Falling For The Gods

The Father

THREE DAYS LATER…

    Isla - 

It’s been three day now sense I’ve first arrived, tension was growing heavier and heavier. My soon to be husband was nowhere to be found, the king and Astrid were sending troops to find him, but they kept coming back empty handed. 

“He will return Isla, he loves his people and would never abandon us.” Astrid was trying to reassure me, but he voice still shook out of nervousness.

“While I’m waiting could I spend some time outside?” I haven’t been outside in days, even if this marriage was forced I still was very busy planning it. 

“Why yes dear, we have a beautiful garden out back. The garden could really use your green thumb also, sense my mothers death none of our plants seem to be thriving anymore.” Astrid was too busy looking through fabric samples to even look at me. She was really enjoying this wedding planning.

“Well Astrid I was hoping to go down to the village, I figure if I’m going to marry someone here I might as well get to know the place.” She immediately dropped the fabric in her hand and turned towards me.

“No ,no ,no . I’m sorry you just can’t.”

“What! Why not?” Astrid turned back to the table and picked up the swatches again, ignoring my discontent. 

“Are you people just going to keep me prisoner my whole life!”

 “We are not keeping you prisoner!” Astrid barked at me, the same way she barked at the woman in the hall my first night here. She began to nervously work the fabric between her fingers. She sighed “Look I would love for you to explore the village, but it just isn’t safe yet. Our people don’t know about the monolith, they still see humans as poisonous killing machines. Once you and Brandt are united as one we will tell the village and let the word spread. Till then I can’t let you leave the palace, I’m sorry.” She immediately looked down in shame. I felt bad at snapping at her.

“Ok I’ll go out back and get some fresh air.” I turned to leave. After hearing about the secrecy of my arrival I began to realize the emptiness of the palace. I only ever saw two maids and hardly any security, other than my two bodyguards, of course. I moved the stiff door and walked outside towards the garden. The landscape was the same here as it was back home except the trees were larger and everything seemed to be brighter. You could tell the air had never been polluted, I could smell almost every plant around me. I decided to work in the garden a bit like Astrid suggested. As I was digging I heard pitter patter behind me, I quickly turned around to see who was there. Nothing, on edged I looked back at the plant I was repotting keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. I could tell my guards were still there, I could see them out of the corner of my eye, it couldn’t have been them moving could it? Just as I was starting to question myself I felt a large tongue lick my elbow, my heart dropped. I turned to see two massive wolves staring down at my while I was on the ground, I slowly stood. Just then I could hear someone behind the wolves laughing, an old man, how could I have not seen him. 

“Geri, Freki, go” As he said that the wolves turned and ran off.

“Don’t mind them, they would never bring you any harm.” He walked toward me. “It’s nice to finally meet you my new daughter.”

He’s Astrid and Brandt’s father, I unknowingly bowed. “Yes Sir, its very nice to meet you” for some reason my voice was hardly audible when speaking to him. He laughed at my ridiculous bow.

“Up my child, walk with me”

Without hesitation I walked beside the elderly man. I finally got a good look at him, he was rugged and about 6’2, you could tell he had shrunken in his old age because he had a slight hump even when standing upright. His hair was brown with strains of silver striking through it, it was neatly braided back. He had one brown eye and one green eye…

“Your quite observant young one” his words made me jump back into reality and I realized I had been walking and staring at him for the past two minutes.

“I’m sorry, I was just lost in thought sir.” Embarrassment took over me and I had to turn away from him so he couldn’t see how bright red my face had gotten. 

“Please my dear just call me father like the rest of my children do. I only hope you can teach my son to be more observant, he’s on track to become a wonderful leader. But how can you help the masses when you can’t even see what is wrong with them.” He sighed and clicked his tongue. 

We’d come up to a small bench, he motioned for me to sit. We sat in silence, taking in the world, I felt at ease as if I’d known him my entire life. 

TWO DAYS LATER…

Brandt – 

The sharp knock at the door jolted me awake. I looked around in a daze “where the hell am I”, just then I noticed the naked woman laying on my chest. Quickly I tossed her off of me and like a sack of potatoes she hit the ground. I stood up and stepped over her towards the door. When I opened the door I felt the breeze hit my body, only then had I realized I wasn’t wearing any clothes. 

“Asmund, my good pal what has brought you to this disgusting shack” I was being sarcastic but he was amused by my anguish.

“I’m here for you Brandt, have you forgotten today is your wedding day?” He looked behind me, I turned to see what caught his attention. I noticed the woman was now awake and standing, after she noticed we were staring at her she became embarrassed and started to cover her modesty. I could still see her n*pples poking through her fingers, like little brown erasers. I turned back towards Asmund, who still hasn’t taken his eyes off of her.

“Go for it Asmund, from what I can remember it was a good ride.” I laughed and turned to pick up my clothing.

He cleared his throat “I have no time to tromp around with your leftovers” he remarked. I quickly snapped my head back towards him. He nodded his head in apology. We don’t take monogamy seriously here unless you are truly in love, with most marriages being arranged to better a family you don’t see many truly happy couples. 

I met Asmund outside, he had ponied my horse along with him for me to ride back home. 

“So how did you manage to track me down?”

“I have eyes throughout this land, you should know that by now.” He smirked at me and clicked for his horse to start trotting.

“If you knew where I was this whole time why did I hear about kingly warriors raiding every other village except this one looking for me?” I questioned.

“You know my loyalty lies with you and not your father, I would never do anything to ruin our trust bond.” I only nodded. I knew what he meant. Once you mature and go to battle you find your warrior partner, and you build a trust bond. Your warrior partner is someone who is your equal, no matter my godly powers Asmund could keep up with me. You build your bond and you begin to know each others next move and how to shield each others weaknesses. Once your warrior partner dies you can never bond with another, that part of you will forever be empty.

The rest of our ride was silent, I only focused on this wedding and trying to find a way out of it. I knew I couldn’t, the Seer Malik told me she saw the fates intertwining our threads. Our paths will always cross, if I left now I would see her again and again and again. As Malik put it she’s supposed to be the love of my life, the only person in this universe to make me change. I just don’t know if it’s possible for one person to dictate my whole life like that. As the gates opened I could see my father standing on the balcony, disappointed like any other day. I walked towards my wing of the palace, trying to avoid everyone. As I was unlocking the door to my wing I could hear Astrid’s stomping footsteps coming closer “damn why wont this thing open”.

“Where in the depths of hell have you been! Don’t you know we had people out looking for you? Don’t you know you have an upcoming wedding, you left your new bri-“

“Ah my beautiful sister, its so wonderful to see you, and might I saw you sure are looking ravishing” I quickly said to cut her off. Once she starts yabbering you really can’t get her to stop. 

“Look Astrid I have a very important wedding to get ready for, or at least that’s what I’m told. So if you don’t mind…” I quickly slipped in my house and shut the door. I could hear her displeased groan through the door. I turned around to find a ceremonial suit laid out on the table. I stepped closer and noticed this suit was my fathers, he wore it the day he married my mother. It was made by a legendary fabricator, she told him it was woven with fate threads themselves and could make any union last a lifetime. I hesitated before I put it on “do I really want this to last a lifetime?” I walked towards the open window. I knew this was the only way to save my people so I put the suit on. 

I stood at he the front of my fathers desk, because this ceremony was still hidden we couldn’t have a large wedding. My eyes shifted from my father to my sister as my heart beat quickened with every second “why was I so nervous?”. Just then the door opened. I saw a beautiful woman enter, she was so different than any woman on this planet. She had sandy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, as soon as ours met she quickly looked towards the ground. For the first time in my life I had butterflies.