Page 93 of Alliance Bride
Slowly, Aevar followed the path he hadn’t been able to bring himself to walk in the last three years. But after last night and Eadlyn’s declaration, it was time. A few months ago, before everything had changed—before Eadlyn—he wouldn’t have made it this far. The weight would have crushed him. Now, as the clearing opened before him, he paused. Emotion swelled, pressing heavy against his chest, but not unbearable.
Grass-covered mounds and memorial stones stretched out across the glade, nestled among the roots of ancient trees. Generations of Fjellheim’s dead laid to rest here, their names carved into stone, their stories remembered. He took a deep breath and moved forward, weaving between the mounds until he reached the one near an ash tree. His gaze landed on the runes etched into the stone.
Thora.
Brenna.
His vision blurred.
Memories surfaced unbidden. The weight of Thora’s body in his arms as he’d laid her on the pyre. The small bundle holding their daughter as his mother had passed her to him. So tiny and perfect, her downy wisps of hair golden like her mother’s.
He knelt beside the mound where he’d buried their ashes. His breath shuddered in his lungs, but after a moment, he could breathe again. For a long time, he sat in the silence, letting his mind wander the past. The memories, the love, the loss would always be a part of him. Nothing would ever take that away, but what he hadn’t realized until Eadlyn was that there was room for more.
He reached for his seax knife and dug a small hole in the earth. Then he sheathed the blade again and unfastened the pouch at his belt. From it, he withdrew a silver arm ring. The sun caught on the polished metal, highlighting the twin horse heads that adorned the ends. He traced the familiar pattern with his thumb and had to clear his throat to work his voice past the knot there.
“I kept my promise to you. Now I intend to give it to another. This time I hope I am the one who takes it to the grave.”
He placed the ring into the hollow and covered it with care. A couple of tears rolled down his face, but he brushed them away and pushed to his feet. His old life was behind him. His new one was just beginning.
Back at the village, Aevar stepped into the smith’s shop, greeted by the familiar scent of scorched leather, oil, and smoke. Tallak turned from his workbench, sweat beading at his brow. He swiped an arm across his forehead.
“Let me guess. A gift for Eadlyn?”
Aevar smiled. Apparently, he was becoming predictable. “Yes.”
“You’re going to single-handedly keep me in business buying things for your wife.”
“Then I will happily keep you in business.”
Tallak chuckled and set his tools aside. “What’ll it be this time?”
Aevar set a leather pouch onto the bench. It clinked heavily. Though he knew how much the cross necklace meant to Eadlyn, to him, this had greater meaning.
Tallak picked up the pouch, his brows lifting at the weight. “Must be something special.” He opened it and looked inside, the beginnings of a grin spreading across his face. “Ah. I think I know what you want.”
The afternoon sun beat down on Fjellheim, filling the air with the earthy aroma of herbs. Eadlyn brushed stray wisps of hair from her forehead, sweat clinging to her temples. She tied off a bundle of sage stems with a strip of leather and crossed to the drying rack, the heat-dried grass crunching beneath her feet.
Ranvi passed her with a handful of thyme. Gathering for the upcoming winter would soon begin in earnest now that summer waned. Eadlyn found a deep sense of purpose and belonging in being part of it. As a princess in Essix, she’d often felt useless much of the time, especially when her father had ruled and prevented her from seeking more ways to be of use to Essian citizens. But here, the simple act of gathering for her family filled her with contentment.
She returned to the table. As she reached for another bundle, strong arms slipped around her waist from behind. Her breath caught, but she relaxed into the familiar embrace as Aevar pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.
She leaned into him. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he murmured in her ear. “Walk with me.”
She hesitated, glancing at the mound of herbs on the table. But then she looked back, meeting his eyes, and whatever resolve she had melted. Work could wait.
His fingers laced through hers. She caught Ranvi’s smile as they passed. Though she had never questioned her position here, truly being Aevar’s wife seemed to have deepened her camaraderie with her sister-in-law and permanently secured her place in the family.
They followed a narrower path than usual, one that wound toward the southern edge of the village, beyond the docks and the noise. The beach here was quiet and untouched. Only gull tracks and driftwood marked the sand.
Eadlyn turned to him, curious. “So why did you bring me out here?”
His lips lifted. “Do I need a reason?”
“No reason at all, but I think you have one.”
He chuckled. “You’re right.”
