Chapter 38 – Neve
NEVE
Anew day brought new ideas. Or in this case, an old idea I’d been secretly hoping to bring to life since learning of it back at Riis Tower.
While others broke their fast, I sought Thyra and shared my dream.
Her face lit up, and she accepted it readily, a sign that her wish to become closer last night wasn’t only a passing emotion or desire.
Creating something that we were both passionate about, something that we might share, was the best way to begin this new phase of our lives.
So after the midday meal, my sister and I met in the training area.
Vale, our friends, and even Clemencia and Anna, were in the far corner, sparring and practicing with weapons.
I’d wondered if Anna really needed to train so hard, but she’d claimed an advisor to a queen would need to be strong in body as well as mind.
I refrained from confiding to Anna that the game had changed since the day I’d accepted her as an advisor.
Back then, I’d not known that my sister lived.
Or that Thyra would wish to claim the throne.
That decision lay before us still, though as Thyra and I were finally getting along, neither seemed keen on raising the topic.
For the moment, we were just sisters, or as close to that as we could be as strangers learning of one another.
Aside from my friends, many other fae were present in the training hall. This part of the day tended to be the busiest. People had taken care of morning chores and had a few hours to hone their skills and strengthen their bodies.
Today, many female warriors sparred and practiced with their weapons of choice, just as I’d hoped. I looked at my sister after studying them each in turn.
“The vampires for certain,” I said. “Do you agree?”
“As much as I hate to admit it, we have no one better. Save for me, of course.” She smirked, but in a playful way. My heart leapt.
“Of course,” I teased back. “Aside from you, who is the strongest among the rebels? I have my ideas, but you know them better.”
“I’m thinking we begin with six and grow from there, if we can. With that in mind, I’d like to offer Sigri, Halladora, and Tonna.” She pointed the fighters out as she spoke their names.
I grinned. We thought rather alike.
Sigri was a dwarf. I’d seen her sparring often and had deduced that her weapon of choice was a warhammer, though she appeared to be skilled with a bow and arrow too. Agile for her kind, the female was a fierce fighter. I’d witnessed her bringing males four times her size to their knees.
Halladora was faerie, like Thyra and me. She was tall for a female, almost as tall as Vale, and wielded a sword rivaling Skelda in length. A time or two, I’d caught Vale and Caelo eyeing the female as she sparred, nodding approvingly at her skill.
“About Tonna, is she—”
Thyra cleared her throat. “Yes, part orc.”
“Right.” Tonna had the greenish-gray skin typical of orcs, as well as the large and muscular orcish build. However, Tonna also bore olive green wings, hinting of faerie blood. “That’s rare.”
“She doesn’t like to speak of it. A brute assaulted her mother, and Tonna is the result.” My twin’s face twisted with revulsion at the events of the past. “Tonna doesn’t identify as an orc, but rather as a faerie. She appreciates being treated as such.”
“Then she shall be,” I said. “I only wondered where she fell among the fae races because of how she looks. Not to question your judgment.”
“It’s natural. Our races are so often at odds. Should I call them over? The vampires too?”
“Please,” I said, and my twin beckoned the others over.
“My sister and I have been speaking,” Thyra began once all six female warriors grouped before us, questions in their eyes. “How many of you are familiar with the monarchies of Winter’s Realm long ago? Around the time of Sassa’s reign?”
The vampires raised their hands, as did Halladora.
“In your studies, have any of you come across writings on the Valkyrja?”
Halladora’s face split into a smile. “I used to love reading them as a youngling. My mother claims one of our ancestors served Queen Sassa herself.”
“Did she?” Thyra looked impressed. “That would explain why you wield a sword as well as the Warrior Bear.”
Halladora’s cheeks took on a pink hue. “Thank you.”
Thyra nodded in reply. “My sister and I have been speaking about how we’d like to work together. Much is still to be discussed, but we both wish to implement Queen Sassa’s practice of having a Valkyrja regiment. The first of its kind in many centuries. We’d like you six to be the first members.”
Tonna cleared her throat and when she opened her mouth to speak, fangs glinted inside. “How does this differ from being in the army or Nava?”
Thyra cut me a glance, and I picked up where she left off.
“It’s a historic group made of all females who fight in battle for the queen or king—though many kings didn’t implement the practice of anointing new Valkyrja.
Under a string of male reigns, the elite group of warriors died out and, eventually, ceased to exist. Little has been written of them since the time of Sassa’s reign.
So while we don’t know much about them, we’ll honor some practices of the past, like keeping this an all-female group.
Besides that, we would be writing our own rules.
” I smirked and looked at my twin. “Something that us Falk ladies seem all too inclined to do anyhow, wouldn’t you say? ”
A few more questions lobbed our way. Thyra and I did our best to answer them. In the end, two of the vampires agreed.
Livia held back, and curious, I asked her if she had other questions or issues with such a group.
“It’s not that. I rather like the idea,” she said. “But I’d hoped to open a book and tea shop after the war is over, and my sisters and I have fulfilled our promises to you two.”
Freyia and Astrid didn’t appear surprised, so I assumed that such an occupation would suit Livia. In no way did I wish to squash a dream. Particularly when so many people stole options and dreams from Livia throughout her life.
“I understand. You’re under no obligation to join.”
“Thank you, Princess Neve.”
The other three also agreed with the stipulation that, at least for the time being, they take orders only from Thyra.
“It’s not that we dislike or distrust you after your heist in Avaldenn,” Halladora said. “We just know Thyra better. For now, this is how it will be.”
Trust was earned, often very slowly. Though it would make things more difficult, I couldn’t rush this. “I understand.”
“So where do we go from here?” Tonna asked, her eyes gleaming brighter than before. I suspected she enjoyed being asked to be a part of this exclusive group.
“You should train together,” I said. “Starting today. You’re all powerful, but you do not all know how the others fight.
Time to learn, for who knows when Thyra and I will need you?
” I thought of the Ice Scepter, and how it was our shared goal to find it.
How Thyra believed it would give her understanding of the other Hallows.
I swallowed, feeling ever more guilty for keeping the secrets of the Fr?r Crown from her. I’d remedy that today. In private, of course.
“Does this mean I cannot train with my sisters?” Livia asked.
“Not at all,” Thyra assured her. “You’re not obligated to be a Valkyrja, but you should all train together. The best with the best. Just no using your fangs. Not until we meet our enemies anyway.”
The female warriors agreed, and the first of the Valkyrja and Livia returned to the training area, leaving me alone with my twin.
“That was easy,” I said on the back of an exhale.
“When others respect your actions, it is easy to get them to follow. That reflects well on us both.” Her face was soft, loose, relaxed.
Should I take this moment to tell her?
Thyra twisted to take in the vast scope of the training room. She stiffened, all the looseness gone.
I searched for what had caught her attention, only to find Thantrel staring our way. Thyra stared right back at him, though like last night, she was not scowling or hard-faced. Instead she looked . . . thoughtful?
“He’s a great person,” I whispered. “The timing is horrible, but—”
“Stop, Neve. I want to focus on us. Not some male, no matter how handsome he is.”
I imagined telling Thantrel that Thyra had called him handsome and seeing his face light up, but then her words sank in deeper. No, this was between them, and my sister had valid reasons for rejecting him, even if she’d done so coldly.
Then again, was that any surprise? We were Daughters of Winter. Of the coldest family to have walked this realm.
“I won’t again. Not unless you wish to talk about him,” I inhaled. “And actually, I have something more to tell you. Something I wanted to tell you last night before Luccan fell. I lost the thought of it after that, but now is as good a time as last night.”
“What’s that?” Relief that I’d dropped the matter of her mate rushed across her face.
“It’s about the Fr?r Crown. In the vault, it told me to try it on. I did, and I saw something. Something I don’t understand.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Her tone had hardened considerably, and she took a step back.
Annoyance lashed through me like a whip.
“You’ve demanded much from me and given little in return.
I still don’t have the blade promised to me.
” Her face fell, and I regretted the words, even though I felt them wholly.
We’d come so far in a day. I wanted us to go further.
Not stall here, when we’d just started to bond.
“I suppose I wasn’t sure that I could trust you, but now I am. ”
She swallowed. “I understand.”
A pause swept between us before she added, “You’re aware that we cannot stand together in everything, right? The throne seats one.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “But for now, the throne is so very far away, after all. It can wait.”
Although I’d started to want the ruling seat enough to accept a queensguard and advisors, I thought that I could give up a throne for Thyra.
After all, I’d first wished to run away from that powerful seat entirely, at least until I understood how many people I could help.
The fae of Winter’s Realm, maybe, in time, the slaves of the Vampire Kingdom.
As long as Thyra proved that she was for the people of this realm, I could step down. I could live a fulfilled life in so many other ways.
Perhaps she thought the same thing, for she turned and gestured to the door. “Come, sister. Let me reunite you with Sassa’s Blade. Then we’ll visit the Fr?r Crown, and you can show me what you’ve discovered.”