Freyja looked up in annoyance as Odin entered Ve's old chambers unannounced. She irritably folded a couple of the extra gown she kept there into a bag. "Don't you knock?"

"You're marrying a dwarf?"

"Yes." Freyja narrowed her eyes. "And if you dare let this get in the way of Balder and Nanna-"

"Of course not," Odin waved his hand in irritation. "Balder and Nanna are perfect for each other. She can't help what sort of mother she has! Marrying a dwarf?"

"And what business is it of yours?"

Odin frowned in distaste. "It is somewhat... unorthodox. And if I may say so, it seems rather

hurried. Why? You couldn't be bothered to marry when you were pregnant, what's your rush now?"

"I repeat. What business is it of yours?"

"You are my brother's widow."

Freyja narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't mean I am your property."

"No, but I may request an explanation for this ludicrous decision."

Freyja folded her arms. "I have no need to justify my actions to you, Allfather. It is going to be a small affair, it won't overshadow the royal wedding. And you do not have to be present. "

Odin sighed heavily. "I imagine we would be disagreeing all afternoon if I pressed for an explanation... very well, you may do as you wish."

"I would without your 'blessing'."

"And rest assured, I will not be present."

"Good."

"I hope you do not intend to have your honeymoon in my brother's chambers though. That would be-"

"Would be what? What is it you if I do?"

Odin's face reddened with anger. "Lady Freyja. I have allowed you to do as you will since my brother left us for Valhalla, but I will not allow you to shame his memory by taking your preferred... pet dwarf into the rooms that were once his!"

"He knows about Brokk!" Freyja shot took a deep breath as Odin's eye glittered dangerously. "But yelling at me will do no good, Odin. I am not going bring him here. These chambers are Ve's. I have never had another man in them and I don't intend to change that."

Odin huffed. "Fine. As long as that is clear, you are free to do as you will. Norns know you will anyway. Leave my sight!"

"You leave my sight. These chambers belong to me not you!"

"It is still my palace."

"Then go do whatever it is you do."

Odin grit his teeth before stalking out of the room. Freyja rolled her eyes and checked her collection of extra shoes for something to match the dresses.

#

"She only weds you because it requires a minimum of commitment," Eitri muttered.

Brokk sighed as he struggled to twine two strands of gold together. "Are you upset because this means that you can't have her again until after I'm done with life?"

"No," Eitri muttered. "I just still don't understand why this is so important to you."

Brokk paused. "Come here little brother. I need some help with this. "

Eitri edged closer, reaching out carefully. "Since when can't you do this alone?"

"Since today. It's funny what becomes important when your life's hourglass is running out. "

Eitri sighed heavily. "I don't want to accept it, so I'm not going to agree with that. We've always been at each other's sides."

Brokk put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I worry for you. Freyja is what is keeping me strong right now. I hope you won't turn away from her, after..."

Eitri blinked back tears. "You were always Freyja's favorite. "

Brokk shook his head. "That's not-"

"Yes, it is. She always went to you first if we let her choose."

Brokk frowned. "Not always."

"No," Eitri agreed. "If she stayed the night she'd pick you second so as he could sleep in your arms."

It was true, now that he thought of it. "I never realised..."

"I'm not upset about it. But I highly doubt she will still come to me without you here. Maybe at first... but it will fade away."

"That's not true..." But even as he said it, he wondered if it was true. Before he could pursue the conversation, though Freyja came into the forges. His heart warmed at the sight of her, as always. She smiled brilliantly.

"I'm going to make some lunch. What do you two want?"

Brokk shook his head. "I'm not particularly hungry."

Freyja turned to Eitri, who was looking at the floor.

"Do you want anything?"

"I'll come make something for myself."

Freyja's brow furrowed. "I don't mind, I can make something-"

"It's fine." Eitri got up, brushing past her as he left the room.

Freyja wandered over to Brokk. "He's upset with me."

Brokk hesitated. "He'll be fine."

Freyja caresses his hands. "I've always marveled that your hands are so soft when they're so strong... maybe I should spend tonight with him? I don't want to be the cause for any separation between you."

"He's not jealous, Freyja."

"Then what did I do?"

"I... he's just worrying about what will become of him when I'm gone." Not entirely a lie... He would not tell Freyja the whole truth. It wouldn't be fair.

Freyja nodded slowly. "Are you sure you don't want lunch? Or something else...?"

Brokk reached out to caress her hair. "Entirely up to you." His voice became husky with desire even as he spoke.

Freyja leaned forward (giving him an eyeful of cleavage) and pressed a deep kiss onto him. "Come find me in half an hour."

Brokk's eyebrows rose, but Freyja didn't elaborate, smiling secretively as she walked away, hips swaying. Her sultry sway stopped as soon as she was out of sight. She wrapped her arms around herself as she went into the kitchen. Eitri was sitting at the table. She sat next to him silent. He glanced balefully at her, then looked away again. She sighed.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"What's wrong?" Eitri repeated. "What's wrong is you pretending like you've had a sudden change of heart when you just feel sorry that Brokk is dying."

Freyja was stunned. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

"No! I want to be here for him – for both of you-"

"I don't need your pity!"

"It's not pity!" Freyja shot back, growing angry. "I care. I want to make sure you are alright, because you are the one getting the worse deal here! Brokk is dying but you have to live without him. I know what it is like to lose people you love!"

Eitri frowned. "You would have kept stringing his heart out forever if you didn't know he was going to die."

"Yes," Freyja admitted. "I never claimed I was anything other than selfish. Knowing he is going to die is the only way I would marry him, we all know that. Because I know it's coming, I don't have to be afraid of what ifs. I won't wake up one morning to find a post saying he is dead. I won't be barred from seeing his body because his face is so smashed in that it's an unrecognisable mess-"

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Eitri seethed. "I know you lost your husband but you knew him for three years. I have never lived a day without my brother and he is going to be taken away from me and there is nothing I can do about it. I won't be able to talk to him ever again, let alone once every year!"

"It's not easy-"

"Cry me a river, Freyja!"

He stood and so did she.

"What do you want from me, Eitri? Do you want me to leave? Do you want me to just run away and make him think I don't care?"

"If Brokk was smart-"

"If he was smart, he would have cut me out a long time ago! And if you were smart, you would have done the same!" Freyja took a deep breath. "Is that what you're doing? Do you want me to leave? because if that's what you want... I'm not going to leave Brokk but if you want me to go afterward, I will."

Eitri was silent.

Freyja stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Eitri? What do you want?"

"I want somebody I can feel about the way he feels about you."

She didn't know what to say. "What about one of your other lovers-"

"I have no other lovers!"

Freyja blinked in surprise.

"Brokk was always the one that women wanted. Sometimes he could convince them to have me as well. But he has not attempted to get a new lover in years, Freyja."

"I... I didn't know."

"No, you didn't. You don't know a lot of things." Eitri ran a hand through his unusually short hair. "Your daughter is the only one I know of who came to us without an offer of payment, and she was upset, not thinking and young enough to be my daughter! It would be disgusting to touch her! I don't want to go back to the ways things were... I don't want the only women willing to look at me the ones I'd have to pay for the honour!"

"You don't have to pay for me."

Eitri shook his head. "Not now... but we did once. So you are no different to the others, really."

"You and Brokk taught me how to take control of my own body. How to demand pleasure of my own..." Freyja's shoulders slumped and she looked at the floor. "But I suppose I have no right to be seen as anything different from a streetwalker."

Now Eitri felt uncomfortable. He twisted his hands. "That is not what I meant... you should not demean yourself."

"Then what did you mean?"

He shook his head helplessly. "I don't know!"

Freyja embraced him. "I won't leave unless you want me to. I don't want to."

Eitri remained tense for a minute, before virtually collapsing against Freyja, his shoulders shaking.

"Maybe we can close early today."

Both looked back at Brokk in surprise.

"When did you come in here?" Freyja was startled- she hadn't noticed a thing!

"About three minutes. I would like to have a picnic at the beach. All three of us."

Freyja's eyes lit up. Eitri looked at Brokk cautiously.

"The beach is quite a way away, brother. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I can get a buggy," Freyja volunteered.

Brokk sighed- he hated admitting his weaknesses, but... "That would probably be best."

"All right, it's settled." Freyja declared. "I'll run home quick and get a buggy, and then we can all go to the lake!"

Brokk smiled teasingly at her. "And here I thought you'd be overwhelmed by wedding plans."

"Darling, when you have eight daughters you delegate!" A look of horror came over her face.

"What's wrong?" both dwarves asked at once.

"I haven't told Alti. Or Frigga. And this is the sort of thing you share with the only two friends you've got!" Freyja shook her head. "I'll tell them after our picnic. Do you want me to get the food, or-?"

"I think we can manage a basket's worth, especially with all the food your daughters keep dropping in on us!" Eitri reassured her. "Go get the buggy. We'll be ready by the time you're get back."

Freyja nodded once, darting out the door. The brothers were left staring at one another.

"So Freyja's just another paid woman to you?" Brokk said eventually.

"Brother, please. I wasn't thinking about what I was saying."

"She's been the only constant we've ever had, Brother, and she's to be my wife. I thought you respected her more than that!"

"That is not what I meant!"

"That is what you said."

Eitri shook his head. "Can we just not fight about this right now?"

"I haven't got forever anymore, Eitri. I would like some reassurance that you and Freyja will comfort each other when I am gone."

Eitri stared at him in disbelief. "She won't come anywhere near me if you are not here!"

"Is it yourself or her that you are doubting?" Brokk challenged quickly.

Eitri glared for a minute before sighing in defeat. "I don't know..."

Brokk put an arm around his brother. "Don't push her away because you're afraid she will leave. Just don't."

"I probably won't have to." Eitri muttered. Brokk's response was cut off by a noise upstairs. They exchanged looks.

"Freyja can't be back already..."

"Perhaps it is one of the girls?" Eitri headed for the stairs as footsteps came down them.

To Eitri's surprise, when he reached the stairs he saw Lord Frey descending them. His brows shot straight up and then narrowed.

"Lord Frey, what brings you here?"

"I want to have a few words with your brother." Frey sounded stern. Brokk heard him before he saw him- he must have pushed past Eitri.

"My Lord." Brokk bowed politely.

Frey examined him, eyes narrowed. "One of my nieces told me Freyja agreed to marry you because of your ill health. I must say you do not look ill from where I stand!"

Eitri pushed past Frey and stood defensively in front of his brother. "He has a mass growing on his brain, but we have some medicines that hold the effects back for some time."

"How long?"

"That is unclear," Brokk replied. "A few weeks."

Frey seemed to deflate, his annoyance fading. "And all you can do is delay it?"

Brokk shook his head. "Mask its effects. Not delay it."

Frey frowned thoughtfully. "If you wish... you know our family has ties to the Mother Goddess, maybe..."

Brokk shook his head. "No, lord Frey. Our people do not believe in altering nature's course. This growth is happening, and as such it is the will of the universe. I will not gainsay it."

"Well, then..." Frey trailed off.

Brokk grinned slyly. "Looking forward to having a dwarf brother-in-law?"

Frey laughed. "It's a shock, I'll grant you that."

Eitri opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. Frey raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You and Freyja are children of the Mother Goddess..."

"Yes?"

"Exactly how many siblings-in-law will Brokk and I be gaining?"

"It'll just be me gaining in-laws, won't it?" Brokk asked. "Since I'm marrying Freyja?"

Eitri's brow furrowed. "Is that how it works? How bizarre!"

"But my brother does bring up a good point..." Brokk looked questioningly at Frey.

Frey shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't met all of my siblings."

Brokk and Eitri looked dazed. "Alright... besides you and Freyja, how many of them live in Asgard?"

"Just one. Thor Odinson."

Both jaws dropped. You could have heard a pin drop.

"The Crown Prince of Asgard?" Brokk's voice was faint.

Frey looked amused. "Freyja never told you?"

"No..." Eitri replied faintly.

Frey decided to take it another step farther. "She did tell you about our oldest brother, right? Atum the god-slayer?"

He felt a wicked laugh build in him as the dwarves paled.

"I'm sorry. That was just too good to resist!"

Eitri pulled himself together first. "That hardly seems like an appropriate joke, my Lord."

Frey blinked. "What- oh, I wasn't joking, it's just incredibly unlikely that it will affect either of you. I just wanted to see your expressions, really..."

"So... you are really his brother?"

"Yes."

Brokk slowly shook his head. "This is unexpected!"

Frey shook his head. "As I said, it doesn't have to affect you. I highly doubt you will ever meet him."

"Good." Brokk sighed. "My lord, my brother and I are supposed to be putting together a lunch..."

"Of course." Frey nodded. "I will make myself scarce... unless you would like some help?"

"We'll manage," Eitri quickly said. "Thank you for the offer."

Frey nodded, leaving silently. He almost walked into his twin outside on the street.

"Frey! What are you doing here?"

"I was getting to my future brother-in-law." Frey took Freyja's hand. "I hope you know what you're doing?"

Freyja tossed her head arrogantly. "Have I ever made a decision without thinking it through?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"... No. Not really. I probably should have done this a while ago, though, Frey. They may be strange in some ways, but the dwarves are good men."

"I suppose you know them best..." Frey folded his arms. "I still think they should have shown more interest in the girls as they grew up, though."

Freyja glared at him. "Not the time."

Frey shrugged. "All right. Enjoy your lunch."

He walked away slowly. Freyja shook her head and tied the horse and buggy to the post outside before going in to help the dwarves finish up.