All of which would be impossible for Finnie to be if the world of the winter bride waiting for him at his cabin held little magic for she, clearly, wouldn’t either.
After sifting through this knowledge in his brain, finally, The Drakkar lifted his chin.
Nillen’s smile beamed from his face before he announced, “The Great Keer and Destiny have prevailed.”
Drakkar blinked and the elves around the clearing twittered.
“Explain,” he demanded.
“Why, my lord, you’ve married your rightful Ice Bride.”
Drakkar’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you said her world holds little magic.”
“It does but that doesn’t mean it holds none. She’s of the elves, albeit the elves of her world, she’s still of the elves, our kind there long since gone to their realm deep within the earth, never to return. Princess Sjofn holds her coloring from traits passed down naturally through her parents, although latent in each parent, they have come out in her by pure chance. Your Seoafin holds her coloring because she carries the blood of elves.”
Drakkar studied Nillen’s happy face and noted, “I see this pleases you.”
Nillen lifted his chin and replied, “Indeed it does, my lord.”
Drakkar thought of Finnie but he didn’t need to do so. He already knew she pleased him which was why, although he proceeded cautiously with a woman unknown to him, he continued to proceed. Until now, he hadn’t known if she was a Sjofn of the House of Wilde bewitched (probably, he had thought, by her mother) to be to his liking, if the gods were at work or if a double had been created for fiendish reasons. What he did know was that he was enjoying testing all these theories, therefore, warily, he proceeded to test them.
Now, he knew he had Sjofn’s beauty in his bed but with Finnie’s grace, Finnie’s humor and Finnie’s fire.
Yes, this very much pleased him.
What didn’t please him was that, albeit good news, tonight’s message wasn’t urgent and the elves who approached his cabin had told him it was of grave import.
This news as it stood could wait to be passed on.
At the very least, it could have waited for a bloody half hour.
“I’m uncertain, Nillen,” Drakkar growled, “why I was taken from my bed, and my wife, to hear this news. It is good, is it not? And it will not change.”
Nillen’s smile died and he shook his head but said, “Yes, my lord, it is good. But I’m afraid, not at present, but in future, it will change.”
Drakkar crossed his arms on his chest. “How?”
“Your Ice Bride is not in our world for good, Frey Drakkar, she returns to her world in ten months and two weeks, switching back with Sjofn.”
The Drakkar’s body again grew tight, so tight, it went statue-still and it felt like the area around his heart squeezed. Hard.
“She returns?” he said softly, his voice low.
“Yes, a deal was struck. They were to remain switched for a year then return to their worlds. Sjofn has warned her of you and explained her reasons for your union. She has also warned her not to get with child as she will see to that duty on her return.”
Duty.
The Drakkar did not like Sjofn of the House of Wilde and he liked her less and less the more he knew of her including her casting his Finnie into a situation that had to terrify her when she only wanted to voyage to an unknown world in order to spend time with her parents.
This in particular was a circumstance he was trying not think of for this type of voyage was gravely hazardous as evidenced by her finding herself in the situation she faced practically upon her arrival.
As a man, he regularly sought such ventures. As a powerful, experienced and skilled man, he bested many perilous situations.
His Finnie was not a powerful, experienced and skilled man.
Bloody hell, his wee wife could have been hurt.
And that didn’t bear thinking about. Not then. Nor did his actions after he’d wed her bear thinking about. He’d think about it later.
And, much later than that, he’d discuss her behavior with her and the fact she would desist in it immediately.
Drakkar turned his mind from these thoughts and focused on Nillen.
“Then I will not let her return,” Drakkar decided and Nillen shook his head.
“The witch from her world who made the switch is extremely powerful. She holds more magic than most witches on this world, witches able to practice openly and share with and instruct each other. True magic is hidden in that world for reasons I do not understand. But this witch, your Ice Bride’s witch, holds the magic of fifty of our most powerful witches. This switch between worlds does not occur very often, it is extremely rare and the reason why it is rare is that it takes an inordinate amount of magic to perform it thus any witch attempting it will be depleted of all her power once the switch is made, placing herself, I’m sure you understand, Frey Drakkar, at grave risk. If a witch of that world, or this one for that matter, gathers enough magic to perform the switch, they will be drained and it would take decades for them to regain such power. The witch who switched your Ice Bride with Sjofn of the House of Wilde will not face this same weakening. She holds enough magic to make the switch and switch them back with only a small dwindling of power and will be at her full strength again in a year’s time in order to perform the switch again. You could consult a witch, my lord, but it is unlikely any witch in our world could bind your wife here with enough power to subvert the efforts of your bride’s witch to perform the return.”
“All right,” Drakkar agreed, “I can see this but no witch, no matter how powerful, has magic enough to rival the elves.”
And this was true. A single elf held more magic than the evil she-God Minerva of Hawkvale and the benevolent Lavinia of Lunwyn, witch servant of Alabasta, Goddess of Wisdom and overseer of the earth combined. The magic of all the elves magic was only rivaled by the gods… and the dragons.
Slowly, Nillen smiled.
Then he whispered, “You wish us to bind your Ice Bride to this world?”
“Immediately,” Drakkar replied without hesitation.
Nillen’s smile widened.
Then it faltered.
“You should know, at this time, your bride does not wish to remain in this world. If we bind her here, she will never go back and you know a spell cast by elves cannot be withdrawn without sacrifice. She has ties there, acquaintances she cares for deeply, dreams she wishes to fulfill, belongings that matter to her. She may not wish this, to be bound to this world, a world where she has no ties and a world that is very different from hers.”
“Leave that to me,” Drakkar stated.
Nillen studied Frey Drakkar.
Then he cautioned, “This is your Destiny and you know it is our duty to fulfill your command but you should also be aware that if you bind your Ice Bride to this world, so she can permanently take her place, you must also relegate Sjofn of the House of Wilde to live her days in the other.”
“And I should care about this?” Drakkar asked.
“My lord, it is your due to command us and it is your duty to make such decisions about your Destiny for it is known by all elves straight from Keer that the destinies of Frey Drakkar, Lord of the Elves and his Ice Bride’s intermingle with every citizen of Lunwyn and every elf who resides deep in the earth under our frosted country. That said, these are weighty matters you decide in a heartbeat.”
“This nation’s only princess fled her country for selfish reasons, thoughtlessly throwing an innocent into an unknown situation and placing her at risk. Already, my bride shines a different light on her people than that of her twin and from what I’ve seen, they bask under her glow. I do not make this weighty decision without consideration, Nillen, and you know I never do.”
“No,” Nillen replied quietly, “I know you never do. I am simply cautioning you that you may wish to delay, your union with your Ice Bride is new and there may be consequences to your actions.”
“Leave those to me too,” Drakkar returned.
