The months went by with Xipe teaching me more and more about his world and the use of our powers. How to use different symbols and runes, to conjure different things. How wards could protect us. How my power came from my core and how to utilise it.

I learned so much my head was spinning from dusk till dawn. He was a little afraid I was getting too worn out by it all, but this had been my life before my death. I had always wanted to learn more. I could never learn enough.

And it seemed like Zitzi couldn't either. Whenever we sat in the garden, enjoying the summer heat, she'd ask me about my people. My country. And my tattoos. She could still find new ones she hadn't asked about, as if she was pacing herself.

"So what does this one mean?" Zitzi asked and pointed to a tree, tattooed on my upper left arm.

I was surprised she hadn't pointed it out earlier and I had just been waiting for her to ask. It filled up my entire upper arm after all. It was one of the biggest ones with only one imagery I had on me.

"That's Yggdrasil. Its roots reaches into all realms. It's the tree of life. It's in Asgard, where the gods live. My people thought if they tattooed this on me, I'd maybe more favourable to the gods when they found me wandering in the realm beyond. Maybe the Valkyries would pity me and bring me directly to Freja, who'd then ask Sköll and Hati to grant my people a long summer."

"Instead the deity of spring found you. Maybe that's a sign. You and my brother were meant to be," Zitzi said and slowly ran her finger over the blue tattoo. "How about this one?" She poked my ribs, though she couldn't see the tattoo, covered by my tunic. I laughed. I was ticklish.

"That's the tail of Sköll," I said and pulled down on my tunic to show her the head of the wolf right under my collarbone. "And that's Hati," I said and pointed to the other wolf, close to the first.

"It's fantastic artwork. The craftsmanship itself is amazing. The lines are so sharp." She smiled widely and met my gaze. "And what about the rune on your cheek?"

"That's the first rune in my name. It's to help me remember who I am, once I die." I ran my fingers over the rune, but there was no difference in texture. I couldn't feel the tattoo, but I knew it was there. "It's also the rune for wealth. Maybe it would increase my value to the gods if they saw I was a treasure and would make them wealthy."

"All of your tattoos are so elaborate and the meaning behind them... It's so well-thought out."

I liked how she was so interested in me and my history. No one had ever been this interested in me before I was chosen to be sacrificed. And no women had ever shown this kind of interest in me... Ever. It was like everyone just knew I wouldn't return their attention the way they wanted me to, but that didn't mean I didn't want to be friends. I wanted to be friends with someone, but the only friend I had was the seer. And he had been ancient.

But Zitzi was my friend. She sometimes felt more like a sister to me than just a friend.

"I wish I could get some too, but I'd never know what to get," she murmured. "Even Tec has some now and... I have none."

"I could make some on you if you want? I used to make them all the time when I was alive. It was part of my role as the apprentice of the seer."

"Really? So who tattooed you?" she asked and smoothed her hair out of her face. It always got in front of her eyes, unruly as she was calm.

"The seer himself. He also chose all of the designs for it."

"How long did it take to do all of this?"

"Weeks. Sometimes I had to heal in order for the seer to finish a design."

She gently wrapped her fingers around my wrist and brought my arm into her lap. She ran her fingers over the tattoos, her expression growing incredibly soft.

"You're very strong for enduring that," she murmured.

"I was pampered. They made sure I was very comfortable," I said quietly.

"That does not take away from your strength, sweetling," she said and smiled widely at me. "You're a very strong man. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I promise," I breathed and smiled. She did too.

"Hey!" Xipe yelled from the door, waving at us. We both rose to our feet but, Zitzi stopped me from going to him.

"And whatever you are doing to my brother, keep doing it. I've never seen him this happy." She squeezed my arm and left me standing there, kind of baffled.

"Frej? Frej, wake up."

I peeled my eyes open and looked up at Xipe, but I closed them again.

"I'm tired," I murmured.

"Tired? You've slept all day and almost all night too. Lover, it'll be soon light out. Come on," Tec tried again.

"Come lie with me," I said, instead of getting up.

"Frej, we can't lie in bed all day. Come on. You need to feed."

"I'm not hungry..." I whispered and turned my back on him.

"Frej, can you not avoid that subject right now?" Xipe sounded annoyed. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me on my back. He grabbed my chin and looked seriously at me. "How long have you not fed on human blood, Frej?"

"I fed yesterday." I shook his hand off me and sat up. "I'm just tired. It's no big deal Xipe."

I hoped I was an okay liar. I didn't want him to force me to feed. I didn't want to feed on anyone but him.

"Are you sure? You look exhausted, Frej." His brows furrowed in a worried expression. 

"Yes, Xipe." I circled my arms around him and pulled him down to me. "I just wanna lie in bed with you. Cuddle."

He snorted and lied down next to me, pulling me close to his chest. "You've lost weight, Frej. Are you sure you're feeding enough?"

"Yes, I'm not hungry for anyone but you," I murmured and moved in, biting down on his neck. I knew I could distract his thoughts with this.

I felt his fingers slide up in my hair, gently pressing me closer to his throat, urging me to do it harder. He liked things rough. And so did I.

I repositioned and bit down harder. Xipe groaned and slid his hand down my lower back, digging his fingers into my skin.

"Frej," he breathed.

I lifted up and ran my tongue over my lips, smirking at him. "Yes?"

"You don't seem so tired anymore, huh?" he laughed.

"No, your blood is an amazing waker-upper." I smiled at him and kissed him.

"Let's get out of bed. I wanna actually do something today besides discovering your body again. For the 100'th time." He winked one eye at me and then left the bed. "What would you like to wear today?"

"You take too much pleasure in dressing me, Xipe." I smirked up at him but pushed the furs aside nonetheless.

"I can never take too much pleasure in anything that involves you." He turned his back on me, the seriousness of his words not skipping my attention.

"Find me something comfortable." I slipped out of the bed and caught the loose trousers he tossed me from the big wooden wardrobe.

"I'll find you something good," he murmured a bit distracted. That man liked clothes and everything to do with his appearance more than any man I had ever met. I didn't personally care as much but I'd indulge in Xipe's interests. If he liked this then who was I to deny his enjoyment? It didn't hurt me and I didn't mind him dressing me.

His hands carefully ran over my body as he slipped the blue tunic over my shoulders. It was on that would be bound at the waist by a leather band and it was indeed comfortable. My husband softly kissed the back of my neck and took a step back.

"You always look magnificent, Fakkel." He smiled so softly at me and I felt heat creep up in my cheeks. Still his compliments had this effect on me.

He led me down to one of the sitting rooms, one occupied by his siblings. I was happy to sit beside Zitzi as Xipe and Ton started playing an odd game with small figurines moving across a board.

"What are they playing?" I asked Zitzi.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "They call it a game of kings. It's terribly boring. Nothing ever happens in it."

Well, it did look terribly boring as neither Ton nor Xipe had moved any figurines yet, but both were just frowning at the board.

"Don't you have a game from Dania we could play?" Zitzi asked.

"Actually I do. But we need logs of wood."

"That we have," Xipe said and looked up from the board. "Ton, maybe we could postpone this game and partake in Frej's?"

"Of course. I'd love to try and play a Viking game. Now it doesn't include one of us dying, does it?" Ton asked a little hesitantly.

I laughed and shook my head. "No. Come on."

We went out into the garden with our arms full of logs. I took the biggest one and put it in the middle between Zitzi and me, against Xipe and Ton. We lined up smaller logs, five on each side.

"So, we need to hit the smaller logs," I explained. "With these throwing sticks. When one team has tipped over all of the opposing team's logs, we go after the king; the big log in the middle."

"What do we do with the tipped over logs?" Xipe asked and nodded down towards one in front of him.

"You throw it. Try and get it as close to us as possible. We're allowed to throw from where it lands," I said and threw the stick in my hand up in the air, grabbing it again. "It's called 'The Game of Kings.'"

Zitzi laughed a melodic laugh and threw the first stick. It didn't hit true. Ton tossed the next and he hit one of ours. I threw the toppled over a log and it made it possible for Xipe and Ton to move exactly one foot forward. So I had done good.

I was the next to try and hit theirs and I hit true. I was fast to prove, I had been playing this game many times. We had tournaments and that was finally one of the times where the other children in the village wanted to play with me. I was good. I was the best in the village in fact.

But it was a children's game so not many wanted to play it when we eventually all grew older. Throwing axes, fighting with swords and sailing took up the time of my previous friends and I learned the art of reading runes with the seer.

This was like being a child again, playing with my new family though. They all enjoyed the game so much, we decided to play three rounds. And all wanted to rotate, so I ended up being partnered up with all of them.

It was truly a happy night.