She eyes me with curiosity, and I look back at her with what I hope is a small smile. But I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. Her face morphs into a forced smile, an attempt to hide the combination of sadness and trepidation. It makes me uneasy.

  "Where are we going?" She looks away from me and stares at the far nothing.

  "It is better if I show you."

  We stay the rest of the time with silence. When the sun goes down, I get up and lead her back to the castle.

  Fear lingers before me.

  But we have to do this. I have to do this. It's our last stumbling block.

  When we return, we freshen up before dinner. After we have dinner, we walk back to our wing.

  "Goodnight, baby bird." I close the distance between us, and she leans in as I do, and I place my lips on top of her head.

  We stand there for a few moments.

  A mix of calm and desire washes over me in waves that won't stop. Her closeness affects me, always leaving me wanting things I know she isn't ready for. But my flesh will wait. I pull away and step back. When I take a step to walk to my door, her small hand touches my arm and I come to a halt.

  "I'm not sleepy. Are you up for listening to me read?" she asks in a shy tone.

  She looks surprised at her own utterance. I am shocked, but I let her lead me in our chambers.

  We settle in bed, and she sits up, while I lay on my back, my hands behind my head.

  Her siren voice strokes everything inside me and my soul dances as she reads for me. This here must be what Valhalla is like. I can picture nothing better. My soul mate and I.

  I descend in a cloud of peaceful sleep and my soul basks in the bliss of having her near me.

  Do You Come In Peace?

  Thalia

  When I wake up in the morning, Vidar is still lying next to me. His face is filled with unease, but he tries to cover it with a lazy smile. I made a bold move, and took a step forward for us last night.

  But I had a feeling whatever he will show me today might deter the progress we've made, and I felt like being greedy. I want to hold on to this moment. These little moments are the only thing I have nowadays.

  "My queen," he says as he runs his hand on my face.

  I place my hand on top of his, relishing the warmth it sends through my whole body.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing is wrong." He smiles, but like last night it doesn’t reach his eyes.

  "Still not telling me where we are going?"

  He shakes his head and rises, getting off the bed.

  I don't think I've seen Vidar this agitated before. It takes my mind to darker corners. But I honestly don't know what could be causing him such stress.

  "Be ready, we leave after breakfast." He doesn't wait for my answer as he closes the door like I was cursing his name.

  I sit up, confused. And scared. I inhale a long breath and exhale slowly before I stump all my assumptions to the side. I get off the bed and prepare for the day. I comb my hair out and don a long cream dress and earrings. I have been trying to get into wearing all the things here. Not that I have much choice, I have nothing else to wear.

  We eat in silence and I catch him too often looking at me like he's afraid. Like I will disappear. He holds me tighter. I don't address it because whatever he's feeling also seeps into me and I am even more unsettled by the time we finish breakfast.

  Fima, Gerol, and Lorakh join us in the ship, and we head into the fog.

  Dread fills my belly, but I try to push it aside. I know I have nothing to fear when he is by my side. I know with absolute certainty that he would destroy anything that even thought about harming me. That thought used to terrify me, but now it is my comfort.

  After we get off the ship, we wait, as Fima opens a portal. A familiar mountain appears before us and, suddenly, my feet can't move.

  Blinking a few times, and after a few steadying breaths, I turn to go back, but hit a hard chest. He holds me by my waist.

  "Come, baby bird, there's something you need to see." His voice is soft, the gentlest I've ever heard it.

  I look up to his pleading eyes before turning back. The mountains that were once my home, seem so foreign and foreboding now.

  But with Vidar's hand on my lower back, I steel myself and step forward.

  When my feet touch the land of my ancestors, I let go and inhale the old air. My old home. I turn, finding the village behind us, still standing. The familiar gates of iron not a throwing distance from us.

  He doesn't push me to move forward, he just waits.

  "Vidar..." The question is right at the tip of my tongue

  "Yes?" he responds.

  "What will I find there?" I hope he gives me the answer and puts me out of my misery. Somehow knowing my village stands doesn't bring me peace. It makes me feel things I can't even process.

  But I step forward when he doesn't respond, feeling his steps right behind me.

  As we near the gates, I see the gatemen in their tower. They open without any question.

  The gate never used to be closed during the day. We could come and go as we pleased.

  Memories of the past hit me all at once and I halt, taking a sharp breath. I shake my head, pushing the tears back. I see a few people who don't notice us at first.

  They all live.

  I spot many familiar faces. When the first one sees us, they whisper to the others and in a matter of moments everybody disappears. They run from me like I am the monster.

  My gaze turns to Vidar and I find a look of guilt and regret in his eyes. My heart hammers in my chest. Does that mean?

  I take a few quick breaths trying to calm myself down for the ultimate question.

  "Vidar, my f—"

  A greying man comes from between the doors of the village hall, tall young men in tow on each side of him. One of them too familiar.

  It can't be.

  My feet move and before I know it, I’m running to him.

  "Father!" I throw myself in his arms and hold him tighter than I remember he liked. My old man was never one for displays of affection, but I don’t care.

  "Thalia, where have you been?" His wary voice crushes my soul.

  I pull away and hold his shoulder. He looks behind me and he frowns and steps away from my hands.

  Vidar.

  I look at all of them standing a few feet behind my father, guarded. My eyes land on my brother and I step to him. He gives me a small smile and we embrace each other.

  "When did you get so big?"

  Simon pulls away. His smile fading, and I frown.

  "It's been a long seven years, Thalia." There is pain behind his words, but I don't miss the other meaning: 'It's all your fault, Thalia.'

  I look in Vidar's direction and his eyes are only on me, like he can't see anything else. Looking around, I see the nervous glances from all the men. A few more people have gathered, but stand at safe distances.

  Have I become a pariah in my own home?

  I notice a wedding bracelet around my brother's wrist, frowning I look at him.

  "Lord Vidar, what brings you to our village a second time?" Samson’s younger brother—Thomas—says.

  Last time I saw him, he was a thirteen-year-old boy obsessed with hunting. He wears a wedding bracelet around his wrist too, no longer that little boy.

  Vidar comes closer, taking tentative steps to show he means no harm. He nears me, and my brother moves away.

  "I am here to bring Thalia home," he says simply, his eyes not leaving mine. I frown in confusion. He’s letting me go?

  "Why now?" My brother’s voice has an accusing tone, but he quickly looks like he regrets it.

  Vidar doesn't answer. He stands behind me like my shadow and I see it without a doubt this time, the way they all look at me.

  They hate me.

  "We don't want to talk about everything here. May we please come inside, and finish this, father?"

  All the men look unsure, uneasy. But after a few beats, my father nods tightly and they make a way for us. Thomas leads us to the chief's house. As we approach the house, a young woman comes out with a big smile, but all the life leaves her face when she sees me.

  Tabitha.

  I can't hold myself and I leap for her. A tear slides down her face and we crush each other in a tight embrace.

  "Oh, Tabitha. I have missed you so much."

  "Sister," she says as she trembles in my arms.

  We pull apart and I touch her face. I wipe her eyes. She is all grown up, and beyond beautiful.

  "I'm sorry." I can't stop crying as I pull her to me once more.

  I am sorry I left. That you had to grow up without me.

  "It wasn't your fault." She responds to my hidden words. Her eyes look behind me when we pulled apart. A flash of fear followed by determination then fury. She lets go and walks around me.

  "You monster! You took her from us, it is all your fault!"

  Thomas holds her by the waist as she charges at Vidar, who doesn't even seem affected.

  Wait, why is Thomas grabbing my sister?

  She shakes her fist at Vidar and I see the matching wedding bracelet. "Tabitha, what are you doing here?" My question makes her move her death glare to me. Then she looks at Thomas, her features softening.

  Everybody moved on without me.

  I force a smile.

  "Congratulations."

  "Let's get in," father says as he moves to the door.

  He waits when he gets to the door and Thomas pulls my sister by the hand and they enter first. I find myself looking to Vidar for comfort. He gives my hand a squeeze before we start walking.

  We are led to the living room I used to think looked like paradise. Samson's house always had the most opulence I'd ever seen. When our engagement was announced, I'd felt like a princess who would marry in the nice palace.

  Father looks to Vidar. "Lord Vidar, respectfully, we have to ask. Do you come in peace?"

  Almost Strangers

  Thalia

  "I come in peace." Vidar says next to me, offering no more. No apologies. No explanations. And his face isn't the normal softer face I have come to know. It is hard, I see why people fear him. And he isn't even scowling.

  When I look back at my family, I feel so far away from them. We are almost strangers staring at each other. I have missed so much. So much to ask and tell them.

  "Do we have permission to speak freely to Thalia?" Father's voice hosts undertones of annoyance and... loathing.

  "You have permission."

  "Why did you run away, Thalia?" Tabitha asks, tears welling in her eyes. I want to leap to her, but Thomas comforts her.

  "The mage dragged me away. I didn't know she was going to throw me in another realm." They all look confused. "I didn't run away. I would have never run away."

  "Then why did he come for you?"

  My mouth dries, and I take a moment to calm my nerves.

  "I didn't know at the time, father. I had never met him before." I try to explain, desperate for them to believe and welcome me back.

  When I imagined my family, I never imagined them alive, and I certainly never imagined they'd reject me.

  "You have to believe me. I would have never left. Not after Sa—" I stop mid-sentence when everybody in the room tenses at my words.

  Samson.

  This was his home.

  This is his brother.

  He is now my sister's late brother-in-law.

  Father's almost son-in-law.

  Because there is no good that can come from discussing Samson, I try to divert us to something else.

  "What happened to the old chief?"

  Thomas's eyes flash with pain.

  "He died a year ago."

  "Farrah?"

  "She is at home," Father assures me.

  The heart really grows fonder with distance. I want to see my stepmother.

  "Thalia," father pauses. "It's been almost eight years. You have to understand nothing is like how it was. Th-they thought you brought us the curse of the god of war. Life hasn't been easy on us.” He looks in Thomas’ direction before looking back at me. “It took two years for our family to be allowed back in the village again. If it wasn't for Thomas marrying your sister, we would still be pariahs. So, you have to forgive me, my child, if I'm not warm." He pauses and his eyes roam, but I know where he wants to look. "You come back here nestled in the arms of this village's greatest source of pain. Opening our arms to you is hard."

  Tears threaten to melt my face.

  "Father, I had no choice." My voice cracks. "It's not my fault the Goddess gave me him as a soulmate." I knit my fingers together, sadness washing over me, settling on my shoulders.

  Warm hands lay on my shoulders and I exhale. I look up to see tears in my family's faces.

  They hate me.

  "Thalia, how could you?" My brother says in a whisper so low, I strain to hear him. "How could you betray us like this?" He shakes his head as he rises from his chair.

  "Simon, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to all of you. But—"

  I cut myself off. I don't know what to say. I look at them again.

  Dropping to my knees, I bow before them. "Please forgive me." My forehead hits the floor.

  Hands around my waist lift me up.

  "Thalia, you bow to no one but me and my father." Vidar’s voice comes in my ear in a stern tone.

  "No! Stop. I need their forgiveness."

  "You bow to no one." He repeats in his commanding tone this time.

  "You did this to me!" My hands fly to strike his chest. He grabs them and pulls me to him, burying my face in his chest and I shake as I sob in his arms.

  "You have to fix this." I plead. "They hate me. It's all your fault."

  "I know, my love," he whispers in my ear.

  I pull away from him and he wipes my tears. None of that hardness from earlier. He takes my hand then he looks behind me.

  "All of this is my doing. But you have to understand that I was never going to allow a man who had touched what belonged to me live. The mage threw her to the fae realm where she was a slave for seven years. The woman masked her scent, and I couldn't find her. I would have brought her to you sooner. But I searched for her for years before I found her, and I took her." He pauses looking at each of them.

  "If you have to direct your ire at someone, then direct it to where it should be, to me. Thalia has done nothing but agonize about your deaths every day all these years because she didn't know you all lived. She thought I massacred the whole village."

  "And yet she showed up here in your arms?" Simon scoffs.

  Vidar's eyes flash red before it’s quickly gone. But the message is sent.

  "The soul connection doesn't allow soulmates to hate each other. It wasn't her fault."

  I have never heard Vidar utter so many words to someone who wasn't me. It is strange. But I appreciate it.

  When I turn slowly to my family, I find wide eyes and pain. So much pain.

  Father's tears flow, and I go to him. He crushes me in an embrace. A real one this time.

  "Oh, my child. I am sorry."

  I sniffle as I sob in his arms. Another body joins our side before another joins our other side. We hold each other in an embrace long overdue.

  "We missed you so much, Thalia," my brother says.

  "It's never been the same without you. We thought you betrayed us," Tabitha adds.

  "I'm sorry."

  After what feels like forever, and a lot of tears and many apologies we finally settle down and I tell them where I've been. They keep glancing at Vidar the entire time.

  Thomas does not soften to him, and understandably so. But Vidar is still a god and whether he likes it or not, he has to show him due reverence.

  "So, you two are really soulmates?" father asks, fatherly concern bubbling under his features.

  I nod.

  "Does that mean you will live in Asgard?"

  I look at Vidar before I nod. We have so many things to talk about, but I know there's no use denying fate. I know even now as I sit in front of my family, he's the one I can’t live without.

  "Will we ever see you, sister?" Tabitha frowns.

  "We are hoping you can come to the union rites in three weeks," Vidar says beside me. We hadn't discussed telling my family about that. But I guess it was going to happen.

  "I-I don't know if that's a bright idea. You may be fated to a god, Thalia, but we still live here. And our lives are still among normal folk.” Simon hesitates before he continues. "It was bad enough last time,"

  I want to tell him other people’s opinions shouldn’t come between our relationship and support for one another, but I also want to save my family as much pain as possible. So with a burning chest, I nod, and Vidar squeezes my hand.

  They take us to their new home to see Farrah. The sound of giggling children fills the air when we enter the house. It is built in another side of the village, a bit further away from everyone.

  "There are some people we'd like you to meet, Thalia," father says with a soft smile.

  "Baba is back!" A small voice comes from the other room followed by running. Two tornados come whipping in and I can’t help but stare. They stop and assess us. Their cute faces look at me with frowns, then they look at Vidar.

  "Baba!" The small boy grins to our father.

  Father leans down, and he ruffles both the boy and the girl’s coily hair before kissing their foreheads. They keep stealing curious glances at me and Vidar.

  "Rumi, Demi, meet your older sister, Thalia. The one who disappeared years ago before you were born." Father rises to his full length. "And her...husband. The god Vidar."

  The twins step back, their mouths set in an 'O'.

  I smile, getting close to them. "Hi."

  I can’t believe I have more siblings.

  "You are the one that ran away?" Demi asks with a face scrunched.

  "I was stolen," I correct, getting to their level and opening my arms. After hesitating they come, and hug me on either arm.

  "You are so beautiful," Rumi remarks when she pulls away.