A Fate Inked in Blood
by Danielle L. Jensen
Contents
Chapter 8
Overview
Freya avoids consummating her marriage when Ylva proposes a blood-rune oath that magically binds Freya to Snorri's bloodline, while Snorri vows fidelity to Ylva alone. The three agree to fake the consummation and keep the oath secret. Freya slips out to search for Snorri's seer but encounters Bjorn on the docks, where they discover a fleet of raiders approaching Halsar under cover of darkness.
Summary
Freya is led to the bedchamber to consummate her marriage with Snorri, but Ylva breaks down, unable to bear watching her husband bed another woman. Snorri tries to reassure Ylva that the marriage is purely political, but Ylva proposes an alternative: binding Freya to Snorri through a runic blood oath rather than consummation. Freya seizes on the idea, agreeing to swear the oath on the condition that Snorri vows never to touch her. She also suggests they fake the consummation, arguing that Ylva can provide the necessary proof and no one would dare question their jarl.
Ylva performs the spell using a silver plate, mixing Freya's and Snorri's blood and painting runes. Freya vows to serve no man not of Snorri's blood, to protect and be loyal to him, and to speak of the bargain to no one outside that bloodline. Snorri in turn vows loyalty of body and heart to Ylva as his one true wife. The runes flare and vanish into smoke, sealing the magic. Ylva then threatens Freya with horrific punishment should she ever betray them, and Freya acknowledges the warning without flinching.
Ylva hides Freya under a trapdoor and instructs her to stay put while Ylva and Snorri stage the consummation. Freya escapes through an underground tunnel into the night air, wanting solitude and hoping to find Snorri's seer—someone marked by Odin—to learn more about the prophecy concerning her future. She wanders through the village but finds no seer's dwelling, eventually reaching the docks overlooking the dark fjord.
On the docks, Freya reflects on her fate-changing power granted by Hlin and debates whether any of her choices truly deviate from the Norns' weaving. She is startled by Bjorn, who has followed or happened upon her. Their tense exchange reveals that Bjorn was not in the mood to celebrate and seems agitated by Freya's entrapment. He suggests she could run, but Freya refuses, knowing her family would suffer. Just as Bjorn appears on the verge of revealing something significant, they both hear the rhythmic sound of many oars approaching across the water—raiders are coming to Halsar.
Who Appears
- FreyaSnorri's new wife who negotiates a blood oath to avoid consummation and later discovers raiders approaching Halsar.
- SnorriJarl of Halsar who agrees to the blood oath binding Freya, vowing fidelity to Ylva alone.
- YlvaSnorri's first wife who proposes the runic blood oath, performs the binding spell, and threatens Freya with dire consequences for betrayal.
- BjornSnorri's son who encounters Freya on the docks at night, suggests she could flee, and spots the approaching raiders with her.