Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
Astrid
Her mind was spinning. This wasn’t at all what she had thought would happen here in the grotto. The plan had been to get in, break the bond, leave.
But now everything felt jumbled. His family had been so kind to her.
He’d made her this dress that fit her better than any dress had back home, and that was saying something.
The style he’d chosen, the measurements, they were all so perfect she wondered if he’d somehow snuck in while she’d been sleeping to size her waist.
Astrid knew he hadn’t. He was so aware of her every move and all the things that she liked, that he could create a dress out of nothing that he knew she would love.
Then there was that kiss. Of everything that made her head spin and turned her mind, that kiss was the most confusing of all.
She’d dreamt about it just last night. The way his hand spanned her waist. How he had gripped her so easily with his hand tunneling through her hair.
The passion in his touch alone had convinced her that he would be equally attentive elsewhere.
And now she knew he absolutely would be.
Just look at the dress on her body and how long it had taken him to make it.
But she was here for her sister. No one else. Her life didn’t matter. Her wants and needs didn’t matter. Rose had to come first, before all else.
So while he dragged her through the village, she told herself that she would get ahold of her feelings.
She would tell Bjorn they needed to sever this bond right now, and then they would move on with their lives without each other.
He would bring her to the mountain. She would free her sister, and they would part ways.
But then she saw where he was bringing her, and the words stuck in her throat.
He parted the brambles for her, making sure that not a single one touched her skin or her new dress, and they went out into the fields beyond.
The waving grass tickled her hips, so pretty it was hard to believe it was real.
The sun shone high in the sky now, warming her skin.
And the grin on his face was one she was still getting used to.
Bjorn smiled while they were here. That silly, big grin on his face might’ve looked dopey, but he was so happy.
She hadn’t seen him happy before all of this. He’d been gruff and stern, not this bright eyed man who still had hope in him.
“I’ve been remembering so much since arriving here,” he said as he tugged her through the waving grass. “So many of my memories I kept buried. I didn’t want to remember anything. It was too hard to think of all this when I was locked away in the dark.”
“I don’t think anyone could blame you for that.”
“They could. Many in that dungeon clung to their memories. Even Rabbit claimed it helped keep him out of those dark places.” His brow furrowed, a familiar frown crossing his features. “They kept trying to stay out of the darkness while I guess I dove headfirst into it.”
No, she didn’t want him to think of all these things when they were here, of all places. He could work through the memories when he needed to, but he’d just made her a dress. He’d been so sweet and hopeful only moments ago.
“Where did you get this fabric?” Astrid asked, plucking at a bit of her waist. The attempt to change the subject seemed to help, at least.
“Orbweavers.”
“Isn’t that a type of spider?”
He snorted. “Bigger than you’re thinking. They’re the size of horses on this side of the mountain. Nasty beasts. They hunt trolls, humans, anything big enough to eat.”
Her mouth dropped open the more he talked until she stammered, “Then how did you get all of this?”
“Carefully,” he replied, with a grin back on his face. “Come on, we’re not far now.”
She had no idea where he was taking her, but she realized she’d follow him anywhere. He reached back for her hand, and she trembled as their fingers interlaced. It was like they were the only people who existed right now. Just her and him, with the sun glinting off his horns.
Finally, he placed his hand on her belly, stopping her from moving and dropping lower into the grass. “There they are. I wanted to show you my very first animal obsession when I was little.”
Obsession? She frowned and glanced around them. “I don’t see anything.”
“First, what do you think they are?”
She hadn’t the faintest idea. “Horses?”
“No.”
“Are they some kind of massive lizard beast that doesn’t live on my side of the mountain?”
He snorted. “Absolutely not.”
“I don’t know then, Bjorn. You’re a warrior. I would imagine it’s some kind of large creature who could tear my head off if I’m too loud.”
The smile never budged from his face. “None of the above. It’s them.”
He allowed her to peek her head up over the grass to see.
.. pigs. Adorable pigs that were vastly unlike any creature she’d seen before.
The wiry hair covering their bodies was rather similar to a boar, but that was where the similarities ended.
They were reddish in color, with the most massive floppy ears that she had ever seen.
Tapered at the end, they looked rather magical the more she stared at them.
Their ears were clearly fairy-like, and the small spots that created patterns on their skin were adorable.
“Pigs?” she asked. The word seemed wrong to say. “You were obsessed with pigs?”
“Not just any pigs. Secret keepers.” He reached for her hand again, so comfortable touching her that he didn’t even wait for her to take his hand in return.
And she thought that was rather nice. Everyone who had been around her had been hesitant. People didn’t touch priestesses without permission. But Bjorn didn’t even think of asking her. He just did it because he knew she didn’t mind if he held her hand.
They walked toward the small gathering of pigs. She counted six of them all snuffling about in the grass, although they froze when the two of them approached.
Bjorn lifted his hands, murmuring as a flutter of his magic floated through the air. “Calm, friends. We are not here to harm you, but to share secrets.”
“Secrets?” she whispered as one of the pigs broke away from the others.
“Trolls call them secret keepers for a reason. I don’t need magic to convince them to come to us. They are all very interested in holding what others might not know.”
“I don’t understand,” Astrid replied with a soft laugh.
He leaned down to the pig who approached and whispered into its ear. It took him a little while, but then the pig seemed to... nod. As if it understood the secret he was telling it.
“What did you say?” she asked with a laugh.
“That’s the beauty of these creatures. They’ll only tell the secret when the person it’s about is ready to hear it. They keep secrets for all of us.”
The pig wandered over to her, and she bent down. Holding out her hands for it to snuffle, she patted the flat nose as it seemed to deeply draw in her scent. “Bjorn, this is silly. The pigs don’t really do that.”
But then the pig opened its mouth and Bjorn’s voice came out: “I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Two things about that were startling. The first was that a pig had spoken with his voice and the second, that he thought she was beautiful.
Astrid looked up to see how worried he was. A small furrow had appeared between his brows, and his hands were curled into fists against his sides. But he stood there looking at her, watching like he always did. Waiting to see what she would say.
“I...” She didn’t know what to say to that, actually. “But I’m human.”
“And?”
“And you’re a troll. Surely you had expectations of what a troll wife would look like for you. I can see how different I am from everyone here.” She lifted her arms as though that would remind him. “Why would you think I’m beautiful?”
In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her.
So close she could smell the sun radiating off his skin.
He lifted a hand to her cheek, turning her face so she looked up at him.
“How could I not find you beautiful? Would you like me to tell you all the reasons? The grace in your hands when you talk. The sky that I hadn’t seen in ten years in your gaze.
The sound of your voice eased every angry part of me.
There are a hundred reasons and more to find you beautiful, Astrid. ”
“A lot of people have found me beautiful in my life.”
“But none of them see what I see.” A flash of anger nearly turned his gaze red, but his hand was still gentle when he cupped her jaw.
“I see your strength, your resilience, your ability to put all others before yourself even when it is detrimental to your own health when you do so. I see your loyalty to your sister, and your love for this world. I no longer see the priestess, Astrid. I see you.”
Why was that so terrifying? Why did that make her want to not look at him, to crawl out of her skin because that was terrifying to believe?
His thumb crested over the peak of her cheekbone, tracing the lines of her face. “I don’t know which god looked favorably upon me to send you into my life, but I will have to find them and worship them until I die.”
“Bjorn,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to sever the bond,” he blurted.
He almost seemed surprised that he’d said it, but then he forged forward with newfound confidence.
“I like you. I can see a future where we are friends. Perhaps more. I know that is not what you want to hear when you desire to find your sister and cannot see beyond that. But Rose has been in Trollveggen for many months now. Perhaps she would wish to stay as well.”
“My sister wants a life outside of all this.”
“Your sister wanted a life outside of the labyrinth. Outside of the cruelty that revolved around our lives, but I cannot tell you if she would ever go back to your kingdom. Your sister wanted her freedom. Trollveggen gives her that.”
“You don’t know if that’s true.”
But it made sense. That had been her fear from the start of all this. Rose had seen the worst of their kingdom, been thrown away to the dungeons where only the worst monsters lived. At least, the monsters who were humans. It seemed that was who the king wished to punish her with.
Would she even want to return?
What would Astrid do then? She certainly didn’t want to return to the castle where so many horrible things had happened.
She couldn’t go back to Lord Tolly or even back to where they trained the priestesses.
She was just as lost as her sister now, having thrown herself into finding Rose when she knew there wasn’t anywhere for her to go after this.
“I didn’t think this plan through all that well, did I?” she asked quietly.
“You saw a way to save your sister,” he replied. “And you did. You found me, you released me, and now I will make sure you get to her side. That was your plan, and it was a good one.”
“But what do we do after?”
He stared down into her gaze, and she swore she saw a future in his eyes.
One where they lived together quietly, growing their own food, raising their own animals.
It was a quieter life than she was used to.
But there was no more manipulation. There were no expectations of politics or having to control an entire room so a war didn’t break out.
Peace. That was what he offered her.
His thumb moved again, this time trailing along her jaw. “We do whatever you want, bright one.”
But that was terrifying too. She didn’t know what she wanted.
“I need time to think,” she said. “I don’t know if this future you want is one that I can agree to. I’m sorry, Bjorn.”
“Take all the time you need. While you’re thinking, I will show you what a true troll husband is like. I will show you what it could be if you chose to stay.” He took a deep breath, his chest rising like a barrel in front of her. “May I do that?”
“I don’t see why not.”
A voice in her head screamed that, yes, she did. She already liked the man. He’d proven to be honorable and trustworthy, and if she wasn’t careful, he was going to make this very difficult to leave.
Again that thumb, so distracting as he seemed to memorize the feeling of her cheek. She tilted her head back a bit more, unable to deny him when he was standing there like that.
Astrid’s hands found his chest, warm and solid and comforting. “Bjorn... I...”
He groaned, the sound deep and rumbling in his chest as he lunged for her. This time he didn’t ask to kiss her, nor did he wait. He just took what he wanted, and she was swept along for the ride.
Massive hands spanned her waist, tugging her harder against his chest. He nipped at her lower lip, drawing it into his mouth and teasing her with his tongue.
The shape of his mouth was different from hers, but it didn’t make her feel odd to be kissing him.
In fact, all it felt was right. Her entire body seemed to heat up at his touch.
Bjorn’s hand smoothed up her ribs. She could feel him measuring the span of them, so small compared to him, and then up farther, farther, just until his thumb brushed the underside of her breast. How was it that even that little touch made her entire world light up with desire?
A small moan escaped her, and she almost froze.
It was inappropriate for her to make that sound, and yet it seemed only to encourage him.
He pressed against her harder, his mouth doing things to her lips that she hadn’t even thought possible while his hand moved up again until his thumb brushed against her stiff nipple.
And then suddenly he cursed and lurched away from her.
“What—”
But then Astrid realized his hand was pressed between his legs and he wore the most pained expression she’d ever seen on his face. He hadn’t even looked like that when there had been an arrow sticking out of him.
“Oh no,” she muttered, reaching for him. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just... don’t even look at me.”
“Bjorn, that seems dramatic.”
“You’re so pretty,” he groaned, before slapping his hands over his eyes. “Go away, please. You are not helping by being here.”
“I could get you something cold?”
“Astrid. The fact that you are breathing near me right now is making this worse. Please.”
She bit her lip to not laugh and backed away through the wheat. "All right. I'm leaving."
"Why is that not helping?" he seemed to mutter to himself.
She shouldn't find that quite so funny as she headed back to the village. But she did.