Chapter One

This is the sequel of The Ocean Between Us, so if you haven't read that yet, I suggest you go read that first. Enjoy! :)

The ocean was a beautiful, sparkling expanse that surrounded me. I was in a ship with my family, on our way to Ireland. My heart thudded with excitement and I shifted on my feet, tired of standing still at the front of the longship.

My mother came to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. "I have something I want to talk to you about, Britta."

"What is it?" I asked, looking at her with a smile.

"Well, you're sixteen now," she started, and put a little space between us. "It's time that we find you a husband,"

My stomach tightened, but not in fear. "I know. I know how things work. I've been expecting this."

"Are you unhappy, Britta? Because if you are, I'm sure you can wait, if you want to." She took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

I shook my head and smiled at her. "No, I'm not unhappy. I'm a bit nervous for the future."

"You'll be alright. You're my girl," she said gently and kissed my cheek. "I still have to tell you the sad part. This will be your last trip to Ireland before you are married. And I doubt your husband will allow you to visit again."

"So you're saying that this is the last time I will see my grandmother and my aunt and uncle?" I folded my arms over my chest and faced her.

She nodded, her eyes sad.

I inhaled a deep breath and smiled. "Fine. It's time for me to be a woman."

My mother smiled and went to sit in the back of the ship by my father. I leaned forward and rested my hands on the edge of the ship. I felt happy and sad at the same time, and that was completely confusing.

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Ireland was a magical place. There was a meadow behind my grandmother's cottage, and as I walked along the stream that ran through the middle, I remembered how when I was young, my mother told me that my eyes were the color of the spirit of Ireland. It took me a long time to understand what she meant.

Sighing, I sat by the stream and pulled my knees up to my chest. The weather was warm and comfortable. Fall would be coming soon. Which meant I needed to find a husband soon, for all weddings take place in the fall in Norway.

The idea of having a husband made me feel like a frozen stone sat in my stomach. Was I even ready for that?

My parents had a good marriage, and their lovemaking was no secret. It was hard to have privacy in a longhouse, where my parents' bedroom was only a few feet away from where I slept.
I saw how marriage worked, how both people had to respect each other and love each other and forgive each other. I understood marriage, but was I ready for my own?

I heard footsteps behind me and looked over my shoulder to see my brother Toki coming.

"Hey there, Britta," he said and sat beside me, ruffling my hair. "Are you well?"

I rested my chin on my knees. "Yes. I've just got many things on my mind."

"Like marriage?" He asked, looking out over the rolling grass on the meadow.

"Yes," I said again. "Tell me Toki, am I beautiful? Not as your sister, but as a woman to a man?"

He looked at me and grinned. "You are very beautiful. Your eyes could ensnare any man who crosses your path."

I rolled my eyes. Surely he was jesting. "Really?"

"I'm serious! Don't worry, Britta, your looks will please any man." He patted my hand and fell quiet. I leaned on his shoulder.

"I love you, Toki," I sighed, feeling better because of his kind words.

"I love you too, sister." He kissed my forehead. "Don't worry about anything. If you find the right man, everything will be perfect."

"Toki...Are men gentle? I mean, if they know that their wife is a maiden?" I asked, blushing. I wanted to ask a man this question, and I'd rather ask Toki than my father.

Toki laughed and hugged me close. "Yes, silly girl. If he cares for you, he will do everything he can to be gentle. Like I said, don't worry."

"Do you think I would make a good mother?" I asked, putting some room between us.

"I do. Now stop asking questions. You're fine." He patted my knee.

We sat in silence for a while, then I finally got to my feet. "We are here to see our family. We should go back."

We walked slowly back to my grandmother's cottage. It made me very sad when I remembered that this would be my last visit to Ireland. All I would have to remind me of this place was the color of my eyes.

We stayed for nearly a month with my family and I enjoyed my time there, but I was homesick and I wanted to say goodbye and forget about them. Not because I didn't love Kalin and my grandmother, but because it was time for me to move on.

Those goodbyes did come and I kissed my Irish family one last time and climbed into the longship, standing at the front of the ship as I gazed out over the clear water. My father came to my side.

"How are you, Britta?" he asked.

I smiled and shook my head. "Everyone keeps asking me that. I'm fine. all my friends have been married away, and I know what to expect. It's life."

My father rested his hand on my head. "You've got your mother's wisdom, you do."

We'll see about that.

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Through the whole journey home, I was able to keep myself from crying or feeling too worried, but my first night home I couldn't hold in my sobs. I was scared of the future, about leaving home and running my own household, and learning to please a husband. It all seemed so overwhelming.

My mother heard my sobs and invited me to sit outside under the night sky with her.

"Talk to me, baby girl," she said once we were sprawled out in the grass, staring up at the moon.

I told her about my fears and my dreams. "I want a man who will hold me close at night and who will sing to me. Someone who with cherish me and make me happy."

"All right, then, Britta. Your father and I will find a man like that. You know I won't let you marry a brute." She took hold of my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"How long do I have? How much time?" I asked, feeling my chest tighten. I wasn't sure if I wanted to give up being a care-free maiden.

"Well, your father has told me of a young man in need of a wife up North. The young man's father is a friend of ours. He told his son about you and he expressed interest. I've met this boy, once when he was younger. He seemed to be quite a wonderful person. Would you like to meet him?" she asked, smiling at me.

"I suppose I would. What is his name?" I folded my arms under my head, watching as a falling star streaked across the sky.

"His name is Oden." She sat up and looked down at me. "He is twenty one years old."

I sat up and twisted a few strands of grass between my fingers. "I guess I would like to meet him. Soon," I said, feeling my heart start to pound in excitement. "Tell me what you know about him."

"Let me start by telling you how I met his parents and why I trust them. There was an attack on our village a month or two after Toki was born, and I was captured in the attack. These other Norsemen took me back to their village and held me for ransom. But some time passed and your father didn't come for me." She paused, emotion making her voice thick.
"The man who captured me tried to have his way with me by force. But the wife of the chieftain of this village saw and stopped him, taking me back with her to her family's longhouse and cared for me, giving me a place to stay for the night. Her name was Alwilda, and she is Oden's mother. She helped me escape to Ireland, where your father finally came and found me. I trust them, and even love them. Their son will be a perfect husband for you."

My mother's story comforted me, and I trusted her. Who knew, maybe this could be an adventure, a chance to explore and start a new life.

Thanks for reading! Today is my sixteenth birthday, so give me some sweet sixteen love and leave me a review! Have a good week, y'all! :) - Em