I don’t tell her that Aaric can shove himself right up his own ass. I don’t say anything. I let her wash my hair. I use the pretty smelling soaps and wash my body, glad that it doesn’t smell like the soap Aaric had when I had to bathe in the river.
There is a small drying cloth that Runa hands me before she turns to a dresser. Drying off, I wrap my hair in the towel and turn toward her. She’s already standing in front of me holding the dress up.
Lifting my arms, I slip them inside of the dress, then turn around so that she can fasten it. I’m thankful that Seeress is around my same size and that this dress actually fits me unlike the other one that I had.
Runa guides me over to the chair and starts to fiddle with my hair. I don’t bother asking her what she’s doing or why, it feels too good and I’m suddenly exhausted. Dipping my chin against my chest, I close my eyes and fall asleep as she plays with my hair.
AARIC
“I hear a rider,” I bark.
Standing from the table, I walk over to the window and watch a single rider make their way toward the cabin.
“Your hearing is odd,” Gunnar grumbles.
The rider approaches and my adrenaline escapes as I realize that it’s merely a woman. A moment later I realize that it is the seeress. I let out a hiss, then turn to face my men.
“It is the seeress, let’s meet her outside.”
They follow behind me as I lead the way. It’s not that I have some sort of fear for her being in my space, but this is a personal place. This is a place where only my men have met with me, it is not for just anyone.
“Seeress,” I call out as her horse gallops to a stop.
She jumps from the beast and rushes toward me. “May I speak freely, my Konungr?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I dip my chin and look down into her gaze. “You may. My men now know as much as I do,” I admit.
She gulps, nodding once. “That’s good.” Arching a brow, I wait for her to continue. “Liv has three sisters, all of different hair and eye colors, all of the same parents.”
“So it is all true, okay,” I murmur.
“There is more,” she informs, her eyes wide with what I can only describe as fear.
The seeress never fears, not ever. I’m immediately on guard by her reaction. Watching her intently, I wait for her to continue. She shifts her eyes around, flicking them from each of my men. I notice that she lingers on Gunnar longer than the others, but what she says next wipes that thought from my mind immediately.
“Her sister was missing from her home before Liv was brought here by the gods. She hired a man to find her, and he could not. He said it was as if she vanished into thin air.”
A chill rolls throughout my entire body at her words. “Gunnar,” I bark. “Find the man who will travel, tell him of this. We must know if she is already here, this sister.”
“Sybilla,” the seeress mutters.
“Sybilla.”
Gunnar grunts behind me. The other men stand their ground, but I can practically feel their burning questions.
“Her aura is beautiful, Aaric. She is not evil. She is good,” she says.
Pressing my lips together, I narrow my eyes on her. “She could be sent to tempt me. To lead me astray.”
“Nei,” Seeress rasps. “Her sister is likely here, somewhere. Liv is your intended. You, my Konungr, are a powerful king and warrior, just as the prophecy states. She is yours.”
I think about her words for just a moment. Then I flick my eyes back to the seeress. “Is she with child?” I demand.
The seeress shakes her head, licking her lips before she speaks. “I do not know, Aaric.”
“Will she bear my children?”
She shakes her head. “The gods prevent me from seeing her future. I can only sense her intentions are pure, that she is pure of heart. I cannot see much past that.”
I don’t move. My stomach aches as I try to decide what I am going to do next. I should lock her away until I get all of the information from the man that Gunnar is going to send out. But he will take weeks if not months to travel for answers.
“Gunnar and Hagen, you will be Liv’s personal guard until I get answers. Seeress, you will stay on alert. Runa will also stay in the main hall until more information comes to light on this situation.”
“Yes, Konungr,” they say in unison.
Clearing my throat, I don’t say anything else as I march toward Viggo. Climbing onto him, I grab ahold of his reins and click my teeth. I don’t know what this union between Liv and I will yield, however, I cannot be without her.
The gods brought her to me for a reason. Even if I’m not sure what will happen with her. Even if she could be deceiving me in some way. Everything that happens, that is put in my path is for a reason and I cannot hide from the fates of the gods.
Chapter Ten
LIV
My body is lifted from the chair and I open my eyes as I suck in a breath of panic. Looking up, I know that I should be angry at the man the beautiful blue eyes belong to, but I’m not.
I don’t know if it’s finally because my body relaxes as soon as I realize that I’m in his arms, or if he’s just that damn sexy, but I immediately forgive him for storming away and leaving me all alone.
“Liv,” he rasps, sounding almost exasperated.
He doesn’t say anything else as he walks somewhere. It’s night though, there is no longer sun outside and I’m surprised by how incredibly dark it is. I don’t know how he can even see where he’s going.
Suddenly he dips and lowers me to my feet once we’re inside of a room. I don’t look anywhere but his eyes, it’s as if he’s completely stolen my breath away, and my words.
“Where are we?” I finally whisper.
He smirks, his lips twitching up into a playful grin. “Home, Liv.”
Aaric turns me around, his mouth touches the side of my neck and I can’t help but let out a sigh at the sensation of his warm lips against my skin. He groans, licking me as his fingers move down the closure of the back of the dress I’m wearing.
“Soon you will have your own wardrobe,” he mutters as his lips and fingers travel down the center of my spine until the dress is loose enough to fall in a puddle at my feet.
His fingers span my hips from behind as his lips caress my lower back. Slowly, he spins me around. Looking down at him, I gasp at the fire that is burning in his gaze.
Tentatively, I lift my hand, my finger extending to trace the tattoos on the side of his face, the tribal designs send a shiver of desire throughout my entire body.
“Home,” I breathe.
He nods his head, shifting forward so that his mouth touches my belly. His eyes never leave mine, his lips hover above my skin as he speaks. “You will be my queen, Liv. You will carry my heirs.”
“What about my life, my family?” I ask.
He shakes his head once. “This is your family now, sváss.”
I want to tell him that this is most definitely not my family, but I decide not to nitpick. He has some ideas of grandeur, but I don’t know how long I’ll be here. It’s obvious that this is something magical that happened. While I know I should be freaking the fuck out, I’m not, yet.