Chapter 16
The Asgard Universe - The Twins of Fate Saga - Summary/Content Note
In the morning, Gwen is stretching and warming up at the training grounds. There are soldiers and warriors training but they've gotten used to Gwen's presence by now and pay her no mind.
Just as promised, Einarr shows up in the training ring and it's hard to miss when he does. The man is huge, tall and wide and muscular as a bull, and there's not one person in the training grounds that fails to notice his arrival.
As his eyes fall on Gwen, the same smile from before tugs at his lips. He strides toward her, looking a little too pleased with himself.
"Good morning, Lady Gwen," he says, smirking. Then, with a glance over at the rest of the warriors, "Ready?"
"Good morning, Einarr. Is that all the pleasantry I get? Straight into it? Okay, then..."
He chuckles, looking her over with a cocky sort of confidence.
"What's the point of pleasantries before a spar? I don't need to be nice to you here," he says with a smirk, his eyes flickering over the muscles in her arms and legs. "Besides, you won't be in the mood for friendly conversation when I'm done with you."
She smirks and can't help herself. "You don't want to be nice to me Einarr? That's disappointing. So tell me, what will I be in the mood for?"
His smirk grows darker, more arrogant now.
"A drink," he says simply, rolling his shoulders as he steps back into a ready stance. "Because you're going to need it."
It's clear from the way his eyes flicker over her body that he's imagining exactly how hard she'll work for that drink... and just what else she might need after.
She prepares herself for this. Her usual sparring weapons at the ready. And if all else fails, she has her smaller size to help her slip through his attacks and her powers.
"Ready, then?"
He swings his weapon lazily in one hand, rolling his neck with a grin.
"Oh, I was born ready," he taunts before lunging forward, blade flashing as he brings it down toward her with deliberate force.
She’s quick, she always has been, but he’s stronger. And the challenge in his eyes makes it clear that if she wants to win this… she'll have to earn it.
She knows she'll never win if this were a contest of strength. She's fast and well trained but he is one of the best fighters in the realms. She dodges and tries to tap him with the daggers when she sees an opening but he is quick to block them. She won't use her powers unless she has to. She wants to get better at fighting without them.
Einarr watches her move, adjusting, learning, and a slow smirk curls at his lips. "Fast. I'll give you that," he says before feinting left and suddenly twisting right, his sword coming in low to sweep at her legs.
She’s quick but narrowly avoids the sweep, but stumbles slightly off-balance. Before she can fully recover, he’s already pivoting, his elbow coming up in a controlled strike toward her ribs. She’s struggling to anticipate his moves.
"Not bad," he taunts between breaths, "But you're thinking too hard."
His attacks are all over the place but still precise. The speed with which he attacks makes it difficult for her to predict. She can't think between dodges.
Gwen ducks the next swing and somersaults under him. She taps him on the ankle with the dagger. A hit.
Einarr actually stops, blinking down at his ankle where she tagged him before letting out a bark of laughter.
"Clever little thing," he says, rolling his shoulders with renewed interest. "Let’s see you do it again."
And this time when he strikes, he makes sure she doesn’t have the space to roll under him so easily.
The practice weapons are blunt but still hurt if you get hit with one. In an actual battle, his Achilles would have been cut but that's not enough to win. How can someone so big be so fast?
He laughs as she barely dodges another swing, his grin sharpening. "You expected me to be slow just because I'm big?" he teases before feinting right, only to suddenly pivot left and knock one of her daggers clean out of her hand with a calculated strike.
"Come on," he goads, stepping back just enough to give her room to regroup, though his smirk makes it clear he’s enjoying this too much to end it yet. "Hit me again."
She starts to gesture with her hand to call the plants but stops. She can do this without them.
She is getting winded but she's not going to give in.
Einarr notices her hand gesture and the moment when she aborts it. He grins, something like approval flickering in his eyes.
"You've got a brain in that head," he says, his voice low and measured. "But can you keep up with my size and strength without your tricks?"
He strikes again, deliberately giving her an opening. He wants to see how she’ll respond.
She thinks the opening is a trap so she avoids it, hoping that he'll try so hard to get her to go for an obvious fake that he'll let his guard down in another place and that's when she'll strike.
And her theory was correct when a few moments later, a new opening presents itself.
She rushes in to tap him on the side.
Einarr grunts when she lands the tap, impressed despite himself, before suddenly dropping his sword altogether. In one swift motion, he catches her by the waist and hauls her off her feet, holding her up like a ragdoll as he grins.
"Good. Very good," he says approvingly before tossing her over his shoulder in one smooth motion. "Now let's get that drink."
Gwen is too shocked to do much of anything. With his large strides, they are out of the training grounds before she manages to speak. "Einarr, what do you think you are doing?"
He chuckles, carrying her easily through the field. "Taking you to get the drink I won, obviously," he says, not the least out of breath from training or carrying her. "Did you think I was joking?" he teases, giving her a playful slap on her ass. "I'm an honest man, remember? I said I'd beat you, and I said I'd get you a drink after. So I am."
She gasps. He dares to slap her ass?
"You didn't win! I got the last hit. Picking me up doesn't make you the winner."
"You call that a hit?" he laughs, not even slightly embarrassed by his boldness. In fact, if anything, he seems even more confident now. "Maybe I just wanted you close enough to carry." He gives her another light slap on the ass, grinning as he adds, "either way, you're coming with me."
Once they reach the tavern, Einarr carries her straight to the bar, still gripping her like a sack over his shoulder. He calls for the barkeep to bring two fire ales and then finally sets her down on a stool. He claims the stool next to her, clearly in a playful mood as he turns to face her with a grin.
"So... not how you expected your morning to go, hmm?" he teases, stretching his legs out before he reaches for his drink. "I hope you don't have any plans; you're my prisoner until I'm done with you."
"I could've walked, you know,” she huffs. “You can't keep me prisoner for long. I have Loki and the twins to get back to."
Einarr rolls his eyes, giving her a lopsided smirk as he takes a long swallow of his drink.
"Oh, you think I'm gonna let you go?" he says mockingly, though there's something in his eyes that suggests it might not be all just teasing. "Now that I finally have you all to myself?" He gives her a light nudge, gesturing to her own drink. "Go on. Have a sip. Then we'll talk."
"You're having fun now but just wait... If Loki gets mad, you'll regret this little stunt." She keeps an eye on him as she picks up her drink and takes a big sip.
Einarr actually laughs at her ominous tone.
"Oh, what's he going to do? Cast some scary spell at me?" he asks, leaning in and grinning. "No offence, but your 'all-powerful' prince doesn't exactly strike fear in my heart. Let him try to fight me: I'll throw him into next week."
"Odin, then. My father in law can strike you down right now as you sit here." She smirks. "But I'm sure you'll tell me you don't care about that either." She lets the idea sink in for a moment while she drinks more of her ale. "Well, you got me alone, so what do you want?"
Einarr actually laughs at that. "I know better than to mess with Odin," he says, sipping his drink before tilting his head curiously. "What makes you think I want anything except to spend time with you? You're interesting. Smart. Talented. Beautiful."
He leans in just a little closer. "I'm a simple man, Gwen. I like pretty women, and I enjoy good company. Nothing so complicated as that." He smirks. "Though I do have one question for you."
He pauses, his gaze never leaving her face as he cocks an eyebrow in question. "Do you know why I didn't win that spar we just had?" He murmurs, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. "It's not because I didn't have the skills. It's not because you're better than me, either—no offense. It's because I held back. I had the opportunity to end it... but I didn't take it."
He leans in slightly closer. "Why do you suppose I did that?"
As soon as he says it, she realizes he really did hold back. He could have beaten her easily in just a few moves. Einarr was just playing with her. The idea makes her embarrassed or angry, either way she flushed slightly. "I don't know. Why didn't you take it?"
Einarr smiles slowly, his gaze never leaving hers as he sees the embarrassed flush cross her cheeks. He's clearly amused by her reaction... and pleased.
He leans in a little closer, his voice dropping to a low, almost rough whisper. His breath is warm against her ear as he murmurs, "because… I liked the chase."
She gives him a sideways look and drinks more of her ale.
One drink with Einarr is fine. Loki would understand that and he trusts her. She won't do anything to betray or hurt Loki. The way Einarr looks at her makes her stomach do cartwheels though... She's surprised that he still looks at her the same way even after 5 years and having twins.
"Of course you did. Tell me about Vanaheim. When did you go? I came back to Asgard 6 or 7 months after the party and never saw you. I mean, I was a little busy being very pregnant at that time but..."
Einarr leans back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on her face as he answers her question. His eyes are still glinting with that warm, amused light as he remembers.
"Oh, I left not long after the party," he says. "I wanted to see the world and do something of my own. It was… good. Vanaheim especially. I met interesting people, learned some important things." There's a beat before he adds, "and I made a discovery that made me decide to return at just this moment."
"What was that?"
He gives her a sidelong half-smile, tilting his head slightly. "Why so curious?" he asks, the gleam in his eyes turning to a full-blown smirk. "Are you concerned about what I might have learned?"
He leans in just a bit closer. "Or are you just hoping that it has something to do with you?" he teases, lifting his hand to run the backs of his knuckles gently over her arm.
She rolls her eyes and takes another drink. "I'm simply making conversation. Has being away dulled your ability to do that?"
Einarr grins at her snark, his fingers continuing to trail along the sensitive skin of her arm with deliberate slowness. It's clear he's enjoying provoking her, enjoying every bit of flustered blush that floods her face.
"Oh, I haven't lost my skills with conversation," he says, his voice a low rumble. "I just enjoy it a lot more when my conversation partner doesn't play dumb."
"I'm not playing dumb. I'm being polite and asking questions and assuming you actually wanted to talk instead of using this as an excuse to flirt with me or more."
Einarr throws back his head and laughs—loud and deep—before taking another long drink. When he lowers his tankard, his eyes are still sparkling with amusement.
"Oh, Gwen," he says, shaking his head. "Do you really think I need an excuse to flirt with you? No." He leans in closer now, one arm braced on the table next to her drink as he lowers his voice again. "The truth is... I wanted to see what kind of woman you'd become after all these years."
She huffs, slightly embarrassed. So she was right, she wasn't misreading this situation.
"You want to see? You didn't know me all that well back then. We knew each other for an evening and had I gone back and had a drink with you instead of leaving with Loki, something probably would've happened between us. I can be honest about that but that's all it would have been, right?"
She doesn't need confirmation from him that it would have been a one night stand, a quick tumble, and she'd be gone right after. "Here I am. You see me. So now what do you think about the kind of woman I am?"
Einarr watches her intently as she speaks, his fingers drumming lightly on the table. When she finishes, he lets out a slow exhale—almost like a sigh of amusement. "I think," he murmurs, "that you're exactly the kind of woman I thought you'd be." His grin sharpens. "Stubborn. Clever. Sharp-tongued. And even more beautiful now than you were then."
He leans in closer—just enough that his next words ghost warm over her ear:
"...But I always knew that last part would be true."
Einarr is confident and the type to speak his mind. He can get away with it because he is so big and such a skilled warrior that most people wouldn't stand up to him.
Gwen takes a deep breath before quietly speaking. "Thank you."
Einarr chuckles, leaning back in his chair, but not before giving her a wink. "No need to thank me for stating the obvious."
He swirls his drink lazily in one hand, watching her over the rim before adding: "But I will say this... you have changed since that night at the party."
There’s something almost knowing in his voice. Like he sees things even she might not realize about herself.
"Well, moving to a realm that doesn't really accept me, missing my home, becoming a mother, and a wife after one night at a party will do that."
Einarr's smirk softens into something almost sympathetic, but only for a brief moment. Then it's back to that roguish, self-assured amusement.
"Oh, I wasn't just talking about the responsibilities," he says before taking another sip. "You're harder now. Sharper. That sweetness you had back then is still there... but you don’t let just anyone see it anymore." His gaze flicks over her face like he can read every thought she’s ever had.
"I can't. I'm polite to everyone I meet; that's just who I am, but I can't show more than that. I get called 'weak' often. I hear gossip and whispers that Loki shouldn't have stooped so low to marry and have children with a mortal. I can't help what happened, but I wouldn't change it. Those twins are... absolute magic."
Einarr’s grin drops for the first time since she’s seen him again. His expression shifts, hardening slightly, something dark flashing in his eyes.
"Weak?" He scoffs before taking a deep drink, then slamming the tankard down with more force than necessary. "Those fools wouldn’t know true strength if it punched them in the jaw."
His hand suddenly moves, his fingers brushing against her wrist where it rests on the table. A rare moment of sincerity cuts through his usual teasing demeanor as he murmurs,
"You survived Asgard, Gwen. You carved out a place here when most would have crumbled under Odin's court alone."
And for just a second, there’s something almost admiring in his voice.
She studies him as she thinks over an idea that occurred to her. After a moment, she just asks. "How long are you in Asgard this time?"
Einarr blinks, clearly not expecting the sudden change in topic. But he quickly recovers, his cocky grin sliding back into place as he shrugs.
"Don’t know. It depends." His fingers are still resting on her wrist, and he lets them trace lightly back and forth over her pulse point as he adds, "Why? Are you going to miss me if I’m gone too soon?"
Touching her wrist like that is barely appropriate but still soothing, so she doesn't stop it. She ignores his question. "Meet the twins. Then, would you consider being their guard?"
Gwen still worries about someone or something hurting them, and they are half mortal. Einarr is brave, strong, trustworthy, and even if he flirts with married women, he is a good man who would protect those children for her.
Einarr's eyes widen slightly, clearly blindsided by this unexpected request. He studies her face as his fingers fall still on her wrist.
"You … want me to guard your children?" He says, just a touch incredulously. A hint of the old swagger creeps back into his voice as he adds, "Me, a big, strong warrior … protecting them instead of battling the next big evil, saving a fair lady in some other realm? Sounds mundane."
She sighs and shakes her head. "Forget I asked. You're right. You have more important and more exciting things to do."
Einarr immediately makes a noise of protest, his fingers curling around her wrist before she can pull away.
"Hey, hey—I didn’t say no," he says with an exasperated huff. His expression shifts into something almost serious. Then he flashes a smirk again to cover it up. "I just had to point out the irony of asking me, a dashing, roguish warrior, to babysit." He leans in. "But I do have one condition: you don’t get upset when they start preferring my company over yours."
"You wouldn't be babysitting. We have babysitters when we need them. I am with the twins often, Loki obviously spends time with them, as does Frigga. I simply want someone close by who can protect them when we can't, someone I can trust."
He studies her face for another moment silently before he finally lets out an exaggerated sigh.
"Fine. I'll meet them. But only because I wouldn't dream of saying no to a pretty lady." He gives her a sly grin and then cocks an eyebrow as he adds: "But you'd better make it worth my while. I don't work for free, you know."
"Of course not.” Gwen rolls her eyes again. “You don't have to say yes right now. You can think it over. I know this is very different from border guard duty in Vanaheim. It's...easier." She pauses with a little smirk. "And we wouldn't want all those muscles of yours to get soft."
Einarr barks out a laugh at that, his fingers now tapping idly against the table.
"Oh, trust me, they won’t." He flashes her a roguish wink before straightening up in his chair. "You really think I’d let myself go just because I’m not on the front lines? Please. I’ll still be running circles around every other warrior in Asgard next winter."
His grin softens slightly as he finally leans back. "...But yes. Give me until tomorrow to give you an answer. And maybe then you can introduce me to these little troublemakers of yours."
"That sounds good. I'll have a solid compensation offer for you tomorrow too." Gwen finishes the last of her ale. "Thank you for at least considering it."
Einarr gives her a surprisingly gentle, if still playful, smirk as she finishes her drink.
"Thank you for trusting me with something this important," he murmurs before raising his own tankard in a small salute. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Gwen." And just like that, the teasing glint is back in his eyes as he adds, "try not to miss me too much until then."
She gives him one more smile before sliding off the stool. "I'll do my best."
Einarr watches her go with an unreadable expression, something between amusement and something far quieter, far more serious. His fingers drum once against the table before he turns back to his drink with a soft chuckle.
"Yeah," he murmurs to no one in particular. "So will I."