Book two of Blind Love
After being saved from the Saxons and brought back to the man she loves, Ailbe has grown far less naive. Still a gentle soul with a heart of gold, Ailbe begins to find the balance between compassion and subservience. She becom...
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As soon as they neared the shores of Kattegat, Ailbe felt a buzz of excitement like no other.
This moment felt so right and yet so wrong at the same time. It was everything she'd ever dreamed of and so much more. And yet it felt so different to how she'd dreamt it.
Ivar still wasn't talking to her. She wasn't certain why or what she'd done now to anger him, though it could've been absolutely anything. And as she prepared to step off the boat, she couldn't help but feel ill with sadness at the small fear in her mind that he regretted ever asking her to come here.
"Do you know how to get off a boat?" Ivar quipped, smirking as she stood contemplating her options.
Ailbe gulped a little, sighing at his amusement. "Of course I know how to get off a boat." She answered petulantly. "Do you know how to get off a boat?"
"It usually involves moving." He answered, sarcasm laced in his tone. "You know how to do that?"
Ailbe gave another sigh of frustration, contemplating her answer for a moment. "You're a comedic genius. At least you know you can always tell stories if the whole King thing doesn't work out."
At this he chuckled, her frustration amusing him like nothing else. Slowly, he pulled himself upwards, right arm clutching his crutch firmly as he shifted his infirm legs forwards.
Ailbe waited in silence to understand what was happening. She listened closely to the scrape of his crutch against the wooden bow of the boat and she could feel her heart rate increasing.
She almost leapt out of her skin when she felt his arm slowly wrap around her waist, pulling her into him with a yelp.
"Ivar what-" She began but was quickly cut off by his smooth voice.
"Need some help?" His voice was barely above a whisper in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"I guess I could use a hand." She smiled sweetly, turning to kiss him.
"You alright?" Hvitserk asked as she stood at the edge of the boat, contemplating her next move as though her life depended on it.
"I'm fine." She answered with a curt nod. "I've just never actually gotten off a boat on my own before."
"Need help?" He asked kindly, a reassuring smile that she couldn't see but certainly could hear.
"Where's Ivar?" She questioned nervously, shaking a little as she wished for once she could just see.
Hvitserk looked around, searching for his brother, before quickly realizing that he was halfway to the great hall already. He hadn't looked back once and his men crowded around him with angry scowls. The elder ragnarsson sighed, looking back at Ailbe in sympathy. "He's gone."
"Oh." Was all that she could think to say, trying her hardest not to cry or seem upset. Though that was hard. She'd always been emotional and her fears of not being good enough for Ivar were only fueling the fires. For so many months she thought life was perfect. She thought she'd made it, that they were both in love and all was well. But what if she was wrong. Worse. What if he didn't love her?
Hvitserk didn't need to read her mind to see her thoughts, for they were as plain as day on her ghostly pale face. He could see the tears in her eyes, her breathing unsteady and labored.
"Ailbe," He said, walking closer to her and bringing her into an embrace. "He does this sometimes, distances himself from people he cares about. He'll be back, I promise."
"How do you know?" She trembled behind stray tears, lips shaking with muffled sobs.
"Because in all my life I've never seen him love someone like he loves you. And he does love you, if that's what you're thinking. If I didn't believe it to begin with, I did the moment the Saxons took you. He loves you Ailbe." Hvitserk assured her as she pulled away with a sad smile.
"I've never had a proper friend before." She spoke quietly, taking hold of his hand. "So I'm glad I have you."
"Me too." He chuckled at her sweet and breezy demeanor that persisted even during her tears.
With a steady breath, Ailbe held onto the side of the boat and stepped out, her feet landing on the wooden pier that jutted out from the streets of kattegat. Her heart welled at the thought that this was her new home. A new start. A new life.
And she'd be the poor blind girl no more. It was real now.
