Tactless Temerity

12

Sigurd Evik

"Your grace."

That made me tilt my head towards Elden, one of my best Seekers. I was not fond of that term for it entailed horrors rather than royalty. I let it slide and motioned for him to take a seat.

"What do you have for me?"

"A location."

"Good. Keep seeking. You may go." I dismissed. I waited for him to leave before picking up my phone and calling Dustan. If I was my younger self, I would not even give him the courtesy...but I was more mundane and civilized now.

"Siggy, my boy." I hissed at his playfulness.

"I have his location."

"Ah...would you like me to do the honors?"

"No. I just wanted to let you know."

"Well then, don't let me stop you."

I nodded at no one then ended the call. I leaned on my chair and a saccharine smile started to form around my lips.

"What to do..." I chuckled to myself at the idea of blood. It had been a while...a long while for me and I knew that I had to let out my old self from time to time, and what better way... "What better way indeed." I reached for my phone back and pressed on the Ennead app.

ShieldMaiden is online.

Send a message.

I have a gift for you, shield maiden. J

I saw her typing back, making me smile.

You left early.

I clenched my jaw at her message. I knew that I forgot something a while ago. I was not able to say goodbye to her.

I did not mean to leave early. It's work. I'm preparing for my fifth child's future.

You have children? I did not know this.

I chuckled to myself.

In my head, there are already four...and they are already set for life. I want to be able to provide for them this early. Now I'm working for my...ah, forgive me, OUR fifth.

You're crazy, northman.

I'm crazy about you. Where are you?

At the agency. I'm working on a speech for that asshole from that infamous food poisoning scandal.

I missed you, by the way.

I was stunned in all honesty, that I dropped my phone. It had been a few weeks after Spain and Josephine softened a bit, and stopped trying to avert me. I knew that I was at most times demanding more than I should of her time and presence and she often told me to take it down a notch but I still do more anyways because I cannot fucking get enough of her.

Though my current dilemma was how to tell her about my true intentions without her fleeing the second I was done letting her know. I was not one to take for granted every attention that she was giving me but I sure would not want it to stay just as it was for so long. And reading her message saying that she missed me was a fucking fantastic trigger for me to move forward.

I learned in time that she was more than fragile beneath the façade that she sported at work and that I had to be, if not best, better...a better man with no comparison to anyone else.

Just the man that she needed. And I hoped that I would always be that man for her.

I locked my phone and stood up. My shield maiden misses me and I should take care of it.