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It had been quite a task to get five adults, five children, and several guards this far up the mountain, and Rakel was very glad it was over. Of course later they would have to get back down the mountain, but she couldn’t think about that yet. She set little Erik down on the blanket Freyja had spread on the grassy bank of Lake Crescent.
Freyja chuckled. “If he’s anything like mine, he won’t stay there long. In a few minutes, he’ll be headed for the lake.”
Rakel smiled. “Not if I can help it.” She called her magic and built an ice wall approximately three feet high around a large enough area to give the babies and their nanny room to move around without giving the babies access to the lake.
"So, where is Kai today, Princess?" Freyja asked.
"He's gone on an adventure of some sort with Phile and Gerta. I do hope they're not into anything too dangerous."
"Or illegal," Freyja said, laughing.
“Nifty trick,” Rakel's brother-in-law Erik said, coming up behind her to watch his namesake crawl around the enclosure. “A baby pen. Why didn’t we think of that, Freyja?”
Freyja threw the towel she was holding at her husband. “Because I don’t have ice magic, silly. Now, would you please get the other blankets from the wagon?”
“As you wish, M’Lady.”
Freyja stuck out her tongue at her husband and rolled her dark eyes fondly as he walked away.
Corrine approached the baby pen. “Look, Korsa! Your own little play spot. You can play with brother.”
“Mama!” eight-year-old Glia called, running up behind Freyja. “Can we get in the water now?”
Freyja nodded. “You and Farrin can go in the water, but if Sven follows you, you must be responsible for him.”
“Ahhhh, Mama! Do we have to watch him? He’s such a baby!” six-year-old Farrin complained. “We won’t have any fun.”
Freyja leveled a look at her son. “You may go in the water and watch your brother or stay out of the water entirely. Which do you prefer?”
Little Farrin, as the boy had been dubbed to avoid confusion, harrumphed and stomped toward the lake. “C’mon Sven,” he grumbled.
Freyja put a hand on her older son’s shoulder. She spoke softly, “And now, for your attitude, you will not be allowed to go into the lake until I say otherwise.”
The boy looked ready to argue, but then thought better of it. He plopped on the bank, pouting.
Appearing suddenly beside his wife, Farrin slid an arm around her and watched the babies in the pen. He chuckled. “Sometimes it pays to be married to the Snow Queen.”
“Where were you, Farrin?” Erik asked.
“Checking on the guards.”
Rakel turned to face him. “Love, you’re off duty. Let them do their jobs, and you enjoy the time with your brother.”
He pecked her lips. “I just wanted to be sure, Rakel, before I let my guard down.”
She said softly, “You’ve trained them well. We’re safe. Now, have fun.”
“Are you fine here?” he asked, rubbing her arm.
She nodded. In that instant, Rakel saw her husband’s demeanor change from captain of her guard to a man on a picnic. He disappeared behind a nearby bush. When he came out a few seconds later, he was holding his regular clothes and was wearing his swim clothing. “Erik, I’ll race you.”
“Where to?”
Farrin gestured over the water. “To the low-hanging bough and back.”
“Let me change then you’re on. But no magic!”
Farrin grinned. “I make no promises.”
After Erik had changed, the two men ran for the bank and dove in almost side by side. Rakel watched as they swam, and it struck her how similar the brothers were. Both men were muscular, though Erik was not quite as lean as Farrin, and both men were dark complected, but Erik’s hair was slightly lighter.
Freyja chuckled. “Erik is really the stronger swimmer–or at least he used to be. But, about the time Erik would pull ahead, Farrin would use his magic and come out of the water before Erik. Erik would get aggravated and accuse Farrin of cheating, and they’d end up wrestling.”
Rakel joined her sister-in-law sitting on the blanket. “Here they come.”
As Freyja had predicted, Erik was nearly two full body lengths in front of his brother. And then Farrin became a blur, seconds later plopping onto the bank and grinning.
Erik climbed out of the water. “You’re such a cheater,” he said, sounding truly angry. Erik grabbed Farrin and threw him bodily into the water. Rakel started, but Freyja was laughing. Farrin came up sputtering and grabbed his brother, dragging him into the water with him and holding his head underwater.
Rakel cried out, but Freyja shook her head, still laughing. “They’re playing, Princess. They’re not truly upset. In fact, if Farrin hadn’t cheated, Erik would have been disappointed.”
After a few seconds, Farrin let go and Erik came up sputtering. He launched himself at Farrin and the two began a game that resembled tag, punctuated by splashes and guffaws.
Rakel was flabbergasted. “I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Swimming?” Freyja asked.
“No. So joyful and uninhibited.”
The women watched as Glia and Sven joined the fray. Farrin picked Sven up and put him on his shoulders. Erik did the same with Glia. Then, the men moved close enough that the two children could wrestle each other. Much laughing and screeching and tumbling ensued.
“Excuse me a moment, please, Princess.” Freyja rose and crossed the grass to her older son. She spoke quietly with him for a moment, then allowed him to join his siblings. He ran shouting for the water.
Freyja settled back into her spot, then resumed their conversation. “Farrin used to be the first to be goofy or pull a prank. Erik was always the serious one.”
“You grew up with them?”
“Mmmm-hmm. I had a crush on Farrin for a while. I used any excuse I could to go to the farm.”
Rakel swallowed. She wasn’t sure what to think of her sister-in-law’s revelation.
Freyja shrugged. “I’m sure you had some boy that you–.” Seemingly catching herself, her cheeks flamed enough to be visible even with her dark olive skin. “I’m so sorry.”
Rakel took a breath and smiled a little.
Before Rakel could speak, Erik came over, dripping wet and pulled his wife’s dark brown ponytail. “You had better change, my wife, if you don’t want to go in the water fully clothed.” He gave her a dangerous look. “Because you are going in the water by choice or otherwise!”
Suddenly he seemed to realize that he had interrupted. “Oh. Um. Excuse me.” He backed away quickly.
Although she wanted to go somewhere and cry, Rakel forced herself to say, “No. It was nothing. Please, Freyja, go swim with the others.”
With a final worried glance at Rakel, Freyja went to change into her swim clothing.
To Rakel’s chagrin, Farrin had noticed her discomfort. She wished desperately that she had not interrupted his fun. She had loved seeing him so playful. He came and knelt beside her, careful not to drip on either her or the blanket.
“What is it, Love?”
Rakel shook her head. “Nothing. Really.” She reached up and put her hand on his wet cheek, marveling that for once his skin was not warmer than hers. “I was enjoying watching you having so much fun with your brother and the children.”
He was not to be put off so easily. Curse his ability to read me so well!
“Rakel.”
She looked up at him and spoke honestly. “Freyja hasn’t yet adjusted to my–different–upbringing. It was an accident, and she wasn’t unkind. Now will you go back and have fun?”
The worry had again settled behind Farrin’s eyes, making Rakel feel terribly guilty. He said, “I’m sorry, Sweet Girl. If I wouldn’t get your clothes sopping wet, I’d kiss you.”
She smiled. “I’ll take you up on it later, I promise. But if this has ruined your day, I will never forgive myself.”
He smiled gently. “You haven’t ruined anything. I’m going back in, but I came up here to get you. I want you to come in with me.”
“No, Farrin. I can’t.” She looked terrified.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Why not?”
“I don’t know how to swim.”
“I promised I would teach you, remember?”
“But water scares me.”
“Do you really think I would let anything happen to you?”
She licked her lips. “My magic will go crazy because I’m scared and I’ll freeze the lake and everyone in it.”
“I’ll deflect your magic.”
“Um. I need to feed the babies.”
Farrin raised an eyebrow and nodded to the twins who had curled up in Corrine’s lap and were fast asleep. “Those babies?”
Her face fell. She had run out of excuses. She looked at him with big doe eyes, hoping to win the argument that way.
He chuckled. “Nice try, Love.”
Harrumphing but admitting defeat, she stood and went into the woods to change, Farrin following close behind.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Farrin winked. “I don’t want the guards watching you right now. This way, you’re not out of sight of a guard.”
She laughed a little and returned to her task. “Worry Wort.”
“It is my job description, you know.”
“And as I keep having to remind you, you’re off duty!”
She finished changing into her swim outfit and placed her clothing over the low hanging tree branch where Farrin had set his. Farrin grabbed her in a bear hug and kissed her first playfully, but then he deepened the kiss until she felt the zing of his magic. She relaxed and put her arms around his torso. When he ended the kiss she put her head on his shoulder. “Freyja said she used to have a crush on you.”
“Mmm-hmm. She did, but I was convinced girls were disgusting.”
Rakel laughed a little.
“Is that what had you bothered?”
She stepped back and looked into his eyes worriedly. “Does she hate me because I stole you?”
Farrin leaned his forehead against hers. “No, Rakel. She doesn’t. She did not realize how it would come across to you. Having a childhood crush is normal. It rarely leads to anything in adulthood.” He stole another kiss. “Ready to try this?”
“No.”
Farrin smiled a little and led her toward the bank. He stepped into the water and held his hand out to her. She looked at the hand warily.
“Do you trust me, Rakel?”
She took a deep breath, put her hand in his, and stepped into the water. “Yes.”
He led her to where the water was up past her waist. Then he lifted her into his arms bridal style and crouched a little so that her body was supported both by his arms and by the water. Her breath hitched, and she let out a little cry.
“Just relax. I’ve got you.”
Rakel put her arms around his neck and willed her muscles to loosen. She whispered, “What if I slip?”
He spoke into her hair. “Have I ever dropped you before?”
She huffed.
“Remember, the last time we were here, we made a bet about me learning to ice skate?”
She nodded.
“I’ll make another bet with you. If you learn to swim before we leave the lake today, I will get up with the twins every time they cry all night long on Corrine’s next night off.”
She leaned back enough to see his face and grinned wickedly. “You’re going to regret that, Mister.”
He chuckled. “We’ll see.”
***
Rakel had been enjoying herself, much to her own surprise. So, when she heard Korsa’s wail, she was startled. Farrin kissed her forehead. “I guess you’d better go feed your daughter.”
Rakel nodded. “Probably your son, too.”
“Do you need help getting to shore?” he asked, setting her feet on the lake floor where the water came up to her knees.
“No. I’m fine.” She turned and hooked her hands behind his neck. She drew his head down and kissed him thoroughly before heading back toward the babies.
Once Rakel had situated the babies in her lap and had begun feeding them, Freyja came up on the bank and dropped onto the blanket beside Rakel.
“Whew! Those children of mine will wear a body out. I don’t know how Erik is still keeping up with them.”
Rakel glanced over at the children who were thronging both their father and their Uncle Farrin now that he was once again available to play. Rakel smiled softly. Contrary to her worry, her concerns earlier about Freyja had not ruined Farrin’s mood. He was acting like he hadn’t a care in the world other than tossing nieces and nephews into the water. His laugh echoed across the surface of the lake.
The reminder of the issue with Freyja dampened Rakel’s mood, but she tried not to let her feelings show. Instead she peeked under the blanket that lay across her shoulders and checked on the little ones. Erik was nodding off, but he had hardly eaten so Rakel gently shook him awake to complete his task.
Freyja was busy setting up the picnic lunch the palace chef had sent. After a moment, she seated herself again and looked out at the lake. “Erik is so grateful for you, Princess.”
Rakel looked up, surprised.
Freyja continued, “For Farrin to be as happy as he is after–after everything.” Her voice trailed off. “It’s because of you. By all rights, he should be broken.” She shrugged. “He’s not.”
“Farrin deserves most of the credit for that. He is a very strong person.”
“Yes. He is. But even the strongest people need something to live for. You’re Farrin’s something. Erik loves you for that.” Freyja looked Rakel in the eyes. “So do I.”
Tears sprang to Rakel’s eyes. After a long, awkward moment, she whispered, “You really love me?”
Freyja looked surprised. “How could we not? Not only have you provided us a safe place to raise our magic-using daughter, but also you’ve given Erik back his best friend in the world. You’re sweet and kind and thoughtful, and you make Farrin happy. We can’t help but love you, Princess. You are a wonderful addition to the Graydim clan.”
Rakel blushed. Freyja grinned as she picked herself up off the blanket and walked several paces away to call loudly for the men and the children to come to lunch.
When her sister-in-law returned, Rakel asked, “Freyja, would you please call me Rakel?”
Freyja smiled widely. “I would be honored, Rakel.”
***
Hours later, Farrin turned toward the horizon. He announced, “If we’re going to make it home by nightfall, we need to get going.”
Erik said, “Fine. But one race, first. Everybody–the kids, the wives, and us.”
Farrin looked worriedly at Rakel, but she nodded. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Farrin gestured toward the water. “Let’s do it.”
It was no surprise to anyone that Farrin again “cheated” with his magic or that Erik came in second. Freyja was third, with Little Farrin close beside her. Glia was next, and Erik swam back to scoop up Sven and help him to the finish line.
Rakel, however, was the star. Although she did not finish the race, she swam nearly halfway to the overhanging limb before stopping, turning around, and swimming back toward shore. She was flagging, and Farrin swam out to help her as Erik had done for Sven.
When she reached shore, she flopped onto her back on the grassy bank, puffing. When Farrin flopped down beside her, his fingers laced behind his head, she sat up and looked at him mischievously. “Corrine’s next night off is Tuesday.”
Farrin just laughed.