The Concubine - (currently Revising, Complete)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Eydis

My mind was everywhere, the Hall was clean, the children were clean and finally resting for a moment. Eira is set to arrive today, Meili was not worried. He smiled more, worried less than he used to, it was admirable and irksome.

"Stop cleaning." he laughed. "Everything will be fine."

The new Hall was longer than the older one. There was much space, a more significant cooking area, more rooms for the children, and rooms for the servants. I looked at him, grinning, holding our new daughter Kali, "How can you say that?" I asked him.

"Because I am the king." Meili grinned his usual cocky grin and walked towards me. "And the gods have fated it, Eira is the Queen of the baren Land, her King is moot."

"She intends to take Siggy and Esme."

Motherhood extended to them, Sigtrygrr and Esme loved me, and I loved them. I cared for them just like I cared for my three children. I taught them life, fought for them against Meili, and wanted them to inherit the land their father fought so hard to conquer.

"she will do no such thing." Meili breathed. "Yuli!" He called, and the servant appeared next to him in seconds.

"King Meili, Queen Eydis." She bowed.

"Watch the children and inform Geoffrey that we are going for a walk." He handed her the child and smiled at me. "Shoes, now."

"Meili."

"We have time for a walk." he waved, it will be a short walk.

Four years change things, relationships, and hopes. I still remembered times I hated Meili but that Meili had vanished, now when he left, I yearned for him, hated the raids, cursed the gods when they came. I loved him more than I ever imagined possible. The woods behind the Hall belonged to his father when he was younger. He knew them like he knew everything else.

Meili strolled beside me with his hand intertwined in mine. "You worry a great deal for someone who is not scared, Eira."

"I am not scared of her, I welcome her. I welcome her to visit her children and get out of Jutland."

"Afraid she will take everything."

"It is not entertaining that she is interested in this land and our children. Like her or not, there is a kingdom backing her and believing that I am a terrible woman."

"But you are not love, and there is nothing to worry about," he pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my body and then kissing my lips. "Have I ever told about my brother Gunnar?"

"No, I thought it was only you and Leidolf."

"Then allow me to tell you." He continued to walk with me in his arms, guiding the way. "There were three of us, Leidolf, Gunnar, and then me, little Meili. We liked to hike these woods often, my mother and father never worried about us because Leidolf was a good big brother."

"Now, you are telling lies," I interjected.

Meili laughed. "Shhh, woman."

"Make this story truthful."

"We found a beehive, the honey overflowing so much we could sit beneath it with a cup, and it ran over. We all thought, what a blessing the gods have bestowed upon us. We ate and laughed beneath the tree, we all talked of things we intended to do and worlds we wanted to conquer. Leidolf wanted to travel the world, fighting. I wanted to be the King of Jutland, and Gunnar wanted a wife."

"How sweet."

"the beehive fell." He added. "Leidolf idiotically poked the hive, and the bees came out angry, chasing us all the way back to the house. I was stung three times, Leidolf ten and Gunnar once. Gunnar died that night, Leidolf cried that night, and I made a promise."