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Incandescent sunlight streamed through the thin cloth curtains, dancing throughout the longhouse, filling the darkened room with light.
At the sudden intrusion of the sunlight, Astrid startled awake, rubbing her eyes. Curling into the soft furs, Astrid mumbled incoherently, her words slurred and delayed from sleep.
Rubbing her eyes once more, Astrid let out a yawn, glancing towards the window. Judging from the intensity, it seemed to be mid-morning already; she had overslept.
As she moved to sit up and swing her legs to the side, a sudden pain between her legs halted her movements.
Taking a deep breath, her brows furrowed as an arm curled around her bare waist, fingertips caressing the flat plane of her stomach.
Glancing down at the arm, realization dawned upon her as she gently squeezed out of her husband's warm grip without abrupt waking him from his slumber.
As soon as the balls of her feet touched the wooden flooring of the house, the dull ache came back, the sudden movement seemingly triggering it.
Ignoring the pain that lurked, Astrid tiptoed to the crate that held her dresses and garments.
Without as much as looking at the different colors, Astrid pulled her undergarments on and picked the first dress she touched out.
Casting a wary glance at Niklaus, Astrid was relieved he was still sleeping, soft snores falling from his parted lips as she slipped the emerald gown over her head.
Once dressed, Astrid made her way to her mirror, quickly braiding and pinning her wild locks into a partially braided coiffure.
Truthfully speaking, Astrid wasn't too bothered about what her hair looked like, as long as she looked suitable enough to leave the house and begin her chores.
Taking a moment to look around the longhouse, Astrid smiled. It was nice, though it needed something to make it more like home and not someone else's.
Astrid couldn't help but wonder how Finn felt about the entire situation. The stone built cottage had originally belonged to Finn and Aslaug, the two had been gifted it from Aslaug's grandfather.
It must have been more than difficult for Finn to leave the cottage and move back in with his parents. The small cottage must have held many memories, both good and bad.
Of course Astrid was beyond grateful of the gift that was from the entire Mikaelson clan, but Astrid couldn't stop thinking about poor Aslaug.
This had been the house where she and her rumored child had passed away.
Nevertheless, Niklaus hadn't seemed as appreciative of the sacrifice Finn had made. Astrid could vividly recall the comment he had uttered under his breath, his voice anything but thankful.
