Page 97 of The Artist
“And what is that?” Freya asked with a stiff smile.
“A woman for a woman.”
“We’re not fucking slave traders, that’s sick,” Thor hissed.
Rafael ignored his outbursts and waited for Freya to respond.
I could tell she was shocked, but she kept her cool. “A woman?”
He raised a finger. “I see your clever mind turning, but no, we wouldn’t be satisfied with justanywoman, so don’t go looking for an old grandmother to volunteer. We want a woman of equal or better quality than our Belle. She would have to be of childbearing age, beautiful, and talented.”
“I see.” Freya looked back at me with her eyebrows drawn close. I got her silent message that this might be beyond her charm and skills at negotiation.
In the meanwhile, the Prime Minister turned to Victor and spoke in French.
“What did he say?” I asked Belle.
Taking sides, Belle translated everything loud and clear for all of us to hear. “He said that he would take particular satisfaction in keeping Khan’s precious daughter, but he’s willing to accept Magni’s daughter as well. He asked Victor for his opinion on who is the better choice.”
“You’re not having any of our women,” I barked at the same time that Indiana stepped in front of Aubri and told both Rafael and Victor to fuck off.
Victor had backed up and stood leaning against a wall as if he wanted nothing to do with this whole drama. With a somber expression, he answered Rafael in English. “None of them would be much use to us, if you ask me. We’re better off asking for more natural resources.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Rafael said.
Victor sighed. “If you’re doing it to spite Khan and Magni, Freya is the better choice. She is the only daughter of Khan while Magni has two others. I’ve told you that Jonah is married to the oldest.”
“Hmm.” The Prime Minister got up and moved around the table to get closer to Freya.
Growling low, Thor clasped a hand on her elbow and threatened Rafael. “Touch her and you die.”
“I’m not touching your sister, Thor.” He smirked. “Not unless she wants me to. What’s fascinating to me is the way you Nmen are so protective of her virtue and virginity. You seem to think it’syourvirginity to protect.”
Speaking directly to Freya, he said. “May I give you some advice? Stay with us and explore what life has to offer outside the strict social norms of your country. You could have as many lovers as you’d like. No one would judge you. You might even find that you enjoy the company of other women.” He shrugged. “Or you could go for a mix.”
“Thank you for the kind offer, sir, but if I stayed, my father would invade your country to find me and the same applies for Aubri. That’s not an option.”
“Ah, I’m sorry you feel that way. Here I thought you were motivated to find a solution. Wasn’t that what you said?” The mocking tone of the old man made me furious. He behaved like we were children to toy with.
Freya on the other hand didn’t appear disturbed or offended. Instead she chuckled like they were having a casual conversation and he had made a joke. “I appreciate your sense of humor, but I can’t take your demand that Aubri or I stay seriously. If you take some time to consider the situation, I’m sure you’ll see that we are actually doing you a huge favor by bringing Belle with us to the Northlands.”
His brow rose. “How so?”
“Belle’s child would pose a threat to your society.”
“What are you talking about? There is no chance of inbreeding between them.”
“No, of course not, and you’re obviously right that new blood could be an advantage. However, there’s the significant danger of the genetic traits Mason’s offspring will bring.”
I exchanged a glance with Belle hoping she wasn’t listening to this shit, but Belle’s focus was on Freya, who continued talking.
“Not only are Nmen notoriously jealous and possessive by nature, they are also prone to violence and temper tantrums. Mason is the son of Magni, who is legendary for how much people feared him as a young man. Like his father before him, Mason is the fiercest warrior of his generation. There is no way his offspring will fit into your stoic society. He’ll be a temperamental time bomb that will cause tremendous damage with his size, strength, and explosiveness. You might think you can control him, but the moment he snaps, he’ll rip your country apart.” She tilted her head and used a soft tone. “You don’t want to be responsible for a future massacre, do you?”
Rafael lowered his chin and folded his arms. “Thank you for the warning, but the child could be a daughter as calm and pleasant as you. I’m not changing my mind. We’ll take the natural resources you offered, and we’ll takeyou.” With a quick look to Victor, Rafael asked a question in French.
“She’s twenty-seven,” Victor answered.
“Huh.” Rafael studied Freya from head to toe. “Then she’ll need to be impregnated right away.”
