Chapter Thirteen

"Let's go climb some trees," I said, dragging Valgard out of the longhouse. We had been in my village for days now but had hardly left our bed. I was getting restless, to say the least.

"Why?" Valgard groaned, reaching out to pinch my arse. "I like it better inside, where we're alone."

"No," I snapped, smiling and waving at my friends and family, who watched us as we headed toward the woods. "My body cannot handle anymore of your lovemaking. I'm starting to hurt."

Valgard laughed. "Maybe it would be good to take a day off."

I shook my head and stopped once we were deep enough into the forest. "Here's a nice tree." The tree was tall, part of its trunk split in a V shape. I jumped up and began climbing.

"How is it that you can climb a tree but can't handle my cock inside you one more time?" Valgard asked, peering up at me in slight irritation.

I laughed and plopped down on a branch about half way up the tree and looked down at my husband. "Different muscles, my love."

"Ah. You don't expect me to climb, do you?" He sighed and raised an eyebrow at me.

I leaned back on my branch, enjoying the feel of the rough bark under my hands. "I expect nothing out of you, my husband."

He shook his head and chuckled, walking circles around the tree. "Well, that's good to know."

I laughed and kicked my feet, closing my eyes and just breathing in the scent of leaves and dirt. "Come up here, Valgard!"

He tilted his head back and gazed up at me. "Why do you consider this to be so much fun, Britta? You'll get all dirty up there."

I reached up for the branch above me and stood, being careful not to lose my balance. "I can bathe, you know. This is what I like to do." I began climbing higher and higher until I couldn't see Valgard below me. The view was beautiful, with the steep mountains only a few miles away, the ocean a mile or so the other direction.

"What would you rather be doing, Valgard?" I called down to him, wincing as a piece of bark dug into my palm. My hands weren't as tough as they used to be.

"Need you ask?" He called up to me, his voice echoing through the woods. I laughed, and breathed in again. My sense of smell seemed sharpened, something I didn't understand. I could almost smell Valgard from all the way up in the tree.

I made a face though no one could see. "My love, I believe it is you that needs a bath."

"How can you even tell up there?" He asked and when I heard him grunting, I knew he was trying to climb up the tree.

I shrugged, asking myself the same question. "I can smell your sweat."

He groaned and soon I saw him a few branches below me, his face flushed as he struggled to climb. "I thought you like my sweat."

Shaking my head, I offered him a hand as he joined me on my branch. "I like the way you smell when we make love. But you need to soap off the strong smell." I shuttered and my stomach coiled a little.

Valgard moved the hair off my neck and nuzzled me, his arms wrapping tightly around me. His legs were clamped around the branch, his body tense as if he feared he would fall at any time.
"I'll bathe if you come with me."

My eyes were focused on the view of the village I had grown up in. "No, I want to stay." I snuggled back into my husband's chest. "It is nice to have someone to hold me. I quite enjoy having your arms around me."

He chuckled and kissed down my neck. His mind was not focused at all on talking to me or enjoying the view.

Sighing, I leaned away from him. "Why don't you go give the children in the village your blessing and give me some time to myself."

"Whatever you wish, my sweet Britta," he said and kissed my cheek, then carefully began to make his way back down the tree.

Birdsong echoed through the forest and I listened to the crunch of pine needles beneath Valgard's feet as he walked back toward the village. No sunlight filtered through the trees, for the sky was dark with storm clouds.

I smiled to myself and pulled my knees up to my chest, waiting for the rain to fall. The birds would become silent, the whole forest would be filled with a deafening hush.

I held my breath and waited, turning my face up to the sky as I looked at the gray clouds heavy with water.

Cold drops began to tickle my face and I grinned, holding my hands up to catch the sky's tears. The forest smelled fresh, the smell of the dirt becoming stronger.

I could feel my heartbeat slow, my muscles relaxing at the sweet sound of rain and distant thunder. The branches and leaves of the tree protected me from most of the water coming down and since I was curled up, I didn't feel cold.

I had done this many times as a child, hiding in a tree, alone with my thoughts. My father had scolded me heavily for it, since I hardly ever finished my chores.

I rested my chin in my knees and brushed my hair out of my face. And now I was Queen and the King would be the one scolding me for climbing trees.

The wind whipped my hair around my face, growing stronger, so I decided it was time for me to head back to the village.

I walked down the path, the rain making my hair stick to my head. Before entering the village, I headed toward the burial ground, where there were graves surrounded by stones in the shape of a ship.

Feeling a deep sadness weigh me down, I found Aesa's grave and knelt on the grass and felt it squish under my knees.

I placed my hands on the ground and closed my eyes, trying sense the love of my friend and cousin. "I miss you, my sister."

Thunder rumbled and I trembled, tears mingling with the rain on my face. So much had changed for me since she passed away and I wondered what she would think about my life.

That girl had been my only true friend, the person in my life who loved me no matter what trouble I got into. She kept her arms around me when I cried and calmed me when I was angry, she played with me when I got lonely.

She climbed trees with me and we'd sit there for hours, either in silence or talking about whatever was heavy on our hearts.

More than anything I missed that. Aesa's company was something that could never be replaced, and I'd had less than a year to mourn her death before marrying Oden.

I let out a loud sob and laid out on her grave, pressing my cheek to the wet dirt, letting my tears feed the grass. The rain had soaked my clothes through but I didn't want to move.

Loss was all I seemed to know. First I lost my best friend, then my husband, then my freedom. Even now I wasn't free.

This time in my village would be the last time I could do everything I loved, then I would have to allowed myself to be locked behind those castle walls again.

Of course, I could walk out those gates whenever I wanted to, but it wouldn't be the gates holding me back, but instead the crown that rested on my head. A Queen could not climb trees nor fish, nor even play.

A hopelessness flooded my head and I let myself melt into the cold ground, darkness starting to take hold of my mind as I drifted away.

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I awoke to someone lifted me into their arms. I cracked my eyes open and saw Valgard's face, though it was blurry.

"What is it with you and lying in the mud and rain?" I heard Valgard murmur, but it sounded distant. I shivered, though I felt like I was on fire.

My head rolled to the side and blackness swallowed me again.

{}

The next time I woke up, I was in my bed tucked amid the soft furs. My mother stood by my side, wiping my forehead with a cool cloth.

"Mama?" I croaked and took hold of her hand.

She smiled gently and smoothed back my hair from my face. "You fell asleep on Aesa's grave, in the rain. Now you've fallen ill."

I groaned and pressed my hands to my eyes, my head aching. "How long have I been asleep?" I asked, my voice cracking from lack of use.

"A few days," she said and brought me a bowl of soup, spooning some into my mouth. "You're very weak, but I think the fever has passed."

I swallowed the soup, letting it warm my tired body. "Valgard."

Mother smiled and set down the soup and left me alone. I fell asleep again before anyone came back.

I next time I woke, I felt hands in my hair, pushing it back from my face. It was an effort to open my eyes, but when I did, I saw the Valgard was sitting beside me, stroking my hair with a gentle yet tired smile.

"There's my Queen," he murmured and touched his cool hand to my flushed cheek. "You've worried me."

I smiled and the dry skin on my lips cracked, making me taste blood. "I am sorry."

His smile disappeared and he used a wet cloth to wipe at my lips. "You look awful, darling. What can I do?"

I scooted over in the bed, wincing at every movement. My entire body ached. "Hold me."

He chuckled and lifted the fur to join me in the bed, then pulled me gently to his chest. "I've got you," he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing my skin.

My breathing was rough, and I hid my mouth as I coughed, Valgard's arms loosening around me. "Oh, I feel sick to my stomach," I groaned after coughing.

Valgard moved with lightening speed and was out of the bed, bringing me a large wooden bowl. I leaned over it and heaved, my stomach twisting in a knot. It was so empty that nothing came out, which meant that my stomach kept roiling and making me gag.

He held my hair back out of my face with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. "You're alright, just try to breathe, my love."

My whole body trembled as slowly my stomach began to settle, nothing but bile in the bowl. Valgard left the bowl beside me in case I needed it again and brought me a cup of water.

I drank slowly, afraid to upset my stomach again. Valgard took the cup away for me and looked into my eyes, a worried wrinkle forming between his eyebrows.

Despite my dry and cracked lips, I smiled and raised a shaky hand to smooth away the worry wrinkle. "I'm fine, my love. I'm not dying."

"I know you're not, Britta. I just don't like to see you like this." His voice cracked and he turned his face away, as if he didn't want me to see the emotion in his eyes.

I wanted to see his face but was too weak to reach out for him again. My head fell back on my pillow and I had to close my eyes. "This was my time to enjoy being free for the last time. And now I will spend it in bed with an illness." My voice was barely above a whisper and I wasn't sure Valgard heard it when he didn't answer me for a few moments.

"We have to return to the castle in about two weeks. At least for our last week here you should be able to enjoy some freedom before we have to leave." Valgard's hand clasped mine, his thumb stroking my palm.

I was glad my eyes were already closed so he wouldn't see any emotion in them, or the tears that were threatening to fall. Bitter disappointment filled my chest and I had to bite my lip to hold in a sob.

Despite my effort to hide my feelings, Valgard noticed and tightened his hold on my hand. "Listen to me, Britta. This is not the end of your freedom. I know this isn't the life you had dreamed of, but only you can decide if you want to live your life with happiness. Wishing for the way things used to be with never change anything."

My head began to pound and I rolled so my back was to Valgard. "I need to rest."

The last thing I noticed before falling asleep was the sound of Valgard's retreating footsteps.

Thanks for reading! For znk99fg7 who asked if I was planning on writing a romance for Toki, I am. Once this story is finished, I will begin posting Toki's story. And I wanted to give a shout-out to debu, who always leaves the most encouraging reviews for me. Thanks so much! As always, please review! xoxo - Em