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Thorsten smiled, and I couldn't help but ask him why he wasn't more freaked out by something like this.
"Kal, some sages have been known to bring things over from their journey into Innangard. It's extremely rare but possible. They're considered Arch Sages. They travel there to record and piece together our fragmented history that was lost during Ragnarok. Not a day goes by that you don't amaze me." He leaned in to kiss me gently.
As Huginn and Muninn left my side and flew back up to the rafters, I told Thorsten that I didn't feel half as grand as he thought. I confessed that I had help while in Innangard, and I wouldn't have survived without that person.
"Enough talk of Innangard and noble politics," Thorsten said, kissing me again. "Right now, all I want is to make love to my consort."
I smiled at him. "I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing people call me 'royal consort.'"
"Get used to it," Thorsten insisted. "Depending on how long the war lasts, you might have that title for a while."
We smiled and kissed once more, our passion growing. Thorsten caressed my body, his touch sending shivers down my spine. Our lovemaking that night was intense, raw, and emotional. Thesensation of his body against mine, the heat between us, the taste of his lips – it was everything I never knew I needed.
I woke up to the sound of hurried footsteps and hushed voices. As my eyes adjusted, I recognized Leif, the servant who had been attending to Thor and Loki. His short-cropped hair framed his crystal blue eyes, which were wide with panic. He wore a simple yet elegant uniform, in the colors of the royal family.
"Your Majesties," he said, trying to remain calm, "I can't find the twins anywhere in the castle!"
Thorsten and I shot out of bed, our hearts pounding. Thorsten didn't yell; he tried to remain calm as he asked Leif to tell him everything.
Leif explained that he'd gone into the boys' room to wake them up for their morning lessons. I frowned, confused. "What morning lessons?"
"Children of the king need to get started on their lessons on the history of Utangard, their families, and the different houses in the Kingdom," Leif replied.
"Focus on what's wrong," Thorsten ordered him. Leif went on to say that when he'd gone to wake up Thor and Loki, they hadn't been in their beds. At first, he'd thought they were playing a trick, so he searched around for them but couldn't find them anywhere.
"Let's not panic," Thorsten told Leif and me. He instructed me to get dressed, and he did the same. I was ready to go look for oursons, but Thorsten told me to stay in the room. He summoned Signe to look after me.
"Thorsten, if our sons are missing, I want to be involved in finding them," I insisted. But he reminded me that there was a possibility the twins might've been kidnapped, and if that was true, he wanted me somewhere safe. He chose these chambers for their protection and escape route.
"Fine," I agreed reluctantly as Thorsten left the room with Leif. I began pacing, nervous and frantic, worried about our sons' safety. I couldn't just sit here while their lives could be in danger.
I looked up to the rafters and saw the ravens, Huginn and Muninn. Calling to them, they came down from the rafters and perched on the bedpost. "I don't know if you understand me," I said, "but if you're special and want to help, please help search for Thor and Loki."
The two ravens crowed and flew out the window. I hoped they understood what I'd asked. Signe entered the room, saying she'd heard the twins were kidnapped. She asked if I was okay.
"Of course not," I admitted. Signe showed me a secret tunnel inside the bedroom, accessed by twisting the horns of a gargoyle statue on the wall. The wall slid open, revealing a dark passage. She explained it led outside the castle and that I should use it if we needed to escape.
"Thank you, Signe," I said, my voice shaking. "But I'm not going anywhere without my children."
A few hours had passed and I was anxiously waiting for word from either the Ravens or Thorsten. My chest was tight, my hands trembling as I paced the room. The sound of wings flapping caught my attention, and I looked up to see Huginn and Muninn flying back through the open window. Relief washed over me at their return.
"Did you find them?" I asked frantically, my voice cracking. Instead of an answer, one of the ravens dropped something onto the bed – Sparkle, the plush tuxedo cat that belonged to Loki.
"Even those dark avians were out looking for the twins," Signe commented, clearly amazed. I ignored her, too focused on the plushie toy in front of me. As I picked it up, a strange sensation came over me, and suddenly I felt like I was flying. My vision blurred, and I realized I was seeing through the raven's eyes.
The image of a fork in the road outside Hrungnir Keep appeared before me. It hit me like a punch to the gut – the twins had been kidnapped. Tears streamed down my face, and I broke down, clutching Sparkle tightly to my chest.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Signe asked, concern etched on her face.
"They're gone," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. "They've been taken."
Determined to find Thorsten, I left my room, but with so many rooms in the castle, I got turned around almost immediately. Signe tried to advise against leaving because the King forbade it, but she knew damn well I wouldn't listen. She helped menavigate the labyrinth of hallways until we reached the outside just as Thorsten returned with a team of soldiers.
"Thorsten!" I called out, sprinting towards him. His silver eyes narrowed with concern when he saw my tear-streaked face.
"Kal, I-" Thorsten started, trying to break the terrible news, but I cut him off.
"They were kidnapped," I said, holding up Sparkle. His eyes widened in shock, and his jaw clenched with anger.
