Page 4 of Her World In His Hands

“My palace at Nóatún. Do you like what you see?”

“Surely it is forbidden for a mortal to be here within the God’s immortal realm?” she asked sounding anxious.

He smiled indulgently. “Since I am a God, I’ve decreed you can be here.” It was time this pretty little mortal understood his power. When he wanted something, he took it, and by thunder he wanted this maid. He needed to get her out of his system. It had never been his plan to fall for a mere mortal. Once he’d had his fill of this one, he’d be able to stop obsessing over her and move on.

“Now then, what would you like to do first? Would you like a tour of the palace and then we shall eat a sumptuous feast and bathe together in the scented waters of my sunken bath?”

She looked about her shyly. “I’m not sure about the bath, but a tour would be nice.”

The echoingchambers of the palace characterized a God’s need for opulence. Each and every room demonstrated Njord’s wealth and offered the luxury which Sassa had not conceived existed. Sumptuous fabrics in silver and gold adorned the windows, while frescos of naked men and women frolicking and enacting scenes of passion adorned the ceilings. Upstairs, Njord showed her bedchamber after bedchamber, finally introducing her to his own private sleeping space. A huge golden bed, adorned with gilded mermaids, each blessed with well-defined breasts leering from all four corners of the structure, filled the centre of the room. Silver covers and curtains shimmered in the light from opened doors that led onto a balcony with views across the sea. Such opulence was too much for her and she turned to hurry back towards the stairs. The ostentatious palace overwhelmed her, and she longed to return to her cosy, humble dwelling overlooking the fjord.

Returning to the ground floor, she saw a sumptuous feast had been laid out on the terrace, enough food to feed an army. “I see you are expecting guests, I should go,” she said, trying and failing to hide the relief in her voice.

He grinned. “No one will be joining us. I promised you a feast did I not? Well, here it is, everything you might desire for your delectation. Come, try this lobster.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Sassa watched as he filled a platter with food. The more she saw of his lifestyle, the more she’d realised the chasm which existed between their two worlds. He drew her like a moth to the flame, but she feared he’d do much more than singe her wings. As a god, Njord could destroy her if she wasn’t careful. Since when had the gods ever cared about the needs and wants of mortals?

Taking the platter from him, she seated herself at the table and picked at the lobster. Finding it delicious, she began to eat with more enthusiasm.

“I expect you’re wondering how a god of the Vanir came to be living among the gods of Asgard?”

“Hmm?” She really wasn’t that interested but he proceeded to tell her of the war between the Aesir and the Vanir gods which broke out when the Aesir killed the Vanir-affiliated witch Gullveig. The Vanir burned down the wall around Asgard, but in the end neither side saw victory.

“It was then the gods tired of war, and I proposed a peace treaty, which the wise Aesir accepted. To secure the treaty, I agreed to join the Aesir as a hostage and the Aesir sent Honir and Mimir to live with the Vanir. I am now an honoured and powerful God, highly respected and accepted in this realm.”

“How nice,” Sassa knew her reply sounded lame, but what could she say in answer to such proud bragging?

His face fell.

“And you are happy here?” she added hastily.

“Oh yes, who could not be.” He swept his arm about in an arc.

She rose to her feet. “Thank you for the delicious meal, it has been an honour to visit your palace, but I should like to return home now please.”

“So soon?” he asked with a look of disappointment.

“I really must.”

He crossed to where she stood and cupped her chin, his thumb swept across her lips in a sensuous caress.

She shivered. Why did his touch send heat flooding through her veins? He wasn’t to be trusted; she didn’t even like him.

And then he kissed her. It was as before, all thought fled her mind, her senses reeled and the heat flared into a furnace of desire. With sudden determination she twisted her head away. “I have to go. This is wrong.”

To his credit he stepped back and studied her for a moment.

“Tomorrow,would you travel underwater with me, into the marine world?” he offered suddenly.

No, she decided, but instead her traitorous mouth had other ideas. “I should like that.” Wondering, as she answered, why she was so weak willed when it came to him.

He pressed his mouth to hers in a brief kiss and in that moment, they were traversed to her little house.

It was cold, the fire was out. Glancing around, she shivered. It was as if they’d been gone days rather than hours. “Why is it so chilly in here?” she muttered. Her gaze alighted on the loaf of bread she’d removed from the oven that very morning, she’d left it on the table to cool, mould grew on the outer crust. “What’s happened to my bread?”

“Time in Asgard moves slower than here on Midgard, a week has passed since you were last here,” Njord explained.

“Midgard?” She frowned at the unfamiliar word.

---