Dragons of Asgard 4 chapter 1

I woke to the dim light of the morning creeping through the trees, and I glanced around to see I was covered in beautiful women.

Eira, the sexy redheaded warband leader, used my left arm as a pillow, and her mouth was parted slightly so I could feel her warm breath on my arm. Her long fiery hair covered the top half of her naked body, and a few strands fell in front of her face, so I gently pushed them behind her ear before I leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Asta and Kas were on my right, and the two of them were entangled with one another just as much as they were with me.

Asta, the lovely white-haired elf girl, had her head laid on my chest so all I could see was her beautiful white hair and her pointed ears. Her arms were strewn across my abdomen, and I could feel her whole body move slightly with each heavy breath she took.

Kas, my incredible Valkyrie-Asgardian hybrid sorceress-warrior, was pressed up against Asta’s back with her leg thrown over the white-haired elf girl’s hip.

The Valkyrie’s curly strawberry blonde hair stuck out in all directions in the most adorable way, and I couldn’t help but smile at how wild she looked whenever she woke up.

A thin blanket covered the bottom half of us since it was still nice out in the evenings, especially with a fire going, though ours had died down since we’d gone to bed.

I knew my women, and the dragons, would be hungry as soon as they woke up, so I gently pried Eira’s head from under my arm, and my chest from under Asta’s hand. Once the top half of myself was clear, though, I realized at some point last night the dragons had made their way back out here to sleep at the foot of our makeshift bed.

Blar, my long blue dragon, was sprawled out across my ankles, and Uffe and Inger were on the right side of my feet next to Asta and Kas while Svass had made herself at home between Eira’s legs.

Each of the little dragons had taken to one of the women in particular, which was nice when it came to fighting since they all wielded individually specialized powers.

Uffe and Inger were twins, and they looked nearly identical, each with bright red scales, fat little bodies, long necks and tails, and glowing purple eyes. According to one of Kas’s books, twin dragons usually have opposing powers, and Uffe and Inger were no exception.

Uffe was able to control the earth around him while Inger had more control over the air. The little girl flew before any of the other dragons, including Blar, though he was the oldest.

Aside from their specific powers, the only way to really tell them apart was by the little ribbons Asta always put around Inger’s neck. The little girl loved to feel beautiful, and she and Asta got along incredibly well. Inger would assist the elf woman whenever we were in battle, and the two of them made quite the team, with Asta often using her daggers or axe as throwing weapons, and Inger retrieving them for her.

Uffe was the quietest and sweetest of all the dragons, and his soft but strong demeanor fit well with Kas’. The Valkyrie was very grounded in reality and logic, and that meshed well with Uffe’s earth powers. The two of them most often worked together in battle, and since Uffe preferred not to fly, Kas usually carried him on her shoulders whenever we needed to go any great distance, a small act which I knew the little dragon greatly appreciated.

Svass was the newest member of our little family, but she’d already made herself at home with Eira. The little yellow dragon had bright pink eyes, and her powers were fire control. She was able to hold a flame for longer than any of the other dragons, and she could direct it with greater accuracy as well. She’d been orphaned by the dragon trade, and the girls and I had decided to adopt her as our own just like we did with Inger, Uffe, and Blar.

The little blue dragon let out a little snore, and I shook my head at how ridiculously adorable he was. Blar loved all of the women, of course, but he was my dragon, and we all understood that. Fate had brought us together, and I was forever grateful for that day I’d mistaken his egg as something to eat.

It was funny to think about now, but at the time, I hadn’t known how to feel when instead of a nice meal, the egg had cracked in the pot and a little dragon scurried out.

He’d taken to me right away, and because of my powers, which I was still learning about, I’d not only been able to hatch him, but I could command him to do things as well. I could actually command all the little dragons to follow my orders, and they did so without hesitation.

I was also able to feel their, and other dragons’, emotions, especially when they were in need. And I’d recently found out I was able to see through their eyes if I focused hard enough. That was a skill I was still working on, but it had already come in handy with our fight against the dragon slave trade.

It was incredible to think just a few months ago I didn’t even know I had powers, and I’d never practiced magic or seen a dragon before in my life.

Dragons had been banished from Asgard centuries ago, which was something I intended to correct as soon as I was able to. For the moment, though, I needed to focus on dismantling the dragon trade and saving all the beautiful, intelligent creatures being held against their will.

More presently still, I needed to make my crew breakfast, which meant I needed to get Blar off my feet.

“Come here little buddy,” I whispered as I gently pushed my hands under his back so I could lift him off my legs and set him on the blanket.

The little dragon opened one bright blue eye, looked at me, closed it again, and then proceeded to continue snoring.

“I know you’re not asleep again already,” I told him in hushed tones, but he just ignored me, snored louder, and rolled over so he was pressed up against Asta’s leg.

I stifled a chuckle at his attitude, and then I stood up, retrieved my pants from next to the fire, and pulled them on before I tossed a couple of logs onto the embers so the flames could build back up again.

Once that was done, I grabbed a basket and my fishing net so I could go to the stream and catch us some fresh fish for breakfast.

My courtyard had plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, but I liked to get our meat just before we ate so it was as fresh as possible.

I didn’t bother to put on a tunic, I just pulled on my boots, tied my sword around my hip, and headed into the woods. I’d pick us some fruit and vegetables when I got back, that way the fish had time to cook on the fire while I gathered the rest of our breakfast.

None of the women I was with really cooked, which was fine with me since I’d perfected the art during my time living here alone. I had no lineage to speak of, so I’d bought this small piece of land as soon as I’d saved enough money from my warband work, and I’d slowly turned the small plot into a home.

I’d built my own small cottage, which I’d need to expand soon with the amount of women and dragons I now had to care for, and I’d planted all the fruit trees and bushes, as well as the large garden where I grew the majority of my food.

The dragons were particularly fond of our home since they could sneak fruit and vegetables whenever they wanted. They didn’t have that same luxury when we were out traveling, and while I always worried about them spoiling their dinner, they seemed to have bottomless pits for stomachs, and I’d never seen them refuse a meal when offered, no matter if they’d just eaten or not.

The sun had broken the horizon by then, and it lifted higher into the sky as I walked through the woods near my home to the small stream that ran through my property. It wasn’t far from my cottage, and it was a beautiful morning for a walk.

Asgard’s air always smelled floral, fresh, and sweet, which I’d never realized until I started traveling to other realms so often. The air elsewhere usually smelled good, too, but Asgard’s air smelled like home.

The faint scent of smoke caught my attention as I walked, and it got more powerful as I got closer to the clearing where the stream was.

I set down my basket and net and pulled out my sword as I exited the tree line.

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected to see, but the sight in front of me certainly wasn’t it.

There was a terribly made fire pit on the ground near the stream, and little puffs of smoke drifted up from where the embers continued to burn.

Around the fire pit was the real surprise, though.

Five men were spread out around the fire, and they’d clearly fallen asleep after too much booze the night before. There were several large jugs of what I presumed was mead scattered around them, and off to the side I thought I saw a couple of piles of vomit to show just how intoxicated they’d been.

My nose wrinkled at the sight and smell of them, but I figured they were probably harmless since I recognized a couple of them as members of my own warband or other warbands of Odin’s.

Regardless, they were on my property, and I needed them to leave. I wasn’t one for uninvited company, especially not this close to my women who were sleeping naked less than a mile away.

“Alright, boys,” I said loudly, and I banged my sword against the nearest tree so the metal clanged and woke them up. “You’ve had your fun, it’s time to go.”

“Faen,” one of them cursed in the old language before he lifted his head, saw me, and laid it back down. “Leave us alone you aresehole, we’re trying to sleep.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “You’re trying to sleep on my property. Now, I’m asking you nicely to leave.”

“Well, isn’t that nice of you,” another one mocked, and he belched as he sat up to glare at me. “Don’t you have ears? We don’t care if it’s your property or not, we’re sleeping here.”

“Yeah, we’ll leave when we’re good and ready,” another man grumbled, and I recognized him immediately as the large, dumb arsehole from my own warband.

“Hagar?” I asked.

“Ehhh.” He squinted in my direction and then grinned when he realized it was me. “Ah, Rath, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off trying to build some muscle or something?”

“Ha!” one of his still drunk buddies laughed. “You are skinny, aren’t you? Run along now, little boy.”

I raised an eyebrow at his use of the term ‘little boy.’ No, I wasn’t huge like these men, but I was lean and muscular, and I knew I was just as strong as they were. Plus, my brain capacity far exceeded their own, which completely outmatched their pure brawn.

“Leave,” I growled. “This is your last chance.”

I’d given them every opportunity to simply walk away, but I wasn’t going to let them demean me, not any longer.

Hagar had always been an arsehole when we’d worked together, but I’d let it slide then because I hadn’t wanted to pick a fight with a warband brother.

I hadn’t worked in the warband in months, though, so not only was he no longer my brother, now I just considered him to be some drunken trespasser on my property.

And one I didn’t much like at that.

“Or what?” Hagar laughed his terribly annoying snorting laugh that made me cringe. “What are you going to do?”

“I’d kill you if it wouldn’t be a crime against Odin’s warband,” I said through gritted teeth. “But I guess I’ll have to settle for just breaking a bone or two.”

“Let’s see you try,” Hagar snarled, stood up, and cracked his neck to one side and then the other.

He was a little wobbly on his feet, which showed me just how drunk he still was, but it was his bright idea to pick a fight with me, and I wasn’t going to refuse just because he was an idiot.

“You dumb sonofabitch.” I shook my head and ran toward the huge man.

He was at least a head taller than I was, and nearly twice as wide. His girth was all he really had going for him, though, since he had no brains to speak of in that huge head of his.

I leaped up as I got close to him and kicked my leg out as I twisted my body. My foot made contact with his face, and his head jerked to the side with the force of my blow.

The impact was enough to topple him to the side, but he was a huge man, and he was able to stay on his feet, wobbly as he was.

I landed a few feet away and raised an eyebrow at him as his friends all voiced their disapproval and got up from their drunken beds.

“Are you sure you want to keep this up?” I asked him.

“You little--” he started to say, but before he could finish his sentence, I cut him off by sending my dagger flying just past his head to stick into the tree behind him.

“Fuck you!” one of the men yelled, and he rushed toward me.

He was tall but fat, with no armor on to speak of, and he wielded a terribly worn axe in his hand.

“Really?” I groaned and shook my head at his pathetic attempt to attack me.

The man reared his blade to the side and tried to swing on me, but I was quicker than he expected, and I easily stepped back out of his reach. My enchanted blade lengthened with just a quick thought so I was able to reach him, and I turned it to the side and whacked his face with the flat end of the blade.

Spit and blood flew out of the man’s mouth as his head snapped to the side, and his body followed. He tumbled to the ground, but a quick look at his back revealed he was still breathing, which was good considering I didn’t want to actually kill him.

These arseholes might deserve a good beating for drunkenly and stupidly picking a fight with me after they trespassed on my property, but they were still Asgardian citizens, some with powerful lineage, and I didn’t want any trouble with the council or the warband leaders.

Besides, I knew if I kicked their arses and sent them off with their tails between their legs, they certainly wouldn’t want to explain to anybody what happened.

“You sonofabitch!” a short man with long black hair pulled back in a messy braid yelled, and he and the man next to him nodded at each other and ran toward me.

Apparently, me knocking out their friend wasn’t enough of a deterrent to send them packing, so I shrugged and took a fighting stance.

Hagar had regained his composure by then, too, and though I couldn’t see him, I sensed the huge arsehole behind me.

The two in front of me were still about ten feet away, but they were moving quickly toward me, and I needed to take out Hagar before they got to me.

As much as I hated the huge idiot, I wouldn’t underestimate him as an opponent. I’d seen him fight plenty of times before, and I knew exactly what he could do. He might not be the smartest of foes, but what he lacked in brain, he certainly made up for in muscle.

I took a deep breath to steady myself, and then I closed my eyes and allowed my senses to take over. Hagar was coming up behind me, and he’d have his axe out this time. I’d humiliated him earlier, but he wouldn’t give me that opportunity again. Once Hagar got angry, it was all downhill from there.

Just as the big oaf swung on me, I ducked down and kicked my leg out as I spun toward him.

His feet were swept out from under him, and he fell to the side as his axe went flying into the air.

I quickly hopped up and caught his weapon as it hurtled to the ground, and then I turned back toward the two men running toward me and hurtled the blade right into the chest plate of one of the men.

I’d already assessed his armor, and I knew the impact wouldn’t kill him, but it was certainly enough to knock the breath out of him.

The tall redheaded arsehole stopped in his tracks as the axe blade buried itself into his armor. He gasped for air, and then he grabbed the hilt of the blade and fell backward.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned on his side and groaned in pain, but I had more pressing matters to attend to at that moment.

The arsehole running toward me was clearly the most drunk out of all the men here, and he nearly fell over twice as he made his way over to me.

Hagar was also still at it, and the huge man grabbed onto my leg and yanked it in an attempt to make me lose my balance.

I quickly turned my sword to Hagar and held the tip of it right in the hollow of his throat.

“Rath,” he growled. “You sonofa--”

I cut him off by pressing my blade hard against his throat, which sent his hands flying up near his face in a feeble attempt to surrender.

While I held Hagar in place with my sword, I turned my attention back to the man coming at me. He was clearly still intoxicated from the night before, and I immediately noticed he held his axe with an incredibly loose grip, probably because of how badly the alcohol had impaired his motor skills.

I held my blade at Hagar’s neck with one hand, and then I waited for the other warrior to make his way over to me.

As soon as he was close enough, he reared his axe back over his head, and I took the opportunity when his chest was open to deliver an upward blow to his gut.

The drunkard immediately dropped his axe and reached for his mouth as vomit spilled out all over his chest and down to his shoes.

His eyelids lowered, and he wobbled on his feet before he promptly fell to the ground.

“You,” I growled as I turned back to Hagar, and I saw pure fear flash across the man’s face. “Get your buddies and get the fuck out of here.”

“O-Okay,” he stuttered, and I backed up with my blade still pointed at him.

I watched as the large man either woke up his friends, or threw them over his shoulder. He led them back through the trees, but before he left, he turned and waved at me.

“Bye, Rath,” he said meekly, and then he disappeared through the trees.

I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped through my lips at the man’s completely ridiculous response to me kicking him and all his friends off my property.

Maybe he had finally learned his lesson and would now leave me be.

As soon as they were gone, I retrieved my net and basket from the tree line and made my way over to the stream so I could catch some fish for the girls and I.

The morning was nice and warm, and the crisp, cool water felt refreshing on my feet and legs as I stepped into the small stream. It didn’t take long for me to catch enough fish to fill up my basket, and once I had enough, I made my way back to my humble little home and my family.

As I walked, I thought about everything that had happened recently. We now knew the Elf King’s plan to have the dwarves make him some specialized weapons to use the dragons to take over the nine realms. The sonofabitch also had some camps where he was keeping and training innocent dragons to use as tools in this war he planned to start.

We knew his plan, though, which meant we were one step ahead of him, and I planned to do whatever I could to put an end to his reign and the dragon trade all at once.

Some good had come from the day before, though, in that we’d managed to free several dozen eggs. They were safe in my home at the moment, but we’d need to take them to the council for safe keeping soon. We needed to pass along the information about the Elf King and his weapons, too.

As I thought about the eggs we’d saved the day before, my mind turned to our celebration once we’d gotten home and how incredible our love making session had been.

Kas and Asta were both soul bonded with me, which meant I was able to feel everything they felt, and the pleasure of it all was almost too much to bear sometimes.

Eira wasn’t yet soul bonded with me, but just then I remembered her saying she wanted to.

I shook my head to clear it.

Did that actually happen?

We’d just finished making love, so I was still a little out of it, but I vividly remembered her saying she wanted to soul bond with me.

A smile spread across my face at the thought of it, but I still wasn’t sure if I’d dreamed it or not, so I decided it would be best to not bring it up to her. If it did happen, then I figured she would say something about it, but if not, then that was alright, too. I’d wait as long as it took for her to get comfortable enough to trust me in that way.

When I broke the tree line back to my courtyard, I found my women and dragons all still asleep near the now roaring fire, so I quietly started breakfast for them while they slept.

“Mmmm,” Eira groaned a few minutes later, and she sniffed the air and opened her eyes as I turned a piece of fish over in the pan.

“That smells sooooo gooooood,” Asta moaned as she stretched from head to toe so her perky full breasts lifted to the sky.

I expected Kas to be next in line to wake up, but she just rolled over and drooled a bit more on the blanket beneath her. Her hair was even wilder than it had been when I’d left earlier, but she looked just as adorable as always, and I’d let her sleep as long as she needed to. The Valkyrie worked hard, and if she needed a little more sleep this morning, I figured she earned it.

Instead of Kas, Blar lifted his head, squinted at me, and smacked his lips.

“Yes, I’m making breakfast,” I told him with a smile. “And no, it’s not ready yet.”

The little blue dragon’s nose wrinkled, and he closed his eyes again and laid back down.

“There’s no pleasing him, is there?” Eira laughed.

“Not unless you have food,” I chuckled.

“Mmm, speaking of food.” Asta smiled. “I’d like some tea with breakfast this morning, too.”

“That sounds lovely,” I told her.

“I have some herbs I dried in the house,” my elven lover said, and she stood up, pulled on my tunic from the day before, and walked toward the small cottage.

Her long white hair swayed as she walked, which only accentuated the sexy saunter of her hips, and I could hardly keep myself from staring.

“You’re terrible.” Eira grinned.

“What?” I whipped my head around toward the redhead, and I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment.

“I hope you stare at me like that when I walk away,” she replied with a wink.

“Oh, I definitely do,” I laughed.

“Good.” She smiled.

“Mmm, this tea is going to be so good,” Asta said as she walked back over to the fire and put her teapot on it. “I got you and Kas some clothes, too.”

“Thanks,” Eira said, and she took the dark blue tunic Asta handed to her.

“Is that mine?” I asked with a playfully raised eyebrow.

“Yes.” Asta frowned. “Is that okay? I just grabbed a couple out of your trunk of clothes.”

“That’s fine,” I chuckled. “They got a little small on my arms after I’d been in the warband awhile, but I just never got rid of them.”

“Those muscles are worth it, though,” Eira said, and she raked her eyes over my exposed biceps, which reminded me I wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“I brought you a shirt, too,” Asta said. “But now I don’t think it will fit.”

“That’s alright,” I laughed. “I don’t need a shirt right now.”

“No, you don’t.” Eira bit her bottom lip, and her display of desire made a hot flush flood through my body.

“Mmm, do I smell breakfast?” Kas yawned, and her long curls bounced as she pulled the blanket up to her chest and sat up.

“You do.” I smiled.

“A little late,” Eira teased.

“Am I?” Kas yawned again and stretched.

“It’s just about ready,” I told her. “Once you all get dressed, I’ll dish up bowls.”

Blar heard me promise to dish up bowls, and he quickly stretched and then pranced over to my feet. His eyes darted back and forth from me to the food on the fire expectantly, but I just shook my head and reached down to scratch under his chin.

“Be patient,” I told him. “We’ll eat soon.”

The little dragon let out a small huff, and then he plopped down on my feet and closed his eyes once more.

“You’re terrible,” I chuckled.

“Isn’t he, though,” Kas teased, and she pulled on one of my black tunics, walked over to the fire, and sat down across from me.

Asta sat next to her in my other black tunic from the night before, and after Eira pulled on my dark blue tunic and sat next to me.

Once all the women were seated, I dished up bowls for them and the dragons.

Inger and Svass joined Blar at my feet, and the three of them eyed me seriously as they licked their lips and impatiently waited for their breakfast.

Uffe wandered over as well, but instead of being rude about how long his meal was taking, he just crawled up into Kas’s laps for pets.

I set the dragon’s bowls near the fire, and before they even hit the ground Blar, Svass, and Inger had their heads in them, and food flew out the sides as they gobbled down their breakfast.

Uffe’s little reptilian lips parted into a smile, and he hopped down from Kas’s lap and made his way over to his bowl. Unlike his sister and the other two dragons, he savored each bite as he calmly ate his food.

I shook my head at how completely opposite he was compared to the other dragons and took a bite of seared fish.

“So, about that soul bond,” Eira said out of the blue, and I nearly spat my food out.

“Um, what about it?” I asked through coughs.

“Rath, are you choking?” Asta asked with serious concern, and she picked up my cup of tea and handed it to me. “Here, drink this.”

“Thank you,” I sighed and took the tea.

“Did you not remember?” Eira asked, and she raised a red eyebrow at me.

“I did,” I said more calmly now that I’d taken a drink of tea and regained my composure. “I just wasn’t sure if you did.”

“I don’t say such things lightly,” the redhead told me.

“Of course.” I nodded.

“There is one stipulation,” she said.

“What’s that?” I gulped.

“I’d like to be married first,” she said, and she nonchalantly picked up a piece of fish and took a bite.

“Married.” My eyes widened as I stared at her with genuine shock.

“Yes.” Eira nodded and raised an eyebrow at me. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“N-No, not at all.” I shook my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more than that.

The truth was, I never imagined I’d marry anybody, let alone someone as accomplished as Eira. She came from a great lineage, though nobody in our warband knew that because she didn’t want them to think she got to leader status due to her father. He was a legendary warrior, which meant her hand in marriage was probably incredibly sought after to anybody who knew her as his daughter.

I couldn’t imagine how many marriage proposals she’d received already in her life, and to think she wanted to marry me was almost too strange a concept to grasp.

I had no lineage at all since I was an orphan, and though I had special abilities, they were new to me, and I hadn’t learned to fully harness them yet. My powers were growing quickly, but I still had no name to give her aside from my first.

I’d seen plenty of Asgardian weddings being held on the beach or the countryside, but I’d never even been to one as a guest. They were always beautiful, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined what it would be like to be married one day, but I never thought that dream would become a reality for me, let alone with someone like Eira.

I looked at Kas and Asta and frowned. Marriage had been so far from my mind I’d never even considered it. I’d soul bonded with them when they asked me because it felt right, but I suddenly felt I should have asked them for their hands in marriage, too.

“Oooh, a wedding!” Asta clapped and bounced up and down in her seat. “That will be so fun.”

“Kas, Asta,” I said. “What about you?”

“What about us?” Kas asked as she cocked her head.

“Do we get to be in the wedding?” Asta asked Eira with a bright grin.

“I don’t see why not.” The redhead smiled. “After all, I’ll be committing to all three of you if I soul bond with Rath, right?”

“That’s true.” Kas nodded.

“I meant, would either of you like to be married?” I asked as my eyes darted between the Valkyrie and elf girl. “I’m so sorry I never thought of it before.”

“It’s alright,” the strawberry blonde said, and she bit her lip and looked down. “I have thought about it, but it didn’t seem important at the time. I’m happy to be soul bonded.”

“Yes, but you deserve a wedding if that’s what you desire,” I told her seriously.

“Really?” she asked, and she tried to hide the smile that crept onto her face.

“Of course.” I nodded and turned to Asta. “What about you, Asta? What do you think about all this?”

“I’ve always loved weddings,” the white-haired elf girl said, and she blinked her bright yellow eyes at me.

“Then it’s settled,” I chuckled.

“Okay,” Kas agreed. “But I don’t want to impose on Eira’s wedding with you. We should have a separate one.”

“We might need two of those,” Asta said.

“You don’t want to get married with me?” Kas asked.

“It’s not that.” The elf girl shook her head. “It’s just Asgardian customs are very different from those of the elves.”

“Oh.” Kas’s eyebrows pulled together. “I suppose that’s true.”

“I wouldn’t mind a wedding with you,” Eira told Kas with a small smile. “But you’re part Valkyrie, correct? It would be a good way to honor your people if you used some of their customs in the ceremony.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Kas smiled wide then turned to me and frowned. “Do you mind, Rath? I know three weddings would be a lot, but…”

“It’s what you want,” I chuckled. “How can I complain about getting to marry three beautiful women?”

“You can’t,” Eira teased.

“I don’t think so, either,” I laughed.

Part of me was surprised Eira even wanted a wedding since I never saw her as the traditional bride. She was a fierce warrior who could cut the head off her opponent in one strike, which didn’t lend well to the image of her in a wedding dress.

It was rather sweet to think she wanted to get married before we bonded, though, and that little request told me a lot about who she was. This meant she took tradition a lot more seriously than I ever thought, and knowing I still had plenty to learn about her only excited me more about the prospect of her becoming my wife.

“… children one day, too,” Eira’s voice said and snapped me out of my thoughts.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I was just telling Kas and Asta how I’d like children one day.” Eira lifted her chin slightly and looked at me.

“Oh, children.” I couldn’t help the smile that came over my face. “I’d love that.”

“Good.” The redhead grinned.

“Whenever you’d like children, you must tell me,” Asta urged.

“I’m sure you’ll know,” Eira laughed.

“No.” Asta shook her head. “You have to tell me so I can stop making you tea.”

“What?” Eira asked, and her red eyebrows pulled together. “Why would you need to stop making me tea?”

“Some of the herbs I use keep you from getting pregnant,” the elf girl explained.

“Oh.” Eira blinked. “I didn’t realize.”

“I’m sorry.” Asta frowned. “I should have told you. Do you want children now? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a week or so, but I believe Rath will be more than willing to oblige.”

“Thanks, Asta,” I laughed.

“Am I not correct?” the elf girl asked, and she cocked her head to the side curiously.

Her elven culture didn’t always mesh with our Asgardian ways, and she often took things too literally.

“You’re correct,” I told her with a smile since I didn’t want to damper her spirit, no matter how awkward it was at times.

“That’s alright,” Eira said. “I think I’d rather keep drinking it for now. I do want children, but not anytime soon. Things need to change before I think about starting a family of our own.”

“Yes, I agree.” Asta nodded. “The dragon trade is a much more pressing matter.”

“Do you want children, too?” I asked the elf girl.

“Absolutely.” She grinned. “I love babies, and I’d love to be a mother one day.”

“You’d make a great mother,” I told her.

“Thank you.” She blushed and looked down for a second, and then she took another bite of her breakfast.

“What about you, Kas?” I asked. “Would you like kids, too?”

“It’s something I’ve always considered,” the Valkyrie answered. “But I wasn’t sure I’d ever find someone I’d want to have them with. But I have you now, so yes, I’d like to have kids one day, if that’s okay with you.”

“That sounds wonderful to me.” A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, but I kept it small so I didn’t seem as eager as I was.

I hadn’t even considered that I’d get married before, so the idea of having kids hadn’t even occurred to me. The thought made me excited though, especially having grown up as an orphan. To have children of my own to love and raise would be a magnificent gift, and to have children by each of my beautiful women would be even better. I couldn’t begin to imagine how incredible our children would be.

Kas was so smart, and such a talented sorceress, our children would be magical for sure. And Asta was the kindest, most sincere person I’d ever met, and I knew she’d teach our children to be the same way. I only wondered if they’d have her ears or mine.

I hoped they’d have hers.

Eira was a ferocious warrior, and one of the most cunning Aesir I’d ever met. Our babies would know how to wield a knife before they uttered their first word.

“There is one more thing about the marriage,” Eira said, and my heart sank.

“What is it?” I asked before I cleared my throat nervously.

“It’s nothing bad,” she chuckled.

“Okay.” I smiled. “I’ll do anything, just tell me what you need me to do.”

“You need to ask my father for my hand in marriage.” Eira shrugged.

I blinked at her.

Anything but that.