Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Freydis

"Tell me, Freyja," he said from behind, "have you ever visited this place before?"

"Nay," I shook my head.

There were so many people engaged in sexual activities.

"What is this place?" I asked. Just before I could turn around to face Ragnar, I felt his lips graze my skin. I closed my eyes as a rush of heat filled me.

"A brothel house," he whispered. "Most folks come here for pleasure. To take away the worries they have at home."

Pleasure? Was that what I wanted right now? Was that why I was feeling this way?

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I took a sip of the ale and it ran down my throat, bringing another rush of desire to my stomach.

He swirled me around so that I was now facing him.

"I have a hard time believing that you haven't visited the brothel house before," he said, his voice gentle.

"I haven't lied to you, have I?" I asked, and he shook his head. "I honestly haven't been to this place. It's my first time hearing about it. I haven't seen things like this. I haven't even been in love before."

He looked at me, surprised. I quickly took another gulp of the drink so I wouldn't say something foolish.

"You've never been in love?" he asked. "I don't think it's because you don't attract men—words can't describe how beautiful you look."

"You're right, it's not because I can't attract men. It's just that I haven't met any man who made me fall in love with him."

Haven't? Was that the right word to use? Because as I stood in front of Ragnar, I could feel my heart beating for him.

When his eyes met mine, I looked away like a fool. Why was I even talking about this?

His hand slid around my waist and I shivered, turning to him. He leaned closer, his long dark hair falling over his face, and he shoved it behind his ear. His eyes met mine, and he stared at me deeply.

"And what if I told you," he said in a low voice, "that I've never been in love either? And that I came to Fellur just to see you?"

I should pull away from his grasp. I should scold him for his words. I should run back to the palace. But I couldn't—I remained in his arms.

"Really?" I asked, glancing around. I tried to see if anyone was watching us. A few women were staring at Ragnar.

"Can I kiss you?" The words blurted from my mouth. Even I was surprised after they came out.

Did I just ask to kiss him?

Ragnar was still for a moment, and I think I might've stopped breathing. I shouldn't have asked. What is wrong with me?

"By the gods, Freyja," he breathed, grabbing my waist firmly. "You didn't even need to ask, because I was about to kiss you."

I shivered, and before I could speak, his lips crashed on mine. I gasped at the contact.

Did he know this was my first kiss too?

I stood completely still in his arms, my heart feeling like it was about to explode. They say when a woman is in love, she feels butterflies. Is that what I'm feeling now?

Goosebumps covered my body. I trembled as I slowly raised my still hands to touch his back.

All of a sudden, he pinned me against the wall and the kiss deepened. Everything changed. The kiss was so raw, and his tongue was deep inside my mouth. I was breathless, and when he released me, I gasped for air.

I didn't allow myself to think that I was a princess, and this was a shame to me and my people. I wasn't thinking about what would happen. The only thing on my mind was Ragnar and me. It felt like we were in our own world.

He kissed me again, and this time, there was no holding back. His lips sucked on mine hard, heating my body. His hands moved to my face, one grabbing my neck, the other trailing down to my collarbone.

A deep sound rumbled from his throat, sending rush of pleasure through my body. I was flushed. The hunger inside Ragnar as he kissed me scared me. He leaned closer, pulling away from my lips, and ran his tongue down to my neck, sucking a spot there.

He continued to suck my neck, and a low sound escaped my mouth. I shivered, placing my hand on his head as more unexpected sounds slipped out. When he bit into my skin, I moaned and dug my fingers into his hair. His hair was as soft as I'd imagined, and his skin was warm to the touch.

He leaned in so close, there was barely any space between us. He kissed me—my face, my neck—and it woke something inside me. I never wanted it to stop.

But he did, and though I wanted to pull him back for another kiss, I was breathless. Ragnar stared at me, and though I couldn't see his eyes clearly, I could feel how deeply he was looking into me.

"We've stayed away from home too long. We should return before they notice our disappearance," he murmured.

I nodded.

He held my hand in his, and I felt warmth blossom inside me. We walked out of the brothel without anyone recognizing me, and as Ragnar led me back home, I felt alive.

I was happy for the little moment we'd spent together. I should've said yes the moment he asked me out.

After a short walk, he stopped and pulled me to a corner, leaning closer.

"Why did you stop walking?" I asked.

"Because I have something to tell you before we return home."

"What?"

"I am drawn to you, Freyja," he murmured.

The smile faded from his face as he leaned in to kiss me. The kiss was deep, and I felt it in my bones. He sucked my lips like he was savoring a ripe fruit.

The cap on my head slipped backward, and I pulled away when I heard footsteps from a group of people approaching.

"We could get caught—"

But I couldn't finish the sentence because he silenced me with his mouth. He was even rougher this time. My head began spinning, and it felt like my knees were about to give out, but he held me tightly.

I began to wonder what would happen if we were caught. There would be consequences—especially from the Queen. I shouldn't be enjoying this. I shouldn't be wanting more from Ragnar. But I couldn't help the way I was feeling, and that scared me.

That fear was enough, because when he licked my lips again, I pulled back.

"Aren't you afraid someone might see us?" I asked.

"There's no one here, Freyja."

I wanted to tell him there was a group of people just walking by moments ago. I also wanted to take him into the woods and let him kiss me again.

But I fought hard through the turmoil of thoughts swirling in my head and stepped back.

"We should head back home. I don't feel well."

He stepped closer and grabbed my arm firmly. "Is this because I kissed you? Because I expressed myself to you?"

"Nay," I said.

He pulled me closer. "I want you."

I winced, trying to pull back. "You're hurting me."

But he didn't let go. "We can go north together. I'll take you around the beautiful villages there. Just me and you."

I had always dreamed of going to the North—to see the beautiful castles Ragnar used to tell the King about.

But right now, I was conflicted. And he was hurting me.

I pulled against his grip, but he was strong. Closing my eyes, something stirred up inside me, sending Ragnar crashing to the ground.

"I'm... I'm sorry," I murmured, lowering myself to the ground.

He stood up and held me. "I should be the one apologizing for holding you that hard. I'm sorry."

I nodded. "Can we go home now?"

He nodded, and I sighed in relief.