The Prophetess *COMPLETED*

Chapter 14

Men are stupid. I decided the very next day while Throst acted like a servant around me. I could not even open my mouth to yawn without him jumping in trying to do things for me. I hurt me to see him acting like this. My every attempt to talk to him about what had happened was stone walled, or he made up a reason to run away.

I spent days crying, not because of what had happened to me,  but for what he was doing. The women in the household started giving him mean looks and I could see he was feeling worse and worse. And even worse than his feelings, was his attitude. He did not let me speak to him, he did not touch me at night, he barely even looked at me. The day came and went when Bruma declared me fit to be a wife again, but Throst did not even reacted when I was trying to tell him. I decided I had to do something. Anything.

I thought for a long while, trying to come up with something. He did not want to talk to me, or look to me, but he still cared for me, I was sure of that... maybe I could pretend to be in danger? He would surely run to wherever I was... But how to get him to stay... and I would need Thora's help. Bruma's too, if possible.

Eventually, we had a plan.

I went to the farthest lake in the forest, the one Throst had shown me a long time ago.  Thora had instructions of telling Throst I had been gone all day and that she was worried about me, and Bruma would pipe up and tell him to hurry, that I was in danger of drowning.

Meanwhile, I swam naked in the clean, crystal like waters waiting for him. I did not have to wait long. An hour after I arrived, Throst came running with wild eyes. I pretended to have difficulty in the water, and he dove in without stopping to remove his garments. He dragged me to the grass and I let him, just looking at him. When he saw my state of undress, his eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"Husband." I said gravely.

"What, in the name of all the Gods were you doing? By Odin, I almost died thinking you were in danger." He bellowed.

"Did you?" His eyes widened at my tone. I was absolutely furious. That son of a she devil.

"What?"

"Listen to me Throst Ardwinson, I find it very black hearted of you to worry about my physical body when you are destroying my heart." He paled. "Do you think it makes me glad to see my husband, the man I love, reacting to me like a beggar reacts to a king?"

"But it was my fault..." I interrupted.

"How was it your fault? Were you the one who abducted me? Did you just step aside when they went to get me? NO. You were with your people, trying to take care of them. By the love of Freyja, do not feel guilty for that." His eyes swam with tears.

"If you want to feel guilty about something, husband, feel guilty about the pain your behaviour has caused me."

"I do npt think I can forgive myself." He said quietly. I paled, and started crying. In silence, I dressed and stood in front of him.

"Then I will divorce you Throst. I love you. I really do. But I cannot be with a man who shames himself in front of me. I love you too much to bear that sight everyday for the rest of my life." I turned away and walked home, the scalding tears in contrast with my ice cold body. Everything around me seemed dimmed, and I felt utterly hopeless. It hurt, but I had to stand by my words. It would kill me to see him like this forever. I had walked for half a span when someone tackled me to the ground. I struggled, unseeing through my tears, but I knew who it was. He immobilized me against the mossy ground, but I refused to turn my head his way.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to me.

"I do not want your penance." I whispered back. He wiped the tears from my face.

"Look at me." His hand moved my face. I stared through him instead of at him. "Do not do this. Please." He said.

"Until you stop this, you do not exist to me anymore." I spoke as if to a stranger and something in him changed. I saw it all through the corner of my eye.. He got up and extended his hand for me. I didn't take it. He had to say it out loud. Turned to go... where? I wanted to be alone, and if I went home everybody would intrude on my silence again, so I went back to the lake. I was not thinking straight, I just wanted to be away. Away from him, away from everybody. The walls I had built to protect myself from his behaviour were crumbling down, and I had the urge to scream and shout and cry in big ugly sobs, and I didn't want anybody around to hear.

He followed me, I do not know why. I could see his gears moving inside his head, but it was hard to see what he was thinking about. His crestfallen look had subsided, for which I was thankful. I got back and sat down on the biggest rock in the place, right next to the waterfall. He sat next to me.

"If you apologize again, I will kill you, Throst." I said quietly.

"I will not then." I looked around me without knowing what to do. Tears still seeped unbidden. The next moment Throst was kissing me wildly, taking me up in the air and holding me to him in his lap. I kissed back, the kiss salty with my tears. There was desperation in his embrace, and so much love it humbled me. He held me strongly, making me feel safe and cherished. A burn started inside of me and I felt his answering heat. We withdrew each other's clothes and he looked at me at the last second, his face pained. "Is it safe?"

"Since last week." His eyes widened.

"I missed that?" He joked.

"Yes you did." I confirmed, hurt.

"I'll have to redeem that soon. Now." He whispered in my ear and bit my neck lovingly while he entered me. I moaned. It was different this time, the emotions of before bringing us closer together. The whole time he whispered in my ear. "I love you. I love you. I will never let you go." Over and over again he said this, and I answered with my body. When it was over, I was on top of him, my head on his chest, our bodies still twined in every way.

"I..." He looked at me imploringly, saying with his eyes what he didn't have the words to express.

"Try." I needed to hear it.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, for being a bastard, for my behaviour. It won't happen again. I learned my lesson." He said. Then added. "The threat of losing you forever put things in perspective. I realized that I was only making things worse, making you remember everyday what happened with my behaviour. I should be encouraging you on, not keeping you stale in the moment." I nodded and stayed where I was, listening to his reassuring heartbeat. After a while, we washed in the water and walked home holding hands.

Bruma was there, and looked at me in approval. "I knew you could do it, my child. Your arrival prophesied many things, and you fulfilled all of them." She said, kissing my forehead. I let it sail through me. Magic might be my destiny, but in the future. Now I had a family to take care of. She nodded at me as if she heard my thought. Thora came and hugged us, before pulling Throst's ear.

"I told you. See, I told you." He raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, forgive me you too. For not listening to you." He laughed and after a moment, she laughed too.

That night, a grand feast was given for no good reason except to celebrate life. The whole village gathered together and made fires all over the grounds, roasting pigs and chickens. Players gathered in one side and everybody got up to dance. Throst dragged me along and soon I was twirling, laughing and enjoying myself like never before. From that moment onwards, all was forgotten. My sire, England, all the bad things that had happened to me.

For a moment, everything blurred and I saw myself and Throst, old and wizzened, holding each other, surrounded by our family. My brothers and sisters were there, with their spouses and children, my sons and daughters, even Thora's soon. All around us was laughter, and happiness and love. I discretely wiped a tear and kept on dancing. Life was good.

The End.