Chapter 43
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all of your comments, you guys are so sweet! :) Thank you to all my guest reviewers, sorry I can't reply to you because that's how it's set up but thank you all the same. There will be one more chapter after this one and then I will end the story. Please REVIEW and let me know what you think of this chapter! God Bless.
-Vegter999
Freyja's POV:
Once I had sufficiently recovered from the birth the next day it was time to give the child a name. Among the Northmen, the child would be laid at the Fathers feet for inspection as to whether or not he or she was deemed healthy enough to live. If the Father deemed the child unfit then he or she would be exposed. I shuddered to think about that possibility for this sweet child that I had given life to. He appeared healthy enough but among the Northmen the final decision was always the Fathers or other senior male relative if the Father was not present.
If the Father deemed the child fit however he would take him from the floor into his arms and make the sign of Thor's hammer, invoking the protection of the god and then would give to the child a name.
Hulda handed me our son and I slowly strolled over to where Agnarr was seated upon the Chieftains chair. The boy squirmed slightly in his white blanket, cooing and gazing up at me with those striking blue eyes that were just like his Father's.
"Don't worry little one. Your Father is just going to give you a name now" I cooed softly, placing a gentle kiss upon his forehead.
I then gazed at Agnarr and knelt down, gently placing the child on the floor at his feet.
I slowly stood back up and watched as Agnarr waited for a few moments, his gaze locking on me. My heart pounded and I felt anxiety seize me for a moment as I waited for his decision.
He then carefully reached down and took the child in his arms, setting him in his lap and making the sign of Thor's hammer over him. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as Agnarr gazed down at him.
"Now what shall I call you my son?"
The child squirmed again and reached a hand out to Agnarr, making him grin softly.
"I can see that you are a strong one and that you know what you want and you take it."
I couldn't help but grin as I watched the two of them, the bond of Father and son was obviously already very close. I hoped it would remain that way for years to come.
"Hmmm..." Agnarr frowned, deep in thought and continuing to gaze at the boy, who by now had commandeered his finger and was grasping it tightly.
"I shall give you the name of Asmund. Asmund Agnarrson."
"That's a perfect name" I said.
Agnarr looked up and grinned tenderly at me before kissing Asmund on the forehead and handing him back to me.
Helga and Magni then came into the room from the walk they had been taking outside, each looked as if they had been laughing until their stomachs hurt.
I felt happiness swell within me at the rekindling of their relationship. They spotted us and made their way over.
"So what is his name to be?" Magni asked.
"He is to be called Asmund."
"What a beautiful name! It's perfect for such a beautiful child!" Helga exclaimed.
She held out her arms to hold him and I gently passed Asmund to her.
"I'm sure he will grow up to be a fine warrior one day" Magni said.
"Just like his Father" Agnarr put in, coming up to us and putting an arm around my waist.
"He's very alert for an infant. Look at the way he just gazes at you" Helga grinned.
"I noticed that too" I said.
Asmund blinked for a moment and then all of a sudden burst into tears, letting out a loud wail.
"Oh dear" Helga said, trying to sooth him by bouncing him up and down. However it was to no avail.
"Here give him to me" I said.
Once Asmund was settled in my arms he immediately stopped crying and simply settled down to sleep.
"Oh I guess he just wanted you then" Helga remarked.
"Mother's love always does the trick" Magni said.
"He should probably be getting back to his cradle now. He needs sleep I think."
I quickly handed Asmund off to Hulda before showing Helga to the door.
"I promise I'll come back tomorrow and we girls can have some time for ourselves to talk."
"Thanks Helga" I hugged her warmly and then she departed out the door.
I turned to see Magni watching her go with a wistful look in his eyes.
When she had gone I asked "What are you waiting for Magni? Just ask her to marry you!"
Magni sighed.
"Freyja it's not that simple. It's complicated."
"It's only complicated when you're not true to your feelings. Ask her Magni. You deserve to be happy and so does she. You make each other happy, anyone can see that. Now I want you to run after her and don't come back until you've asked her to marry you and that's an order from your Frauen."
Magni gazed seriously at me.
"Your serious? You really think I should?"
"Yes!"
Magni sighed.
"Alright."
I squealed.
"Good, now get out there and sweep her off her feet."
"Yes my Frauen."
Before he left he turned to me and gave me a smile and a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Freyja."
"Good luck."
He scurried out the door and I gazed happily after him for a moment, sending up a silent prayer to God that she would say yes before closing the door and heading off to find Agnarr.
I found him in our chambers, standing over the cradle of Asmund.
He looked up when I came in and immediately slipped his arm around my waist as I came closer.
"He's so vulnerable. So helpless" Agnarr remarked quietly so as not to wake Asmund from his slumber.
"Yes but we will protect him as best we can."
"We will not be able to do so forever Freyja. He will grow up one day and will need to face the world on his own."
"Let us only focus on today and not think about the future. We will worry about the future when the future comes."
Agnarr gazed at me seriously for a moment before pulling me into his embrace, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"I have some exciting news to share."
"Really and what is that?" he mumbled.
"Magni's going to propose to Helga."
"Really? I found him rather hesitant and resistant to the idea."
"Yes well after seeing how happy they made each other I ordered him not to return to this house until he had proposed to her."
Agnarr snorted.
"You would do that my Freyja."
"Yes and I did it proudly. The man needed a big nudge. You know how stubborn Magni can be at times."
"That I do."
We lapsed into silence for a moment, holding each other and simply remaining lost in our thoughts.
Finally Agnarr kissed my forehead and spoke.
"I have business to attend to in the town but I'll be back in time for dinner."
I nodded.
Agnarr then turned and exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
###
Later that day I was in my chambers when a knock came at my door. I was sitting on a bench with my back to the door, brushing out my hair and figuring it was only Hulda come to see if I needed anything I called "Come in."
The door opened and soft footsteps echoed in the room and then the sound of the door being closed and locked rang in my ears.
"Hulda why did you lock..." I froze as I turned around. Standing there with a wicked grin on his face was Hakon.
"What are you doing here Hakon?! Get out! These are my private rooms."
"Giving out orders are we? Quite a bold thing to do for a slave" he sneered.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Get out or you will answer to my husband for it!"
"I hardly think you'll be able to tell your husband anything if your dead Freyja...or shall I call you Eadhild?" Hakon smirked, pulling out a shining and lethal looking dagger from behind his back, a dagger that I quickly recognized as belonging to Magni.
Fear tingled up my spine.
"Ahh what I see in your eyes only confirms what Bjorn said. He was nice enough to regale me with tales of a beautiful young slave girl he'd captured. One with hair as dark as a moonless night. It wasn't hard to figure out from his description that it was you."
Hakon took a few threatening steps closer toward me.
"You've been a lot of trouble for me. First you take what rightfully belongs to Asa, a title that should only ever belong to a woman of noble birth and not a filthy slave girl and then you convince your poor pathetic husband to call off the raid. Oh yes I know about that too."
"You're planning to frame Magni for my murder and remove the last of any opposition to you aren't you? Why else would you be carrying his very dagger that you've probably stolen from him" I snapped angrily.
That same infuriatingly wicked smirk returned to Hakon's face.
"You are a clever girl."
And with that he seized me and threw me to the floor, raising the dagger.
"Goodbye Freyja" he sneered.
All of sudden the door burst open and Agnarr came rushing into the room, seizing Hakon and throwing him to the floor, putting a sword to his throat.
"How dare you assault my wife! And in my house!"
"Jarl please I can explain..." Before Hakon could say another word Agnarr stabbed him through the heart.
Hakon gasped and then his head collapsed onto the floor, lifeless.
Agnarr pulled his sword out of him and Magni quickly entered the room, rushing over to me.
"Are you alright Freyja?"
"Yes I'm fine just a little shaken up."
Magni helped me off the floor and Agnarr came over to me, pulling me into his arms and breathing a sigh of relief.
"How did you get in here? The door was locked" I asked.
"I learned to pick locks as a kid and to do it rather quietly as well. We heard everything that Hakon said in the process. I figured he might do something like this so I came back early."
"And you didn't warn me?!" I exclaimed indignantly.
"If I had you might've acted differently and put him on alert and I would never have been able to trap him. Besides I always intended to be close by in case anything happened."
"That hardly makes me feel better Agnarr."
"Alright I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you I promise."
"You'd better" I replied, trying to sound as menacing as possible.
"Um pardon me lovebirds but I believe we still have him to attend to" Magni said, jerking his head in the direction of Hakon's dead body.
"Right" Agnarr said.
The body was soon taken away, but not before Agnarr removed the ancestral sword from around Hakon's waist.
He held it out to Magni.
"It's yours again. As is his land."
I smiled as Magni took the impressive weapon and placed it around his waist.
"Well its a good thing I have the land and the house back now. At least now my future bride and I will have a place where we can have peace and quiet."
"Wait Magni you mean..." Joy began to fill me.
"Yes Freyja. Helga has agreed to be my wife."
"Oh Magni! That's wonderful!" I exclaimed, enveloping him in a tight hug.
"Congratulations" Agnarr said, shaking his hand after I released him.
"Thank you."
Magni then exited the room and Agnarr and I were left alone.
I stepped close to him and poked my finger into his chest.
"I meant what I said. You'd better make it to me."
He grinned mischievously.
"Oh believe me darling I've already thought of a few ways."