"The other, one of you shall perish."
Silence embraced the small hut before Aderick stood up with a roar, making me jump in my seat. "Lies! You spill nothing but lies, you old witch!" He shouted, his chest heaving with anger and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
I glanced nervously to Eir, expecting a harsh, angered reaction rising from her at Aderick's blatant defiance of the gods and her words.
"I do not tell fabrications, Jarl Aderick. I simply interpret what I see from the gods and only what they let me see. Fate is subject to change at any time, Aderick, but this is the future I see now," Eir remained calm, gesturing towards the fire that held the secrets and fate of many.
I let out a shaky breath, daunted at her ominous words. I shifted my gaze away from Aderick towards the wall that contained herbs and pieces of unfamiliar items. And yet, I was not looking at them, my eyesight unfocused as I struggled to contain what Eir said. One path of happiness or one of death.
I inwardly laughed, although it was absolutely humorless. It seemed as though the gods were showing me a sign. I had a force following me since that disastrous night over a fortnight ago.
Death.
Death seemed to haunt me, my constant shadowy companion as I journeyed through the course of life. An unwanted attachment that I cannot seem to shake.
Death was to come to one of us, Aderick or myself. Which, I did not want to know. When - I did not know either. I gathered it would be soon...possibly as soon as the first snowflake touched the earth, or afterward when winter left the land and the beginning of the forest started to bloom with the rich color of green.
Then again...'twas only one of the two paths that could happen from the war.
What befuddled my mind was the "prize" aspect of it all....myself. Who would want to claim me as a prize? What war was worth shedding blood over me? It made no sense.
Unless...
A ragged face that I could never forget flashed in my mind, with eyes blue as the sea. I gasped at the realization that the stranger that kept chanting "my queen, my queen" could be the very same man who wished to start the war with Aderick. It is possible that we were connected somehow...but what did the stranger want with Aderick?
"I shall come for you soon, min dronning, very soon..."
I was terribly confused...and scared.
Underwhelmed.
Indignant.
Heartbroken.
I was not ready for another war to break out, emotionally, to witness more bloodshed.
I do not believe I could take much more.
The yawning black blanket of numbness, grief, denial, and pain would suck me back in, forcing me to become a skeleton without any sense of living, no motivation of doing anything...it would truly kill me this time. I escaped the first attempt, but I knew it would swallow me whole if the Dahlsten family and people were killed.
Tears flooded my eyes at the thought of all the numerous people I had met losing their lives for this predicted war, one that would encompass all of those who lived under the protection of Aderick. All of the children, Alva...everyone that resided within the manor. Ingrid and Ragnar...But most importantly, the man beside me who cast me under his spell, with his hypnotic eyes and heated touch, who I was beginning to fall for. I could not stand to see another person in which I cared for die.
I had no doubt I would sink into nothingness from the grief of losing not one family, but two.
"Britta, Ingrid, we leave," Aderick's voice pulled me away from my tormenting thoughts.
"No," I whispered. I blinked the tears away, gaining strength from the deep breath I drew into my deprived lungs.
I needed to know more. When the battle was to occur, who was behind this all, although I had suspicions I would not voice them until I was absolutely sure. I also wanted to ask Eir about Aderick and I and our future. But I desired to be alone.
"Britta..." He warned, his tone exasperated. I did not need to look at him to know that he was angered by my reluctance to leave the hut that was now layered in an ominous aura.
"I shall remain here, actually. I shall be fine...you do not have to stay unless you wish to," I said, finally peering up at him before glancing at Eir.
He sent me a harsh glare before rolling his eyes towards the roof, muttering under his breath. He let out a sigh before looking down at me where I remained seated.
"Fine. Stay. But do not take to heart what she says to you, 'tis only to make you believe in false tales from the gods."
And with that, he stormed out of the hut without another glance my way. My brows rose at the blatant display of disrespect towards Eir, who was the human voice from the gods, and myself, though I did provoke it. I shook my head at him, not terribly bothered by his tantrum. Ingrid worriedly glanced between the two of us, torn between staying and leaving. I smiled at her softly and nodded my head towards the door, silently telling her it was okay to leave.
She gave me a tight-lipped smile before quietly leaving the home, darting to catch up with her brother.
I turned my attention back towards Eir, who was patiently waiting, her smoky gray eyes assessing me. A small smile crept onto her weathered face before she spoke once more.
"You are good for him, Britta. You stand up for what you believe in and are not afraid to meet him head on. I like that...and the gods are pleased."
"Uh...takk skal du ha?" I said with a puzzled frown. I was not sure if that was a compliment or something else. I believed that this woman did this to many people.
"He will need you by his side once the war begins against the Dahlsten people. Behind a strong Viking leader and warrior is an even stronger wife, Britta Haraldsson, and you my dear, are just the person for Jarl Aderick."
I paused, letting out a breath, "A-Are you saying that we are meant to be together? That we are to be wedded as man and wife?"
"Ja. You both have been fated together since before you were born. Two individuals from rival clans to unite together to make a strong front against all other forces that come your way, birthing strong sons that shall do great things for our land. But, as I told Aderick, fate can change at any time - due to emotions, decisions, and natural courses that come into an individual's life. The attack against your home was not initially planned by the gods, it simply happened. From that point, your fate continued to change. The forthcoming battle was inevitable for Aderick, but the stakes tripled once you became intertwined with Aderick's life, becoming the goal of it all."
I closed my eyes as I processed her words. I focused keeping my breathing even, from letting my emotions rage out at the unfairness of all of this. I cracked my eyes open and rubbed my palms against my upper arms, willing myself to do something with my hands, or else they would start shaking.
I had the urge to stomp my foot like a child, but since I remained sitting with my legs crossed, that option was out. Instead, I blew out a harsh breath, the stray curls that dangled in my face flying upwards.
My thoughts turned back from what I wished to know while Aderick was still beside me. "Will the gods tell me when the battle shall happen?"
Eir's eyes turned towards the fire, her white brows furrowed in concentration. She let out a hum, her head turning this way and that to look deeper into the element that scorched my home. The other force that took away everything that I loved. The weak heat radiating from the flames on my face made my heart clench and my belly twist uncomfortably, making a strong wave of nausea to rise within me. I forced the flashbacks of that night away, shoving them down into a deep, dark place within my mind and locking it away.
"Not as soon as you may think, Britta, but once the snow clears and green begins to show upon the trees, should you be ready for an attack."
That solidified my assumption. Springtime was when the battle shall come to the village, which was only three...maybe four months away from now. We were on the cusp of winter, the top of the mountains gaining a white sheen to them as the snow was beginning to fall from the sky. The air was turning colder each day, the smallest bit of frost clinging to the barren trees.
"Have I met the person who is leading the attack against Aderick?" I asked softly, continuously rubbing my arms to keep the inward chill away.
Eir's eyes hardened like stones, sharp and dangerous. She looked as if offended, her snow colored eyebrows raising, and her lips twisting downward.
"Do not ask questions you already know the answer to, Britta. Give yourself credit."
"So I am right? The man who took me from the mountain and nearly raped me is the same man who wishes to start a war with Aderick?"
"Ja." She murmured with a nod of her head.
I let out a sigh, turning my gaze towards the flames, torn between the prideful acknowledgment that I was right and the frightened realization that I was right.
A tension was now in the air, from my anxiety or the foredooming death of possibly the Jarl or myself, I could not which.
I had one final question, one out of curiosity for our future.
"Do the gods know when are we to be wedded? Soon? Or after the battle?"
A smirk crossed Eir's lips, and I blinked a few times, almost swearing it was the exact same curl of the lip as Aderick's.
"Soon," she said. Before I could blink, she grabbed a pitcher of water and extinguished the flames, the damp logs hissing in protest.
"I believe that someone is impatiently waiting for you, Britta. I would not delay much longer, the gods did not bless that man with patience." Eir said, disapproval clear in her tone. She simply dismissed me with a flick of her hand, shooing me from her hut.
"Thank you, Eir, for all your help."
"You are welcome, bride of Jarl Aderick. Now go, before he decides to break things with his growing temper."
I bowed my head to her, rising before the sizzling embers and quickly leaving the hut. The sunlight beat down on my face, yet I embraced the natural warmth, throwing my arms back and raising my face towards the bright light. I closed my eyes against the sun, feeling the warmth reach my head, to my chest, belly, and finally my toes. I breathed in the crisp mountain air before letting it out in a deep sigh before I opened my eyes and began walking back towards the manor.
I quickly made my way towards the manor, weaving through meandering people and buildings to make my way up the hill. After several long moments of trekking through the steep hill, I eventually crossed the threshold of the manor out of breath. I held my side as I stood in the doorway, struggling to keep myself from gasping as I tried to push away the ache.
By the gods, I was becoming weak. I weaved through the empty halls towards my old chambers, seeking the comfort of the familiar room.
Once I entered the chambers, I soaked in the familiarity of it. I stopped just before I stepped too far, my breath catching at the sight before me.
Aderick was pacing back and forth in a relentless pattern, almost wearing holes within the large fur on the ground. His hair was undone from its bound and tangled as he continuously tugged his hands through his dark locks. He mumbled under his breath, too soft for me to hear, but he looked distressed. Since I have known him, there have been very few times that he has been in such a state. I wondered what was bothering him so.
"Aderick? What is the matter?" I whispered, careful of spooking him. I took several small steps toward him, my hand outstretched.
He froze his movement and whirled around to the sound of my voice. His hands dropped from his locks, his eyes widening in surprise then gratefulness.
"Britta. You are back." His tone was strange, slightly choked.
I frowned slightly at his odd timbre. "Ja."
"Did you find all that you wished, min søte? Did Eir fill your head with long and stretched tales?" Aderick asked with a tilt of his head.
I huffed underneath my breath, suddenly annoyed at his teasing. "Nei, Aderick, she did not."
"What did she tell you then?"
"The man who took me from the mountain and tried to assault me is the one who wishes war. It shall come soon, but after winter leaves the mountains."
"Oh, really? Interesting," He said. But his tone told me otherwise. Uninterested.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "'Tis important, Aderick. It makes sense. That man kept saying 'min dronning' to me and he said he was coming for me soon. For some odd reason, I cannot help but believe that he is the one to attack. I do not know why he would start a war between two clans over a woman, but I think it is him, Aderick. You must come to your senses," I crept closer, only a foot away from him now. I touched his sleeve slightly, trying to touch some sense into him.
"Vær så snill, Aderick. I know it may be hard to believe, but somehow we are all connected. You and him - though I do not know how but 'tis possible that there is more to this."
Aderick remained expressionless, his onyx eyes searching untruths within my hazel orbs. I searched his as well, pleading with him to understand what I was saying. Numerous breaths passed by as we remained silent, continuing to scour one another's facial expressions.
His jaw clenched and unclenched as he finally wrapped his palms around my waist, the grip nearly painful. Aderick continued to be silent, only massaging his fingers into my wool gown, staring down at me with an unreadable gaze.
"Is there anything else she filled your head with?" Aderick asked gruffly.
I lowered my gaze, not wanting to see his reaction once I delivered the news about us. "Ja, she did."
"And what did she say?"
I gulped. "S-She said that we were fated to one another...and..." I paused, not confident if I should speak the rest.
His grip tightened even more so on my body, bringing me closer to him. The heat radiating from him was comforting and made my entire being thrum with a hypnotic energy. My heart began beating faster, something I noticed always happened in his embrace. A lone hand reached up and caressed my cheek, and I could not help but lean into his touch, closing my eyes.
"What else did she say about us?" He whispered silkily, brushing my curls back with a few fingers.
I let out a shaky breath, swallowing the thick emotions in my throat before opening my eyes once more. "Eir said we were long fated to be together, our children would do many good acts for Norway, and that we are to be married soon," I said in a rush.
A small smile curled his lips at my words. A sigh came from him as he pulled me close, my soft curves against his hard planes. We fit perfectly together, I thought wistfully, the warm feeling of content rising as I pressed closer to Aderick. I nuzzled into his chest, his warmth and smell comforting to my nerves. A hand combed through my curls in soothing strokes, fingering the beads and tresses, nearly lulling me asleep against his muscular chest.
After several heartbeats of silence, my eyes were closed and breathing nearly even. My mind was at ease, another thing I noticed while in Aderick's presence. The rhythmic touch of his hand against my hair and occasionally massaging my head almost sucked me under the comforting cloak of slumber, but his next words made me freeze and instantly wake up.
"I am afraid to lose you, Britta," He softly whispered into the room, almost brokenly.
I stiffened and pulled away, looking into his tortured eyes.
"You are not going to, Aderick. 'Tis only possible that that could happen...to either of us. I do not believe we shall go down that path, I do not. Once spring is over we both shall be fine and happy," I whispered fiercely.
"Eir said herself that fate is able to change at any time. But what she sees now is the two paths. We can change it at any time."
"Nei! I refuse to believe that old woman's words about us dying. I just got you in my life, I cannot lose you, Britta." Aderick pulled at the roots of his hair in frustration, his black brows collapsing and both hands running harshly over his scarred face.
"Shhh," I murmured, reaching up to cradle his face in my palms.
My fingertips lightly traced his pale scar, following the jagged curve from his temple all the way to his parted lips. I hesitated there, carefully watching him, as I felt the air from his lungs on the top of my fingers. I grazed his lower lip with my thumb, my eyes flickering between his now heated sable eyes and his full lips.
Gone was the worried and tortured look within his dark eyes. Instead, his beheld such an intense and heated emotion that my toes clenched and my heart stuttered an odd pattern that I clenched Aderick's tunic tightly to prevent me from swaying backward at the strength of it.
Aderick grasped my face betwixt his giant palms before laying the softest kiss on my lips, a slight graze of flesh that made me ache for more. Gathering my confidence, I pressed up on my toes before closing my eyes and kissing him. I moved my lips against his, slow to start but gaining a quick passion as our tongues tangled together in a battle for dominance. He let out a low growl at my struggle to back down, to submit to him. He laced a hand through my hair, locking us together, and he slid the other down past my waist, playing with the curly tendrils that reached below.
I submitted with a groan, and Aderick eagerly dove into my mouth. He pulled away briefly, giving me a chance to breathe before walking us backward against the wall. A small squeak left me before it turned into a moan as he moved his tempting and seductive lips against mine; the passion, frustration, and worry from tonight all poured out in his kiss. The hand weaved through my hair pulled my head to the side as Aderick began leaving hot wet trails along my jawline, down my throat to the hollow of my collarbone.
He began sucking at the flesh, making me writhe against the wall with need. White hot desire pulsed through my body, making me throb all over. A hand lit a hot pattern along my side, high enough to graze the side of my breast down to the junction of my hip. My breathing was ragged, harsh, and terribly uneven from the waves of pleasure coursing through my body at his touch. I gasped as the warm palm slid below my thigh in a slow movement before he yanked my knee to his waist, in which I involuntarily threw my head back, my eyes clenching shut. His obsidian eyes watched my every reaction as he pressed his lower region to my hips, pinning me completely against the wall. I mewled at the friction that he gave, unsure what exactly was happening to my body yet I could not find a spark of protest.
"Aderick," I gasped, a slow powerful build starting low in my body.
What was happening to me?
A full blown smile lit his face as he continued peppering kisses on my neck, sucking my flesh here and there as if he knew where all of my sensitive spots were. His masculine smell of woods and scented soap wrapped around my senses, making me think of nothing but him. His hips ground against mine in a delicious way that made my eyes squeeze tight and belly pulse, a low ragged moan leaving my lips.
He pressed a kiss on my lips before whispering in my ear, "Britta...let go for me."
The pleasurable shaking ceased suddenly as my mind stuttered to a stop and my body continued to fly. Sparks shattered behind my closed lids as all the desire and pleasure from Aderick's touches joined and combusted and I let out a low cry at the intense feeling. Goosebumps erupted on my flesh as I came apart at the seams after his torture.
Aderick pressed light kisses on my face as I finally came down from unreachable heights. My lower belly continued to convulse and my knees trembled to stay upright, only his hips pinning mine aginst the wall kept me from melting onto the floor. My lungs were starved for air, leaving me gasping for precious breath.
My body went limp against the wall, exhaustion encompassing me in the fullest. I could not speak, I did not want to move, I simply wished to close my eyes and rest. Just at the thought, my lids grew heavy and I struggled not to completely fall listless against Aderick.
Noting my sudden tiredness, he chuckled low and scooped me up in his arms. This time I did not protest, knowing my limbs could not possibly carry me to the bed.
Placing me down against the comfortable furs, Aderick covered my body in a wolf fur, bundling me up against the cold night. I snuggled deeper in the furs, sighing in content and just before I closed my eyes and finally let go, I heard Aderick whisper softly to me:
"Britta, you are mitt hjem."
A/N: Surprise, you guys! I wanted to start back on updating on Tuesdays, and this is what I wanted to do before I started working again. I bet some you thought this was a joke or false alarm, huh?
But, what did you think of this chapter? What are your thoughts on the current fate of Aderick and Britta? I hope you remember our dear friend from the mountain😎
I was asked by a few of you to turn up the heat a bit, sooo....did this suffice for you individuals? 😈
So the plan is to now update on Tuesdays like I originally had it before finals. Next week I will update then go MIA for a few days. I'm headed to Mexico for a mission trip and will have zero service and I don't want to pay extra for having my phone out. But once the weekend comes around I'll be back on my phone, responding to everyone like normal.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 167K reads and I am blown away to say that TSVB has been #1 in Historical Fiction for six days in a row!!! I think I'm in shock...but I know I wouldn't be here without any of you!😘😘
I'm headed to bed, guys. It's after 3 am here and I have work later this morning so I'll be catching some zzzz's while y'all read!
I hope you all have a great rest of the week! Don't forget to vote, comment and fan!
Thank you for reading!
Laters,
Kass