Mist & Moonlight

Chapter 7 | Enduring the Silence

Freydis lay motionless beneath the thick furs, her body rigid as Arlick's arm wrapped around her waist, his touch possessive, almost suffocating. His breath, rough and uneven, warmed the nape of her neck, but it did nothing to chase away the cold that had settled deep inside her. She forced herself to remain still, every fiber of her being resisting the instinct to pull away.

She turned her gaze toward the shadows that played across the ceiling, each flicker of the firelight reminding her of a freedom she no longer possessed. She thought of Erik then, and her chest tightened painfully. Erik, with his steady eyes and fierce heart, had been the one to make her feel alive, to make her believe that she was more than just a pawn in a game of alliances. His touch had never felt like a claim, but a promise—a promise of something that could never truly be taken from her.

She breathed in slowly, willing herself to escape the present, to sink into the memory of Erik's arms. She thought of the way his hands would cup her face, his fingers rough but tender against her skin, as if she were something precious to him. The memory of his voice echoed in her mind, the words he had spoken to her the one of last times they were together: "I will always love you, Freydis."

Even now, his words gave her strength. She clung to them like a lifeline, a secret vow that no one—not even Arlick—could take from her. In Erik's love, she found the courage she needed to endure this charade. It was his child she carried, a piece of him growing stronger with each day, though she hid the truth behind a mask of compliance. Arlick believed the child was his, and for now, that lie was her shield. But in her heart, there was no doubt; she belonged to Erik, and Erik belonged to her.

Arlick shifted beside her, his hand trailing lower, his fingers resting on the curve of her belly. To him, it was a gesture of pride, a sign of the future he believed was his to shape. But to Freydis, it felt like a trespass. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the furs to mask the resentment that flared within her. She had chosen this path for the sake of her family, and the safety of the realm, but each day it grew harder to swallow the bitterness of it.

When Erik had told her he would always love her, it had been more than a declaration. It had been a promise that no matter where fate led them, that love would endure. And so, she let herself remember the warmth of his embrace, the feel of his lips against her brow, the way he had cradled her close as if nothing in the world could harm her while she was in his arms. It was a memory she revisited often, a refuge in the silence of her thoughts, when Arlick's touch became too much to bear.

Arlick leaned in closer now, his voice murmuring something low and indistinct in her ear. She barely heard him. His words washed over her like the wind, meaningless and distant. She turned her face away, feigning exhaustion, her mind drifting back to the last time she had been with Erik, how he had held her after a long day, the sound of his laughter rumbling against her chest as they lay together, wrapped in each other's warmth. His hands had traced slow, soothing circles on her back, and he had whispered her name like a prayer.

With Erik, there had been no need to pretend, no lies to shield the truth of her heart. He had seen her, not as a bargaining piece, but as the woman she was, and she had loved him all the more for it. She held on to the certainty of his love now, letting it ground her as Arlick's hand stilled on her belly.

She wondered if Arlick could sense the distance that stretched between them, the walls she had built with every touch she endured. Perhaps he did, or perhaps he was too blind to see that the child she carried would never truly be his. It was a secret she kept close, even as she endured his embrace, a secret that gave her hope.

The fire crackled in the hearth, its warmth reaching no further than the edge of the bed. Freydis breathed deeply, her fingers clutching the fur-lined bedding as she whispered Erik's name in her mind, over and over, a silent vow that echoed the promise he had made to her. She would wait for the day when she could speak the truth, when she could look into her child's eyes and see Erik's spirit there, fierce and unyielding.

Until then, she would bear this burden. She would endure Arlick's touch and the life of lies she had woven. She had to—for Erik, and for the child she carried. But in her heart, she was never truly here; she was with Erik, always.

As sleep tugged at her consciousness, Freydis allowed herself one last thought of him—his arms wrapped around her, his voice assuring her that she was loved, that no matter what, they would find a way to be together again. She drifted into the dark, clinging to that promise, letting it carry her to where his love could reach her even in the silence of her dreams.