Page 69 of Alliance Bride
Aevar’s laugh rumbled through the room, low and warm, and for a moment the weight in her chest eased.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice softening. “He’ll be back. A man doesn’t stay away when he cares that deeply. And he’ll always be welcome here.”
She appreciated his confidence.
Once he left, she dressed quickly, not wanting to miss a moment of Galen’s last morning in Fjellheim. By the time she stepped into the hall, the warmth of fresh bread and milk clung to the air. Galen stood with the other men as Trygg rattled off a tale about a giant. Erik translated bits here and there while Galen listened solemnly as if Trygg were delivering a military briefing. A week ago, the image seemed impossible. But somewhere between the sparring matches, meals, and fireside stories, Galen had carved a space for himself here. Even Trygg had decided he was interesting enough to keep around.
They lingered longer over breakfast than usual, laughter easing the sadness none of them spoke aloud. When the dishes were cleared and the moment could stretch no longer, Eadlyn caught Galen’s eye and tilted her head toward the door.
“One more walk?”
“Of course.”
They slipped outside, walking at an unhurried pace through the village. The sun had already begun its climb, casting long streaks of gold across the rooftops. Dust stirred around their feet.
As they passed one of the nearby houses, Galen asked, “You’re absolutely sure you wish to remain here?”
Eadlyn looked up at him with a smile. “Are you trying to talk me into returning to Essix?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
There was no weight behind the word, but Eadlyn answered seriously anyway. “I’m sure. This is my home. And you may not want to admit it, but I know you’ve seen how good Aevar and his family are to me.”
He exhaled. “I have.”
Just two words, but they meant everything.
They passed a woman brushing out a rug, her children chasing a goat nearby. A man hauling a basket of kindling waved at them, and Galen gave a small nod. The village had folded him into its ways without asking.
“Jarl Runar is a good leader,” he said after a moment. “His people respect him. I wasn’t sure we could trust him with this alliance…but I see now the choice was a wise one.”
Satisfaction swelled within Eadlyn.
His tone shifted, faintly rough. “As for your husband…I still reserve judgment. He’d better behave until my next visit.”
Eadlyn laughed. “I’m sure he will. He’s earned my trust.”
Galen grunted, the closest he’d come to agreement.
When they reached the fjord, their steps slowed. The lapping of water against the shore filled the silence. No one else was in sight. For a breathless stretch of time, it was just them. A question stirred inside her, one that had rested in silence for years, buried deep, waiting for the right moment.
She fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve, steadying herself. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
His brows lifted, calm but alert.
“I never dared bring it up in Kenwich. Too many ears. But here…I think it’s safe.” She drew a breath, slow and deliberate. Her heart beat hard, as though it already knew what the answer might mean. It could change everything. The way she saw her past. The way she remembered her father. What she thought she knew about herself. “I know there were rumors. About you and my mother. About my birth. Is there any truth to them?”
Galen stilled. For a long moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze drifted across the fjord, far away as if haunted, maybe, by a version of the past that might have been.
“I loved your mother,” he said at last. “I believe she felt the same.” He paused. “But we never acted on it.”
Her chest constricted. She had imagined this moment more times than she could remember. Rehearsed his answers, feared them, hoped for them. But nothing prepared her for the ache of hearing it aloud.
“So the rumors about me…”
“Just rumors.” His voice carried a sigh, tinged with regret. “I know it would’ve been wrong, but part of me has always wished they weren’t.”
A lump formed in her throat. For years she had carried a desperate hope that the one man who had always stood between her and the cruelty of her fatherwasher father. The ache of that hope swelled and ebbed all at once.
