Chapter 8

Freya's POV

As I walked down the stairs, I felt significantly better. I had changed into a gown the color of violets in full bloom. It was fitting for a first-time meeting with a new person, and with my freshly fixed hair, I looked like the Queen I was.

"Where is the King?" I asked the first maid we encountered at the end of the stairs.

"He's in the music room, Your grace." She replied, curtsying.

We then headed to the music room, I was a little bit anxious, Adrien hardly spoke of his past. This person must hold a lot of importance to him.

When Ana pushed the door to the music room open, Adrien was the first one I saw from my line of sight. He was paying close attention to what someone else was saying.

Plastering my most welcoming smile on my face, I walked into the room but my smile died on my lips, and was replaced with a grimace when I saw who was seated in the room with Adrien.

I closed my eyes tightly, hoping I was imagining things but when I opened them, the tall blonde man from earlier was still seated in the music room. How did I manage to get myself in these situations all the time? He was obviously who Adrien wanted me to meet. But who was he though?

"Freya, come my love." Adrien beckoned to me when he noticed my presence in the room. I resummoned a smile and went to take my seat beside him.

"Ishmael, this is my bride; Freya." Adrien said, smiling at me. "Freya, Ishmael is the closest thing to family that I have."

"She looks disturbingly familiar." Ishmael muttered, feigning to be in deep thought. "Ah hah! It must be the hair." He nodded. "The shade is hard to miss and it leaves quite an impression."

My face turned crimson with embarrassment, when I remembered the disheveled state he saw me in. I sent him a deathly glare, wishing he would dissipate.

Ishmael was a very handsome man, handsomer than Adrien or any other man I knew. His blonde mane was slightly longer than necessary and framed his long face, making him look angelic. His brown eyes twinkled like someone had stolen stars to put in them, his features were soft and smooth, and came together perfectly, almost like the gods had taken their sweet time to craft him together. I didn't blame the maid from earlier, receiving attention from this beautiful man would purely be a dream come true for a lot of women.

"I doubt it, whoever you met was not Freya." Adrien remarked. "This shade is not very common either."

"Of course, you must be right." Ishmael answered, mischief dancing in the pool of his beautiful eyes. "It is good to finally meet you Freya, Adrien has been babbling about you for a while."

"It is an honor to be in the presence of one so important to my husband." I forced a smile.

"We will be good friends sister-in-law, I can sense it." He smiled back at me. His smile was blinding and must have swept many girls off their feet.

"Ishmael has been in the east, trying to regulate the pest invasions." Adrien butted in. "We have done most of the work, so there was not a need for him to linger there."

As the afternoon wore on, all the discomfort and embarrassment I felt slowly faded away and I was gradually able to enjoy Ishmael's company. He was funny and mischievous, and I could tell from their interactions that the bond between him and Adrien was strong.

We laughed and talked till the sun went down in the sky and the moon appeared from behind the clouds, till the air became colder and creatures of the night called out haunting cries to each other. Ishmael was right, we were going to be very good friends.

Dinner was a lively affair, and I abandoned my seat at the other end of the table to sit beside Adrien. Ishmael sat opposite me also as we ate. It reminded me of home and the lively banter we always had during meals. My heart was full and I was more than content.

After our meal, as the two friends talked on, I said my goodnight and retired early to my bedchambers. Ana helped me undress and prepare for bed before I bade her goodnight as well. It didn't take too long after that and Adrien came to our bedchambers.

"I could no longer concentrate on our conversation." Adrien mumbled as he slid underneath the blankets beside me, pulling my shift clad body into his arms. "Knowing you were up here, alone and waiting for me." Burying his nose into my hair, he inhaled deeply.

I settled comfortably in his arms, my head on his chest and sighed in content. He rubbed a hand up and down my back, and left kisses on my head.

We stared at the lit fireplace, its flames dancing an ancient dance, as they steadily ate away at the chunks of wood.

"Ishmael is the only family you have?" I asked cautiously. Adrien had never said anything about his family to me, and while I was very curious about it, I believed he would reveal everything at his own pace and comfort.

"I had a family once, a long time ago. A sister, and a brother even. I never really knew my mother." He laughed a little, it was sad. "We were happy, till the death of the King; our father." He sighed and I could feel his unhappiness seeping into me. "My brother became King, but his fear of being usurped by me eventually morphed into bloodlust."

"I wasn't the eldest son, but I inherited most of my father's abilities. I did not blame my brother for his fear of me. What I blamed him for, was murdering our sister and Amelia; my intended." Adrien's breath hitched in his throat, and I felt terrible at having brought up the issue, but I was also glad that I was finally getting to know.

Adrien got up from the bed and went to take a seat at the fireplace, running a hand through his thick hair. I left the bed as well, going to sit opposite him in one of the fur-padded chairs.

He looked up at me. "I struck him down, Snow." The blue of his eyes showed a haunting past, glowing eerily and holding him down in his memories. "I killed my brother, and then I was totally alone."

I went into his arms at that moment, sitting in his lap and holding him close to me. "Well, you are not alone anymore, my love. You have a family now, I am your family."

"And I promise to keep you safe, Snow. You will always be sheltered from all evil." He gripped me to him fiercely. "No one will be able to harm you, I swear it."

I held his head gently so he could look into my eyes and see the sincerity in them. "It was not your fault, Adrien. Forgive yourself already, my love." I whispered to him, placing my forehead on his.

His eyes lit up with a warm smile, even as the ghosts of his past did not totally let go of him. "You are precious, Freya. I would give up my life to protect you."

And our lips connected in a kiss. It was different from any other kiss we had shared. It was filled with understanding, and promises, and hope.

Suddenly, Adrien stood up with me in his arms making me squeal happily. His laughter ricocheted off the walls, filling the spacious room and he walked to the bed, carefully placing me down, and laying beside me.

"I love you, Freya Bale." He muttered as sleep wove its sweetness into our minds.

"As I love you, My King." I muttered back, drifting off to sleep too.

*******

"Freya, my darling child. I have missed you so much, dear girl and you took your sweet sweet time to come see us." These were the words that filled my ears as Helena hugged me to her.

"Freya!" Hella flung herself into my arms, knocking my crown off my head with the force of her greeting after Helena let go of me.

They were waiting in front of the house, and had attacked me with greetings and hugs the moment I stepped out of my carriage with Ana.

"I have missed you all as well." I laughed as I returned her hug with as much vigor as her.

"Come, let us go in." Helena beckoned.

Hella intertwined her fingers with mine and eagerly pulled me along as we headed inside, while Ana picked up my fallen crown and followed closely behind us.

"Your father will be happy to see you, he was gladly waiting for the next council meeting so he would pay you a visit." Helena said as we headed to the sunroom. I was now a visitor in my former home.

It had barely been three months since I got married to the King, but they were acting like it had been a whole year.

"Where is Father?" I asked immediately we entered the sunroom. He wasn't in there. The sunroom looked the same as ever; its floor to ceiling windows were open and the beautifully bright curtains billowed around in the afternoon breeze, the light flooding the room from different angles made it look light and cherry as it had always been.

Some maids were setting down refreshments on some little tables put beside the chairs. I had expected my father to be in here since Helena led us here but he wasn't.

"He's still in his study, probably on his way here too already." Helena answered. "Sit, we'll wait for him."

I had missed my father terribly and I couldn't wait to see him. I sat on a chair with Hella, and Ana returned my crown to me. I set it on the little table nearest to me, while we waited for my father.

"Your Grace! I am extremely pleased to see you." Dalia exclaimed when she entered the sunroom.

"Dalia!" I sprang to my feet and enveloped her in a hug as well.

"You seem to be doing really well at your new home, but you have been terribly missed here." She said as I let go of her.

I looked round all the smiling faces in the room. It was endearing and I had missed the familiarity of them all.

"Little one." Came Father's voice from the entrance of the sunroom.

Happiness flooded my heart. "Father!" I screamed happily. As I moved towards him, a strange lightheadedness hit me. Strange! I had never felt that way before. I stood still for a moment, waiting for the feeling to pass but it didn't.

"Freya?" Father's voice had an undertone of worry.

The room was quiet and everyone had their eyes on me.

"I'm fine, Father. Just a little dizzy." I tried harder to fight the feeling.

"You should sit down for a bit." Helena said, and I turned to go back to my seat, but then that feeling overcame me and the first step I took plunged me into absolute darkness.

*******

"She's waking up." A voice said. It sounded like father's voice, but I wasn't totally awake yet so I wasn't sure.

I finally opened my eyes fully. I was in my former room and Helena, Father and Ana were in the room with me.

I was laying down on my bed and our family physician peered down at me with scrutiny.

My body felt tired as I tried to sit up. Father and Helena came to the side of the bed.

"What happened?" I asked, perplexed. Seeing the physician made me worry, surely nothing was that wrong for him to be invited.

"You fainted, Freya." Helena answered. "Has this been happening a lot?" Her voice was soft and comforting.

"No, it's the first time ever."

The physician widen my eyes and peered in on them one after the other.

"What is wrong with her?" My father inquired from the physician.

"When was the last time you saw your courses, Your grace?" the old man asked me.

"I...…." I thought about it over and over, till realization flooded me in a warm tide. "I… do not remember." I said in wonder.

"Congratulations, Your grace." He smiled, showing a few crooked teeth.

Father stood still in awe and a few drops of tears leaked from Helena's eyes. Ana's face was brightened with a wide smile as well. I wasn't fully processing my feelings yet, but joy was the biggest one in there.

"Thank you."