Chapter 2
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” Odin’s eyes flashed with determination as he offered her a bouquet of freshly picked flowers. “You’re the only Seer I can trust. You were the one who foresaw my happy marriage to my love, Frigga.”
“And the adoption of your raven-haired son of ice who could craft powerful illusions over all, but his one true love who could choose to see through them and would eventually whisk him away to a love filled tower scraping the sky of another realm.” The old female Seer replied with a nod of her long gray hair paired with a three-tooth smile. Her eyes flashed a faint purple as she grasped the flower's stems. “You have come to ask about another.”
Odin’s desperation leaked through with a hurried nod. “Yes. Just-just tell me.” He took a deep calming breath. “Is it true? It’s one thing to lose a son to love, but death-death is another story.” He shook his head. “I can’t lose him too. Especially not while he’s still young!”
The Seer slowly took a whiff of the flowers Odin had given her and sighed. “Shh.” She stood from her old wooden rocking chair and placed the bouquet in a glass vase half filled with water, resting on top of a rocky shelf carved into the wall of the cave she called home. Their meeting was held high up in the mountains overlooking a pastoral landscape that stretched lazily out over long expanses of rolling green hills.
The Seer fussed lazily with the flowers in the vase then turned the vase to face another direction before stepping back with a smile, admiring her work.
Odin’s leg bounced with nerves. He never liked visiting Seers or other beings. There were always too many unknowns that he couldn’t prepare for. The one thing he had going for him now, was that, without his anger clouding his mind, his experience with ruling could finally shine through. If it’s one thing it has taught him, it was that when you want something from someone else, the last thing you should ever do is rush them or have them annoyed with you.
The Seer turned towards him and eyed his leg. “Shh.” She repeated. “Breathe.”
Odin stilled his leg and did as she asked, taking in a calming breath followed by a quick exhale. He was pretty sure he was already cursed with that blasted prophecy, but he didn’t want to push things any further and come home with another. Frigga would never let him hear the end of it.
The Seer went and resumed her seating position in front of Odin, her movements fluid in stark contrast to her age. She eyed him for a moment, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance as he sat patiently in front of her, desperate for his fears to be washed away with her words. She turned her long, bony hand so her palm was facing up. “Hand me the scroll.” She knew he had it with him.
Odin fished the scroll out of his pocket and handed it to the Seer. “My granddaughter does not make mistakes.”
F*ck! Odin cursed inwardly. F*ck Seer’s and their aversion to names! His anger was back. “So, that’s it!? Is there really nothing I can do!? I’m just supposed to wait for him to die!?”
The old Seer calmly unfurled the scroll and read it through a couple times, letting the words roll through her mind. “She does love a good rhyme.” She sighed, her voice dropping to a mutter. “My son had to marry a fairy.” She glanced at Odin with a squint. “You’re lucky I like Dreamshade and Daysbreath.” She glanced at the vase of flowers Odin had gifted her. “Purple and green mix so well with gold and white.” Her eyes flashed and a sly smile lit up her face. She glanced back at Odin’s hidden perplexity. “I can only offer you hope.”
Hope!? Odin’s brows shot up as a glimmer of just that began to sprout in the dim, candle-lit cave.
The Seer held up an old, weathered hand. “Hope, I must warn you, can be a cruel mistress. Especially if she’s misguided or flawed.”
Odin knit his brows together. Warnings. Hadn’t her granddaughter said something about them too? He had been young and naive when he had first heard her prophecy for him. Had she made a warning then? Odin shook his head, clearing his mind. He couldn’t think of that now. His son’s life was on the line. He needed to know what to expect. He had to be prepared. No matter what. “I think my wife and I would really appreciate some hope right now.”
The Seer nodded her head once. “Very well. As it so happens, Fays often thrive in double meanings and word play.” She handed Odin back the scroll. “For instance, there are many ways to take one’s breath away and claim one’s heart in victory.”
Odin took back the scroll and reread those lines, knitting his brows together, trying to see what she was getting at.
“Think of Frigga.” The Seer prodded. “Read again.”
Odin’s eyes went wide. His breath hitched. “Oh!” He glanced at the Seer in front of him then back at those lines. “You-you’re saying he will find love!?” He couldn’t believe it. Could it be true!?
The Seer was annoyingly calm and nonchalant as she shrugged her frail shoulders. “It is simply just another interpretation for you to think about.”
Frigga would be delighted. Maybe she would finally come out of her self-imposed isolation. He nodded with renewed happiness and hope. If both of his sons could one day live to find a wife and bear children as he and Frigga had, he would be the proudest father in all nine-realms! He quickly schooled his features. He was a King. He couldn’t get ahead of himself. He couldn’t give the Seer any excuse to ask for any more than a bundle of uncommon flowers. “Another interpretation indeed.” He echoed her words. He made an excuse to leave as he slowly stood up. “Thank you again for seeing me. I won’t take up any more of your time, I’ll get going now so I can bring this up with my wife.”
The sly smile was back. “You’re welcome, just write my granddaughter an apology and send it here by next week.” She waved her hands in a shooing motion. “That is all, you can go now.”
Odin quickly took the opportunity, not wishing to fight her or stay any longer. He exited the cave and mounted his trusty steed. “Take me home, boy.”