“That should be all,” Mel huffed with a triumphant smile and wrapped her hands around herself, giving the small bag with her clothes a second glance.“I hope this isn’t too much?” Annie meekly asked, her hand poised at the bag opening, ready to add or remove any more clothing. She faced Mel but subtly glanced at Bjorn, awaiting his approval too. The maid wished the two could agree on things.Bjorn turned away from his open wardrobe and his eyes narrowed at what Annie had packed. He sighed and rubbed at his temple, trying as much as possible to ease his features. His frown lessened and he turned to Mel. “That’s too much,” he said.Mel frowned. “How is it too much? We’ll be gone for over a week or two, won’t we?”“We’re going into the woods, not to a neighbouring city. You won’t need all those clothes.”“What if it gets dirty? I’ll need a change of clothing to wear and—”“They can be washed and worn repeatedly,” Bjorn countered, a little peeved at having to explain such an obvious reas
Bjorn stood still, stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What?" She didn't know how to wear basic clothing? Regardless of their cultural differences, he was sure they had something akin to pants and trousers, though not as loose as what was worn here in Grime.Then again, had she really asked him to dress her up?As if reading the confusing thoughts on his face, Mel spoke up, "We were not to wear men's clothing back at home, so I'm unfamiliar with how this works." Her voice grew quieter as she talked and then she looked away and frowned. Why was she even telling him this? And to ask him to dress her… he must think she was asking him to perform servant duties. 'I keep acting out one thing and then deciding another thing. Embarrassing!'Understanding crept onto Bjorn's features and he sighed, rubbing his face with a palm. "You can forget about such nonsensical rule. That isn't just for men, you can wear it too. It's more convenient than wearing a dress when going out
The forest-bound journey went on for quite a while, and far longer than even Mel had expected. Night fell and while Mel wondered how they could all move comfortably in the near-darkness, but Bjorn assured her that the part of the woods they were still in was safe since it was the closest part of their territory. Soon, the clouds drifted away to expose the beautiful sheen of the two white moons that glimmered high in the sky.Some of the moonlight filtered in through the trees, providing a subtle white light that made the forest ghostly beautiful. Lori kept Mel company throughout their journey, taking the young woman’s attention away from her brooding husband. Mel had mentioned at one point that she was hoping to assist with the hunt using her knowledge and relationship with plants but Lori subtly put down her recommendation, letting her know that some people may feel otherwise since this was something they had been doing for years and there may not really be anything new Mel could he
He sighed. “I’ll join you later.” He nodded at the tent entrance. “Make yourself comfortable.”The tipsiness left Mel and it felt as if she had been brought back down to Earth. She shifted towards the entrance and then stopped. She whirled around to face Bjorn. He had stepped away only to pause when he noticed Mel’s sudden movement.“Where are you going?” she asked.“For a short walk,” he answered and then his brows lightly furrowed. “Why do you ask?”“Oh, that’s good.” She mellowed and rubbed her arm, looking down to shuffle her shoes against the grass. She drew in a sharp intake of breath and glanced up to meet his eyes. “Do you know of a river nearby? I would like to wash up before I lie down to sleep.”“You can do that the following morning,” he said deadpanned and Mel blinked, astounded. “What is it?” he asked, annoyance seeping into his tone at her reaction.“I’m sweaty. You want me to lie down in this state?” She swayed her arms around herself, demonstrating the light patches o
Someone’s gentle touch roused Mel from her deep slumber and she twisted and turned, a frown forming on her face when the hands wouldn’t stop shaking her. She wanted to swipe her hand at whoever was disturbing her when a voice that wasn’t Annie or any of her maids filtered into her ears.“Mel?”‘Oh…’Mel’s eyes, already glued shut, took great effort to open and when she did, she blinked, the blurriness fading as her eyes came into focus, looking at the young girl she had feasted with last night.‘Ah. Now I remember. I followed them for the hunt.’Nora’s lips twitched with an apologetic smile, sorry for waking Mel up because the young woman was clearly displeased.Mel sat up and rubbed her eyes, a little groggy. “Morning,” she greeted Nora.Nora smiled with a slight nod, returning the greeting, “Good morning, my Lady.”Mel instinctively glanced at the side of the makeshift bed to find the bowl and towel gone.“Ah. I spread it outside on the tent roof to dry,” Nora shifted from her knel
Mel stood at the edge of her bed, her heart hammering in her chest as she listened to the soft trickling of water from the bathing chamber. Her husband was in there, sitting in the large wooden bathtub, and probably running his large hands through his wet matted hair from the sound of it. It had shocked her the moment this idea came to her head, and it had equally surprised her just how alluring it was listening to the dripping water and imagining Bjorn's huge frame in the basin taking up most of the space.Mel took off her night robe and neatly folded it on the bed, crossing her arms across her bosom as a fluttering wave flourished from the base of her stomach. If this were her room back at home, there would be a mirror she could look into to affirm she appeared alright. Mel shook her head. What was she thinking? This was her home now…She tiptoed to the door and stopped, her chest swarming with a strange feeling. What would Bjorn think of her? How would he react? He had mostly been
A dark figure flashed past the long unwinding hall of the castle, followed by two others in swift pursuit. Mel laughed, her dark hair flowing as she ran around a corner, dodging past stunned servants and eyeing several doors alongside each wall to find an escape route that would lead to an eventual hiding place."Young Mistress!" came the exhausted cries behind her but she ignored them.The stairs came into view and Mel rushed downstairs, leaving a huge gap between herself and her chamber maidens. More servants darted out of the way, not at all surprised by Mel's carefree attitude. Her chamber maidens chasing after her had become a routine the young lady of the castle was fond of, and what good would it do to help them when the young woman was an exceedingly fast runner.Mel found a door and pushed at it, slipping into a bright room and closing the door shut behind her. She turned around and listened closely with her ear pressed against it, her heart hammering in her chest. Soon enoug
"She may not agree. I can't—"Her brother, Anton, cut in, "You never put her consideration into this matter when you offered her to the Orions. Now that they need their dept repaid, why are you hesitating?""We just need time… persuade her."Anton scoffed. Mel could imagine him flinging a hand at the air, one of his annoying gestures. "Persuade? I know what you're thinking, old mad! She's passing twenty-two soon. Which man here in the kingdom would be interested in wedding a woman past her prime? Drag this out any further and not only might we incur their wrath, but your daughter would also be unable to find a suitable spouse for the rest of her life!"Mel stepped away from the doors silently, dumbfounded as she tried to process the ongoing conversation. What did all of this mean? She had lived most of her life in the castle and its surroundings. It hadn't dawned on her that there was a certain age girls were supposed to be wed. Was that why all of her friends were with husbands? From