. “These will be good for tonight’s stew.”
She dropped the mushrooms into his outstretched hands, and he tore off toward Eadlyn, who was closest.
“Here!” He dumped the handful into her basket among the berries.
