Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (8 page)

In fact, most of the village of Houllebec
did. And the only people in the village (that I knew of) who didn’t
were people I had not met.

My adventure may have not started all that
great but it got a whole lot better.

First, I found a side saddle in the stable
(as well as a big washing tub with one of those grinder things to
wring out clothes so I could wash my clothes and I did, using that
thing, though, it must be said it wasn’t my favorite thing to do
especially since I had to hang everything all around the house and
it took
forever
to dry
and messed with the cozy, rustic cabin vibe I had
going).

I knew how to ride, just not side saddle,
but I loaded the saddle on one of my grays, figured out how to lug
my ass up on it and, the very next day after I arrived, I followed
our tracks into the village I quickly learned was called
Houllebec.

And I’d gone every day since.

The village was
awesome.
It didn’t only look cool, it
was
cool. It had two warm, clean, fun pubs, both that
served excellent food and both had inns because people travelled
there to use the hot springs that were hidden all through the hills
– this a moneymaker for the townsfolk as the hot springs were well
known and the people who sought them brought loads of “coin”. It
had a bakery that made magnificent bread, tarts, cakes and even
pastries. They had a butcher, a small dressmaker, a market that had
staples and not-so-staples including some fresh veg on occasion and
even bright-colored delicious candy and sumptuous chocolate they
brought in (stocked all the time!) and homemade fudge they made
right in the window. It had a blacksmith, an iron works, a stable,
a mill and other such cool-as-shit, remote
village-in-a-frozen-parallel-world stuff.

I wandered the town daily and sometimes
stayed as late as dinner, which I ate in the pubs, and beyond so I
could have a few ales, chat and play cards with new friends.

I was friendly, talkative and anyway, they
knew who I was because they heard about me marrying The Drakkar
who, I discovered, was actually
named
Drakkar, as in
Frey
Drakkar, this I learned luckily if coincidentally on my
fourth (but not last) stop to buy chocolate croissants from the
bakery. They also knew me because my hair was well-known and many
of them told me they’d know me from miles away with just one
glimpse of my Lunwyn-wide, famous, beautiful white-blonde hair
(this I thought was sweet).

And they were in fits of ecstasy because
their country’s only princess was in their midst, she was friendly
and chatty, liked their wares and spent her husband’s coin
freely.

I was in fits of ecstasy because Houllebec
was awesome, no matter how many times I went, there were always new
things to discover, they were nice and, when I started to hang, I
found they were fun to be around.

So I hung around… lots.

Even when I was at home, I was never bored
and found ways to entertain myself. I tried on all my clothes and
underwear (all
fabulous
). And I
might have had a fantastic bakery a ten minute horse ride away but
I’d also befriended Audrey and Cedric, the baker’s wife and baker,
and they’d told me how to make bread, cakes and tarts in the oven
at home. I bought the stuff from Maria at the market and I had to
admit the first few goes weren’t anything to write home about (this
included normal cooking) but I got the hang of the fire-burning
stove. It was a pain in the ass but the results were worth
it.

Every day prior to going to town, I also got
on one of my grays (they were on a rotation so they could all get
some exercise) and started slow circles of the land around
Drakkar’s cabin. I did this just to check things out and I did it
steady and smart, noting landmarks so I wouldn’t get lost. My
circles widened by the day and at first I found there wasn’t much
but the good news was, it was all pretty.

That was, there wasn’t much until I found
Drakkar had his own personal hot spring.

Yep, his own personal hot spring!

It was an oasis in the middle of the frigid
forest of gray, slick stone that, because of the spring, was warm
to the touch, steam rising from the water which was sublime.

I went there every day too, mostly because
this was where I bathed. It was
much
better than starting a fire hours before to heat the
bathroom space, then boiling water on the stove and lugging it to
the tub then the back and forth with buckets to empty it, finally,
when I could shift it, dragging the whole damn thing to tip it out
around the house where the slosh of water wouldn’t make my walkways
too icy.

Hell, after I did all that, I was sweaty and
needed another freaking bath.

The hot springs were
way
better in more ways than one. I freaking
loved
sitting out in the beauty of
the frosty forest and luxuriating in the hot, splendiferous water.
It was the bomb.

I had also adopted a cat, a huge, fat,
ginger named Penelope. This was from Lindy, the bar wench, whose
new husband was allergic and she couldn’t find anywhere for her cat
to go. Penelope had been relegated to the stables, something she
did not like, until I took her home. My gray didn’t like her much
on her back, and Penelope was not all fired up about the ride, but
we made it to the cabin without (major) incident and
Penelope
did
like the
cabin. And she especially liked a Momma who liked to cuddle and
didn’t mind getting up every ten minutes to let her out to explore
then getting up ten minutes later to let her in because it was
fucking cold outside.

She made sleep a dream because she purred me
straight to slumberland and her big, fat body was warm on my
feet.

And lastly, I had five books that were
packed for me and I discovered that Sjofn had not screwed me as
badly as I thought she had (though she did still screw me) once I
cracked them open.

The first was a history of the Northlands
including Lunwyn, where I was princess, my father was king and my
mother queen. The Northlands also included Middleland (where I
discovered my Uncle
Baldur was king though I found this strange since I didn’t
have an uncle at home and anyway, I’d never heard of a man with a
name like Baldur). I also learned the House of Drakkar (which I
wondered if my husband was a part of) used to rule the land ages
ago. Though I couldn’t know about my husband’s House for the book
focused more on recent history rather than past history, he wasn’t
mentioned and I reckoned Sjofn chose it so I’d know what I was
dealing with in the present.

I’d learned from this book that also in the
Northlands there was the country of Hawkvale, a small city state
called Bellebryn and another country at the south border called
Fleuridia.

This book was written well and was
interesting and I knew Sjofn chose it not only for informational
purposes but also because the information was put forward in an
entertaining way. Therefore, I was entertained.

The second was the story of the gods and the
third was a slim tome about religious practices in Lunwyn which
explained the whole church thing.

The six statues at the church, or Dwelling
of the Gods as they called it here, were their six gods: Wohden,
god of power (his color was dark blue, and those who prayed to him
or made offerings did so to shrines bearing his color or with gifts
in his color), Hermia, goddess of motherhood (her color, light
blue), Meer, god of war (his color, red), Adele, goddess of passion
(her color, deep violet), Keer, god of destiny, (his color, gold)
and Alabasta, goddess of wisdom and overseer of the earth (her
color, green).

Holy people, known as Vallees, were all
men and all ceremonies, including Friday night sermons, were
delivered in what was known as the “ancient tongue” or what the
Lunwynian people spoke centuries ago. The reason for this was
traditional, and, in my opinion, a little idiotic seeing as only
Vallees spoke the ancient tongue (but usually, they didn’t
actually
know
it, only a
few religious scholars did, they just
recited
it which meant that dude jabbering on at our
wedding had memorized that whole thing which, I had to admit, was
kind of remarkable) with everyone else in Lunwyn knowing only a few
words.

My bundle of twigs was a traditional bundle
held by brides. It was gathered from the adela tree, a tree
spiritual belief had it that Adele, goddess of passion, caused to
glitter through her magic and, if you steeped its twigs and drank
it, it was supposed to be an aphrodisiac but seemed, upon reading
in the book a description of what it could do, more like something
to use simply to have one hell of an almighty trip.

The fourth and fifth books I wouldn’t
understand until I found my
true
note that Sjofn stuffed in one of them.

They were also slim tomes but they told the
tales of the “Raiders” or, what others called the “Voyagers”. These
were men who sailed the many seas of this world, finding treasure
(or taking it by looting and pillaging). They seemed somewhat like
what the legends told of old Vikings from my world.

I would understand the inclusion of these
because Sjofn’s note said this:

Seoafin,

I introduce you to your new husband. He is
the most noted Raider in all of Lunwyn, tales of his exploits have
spread across the Northlands and beyond. If you read about it in
these books, it is likely he has done it. He comes from a long line
of Raiders, his ancestors given the name Drakkar, the Dragon, in
ancient times because they were as fierce, mighty and clever as the
great beasts of old who plundered the land before their power was
leashed by Wohden and used to serve our frosted realm. Though his
family have long since ceased these activities, your new husband
has again ventured forward as his ancestors did.

It is, however, highly
unlikely
(this word was
underlined and she was right in her guess)
you’ll see this note until after you
are bound to him. You must know I apologize for that. I would
guess, by this time, you will also know why I was eager to be
away
(another good
guess)
and
understand the timing which I could not avoid for I was never alone
prior to my nuptials for father and mother feared I would try to
escape. The girls who serve me managed to open a window for me at
the time the switch occurred, it was short, and ill-timed for you,
but it was unfortunately the best I could do.

I hope that Alyssa, Jocelyn, Esther or Bess
had the time to explain things to you about me before you were away
on your sleigh to the Dwelling of the Gods for the marriage
ceremony. If they did not, I apologize for that too, but I will
tell you now you can trust all of them as they know who you are and
why you are there. They are not only my servants but also good
friends and I would trust them with my life. And they have sworn to
me that you can do the same.

To explain, my father’s kingdom cannot pass
to a woman and he has no other children but me. Therefore, if I
provide no male heir, at his death, Lunwyn will be ruled by his
twin brother Baldur who is currently king of Middleland, the nation
to our south. Their father, my grandfather, King Halldor ruled both
and split it for although my father came forth first, my
grandfather was a kind and fair man and he thought this was just
and right.

It was not. My uncle is not like my father
or grandfather and it is imperative that our beautiful land not
pass into his hands, or that of his son. His son, my cousin
Broderick, is a lovely man but he is no king. Either of these
rulers would be very bad for my sparkling, frosty Lunwyn. Before
the House of Wilde secured the throne, Lunwyn saw centuries of dark
times, decades upon decades of turmoil. Uncle Baldur’s or
Broderick’s reign would be disputed, most likely violently and by
many factions, and everything must be done to secure the throne,
thus continued peace and prosperity for Lunwyn.

Considering how I am, obviously, I want no
husband. But I knew I had to take one for my country in order to
provide them with a ruler who could be molded by myself, and a
strong father, to be a good king. Unfortunately, no matter how my
parents encouraged me then commanded me to do so, I dawdled in this
duty. Therefore, Father stepped in and found The Drakkar, who he
admires greatly and who often successfully performs difficult or
dangerous tasks others cannot and he does this for the realm.

If I were to find a man, he would not be a
man like The Drakkar, who frightens me as well as the idea of his
advances repulsing me.

But I must do this for my country I just
wanted to… wait. To have some time. To explore and be able to be
me, something I could not, for fear of my secret being discovered,
do at home. And when the witch came with your communication, giving
me information of this whole other world I did not know existed,
I’m afraid I jumped eagerly at the chance.

I am sure by this time you have come to know
what others have said is true (or at least I hope so) about The
Drakkar. He is said to be quite virile, very skilled in this area
and many women not like me have noted he is extremely pleasing to
look upon. In fact, he is much sought after and considered a very
fine catch, perhaps, though I pay no attention to these things, the
best in the realm.

I do hope with all my heart you
feel this way. It may help you as you deal with him to know that he
and I do not know each other very well, we have met only three
times, we did not converse far beyond the civilities and therefore,
although I am certain he knows much of me, as everyone in the realm
does, he does not know
(again, underlined)
me. Therefore, although you will not be working
with an entirely clean slate, it is clean enough that I hope you
can build the relationship you need to build with The Drakkar to
make your time with him enjoyable during your adventure.
(Well, she was wrong
about
that
, maybe
she
was
drunk.)