We pulled on the long ties, slipping our hands away from each other, and knotted the ropes and silk together.
The gothi threw out his arms. “You are married!”
Cheers and roars erupted. I pulled Astrid into my arms and kissed her with every emotion that had built up inside me through the whole ceremony.
My Valkyrie. My wife. Mine for all eternity.
When our lips parted, Astrid gazed up at me with sparkling eyes. Her perfect lips then twisted in a grin, and she disappeared. My chest constricted as panic rushed through me, only for it to be cut when her father started laughing.
I snapped my head in the direction of the mead hall, where I spotted Astrid, gathered skirts in her arms, already halfway there. Shit. I took off in a full sprint after her, leaving the boisterous laughter and slower-to-move wedding guests behind me. Cheating Valkyrie.
She knew she couldn’t outrun me for this part, so of course she’d give herself some leverage. She was still fair, choosing not to immediately appear in the hall, but that didn’t change anything.
Astrid’s laughter carried back to me. She glanced over her shoulder several times to gauge how quickly I closed the distance. And I was fast. In moments, I was hot on her heels, the thrill of this chase pushing me harder.
The hall closed in, but she wouldn’t win.
Astrid squealed when I grabbed her and lifted her into my arms. I pivoted and ran backward into the open entryway. Warmth of a roaring pit fire and the smells of cooking meat and other food from the banquet greeted us. Fenrir and Baldr, not ones to ignore a challenge, were close behind.
“No fair!” she said through laughs.
I chuckled and pressed my lips against her ear. “I don’t think you have a right to talk about what’s fair.”
The insanely tempting woman in my arms tipped her chin down and gazed up at me with wide fake-innocent eyes, and puckered out her bottom lip. “You can’t be upset. I’m not a god. I needed a way to realistically compete.”
Creation, what is this look, and why does it make me feel guilty and want to give her everything she requests?
Bjørn’s laughter drew my attention away. He walked past me and patted my shoulder. “She mastered that from Randi. Good luck, it’s your problem now.”
The guilt morphed into concern. Why do I feel like a dead god walking now?
Astrid giggled and kissed my cheek. “I’ll be nice today since it’s our wedding day.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. “Break out the ale!”
Fenrir and Baldr cheered and punched a hole into the casks they had commandeered for themselves. This shot up the energy for the rest of the day.
We feasted, danced, and played competitive games. Astrid danced and mingled with gods, immortals, and mortals. She smiled and laughed. And when I needed her close, I had her sit in my lap where we shared from the same drinking horn and we whispered sweet words or pulse-racing promises.
Fenrir, Baldr, and I fell a little too hard in our friendly banter when Astrid danced with them both a little longer than I wanted, resulting in a bit of a brawl breaking out. Astrid drank from her horn and watched us with Freyja as if we were the entertainment for the night. They heckled and cheered, and somehow struck up a betting pool. I wasn’t sure if this was typical at a wedding, since I’d never been to one as gods rarely married, but no one seemed to take issue as they picked sides.
I came out the winner, and not because my two friends went easy on me on my wedding day. No, I was sure they went harder on me, Baldr especially with his inability to feel pain, and Fenrir once again taunted me about taking Astrid. Of course, Astrid was so used to his antics, she joined in. It certainly confused many if they weren’t aware of the relationship she had with us gods, especially the familial bonds she’d cultivated with Fenrir, Baldr, and Freyja.
Astrid kissed me and then healed a few damaged bones before handing me back my tunic. She’d insisted I not ruin it if I was going to fight.
The rest of the festivities continued until the sun hung low in the sky. Most of the immortals overindulged in the alcohol—we gods and immortals couldn’t get drunk, which did mean we consumed even more than the mortals. Another reason this wedding planning had taken so long—we needed to be sure there was enough food and alcohol for the rest of the week of festivities involved.
Now, I helped Astrid into the boat she’d come in on. The flower throne had been removed, and it’d be only the two of us heading downstream. Freyja whispered something in her ear, and the face Astrid made piqued my interest.
I grabbed the dragon head of the boat and pushed the watercraft away from the shore and hopped inside with my wife. Taking an oar, I turned the boat into the current, and we drifted downstream.
Astrid smiled at me as her home village slowly disappeared upstream. This wouldn’t be the last we’d see of it. We’d return tomorrow for the next day of festivities, but tonight, she’d finally see the home we’d share together.
I’d brought her close to it already. I wanted her to see where it was, since it was so far from her home and we’d use her magic to get us there, but she refused to go too close. She reasoned it was only “proper” as we weren’t married yet. And to be fair, if she had entered that home, I was sure I wouldn’t have allowed her to leave.
Runavík disappeared around the bend, and I pulled the oar into the boat. While we were ultimately teleporting to our home, leaving by boat was ceremonial, so Astrid and I agreed we’d follow the tradition until we could no longer see the village.
Astrid slid her hand over my arm and gripped the side of the boat with her other. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on the destination lake, and in a blink the boat rocked on still water.
