Astrid moved, her hand going to mine, pushing it down, between a pair of shapely thighs. She was a beautiful woman, a woman of grace and beauty, and she was pushing my hand into all of her secrets. I learned the ways of women that night, and never slept in the barn again. That was where I’d slept until it grew too cold for the barn. Then Astrid brought me inside.
I’d watched her, secretly I thought. These people were strange though, different. I’d seen women together, kissing openly, this was not like my home. She must have seen my gaze on her to take such liberties. Now my lips were on her neck, biting into her as Endre had bitten into me, as she came apart in my arms. For the rest of our lives she loved me, she fought for me.
Endre came to us several months later, and wanted Astrid to make a decision. He wanted me, I wanted them both. Who did Astrid want.
“I would have you as a lover, Viking, but not as husband. I will set Riever free, and we shall marry.” I could only stare at her, stunned once again.
He looked at me. “I would have you both as wife, Astrid. If that would help.”
“Our king says I must marry you, Endre.” Her voice sounded pained.
They’d been betrothed since their childhood, or so I’d been told. There were still secrets in this place, secrets I dared not ask about.
“I’m sorry, Astrid. How can we not love such a fierce warrior as Riever is?”
I had no idea what either of them were talking about, how could two women marry? How could they both love me? How could he marry us both? I’d yearned for him to return to me, to take me from Astrid and make his all over again, but he’d left.
“Endre…” I stopped, unsure of what to say. My hand reached for him, but fell.
“I had to leave you with Astrid, Riever. That was Wruin’s choice. I would have you both to appease him. I want only you, but I will submit myself to Astrid, if only I can have you too.”
It didn’t sound odd when he said it all, it sounded like his heart was breaking. He was trying to find a compromise.
“Wruin saw what we’ve both seen in you, a future.”
“She can’t be yours, Endre. She is not your mate, and she is not Viking.” Wruin, our king, appeared behind Endre. “We need children of our kind.”
What did that mean, I wondered. I wasn’t to know until much later though. Long after Endre was exiled.
“If you will not take Astrid as your bride, Endre, where there’s hope of a child of our kind, then you will be banished. Astrid, if you will not take Endre, then you will be. Your slave will stay here, however.” His face was hard, one of the hardest things I’d ever seen in my life up until then.
“Then I will go, Wruin, and save them both.” Endre, a man unlike any other, but still a man up until that point, promptly went from being a human to a giant dragon before my eyes.
I’ve heard many strange tales in my life, I’ve heard about dragons. I’d had no idea they were real, though. Not until he took flight and left my life forever. Astrid comforted me, and I her, while Wruin stalked away, angry beyond words. His brother had chosen exile over his orders, that must have stung.
As for me, I’m at the end of my life now. Do not weep for me, I had a good life.
A few years after Endre left another dragon came to our village and he gave me my child, my half-shifter. My dear little Bjorn, my son. Grown now, with a family of his own, it’s time to ease the burden of caring for his mother and go to my bliss once more.
Astrid is with me, our hair now white and our faces lined. We had a very long life together, over 40 years, now it’s time to let go. I waited for Endre, I hoped he’d come back to me before I died, just one more time, but he did not come. I think something about me broke him. Now that I understand it all, I believe he thought me his mate. I could have been, I would have been.
I’m happy to have lived my life with Astrid. She made me whole when Endre tore a hole in my soul and left me empty. She brought me back to life, the life he’d wanted to give me but wasn’t allowed to. One day, maybe I will see him again, but not in this life. I hope he does find his mate though, someone to give him the joy Astrid gave me.
I am Riever. I was a warrior for my chief, slave of a Viking, and wife of another. I lived a good life, and now I die a good death.
The End
About the Author
Miranda Bailey is a writer, a food enthusiast, which basically means she loves everything from tacos to curry and back again, and an eternal student always seeking out more knowledge. She currently lives in a rather puzzling villa complex with her partner and a rather European cast of characters and two rescue dogs. When she isn’t puzzling out how to insert a link into text to make it look pretty, she can be found sitting in a café, staring at passers-by, as she wonders what their stories are.
You can find Miranda online at her website.
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