Page 81 of Astrid at Sea

“How so?” Viktor hummed, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

“I wish to apologise for how I treated you before you left for the mission—specifically you, Viktor. After you left, I realised my behaviour was wrong and was driven by my greed for the King’s treasure. Being married myself, I should know what it’s like, especially since you were so newly married. I should have been more accommodating, and I guess I’m trying to say that I never should have expected things to stay the same after you married. I should have respected you, both of you, and I need to apologise for my behaviour. I’m really sorry, Viktor and Astrid.”

Viktor pursed his lips, and I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

“And what about when you said you’d replace me?” He asked, and internally, I was dancing in happiness that we were finally confronting Barden for his brash behaviour before we left. Outwardly, I was calm and collected, the perfect Captain’s wife.

“I’m sorry about that as well. I could never replace you, Viktor. You know that I was only chatting out of my ass,” Barden sighed, looking sorry for himself. “No offence to your father, Astrid–” He glanced at me. “–but you’re the best Captain we’ve ever had, Viktor. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

“As long as you promise me that something like this will never happen again, I’ll hold no grudges,” Viktor countered with an ultimatum of his own.

“Yes! Yes, of course!” Barden nodded his head frantically. “Nothing like this will ever happen again. I give you my word.”

“Then all between us is good, Barden,” Viktor grinned and pulled him in for a hug, clapping him sharply on the back. “It’s good to be back.”

“It’s good to have you back. Both of you,” Barden grinned. “I hope you’re not too tired because we’ve started preparations for a grand feast as soon as we saw The Serpent in the distance.”

“We’re all a little tired, but nothing a quick nap won’t fix,” Viktor smiled, a dark promise shining in his eyes when he turned to glance at me.

I was half-relieved, half-expecting Barden’s apology, and it appeared that many other things had also changed in Jorvik while we had been away.

For one, Jerrik’s wife was pregnant, having found out the week after we had left for sea. Chara was now between six and seven months along, and much to my surprise, Crosby ran into her arms as soon as he got off the ship. Odin’s children had found a kitten in the forest while on a walk one morning, and Kis was smitten with him. Laurence dropped to his knees in front of the girl who held his heart, and even Caspian moved to ask for a private moment with one of the teachers from my school. I didn’t even know he had his eyes on someone!

After that rather pleasant conversation with Barden, Viktor and I kept our heads down and skilfully avoided everyone as we rushed back to our hut. It hadn’t been lived in for months, and it was absolutely freezing and lacking life upon entrance, but neither of us could be gladder about being back.

We would be more than happy to indulge everyone in our wild sea stories later, but right now, we needed some time to ourselves. After all, the last time we had been here, we had both been newlyweds, and it took me ages to look him in the eyes after I sucked his cock for the first time.

Privacy was necessary after spending months at sea with the entire crew surrounding us all the time.

As if he could read my mind, Viktor palmed himself over his breeches as he slowly approached me, a dark glimmer in his eyes. “How about we consummate our marriage bed,wife?”

EPILOGUE

5 YEARS LATER

After that first rather eventful trip out at sea where everything that could have possibly gone wrong did, in fact, go wrong, I had genuinely taken to life at sea. Since then, I joined the crew on one of their lengthier missions every year and a few shorter, more local ones when I saw fit. Though thankfully, none had been nearly as long as that first one.

Today’s mission was shorter, leaving in the morning and returning before it got dark, but I felt too seasick to join them. However, I planned to send someone in my place.

Our very own baby, Haskell. However, he loved to remind us that he wasn’t a baby but just as much a man as his father.

A little over four years ago, Viktor and I became parents to a little sailor, and this time next month, we were set to give him a little brother or sister. We were both hoping for a little princess, but we wouldn’t mind in the slightest if we gave Haskell a little brother.

“Mama!” Haskell yelled as he came sprinting toward me at full speed like the little ball of trouble that he was. He had Kis in his arms, who looked more seasick now than she did when she was aboard The Serpent. “Mama!” He yelled again.

My lips tugged down at the corners, and I braced my hands on my hips, a mock stern look on my face as I stared at my son.

“Haskell Daewon Thostenson!”

The little boy, who was the spitting image of his father, came to an abrupt stop at the use of his full name and stared up at me with adorably wide eyes. He was in trouble, and he knew it.

“What have I told you about running with Kis in your arms? You know it makes her sick, and then I have to clean up after her,” I lightly chastised him, only half-serious. I know he meant well, but I truly despised cleaning up after Kis.

Haskell let go of Kis to fist his tiny little hands around my waist, an adorable little pout on his face.

“Don’t be mad, Mama. I’m sorry,” he whined, tugging on my skirt.

It was impossible to stay mad at Haskell for long. Not when he looked at me just like his father did when he was in trouble and wanted an easy way out.

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