Chapter 27 #2
They had one of their special staring contests in which Arik’s face was trying to be firm or reasonable and Fell’s was trying to have fun.
Arik lost as he always did. “I am happy for you Fell, but why—for all the gods have given us—why did it have to be her? Of all the wombed beings—”
“I like her,” Fell said. “She plays good music and her smile is very, very expensive, but she lets me purchase it often, and this makes me feel like a wealthy man.”
He turned back to me and whispered playfully, “We are not still pretending our time together is a secret, are we?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Good,” he said. “That would be very tricky.” He turned to Arik again. “Now, move these maps. We cannot have anyone spilling wine on your beloved maps at our party.”
King Arik huffed though he was smiling. “No, we will leave them here and go to the hall closest to the sea. She should have fresh air, no?”
Ivar nodded. “Yes. And many other things. I will join the celebration when I have gotten started…” He hurried out the door.
And so began a riotous affair, which was typical for the Norsern.
But what was new for me was the raw-fish game wherein each person in attendance tried to feed me a small piece of raw fish from their hand straight to my mouth, as this was apparently a common way to celebrate the announcement of a door opening. Naturally, I was appalled.
“Do you want a strong child or a weak one?” Ivar said when I refused the third time.
“What?”
“We would like strong,” Fell said. He turned to me, “Right?”
“Then eat the fish!”
I felt insane. “What?”
“Each person has their own strength, yes? Their own kind of struggles they have overcome, yes? The fish soaks it up from their hand, and it goes into you. So, the more people who feed you, the stronger the child.”
Fell held the smallest piece of fish up, his eyes daring me.
I scowled because I had a hard time refusing him and was only just beginning to realize he knew it. “Fine.” I opened my mouth slightly. It wasn’t fish as the Norsern usually ate it. It was wrapped in a mint leaf and alive with fresh flavour.
So, I begrudgingly ate a lot of fish from many different hands, including King Arik’s.
His fury had been washed away. He drank a hefty amount, and the drunker he got, the more people he ordered to come to the hall to feed me fish.
There was good music and food besides raw fish wrapped in herbs, and the wine was just as delicious as everyone made it out to be when the cask was being rolled in.
The teasing Fell received seemed to be endless, until the sun set, and the world was brown and gold from the flickering of braziers and his whole mood changed.
He sat still, staring at his cup. Everyone continued the festivity, but moved around him, so gently, so apologetically—“I am just reaching for the horse radish.” Or “I am only passing by, do not move. No need.” I could tell everyone else was aware of his mood too, but choosing very deliberately not to address it, which was most unlike King Arik’s court.
The strongest reaction his brooding received was King Arik resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it before returning to his seat at the table.
He is not happy, I thought many times. He hates me now.
Not too long after that, Fell got up and left the party he had insisted on having.
I stood, thinking to go after him, but King Arik’s voice rumbled. “Leave him, Gentlewoman.”
“He is not well, I think.”
“No, he is not. But he will be. Leave him. Sit. Eat more.”
“I could not fit another bite within me.”
“But I am king, and there is no way Fell did not name you Norsen amid all of this, which means you are required to listen to me now.” He held up a radish-wrapped piece of fish. “This child must be strong, you understand? You will see Ivar daily. I have two soup-sisters for you—”
I begrudgingly took the fish, chewed, and forced myself to swallow. “Two what?”
“They will guard a cauldron for you in the kitchen. They will have bone soup ready for you at all hours.... Hallbjern! Come. Feed her.”
King Arik was a little unlike himself that night, slightly frantic in his movements.
Hallbjern came and fed me. I felt sick.
“Do not look so sour about it, Gentlewoman. This child will be perfectly healthy, understand? It must be. Think healthy thoughts, think of tall green pines and red cheeks on a fresh day.”
I glared at him, and he laughed. “You are the one with an open door inside you, Gentlewoman. This is not my doing.”
In my mood, I attacked the one thing I could think of attacking. “You were going to exchange me for a trade agreement?”
King Arik snorted. “It was one of eight options that I no longer have.” He took a long drink, some of the wine spilling into his beard.
“This is the way of skael…” He almost seemed to be talking to himself.
“Oh! You will need tiger-berries! I will request them…” He was up, taking drunken, lumbering steps toward whoever it was he requested fruit from, leaving me and Jorn sitting in silence as the court roared around us.
Jorn leaned over to me and whispered into my ear.
“The king will take this as a sign. He will interpret it one of three ways. Before the child is born, you may want to go into Arik’s room.
The one he has forbidden you. There are things you should know before you consider living permanently here in court. ”