Here it is. Part two of the last chapter. We're finally ready, aren't we? I know I am.
We're finishing things up in Lilith's perspective, and a few things will be a little different. Starting with the beginning so I hope you're ready.
I also have an update for Part 3, but I'll put that at the bottom.
Enjoy!
Homecoming, Part II
Lilith walked away from the Great Hall with Athelstan by her side feeling relieved for the first time in weeks, if not months. For the first time since dealing with King Horik's deceptiveness and his duplicitousness, they had a plan. Lilith had agonized for too long over what he'd done, and she'd seethed for too long without an end in sight. Now it was ending.
And she was relieved.
She hadn't been this relieved in all her life. Not when Athelstan had found her scars or when Ragnar had come to the island and taken them away from the monastery. Not when she had realized that she was in love with Athelstan or when he'd realized it as well. Those things had all been uncertain for so long as well, but they had been sorted without her having to do anything. Now she was doing something about a wrong done to her, and she was ready for it to be over.
She looked at Athelstan as he walked beside her, seeing that he was worried but not about her anymore. She knew he was worried about the next day and what might happen to him or to their family. She held him closer as they walked, smiling up at him as he smiled at her and kissing him gently.
"You are worried," she whispered, and he sighed, lifting his lips to her temple.
"Only a little," he confessed. "I don't want anyone I love to get hurt, but I know I don't have any control over what happens. I must trust that we will all be safe."
Lilith leaned in and kissed the side of his neck and under his jaw, smelling the smoke from the hearth and the sage from supper on his skin. "Tonight, I want you to worry about only two things," she said and smiled.
He laughed softly and whispered close to her ear. "And what might those two things be?"
Lilith leaned back so her lips and nose brushed against his. "Me," she informed him, "and Edda."
He kissed her just once and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. "I think I can do that," he nodded.
From there, Lilith pulled him to their house, knowing Edda was already there waiting for them. She knew he wanted this to seem like it was his idea, but she also knew he would hesitate a little a first. Lilith wanted to be there to assure him there was no reason for hesitation.
As soon as they stepped into their house, Lilith saw Edda standing by the table where they usually prepared their food. She looked up to see them there, smiling and taking two cups to them to drink. Lilith took her cup with a small grin, leaning closer and kissing Edda like she usually did, and when she looked up at Athelstan, relief overwhelmed her when she saw that he was smiling as well. He took a long gulp of the ale in his cup, stepping closer to Lilith and kissing her gently before he turned his attention to Edda and took a small tentative step toward her.
Edda didn't back away from him like she had when she'd been a slave, and she didn't bow her head to keep from looking in his eyes. She held his gaze confidently, just like she did with Lilith. They were all equals now, and there was no longer a reason for them to not have what they wanted.
Athelstan didn't hesitate the way Lilith feared he might, cupping Edda's face and kissing her lips like he'd wanted to while he and Lilith had been on their honeymoon. Lilith rubbed Edda's shoulder, stepping behind her and holding her closer as her husband did the same, and from there it was simply a matter of getting into the bedroom and then onto the bed. Lilith had never done this before, and she'd never been with anyone except for these two people whom she loved so dearly and would protect with her dying breath.
It seemed only fair to share this with each other and no one else.
Lilith started out in the middle of the bed, between her husband and her lady, reveling in the feeling of having them both with her when she needed them. She and Edda kissed more freely than they ever had, pleasuring each other more openly than ever before and both reaching their release before Athelstan turned Lilith to face him and came inside her just as fluidly as always. Edda came closer, still stroking Lilith's sensitive skin and bringing her a deeper release than before with Athelstan's help.
When Lilith reached her limit, she and Edda traded places so Edda was between her and Athelstan. He immediately took advantage of it, claiming Edda's breasts and then her shoulders, kissing the bend of her neck and then her cheek and her lips as she turned her face to his. Lilith kept them focused, stroking Edda on her own and prompting Athelstan to join her. Together, they brought her second release that she cried out against Athelstan's lips and tongue. Lilith knew it was too soon for the two of them to make love, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy each other for a little while.
By the time Athelstan was between her and Edda, they were still over the middle of the bed, sitting up with Lilith above her husband and Edda sitting behind him. Lilith was almost overwhelmed by having them both with her, together for the first time like this even if she herself had wanted it for probably a year now. She had always wanted them to live together, because Edda was her best friend from this place, and Athelstan was the love of her life. Now they were, and it was almost unbelievable.
The fire in the hearth was still burning brightly when they finally all relaxed over the bed with Athelstan still in the middle, as he held them both like they were the only things in the world he needed or cared for.
He smiled at Lilith, kissing her gently as he whispered. "I'm glad we did this," he said and laughed softly. Lilith laughed, and he kissed her again. "Nothing else has ever felt so right than being here with you both. I don't want any of it to change. Promise me it won't."
Lilith cupped his face between her hands and kissed him just once before she rose to her elbow and reached for Edda to caress her cheek. "I promise both of you, here and now," she vowed, "that nothing between us will ever change. We're together now because it was always meant to be this way. I believe that. I trust it. And I trust both of you. Just as I always have."
Edda took Lilith's hand in hers, kissing her palm and rising to her elbow as well to look at them both. "I believe it as well," she promised and leaned forward to kiss Lilith gently. She then leaned down and kissed Athelstan, laughing softly when he reached back for her backside and pulled her closer to him.
"Of course I believe it," he said and lifted his gaze to Lilith's. "I always have."
Lilith smiled again, laying back down and easing closer to him to relax against him. Edda did the same thing, and slowly, they all relaxed. Lilith couldn't resist being pleased with herself that she had helped this happen. Now no one could take it away from her or Athelstan or Edda, and she decided that was how it should be.
By morning, when Lilith woke, Athelstan had left the bed, allowing her to pull Edda into her arms like she had several mornings previous after Bjorn had come to get her husband for some male bonding. She still wondered how that had gone, but based on how he'd found her, it couldn't have gone too badly. She knew more of that would be happening after today — after they had dealt with King Horik.
She almost couldn't wait for him to be gone.
"It cannot be morning yet," Edda complained as she draped her arm over her eyes to cover them. "I don't want it to be morning. Why can it not stay night? Lili, why must it be morning now?"
Lilith laughed softly, holding her lady closer and kissing the back of her shoulder. "Because we cannot stop the sun from rising anymore than we can stop it from setting, my dear Edda. It is something we must all accept. Like how my husband is apparently not going to be in this bed in the morning after we all sleep in it," she said just as the front door opened.
Athelstan hurried inside wearing a linen sheet around his waist as he carried a few logs of wood from outside. He placed two in the hearth and deposited the rest of the floor next to it, moving into the bedroom and discarding the linen before he laid in the bed behind Lilith. He wrapped his arms around them both, and they both smiled.
"Autumn is definitely on the way," he murmured against Lilith's cheek, pulling her closer and sharing her warmth. "It's only the beginning of September, and there's already a chill in the air outside. Freyr has assuredly taken control of the harvest. We'll need more wood tonight when the girls come back home."
Lilith cuddled close to him, more content to just lay there than she ever had been since she'd been little. She thought some people would think it strange that Lilith could make that connect in her mind between her and Athelstan, but to her, it was normal. To her, it felt right and perfect.
Then, suddenly, Edda said something that reminded them all why they were there in the first place. "I am afraid for today," she said softly even though Lilith heard her and was certain that Athelstan had as well.
She glanced back at him, waiting for him to nod before she again switched places with Edda so she would be between them again.
Athelstan took Edda in his arms securely, caressing her cheek and laying his forehead against hers. "My dear Edda, please listen to me," he whispered. "Today was planned a very long time ago. By fate and by design. By all the gods and by us, and by Ragnar. They have willed us to do their bidding, and we will do it to the best of our ability. You must trust them. But you must also trust me and Lili. Trust Ragnar and our warriors. They will protect us today and tonight. And you will be with Lili the entire time. I'm sure Ragnar will have guards protecting you so no one will hurt either of you. I believe that. Say you believe it, and it will be true."
She sighed, almost relieved as she spoke. "I believe it," she agreed.
He smiled and then she did, and he leaned in to kiss her just once before he lifted his head to kiss Lilith as well. "I need both of you to be safe today and tonight," he still whispered, almost praying, seemingly resigning them to whatever fate awaited them. "Keep our children safe. Keep our family safe. With the days getting shorter now, we will not have to wait long to see what happens."
That was the last thing that was said before they all knew they had to leave the bed and then the house to see their family for what could be the last time before whatever King Horik had planned for them. Lilith did not want anyone to get hurt. She did not want anyone to be killed, even if she knew it was inevitable. Like she had when she'd almost lost her daughter and when she'd dreamt of Athelstan on the cross, Lilith prayed to the God of her childhood. She knew it wasn't only Odin and Freyja who controlled their fate, but He did as well.
The long house and the Great Hall were both much more welcoming than any time before when Lilith had ever come to breakfast. Some of the women slaves smiled at her, and a few of the male slaves did as well, also smiling at Edda and Athelstan. It seemed because of them finally consummating their relationship, it had allowed some people to see them as one of their own. It was so strange.
Not as many people showed up in the Great Hall for breakfast as had the night before, and Lilith was glad of it, sitting with Gyda and Bjorn while Ragnar and Aslaug again sat with King Horik and his wife Gunhild. It seemed they were still keeping up appearances, but the façade they had been holding up these last several days had already begun to crack, especially on the queen's face.
Lilith thought about taking the girls into the long house with Edda and Aslaug where it was quiet, and she wanted Athelstan to go with her, but before she could ask, Ragnar sat down at their table beside him.
"I need you today, Athelstan," her father announced. He didn't say it loudly, but loud enough that many people, including King Horik, heard him. "There are family matters I wish to discuss with you, and I want us to do so in the privacy of our own council. If it is agreeable with your wife, of course," he said and grinned in Lilith's direction.
Athelstan didn't respond immediately, turning his attention to Lilith as she sat next to him. "Well?" he questioned, grinning like her father. "Is that agreeable to you, Wife?" He laughed as the last word came out of his mouth, knowing he was being silly.
Lilith squeezed his arm gently. "Go, Husband. Tend to my father's worries, and I will tend to yours later."
He didn't hesitate, kissing her cheek and then the side of her face before he rose to follow Ragnar out of the Great Hall.
Lilith glanced back at King Horik and his wife, seeing the deep lines on their faces become deeper. It was so peculiar how they were now having trouble keeping up their appearances. After so many days and weeks and months, one would think their confidence would have grown.
Before Lilith could think too much about Athelstan and Ragnar being out in the wilderness alone, Bjorn took her attention from the door as he knocked over a pitcher of ale and shouted louder than she'd ever heard.
"The gods curse me!" he yelled and growled as he tried to wipe the ale from his shirt.
"I doubt that, Brother," Lilith said calmly, and he looked at her. "Why would the gods ever curse Bjorn Ironside?"
"Because I make stupid mistakes, and I say stupid things, and I do not know what I am supposed to do where she is concerned!" he bellowed. "I have been trying for weeks to understand her and show her that I will not treat her how others have, and still, I do not know what to do!"
Lilith sighed, knowing exactly what this was about. She glanced at Gyda, who only shrugged, and then Lilith stood up to her brother's side to have him sit down. "My dear Brother, you are worrying over nothing," she told him, and he lifted his eyes to hers. "You worry about Þórunn does not have these feelings for you, and you worry that she will not accept you the way you are. I have had these same feelings, and you should not be worried. These feelings are always mutual. And plus, I've seen the way she looks at you. I've seen the way you look at her. There is love in your eyes and hers, and you need to stop agonizing over this. Go and find her and tell her. Maybe then you won't have to clean up this mess you've left for us women."
Bjorn huffed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, but then he looked up at Lilith and then at Gyda. Then he picked up his sword and his ax, nodding to them both. "Every man should have sisters in his life," he appraised. "That way, they would never make ridiculous mistakes like my father and uncle have."
He didn't say anything else, strapping on his belt and hurrying out of the Great Hall to do exactly what Lilith had said. She imagined he would succeed, especially with the way he and Þórunn had been trying to hide the looks they'd been giving each other for the last several months. She knew how that would end.
"Well, that settles it," Gyda smirked, moving around to Lilith's side. "You and Athelstan both must have a talent for lighting a fire under his ass. Seriously."
Lilith laughed and shook her head.
The morning disappeared as Lilith remained in the long house with Edda and the girls. Aslaug brought the boys over after a short while, and Siggy followed her. The children remained oblivious, which was a blessing from the gods. The midday meal was light and short, and when Aslaug noticed a few of King Horik's men leaving the square, she had Asa take Ubbe and Hvitserk back to the Great Hall since it was more secure than the long house. Lilith and Edda went with her, and they took the girls with them, laying them all down in one of the private rooms. Asa knew to keep them all there.
Athelstan and Ragnar came back after the food was gone, and all the tables were moved out of the way. Tait and Roald helped to fortify the back rooms of the Great Hall, and Halldor and Arvid patrolled the town to report that nearly all of King Horik's men had left town, leaving only a few at the house where the king's wife and children still remained. With the day diminishing, Lagertha came to check on Beyla before she took Athelstan to where they kept the grain from the harvest to teach him a new way to fight. Just once, Lilith left her daughter's side to follow them and discover Lagertha teaching Athelstan to fight with two axes instead of one.
When they returned to the Great Hall, Lilith had already returned to the private room where the children were being kept busy. Athelstan found her there, and Lagertha followed to see Beyla.
"It will be dark soon," Lagertha said as they all sat around the room together. "Each of you needs to be vigilant and quiet. We do not know where the king will strike first, but the Great Hall is well-protected. You should be safe, but we must be prepared for anything that happens. Lilith, my daughter, these boys and your daughter will be your responsibility. You must keep them safe."
Lilith took her mother's hand, squeezing gently. "You do not need to worry, Mother," she assured her. "I have been caring for them for a long time now. Nothing will change that. They will be safe. I swear."
Lagertha nodded and turned to Athelstan, taking his hand in her other hand. "And you, my dear Athelstan, I have a very personal request for you. I would ask you to look after our daughter and raise her if anything were to happen to me."
Athelstan glanced at Lilith, sighing as he lay his hand over Lagertha's. "You do not need to ask me this, Lagertha," he insisted. "There is no question that I will raise our daughter as best I can. I already love her and wish to see her grow into a strong woman, just like her mother."
Lagertha inhaled deeply, grinning slightly and squeezing his hand.
Gyda and Þórunn appeared at the door then, already dressed in their leather with their swords and bows strapped on.
"It's time," Gyda said. "Horik's men have prepared themselves. They believe we are vulnerable and will strike us at our weakest point. Father says we are to take point just west of the docks. We will know what to do from there."
Lagertha stood up first, moving to Beyla's side and kissing her head gently before she left without another word. Athelstan hesitated, holding Lilith's hand in his for much longer than he should have needed to. Lilith lay her hand over his, prompting him to look at her.
"You need to go," she told him. "We're safe, and I'll see you soon."
He pushed out a heavy breath, leaning in to kiss her and laying his forehead over hers. He moved forward to kiss his daughter's forehead and her brow as she lay in her mother's arms, and he stood up slowly, moving to kneel in front of Beyla to kiss her cheek. When he glanced back at Lilith, she nodded, telling him it was okay.
But then he stood up and left without saying anything else, and Lilith felt dread in her stomach for the slightest second. She knew he wouldn't get hurt, just like she always knew everything. But still, a pinprick of doubt prevented her from relaxing. She would not relax again until he was in her arms.
The first screams were heard just as the sun was setting, followed by shouting and cursing and yelling. Beyla became frightened, as did Hvitserk, and Edda sat with them while Lilith held Iðunn close to her. Asa kept Sigurd and Ivar in the corner crib, protecting them from seeing anything that would upset them. Half an hour passed, and the noise became worse. Something outside the Great Hall exploded with a loud crash, and Lilith imagined more people dying than it seemed possible. Beyla began to cry and reached for Lilith, so she and Edda traded places, holding both girls and pacing the room while their world outside became twisted and gutted. There was nothing either of them could do right now.
More screams and curses and yells polluted the air outside, and fires burned brighter than ever before, destroying everything they touched. Eventually, none of the children could remain calm. Ubbe held Hvitserk, and Asa held them close to Sigurd and Ivar. Lilith passed her daughter to Edda just as Athelstan burst through the closed door brandishing his two axes, his eyes wild and his face splattered with someone else's blood.
"Lili," he cried. "He's coming!"
His wide eyes found hers, and he crossed the room to be in front of her, putting his axes away and grabbing her face to kiss her much harder than he had before. Slowly, his touch softened, and he lay his forehead against hers. "Forgive me," he whispered, pleading. "I guess having sharp objects swung at my head made me desperate to make sure you were all right."
"It's all right," she promised him. "I'm all right. But we do not know what is happening. King Horik is coming here?"
He nodded, leaning away and lowering his eyes to their daughter as she watched them both. "He is. He attacked the guards at the eastern sentry, just as Ragnar said he would, and his men cut down everyone they could find. Gyda and I got separated, but she should be with Lagertha. Þórunn perched herself in a tower on the dock to use her bow, but she should be on her way here now. Do you still want to confront King Horik?" he asked, as though it was still a question to be asked.
Lilith grasped onto him with all of her fingers, dropping her shoulders and lifting her chin. "You know I do."
He huffed and leaned in to kiss her again. "Then you must come now. King Horik has had his ambush. Now it is time for ours."
There was no hesitation as Lilith moved back to Edda and gently passed Iðunn into her arms. Edda did not ask what was happening. The pinched expression on her face was plain enough, and she bowed her head, accepting it. Lilith leaned in to kiss Edda's forehead and then her lips, silently telling her all she needed to know before she returned to Athelstan's side and allowed him to pull her away.
They arrived at the last partition that led out into the main gathering hall of the building just as Torstein revealed himself to still be alive as he rose and turned to face King Horik at the opposite end of the Hall. Athelstan kept Lilith from the entryway, but through the partition, she watched King Horik's men attacked by Lagertha and Bjorn. A guard she didn't recognize attacked Erlendur from behind and held him back as King Horik stood alone for the first time since arriving in Kattegat many months earlier.
Floki and Ragnar moved out into the Hall, one in front of the other, confronting Horik more united than Lilith had seen them in months, and when the king saw this, he was visibly shaken.
"Floki," he shouted. "You have betrayed the gods!"
"No, King Horik," Floki said after a short pause. "I only betrayed you. I was always true to the gods, and Ragnar."
Aslaug reached for Lilith, and they stepped out together with Athelstan behind them. Lilith looked around the Hall, noting how the dead bodies on the floor looked almost identical to the bodies of the monks who had died on the island when Ragnar's warband had invaded to plunder the altar room's treasures and taken Lilith and Athelstan from a life of struggle and cruelty.
"Ragnar," King Horik begged pitifully. "If you can find it in your heart, please. Spare my son."
Whether he agreed or not, Ragnar made no moves. He did not bow his head. He did not nod to the guard holding Erlendur. He just stood there. But he must have agreed with his eyes, allowing the king to know his wish would be granted. King Horik threw away his shield then, almost steeling himself against the onslaught he had brought on himself.
Lagertha laid the first blow, swinging her sword across the king's back and almost bringing him to his knees. Bjorn swung his ax low, slicing through the king's spine, and Torstein slammed the blade of his ax up into the king's belly, allowing blood to flow from it easily as he fell to his knees at Ragnar's feet.
Gyda and Þórunn arrived then, with Halldor and Arvid, moving through the Hall to stand next to Lagertha and Bjorn, but for a minute, the Hall was quiet besides the king's labored breathing. Without saying anything, Ragnar glanced behind him at Lilith, nodding just once before he turned his attention back to the dying man in front of him.
For a reason unknown to her, Lilith hesitated for the slightest second, feeling the same dread fill her as it did earlier. But she looked at the pitiful man knelt in front of her father, and she realized the dread wasn't hers. It was his. He was afraid, and he knew he was going to die. And in that moment, Lilith felt sorry for him.
She took Athelstan's hand in hers then, lifting her gaze to his as he stepped up to her side, and together, they moved forward until they were standing behind Ragnar. Gently, she released her husband's hand, eased around her father to be in front of King Horik and taking a deep breath as he lifted his face and his eyes to look at her.
Lilith knelt in front of Horik as calmly as she would a child, allowing him to have her hand for stability as he coughed up blood and groaned softly from the wounds that had already been inflicted by Lagertha, Bjorn and Torstein. Then she spoke to him in as gentle a voice as possible.
"The wounds you have sustained will more than likely kill you," she said soothingly. "I am sure it must be painful to breathe and to move. And you must have known this would happen to you if you did not succeed in this endeavor. After what happened to Jarl Borg, you had to have known your fate would be worse because your motives changed from being pragmatic and open to selfish and harmful. And when you die, it will be over. Perhaps you will be allowed into Valhalla for dying so valiantly. Perhaps you will trapped in Hell for eternity because you plotted to have innocent children murdered. I do not know. But you will die. That much is certain. My father has ensured this. But my contribution will not kill you. I do not want to kill you, King Horik. I only wanted to show you what your actions caused my husband to suffer through when you abandoned him," she said and pulled her dagger that was disguised in her hair from its place to show him the blade inside the wood.
"Did you know that when they caught him and imprisoned him and then punished him, they wanted to humiliate him as much as possible?" she asked and took his hand in hers again. "The same way the Romans did to Christ when he refused to stop teaching people in the streets? So after they beat him and dragged him through the woods carrying a cross on his back, they nailed him to it. Like this," she whispered and then drove the dagger in her hand through the palm of his as she held it.
He tried to back away, shouting even if the sound went nowhere. Lilith held on, waiting until he had a chance to collect himself to take his other hand in hers.
"When Christ was nailed to the cross," she said and glanced back at Athelstan as he watched, "he was left there until he died. And if the blood loss didn't kill him, he would suffocate. Either way, he did not have someone to come along and have him removed from the cross before he died. My husband was lucky, because someone believed he was useful. They believed he was worth more than the blood that was spilled when you betrayed us and then tried to kill us all. My daughter and his included. I saw his worth as a child. Ragnar saw his worth years ago and brought us here. It no longer matters why. And now it looks like the worthless one here is you," she said and drove her dagger through his other palm.
He tried to shout again, but his plea went nowhere, muffled by the blood in his mouth that he sputtered out as she released his hand and sat over her calves to watch him suffer. Athelstan came up to her side and squatted down in front of Horik, also watching him struggle and speaking as calmly as she had.
"I had always hoped that your betrayal would be worth it," he said and looked at Lilith as she looked up at him. "I see now that it wasn't. And while I will have to learn to live with that, I will take some solace in knowing that you will not live at all. As it turns out, my blood was more precious than yours. To your gods and to Mine."
Athelstan stood then and reached for Lilith's hand, helping her to her feet and backing away from Horik as Ragnar stepped forward and took a knife from Siggy.
Aslaug left first, having seen enough blood and suffering for her taste. Siggy left, and then Lagertha did, along with Gyda and Þórunn. Bjorn looked at Lilith and then Athelstan, reaching for them and waiting until they were beside him to leave the Great Hall as well. They walked passed Erlender as he stood captive by one of the other guards. Lilith stopped for a split second, but she didn't say anything, looking him over as she wiped his father's blood on her dress and replaced the dagger in its wood and then in her hair where it had been. Torstein met them at the side of the Great Hall, and a minute later, Erlender was pulled out of the Hall, more than likely having just watched his father die.
Before the guard could take him away, Athelstan moved in, glancing at Lilith and Bjorn before he spoke to the king's son.
"Erlender," he shouted, and the guard turned him around so he was facing Athelstan and Lilith.
"What do you want, Christian?" the boy spat, his face splattered with blood and his grimace at seeing his father die as plain as the blood.
Athelstan took a deep breath, looking at Bjorn and then Lilith before he spoke again. "I want you to be smarter than your father," he said calmly. "And I want you to remember what happened to him the next time you think about betraying any of us. If you want to live to be an old man, you won't try anything like this again."
Erlender smirked, pulling his arms around the guards hands and stepping closer to Athelstan to taunt him. "Big words for such a small man," he sneered. He lifted his eyes to Lilith and glowered at her. "It's not wonder your whore doesn't know what a real man is."
Lilith stood up straight, taking the knife from Bjorn's belt and brandishing it before Athelstan stopped her. He lifted his gaze to her hair and the dagger in it, making his request known without saying anything. Lilith gave him the dagger without questioning him, still gripping the knife.
"And the next time you say anything like that about my wife," Athelstan said, still calm as he unsheathed the dagger, "you will not have tongue to speak with. The next time you look at my wife, you will not have eyes to see with. The next time you touch my wife, you will not have hands to touch anyone else with."
Erlender scoffed, but there was a crack in his tough exterior as he looked at Bjorn and Lilith. Athelstan didn't say anything as he grabbed Erlender's hand and held it up the same way Lilith had held Horik's. The boy tried to get away, but the guards held him still.
"And I wanted to give you something to remember what I said," Athelstan told him and pushed the blade of the dagger through Erlender's hand, "so that every time you look at it, you'll think about me and my wife and our family and how we decimated yours the way you wanted to do to ours. And you'll leave here knowing there are more of us than there are of you now."
Erlender cried like a little boy, cradling his bleeding hand and clenching his teeth as he glared up at Athelstan. He tried to lunge at them, but the guard stopped him and then pulled him away.
Lilith moved to Athelstan's side slowly, taking his hand in hers and taking the dagger away. He looked at her as she did, and then he looked at Bjorn. None of them spoke as they left the street, moving off to the long house where Aslaug and Edda were now sitting with the children.
Bjorn walked them all back to the room furthest from the doors, waiting until they were sitting with Aslaug and Edda before he spoke with more resolve than he had in a while.
"Stay here until all the fighting stops," he commanded. "I will have Gyda and Þórunn come get you when it is safe."
He left abruptly, and Lilith sat next to Edda, uncertain how she felt now that it was over.
Beyla left Edda's lap and climbed into Athelstan's as he sat next to Lilith, and he held her as close to him as he had since meeting her. Lilith watched with a measure of relief. At least if they lost anything else tonight, they would still have their family to surround them and love them.
After a few minutes, both Gyda and Þórunn hurried into the small room still wearing their armor and their weapons. Gyda's face was splattered with blood that she had attempted to wipe away, and Þórunn's shirt was ripped down the front. But neither of them cared about how they appeared. Their only goal in that moment was to keep Lilith and Athelstan, Edda and Aslaug, and the children safe.
It was morning before Bjorn returned, his clean face no longer marred by anger as he stepped into the room and sat in the chair closest to the door.
"Most of King Horik's men are dead now," he reported blankly. "His wife and his sons are dead, save Erlendur, who has been banished from our town for his part in his father's treachery. King Horik had five daughters. The eldest tried to fight and died. The second eldest found herself at the end of a blade, and there was no stopping the warrior who killed her. But the youngest three are still alive and have been brought here to the long house as captives. I do not know what my father will do with them." He took a deep breath and collected himself. "But that is not why I am here now."
Lilith glanced at Gyda and then at Athelstan, watching her brother carefully. "Then why are you here, Bjorn?" she asked.
He looked at her, his eyes as blank as his face, and after a minute, he stood up. "Our father needs us," he announced. "His children. You and me, Gyda and Athelstan to come to him in the Great Hall. Right now, we are the only ones he trusts with this knowledge. Come, Sisters. Come, Brother. Let us go now so it might be over with sooner."
He only waited long enough for Lilith to give Iðunn to Edda and for Athelstan to give Beyla to Aslaug, and then Bjorn led them away from the small room to go find Ragnar. Lilith took Gyda's hand in hers, holding her close as she also held Athelstan's hand. She glanced back at him to see him worried again, and she squeezed his hand gently, comforting him as best as she could.
Ragnar was sitting in his chair on the platform above the Hall floor, covered his King Horik's blood as he gripped a long sword with both hands. Lilith looked around the room, seeing bodies still on the floor as the hearth burned with only embers. Just on the other side of the hearth, she saw King Horik's body, and she thought she might be sad. But she wasn't. She was relieved. He was dead, and she hoped he was in Hel.
"Father," Bjorn called, prompting his father to look up after a few seconds.
Ragnar huffed when he sat them all before him, looking toward King Horik's body and clenching his jaw before he spoke. "King Horik is dead," he said numbly. "He will no longer hurt our family. But now . . . there are questions. Questions that will become problems if we — if I do nothing. This sword," he said and sat up so the minimal light of the hall would illuminate it in front of him, "is the sword of kings. It was passed through the king's male inheritors, and now it is mine. And it will be passed to my own blood. But it belongs to more than our town here, and I cannot ignore that. I do not want to be a king, but the gods do not always give us what we want, no?"
Lilith looked up at Bjorn as he looked at her, and then she looked at Athelstan and Gyda again. Since they were both technically the oldest, Lilith nudged Bjorn forward to be closer to their father. While she knelt in front of her father, Bjorn sat in the chair next to him, uneasily occupying Aslaug's chair that was once Lagertha's.
"Father," Lilith said, and his eyes found hers through his blood-soaked face. "Whatever it is you wish to do, I swear that we will all help you to do it. If it is our family's time to take this responsibility, then we will."
He reached out to touch her cheek, unknowingly smearing blood over her skin, and after another minute, he stood up from his chair with her still in front of him. Ragnar pulled her into his arm to hold her and then reached for Gyda, holding her against him just as tightly. In those few minutes, it seemed his mind was made up, and he leaned back to look at them for a spare second before he kissed their foreheads and released them.
Then he turned to Bjorn. "Halldor and Arvid are keeping the stragglers in the barn. Have him bring them here. Now."
Bjorn left without hesitating, leaving Ragnar with Lilith, Gyda and Athelstan.
"I have a much more delicate request of the three of you," he said and sat down again. "As Bjorn must have told you, three of King Horik's daughters were spared from the killing. And I do not intend to let them go as of yet. They will remain here until I am certain enough time has gone by for them to not want to leave, to betray me. But they will all need a place to stay, since the long house is full enough."
Lilith sat down in the chair beside her father, looking at Athelstan and reaching for him. "Then they need homes, Father," she declared. "We cannot allow them to become slaves. It would be too cruel." She raised her eyebrows at Athelstan, watching him sigh before he spoke.
"Lili and I will take one of the girls," he decided, and Ragnar looked up. "We only have a small house, but I'm sure we can make room for her. And perhaps Helga and Floki can take one of them in as well, as they just had a child and need the company. Then there would only be the issue of the third girl. Siggy needs help with Rollo. She could take her into their home, no?"
Ragnar signed and bowed his head. "You are wise as always, my friend," he said and looked up again, this time with all his attention on Athelstan. "Very well. I will send for Helga, and she and Floki will choose between the girls. Siggy as well, and my daughter will choose for you. Then I will consider the matter closed."
Athelstan bowed his head then, turning his gaze to Lilith as Bjorn returned with Halldor and Arvid and the last few men from King Horik's warband.
"Your king is dead," Ragnar told them as they each glared up at him, knelt to the floor and bound with rope. "And as punishment, his sons are dead. His wife is dead. His daughters are dead. But there is hope for your people if you so choose to accept it. Because I will make your people my people. I will claim the land as mine and govern it as such. I will become your king and expand my influence to help not only my home but also yours. Your king was a selfish and revengeful man who did not care for your well-being. I will be different. You will go back to your lands and tell the people that Ragnar Lothbrok is now your king. And you will all accept it as the new way, or you will all die with the old ways."
None of them men spoke for a minute, and Ragnar stood up, moving to where he'd left King Horik's body and dragging it out so the men could see it. Blood still oozed from the stab wounds and nearly all of the king's head was gone. One of the men vomited on the spot, and the other two gazed in horror at the body of the man they had followed into a pointless battle that had ended bloodier than they had obviously expected.
"This is your king now," Ragnar screamed at him, startling them all with his tone. "Your king is dead! The rest of your men are dead! If you don't want to join them, you will join me! Those are your only options. Join your king in death," he stressed, "or join me in life to fight and explore and discover a new way of life. He promised you nothing but retribution. I promise you a future. What is your choice? Choose wisely!"
Half a minute passed before one of the men stood up. "I will join you," he declared. "King Ragnar Lothbrok. And I will follow you. I swear it on all the gods."
Half a minute later, the other two rose and proclaimed the same allegiance, which allowed their bonds to be cut so they were no longer prisoners. Then Ragnar turned to face them again.
"You will each be my emissary to one of my new lands," he announced and moved to sit in his chair once again. "You will go to Denmark and Svealand and Götland, and you will tell them they have a new king. Tell anyone who resists what happened to their previous king and tell them it will happen to them as well. My own guards will travel with you, as well as my own warbands to ensure you do not betray me. You will leave immediately, and my son will arrange everything."
Ragnar looked at Bjorn, who nodded and turned to the men, leading them away quickly.
Gyda stepped closer then, standing beside Athelstan as he spoke. "Father, what about Horik's daughters we have here," she wondered aloud. "Why did you tell those men they were all dead?"
Ragnar looked at Athelstan, prompting him to speak.
"Because if those people believe any of Horik's family survived, they would try to rescue them. It would lead to another invasion, and then we would have years of revenge to deal with from them. And besides that, those girls are safer here. We'll keep them safe. Out there, they would be married off to make new alliances and end up only the gods know where. Your father knows what he's doing, Gyda."
She sighed and sat in the chair with Lilith, holding onto her as the Great Hall became quiet. Lilith reached for Athelstan's hand, seeking his warmth and his consolation. He held her hand in his as tightly as ever, but it was obvious he was worried again.
As if on cue, Tova came into the main Hall then, guiding three small children to the front where they were all sitting and revealing King Horik's three youngest daughters. The eldest looked as frightened as a kitten in a new place, with no knowledge of her surroundings. The other two were quiet even if they didn't look scared exactly, and Lilith sat up, noticing how the youngest girl instantly looked at her.
"My lord Ragnar," Tova said and gestured to the girls. "These are the youngest girls of King Horik. Annika is the eldest at eight years old," she said and squeezed the girl's shoulder almost to comfort her. "Alva is the second eldest at six years old, and Sanna is the youngest. She is four."
Lilith didn't ask as she stood up from the chair and then stepped down to be in front of girls as they watched her. With her hands in front of her, Lilith knelt in front of them and reached for their hands. "You are all frightened," she said as gently as possible. "I understand. I was like you once, new to this place and frightened because I did not know the people or what they were capable of. I was very much like you when I first came here. But when I was taken in by Ragnar, he showed me compassion and love. Whether you are innocent or not, you are safe here. I will make sure of that." Then she turned to the youngest girl who still watched her. "And you, my dear Sanna, will have the choice to come and live with me and my husband, and our companion Edda. Would you like to do that?"
The little girl looked up at her sisters, fidgeting as she stood there like she was by herself and didn't have anyone else to tell her what to do. She stepped closer to Lilith and looked up at Athelstan as he came to stand behind her. Then she spoke in a small, tinkling voice. "Are you a Valkyrie?" she asked softly.
Lilith grinned curiously. "What makes you say that, Dear One?"
"Valkyries choose the slain after battle," she said and looked passed her where Ragnar was still sitting. "My father is dead. My mother is dead. My brothers are dead. They have been taken away from here by the valkyries. Are you a Valkyrie?"
Lilith sighed softly, reaching for her hands and speaking only to her. "I am not a Valkyrie, my dear Sanna. I am only human. I am a wife and a mother, a sister and a friend. And I hope one day that I might be your friend. Valkyries only take the slain to Valhalla or Fólkvangr. You have not been slain. You are alive, and you will live a long time. I will protect you as best as I can. I promise you that. And your sisters here, they will be safe as well. It's all right, Dear One."
The little girl looked at Ragnar again, afraid of him for another few seconds before she looked at Lilith and Athelstan. "Then yes," she said to Lilith's question. "I would like to come with you. But what about my sisters?"
Lilith looked up at Athelstan, rising slowly and allowing him to step in and lift Sanna in his arms. She went easily, still a little apprehensive but not resistant at all.
"Your sisters will have homes as well, Dear One," he said and looked at Lilith. "And they will be close by. So you can see them whenever you wish. You have my world, dear girl."
She looked at her sisters as they watched her, and after a minute, it seemed like she had accepted her place with them.
After that was settled, Ragnar sent for Helga and Siggy to do for Annika and Alva what had already been done with Sanna. Helga was easy to convince, and she took Alva without hesitating. Siggy took some convincing, since she was still mourning the loss of her own daughter and the recent retribution of Horik, but she agreed to take Annika even if Lilith could tell she wasn't exactly happy about it.
Lilith had Athelstan take Sanna to find Edda, and while he did that, she sat with her father after everyone else had left.
"I wanted to talk to you about a matter of space," she said once they were alone.
"Space?" he asked and looked at her.
She nodded. "Yes. Space. Athelstan and I already have one child, and with this new child, we will need more space. Surely, there is a place where we could move to have such a thing."
A grin reappeared on her father's face after having disappeared several days earlier. "Yes, my child. There is a place. And when you are ready, all you have to do is ask."
Lilith grinned as well, reaching for her father's hand and holding it in hers as tightly as she ever had. She knew after today that several things would change, but this one thing was something she knew she didn't have to worry about. She knew her father would always be here for her.
Several days, if not a week, after the end of Horik's assault on town, Ragnar had already begun planning several voyages to the kingdom he had inherited. Aslaug was optimistic Horik's people would accept Ragnar as their King, and she was planning to travel with him to Denmark and Sweden to assign stewards to the countries now included in Ragnar's territories. When they heard back from Horik's men that the people accepted Ragnar as King, it bolstered everyone's confidence.
Gyda and Bjorn were excited to travel to other countries in their father's new kingdom, and they had already spoken at length about which countries they would go to and how different their lives would be now. Gyda was especially excited about seeing Sweden, since she had not been there in over five years.
Lilith was happy that her sister and brother were excited, and to a degree, she was excited as well, but her excitement was rooted in a different source altogether. Now that Edda lived with Lilith and Athelstan, as well as Iðunn and Sanna, Lilith had been focused on her small but growing family. The experience had been new for Athelstan, and now, they were all about to experience something new together.
"I spoke to Ragnar a few days ago," Lilith said as she and Athelstan left town to go to the springs for a little privacy while they bathed. "He says in just a few weeks, we will be ready to go to Denmark."
Her husband remained quiet as they walked, waiting until they were hidden in the trees to speak. "Ragnar is confident in his reputation," he said and sighed. "So I suppose I must be as well."
Lilith squeezed his hand gently. "You do not sound confident," she commented.
Slowly, he stepped up to her side and draped his arm around her shoulders, kissing the side of her face as she wrapped her arms around him. "I just got you back in my life," he whispered against her skin and kissed her cheek. "After so long, I'm in no hurry to lose you again."
She turned her face to his, kissing him even as they kept walking. "That will never happen," she promised. "From now on, where you go, I will go as well."
Though he did not respond verbally, he held her closer until she was almost molded to his side and then kissed the top of her head.
The springs welcomed them as always, surrounded by dense foliage and a gentle mist that shrouded the immediate area around the reservoir. Lilith undressed first, wading into the water and drifting to the opposite side as she watched Athelstan do the same at a much slower pace. Since returning to Kattegat, he had taken longer than anyone else to adjust, and it was understandable. After nine months as a captive, he was cautious again, the same way he had been when they had come to Kattegat the first time. Lilith had done everything in her power to help him, but after a little while, she'd decided it would just take him time.
Once he had deposited his clothes on the ground beside hers, Athelstan took his time wading into the water. He swam to her slowly, stopping in front of her and pulling her into his arms until she could wrap her arms and legs around him.
"I'm only happy to have you all to myself again," he exhaled against her lips, kissing her as deeply as he ever had and cradling her body close to his. "I am sure that Edda enjoyed that same privilege while I was gone. Based on our time together before we got rid of King Horik."
Lilith swept his hair from his forehead, her back meeting the rocks and giving her something to brace against as he lowered his lips and then his tongue down her chin to her neck. "Well, she only did what she could to keep me warm until my husband returned to me. Other than me and Gyda, she was the only other one of us who believed you would come back to us all."
He captured her ear lobe between his lips, whispering still. "Then I will need to thank her properly."
Chills racked through Lilith's chest as his voice vibrated through her body and settled in her womb. She leaned back slowly, rubbing the tip of her nose against his and cupping his face between her hands. "Whatever happens, it will be between the three of us."
"Yes," he murmured and kissed her as completely as he could, holding her as close to him as he could, so close that it was obvious what they were about to do.
Despite the slight detour, when Lilith decided they both needed to bathe, they settled in the small alcove of water at the southern edge of the springs to wash their bodies and their hair. They hadn't really done it in privacy since they had gotten married, and the bath she had given to him in England didn't count because they had been in a thin-linen tent surrounded by warriors and a good portion of their family. And this time was especially important now that Athelstan had decided to change his hair for the first time since they'd come to Kattegat eight years earlier.
"I can just do the underside," Lilith said as she clipped away at the side of his head to make his hair shorter. "You don't have to do so much the first time."
"It's time," he said simply. He reached back for her legs as she sat behind him, wrapping them further around him.
Lilith laughed softly, still clipping until just over an inch of hair had been cut away from his skin above his ears. "Unless you want me to snip one of your ears off," she chastised even as she giggled, "I suggest you stay still, my love. Or rather, allow me to stay still. Though steady my hands might be, the blade is still sharp. Yes?"
He laughed then too, sitting up straight while still holding onto her knees.
Once most of the hair was gone, Lilith took the sheering knife she had borrowed from the shepherd, tilting Athelstan's head to have better access and then shaving the excess hair away. She left behind a thin layer of hair with each sheer, causing him to shiver and then blush. Lilith grinned as she felt him shake, leaning over to kiss the shell of his ear before she continued.
"I have also spoken to Ragnar about another matter," she said as she tilted his head forward and tied his hair up from his neck. "About us possibly receiving a larger house. We would need to buy it from him, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem."
"Why should we need a larger house now?" Athelstan asked, confused. "If it's because of Edda or our daughter, or even Sanna, I'm sure the space we have right now is enough for the five of us."
Lilith laughed as she still shaved, taking smooth, slow strokes along the nape of his neck. "Yes, but what about when we have more children? We will surely need more space then, hmm?"
"Of course," he agreed. "But our daughter isn't even a year old. Perhaps we should wait until then to start trying to have another child. And you are still nursing. I wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed, my love."
Lilith tilted his head the other way, still sheering his hair away and giggling again when he shivered between her legs. "That would be ideal," she agreed. "But if I've learned anything from Aslaug and Lagertha, it's that no one can predict these things, even if I do have a rather adept ability to sometimes predict things. And in that way, I am certain we are going to need a larger house. One with a room for our children and one for us adults who still do adult things."
His breathing changed, and his hold on her tightened until she was wrapped around him completely. "Lili, are you saying — " He stopped and looked at her, smiling when he saw her smile and almost turning to face her when she stopped him.
"Let me finish," she commanded. "Always so impatient."
He sighed softly, and Lilith laughed even as she continued in her task.
When she finally finished, Lilith used the cup they had brought with them and wet Athelstan's hair, wiping away any leftover hair and then braiding it the way she had after their bath in England, the way she always did after his bath. She tied it off with a leather strip, wrapping her arms around him and setting her chin over his shoulder with her lips close to his ear.
"Athelstan," she whispered, laughing again when he shivered again and turned his cheek to her lips, "yes."
It was all she needed to say before he turned to face her and wrapped her legs around him as he lifted both his hands to cradle her head.
"Yes?" he questioned with raised eyebrows.
Lilith nodded. "Yes."
He grinned slightly, cupping her face between his hands and kissing her as thoroughly as he ever had. Then he laughed against her mouth, laying his forehead against hers. "Lili," he whispered as softly as the breeze.
That was the last thing that he said before they both exited the small alcove and laid over the linens that had been spread over the grass. Despite the slight chill, Lilith's heart raced against her rib cage, keeping her blood moving and her body from feeling the cold. Having Athelstan close to her helped, as it usually always had.
When he kissed her this time, she knew it was only the beginning of his journey as he slipped his lips and tongue over her chin to her neck and then her shoulders. He took his time when he arrived at her belly, laying his head down and probably thinking he would be able to hear their baby inside her.
Lilith laughed when he did that, laying her hand over his head and stroking the skin behind his ear that she had just shaved until he shivered and lifted his head to look up at her. She didn't have to say anything, beckoning him to her and smiling when he crawled over her and then settled his hips between hers. She had missed being this close to him for a year, and now that he was here with her, she wanted nothing else. She watched Lagertha and even Aslaug, and she worried that one day would come when that was not the case. She prayed that day never came.
First, he eased the tip of his finger over her aroused flesh, taking her breath away and covering her mouth with his as he sank his finger inside her. Lilith held onto him tighter, remembering how cramped they had been in the tent in England and wishing she had a reason to fold her whole body around him. Nothing had prepared her for feeling this the first time, and nothing could prepare her for it now. Every time he touched her, it was like they had been apart for days or weeks or months, and she wanted him all around her.
Edda had shown them a new way to make love the night before, and they tried by themselves as they lay secluded in the woods by the springs, with Athelstan cradling Lilith's body against his and her holding his hand over her heart as she felt his racing against her back. Of course it would be Edda to show them these things, and of course she had known they would both enjoy it.
Lilith felt her release before she felt his, but he didn't move away. He didn't turn her to face him even as his hands memorized her scars over her shoulders and arms and the scars down her back to her waist. He settled his hand on her hip and scooted close enough her to feel his warmth before he kissed her shoulder and then the bend of her neck.
"We should be getting back soon," he whispered close to her ear. "I'm sure Gyda and Ragnar will be wondering where we've disappeared to."
She laughed softly, taking his hand in hers and lifting it to her mouth to kiss his palm. "They can wonder all they want," she countered. "I'm laying with my husband whom I just spent the better part of a year without. Gyda would be the first one to worry if we came back too soon."
He laughed a little louder, still holding her close to him as he rose up to his elbow and prompted her to face him again. "Do you think she's going to get married any time soon?" he asked, still smiling and taking her hand in his, twining their fingers together.
Lilith shrugged. "Who knows? My sister has always been a free spirit. She cannot be chained to any one person. But I think she will find love one day. She is still so young, my dear husband. She has plenty of time for that later, when she is ready."
He gave her his usual 'hmm' and leaned down to kiss her, stroking her hair gently and whispering as he leaned back a little. "Were you ready?" he asked, adding, "on our wedding day."
She grinned as she lifted her hands to his face. "I was . . . terrified," she confessed, watching the smile on his face fade a little as he leaned down closer and pressed his lips to her temple. "But not of you. I was never afraid of you. I was so happy, and I worried that something would happen to take you away from me. Just as I have been all my life. And when I saw you standing there with my father, I knew I had nothing to be afraid of. I knew I would have you in my life until I died." As she cupped his face, she made him look at her. "I know I will have you in my life until I die, Athelstan. I know it. Just as I know everything else. Of that much, we can both be certain."
He laid his hand over hers, cradling her head with his other as he leaned down and kissed her gently. "Always, Lili," he whispered. "I am yours for always. Never doubt that, my love. Never question it."
"Never," she affirmed.
The breeze picked up then, finally alerting them that it was getting late in the season, and Athelstan stood up first, finding the linen towels and wrapping one around himself before he stepped in front of Lilith with the fabric held out in front of him. Lilith wrapped the soft material around her and then brought their clean clothes to the linen where they had laid, bringing out the small knife she usually carried with her and beckoning Athelstan to sit in front of her.
She sighed when he did, taking his hand and gently pricking his middle finger before she did the same thing. "I want this to be a normal part of our day," she told him. "I want us both to share everything. This is only one more thing, aside from Edda, of course."
Athelstan grinned slightly, shaking his head just once.
Lilith extended her finger, and without her saying anything, he claimed her blood from her skin. She waited for him to finish and claimed his blood when he extended his finger, and once that was done, Lilith used a linen to clean up before she stood up to change. He followed her lead, sitting down to pull on his boots and beckoning her to him so he could help her wrap the bands connected to her shoes around her calves to her knees. He had done it so often, but now it held a different meaning to her and to him. It probably always would.
He kissed the top of her knee as he finished, taking her hands in his and pulling her to her feet so they could collect everything they had brought with them for their bath. They had come up into the woods to have a little privacy, and now they were returning to town with an equally united front.
Gyda would know it as soon as she saw them, and then Aslaug and Edda would know. The boys would be happy again, and Ragnar would hopefully be happy as well.
Lilith tied up her faded crimson dress up so she could walk along the path with Athelstan beside her, holding him against her as he carried the bundle of linens under his other arm. "You know what else I know?" she whispered to him and kissed him under his jaw.
He held her closer to him. "And what else is it that you know? Hmm?"
She paused for half a minute and smiled when he turned his gaze to hers. "I think this time that it will be a boy," she said with absolute certainty.
He apparently didn't know what to say to that, staring at her dumbfounded as ever even after the smile from before returned and got bigger.
They were almost to town, having walked together in total silence, before Athelstan spoke again.
"There's something else I've been wondering about," he said as he held Lilith close to him and kissed the side of her face.
"And what is that, my dear husband?" she asked as she leaned in to his kiss.
"Aslaug said something the other night that I've been thinking about," he revealed. "She said that you knew you were going to have a girl before anyone else did, even the midwife. And she thought it was an interesting thing for you to do. Especially now that we've both told her about your dreams. She seems to believe that you have the Seer's gift to see things other people can't see."
For a minute, Lilith didn't respond to what he said, and Athelstan didn't try to push her to acknowledge anything she didn't want to or wasn't ready to.
Lilith thought about her dreams and what she thought they had meant, and she remembered what she had said to Aslaug. Her Step-Mother had a gift for prophecy, but with Lilith, it was different. She did not prophesy on the things she saw. She simply knew things, without having to understand them.
"I don't know what it was," Lilith said, and it was the truth. "I simply knew my child would be a girl. Aslaug spells and works her magic to see an end result. Mine was more like an instinct. Like when I dreamed of the wave and then Ragnar came to the island. And when I dreamed about us, and I knew we would be together. Like the shadow that killed Brother Cenwar. I just know things. And I cannot explain it."
Athelstan lifted his lips to her temple and then the side of her head. "Aslaug also explained the birthmark on our daughter's forearm," he said gently. "It's strange, isn't it?"
"Yes," Lilith said softly, lifting her hand to his that was wrapped around her shoulder. "It is strange. But until we must tell our daughter the story of us, she should be a little older, no?"
He sighed against her cheek, holding her hand tighter and slowing down their pace so they wouldn't lose their footing along the path as it wound around a thick rooted ash tree. They climbed over the roots to the path below it, and Lilith went first, waiting for him like she always had.
Athelstan stepped in front of her as she waited off to the side of the path, taking her hands in his. "I know you've had time to become accustomed to this, and I know it will take me a longer time than usual. But we can still talk, Lili. I want you to talk to me when you're unsure of things. Please."
Lilith inhaled as deeply as she could, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders. "There is nothing I want to do more," she assured him. "And we can do that as soon as we move in to our new house."
He laughed softly, leaning closer and kissing her before he lay his forehead against hers. "Our new house," he repeated. "I'm guessing you already have a house in mind for us to move into, hmm?"
She nodded and kissed him just once before she took his hand to pull him back toward town. "Of course I do," she assured him.
No one in town paid them any mind until they arrived at the Great Hall where three tables were being set out for supper, and Gyda was sitting with Beyla and Sanna. She saw them as soon as they came inside the Hall, reaching for them the moment they were close enough.
"Sister! Brother! Come and sit with us. I am showing Beyla and Sanna the runes, and I am bursting with curiosity."
Lilith sighed even as she smiled, sitting with Sanna as Gyda turned to her and addressed her over the little girl's head.
"Did you tell him?" Gyda asked her.
"Of course, I did, dear Sister," Lilith smirked. "But you better not tell anyone else until they begin to notice. Swear it, Gyda."
Her sister placed her hand over her heart. "I swear it, Lili. No one will hear it from me. I'm just so happy for you both. Especially now that you get to stay with your husband instead of the rest of us. Perhaps he will do better with your mood swings."
Lilith huffed and shook her head.
The Hall was quiet a minute before Gyda spoke again, this time about their father.
"How long do you think Ragnar will wait to go to King Horik's lands?" she asked, suddenly serious.
Lilith didn't respond to that, looking at Athelstan as he sat across from them with Beyla in his lap.
"Well, he won't wait too long," he said, and Gyda looked at him. "The harvest is halfway finished, and soon it will be winter. He'll want it finished before the ice sets in, and I will have to agree with him on that. Lili's birthday is in two weeks, and he might make a decision then."
Gyda nodded. "Good. The sooner, the better. Our future is out there, and I want to see as much of it as possible. Who knows? Maybe I'll even meet a better companion than Gunnar, even if he does serve a purpose right now."
Lilith laughed softly, looking at Sanna as she still watched her. She had not stopped since coming to living with Lilith and Athelstan, and though it was strange, Lilith understood. She caressed Sanna's cheek and held her closer. "Are you ready for supper, Dear Sanna?"
The little girl nodded, and Lilith laughed, squeezing her gently.
After supper, after Ragnar and Aslaug left the main gathering Hall, after Bjorn and Þórunn disappeared to destinations unknown, and after Gyda absconded off with Gunnar for the night, Arvid and Halldor guided Lilith and Athelstan with Edda and the girls to their new house that was situated just a few hundred yards from the long house.
The last time Lilith had been in this house, she'd attended Floki and Helga's wedding feast almost a year earlier. Since then, all of King Horik's colors and shields and belongings had been removed. The floorboards that had been stained with blood had been replaced, as had the coverings on the beds in the back room. Now there were four sitting areas in the front room, as well as a second hearth and a canvas sheet in the corner meant for Lilith and Edda to change behind when Athelstan would be gone.
Now it was a home and not just a temporary dwelling of any important person visiting and wishing to have favor with Ragnar.
Lilith kept Sanna in her arms as they walked through the house to the back room where everything was probably different from how she remembered it. For a moment, it looked like Sanna might not want to stay here, but she held Lilith tighter and then her fear faded a little. Lilith kissed her cheek gently, rubbing her back and comforting her as well as she could. It wasn't difficult to imagine this being uncomfortable for her, but Lilith wanted her to know it was all right.
"My precious Sanna," she said as they moved through the bedroom, "I am here for you if you ever need me. I want to assure you that we are not going to live here to make you uncomfortable or afraid. We are living here because it is safe and because it is home. And when you are ready for us to be, we will be your family. And if we ever have to leave, you will have Beyla and Ubbe and Hvitserk to keep you and love you. For that is what families do. Hmm?"
Slowly, Sanna nodded, and Lilith did as well.
"Good," she said. "And when you sleep, it will be in this bed here beside me and my daughter Iðunn. So I will be close by if you wake up from a bad dream. The same way Athelstan will sleep over there close to Beyla if she wakes up and needs him. All right?"
Again, Sanna nodded, and once that was taken care of, Lilith set her down so she could follow Beyla into the front room where Edda was currently holding Iðunn.
"Is she all right?" Athelstan asked as he moved to her side and eased his arm around her waist.
Lilith sighed as she watched her girls and Edda, wrapping her arms around his waist. "She will be," she said certainly. "Just as I was. And we will both be here to help her. Of that, I am certain. What about you, Husband? Are you all right with us all living together under the same roof? This roof, no less."
He looked around at the larger space, and she could see that it made him a little uncomfortable, but then he grinned and held her closer to him. "I'm all right," he nodded. "For the first time in a very long time."
Lilith lifted her hand to his cheek and made him look at her, and she leaned up to kiss his forehead before she lay hers against his. "And whatever happens next, we will do it together. Just as it was always meant to be."
He leaned in a little closer and lay his hand over her belly, waiting for her to cover his hand with hers and smiling at the prospect of going through her second pregnancy with her. "Yes," he agreed. Then he looked at her again. "Together."
There was nothing else to say as they stepped out of the bedroom and sat at the hearth with Edda and the girls. Beyla hurried to her father's side and sat in his lap as he sat down. Lilith wrapped them both in her arms and lay her head over Athelstan's shoulder, content for the first time in a year and wanting nothing more than for it to be as long as possible.
Her father clearly had other plans, but those would take care of themselves.
And that is the end of Part Two. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's been a very long, very illuminating writing experience.
Now for Part Three. I've started writing it, but I have a lot of research to do. Part Three is where things really start to change, so it's going to be interesting.
I want to hear from you if you want to read it, since it may be a while before I post it.
Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed, and to everyone who put this in their favorites and follows. I really appreciate it!
I'm marking this as complete, and I'll see y'all later!