Winter of Yggdrasil

Chapter 14

Kenna presented her suggestion at each session across the kingdom. The complaints were all the same. Thor and Loki managed to resolve some of them while they were there. While they did that, Kenna took the time to go about the villages and encourage the families. It was what her mother would do if she had been able to come. She worked with the wives and spent time with their daughters. The young unmarried women sought her advice and the young married ones thanked her for the times during the sessions when she spoke up for them.

The women deserved a voice and Kenna told them all that she would do what she could with Thor to ensure that they were not forgotten when change did come. Ebony was good at that, reforming things. She could have an entire program for reform and all its steps and methods prepared within days. She promised to put her mother and her friends on the case and women visibly brightened. Frigga, Ebony, Sif, and Sigyn had all banded together over the years to create a formidable force for all kinds of changes. Promising their support meant almost guaranteed success. Besides, the men in charge had soft spots for all of them. It wasn't exactly hard to get the crown's support.

She returned to her room one night in the village lord's home to write to her mother when Loki knocked.

He leaned on the wall and smiled at her. "You've been doing well. They're staring to respect you."

"Are they?"

"You've become quite the beacon of hope for them, the younger ones especially. I notice there is less hostility in villages with more youths."

"Well they've been lobbying for change for god knows how long. Perhaps they're glad to see someone their age in power. I've promised them mother will take up their cause. They love her."

He sat on the edge of the bed, smiling. "Of course they do. She's stubborn, quick to act, a beacon of hope and change. Asgard has never been the same since her arrival, for the better I think."

"You think everything's better with mom involved."

"Biased but I don't mind." He shrugged and yawned. "I'm going to bed."

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again." She mumbled.

"You're not the one with back problems."

She rolled her eyes. "Bye grandpa."

"You're not too old for a beating." He laughed, closing the door behind him.

The ride back to the palace was a long one that took them five days. They returned to a few villages to stay the night, finding that their welcome was a little warmer this time. Kenna grew more restless to see Rowan as they got closer to home. Communication with everyone at home had been limited because they were never in one place for long. She knew nothing of his condition and the worry was slowly eating away at her.

When they arrived home late at night, she jumped from her horse and ran right to his room. He was laying in bed and staring up the the ceiling. He jumped and sat up as she opened his door. He grinned and stood quickly, catching her as she threw herself into his arms.

He held her tightly and breathed her in. "How did it go?"

"Wonderful! I think this might actually work!" He laid down slowly, wincing slightly. Kenna sat down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

His hand went down to his mostly healed wound and he lay on his back. She sat up and climbed over him to the other side of the bed. He looked down as she set her palm to his side. Cold spread through his skin and soothed the pain away. He sighed and relaxed. She smiled. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." He looked down to see the skin of her hands had faded to blue. Reaching down, he took one hand and traced the markings over the back of it. "Will you ever show me what you really look like?"

"You've seen it."

"Not up close."

She shrugged. "Maybe one day."

"What are the markings for?"

"They're birthmarks. It has to do with your birthday and bloodlines, how high up you are in the hierarchy. Often there is a large repeated mark where you have your strengths. Father and I both have half circles on our foreheads."

"Oh..." He went back to staring at her hand. "Does it bother you? Being one of them? Looking like this?"

"Not really. I think it's better. We have more perspective."

"Would they consider you a runt?" He grinned, his tongue sticking teasingly between his teeth.

She poked him in the stomach. "Shut up." He laughed and winced, still smiling. "I found out that they actually get a little smaller when in warm climates for a long time. So Father and I should be taller. But we're still runts. And I would be much more powerful in Jotunheim. The cold helps. It's the only reason you can touch me. If I wasn't so used to the climate, you'd be frostbitten." She relaxed her hold on her form a bit and the cold raced up her arm, revealing a little more blue. Rowan followed the change until it disappeared under her sleeve. He sat up a little and traced a raised line from her palm to her shoulder. "Does it bother you?" She asked.

"I don't know.... Not really. I'd like to see you. As you are."

She smiled and nodded to where she'd relieved his wound. "How does that feel?"

"Better." She started to pull away but he caught her wrist. "Don't." The blue had begun to fade again. It returned slowly. Rowan sat up and traced the markings up her arms as they curled and twisted across her skin. He met her gaze. "From what I understand... You gained control of the spell that keeps you hidden when you were six. Right?" She nodded. "So what would it take..." His hand curled over the back of her neck. He drew her closer. "To make you forget all of that?"

There was an answering twist low in her stomach, something pulling her closer that she knew in her mind but had never known from experience. She tamped down her pounding heart but had to roll her eyes as she realized Rowan's fingers were on her wrist anyway. He smiled.

"It would take quite the distraction." She said. "But you're wounded and tired. I should go."

He pouted. "One kiss then? Eir prescribed rest and relaxation and I assure you a kiss would go a long way."

She snorted, smacking his chest. "Yeah, right."

"You never let me flirt with you."

"You're bad at it." She giggled. "One kiss. I'm sleepy too. And no, I'm not staying."

They jumped as someone knocked on the door. "Bedtime, Kenna." Loki's voice came through the door.

Kenna sat up. "I am literally old enough to stop a rebellion and he's giving me a bedtime?!"

Don't give me that attitude. Loki replied in her head. You're not supposed to have that door closed. Out.

Rolling her eyes, Kenna turned back to Rowan. There was a light blush on his cheeks and his smile was shaky, embarrassed maybe. She sighed and leaned over to kiss him.

"He's going into dad mode. I should go." He kissed her again before nodding.

She closed the door behind her, shooting Loki a pointed nudge as if to say "happy now?" and trudged to her room, disappointed. She'd never felt that before, the rush of heat that had suffused her at the thought of kissing him. Of course, her father had to go and ruin it.

Don't start. Loki warned.

She rolled her eyes and closed her door, leaning her head back against it with a heavy groan.