Eyes of Fire

Crown of Raven Skulls

  "Freydis." I stopped the woman by standing in front of her, and she smiled at me.

  "Hello, Hel." She gave a slight bow of her head.

  "We need to talk."

  "Of course, my Queen." Glancing around, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a quiet corner out of the way. "My Queen, there's no need to be rough."

  "Actually, there fucking is." I let her go and planted a hand against the wall close to her head. "I want to know why the fuck you're telling Ivar all these lies about me."

  "Lies? Hel," She laughed. "you are pregnant. Your belly swells, you've been getting sick-"

  "I've been getting chubby and drunk, you fool. I still bleed, I am not swelling, I do not ache, I am not pregnant!" I snarled while locking eyes with her and watching her expression fall.

  "But the signs-"

  "Are being read wrong. Tell me this, Freydis, is every person that stumbles out of the hall drunk and vomiting pregnant? You should have come to me if this is what you believed. You've now convinced a man he is to be a father when he's not, and his entire life he has feared he'd be unable to. You've given him hope of something he's wanted, and now I have to tell him the truth. Do you realize how much this is going to hurt him? Do you even care?"

  "No, you have to be-"

  "Freydis, you're not fucking listening." I grabbed her jaw, forcing her to keep looking at me. "I am not pregnant, I am not carrying Ivar's child. And for the last fucking time, I'm not a goddess." Stepping away from her, I was still glaring. "I want you to stay away from Ivar."

  "My Queen, you can't choose who he associates with."

  "If I find out you're filling his head with more lies and delusions....I'll fucking kill you and feed you to Garmr."

~

  Rain and thunder roared outside as I held Ivar. It hurt so much telling him the truth, and when it finally got through to him he wasn't to be a father, he broke down into tears. He was crying, his hopes crushed, and the thought that he'd never be a father weighed on him even more than before.

  "Ivar...." I spoke softly while rubbing his back as he sniffled. "I went and saw the Seer." He still didn't say anything, and the storm outside raged on as the fire in the pit crackled. "He told me a few things, and one of the things he told me is that, even if not now," Gently touching his cheek, I wiped away some of his tears with my thumb as he looked at me. "one day you will be a father."

  "No, I'm not." Ivar's lip quivered. "I can never have children."

  "So you say the Seer lies?" I questioned. "When has he ever lied?"

  "But, Hel-"

  "Ivar, we still have many, many years ahead of us. You still have time to become a father. Just because you aren't now does not mean you never will be."

  "....What else did the Seer tell you?"

  "Ivar-"

  "Hel, what else did he tell you?" He grabbed my hand on his cheek, and I clenched my jaw before answering.

  "He says I am more than just marked. Do not misinterpret, I am no goddess, but he says there is more to me."

  "Did he say what?"

  "I didn't give him the chance to. I didn't want to hear it." I shook my head. "I was more concerned about your safety."

  "My safety?" His brows furrowed.