Page 80 of The Warrior
Athena looked serious. “As far as I heard he wasn’t harmed in that bar fight.”
“No, he wasn’t. I don’t think he even remembers fighting.”
“I’m sensing the bar fight is not what you’re here to talk about.”
Biting my lip, I sat for a second before I blurted it out. “I want what you have with Finn, and what Pearl has with Khan.”
Athena tilted her head. “And what is that?”
“Love.” With a determined expression I began to explain. “Finn and Khan listen to you and Pearl. There is a mutual respect between you.”
“That’s true.”
“I’ve told Magni that I want that, but he’s so stubborn and rigid. It’s like hitting my head against a wall.”
“Laura, it’s dangerous to compare yourself to others. You never see the full picture.”
“But I see enough to know that there is equality between you.”
“Finn can be challenging too, and I’m sure that if you asked Pearl, she would say the same thing about Khan. But I agree with you that Magni is inflexible in his view on women.”
I threw up my hands. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re on my side.”
Athena frowned. “There aren’t sides in a partnership, Laura, you’re supposed to be a unity.”
“A unity? The man can’t even express how he feels about me.”
“Do you have doubts about his feelings for you?”
“Yes and no. On the one side, I know Magni is loyal to the bone and would protect me with his life. On the other side, I’m not sure it has anything to do with me as a person, but just the fact that I am his wife.”
“You think he loves the idea of a wife more than you as a person?”
“Sometimes. And then when we have sex, I feel connected to him and convinced that he cares about me. It’s all a guessing game with him. I just wish that he would say that he loves me.”
Athena leaned forward and took my hand, her thumb stroking back and forth across my knuckles. “What does he say when you tell him you love him? He must say something.”
“I haven’t said those words.”
“You haven’t?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
I lifted my shoulders in a small shrug. “Because he should say it first; he’s the man.”
Athena began chuckling.
“What is so funny?”
“What is funny is you sitting here, accusing Magni of being a traditionalist who doesn’t want to meet your need for equality. When in reality, you’re a traditionalist yourself.”
“What do you mean I’m a traditionalist?”
“You have fixed ideas about your roles in the marriage; you just admitted it when you said Magni has to go first because he’s the man. What kind of strange rule is that?”
“I don’t know. It just feels right.”
