Page 1 of The Seeker

CHAPTER 1

Iassumed the war between Ralheim and Malheim would conclude with the death of both Adis and Hansen.

I was wrong.

If anything, the war waged harder now, the death tolls increasing with each passing day. But they no longer fought about land and who owned what.

Now, they fought over me.

Or at least, that’s what I gathered from my limited exposure to information.

My new life as Leif’s wife held even fewer freedoms than when I’d been a reader in his father’s employ. As the wound on my hand healed into a rounded scar, my freedoms were stripped one by one.

First, it was my ability to travel around Malheim unescorted. Then it was Leif allowing me to speak my anger at him freely.

Slowly I lost the ability to even roam the ground at will until I couldn’t even leave our bedroom without a Leif-approved escort, and all of my meals were hand delivered by Leif himself.

So much for negotiating for Friar to come with me to Malheim. I hadn’t even seen her since the day I’d bonded Leif, which was now three fortnights prior.

A lifetime, the way my life had been shifting.

“Leif.” I cleared my throat, attempting to remove the hoarseness from my voice as I sat up in bed and my bonded dressed in the corner of the room we shared. It wasn’t the room I’d lived in when I’d initially moved to Malheim, but I assumed these rooms had always been his. “I’d like to go to the market today⁠—”

“No,” he cut me off. “Not today.”

“But I’d really like to purchase⁠—”

“I said no.” Leif’s voice was firm as his fingers tucked every button on his jacket into the proper hole.

I huffed. I wished I could say I was surprised, but this had become our daily routine. “Please. I’ll take an extra escort. I’ll even go on horseback, but I need⁠—”

“Runa, my answer is no, and that’s final.” Leif’s voice held no emotion as he pulled his sword from his scabbard to evaluate the sharp edge before pushing it back in. “Ralheim is creeping forward and we are losing land at an alarming pace. You will send a servant for anything you need from the market from now on.”

I struggled to swallow over the lump in my throat as it grew difficult to breathe. “You don’t understand, Leif,” I pleaded. “You’re treating me like a prisoner, not your bonded. And . . . and it’s killing me. I can’t live like this Leif—without any freedoms. I can’t.”

“You’re being dramatic, Runa.” Leif crossed the room, brushing a hand down my cheek. “If you really want to feel like a prisoner that would mean never leaving this room. Trust me, my heart, you are far from a prisoner.”

I couldn’t stop the frustrated growl that fell from my lips, and I pushed his hand away from my face. “You can’t keep me here.”

“I can, and I will,” Leif amended. “Effective immediately. I’ll inform Harold you aren’t to leave our quarters today unless I am present.” He moved toward the door, tossing me a stern look before closing it behind him.

My hand gripped the pillow that Leif usually slept on, hurling it toward the door.

It hit the wood with a pathetic thump before dropping to the floor and I knew Leif probably hadn’t even heard it.

Not seeing any other solution, I rose from bed and headed into the bathroom to begin my monotonous daily routine.

Although I’d long moved into Leif’s quarters, and the staff recognized me as the Seid equivalent to his wife, life was much worse than before I’d been his bonded. Granted, his quarters were opulent—an entire suite of rooms including a sitting room, dining room, study, and bedroom, which held a gold-plated four-poster bed that was straight from my dreams, a green canopy looped around the top bars. There was a dressing table on one side of the room, next to our two matching wardrobes, though I’d converted it to my desk since I’d been barred from using Leif’s study on the other side of the sitting room. At least there was still a private bathing chamber at my disposal, accessible only via passing through the bedroom. I spent long hours in the tub, soaking my skin and dreaming of the man who had illuminated my heart during the darkest period of my life.

Otho.

My heart fluttered at his name alone.

“Runa, my darling, come here, will you?”

My bonded’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I cringed. I remained in the water for several more moments until the wave of annoyance from Leif told me I was out of time. I cautiously rose from the tepid water. I should’ve left the bath long ago, but with no other way to occupy my time, I often soaked until I shivered.

Grabbing the blue silk robe, which I’d tossed on the floor hours before, I wrapped it around myself, tying it at the waist, pausing to peer into the looking glass as I stepped out of the bathroom.