Page 35 of Agnarr's Jarlin

“Já.” He placed me in one of the chairs by the fire before opening the door to his room.

He returned with a literal mountain of food on a tray. He set it on the low table between the chairs, allowing me to look at what was available. There was a giant pile of braised meat in gravy, next to what looked similar to roasted carrots and turnips. The other side of the tray featured what looked to be mashed potatoes, but I could only hope.

“This looks delicious,” I said, giving him a watery smile.

Agnarr set about making a plate for me, giving me a little bit of everything. It was far more than I would be able to eat, again, but I appreciated his desire to feed me. He handed me a plate and a fork, before serving himself. I took a bite of the meat and gravy, moaning aloud. I didn’t realize how much my body needed sustenance.

“Good?” Agnarr asked.

“Very good,” I responded, mouth full of food.

I quickly sampled the vegetables and the mashed potato-looking dish, discovering it was all wonderfully seasoned. When I was emotionally overwhelmed I tended to forget that real food would do wonders in making me feel whole again. Each bite brought my anxiety down a level. As I filled my belly, I felt myself calm.

I was okay. The meeting had gone well. The human women would be cared for. I could take a breath and take care of myself. I continued to shovel food into my mouth as Agnarr ate, patiently watching me.

“Better?” he asked as I finished the majority of the food on my plate.

“Yes. I was worried. So worried. I feel like I can take a deep breath for the first time,” I said honestly. “Being assertive puts a huge strain on me, even if I know I can make it appear as though I can take on the entire room.”

“You did take on the entire room,” Agnarr said quietly.

I sighed. I knew I had the spine. I just didn’t know if I had the stamina.

“I know—I’m just exhausted after the fact. I will continue to fight but I will pay the price.”

AGNARR

Piper looked as if she would pass out at any moment. I would’ve loved to offer her a bath, but we were still in my old room and I knew she didn’t have the energy to head to the saunas. She’d finished eating and was staring into the flickering flames with a dazed look on her face. Pip had been such a commanding presence in the meeting, taking charge of the room without hesitation. I was going to have to learn to see the small signs of strain when we were in meetings and public events. I had no idea she was on the brink of tears when we left the building. I was immensely proud of her. I vowed to myself to be her safe place to land after big days like this.

I headed to the restroom and returned with a wet cloth. Without comment, I wiped away the dried tears from Pip’s face, before gently kissing her. She sighed into me.

“Shall we go to bed?” I asked.

“Yes, please,” she said, standing.

She sat on the bed to pull off her boots and leggings, before removing her tunic. I drank in the sight of her naked body, nipples pebbled in the cold air but shut down that part of my mind. She needed rest. I took her clothes and dumped them in the laundry basket by the door, as she crawled into bed. I disrobed and joined her, pulling her to me. Instead of spooning, we lay facing each other.

“Who does the laundry?” she asked sleepily.

“Part of the kitchen team,” I responded, running my finger softly across her bottom lip. “There is a whole laundry facility”

“Well, that seems nice...” she said drifting off, her eyes fluttering closed.

I stroked her hair and watched her fall asleep. She started to softly snore almost immediately. I wasn’t nearly as tired as she was. She really ran the show during the meeting today. I was in awe of her presence. I wondered what she must have been like as a teacher. I could imagine her controlling a room of adolescent orkin with ease. I had so many questions about what she’d overcome to be such a resilient little thing, but I just watched her sleep for a while.

Eventually, I got out of bed, turned down the lamps, and added another log to the fire. I rejoined her in bed and pulled her toward me.

She murmured in her sleep, “Agnarr?”

“I’m here, rest, sweet Pip.”

She snuggled into my side and returned to snoring. I wanted to give her everything. I thought of what I could do to make life easier for my Pip. We needed to get a move into our new home. I wanted her to come back to her own home each day—maybe we could even make an office just for her. I would need to speak to Osif about the plans for our house amongst the furutré. I would also speak to Bram about setting up a meetings for Pip with some of the merchants in town for bedding and furniture and all the comforts of home. Pip would want for nothing.

* * *

The elders filedin for the council meeting the next morning. As we all took our seats, Astrid spoke.

“I’m surprised to see you back, Elder Magna,” she said crisply.

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