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Tova's Four Kingdoms First Day
TOVAWe splashed through the river for many miles. The moon was full, and I was grateful for the light but the sleipnirs were surefooted animals and did fine in the water. My traveling companions were exhausted, and we rode in silence, it being broken by the noise of the hooves clacking on the rocks where the water ran low. We left the river a few times to traverse around rapids and deeper areas but always came back. It was the only way I knew to avoid the trackers.Daybreak broke slowly and as soon as I could see, I led the way out of the river in a particularly rocky area, hoping to not leave trackable hoofprints. My goal now was to put some distance between us and the river and we needed to ride hard. I led the way into the forest at a canter. I pointed us back to the east, backtracking, but angling north. I let the lead rope to Troi slack a little bit so that she could comfortably follow Bo and he started climbing the rocky hill. I closed my eyes, thinking about the map
Tova's Four Kingdoms Leaky Barn
ERIKAt some point in my delirious state Loki forced more of the sleeping potion down my throat and I slept hard. When I awoke I was on a barn floor, chained and shacked to a stake that had been driven deep into the ground. I was laying on bales of hay and I could feel it moving underneath me. Ug. Mice.I painfully pushed myself into a sitting position, noting that my ribs felt bruised. I was guessing they threw me over a horse to get me here and that they were none too gentle. My face also felt bruised and swollen and I thought I may have a tooth loose on one side. I gingerly touched my face, my shackles and chains jingling. One of my eyes was swollen shut. They had beat my face so that I was unrecognizable in case they were happened upon but another person. I had to give them credit. That was smart.I leaned back against another haybale, supporting my back and looked around while fighting the dizziness and nausea that came with my movements. There were holes in the roof
Tova's Four Kingdoms Tracking Erik
TOVALeila woke us up before dawn. She looked a lot better after a night’s rest and I felt better. Garth got up and walked to the river to piss, stretching his back.She packed up the camp and I retrieved the animals. They seemed none the worse for our hard day of traveling and seemed anxious to ride again. I saddled them and, with a grimace, Leila lifted herself into Troi’s saddle. Garth looked at her and then clambered up behind her, to her surprise.“Care to share where you are leading us?” Leila asked, no malice in her voice.“Following the river and heading west,” I said. “I think that there’s a pretty good chance west is the direction Erik was taken. If we can get close enough, Troi can track him. Slepnirs are loyal to a fault and will track their masters. She is Erik’s through and through.”Leila patted her neck. “She’s a good girl,” she cooed. She continued to stroke Troi’s neck but spoke to me. “We put in a hard day of travel and now we’re backtracking. Do you th
Tova's Four Kingdoms Found
TOVAWe waited, hearing Brut shout at both the King and Loki, and we could hear Loki shouting back. I strained my ears, hoping to hear Erik’s voice, but could not. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest. I wanted to rush in to make sure he was okay, but I knew that it wasn’t the time. Garth spent his time looking back at the forest where Leila had disappeared, watching me, and then looking at the barn where the shouting was taking place. I could sense that he was torn. I was, too. Brut finally came out of the barn and he mounted his horse, trotting back the way he had come. Garth and I dropped to the forest floor and watched as he hurried down the trail, a mere ten feet from us, not even looking in our direction. I wasn’t sure where Leila was waiting for him, but I knew she would do her best to take care of him. I just had to trust. We waited while the sky above us got progressively darker and the thunder roared above us. We could hear nothing coming from the trail
Tova's Four Kingdoms Faint
ERIKTova launched herself into my arms and I held them wide to catch her. I grunted, wincing against the pain of my broken ribs and she pulled back, once again in control. She gave me a look of sympathy but said nothing to me, instead throwing her head back and yelling.“Garth!” I knew that Brut had said that she had left with the healer and a warrior. I was still surprised when the healer came in, bowing deeply before approaching. “May I see, your majesty?” he asked.I nodded, relaxing. Tova backed away, one eye on the door to the barn and the other watching Garth. Bo dropped to his knees and leaned into me. I absently patted his neck.Garth came forward and used his thumb to pry open the eye that was swollen shut. To my relief, I could see from it, albeit it was blurry. He clicked his tongue and then proceeded to run his hands over my body, asking mundane questions.“Does this hurt? How about this? Breathe deep for me. Cough.” I obeyed as best I could, though the cough
Tova's Four Kingdoms Fever
TOVAErik’s head lolled against my chest, and I had to fight the panic down. I looked over at Garth.“He will be okay,” he said. “Let’s get him settled before he wakes up. It will be easier for him.”I nodded, and Troi took off, led by Leila. We followed.Thank goodness Bo was such a gentle and tame animal when he wanted to be. I concentrated on holding Erik and keeping him comfortable, and Bo followed Troi. When we started climbing the rocks, I gripped with my knees tighter and held Erik a little closer.I had to duck to get into the cave but I saw that Leila had piled up our supplies against the far wall and had started a fire. The temperature of the cave was pleasantly warm, considering we had a cold spring storm raging outside. Garth and Leila silently came to Bo’s side and I slid Erik into their arms. Garth hurried him over to a pile of rushes and lay him gently on it.I left Erik to Garth’s ministrations, taking the pot from my saddlebags and turned to head into the sto
Tova's Four Kingdoms Rescue
ERIKI tried to convince Garth that I was ready to travel that day, but he insisted that we hold for a few days. He used the excuse that I needed to recover, but I knew that he just wanted a few days with Leila without any other distractions. My suspicions were confirmed when they kept sneaking off together.Tova proved to be quite the huntress. She took Leila’s bow and came back with a doe that she efficiently skinned and quartered. I looked at her with amazement, blood up to her elbows as she arranged spits of steaks around the fire.“Where on earth did you learn to do that?” I asked. “Birgir,” she answered. “He wanted me to learn how to take care of myself and how to survive if I had to. This is the biggest animal I’ve ever cleaned but it’s not much different than a smaller one. It just takes longer.”I could smell the meat roasting. “I need to thank Birgir for making sure you got a good education. That smells amazing.”She smiled shyly. “Thanks,” she murmured.The smell
Tova's Four Kingdoms Princess
TOVA It took most of the rest of the day to get Erik down the mountain. Despite his jocularity, he was sore and tired, and we had to take it slow. No one complained. We all knew how close we had come to losing our king. Some of the warriors had ridden ahead to make sure that the accommodations were ready for Erik when he arrived. When we finally made it off from the mountain and out of the trees, we were greeted with hundreds of warriors gathered around, cheering for their king. Erik sat straight upright in his saddle, waving and thanking them. I followed, a smile plastered on my face. Someone came to take Troi’s bridle and help Erik off his mount. Another warrior came to my side, but I waved him away. “I will take care of my steed myself, but thank you,” I said with a smile. He bowed deeply and disappeared. I watched to make sure Erik was being helped into his tent and relaxed when I saw Garth hurrying towards him, ready to settle him into his bed. I took my time wash
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Tova's Four Kingdoms Greatest Warriors
TOVALater that night Erik was helping me take off my ornate dress. I had my back to him, my hair lifted up and he was untying the lacing.“Why do they tie these so tightly when you’re obviously with child? Of course you won’t have a waist,” Erik complained, picking at the knots. I shrugged.“Fashion, I guess,” I replied. He finally got the knot untied and spun me around, lifting the heavy dress off from me. I gave a sigh of relief and collapsed on the couch. He sat beside me and lifted my feet into his lap, idly rubbing them.“She will tame the Lion,” Erik mused. “You know who the Lion is, right?”I sighed again. “Yes. And I hope HE isn’t who that prophesy is about.”“The king of the Minot Realm does have a fearsome reputation,” Erik acknowledged. “But so did I.”“She is only six,” I commented. “That’s the same age I was when Birgir came and got me from my parents. I’m not letting Greta go if he comes knocking.”Erik nodded. “I agree. I will fight to keep Greta here unti
Tova's Four Kingdoms Prophesies
TEN YEARS LATERTOVAI was on my knees in the nursery trying to finish braiding six-year-old Greta’s curly red hair. It was normally a mess and I normally let it be a mess, but today was the day she was going to get her prophesy. Her brother, Leif, had gotten his years ago and the seers were finally back in the area. It was a tradition that all the children of the realm participated in. Even Erik had gotten a prophesy at one time.I clumsily climbed to my feet, again big with child. The midwives were convinced I was carrying twins this time. I had another easy birth when I birthed Greta and I was hoping this pregnancy would not be any different. “My lady, can I help?” One of the maids came forward to help me with Greta’s hair. I smiled at her. “Please try, Berta. I can not do a thing with it.” I handed over the brush and ribbons and then looked for my son. I found Leif sitting in the rocking chair near the window, reading a book. I smiled at him. At age ten he looked
Tova's Four Kingdoms Baby
TOVAI woke up in the middle of the night with a start, unsure what had woken me. I felt achy all over and decided to take a bath in the morning. I would ask the medicine man for some herbs to put into the water to soothe my muscles.I rolled over and snuggled into Erik. He rolled slightly in his sleep, pressing further into me. I dozed back to sleep when I woke again. This time I knew what had caused it.I carefully rolled away, hoping not to wake Erik. I felt a horrific pressure in my low back and sharp pains were shooting down my leg. I got up and carefully put on a dressing gown over my hugely swollen body, tying the straps in the front. I began pacing up and down the room, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure in my low back. I was in labor.I knew from my lessons with the midwives that the baby could take hours, or even days to come. I wasn’t prepared for this amount of pain, though. The pressure made me feel like my body was going to drop out of my bottom and the
Tova's Four Kingdoms Dining Room
ERIKI rode Troi into the stable at a run. It had been a long time since she got to go out and ride hard like that. Tova was too large and too far along in her pregnancy to ride, but she still came down to the stable to pet and talk to Bo. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to ride him, including me, so he had to stay when I went out with Troi. I gave the reins to one of the stable boys and then went into Bo’s stall, patting him. “She’s doing okay, boy,” I murmured to him. “It’s just too cold for her to come down and see you.” The new year had come in with a bang, the snow falling enough to cover the first story windows in the castle. After the snow came the winds, biting and freezing everything into a glossy, slippery mess. Tova was large with child and clumsy, so venturing outside wasn’t a good idea. She was going stir-crazy inside the castle. She recently began rearranging the baby’s room for the third time.I dropped a handful of oats into Bo’s feed bucket and carefully made
Tova's Four Kingdoms Dangerous Traditions
TOVAThe days of the celebration passed. It took a week for the castle to become back to normal. Our guests spent a day or two recovering from the merriment of the day before heading back to their lives. Birgir and Ulka stayed a few more days, working out some of the details of their new acquisition. “I’m too old to have kids,” Ulka said, abruptly one night at dinner. Erik choked on his soup and Birgir had to pound him on his back. I started laughing and couldn’t stop.“What on earth brought on this conversation?” Erik asked, horrified. “What are we going to do about an heir?” Ulka said. “Birgir and I aren’t exactly young. We probably have fifteen to twenty good years left to rule, but what will be do after that?”I tipped my head to the side. “Exactly how old are you, my lady?” I asked, curious. Erik gave a shout of laughter. “Good luck getting that information from her. It’s a closely guarded secret.” I threw my wadded up napkin at his head and he ducked. Birgir grinn
Tova's Four Kingdoms Celebration
TOVAI thought my knees would buckle under me but Erik’s steadying hand on my elbow and waist helped. One by one the kings and queens stood. The king of Skaldik stepped forward and dropped to his knee.“Kings and Queens of the Four Kingdoms. I, King Olgir, pledge my alliance to each and every one of you. I pledge to work together, to contribute to the well-being of all of our people.”The remaining kings and queens stomped their feet, pounding out their acceptance. And one by one, each of the royalty took to their knee and made the same pledge.Then it was my turn. I wasn’t sure if Erik had intended on participating, but I knew I needed to. I dropped to my knee and bowed to them.“Kings and Queens of the Four Kingdoms. I, High Queen Tova, pledge my alliance to each and every one of you. I pledge that we will work together and contribute to the well being of all people, regardless of where they dwell.”Erik fell to his knee beside me and repeated the oath. We stood together a
Tova's Four Kingdoms Unite
TOVAI stood in front of the crowd, nervous. I looked out, shocked at how many people were there. Every flat surface that could be used as a table and every stool, step and chair had been brought from the castle and were filled. Furs from the beds were placed on the ground with cushions for those who arrived too late to find a seat. As far as I could see there was a sea of people, and they were all looking at me.I cleared my throat and began speaking. I spoke loud, partly to control the shaking in my voice, and partly because I wanted all to hear what I had to say.“Men and Women of Oremgoth. I am speaking to you now as a sister from Nidavelle and as your High Queen. Hear my words.Oremgoth is a realm that is made up of four specific kingdoms. Because of location, each of these kingdoms has a specific gift that is from nature, herself.”I turned to the king of Skaldik and inclined my head before turning back to the people. “Skaldik is to the north. Their people are hardwork
Tova's Four Kingdoms New Royalty
ERIKI stood on the podium in the pavilion and looked out on to the field. More people than expected had shown up to the ceremony and that pleased me. Some of the guests didn’t look too pleased and some looked uncomfortable, but my mother was down there doing her best to stop the muttering.The muttering was happening because Tova insisted on mixing the perceived social ranks. Peasants were seated at the table with noblemen. Children from all classes ran around together, playing games and enjoying each other’s company. And those who did not send a response saying that they would be attending, regardless of status, were seated on furs and cushions that were placed out last minute. I knew that the only reason no one had left in a huff is because they were curious about what was going on. I stepped out and raised my hand, garnering the attention of everyone. The hum of conversations slowed and then finally stopped, the only noise made from the servants clanking silver together in
Tova's Four Kingdoms Beautiful
TOVAI was happy to see that the servants had filled my bath with lightly scented water. I climbed in and let the warm water relax my body before quickly washing and coating my hair with oils. I climbed out, wrapping myself in my robe and wandering back to the bedroom where my chambermaid had laid out my gown for the evening.Instead of the chambermaid, Erik was sitting on the couch, shirtless. I looked at him and breathed in, hard. I knew the look in his eyes.“Come here,” he said, widening his legs. I stepped forward until I was standing within arm’s reach of him. “Take off the robe,” he said, eyes smoldering. I obediently untied the sash and let the robe drop to my feet. He hissed his approval through his teeth when he saw my body, still glistening with the oils I had used. He lowered his head and started sucking on my nipple and I threw my head back and moaned. “You know we only have a few minutes,” Erik whispered, his mouth full of my breast. “No, we don’t. Take your
