His Queen | Book 1

Nine: Blót

The eye of the goat, glazed, pupil horizontal and rectangle. It stared right into Sigyn's eye where it stood chained to the altar. A large slab of stone carved with ritual runes. Brasiers are lit with fires that spit embers into the sky all around the courtyard. The sound of drums rang out into the night - dead silent. Priests painted with white and black markings all over their heads, stood around the alter each with bowls in their hands, mumbling things under their breath. The head priest stood in front of the alter holding a large ornamental dagger in his hand to the sky, praising the Nornir and Ymir.

He shouted to the night sky where coloured lights flowed in the air like the ocean. Bright greens and blues, like giant mountains in the sky painted with colour. Sigyn stood just behind the priest with Thor at her side and both families and noblemen and women gathered in the courtyard. No one dared make a sound.

Even Forseti stood with his mother and father looking on with intense interest.

The goat was unblinking as it stared into Sigyn's eye, but it did not feel like it was pleading for its life. It knew what was about to happen and accepted it. A strange creature. She stared back at it with the same intensity.

"We honour the sacred union of tonight!" the priest proclaimed. "With this sacrifice, as I draw this blade across its throat, let it be known to Odin - our protector." The priest pressed the blade to the goats throat. "To Iwaldi, our ally. To the Vanir and Aesir as they are joined closer!"  The blade is slowly dragged across its throat, and blood pours out deep crimson and black.

The other priests came forward each filling up their bowls with blood. Sigyn watched. They didn't care if it spilled all over the alter, or splashed onto the ground and their feet, or soaked their robes. Little by little, the goat sank to its knees until it toppled over drained of life.

"Let this sacrifice saturate us." the priest rounded the alter with a bowl of blood. "Let this sacrifice bring closer what is Aesir and Vanir; god and goddess, man and woman." he dipped his fingers into the blood. "This is a physical sign of two realms joined." The priest put two fingers to Thor's mouth and dragged the blood down in two stripes to his chin. He does the same to Sigyn.

His fingers dipped into the blood and he raised two fingers to her mouth. His fingers pressed into her skin, warm and thick, the blood was dragged over her lips tainting her senses with iron and metallic as it was brought down to her chin in two stripes. "This blood will go to the fields, and this body will go to the feast, its skin will be a pellet, it skull and horns an ornament."

The rhythmic beat of drums picked up and Odin walked forward from the crowd. Sigyn and Thor looked at each other, both turning to face the masses. Odin stopped, adorned with his ceremonial helmet and Gungnir. "Before Yggdrasil, It is done!"

The drums turned into celebrational beats and cheerful boasts rang into the night. The true celebration begun. They were flooded by people, all of them shouting some praise and congrats as they were guided into the palace where the crowd of people would be heading to the feasting hall to drink and eat the night. Sigyn smiled and waved and thanked people she didn't even know.

She was arm in arm with Thor who seemed more than happy to be engaged to the silver princess and she put on the same act. Her eyes locked with Loki as they passed, and he nodded to them. His way of saying congratulations. It was just the engagement; not the wedding. Sigyn had to remind herself. But her cruel thoughts kept telling her the wedding is what she has to endure next.

They danced and laughed their way into the hall where they shared a mug of ale and Sigyn cringed at how strong it was - and she laughed with Thor who then offered to drink the rest.