Falling For The Gods

Emotions

Isla - 

We entered the house still visibly shaken from what happened in the village. I moved to the living staring out the window, Patch started to struggle from my arms before I realized how hard I was clutching him. I softly placed him on the ground and turned back to the window. I could feel Brandt creeping behind me.

“Are you scared of me now?” he asked. I took a minute before responding. Was I scared? I didn’t think so, nothing in my body pointed me towards fear when I looked at him. I was more scared of my lack of fear if anything. I saw my husband decapitate a man and yet my only want is to keep him close, hug him, kiss him. 

“No, I’m not scared of you,” I finally said. I turned away from the window and became painfully aware of the distance he put between us. 

“You haven’t said a word to me, you barely have looked at me,” he said. He started to nervously scratch at his arm.

“I know I’m far from the perfect husband,” he continued,”and I know I can be...a lot. Sometimes. Just know I would never hurt you Isla, any and everything I do will be out of protection for you. Sense the day I met you I knew I would never love another woman as much as I love you. I’m sorry.” His eyes fell to the floor in defeat. Without saying a word I worked my way over to him, taking deep breaths as I went. When I reached him I cupped his cheeks in my hands, they were moist.

“Don’t tell me the God of War is crying,” I softly said, as I rested my head against his chest, moving my arms around him. He snorted. 

I lifted my chin so I could see him, his brown eyes sparkled through the tears. I lifted my lips to meet his. His embrace was tender as to not spook me after that ordeal, I only wanted him closer though. I wanted him as close as I could get him, naked and pressed against me. Before I realized what was going one I felt the tears dripping down my cheeks. When I glanced at the ground I could see the droplets glinting in the sun.

Brandts large hand swept beneath my eyes.

“I’m sorry for moving too fast.” He sighed.

“I want you to be closer,” I whispered, “I need you to hold me.” With that he moved one arm around my waist and the other vertically up my back so his hand was holding the nape of my neck.

-

Asmund had called for Brandt to go over the details of the situation. On his way out he had promised to me that he wouldn’t cave into an apology. He’d make it known that this was the punishment for crossing a God. Without asking he called for Astrid to sit with me while he was out. She came over promptly, we hadn’t talked yet, but she ushered me in the kitchen to pick out a tea. My favorite, a mint chamomile, always reminds me of my mom's house. She used to drink this stuff religiously. 

We took a seat on the couch, still in an awkward silence. 

“You don’t have to be so weird around me you know,” I told her, sipping my scolding tea.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I just remember after my ex-husband's frequent attacks I didn’t want to speak. As if speaking about it made it suddenly so real.”

I nodded. “I understand, for me it's the opposite. I feel like every silence is a bottomless void. My mind fills it with him grabbing me and pulling at me.” I set my tea on the table because my hands had become shaky. My eyes started burning with tears.

“What's wrong dear?” She slid off the couch and kneeled next to me.

“Where’s Brandt?” I said, fighting back the hoarseness of my voice. I wanted him. I needed him to wrap me up like he always did and make me feel safe again. I let a tear slide down my face, sad his hands weren’t there to wipe them away.

“He's in his meeting,” she said, her eyes filled with pity,”I can fix you for a moment.”

“How” I whispered. I knew if I said anymore I would open the floodgates behind my eyes. She immediately took my hand and concentrated on it. She flipped it so my palm was facing up. Her fingers traced the many lines on my hand slowly, with every swipe I could feel the weight being lifted from me. The images of the attack were being blocked from my mind, I didn’t forget about them but I couldn’t relive them in such detail. She placed my hand back on my lap where she found it and took her place on the couch next to me. 

“How...did you?” I said, rubbing the hand she had just touched.

“Do you remember when you first met me? You were nervous and I took your hand to walk you to the palace?” I nodded. “As you know I’m a Goddess like my brother. Only I’m the Goddess of emotions, I can’t change how you feel but I can sway your emotions. When you took my hand the first day I made you feel comforted, just now I made safety take over.” She looked up and smiled at me. My eyes were wide as I continued to rub my palm.

“How long will it last?” I asked.

“In your case probably only a couple hours, if your attack wasn’t so recent it could last days.”

“Can you do anything else?”

She laughed, “as if changing your emotions isn’t enough.” She raised her eyebrow at me. “I can feel anyones emotion, sometimes if someone is feeling very strongly one way, whether I try to or not I can feel them. Usually it's joy or happiness, but sometimes it's anger or sadness.” She shrugged her shoulders and sipped her tea. 

“Could you feel me?” I was a little embarrassed to hear what the answer would be. 

“Yes, I could feel yours and Brandts, before he left.” I looked at her with wide eyes, I didn’t know she could feel his too.

“You can feel him?” I asked, still wide eyed. 

“Yes, I try not to though.”

“Why?”

“Well,” she started hesitantly, “he’s the ‘God of War’ as you can imagine his anger factor is through the freaking roof. Once when we were younger he was throwing a rage fit over nonsense, I can’t even remember. Father told me to calm him before he hurt someone so I grabbed his hand. As soon as I took it his anger took control of me, it felt like I was standing at the gates of Hell. My whole body was on fire, I could feel the hatred he had within him and it ate me up.” She slowly drifted out of the story, not wanting to remember.

“It’s okay, we can change the subject. I’m feeling much better thanks to you” I said with a smile. She lifted her head out of the fog and gave me a big grin.

“Well I have some big news!” she exclaimed. Her quick mood change had caught me off guard and almost dropped my cup on me.

“Oh yeah?” I laughed.

“Well my husband died, but I met someone,” her tone was not that of a widower. I laughed out loud, Astrid was a constant joy in my life. She could change the mood in the entire room with just one smile. I continued to sip my tea waiting for further details.

Brandt - 

I sat at my desk knowing people were talking to me, but I kept thinking of Isla back home. I was worried she was scared and confused without me. I was hurt trying to picture her hurt face as I told her I had to leave for this meeting. I tried to comfort her as much as I could, holding her until Astrid showed up. Even as I slipped out the door I caught her looking at me, begging me to come back and hold her. 

“Lord Brandt, your opinion please” an elder said, pulling me out of my daze.

“What are my options?” The elder scoffed at my apparent lack of care.

“Please try to follow along, with the blatant disregard to society with your beheading in the middle of town -”

“Blatant disregard for society!” I shouted, standing from my desk. “My wife was attacked in the streets, is that not disregard for society.” My blood was starting to boil, again. The elder was cautious, but not scared.

“I’m sorry Lord, yes they publicly tried to defile your wife, but was all that necessary.

“Necessary? Do you not understand the torment he inflicted on the Lady of the house? Let’s not forget she will be the future queen too. Would you stand to see my mother attacked in the streets like a common w***e!” I shouted. Balling my fists on the desk, internally begging him to stay quiet so I didn’t lose my mind.

Asmund stepped from the corner of the room and grabbed the elder by the arm.

“Your Lord will not apologize for his actions, please use caution when addressing the village. Their future queen was attacked, I’m sure their hearts are filled with as much sorrow as yours. Am I correct?” Asmund was stern, but also manipulative. The elder nodded at him and turned to leave the office. I sat back down slumped in my seat, releasing my fists. I could feel the pressure behind my ears start to dissipate. 

“Thank you, Asmund” I said, exhausted. I could feel my body replacing the anger with fatigue. “I’m going to go back home, could you express to the guards I will be having trials for Isla’s personal security team. She is not to leave these grounds without guards and my knowledge.”

Asmund nodded while I excused myself.

-

I opened the door to the house and was not the welcomed guest I was hoping for. The girls both instantly shot looks at me like I had just ruined the juiciest gossip of the century. 

“Well Isla I’ll tell you more about them tomorrow, the big beast over there ruined it.” Astrid told Isla. I could see her stick her lip out a little in a sign of protest.

Astrid slide out the door without giving me a second glance.

“What was that all about?” I asked, walking towards the bathroom. I could hear Isla padding down the hallway following after me. 

“Nothing, just girl talk” she smiled at me.

“Girl talk? I’ve never known my sister to be into ‘girl talk’.”

“Ah yes, because when you get past all that testosterone you emit you really are quite femine” she said rolling her eyes. 

I bent over to draw myself a bath, looking over my shoulder to see Isla leaning against the door frame. Turning to face her I started to pull my shirt up over my head. She let a smile play at the corner of her lips. She took a few steps towards me till she could reach out and touch my bare chest. I played with the ends of her shirt.

“Would you like to sit with me?” I asked. Her face became flustered, but she nodded her head.

I pulled the shirt up over her head and unhooked her bra. I could see a small bruise developing on the left breast, I ran my fingers over it, hoping she wouldn’t withdraw from me. She didn’t. We continued to undress and step into the tub. I sat with my back against the edge and her small body cradled in my arms. I ran my hand through her hair and let her close her eyes on my chest. I was less aware of the fact that she was naked and more that she was safe, here, in my arms. All I ever needed was right here, peacefulling dozing on my chest. I wonder if giving up the throne would be so bad if it meant she’d never be subjected to war.