Page 84 of The Magic of Vanaheim

The Ice Shield

?alvi

Winter in Vanaheim was cold and bright and magnificent. The land was blanketed with snow; the winds howling outside Saeborg’s high towers, their icy breath rattling the windows. Inside the thick walls, the blazing hearth fires created a comfortable refuge. The fortress was peaceful and quiet. TheVanirneedn’t fear any raids during the winter season, but today Talvi felt a chill—a strange foreboding feeling that had nothing to do with the cold outside.

Walking down the familiar corridors, Talvi felt a twinge of unease. He hadn’t seen Håkon since they shared theirdagmalin the morning, and Talvi hadn’t found him on the snowy grounds where he usually stayed when the warriors were training. Overcome with worry, Talvi went searching for his husband. Ever since Svanhild had snatched Håkon from Saeborg with Arngrim’s help and nearly succeeded in killing him, Talvi had been a little paranoid about his husband’s well-being.

At the entrance to their chambers, Talvi paused and strained his ears, but everything was quiet. Slipping inside, he found thefire in the hearth burned down and the candles in the tactic room unlit. Håkon stood with his back to him at the windows overlooking the fjord, staring out into the falling night, his broad shoulders slumped and his head bowed. Talvi stepped closer on silent feet.

“Dróttning,” Talvi whispered.

Håkon flinched but didn’t turn around. As Talvi approached him carefully, he noticed the piece of parchment clutched in his fist. Talvi could practically feel the distress radiating from his husband and his heart clenched.

“What is it, love?” Talvi asked, gently nudging Håkon to face him.

Inclining his head, Håkon closed his eyes and tightened his jaw as if battling with himself to stay composed. He clutched the crumpled parchment close to his chest, unwilling to share whatever torment the words held for him. Talvi frowned and wrapped an arm around Håkon’s waist.

“Bad news?” Talvi could only think of one person whose messages were delivered to Håkon personally and who had the ability to shake him so badly.

Bergelmir.

Finally looking up at him, Håkon’s eyes glistened with tears. He swallowed hard, and with a heavy sigh, leaned against Talvi, offering him the parchment.

“Come, sit with me.”

Accepting the crumpled parchment, Talvi pulled Håkon along to sit on their bed. Håkon went without resistance, and Talvi noted that his hair was still tangled from sleep and his tunic was only half-laced.

“You’ve been mulling over this news since the morning,” Talvi muttered, annoyed with himself that he hadn’t sensed his husband’s distress sooner.

“I needed time to think.”

Scanning the runic inscription quickly, Talvi’s anger rose with each word he read. “An invitation to Princess Anya’s wedding? How dare he?”

“She doesn’t deserve this,” Håkon said, his voice choked with emotion. “Jorulf is a bloody maniac, nothing more than a cruel warlord. She can’t—”

Stroking gentle hands down Håkon’s arms, Talvi hummed. He picked up the ivory comb sitting on the chest next to their bed and began carefully untangling the light strands of Håkon’s hair.

“We’ll have to visit your father and demand that he break their engagement, then,” Talvi said.

“No.” Håkon sounded horrified. “You can’t travel to Jotunheim. The journey is too dangerous at this time of year, and Bergelmir will surely try to kill you on some threadbare excuse if you enter his realm.”

Relishing the fact that Håkon allowed him to touch him in this way, Talvi took his time combing the soft tresses.

“So, I can’t make the journey to Jotunheim, you say? It’s too dangerous? What about you?”

Håkon froze. Of course, his brave husband was determined to spare his sister a life of misery through an arranged marriage. Again. And Bergelmir knew that all too well. But Talvi would never allow Håkon to face this danger alone.

Concentrating on the movement of his hands, Talvi began braiding Håkon’s hair from the temples to the base of his neck so it wouldn’t fall into his face. He felt his husband relax under his touch, a soft sigh leaving Håkon’s lips.

Bergelmir had surely anticipated they’d either ignore the invitation or be crushed during the journey by the shield of floating ice surrounding Jotunheim. But this time, Bergelmir had miscalculated. Talvi was no stranger to winter’s cruelty. Hewaswinter, after all.

“We’ll go together,” Talvi repeated. “We’ll end Bergelmir’s schemes once and for all.”

“Once we’re there, my father won’t let us walk out of Utgard easily.”

Talvi smiled. “Then it’s time we put him in his place, don’t you think? Bergelmir has no idea what he’s up against.”

Shuddering, Håkon leaned into his touch.