I introduce you to your new husband. He is the most noted Raider in all of Lunwyn, tales of his exploits have spread across the Northlands and beyond. If you read about it in these books, it is likely he has done it. He comes from a long line of Raiders, his ancestors given the name Drakkar, the Dragon, in ancient times because they were as fierce, mighty and clever as the great beasts of old who plundered the land before their power was leashed by Wohden and used to serve our frosted realm. Though his family have long since ceased these activities, your new husband has again ventured forward as his ancestors did.
It is, however, highly unlikely (this word was underlined and she was right in her guess) you’ll see this note until after you are bound to him. You must know I apologize for that. I would guess, by this time, you will also know why I was eager to be away (another good guess) and understand the timing which I could not avoid for I was never alone prior to my nuptials for father and mother feared I would try to escape. The girls who serve me managed to open a window for me at the time the switch occurred, it was short, and ill-timed for you, but it was unfortunately the best I could do.
I hope that Alyssa, Jocelyn, Esther or Bess had the time to explain things to you about me before you were away on your sleigh to the Dwelling of the Gods for the marriage ceremony. If they did not, I apologize for that too, but I will tell you now you can trust all of them as they know who you are and why you are there. They are not only my servants but also good friends and I would trust them with my life. And they have sworn to me that you can do the same.
To explain, my father’s kingdom cannot pass to a woman and he has no other children but me. Therefore, if I provide no male heir, at his death, Lunwyn will be ruled by his twin brother Baldur who is currently king of Middleland, the nation to our south. Their father, my grandfather, King Halldor ruled both and split it for although my father came forth first, my grandfather was a kind and fair man and he thought this was just and right.
It was not. My uncle is not like my father or grandfather and it is imperative that our beautiful land not pass into his hands, or that of his son. His son, my cousin Broderick, is a lovely man but he is no king. Either of these rulers would be very bad for my sparkling, frosty Lunwyn. Before the House of Wilde secured the throne, Lunwyn saw centuries of dark times, decades upon decades of turmoil. Uncle Baldur’s or Broderick’s reign would be disputed, most likely violently and by many factions, and everything must be done to secure the throne, thus continued peace and prosperity for Lunwyn.
Considering how I am, obviously, I want no husband. But I knew I had to take one for my country in order to provide them with a ruler who could be molded by myself, and a strong father, to be a good king. Unfortunately, no matter how my parents encouraged me then commanded me to do so, I dawdled in this duty. Therefore, Father stepped in and found The Drakkar, who he admires greatly and who often successfully performs difficult or dangerous tasks others cannot and he does this for the realm.
If I were to find a man, he would not be a man like The Drakkar, who frightens me as well as the idea of his advances repulsing me.
But I must do this for my country I just wanted to… wait. To have some time. To explore and be able to be me, something I could not, for fear of my secret being discovered, do at home. And when the witch came with your communication, giving me information of this whole other world I did not know existed, I’m afraid I jumped eagerly at the chance.
I am sure by this time you have come to know what others have said is true (or at least I hope so) about The Drakkar. He is said to be quite virile, very skilled in this area and many women not like me have noted he is extremely pleasing to look upon. In fact, he is much sought after and considered a very fine catch, perhaps, though I pay no attention to these things, the best in the realm.
I do hope with all my heart you feel this way. It may help you as you deal with him to know that he and I do not know each other very well, we have met only three times, we did not converse far beyond the civilities and therefore, although I am certain he knows much of me, as everyone in the realm does, he does not know (again, underlined) me. Therefore, although you will not be working with an entirely clean slate, it is clean enough that I hope you can build the relationship you need to build with The Drakkar to make your time with him enjoyable during your adventure. (Well, she was wrong about that, maybe she was drunk.)
And I also hope that you have found a witch to assist you with not conceiving his child or can find the courage to discuss this with The Drakkar who can don a sheath to stop this from happening. This is my duty, one I will bear on my return. You will simply need to find a way to stop the conception of a child until I can offer this service to my country.
Or, perhaps, in a year’s time, our return to our worlds can be reconsidered. It would truly break my heart to leave my Lunwyn but if you were to wish to remain with The Drakkar and any offspring you can provide who would serve my ice-bound nation with fairness and decency, and be happy doing so, I would make this sacrifice for the good of my people.
But we will communicate when that time comes.
In the meantime, I wish you great adventures with your adventurer, Seoafin. From the communications you sent me, it seems you will fit The Drakkar well.
I do hope that is true.
Yours,
Sjofn
Okay, so she didn’t want to totally play me, but still, she played me. I had been very forthcoming with her about why I wanted the switch so clearly she’d been (kind of) matchmaking at the same time looking out for herself. She had not been as forthcoming with me including news about her upcoming nuptials and her Mom and Dad not being her biggest fans and the duty she had to her country.
It would have been nice to have a choice and know what I was dealing with prior to having to deal with it.
But I had to admit, reading about the Raiders/Voyagers, the thought that that man was one of them was intriguing. I had the sense from the books that their lifestyle was romanticized more than a little bit (again, carefully selected by Sjofn, no doubt in order to call to my own spirit for adventure, something I’d shared with her). But their adventures on the seas, their wide travels, the people they had to meet, the things they saw… well, I was me, the adventurer daughter of two adventurers.
I couldn’t say Sjofn was wrong about that.
Still, she could have warned me including the fact that she had told him about herself and that he clearly had not reacted well to this news. Unless she had done it while drunk off her ass and didn’t remember which seemed to be the case.
Nevertheless, he was gone, I was here, I was on my adventure and, as I always did, I was sucking all I could get from it. I had my cozy little rustic-chic cabin. I could bake an amazing pecan pie with a fantastic, flaky crust in an old-fashioned oven (and I bet none of my girlfriends at home could pull off something like that and Claudia had proved she could cook on anything, campfire, camp stove, underground hot stones, anything). I had my own personal hot springs. I had a fat, purry cat to cuddle (that I hoped Valentine could get home with me when I went back). And when I was tired of my own company, I had four horses to choose to ride and a town full of people to chat with.
I was totally set and having a fabulous time.
And I couldn’t wait to tell Claudia, though I told myself I wouldn’t rub her nose in it.
I expertly shuffled the cards, my eyes on them, as I suggested, “How about I teach you boys poker?”
Although I suggested it, I didn’t know how I was going to do it considering they didn’t have the same face cards. They had diamonds but they had no hearts, clubs or spades, instead they had stars, moons and daggers. But the deck started at a dash or “naught” and also had ones, a ghost card and a sorceress card so I figured we could make ones aces and naughts, ghosts and sorceresses could be face cards.
As I was deciding this, I realized none of the boys had said anything so I looked up.
It was then I belatedly felt the air in the pub which was wired.
And it was then I belatedly noticed that Ulysses, Frederick and Laurel were all looking in the direction of the door.
And that was when I felt a weird, pulsing and warm but very scary energy beating at my back.
Shit, Dad had always told me never sit with your back to the door. And there I was, like Wild Bill Hickock before he bought it, sitting with my stupid back to the door.
Slowly, I turned in my chair. Equally slowly, my eyes drifted up the so dark brown it was nearly black
