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Another visit to Nifl, the homeland that hadn't felt like home in years, just to undo more of the endless damage Múspell had caused. Hríd suffered from homesickness, even though this was where he belonged. Despite existing in an eternal winter, Nifl had never been the same. The Queen, Hríd's mother, was killed at the hands of Surtr, and his sister, Gunnthrá, suffered the same fate. The Kingdom of Ice always felt like it was missing someone, and it always will be.
The common people, as few and sparse as they were, kept asking questions. To their relief, Prince Hríd had survived. But when did he plan to claim the throne? To rule over their land as a King should? To follow in his father's footsteps?
Ever since he met his beloved, Hríd found it difficult to feel at home anywhere else. He promised to only bring Sky back with him when the conditions at his nation were stable enough, impeccable even, suitable for raising a family. Yet, restoring Nifl felt like a job with no end in sight. Every trip, there was always something to rebuild, and it wouldn't be anywhere near finished when he made his way back. Askr was a much more comfortable place to be, especially in the humble little dorm Anna gave him a key to, in the arms of his beloved Sky.
Of course, his sisters Fjorm and Ylgr made themselves at home in Askr too. But it only started to feel that way for Hríd the minute he took Sky to share a bed with him - when he discovered that she had been sleeping in a broom closet surrounded by bottles of liquor. Afterwards, she stopped her deadly habit.
To repay his kindness and keep the gratitude loop going, Sky grabbed Breidablik and decorated their place with her sweet personal touches. Picture frames of his sisters and memories the two made together decorated the walls which themselves were covered in pretty pink wallpaper. The shelves had unique trinkets, things from the World of Steel that Sky found cute and interesting, things that didn't make sense but made the place feel alive.
Sky summoned some really useful things too - a fridge for keeping food from spoiling, an entire kitchen, a washer/dryer unit from her era, a vacuum cleaner to suck up all the dust, electricity itself, and more. It took some time learning to use each gadget Sky summoned, but they were all massive time savers and made their lives much, much easier.
The bedroom window stayed open so their messenger owl could fly in whenever. The sunlight illuminated the desk they'd both sit at for handling their own paperwork, analyzing treatises, and writing letters to each other. Everything was kept neat and orderly, free of dust, mess or clutter, and this was the only thing this dorm had in common with the castle back in Nifl. He had everything else he could ask for here in Askr.
In Nifl, Hríd worked tirelessly for the nation's restoration efforts. Every little detail needed to be under his control, the castle rebuilt in a fashion that was exactly as how he remembered it. The people of his land must be unified and peaceful. He wouldn't have it any other way, waiting to claim his throne until Nifl was fully restored. It had been six years now.
A noblewoman, wearing a golden headpiece fit for the leader of pegasus knights, with deep plum ring curls swirling down to her hips, was acquainted with the Prince since their childhood. Her parents had taught him and his sisters how to ride horses. Nifl's culture revolved around repaying debts, and their expected repayment was for the Prince to take their only daughter's hand in marriage. So they raised her to be his perfect wife. Hríd, however, didn't see her that way. He paid her no mind and eloped with the Summoner quickly after they met.
Onlookers perceived the royal wedding as a calculated political move. With the Summoner of Askr at his side, capable of summoning anything she could muster? Hríd had all the power. He technically had power over the allied Kingdom of Askr because of his ties to one unassuming woman with a divine weapon. But he didn't see it that way. He fell head over heels in love with his savior, someone worthy of devoting himself to. Sky's title of Summoner was secondary to her title of Wife.
The noblewoman, Ormfríð, noticed how bizarre and suspicious the soon-to-be King's situation was. He took so long to get anything done. She often eavesdropped on his conversations whenever she could. Her fellow noblemen served as her eyes and ears, as she had gained quite the favor among them in his absence. She heard rumors that the political delay was all due to Hríd taking a wife, and he hadn't produced an heir in all these years of marriage. She saw an opportunity to strike at his insecurity and claim what she deemed was her rightful place.
Every glance Hríd made towards Ormfríð was mistaken for romantic interest. She was raised to perceive it that way because her parents always told her she would become his wife, the Queen of Nifl. One pesky blonde street rat from nowhere couldn't have taken all that away from her! She shouldn't have...
A rare glance turned into a rarer conversation, and the scorned woman made her advance. She slid him a note signed with a kiss, and a tonic.
"Milord, if your wife hasn't produced a son in all these years, you are aware there exist other options, yes?" she gazed deeply him, never breaking away her eye contact as she smoothly propositioned him. It was a little unsettling.
He refused to answer. All he could think to himself was, Why did I even entertain this woman?
"If you change your mind, why not give it a try? I promise you'll enjoy us quite a lot."
She had gifted him a temporary impotence potion, one that was commonly used in affairs in Nifl, that last only a day. She was suggesting he bed her, just once, to see what he was missing out on. All without the risk of conceiving out of wedlock, too.
Hríd said nothing besides a simple "Thank you" to her and accepted her gift politely. He was raised to be a gentleman, and it would be rude to turn down a gift from a lady, no matter how cruel her intentions. He threw out the note when she wasn't watching - if Sky had found it, she'd be in shambles, even though he didn't feel anything towards the other woman.
There was a use for this concoction, not on himself to please the desperate woman propositioning him. Rather, he had a plan to set into motion - a plan to let the Summoner have her cake and eat it too, so she could hopefully move on from the paramour claiming her heart and truly move in with him instead.
Griss didn't know what this purple drink was for, and the mystery was all part of the fun. He was eager for the opportunity to experience a new flavor of pain, promised a reward he'd greatly enjoy if he complied with Hríd's simple request.
"Well then, down the hatch!" the Elusian chugged it in one shot. It was a little sweet but overall felt underwhelming. Not even an ounce of pain.
"Huh... It didn't even taste bad. Where's the pain? ...I feel duped somehow. You better make it up to me, Ice Chump."
"We will. Meet me at my quarters this afternoon."
What Hríd didn't know was that the drink he was gifted was in fact a placebo, a trap that Ormfríð had set up for him... only for someone else to walk right into it.
Today, Hríd returns from his busy trip to Nifl. The Summoner was supposed to be working and she was dressed to the heavens, ready to tackle her job. Unfortunately, something quite sudden came up.
Rushing to kneel over a porcelain throne, she threw up everything she ate since yesterday.
Vomiting was disgusting, undignified. It was the polar opposite of the image of a perfect wife she worked so hard to maintain in front of him, so distant from the picture-perfect Summoner she portrayed to everyone else. Hríd worked so hard to keep their dorm spotless clean every day, but in this moment cleaning was her duty.
Every time she picked up a brush or some cleaning chemicals, she felt her stomach churn. Then she buckled to the ground, shaking, hurling again. What was going on? Why was she so weak all of a sudden? Was this... the end for her? She kept trying to clean up her own mess, failing every time.
She was sick, helpless, and she needed to clean up her rancid mess before her husband could see her in this vile imperfection of a condition. Before the odor of sickness could reach his nose, before he would come to the logical conclusion that his wife was actually a disgusting person, unfit to belong to him.
This mentality all stemmed from her early childhood. Watching her father cheat frequently and mistreat her mother who fell ill shortly after giving birth to twins, Sky felt a lot of pressure over her shoulders to be perfect around anyone she showed even a smidge of romantic interest in.
Her romance with Tharja ended, though they remain amicable friends, partially because this habit clashed with the Plegian's clingy needs. Miraculously, Sky's relationship with Hríd hadn't failed... yet. Griss didn't mind and he could relate to being abandoned, which made it easy for the Summoner to talk about her insecurities so candidly, only with him. Logically, Sky knew the abuse her family endured wasn't her mother's fault, or even her fault, or her twin brother's fault. But logic wasn't strong enough to conquer trauma.
The blonde laid down on the now-sullied white tiles of her compact bathroom floor and cried it out. Suddenly the doorknob shook, struggling to open.
"My love... is everything alright in there? Please, open the door!"
The gentle voice, calling out in agony, was none other than Hríd trying to make his way in. He heard his wife's flailing and wanted to help.
But... she couldn't let him see her like this. Never, ever like this. Not with puke muddying up their bathroom floor or the foul stench that accompanied it. So she tried once more to pick up a sponge and sprayed some cleaning chemicals, so he wouldn't have to see the awful, unsightly mess. Only to throw up again. It got in her hair and all over her clothes. It was over, or so she thought.
The smell of puke and bleach and disinfectant wafted from beneath the bathroom door. And Hríd was worried for her life.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she answered, holding back another urge to throw up. "Don't come in. It's really bad. I-I-I... really screwed up this time. I'm so sorry." she shivered and sobbed, threw up... and collapsed.
Hríd felt his heart racing. The lock to the door wouldn't give so he pulled the door open, which wasn't too hard, considering his strength.
He picked up an unconscious Sky and carried her to bed. Helped her out of her dirty coat and brushed away yesterday's breakfast stuck to her hair - he never left her side until her eyes opened again. She was sick, but he had a clue as to why.
"It might be morning sickness. Is there a way to check?"
"Huh? Yeah, but... the bathroom's a mess."
"I'll take care of it."
So he did, not even thinking twice about it. Sky was relieved to know that her husband didn't find her disgusting for throwing up. She summoned a strange looking little stick and took it with her to their now clean bathroom. She came out with the realization that she wasn't the only one in there this entire time.
"What does this plus sign mean?"
"We're gonna be parents. Maybe." she answered with resignation.
Sky wasn't so sure of how to feel, really. This all happened so quickly, and her sickness came up some time after sharing a night with Griss too. Worried about the potential for disaster and unable to express this to her husband, Sky felt trapped thinking of what else to say.
And Hríd? He was looking forward to hearing those words for over six years. He pulled his wife in tight for a hug and cried softly.
"We're going to be parents..." he rejoiced. The news was a miracle, and that little pink stick was physical proof of it.
It was probably the first time Sky saw her husband act so emotional, in the overjoyed kind of way. She held on to him too, trying to reciprocate his energy. But she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about being a mom. She didn't really agree to stop taking those pills, but did it anyway for her husband's sake. She didn't feel ready for this day, or ready to have a kid for that matter.
Griss learned the news too, sometime later that day. Sky shared a lot with him since she knew he wouldn't backstab her - the perks of the Hero/Summoner contract. She brought up the possibility of the kid being his, thanks to that one fun night the three had. He frowned and rolled his eyes.
"I'm all for bein' a family, but I never signed up to be a dad." he told her.
Her heart sank, and she looked so, so disappointed. So full of dread - if the kid was in fact his, then Hríd would be justified in walking away. Leaving her to raise a child all on her own. The exact fate she wanted to avoid by taking contraceptives in the first place.
Griss wanted to savor her expression so badly, but it wasn't the time for that. So he told her the truth, what he was aware of, at least.
"Your man knew it too. He even made me drink somethin' to shoot blanks that day. He didn't outright say what it was, but he went out of his way to plan it out. Give him some credit. And... Great Summoner? Don't sweat it. The kid's yours and his, for sure." he said reassuringly, all while ruffling her hair.
Griss tried to headpat Sky the way Hríd does, totally failing at it because he's nowhere near as gentle. But he was getting the hang of this whole reassurance thing he learned from spending time with the couple.
"Anyway, hit me up when your water breaks."
"Why?" This was a stupid question, especially coming from her.
"I'd kill to experience that heavenly pain with you." he smirked as he asked, fantasizing about that inevitable day.
Learning his wife was pregnant made the happiest day of Hríd's life so far. While Griss had no intention of sticking around, he was more than glad to act as her doula, should Sky ever need it.