𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟. 𝐈𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.
Humans reveled in the idea of immortality, but those who possessed it wer...
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Autumn 999 – Vinland
The light breeze wafted through the open frames of the windows, letting in the fresh air of the morning. Tatia still had not gotten used to the smell of the forest rather than the smell of the ocean from her home in the old lands.
Typically that realization would cause a feeling of anguish to wash over her. She would think of the husband she lost and the home she had to flee after she refused to die with her husband. Tatia had loved her husband deeply, but she loved her son more. She would not allow Hale to grow up alone for the sake of tradition. So in the middle of the night, she took him and ran. The journey took months and was incredibly difficult with her young son.
But then she arrived at this small village in the new world and a handsome man was helping her down from her horse. It was the first time she had even noticed a man since her husband's death and a part of her felt guilty. Yet she couldn't seem to stay away. Elijah took it upon himself to show her the ropes and help her acclimate to her new life. Even helping introduce Hale to the village children.
He made her feel at home. And still, he did not broach the subject of marriage or even a courtship with her. Elijah was well past the age of marriage and yet he did not seem in any particular rush. Tatia had first assumed it was due to his close ties with Astra but the woman herself had expressed she had no understanding with the man in question.
And then last night at the solstice as he watched her dance, she knew he was interested in her in more than a friendly way. He didn't dare approach her, but his eyes stayed on her the entire night. Then she teased him and he kissed her. Tatia raised her hand to her lips, missing the feeling of his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and imagined Elijah running his lips down her throat as his hands gripped her close to him.
"Tatia," she ran her hand from her mouth down her throat, imagining him whispering her name in her ear. "Is it a bad time?"
Tatia whirled around, realizing the voice had not simply been a figment of her imagination. Instead, she found Elijah standing in her open doorway, his hands fidgeting in front of himself.
"Elijah," she gasped, her voice coming out more breathless than it typically did. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Is everything alright?" Elijah took a step forward as if to reach out to her, but thought better of it and stopped halfway.
"Yes," Tatia nearly demurred and then thought better of it. She had never been a shy woman and it wouldn't serve her to begin. "I was thinking of last night."
She made sure to look at him through her lashes as her fingers trailed the necklace that lay against her chest. Tatia watched as his eyes followed her fingers before he forced himself to look back into her eyes.
"It was quite the celebration," his voice became gravelly. They both knew she was not referring to the solstice festivities and neither was he.
"I don't believe I'm done celebrating," Tatia took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Her eyes were locked onto his as she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck.
