“No.”
“No?” She tilted her head. “But you always said that you’re brilliant, and yet you can’t think of a way to solve this problem?”
“The solution is that Belle and I leave right away. She can say goodbye to Mason, but she’s coming with me.”
I growled, telling him without words that he could forget that plan.
Freya kept her tone calm. “May I suggest that we explore other solutions?”
“There are none!” Victor’s usual stoic façade began to crack, with a slight tic around the edge of his eyes.
“You don’t think you would be able to persuade your government to let Belle stay here?” Freya asked him.
“No.”
She sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to do it then.”
“You?” Victor snorted. “What makes you think our prime minister will listen to you?”
“What makes you think he won’t?” Freya had that discreet smile that always made her look a bit smug. With her smooth and scar-free skin Freya had always stood out among us Northlanders, not least because she never exploded in anger like the rest of us. Freya was a thinker with an expertise in wrapping people around her finger without their even noticing.
“I hold influence with our prime minister, you’re an outsider. There’s nothing you could get through that I couldn’t,” Victor claimed.
“Maybe we should put that to the test. I suggest that our delegation goes to negotiate with your prime minister. You’ve always made it sound like you French were rational people so I’m sure we can find a solution to this minor issue.”
“Minor!” I grumped. “There’s nothing minor about them trying to take my woman and child from me.”
I felt Belle’s eyes bore into mine from beside me. Guessing that she objected to my calling her my woman, I kept my focus on Victor.
“It’s not me personally. I honestly couldn’t care less if Belle comes back or not. Other people can take care of babies so it’s not a major loss for us, but as I said, her leaving could have a ripple effect that we can’t allow.”
Freya crossed her arms. “Ah, but I heard Mason give you the solution to that problem. You could simply say Belle died. In fact, letting your people believe that the Northlands is a dangerous place could serve you if you want people to stay home.”
Victor hardened his jaw. “We don’t lie!”
I snorted while Freya simply arched a brow at Victor. “Are you sure that you never lie?” she asked.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“No, of course not. We all like an honest man, so tell us, honestly, why do you want to live in a place where you are trapped and can’t ever leave?”
“I’m not trapped. I’ve seen many places in the Motherlands and the Northlands.”
“A prisoner with permission to travel once a year is still a prisoner.”
“I’m no prisoner.” Victor glared at Freya. The tic by his left eye was more visible now.
“What would you call someone who couldn’t leave then?”
I stood next to Belle watching Freya toy with Victor, who was getting increasingly annoyed with her. As if she was having a perfectly normal conversation with him, Freya leaned closer.
“You know, Victor, if you wanted to, you could stay here as well. I know your government made the Motherlands sign a contract not to grant any French citizens residency, but you could stay with us here in the Northlands and maybe have a family of your own.”
He glowered at Freya, his stoic calm broken when he hissed, “I’m done with this conversation.”
“Why? We haven’t come up with a solution yet. You can’t give up that easily,” Freya called after him when Victor pushed past me and strode across the thick carpet toward the exit. “Could you at least take some time to use that brilliant mind you’re always bragging about? See if you can find a solution that doesn’t involve Mason and Belle giving up their child.”
“It’s not their child,” Victor threw over his shoulder before exiting through the massive carved wooden doors.
Freya, Belle, and I stood in silence for a second before I burst out. “Why do you waste time talking to him when he’s such an idiot?”
“He’s not an idiot. He’s proud and stubborn, but we need him to see things our way and make him an ally,” Freya explained while Belle moved to the bookshelf and pulled out a book.
“What are you doing?” It seemed strange to me that Belle had been so argumentative with me but remained almost silent in front of Victor and Freya.
“I wanted to see what he was reading.” Belle turned the green book over and opened it.
Putting down the three books she had been holding, Freya moved to Belle’s side. “Did Victor read this book?”
“Yes. He put it back when we came in, but now I’m curious to see what book it was.”
Freya reached over and turned a page to see the title and then she chuckled. “Oh my.”
“What?” I walked over to the bar in the library where I knew the staff always stocked up on cookies. Grabbing a box, I held it to my chest while stuffing one cookie after the other into my mouth.
“He must have heard Mila and me discuss this book. We’ve both read it at least five times and we never get tired of the steamy sex between Tyton and Devina.”
“Is it the forbidden one?” I asked with another cookie in my hand.
“Yes, Forbidden Letters.” Freya smiled at Belle. “You’ve read it already, right?”
“Yes, it’s the one where they throw letters across the border.”
“Mhmm.” Freya grinned. “I can’t believe Victor was curious enough to find the book. He pretended to have music in his ears and be occupied by a game of solo chess when Mila and I came in. He must have been eavesdropping when we talked about our favorite books. Huh!”
Grabbing a last handful of cookies, I put the box back in the bar. “We should go and talk to Khan and Magni. They’ll want to know about the result.”
When Belle rose on her toes to put Forbidden Letters back, Freya reached for the book. “Do you mind if I take it?”
“No, of course not. Are you going to read it again?”
“I’m going to tease Victor a little. That’s all.”
I groaned. “We don’t have time for fucking teasing. We need to get the French to back off and leave Belle and our child alone.”
“I understand,” Freya said. “But I still think our best option is to go to France and negotiate with them. We should bring Thor, Aubri, and Indiana with us.”
“Why not Khan and Magni?”
“Not if we can avoid it. They’re old school and will start a war the moment the French insult them.”
“So? I don’t have a problem with that.”
Freya narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. “Don’t be a fool, Mason. Wars kill people and they are cruel, primitive, and unnecessary.”
“Maybe, but if that’s what it takes to keep my family, I’ll fight.”
Freya sighed before letting her gaze move between Belle and me. “It’s weird that you two are together now. I’ll have to get used to it but let me be the first to welcome you to our family, Belle.”