Chapter 8 Freija
Freija
Training with Halvar was not for the weak, and my body had certainly learned its lesson. After a hearty meal and a long bath with some salts for my aching arms, I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes for a moment of calm.
The session had not been bad overall. In fact, it was quite enlightening to see how he trained a pupil and what he wanted me to focus on.
Close combat maneuvers were an interesting choice.
Then again, the more I thought about it, if I were kidnapped, I’d have to be much more skilled at taking down an assailant, quicker too.
It was definitely something to work on. Something else I could try to perfect—amongst everything else on my plate.
A commotion sounded from the hallway, and my eyes snapped open.
“Do you not know who I am?” A familiar female voice said.
“This tunnel is protected,” the newly stationed guard replied, his high volume revealing how much he did not care who the woman outside was.
This wasn’t going to end well.
More stern words were spat between the two, and I clambered out of bed to put a stop to the mayhem before someone—most likely the soldier—got stabbed by my best friend.
I swung open the door. “What is going on out here?”
The two spun toward me, both exasperated and looking like they were in the right.
“She is welcome here.” I raised my palms in a calming motion. “This is Ragnhild, Crown Princess of the Forest Fae.”
She flipped her golden braid over one shoulder as if she’d just won this argument.
The soldier whispered an expletive, then turned to her. “My apologies, your highness. I’ve been stationed up north for quite some time and didn’t realize who you were.”
“I’ll make sure you’re all given a portrait so this doesn’t happen again,” she replied with a snort before sauntering into my room.
I gave the solider a quick nod. “Thank you for doing your job.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tawny skin still flushed with embarrassment. Poor thing.
Shutting the door behind me, I flopped back into my plush and cozy bed, and turned my focus to the Forest Fae who had perched herself in a chair and rested her boots on my table, leaving a cluster of pine needles behind.
“You didn’t need to antagonize the man for doing his job.” I said as she inspected her nails.
“Where would the fun in that be?”
Ancestors help her. “What brings you to the mountain this evening anyway?”
“I wanted to check in on our travel plans. Well, your travel plans.”
My stomach sank. I needed to update her on recent events since we last spoke in the garden, because there was no chance the Council, or my parents, were going to let me out of the mountain now that there were threats to kidnap me.
“I have reached out to my contact down south, Vigdis,” she continued. “Should expect to hear back within a week or less depending on the weather. But I really think she would be a good person to talk to regarding alternate resources.”
“About that…”
She tilted her head up, studied my still prone position like it was confusing, and narrowed her eyes. “What happened?”
There was only one way to do this. Straight to the point. She hated when people dawdled. “I’ve been assigned a bodyguard.”
Those brows flew to her hairline and she leaned forward, bringing the chair legs down with a crack. “A what? Why? You don’t need one!”
“Apparently there have been threats to kidnap me.”
“Fuck!”
“Language.”
“Great heavens! Or whatever it is the humans say.”
I refrained from snorting a laugh.
“Why would anyone want to kidnap you?”
“Ransom for gold and tools.”
“Fu— I mean, damn.”
That was, admittedly, my own sentiment on the matter.
A trace of shock still ran through me like a brook trickling down the mountainside leaving behind small droplets as a reminder.
It wasn’t as if I didn’t believe such a thing could happen—my sister and I had been informed of such at a young age. It just hadn’t happened. Until now.
I sat up and pulled a pillow against my stomach. “Inform your parents and your Council of Elders, but don’t let the masses know. It’s worth being safe in case they choose to target you too.”
Ragnhild nodded. “But not worth stirring up panic. Can do. Are you all right?”
“Eh.” I shrugged and winced at the pain that shot down my arms. “Even though I’d like to find the culprits immediately, there isn’t much I can do. That’s why the guards were brought back from the north.”
“Do they have any suspects yet?”
Shaking my head, I hugged the pillow a little tighter.
“Well, if you ever need me to bury a body, you need only ask.”
“That is what best friends are for, but, alas, that won’t be required.” At least not right now when we didn’t know who was behind the threats.
“Who did they assign to protect you?” She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder toward the door. “Not that man, I hope?”
I shook my head.
“Then who?”
I pinched my lips together and inhaled a deep breath. “Halvar.”
A screeching noise sounded from my best friend, and I smothered the urge to clap my hands over my ears.
“You cannot be serious? The General of the Fjell Fae. The great and terrifying Head Guard Halvar Haraldson has been assigned to child-minding duties?”
I glared at her. “I am not a child.” And my aching muscles were currently reminding me of the fact that my body didn’t recover as quickly as it used to. Especially after using muscles that hadn’t been activated in some time.
She rested her elbows on her knees, braid swinging forward. “But what did he do to be… relegated… charged… Ancestors, did he offend King Erik somehow? That or did something seriously wrong that didn’t warrant death but a lowly assignment?”
“I believe it’s because of his skills and stature that he was entrusted to guard me.” Father had always put his family’s safety as his highest priority. “Anyway, it will hinder any plans of travel. I doubt he will be amenable to it.”
A frown responded and she tilted her head from side to side. “Or… you could encourage him to see the situation from your perspective and win him over to the idea.”
The thought gave me pause and I returned to my back and stared at the ceiling again.
She may have been on to something. If I could get to know him better, earn his favor, and then appeal to him with my reasoning as to why a trip to the south to meet this Vigdis person was vital, then maybe he would agree.
“Eh-Eh. You’re thinking about it. I can see that mind of yours working. It’s not ideal, but it’s a version of a plan.”
“It could be,” I admitted.
She clapped her hands together, drawing my attention once more. “See. Problem solved. Who said I couldn’t be diplomatic and plan things?”
“Your mother.”
“Hey now.”
We both smiled then fell into bouts of laughter bolstered by almost two centuries of friendship and an understanding of how best to antagonize each other. Ragnhild knew me better than anyone else—knew my foibles, fears, and fantastical dreams. She was like family to me. Always would be.
At least that was one thing in my life that was going well right now.
Once our trills of happiness died down, she crossed the room and settled on the end of my bed.
Leaning against one of the four thick wooden posts, she asked, “Is there anything else momentous that you need to tell me about? Something I missed in the”—she peered at the small, gilded clock on my bookshelf—“forty-seven hours since I last saw you?”
“I had my first training session with Halvar.” I motioned to my prone form. “Hence the current position.”
She smirked. “Wore you out did he?”
“Not like that. In hindsight I have realized that I perhaps should have been training my sword skills more often so as to avoid the aches and pains that come with disuse.” I let out a sigh. “That, and he did mention I should strengthen my wrists.”
“Loath as I am to admit it, he does have a point.”
I rolled my eyes and grunted.
She crossed her arms like she knew she was correct. And she was, but that would bolster her ego and she didn’t need that further reinforced. “Definitely is worth it considering the threats.”
A yawn escaped me and I pressed my hand to my mouth a little too late to cover it. “Mm-hmm.”
“On that note,” Ragnhild added, “I should let you get some sleep. I will be in touch once I hear from the south. In the meantime, perhaps consider befriending the brute of a man?”
“I will see what happens,” I replied.
“Good enough.” She hopped off the bed and swaggered toward the door like she owned the place.
“Oh, and Ragnhild.”
“Yeeees,” she replied with a wicked grin.
“Don’t antagonize the soldier in the hallway. He is just doing as he was told.”
She huffed. “Spoilsport.”
No, the real spoilsport here was the person or persons behind those threats. They really were mucking up all of my perfectly thought out plans and potential options.