Astra nodded sagely, ‘Then I am glad. Agnar scared me at first…especially that first night. But he got down on his knees today and swore with his hand on his heart that he would always protect us.’
Skadi glanced towards Brenna, who nodded. ‘He did…in front of all the men, too. He made them stop training to watch.’
Skadi’s gaze followed the dark shape of Agnar as he strode out of the training square and disappeared from view. The men watched him as he passed and not with the animosity she would have expected. There was a subtle shift in their attitude towards him—now they watched him with respectful curiosity.
He was her husband and the King of Thrudheim, only his death or hers would change that, and she was beginning to wonder if denying her fate was a pointless waste of her energy.
She was a queen. If her fate was to be with Agnar, then she would mould her future as she saw fit. At least, she understood him better now. He was justifiably resentful of the past, but hediddesire her. For once, shecouldbe the seducer and lead her own destiny.
Chapter Sixteen
Agnar was pleasantly surprised by what Thrudheim had to offer, as well as Skadi’s impressive skills at ruling and managing her kingdom. He’d given up looking for signs of her mismanagement. The town and port ran well and fairly, with very little disgruntlement from the traders and merchants.
Skadi might be proud and spoilt, but she was a good queen, and Agnar was beginning to realise that he had been harsh in some of his assumptions.
A larger party of servants and warriors had gone ahead of them to prepare the mountain lodge. They followed with a small group of guards at a slower pace, Skadi occasionally stopping to point out some landmark or introduce him to the loggers who lived within the forest.
The island was large and split by the mountain range that hugged the bay and town like a crescent moon. The perfect mixture of natural and fortified defences. But there was far more to Thrudheim than the small bay. The rest of the island was more difficult to reach and involved climbing one of the two mountain paths that ran through the forest and over the ridge to the flatlands beyond. There was no access to the flatlands by sea, as the sheer cliffs fell straight down and were hazardous to climb.
They’d spent the afternoon riding through the forest, climbing steadily to the hunting lodge near its peak. The weather was definitely turning, red and gold leaves carpeted the forest floor and were beginning to brown. The bare branches allowed the bitter wind to rattle through despite the sunshine overhead.
The mountain path was wide and he was able to ride his horse beside Skadi’s most of the way. He wondered if she was beginning to thaw towards him, as she’d made pleasant conversation for most of the ride and even smiled more than once at him…in a way that almost felt flirtatious.
He must be mistaken; their training together earlier had been an error. He’d had to battle with his lust through each move and touch and then run from her presence like a pitiful coward. Surely Skadi wouldn’t have changed her mind about him so quickly? It was simply wishful thinking on his part.
After all, Skadi took such time and care in all of her other decisions. Even now, Astra sat in front of her, Skadi not trusting such a steep and slippery path for her child to ride alone.
‘Can I ride my own horse once we’ve passed the ridge?’ grumbled Astra.
‘We haven’t any spare horses. But we might be able to borrow one between the farms and the crafters.’
‘Crafters?’ asked Agnar curiously.
‘There’s a village of them,’ declared Astra brightly. ‘I like going there, it’s fun! I can play with the children or make things: pottery, jewellery, tapestries, and cloth!’
‘You have seen their work…they made the fish cup you admired,’ said Skadi with a teasing smile that made it obvious she knew he’d thought it a ridiculous piece of pottery. She glanced around at the thick forest either side of them. ‘Usually, they alert us to any arrivals coming from behind the mountain. You must have kept your ships hidden from both the port and the crafters to arrive without us knowing.’
Agnar nodded. ‘I knew you had settlements on the flatlands. I had to keep in line with the highest peak so as not to be noticed from either side. Thankfully, Rán was feeling generous and matched the waves to our course.’
Astra stiffened and glanced up at her mother with a worried expression.
‘I am sure it is nothing to do with Rán,’ Skadi said dismissively and he wondered if there had been some prophecy or fearful omen, before the arrival of his ships—something to do with the goddess of the sea. Either way, Astra had a decidedly guilty look on her face and Skadi seemed determined to ease her worries.
He shrugged, deciding the best way to reassure her would be to accept the good fortune he’d received and explain it as best he could. ‘We made many sacrifices to Rán before we left. I am sure she was well pleased with them.’
‘Before you left, you say?’ said Skadi, patting Astra’s shoulder.
He noticed the way they both relaxed when he nodded in agreement. ‘Yes, well before.’ He thought back to when he’d secured his army. ‘King Olaf wanted to ensure my safe arrival in the Saxon lands, so he had a great feast and burned a ship in his fjord.’
Skadi’s eyes widened at his words. She knew he’d had help from King Olaf, but not the true conviction of her uncle… The sacrifice of a ship meant a lot and he was certain Skadi hadn’t fully appreciated the strength of his support until now. Unfortunately, the men were not a permanent addition to his army. He needed to secure Thrudheim’s future and quickly eliminate the threat Sven posed.
‘When will my uncle expect the return of his men?’ asked Skadi curiously and he realised how similarly their minds worked, as he’d been thinking much the same.
‘Once things have been settled,’ he said quietly, not liking how close her man, Oddmund, was riding behind them. Skadi had insisted the man join them, as he knew the mines well. Agnar also suspected she wanted Oddmund present as a form of protection for herself and Astra. She might have softened towards him, but there was still a long way to go before she trusted him fully.
He could understand her reluctance. His mother had been equally protective of him as a child. At least she was willing to make compromises, as Astra’s presence and the new Thrudheim banners showed.
Whether he could ever fully forgive her for her part in his mother’s death…he wasn’t sure. He knew he still carried a need for vengeance, but he was beginning to doubt the callousness of Skadi’s part in it. She had seemed genuinely horrified to learn of their difficult journey to Aldeigja. It made him wonder what other lies she’d been told over the years.
