He has a hunch about where she disappeared. “I’ll help you.”
Grim sighs like he is unloading a mountain of stress. “Much appreciated, dear fellow! I am already late for a meeting with a couple of vicious Astrians. If I cannot smother the fire Sigvid has already stoked with them, we will lose the country as a vital trading partner.” His smile is sincere as they exchange goodbyes before Grim continues into the heart of Toftlund.
I bet my great axe, Freyja, that I know where Aura is hiding. And I would not say no to drinking in her gorgeous sight again.
If I don't destroy Blackwood in the process.
Since that night on his longship, he has settled into his guestroom in Blackwood at the behest of his old friend. In a twist of ironic fate, his room is opposite the youngest princess, whom he has quietly overseen through her bedridden state since her Trial. He realized his attempts to distance himself had failed when he agreed to accompany her to her friends’ home. He still cannot fathom what transpired in Serk’s kitchen.
The Norn must mock his existence.
I vowed to protect her from the evil Mother awoke in Skalor, and I intend to honor my words.
Calder trudges out of town and straight up the hill to Blackwood, grateful for the nearly deserted road. As he approaches the old inn, he sees copper curls atop the right side of the roof.
I found you, Princess.
8
CALDER
August 5th, Year 21, 10th Era
Blackwood Estate, Treland
He strides around the back of Blackwood to find a ladder tucked away in a corner. He climbs to the roof and finds the Princess sitting on the shingles, silently observing the city. Settling beside her, he says nothing but lights his pipe and watches the bustling town.
It is not until the sun shifts position in the sky that she finally croaks out her first words.
“It’s comforting, is it not? Watching other people move about their day?”
He watches as a wind gust rumples her copper curls around her face. Heavy bags hang under her lovely eyes that stare off into the distance with an air of hopelessness he knows all too well.
“What discourages you, Princess?”Whose back shall I break?
She remains silent as they observe a young boy, who seems to be the size of her fingernail from this distance, pickpocket three people in the square before diving into an alley.
“When I was a little girl, my father would lift me onto his shouldersand carry me into Blackwood Forest. Beneath the canopy, he taught me how to track. I became quite skilled. We could spend hours watching my favorite mink family together. That was when I began sketching the creatures I discovered. Never once were my talents questioned. If anything, mediating discontent and my drawings provided a welcome change in a family marked by violence.” She rests her cheek on her knees.
Calder is shocked to hear that his Lord Commander has grown into a caring father. It gives him hope that the future is not so bleak. A realization that only confirms his grisly fate should he allow himself to indulge in the only face on the Endless Shore that could shatter his restraint.
“To think I am as old as the unified kingdom. Twenty winters exactly today.”
Gods, I am twice her age.
“The needs of the people compelled my parents to right the wrongs of the country that will one day be mine. Neither Bjorn nor Thora desires the responsibility.”
Her gaze becomes unfocused as she remains lost in thought. He does not interrupt her musings. Instead, he stretches his legs and watches as she nibbles on her lip while considering what to share with him.
And he will wait all day for her.
Just to hear her sweet voice. It is the only aspect the Jarl may savor while still drawing breath.
“Mum always took the time for my petty needs: to listen, praise my sketches, and simply share our days over a cup of her awful honey tea.” Her lips tease a little smirk. “Pops was most proud when there was an axe in my hand.” Her shoulders fall. “I thought he understood I preferred the serenity of nature to the blood of combat. Until I overheard them speaking by the hearth after my siblings and I had gone to bed one night.”
She suddenly hesitates. “What am I saying?” She shakes her head with a bitter laugh, giving her features a hauntingly beautiful quality.
Calder chuckles. “I was a young orphan, no more than thirteenwinters old, when Sigvid trained me. He would take me wood-cutting in the dead of winter without a shirt. Yet, I couldn’t have survived the brutality of Skalor without the severity of his discipline.”
