‘I once looked at Tor and thought the same thing,’ she confessed. ‘I used to lie awake at night, torturing myself with that question.’
But this was a different dilemma. Alarik’s kingdom was weak, and he was at war. If he listened to his heart, he would doom his kingdom to ruin. And yet, if he put his kingdom first, he would doom himself.
Wren rolled to her feet, laying a bracing hand on his shoulder. ‘There’s always a loser in war, Alarik. You just have to figure out what war you’re fighting, and what you’re willing to sacrifice.’
‘That’s not helpful,’ he grumbled.
‘I’m not here to be helpful,’ she said, flashing a smile. ‘I’m here to eat your food and drink your frostfizz.’
CHAPTER 36
Greta
Greta left the sparring room so fast she felt like a human tornado. She stormed through the palace, her emotions so tangled she couldn’t tell relief from panic. She was satisfied at least that her brother was not going to maim the king of Gevra. That Alarik was not going to have Tor thrown in the dungeons.
But as for how their conversation would go … she had never seen that kind of anger on her brother’s face before. It was a miracle Alarik hadn’t been knocked unconscious by his punch, a miracle that Tor had survived the aftermath. And yet, despite it all, Greta couldn’t bring herself to regret her kiss with Alarik. It glowed like an ember in her chest, that moment of pure and utter bliss, his lips like a spell that had made time cease to exist.
At least it had been Tor and not Hela who caught them like that. Tor might have punched Alarik, but Hela would have run him through with a sword. Twice.
In the atrium, Greta nearly toppled over Elske, her brother’s beloved white wolf. She came to her knees, burying her face in the tufty white fur and letting the slow thrum of Elske’s heartbeat settle her own.
‘Hello,darling,’ she said, scratching the sweet spot behind her ear. ‘I’ve missed you.’
Elske blinked her big blue eyes, her tail wagging in greeting.
‘Do you want to come and meet my friends?’ Greta was suddenly desperate to be out in the howling wilderness. She made for the courtyard, Elske padding companionably along beside her.
She was deep in the forest with Elske, Tollo and Gale, watching the wolves frolicking about in the fresh snow, when her brother found her. Tor whistled through his teeth, and all four of them turned to look at him striding through the trees with his hands slung into his pockets.
‘Please don’t summon me like a wolf,’ said Greta, folding her arms.
‘You’re the one who turned around.’
She stuck her tongue out at him – something she hadn’t done since she was a child. ‘Despite your beastliness earlier, I’m pleased to see you’re still alive.’
‘Believe me, if I could go back, I would have knocked on that door. Loudly. A hundred times.’ He dipped his chin in apology. ‘I’m sorry for lashing out like that. I was just being protective.’
‘Overprotective.’
‘You’re my little sister, Greta. AndAlarikis …’ He rolled his hand, searching for the right word. ‘A challenge. At the best of times.’
‘I’m not a child any more.’ She prodded his chest. ‘I’m a grown woman.’
‘I know that.’ He opened his arms, his face softening. ‘It’s good to see you,nightingale.’
Greta melted at her nickname and threw her arms around her brother, her eyes prickling at his nearness. It had been so long since she had seen him. ‘I’ve missed you so much, Tor.’
‘I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I’ve been away. I should have come home sooner. I should haveknownthings were bad—’
‘We didn’t want you to know,’ said Greta, pulling back from him. ‘We wanted to get on without you, to show you that we could.’
‘Well. Point proven.’ He tugged at the end of her braid. ‘I’ve never seen Papa so proud. Mama’s stuck your letters to the wall above the fireplace. Kindra finally has a wedding dress, and even Hela has been laughing more than usual.’ He cocked a brow. ‘In fact, I hear you’re the best wrangler Grinstad’s ever had.’
Greta laughed, her chest swelling at the pride in her older brother’s voice. She had looked up to him her whole life. Now, for the first time, she felt like his equal. ‘Come on,’ she said, tugging his arm. ‘Let me show you the beasts. I bet Baldur and Nel have been missing you.’
‘Those two were always my favourites,’ he said, eagerly falling into step beside her. With the wolves trotting after them, Tor let her give him the grand tour. She smiled to herself as he followed her deeper into the forest, craning his neck like he had never been here before – as though he hadn’t built most of these pens as a teenager with his bare hands.
Tor made sure to greet every beast – reacquainting himself with the ones he had trained and fought alongside in battle, and letting Greta introduce him to those that had been born after he left.They talked at length about the animals, about their care and training routines, and even the battle formations Greta had devised with Captain Vine.
