Definitely.
It was also safe to say that Tor was relieved my pregnancy was over. Although I had an easy one, some morning sickness just after we arrived back from my world, but that was it, my labor and delivery was not Tor’s happiest memory even if the end result was spectacular (what could I say? – our son was gorgeous).
Actually, it wasn’t that bad, although the labor lasted for eight hours which definitely sucked. But the midwife explained that amount of time was not unusual and the delivery didn’t take long at all (though it felt, at the time, like it took freaking years).
My prince, however, did not like to see me in pain and since he didn’t leave my side from start to finish, he had hours of it, just like me. Furthermore, his father had lost three wives, his mother had died while having him, my mother nearly died while having my sister and my sister did die. Therefore, my cries, moans, whimpers and, eventually, shouts were pure torture to him and he did not hide it. Through it, I did my best to make him understand it was all natural but considering I was going through labor and having a baby without fun stuff like drugs, I wasn’t very successful in these endeavors.
I didn’t like that he so clearly suffered right along with me (maybe, if it could be believed, he’d suffered more).
But still, I loved him all the more for it.
And although relieved my pregnancy was over, that didn’t mean at his earliest opportunity after Hayden made his entrance into this world, Tor didn’t go about another attempt, or, I should say, spectacularly going about a number of regular attempts (as usual) to get me that way again.
When we were out of earshot and up the first four of the curving, marble stairs, I whispered, “Honey, what’s –?”
He cut me off, eyes forward, arms still engaged in cradling his son and holding me close, “We’ve had disturbing news, my love.”
Damn.
“What’s that?” I asked and Tor didn’t answer until we were at the top of the stairs and several feet down the wide hall.
There, he stopped me and curled me into his front so my son, my prince and me were all in a close huddle.
This, normally, would make me feel great. At the troubled look in Tor’s beautiful blue eyes, I didn’t feel great.
I lifted a hand and rested it on the wall of his hard chest just as I slid my other arm around his waist in a successful effort to make our huddle closer.
“Frey Drakkar and Apollo Ulfr of Lunwyn and King Lahn of Korwahk are all here,” he told me and I blinked.
I knew of Lunwyn and I knew of Korwahk. In fact, I knew quite a bit about both considering much had happened in Lunwyn (the icy country to the far north of the continent where Hawkvale was), the former Middleland (which had been its own country until a recent war meant it reverted back to Lunwyn) and, obviously, Korwahk. Tales had spread widely of what had gone down in Lunwyn, Middleland and Korwahk and all of this had something directly or indirectly to do with the now deposed and really not well-liked King Baldur of the former Middleland who was currently in exile on some island somewhere.
I also knew of these places because, obviously, Circe of my world was the Korwahk Queen.
“Why are they here?” I asked.
He took in breath through his nose but didn’t lose eye contact before he started, “Firstly, I have just received the news that Frey, who is a long time friend of mine, is wed to the Ice Princess of Lunwyn.”
I nodded, knowing this including the fact that Frey Drakkar was a friend of Tor’s and also knowing he sounded like one seriously cool dude considering he commanded dragons (awesome!) and elves (also awesome!) and he was like a Viking or something to boot. Further, everyone had heard of him and the Princess of Lunwyn considering their love match was a tale told far and wide seeing as their marriage was arranged and yet, within months, they were clearly, obviously and unguardedly head over heels in love.
Tor went on, “That isn’t the news, Cora, the news is, I learned from Frey that Princess Sjofn, he calls her Finnie,” his arm gave me a squeeze and his voice dipped low, “she is of your world.”
I blinked and felt my lips part.
Then I whispered, “No joke?”
Some of the intensity in his eyes shifted as his lips twitched and he whispered back, “No joke, love.”
“Wow,” I breathed.
Cool!
He gave me another squeeze and the intensity came back into his eyes as he continued, “You will meet her very soon. As you will meet Circe, who came with Dax Lahn. They’re all in my study.”
This time, my mouth dropped open.
Cool!
Tor kept talking, “They do not come with good tidings, Cora.”
My mouth snapped shut and my heart squeezed.
Then I whispered, “What?”
His head dipped closer as his arm held me and our son closer and he said gently, “Those who hold magic in Korwahk and Lavinia of Lunwyn, a very powerful witch, received word from the gods. These were promptly communicated to Dax Lahn and Frey with all due haste.”
Word from the gods? The gods of this world talked to people?
I had no chance to ask this but Tor answered it anyway. “This is highly unusual, in fact, I have never heard of this happening before, my love, not ever.”
Oh boy.
Tor kept going. “Not knowing the others had received like communications, due to what was communicated, they all immediately moved to come here to meet with me to form an alliance at the same time sending out several scouts to ascertain if the information the gods communicated is correct.”
“What information?”
Tor did not hesitate to reply. “The information that Baldur has escaped his island and aligned with Minerva and two malevolent witches of Hawkvale. They have seized Cora, the Exquisite for reasons we do not currently know and they are very close to instigating some nefarious plan, the results of which they hope to achieve, we also do not know.”
I stared at him as my body got tight.
Then I asked, “Was the information correct?”
He held my eyes and said carefully, “The one scout who returned, a Korwahk warrior, confirmed it was.”
The one scout?
Oh my God.
“Tor,” I whispered, pressing closer to him and our still sleeping son.
“These witches are known, Cora,” he told me softly. “They are not good women. They have been watched and it is known they have been amassing power for decades. We are not unaware of this situation.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, love, it is. What is not good is that we have been taken unaware by their recent movements which were entirely covert. Further, we have no idea what they intend to do, we have no idea why they have taken Cora, the allegiances they have made are more than a little concerning, including Baldur, who was not a good man before by any stretch of the imagination but who now more than likely has vengeance on his mind, and, lastly, they hold massive power.”
I closed my eyes.
“Sweets, eyes,” Tor whispered so I opened them. “Lavinia of Lunwyn is also very powerful. So is Frey, the power at his command is beyond anything considering he controls the dragons and commands the elves. And lastly, Lavinia has called to a witch of your world, a woman named Valentine, a woman Lavinia says is the most powerful witch she’s ever seen. She is also a woman who has agreed, for payment, to help.”
“Well that’s good too, isn’t it?” I semi-repeated.
