Page 7 of Her World In His Hands

Sometimes he would turn her into a mermaid again and they would join the marine life below the waterline and more often than not her ancient friend would join them. Sassa sensed the lonely beast was happier now that she could join it down in its aquatic world and was able swim and play with the gentle creature.

It was late morning;Sassa was becoming concerned, where was he? Returning to her humble wooden house she stepped inside and gasped. The room before her appeared by magic to have become huge, the otherworld space shimmered with light. Njord stood backlit by a golden haze. Holding out his palm to her she scampered forward, took his hand, and he drew her to his chest.

“Sassa, will thou be my wife for all eternity?” he asked in a booming God like voice which echoed and surrounded her, filled her mind and seeped into her flesh, his words deeply embedding into her very bones. This then was how a God asked a woman to be his.

“I am human I cannot remain with you forever,” she reminded him in a small trembling voice.

He brought an apple to her mouth. No ordinary apple this, but a glossy apple which hummed and vibrated strangely. “One bite a year of this and you will remain immortal like me. Join me, and we shall remain together, forever.”

Leaning into his arm she placed her small hand over his wrist to steady his grasp and sank her teeth into the glowing apple. Incredible sweetness suffused her tongue as she took a mouthful of the enchanted fruit. Chewing slowly to savour the phenomenal flavour, she finally swallowed. In an instant her body convulsed. All her joints and muscles seemed to tighten then stretch, her frame bowed under the ambrosian spell. The peculiar sensation left her as quickly as it came; replaced by a powerful sense of wellbeing which swept her from head to toe as she slumped against him.

His lips were on hers, fervent and demanding. Their lovemaking unlike anything she’d imagined, this then was how a God loved with all the physical and emotional pleasure magnified and enhanced. Sassa’s orgasm swept through her as fierce as the glacier waters of Vettisfossen which thundered over the rocky cliffs at Jotunheimen. Afterwards, she lay mesmerized and utterly replete.

Later,after they’d eaten, Njord tucked her into bed giving her a kiss into which he poured his heart and left her to sleep while he went to find Odin in order to ask for permission to marry a mortal.

As soon as he arrived back in Asgard, Njord bathed in his sunken pool and changed into his ceremonial kyrtill in preparation for his visit to Odin’s great palace of Valhalla.

On arrival, he was surprised to be met by the God himself, worryingly he noted Odin’s grim expression.

“I wondered when you would deign to come and explain yourself,” he boomed angrily.

“What has occurred to put you in such a temper?”

“You’ve crossed a line, Njord. You gave a mortal the fruit of immortality.”

“I’m a God I can decide for myself if I wish to give a human immortality, besides she only took one bite and surely that won’t last longer than a hundred years at best. I intend to take Sassa to wife and give her more of the fruit in due course.”

“You overstep yourself!” Odin boomed, “Arrogant young puppy; I’m head of the Gods! I decide who is given immortality, notyou! Njord, you’ve grown too big for your boots. ‘Tis time you were taken down a peg or two.” Odin lifted his arm and twirled his finger in the air. Njord found himself bound tight. Using his powers, he swelled and grew to giant size but his bonds only stretched with him. He was well and truly trussed.

Odin tugged his beard thoughtfully. “I cannot such blatant disrespect go unchallenged. I offer this as a fair resolution. The giantess Skadi is inconsolable over her father’s death, during the war. She demands to marry a God as recompense and to keep the peace I am willing to repay her for her loss. I know Skadi wants to marry Baldr, but he is not willing, and so I have come up with what I consider to be a fair solution. I’ve decreed that she can marry a God, but she will have to choose her husband from among all the Gods, without seeing any other part of them but their feet. I know you are of Vanir decent and not Aesir, under normal circumstances I wouldn’t ask you take part in the line-up but since you’ve disobeyed the law, and thus disrespected me, I am adding you to her choice of Gods.”

Njord stilled, Sassa’s strange prediction that he should avoid giantesses came to mind. His heart sank, he knew he had no choice but to obey Odin’s dictate. “If she selects me, does it mean I will actually have to marry this giantess?”

Odin nodded. “It does, and if we are to avoid another war with the giants, you will make every effort to keep her happy. If you do not, I shall personally kill this Sassa mortal you seem so taken with.”

Njord struggled against his bonds. “You would murder an innocent?” he rasped in horror.

“Only if you do not uphold our bargain; besides who is to say Skadi will select you? Come, the others await us in the great hall.”

“Wait, if she doesn’t choose me, do I have your permission to marry Sassa, and make her an immortal?”

Odin patted his shoulder. “If that happens then, we shall see, Njord, much will depend on how contrite I think you are.”

Njord’s head fell forward in despair. His heart filled with uneasy foreboding.

Odin placed Njord in the middle of the line-up of other grim-faced Gods. It appeared that no one was happy with Odin’s plan. Cloaked with invisibility so that only their feet showed, the Gods watched anxiously as Skadi walked slowly among the row of males studying their feet. Twice she sauntered up and down between the lines of men, tapping her lip thoughtfully, until finally she halted before Njord and placed a hand upon his foot.

Sassa awoke,her eyes immediately turned to search the space beside her. She frowned, what was that resting on the pillow? Reaching out she discovered a gold brooch designed in the shape of an apple made from a cabochon of amber stone set in gold. With a smile of contentment curving her lips, she reached for the gift and pressed the bauble against them.

Later that day Njord appeared but remained several feet away from her. She moved towards him, arms outstretched, halting uncertainly when he held up his palm, warning her off. Warily she watched him, noting his stiff stance and furrowed brow. Something was seriously wrong.

“Tell me,” she demanded.

“I am so happy that you agreed to become my wife, but Odin is livid with me …” his voice trailed away. His agonised expression pierced her heart, it was obvious something traumatic had happened.

“Go on,” she prompted.

“It’s all my fault, I should never have given you the apple to taste without obtaining Odin’s permission,” he muttered remorsefully.

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