More people entered the room, one in particular I immediately recognized—Halla, Kull’s mom.
Her eyes widened as she spotted me sitting beside her son. She approached us cautiously. Halla wore a blue dress with artfully placed silver earrings and a silver pendant around her neck. She was a neat, precise woman, in her dress and in her speech, and I had to admit I felt completely awkward in her presence.
“Kull,” she said as she sat beside him. “I see Olive has returned.” She glanced past him to focus on me. “Olive, I hope you are well.”
“Thank you. Yes.” I cleared my throat. “I’m great.”
“I admit I’m surprised to see you here. We all wondered if we’d ever see you again. Earth Kingdom takes up much of your time, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, unfortunately. Sometimes I feel like I’m two different people.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You know, when I married Kull’s father, I left my home and family behind completely and never looked back. I had to make a choice between where I wanted to be and where I belonged.”
I couldn’t mistake the warning in her voice. If I became Kull’s queen, I would be expected to be here at all times. Being the queen of the Wults was a full-time job, one that I felt completely unqualified for.
More people wandered inside and filled the empty seats at the table. When they saw me, I got the usual suspicious glares. Nothing new. By now, I should have been used to it. Kull noticed the looks, too, so he grabbed my hand and held it tightly atop the table for everyone to see. He was going forward with this marriage whether they wanted it or not.
But did I want it?
Of course I wanted to marry him; that was a no-brainer. But did I really want to become the queen of the Wults? Wult traditions and ceremonies confused me. I had no idea what my duties were or what was expected of me. I could learn, I suppose, but if it meant giving up my life on Earth, would I be able to? Did I even want to?
Sighing, I leaned back against the chair’s wooden slats, having wild ideas of eloping with Kull to some faraway deserted island. Or maybe back to Earth. I could get him a memory charm, and he could pick someone else to be king. Assuming he’d ever agree to it, which he wouldn’t. But still, it was a thought. Probably not the best solution, though.
After everyone settled into the dining hall, the queen rose and held up her goblet. She gave a speech about their ancestors and how they always held such a feast before every great quest, how the gods would protect them, and how the swords of their forefathers would guard them, though she glossed over the part about Kull’s sword being destroyed by me.
Destroying Kull’s ancestral sword wasn’t something I was proud of, but it had to be done. If I had to choose between his life and the sword all over again, my decision would be the same. Still, Silvestra, the silverwitch of Dragon Spine Mountain, had felt sure I could have saved Kull using black magic. I still had no clue why she’d thought such a thing.
When Kull’s mom finished her speech, everyone toasted and applauded accordingly, though everyone seemed a bit bored. This gathering wasn’t at all like the other Wult parties I’d been to where there was too much laughter, shouting, and drinking.
Kull stood next. He held up his goblet and continued where his mom left off. It all sounded rote and memorized, like the Wults had heard this speech too many times to count, but at the end of his spiel, Kull paused.
“One final announcement. I’m getting married.” He took my hand and helped me stand.
The room went silent. I swore I heard crickets chirping. Or maybe that was just my thudding heart.
“I hope you’ll all be able to attend the wedding.” We sat, and Kull didn’t say another word. After several seconds of tense silence, someone starting clapping, and then a few more joined in. Some, however, didn’t clap at all. They only sat staring daggers at their king.
After the feast ended, Kull and I finally made it out of the room. A few people stopped and congratulated him. Brodnik appeared in the crowd. He was a large, boisterous man with a protruding middle and rust-colored beard, and he was also one of Kull’s best fighters.
He clasped Kull’s hand. “It’s about time you two made it official. Congratulations to the both of you.”
“Thank you, Brodnik,” Kull said.
“I couldn’t be happier. But Olive,” he said, turning toward me, “what in Odin’s name drove you to agree to marry him? You know he’s nothing but trouble.”
“Trouble?” Kull said. “Says who?”
“Everyone.” Brodnik laughed. “Well, at least you’ll never have any dull moments, will you? You know I’m only jesting. I couldn’t be happier for the two of you. I realize I’m not in the majority when I say this, but you two were meant to be together. I see it sometimes in people. That’s how it was with me and my wife, and that’s how it is with the two of you. Don’t let anyone talk you out of this. That goes for the both of you.” He gave us a stern look.
“We won’t,” I said truthfully. Kull and I had been through way too much to ever let anything come between us again. By this point, we knew we’d never survive without one another. Not long ago, we’d split up, and those had been the worst months of my life. It would never happen again.
Brodnik gave Kull a clap on his shoulder before walking away from us. Another man appeared from the crowd. I’d never seen him before. He wasn’t much taller than me. His long,
