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She had seen no sign of the brothers and had been relieved when she had heard the people’s court was taking place that morning, effectively tying them up for the day.

Eventually, Liv had been summoned to her chambers by the Queen and the Royal Seamstress to be fitted for her Betrothal Ball uniform. The warrior had grudgingly gone with the page that had been sent to retrieve her, giving Maude a pained last look that she had found immensely funny.

Eydis quickly excused herself as well at this point, remarking that she wanted to finish working on some of her sketches in the conservatory. No one challenged her claim when she took off in the direction of Hakon’s chambers, which lay on the opposite side of the palace from the nursery.

Left alone now with the man who had been close friends with the brothers for most of his life, Maude had felt awkward until it occurred to her that Gunnar had not been surprised at her revelation when they arrived in Veter.

“Did you know my mother, Gunnar?” Maude asked as she sat next to him and retied the laces on her boots.

“You really know how to get right to the point, don't you?” Gunnar chuckled.

“One of my many talents,” Maude said, offering him a sly smile.

They stood together and made their way back to the palace. Gunnar offered greetings and made lewd comments to some of the soldiers they passed, amusing Maude to no end.

“You didn’t really seem surprised when Alva recognized me, and I just thought I would ask,” Maude shrugged.

Gunnar seemed to see right through her charade, though.

“I had a strong suspicion about who you were when I stitched you up at Thora’s pub. I saw your fatemark and knew you had to be Sylvi’s daughter,” Gunnar explained. “Though I didn’t know for sure until Alva declared it in front of everyone.”

Maude cringed, recalling the moment a few days ago when the secret shattered in front of her eyes.

“I knew Sylvi,” Gunnar told her, avoiding her eyes. “What do you want to know?”

Maude blew out a breath.

“Gods,everything. It seems I knew nothing about her.”

Gunnar was quiet for some time as he thought about what to say.

“Sylvi was vibrant. She drew everyone in,” Gunnar explained. “She was kind and funny, always joking, always laughing. People couldn’t help but be close to her.”

Maude listened to Gunnar as he got lost in the memories of her mother amongst the royalty of Veter. She glanced over to see Gunnar’s eyes glazed over slightly.

“While everyone was friends with her, only a few grew to be close friends and see a side of Sylvi that was not broadcasted. I only knew her once she had already become the Queen of Flame, having been sent to Logi a few times once I was old enough to set up a new pathway of communication to Veter for her after some of Alva’s spies were caught again,” Gunnar explained.

“How old were you when you met her?” Maude asked, curiosity winning over her reluctance to know more about her mother.

“I was barely twenty years old when I was sent to Logi,” he said, shaking his head. “Sylvi was kind to me. We had spent a lot of time together by the time I had instilled new spies and taught them the correct codes to write in. She seemed to be lonely in her life, but she always doted on her daughters.”

Maude’s throat thickened. She swallowed the emotion down before it could overwhelm her.

“After we had become friends, I started to see the person that drew people in. She told me about you, never naming names for your protection, but she told me of your fatemark. She was worried about something theGrand Soothsayer had said to her about your fate,” Gunnar said as they made it to her floor.

They continued walking down the hall and out of earshot of anyone eavesdropping before he carried on. Maude listened closely, willing her heart rate to slow.

“She wouldn’t tell me your fate, of course, and I never asked, but she seemed determined to steer you away from something. It brought her great distress, but she would say no more about it.”

They reached her door, stopping to face each other.

“I valued Sylvi’s friendship very much. When she went silent and stopped showing up to the safe house we had set aside for her, I knew something terrible had happened. It brings me such grief that she has left this world, but I know she is dining with the gods in Valhalla,” Gunnar said quietly, finally looking at Maude.

Shame washed through Maude at his words. She could not bear to think of her mother anymore. The constant reminder on her face was enough to torture her daily, but since Maude had arrived in Veter, everyone seemed to want to talk to her about how her mother was so wonderful. And while they were all kind words, Maude struggled to match up the Veter Sylvi with the memories she had of her mother. It was unbearable.

Gunnar stopped her with one hand on her arm when she turned away from his genuine words.

“I’m glad to have your friendship now, Maude. I can tell it has been difficult for you to reconcile the mother you knew with the person she really was, but I know she loved you and your sister very much.”