Chapter Seventy

Enid stretched, easing that ache in her back and sighing as she followed Ivar out from behind the curtain, but then he went still, catching her by the arm and pulling her behind him as he stared out into the hall, his eye narrowing into thin slits. Enid leaned over then, peeking around his shoulder to see them sitting there, hearing Little Frigga laughing, big, loud laughs as she collected things to hand them to Erik. Erik smiled at her, nodding and placing them on the stool beside him only to watch as she scurried across the hall again, and then he turned, that smile still on his lips, his eyes still soft and warm to listen to Freya.

Enid couldn't hear them, whatever she was saying Freya's voice was quiet. She only smiled at something, her eyes half-closing as she laughed and leaned back in her chair and Enid didn't know if Freya saw it, but that smile on Erik's lips wavered as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes unblinking as he watched Freya laugh, and then he jerked his head away, staring off into the flames with his forehead furrowing in a slight crease. Ivar sighed then, turning his back to the throne and resting against it, but Enid kept watching, unable to look away from Erik's face, watching as his eyes grew distant and hazy.

"She's too much like me," Ivar sighed, and then he looked again, peeking over the top of the throne and saying, "You have to talk to her, Enid."

"I did."

"Oh…" Ivar shook his head. "Then all we can do is hope she grows out of it."

"She'll grow out of it," Enid laughed. "She's just a child, Ivar. It's harmless."

"I was her age when I decided on Helga."

That smile on Enid's lips vanished, then she was staring around the side of the throne with her face scrunching up in a scowl.

"I'll talk to her again," she said.

"It's not going to help," Ivar sighed. "We just have to hope that she's right."

Enid looked at him then, that scowl on her face growing deeper, a scowl she saw mirrored on Ivar's face, and for a moment she thought that they would both leap, that they would come racing and charging from behind that throne together, but then she found herself laughing and he rested his head against the back of the throne and sighed again.

"I don't like it," he whispered.

"Me neither."

"He'll probably have ten children by the time she's old enough."

"There's nothing wrong with children," Enid laughed, and their eyes met then, both of them smiling for a moment before she found her own wavering.

She couldn't help it, all she could think of were those words, all she wanted to ask next was what he thought about them too, but somehow she couldn't and her insides were shaking, her hands clenching into fists as she tore her eyes away from his. She felt it, that finger that lifted her chin, so warm and gentle, and then he kissed her, so soft and so quick before his lips rested on her forehead.

"No," he whispered, "There's not… Unless you don't want them, Enid."

"I do," she gasped, looking looked up at him then, ready to fight for what was in her heart and make him agree, but he smiled, his head resting against the back of the throne, those sky-blue eyes warm and light.

"I can't wait to get you back to the farm," he whispered.

"But you have to marry me first, Ivar," she said, and he laughed, a laugh that was soft, a laugh that was warm.

"I know that."

"And it's for life, I don't believe in divorces," she added, but she couldn't help it then, then she was smiling, then her cheeks were on fire and she had to look away all because he was smiling too.

"But you can't go back to England then," he said. "And you can't take our children with you if you do."

She had to fight that smile on her lips from turning into a grin and that laugh she felt building in her chest as her heart raced.

"I won't," she whispered. "And I wouldn't… but how would we? There aren't any churches here and… I'm not a Pagan, Ivar. Would we even be allowed to get married?"

Ivar snorted, tilting his head to the side and watching her. "Who would stop us?"

This time she did grin, this time so much more than just her cheeks was on fire and burning, and then she heard him sigh as he tilted his head almost like he was trying to listen to the others in the hall.

"I know what you believe," he said. "I know that you would want your children to be Christians too, but… my people don't believe in compromise. They believe that there's only one way to do things and they would hate our children for believing in something they think is wrong.

"And our children will be born here, they'll grow up here and have to figure out their own way in life just like us… Teach them about your ways," he said, his eyes flicking to hers. "They're also your children, it's important that they know where you came from. And when they are old enough to understand and can defend themselves, we'll let them decide whose god to follow. I won't hate them for choosing yours if that's what they do and I'll always do everything I can to protect them and you."