Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams(186)

These were my thoughts as I walked through the busy camp of tents staked into the melting snow and men moved passed me, dipping their chins or giving me a shallow bow, horses rode passed and I lifted my chin to others standing by fires or exiting tents.

I made my way thus to Apollo’s tent and entered it.

Inside I saw all the heads of my noted Houses including Eirik, Frey’s father who was flanked by his two surviving sons, Calder and Garik, both men I had met, both men who looked too much like Frey (though not nearly as handsome) therefore setting eyes on them even for a moment wounded my soul and therefore both men I avoided. Because of this, I did not know them very well but what I did know was they were not repugnant like their father, malicious like their mother or wicked like their cousin. But even so, since they were Drakkars, I remained wary.

My eyes went directly to Apollo and my feet went to him too for he dipped his head to a chair indicating I should sit.

In that tent, the only one I completely trusted was Apollo. This was because I knew Frey had trusted him because Frey had told me about him, he told me he liked his cousin, he respected him and I’d learned since from Apollo that sentiment was returned. Also, I knew, if I birthed a daughter, the rest of them would easily be at each other’s throats to control Lunwyn just as our enemy was but I understood innately, rather than Apollo telling me, that if Frey and I had boy or girl, Apollo would always have my back.

And I also trusted Apollo because he looked at me with a look that I knew was mirrored in my eyes. Frey had told me he had lost his wife but, the minute I met Apollo, I read in his eyes that he had loved her, he had not recovered and I knew, reading the look in his eyes, he never would.

Ever.

I nodded to him as I moved across the tent, sat in the chair and looked around.

Calder, Frey’s brother, spoke first. “My Winter Princess, Apollo tells us you are still keen that we engage in a rescue effort to recover Queen Aurora.”

“I am,” I answered and I wasn’t the only one. Norfolk Ravenscroft and Olwen Lazarus, my mother’s cousin and brother respectively, I knew felt the same.

“Would it not be a better use of our resources to focus our energy on crushing the rebellion?” Eirik Drakkar asked as he would. I had learned Frey’s father didn’t mind sending his men into battle although he himself got nowhere near it.

“I am no general,” I answered, schooling my tone to sound respectful. “I simply expressed my wishes to Apollo. I leave the war business to you.”

At this point, Walter Sinclair put in, “Our scouts have not found the witch and I will repeat, I feel we should prioritize this mission. If she has the power to bind our Lavinia and Lavinia tells me her foreign companion’s magic rivals her own, we would be remiss not to seize this witch and claim her instruments for our own.”

“You could send Balthazar and Quincy,” I suggested. “They are both returned and my husband…” I faltered because, suddenly and against my will, my throat filled making my voice husky then I forced myself to rally, recover and I finished swiftly, “told me they are very skilled.”

“They are,” Apollo added, his voice soft. “Frey told me the same.”

“Then dispatch them instantly,” Eirik ordered pompously.

“You forget, Father, that we still skirmish,” Garik stated. “We need every blade we can get and these men of Frey’s are not only skilled at finding things, they are equally skilled with steel.”

“Yes, this is true, Garik,” Olwen Lazarus agreed. “But if we had these instruments and two extremely powerful witches, it might be they could use them to crush the rebellion with no more blood shed on either side.”

“No more blood, yes, no more loss of life, no,” Apollo stated quietly, everyone looked to him and I braced.

Apollo of the House of Ulfr was exceedingly gentle with me in a way that hurt since it reminded me of Frey. He was also exceedingly handsome in a way that also reminded me of Frey with his thick dark hair, big, muscular body and commanding presence (although his eyes were a stunning, pure, jade green).

However, in sitting in these meetings, which Apollo demanded I be included in, I had learned he might be gentle with me but he was not a gentle man.

Not at all.

“Apollo,” Norfolk Ravenscroft said low and Apollo leveled his eyes on the older man.

“They hang, all of them,” he declared.

“These are heads of Houses,” Eirik put in. “Their actions were to unite Lunwyn and we should –”

Apollo turned suddenly burning eyes on Frey’s father and his deep voice was terse when he clipped, “They plotted to murder your daughter-in-law, kidnapped and imprisoned her. They killed your king. They hold your queen captive. And sir, might I remind you, they murdered your son.”