Saga's smile after she had said she would surely like living in Sinkbek was the most genuine one Viggo had seen on her. It didn't look to hide anything else, but was simply filled with her honest happiness regarding her new home.

He hoped he would get to see that smile many times more.

"Then there's no time to waste in getting there," Viggo said and got Luna moving again.

The road down to the town went by fast. A bit more forest until it gave way for an open field with the massive wall ahead. It was one that Viggo had got made as soon as he had received the fief. The mountain, which shielded the village on one side, was still a weak spot for monster attacks. But with the wall in place, the city was much more protected than it had been previously; they hadn't suffered any attacks since it had been put in place.

As they rode closer, Viggo first heard shouts followed by the sound of a trumpet announcing their arrival. The massive oak door, tall enough for three men on top of each other and wide enough for two carriages to pass through, creaked open, so they didn't need to stop and wait.

A few guards stood on the other side, yelling words of welcome as they entered the city. Viggo acknowledged them with a small head gesture, but didn't slow for anything more formal. He was far too eager to bring Saga home, to have her settle, and hopefully see more delight in her at her new home.

But as they got further into the city, they were forced to slow down from galloping to a walk as inhabitants of the town came out onto the main street to welcome them. It was a rather wide street, flanked by stone houses on either side. All the houses were sturdy in the constructions to hold steady even if something crashed into them. Nothing green grew along there, but the people coming out to cheer at their return brought flowers which they threw, making it rain blossom on them.

Looking down at Saga, Viggo saw her head turning in all directions to take everything in. But he could also feel how she pressed herself closer to him. It reminded him of how she had acted in the marketplace the day before, and took note of how large gatherings of people seemed to make her uncomfortable.

They passed through the town square. A big fountain with a statue of a knight on his horse was in the middle of it. Along the sides, different stalls stood, and to the left, a street filled with even more stalls and stores spread out. Here ivy grew up on the houses exchanging the grey of the stone walls for green. The space was big enough that during festivities, they danced around the square. It was the heart of the city.

When they were past the square, no more people crowded the streets, so Viggo urged Luna on to a trot up the path to the castle. It had just a slight slope until it reached the last little bit where the slope was steep enough that carriages at times had a hard time getting up. Viggo was certain the castle had been built at such a place as a safety measure. A way to slow potential enemies.

But eventually the ground evened out again and they were before the castle. His home. From the outside, he knew it didn't look like much. The grey stone rather weathered, and the garden plain with more weeds than flowers growing in it. It wasn't things he had cared much about, but he wondered how it would look through Saga's eyes and wished he had given it a bit more attention.

"Welcome home," he told her, however, as Luna came to a stop. He slid down from the horse, and as he faced Saga to help her down, he felt some relief that she at least didn't find the place disgusting. She, in fact, smiled up at the castle with the same genuine happiness she had had while watching it from afar. "You like it?"

She moved her eyes from the build and to him. The genuine smile still intact. "I love it."

He really could not have got himself a better wife. "Let me help you down."

Once she was on the ground, he turned to a stable boy, who had come running upon their arrival, and handed Luna over. Then hooked Saga's arm with his and led her in.

The first to greet them was a big room full of empty spaces. Straight ahead was the great hall, the room for fancy feasts and parties. On the side of it was a staircase leading up a floor. A corridor also went behind the staircase, which led to rooms such as the library and council chambers. On the other side of the great hall was another corridor which led to the kitchens, pantry, as well as the dining room they used most often for meals.

Again, he felt a certain sense of dread about what her reaction would be. There wasn't anything particularly wrong about the insides, but he was a fighter above all else, and hadn't bothered with decorating the place. So though everything was functional, it lacked in other colours than grey, and looking around it, Viggo knew the place didn't feel warm, but rather cold and eerie.

But Saga surprised him. He had expected a wrinkled nose, for her to press closer to him, for her to shudder. For her genuine smile to become a forced one. And though her eyes widened as she took it all in, it wasn't with fear or anything of the sort, but with sparkling excitement.

"If there is anything which isn't to your liking, you are free to make any changes you want," Viggo said, nonetheless.

She nodded, but continued to drink in her surroundings as if she couldn't get enough of it.

By the staircase, an older woman and man stood with a row of younger women behind them. All of their eyes were on Saga, studying her with interest.

"Saga," Viggo said, drawing her attention to him again, and moving forward to the waiting people. "Let me introduce you to the steward and chamberlain."

The older pair took a step forward as they approached. The steward wore a dark blue tunic with a leather belt from which a bunch of keys hung. The chamberlain wore a dress in the same material, and also she had a leather belt with several keys hanging from it. Both of them looked at Saga with good-natured smiles.

"This is Dag, the steward. And this is Erna, the chamberlain. If you have any problems, they will be able to solve it," Viggo introduced the two to Saga, then turned to them. "And this here is my wife, Lady Saga."

Both of them bowed to her, and studying Saga as they did, Viggo noted how her body tensed.

"I'll just show you to our bedroom," he told her. "Then you can rest for a bit. Possibly have a bath. A bit of food first, however. I got some things to see to, but will come and get you for dinner if nothing else."

At the mention of both bath and food, Viggo saw how Erna cast glances at some of the maids who stood behind her. The maids in turn left to carry out the silent orders they had just received.

Viggo walked Saga up the stairs. On the second floor were his sleeping quarters as well as some rooms for guests. The corridor was similar to how the entrance was. The cold grey stone, with some candelabras to light the place up when needed along the walls. No other decorations. But as he pushed the door open to his bedroom, warmth spilled out, though the room had been empty for several days and ought to have been cold.

A rug made of bear skin laid in the middle of the floor. A wardrobe stood in a corner, and a screen to change behind with patterns of the forest stood by it. The bed was dressed in a dark blue bedspread. The room had two windows and by one a table to eat by stood, by the other a table to use for writing letters and such. There was a fireplace in the room, and on each side of it stood a leather armchair.

Viggo let the door close on them as he let go of Saga's arm so she could look around the room on her own. She walked to the middle of it, stopped there and spun around in a slow lap. The smile of hers was still there.

"I hope you're finding it reasonably comfortable," Viggo said.

She turned to look at him. "More than reasonable."

His lips went up more than before. "Good. Regarding sleeping arrangements. We can get a couch for this room which I will sleep on. Until it arrives, I'll sort it elsewhere for the nights."

Her eyes widened, and her fingers began fidgeting as she looked over the bed, then him, and finally the floor.

"It is big enough, so we wouldn't touch. I don't want you to be uncomfortable," she mumbled to the floor.

"I wouldn't be," he refuted.

"You would be more comfortable in the bed," she argued back.

He sighed because he couldn't refute that. "Are you certain, Saga?"

She nodded, still with her eyes on the floor.

"Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you are certain?"

Carefully, she raised her head. "I'm certain."

"Promise to tell me if you were to change your mind."

"I promise."

He walked over to her, placed a kiss on her forehead. "The maids should be here soon with both some food and a bath for you. Will you manage?"

She nodded.

"I will see you later then," he said before leaving her to rest on her own.

He walked down the stairs and outside again. To the right where another house stood on the grounds in which the knights had their sleeping quarters. It consisted of just one floor, and had one long corridor with rooms flanking both sides. Stepping inside, he knocked on one of the first doors. It opened after a few seconds to reveal a woman with strawberry blonde hair strictly tied back, and watchful green eyes. Over her cheekbone was a jagged scar. As was common, even when she was off duty, she wore light armour with both a sword and dagger, which she never went anywhere without, hanging from her waist.

"Any problems while we were away, Astrid?" he asked her.

"None whatsoever. If anything it was too quiet, too boring with you all gone," she informed him.

He smiled at her and shook his head. Like many of his knights, he had met her while still being a bounty hunter, and she wasn't quite like anyone else. Always rushing toward danger instead of away from it, but never putting herself in a situation she didn't have control over. When he had at first been appointed the Lord of Sinkbek, she had declined his offer of joining his ranks as a knight. But a year later, she had showed up, claiming it wasn't as fun hunting monsters without having his recklessness to compete with. And so she had become his third in charge, Audun being second, and the only female knight he had, one of the few female knights in the whole of the kingdom.

"That pleases me to hear," he answered.

"All went well for you with the Duke of Cowardice?" she asked, opting for using the nickname she had given the Duke of Fyris a few years ago when he had yet again asked for their help in dealing with his problems.

"All fine."

"Good. Then you didn't get to have any fun without me. How's the wife so far? As snobby as her father?"

Viggo shook his head. "Not at all. But you will get a chance to assess her yourself at dinner. Just please tone yourself down a bit to not insult her as soon as you open your mouth."

"I make no promises," she winked at him before returning to her room.

Viggo shook his head a bit before walking further down the corridor and to the room he wanted to visit the most. Barely had he knocked before Audun opened to let him in. The other man was in the middle of taking off his armour, and without hesitating, Viggo began helping him.

"She is settled into your room?" Audun asked as Viggo removed the one pauldron he still had on before moving over to the breastplates.

"She has. And she was reluctant to the idea of me sleeping on a couch," Viggo told him while moving to stand behind him, and noticed how Audun tensed for a moment before forcing air out of himself and relaxing again.

"I'm not surprised. She seems to never want to be in the way."

"Will you be alright with us sharing a bed?" Viggo moved his hands to Audun's hips to remove the faulds.

"Yes," Audun answered, but Viggo could hear the real answer in the darkness of his tone. That he answered yes because he felt like he had no other choice.

"You know I wish it was you." Viggo walked around him, so they could look at each other. The other man smiled at him, but it did little to hide the pain in his eyes.

"I know," Audun answered and moved closer.

Viggo's one hand went around his neck, while the other landed on his back. Since he still had his armour on, Audun's hands held the cold metal as their lips connected.

They had kissed so many times, but Viggo knew he would never grow tired of it. Every time a fire lit in him and he forgot everything else. All which existed in the world was the bedroom and them. No king, which needed to be pleased. No wife he had never asked for. No monsters or threats, which needed to be dealt with. Just them, in peaceful bliss.

It had been among the reasons why he had accepted the King's offer when asked if he wanted to become a vassal all those years ago. He had thought it a chance for them to find some peace away from constant danger. Of course, as a vassal, his services were expected. But it was different, calmer, compared to wandering the kingdom looking for work and monsters to kill. He just hadn't expected the King to demand things like marriage from him.

As they ended the kiss, they leaned their foreheads together.

"I will walk with you through fire," Audun mumbled, a promise of old.

"And I will kill everything in my way to reach you," Viggo answered as he always did.