He exhales a shaky breath. “I’m hurting, baby.”

“I know.”

We stand like this, holding onto each other, feeling that hurt and that pain because there’s no use running from it. It will find you anyway.

Then a couple of doctors step out of the room and everyone gets to their feet.

Magnus and I break apart, holding each other’s hands tight as we face them all.

The doctor says a bunch of something in Norwegian. There’s a pause and then he continues, and everyone gasps.

But they’re smiling.

Elated.

Relieved.

“What did he say?” I ask Magnus who is now giving me a tired, happy smile.

“He said that he had an infection that caused him to go into shock or something, but they stabilized him and that he’s already showing signs of improvement with antibiotics. They said he may also need a kidney transplant when he gets a bit better, but they’ll have no problems matching him. I’d give my own, but I guess that’s a last resort to ask someone who’s alive.”

I breathe out a long sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

He puts his arm around me, holding me close. “I don’t know what I would have done. I really don’t.”

“But now you know what you can do. Learn from him Magnus. I’m sure he has a whole world he wants to teach you about.”

He glances at me and then a look of realization seems to come across him, like he’s remembering something. “I tried calling you, you know.”

“I know,” I say sheepishly. “I turned off my phone after a bit. Chalk it up to being immature.”

“So, you haven’t talked to Jane yet?”

“No. Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he says. “Nothing is wrong at all.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Heidi,” he says.

Oh shit. That.

“What about her?” I ask cautiously.

He grins at me and lets out a laugh. “She’s done for.”

“What do you mean?”

“Get this, so Ottar being Ottar, and man I don’t give Samwise much credit, anyway, while you and I were losing our minds, he used his brains and investigated this so-called paternity test.”

So-called? I like where this is going. “And?”

“It’s a fake!”

“What do you mean…a fake?”

He gives me a wry look. “It means exactly what I said. She faked it, Ella. She faked the whole fucking thing. I can’t believe we didn’t even think to question it.”

Oh my god. This changes everything.

“Well I don’t know,” I say slowly. “I’ve never seen a paternity test before, how would we know?”

“It doesn’t matter though, because it’s fake. She forged it using dead Viking names.”

“So…now what?”

He nods excitedly. “So, Ottar and I took the faked paper, and we went straight to the prime minister.”

“You what?”

I can’t imagine that going well. Those two seem to be mortal enemies.

“We had a little chat and made him realize that his daughter needs help. I may have also threatened him with some legal action, slander and extortion and all that jazz, but it worked.”

“So, for sure she’s not pregnant?”

“No. Maybe with someone else, but it’s not me. Probably just a food baby. And she won’t be bugging us again, that’s for sure. I feel like her father has no choice but to get her the help she needs.”

“I wish I could see her face when he tells her what he knows, that she’s a big fat liar.”

“Yeah, but you know people like that are pathological narcissists, they don’t even see where they went wrong even when it’s rubbed in their face. Believe me, I want to be petty about it too but for now I’m just so fucking happy it’s over.”

I shake my head. Even more relief is flooding through me, to the point where I can hardly stay on my feet. “I am so relieved. You have no idea.”

“I think I have an idea, Ella. That was something no couple should ever have to deal with.”

I grab his hand, squeezing it. “I am so, so sorry I acted the way I did.”

“So am I. I don’t mind fighting with you, but I don’t want you leaving.”

“I know. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I know. Neither was I. You know I saw your wedding band. That fucking killed me, Ella. Killed me. I can’t stand to lose you like that. You’re everything to me.”

Oh god. More tears are coming. I blink them back.

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise. For better and for worse. I will never leave you. I will be a leech.”

“As long as you’re not a barnacle,” he says.

“And the ring, I always take it off to wash my face. I just forgot to put it back on. Believe me, the ring is pretty, but you’ve imprinted yourself on my heart and that’s something that can’t be taken off.”

The corner of his mouth tilts into a smile and he cups my face in his hands. “I think the greatest thing my father has taught me already is that I have a Viking heart. And with this heart, I can’t be afraid to love you bravely and boldly. Ella, I have fierce love for you, the kind that eats me up inside, the kind that influences everything I do. This fierce love might scare the both of us from time to time but it’s mine and it’s yours.” He pauses, his smile deepening. “Exceptionally yours.”

I laugh. “Not that again.”

“But doesn’t it make more sense now?”

I sigh happily and rest my head against his chest.

Everything makes sense now.

Twenty-Four

Magnus

Three months later

I run the silky blindfold through my fingers, biting my lip at how Ella is going to react to all of this.

She’ll never have seen it coming.

Literally.

“Close your eyes,” I tell her, standing right behind her.

“They’re closed,” she says as I bring the blindfold around her face and tie it behind her eyes.

“You can’t see out?”

“Not a thing,” she says.

“Perfect.” I grab her by the shoulders and turn her around. “God, you look sexy with that on.”

She grins, her cheeks making the blindfold rise. “I told you I was up for anything.”

“Okay, now I’m going to put you in the car.”

She flinches. “Okay. Wait. I thought you had a surprise for me?”

“Yeah, but you need to get in the car, so I can take you there. Come on.” I take her hand and lead her out of the parlor room and through the front door that Einar is holding open for us. I exchange a knowing look with him and he actually smiles in return.

It’s been three months since Ella and I had our first major fight, three months since my father nearly died in front of my eyes. Three months since both Ella and I have started to carve out a bright new life for ourselves.

Even though the shit with Heidi was crazy, it served its purpose. It brought us closer together, to know that even if something that destructive is dropped on our lap, we love each other enough to navigate through it. Our marriage might be new, it might have developed under unconventional circumstances, but it’s ours to mold and to keep. We may be young, and we may make mistakes, but we’re in it all together to the very end.

As for Heidi, well the last I heard she moved up north to Trondheim after a bout of psychological treatment. I don’t ask the prime minister about her often because she’s honestly just a speck inside my brain, but when I do, it also subtly reminds him that I’m not someone to be trifled with. Not even a little.

My father pulled through and had a kidney transplant just the other week. He’s back in the hospital over that, but he’s in great spirits and we’re all hoping this means he’ll make a full recovery. I’m just fucking lucky that I was able to tell him all the things I meant to tell him.

Of course, being my father, he said he already knew how much I loved him. I’m glad I’m not that hard to read. Sometimes being an open book is a blessing.

But I’m trying not to be an open book today, not with the surprise I have planned for Ella.

I help Ella down the stairs and get her in the backseat. Ottar and Lady Jane get in as well, but they don’t say anything. The point is for her to think we’re going alone.

Only half way through the drive into Oslo, Ella starts sniffing the air.

“I smell herring.”

Oh shit.

I think she’s gotten enhanced sense from the blindness.

Jane is wide-eyed in a who me? expression even though Ella can’t see it.

“Herring and Old Spice.”

Now Jane and I are looking at Ottar. He shrugs.

“Oh wait, now I smell…what is that…bullshit and lies?” Ella reaches out for me and manages to smack my thigh. “You told me we were going somewhere alone.”

“I had a change of heart. Just don’t lift up the blindfold, you’ll spoil everything.”

“Ottar, Jane,” she says. “That’s you, right?”

Jane tries to stay quiet, shaking her head but then bursts out laughing. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I had lunch right before, even though you said not to Magnus.”

I’m running a finger across my lips, telling her to zip it.

“Why couldn’t she have lunch?” Ella asks. “Magnus, where are you taking me?”

“You know, the best part of this whole experience is the thrill of the unknown.”

“Oh my god, you’re not making me do skydiving are you, because I will murder you, I swear I will.”

“Calm down, will ya? You’re so untrusting.”

“Because I’m married to someone who probably thinks blindfolding someone and pushing them out of an airplane is a good time.”

“That’s not what’s really happening, is it?” Jane whispers.