Page 30 of Her World In His Hands

“He said, forewarned is forearmed, and the children are more likely to accept me if Mani explains about my visit and our relationship beforehand.”

“Well, that’s true.” Sassa nodded.

“Harrumph,” Njord grunted.

“Come on Fa, stop being and old grump … Hey, can I be a flower girl at your wedding?”

“What wedding?” Sassa’s eyebrows shot up.

“Did you think I wasn’t going to marry you?” Njord asked.

“I haven’t had time to give it much thought.” She shrugged.

“You have to make me legitimate you know, Ma.” Iona winked.

“Hmm, well if it pleases both of you, then yes of course I’ll marry you.” She blew a kiss at Njord. “And of course, I want you as my flower girl come bridesmaid,” she told Iona.

“Oh good! Um, I have something important to tell you both, and I hope you’ll be pleased for me.” Iona shifted uneasily in her chair.

Sassa frowned, immediately anxious. “Oh, yes?”

“It’s far too soon to be thinking about marriage to Mani, young lady. Your mother and I have waited over a thousand years before tying the knot!”

Iona rolled her eyes. “Originally, you were going to marry Ma a few weeks after meeting her and since you’ve only just re-discovered each other, you haven’t known each other for a whole thousand years.” She held up her hand to silence her father who’d began to splutter indignantly.

Sassa felt her chest swell with pride as her feisty daughter stood her ground with her overbearing, yet loving father. It was wonderful to see them sparring verbally as if they had been together as a family from the very beginning.

“Uncle Loki taught me how to aspirate which he says proves that I’m a goddess, and Odin has confirmed it…Can you believe it? I’m a goddess!” she squealed.

Silence fell as she and Njord each absorbed her words. Njord was the first to react, leaping up he crossed to his daughter and pulled her into his arms for a hug. “Congratulations! That is wonderful news! I must arrange for you to meet your half-sister, Freya. I think the two of you will get along just fine, especially since you’re both a pair of feisty minxes. Your sister can show you the ropes, and introduce you to some of the younger goddesses.”

“Is she you, and your sister’s child?” Iona asked the question which had been bothering her quite bluntly.

“What? Oh, no, no. Humans misunderstood. I married a different Goddess named, Nerthus, but people on Midgard assumed she must have been my twin sister simply because both women had the same name.”

“Ah, I see. So, the ancient chronicles have it all wrong?”

“Exactly so!”

Sassa tuned out of their continuing conversation and gazed tenderly at the two people she loved most in the world. As far as she was concerned, as long as they were happy, she was too. She gave a happy sigh of contentment.

“Ma? Ma?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay with me being a goddess?”

“Of course, I’m happy for you,m'eudail! I do wonder why it is so important to you though?”

Iona shrugged. “I never belonged anywhere before. You know how being immortal sets you apart from everyone. I’ve been lonely, but now I’m part of a group who are the same as me and I feel accepted. It’s like discovering that I have brothers and sisters!”

Sassa hadn’t realised quite how lonely her daughter had felt. “I’m really pleased for you,” she said with a smile of pride and understanding.

“I have an emergency,” Njord suddenly injected. “A pod of dolphins caught in fishing nets. How would you both like to come and help me set them free?”

“Yes please!” they chorused.

In the nextinstant Sassa found herself swimming under a warm turquoise sea alongside her family. Njord was busy attacking thick nylon ropes, ripping them apart with powerful bare hands.

Watching each of the freed dolphins’ swim rapidly to the surface to gulp in the life-saving air, Sassa reflected that her life was blessed. She welcomed a long, perhaps never-ending life, shared with her handsome and amazing, dominant god and her daughter, now a beautiful goddess.

Strange how life worked out sometimes, she mused, but one thing was certain, she wasn’t complaining. Their future was as bright as the sun, and would probably last just as long.

THE END