by Viola Grace
Fen walked into the crisp morning air and within five minutes, they were in the air flying over the patchwork of Jotunheim.
Thosnas's home loomed in the distance with all the grace of a Hickom cathedral. The vast windows and spiralling towers brought a smile to her lips. "Lovely architecture."
"He is proud of it. It was built by an ancestor nine hundred years ago and the maintenance is detailed."
There were three other skimmers on the landing pad. Tynir put them down right next to the others. He helped her step down and took her hand to lead her into the home of the most powerful man on the planet.
"Tynir, I will be in communication with my friends. Don't spook Mari by standing out. We want her to go insane when she finds out I am not freezing to death in that cell."
When his jaw flexed, she realized that she should not have mentioned the last part. This was going to get ugly.
Chapter Six
Sol, I am here and I am hanging back. Did Mari make her move yet?
Fen, oh thank the stars, yes. She has mentioned it to Morgarn, but to bring it up before the council, she needed to be here for Thosnas's judgement day.
Is Jin around?
Yes, but she is off to the side with her family and Ragnar. She will wait until you signal before stepping forward.
You told her what happened?
Yes, and she is less than pleased.
Fen couldn't help her smile. You can tell her that it is her fault for falling for the fire giant. She started this whole ball rolling.
Sol laughed and they cut the connection.
"Why are you smiling?" Tynir's voice was warm in her ear.
"A conversation with Sol. She will wait for my grand entrance before starting some shit."
He grinned back. "May I join in?"
"Oh, darling. I would be disappointed if you didn't." She held his hand tightly and they moved through the crowd of giants until they were in a quiet alcove. From this vantage point, they could see everything and yet be relatively unseen themselves.
The pain in her ass who had tried to buy her bar out from under her took his seat against the north wall of the great hall. An official stood next to him and blew a horn.
The sound rang out and those who came for judgement organized themselves.
Fen narrowed her eyes at Mari and pulled her own hood down further. Mari would bolt if she was discovered and Fen didn't want that to happen.
She looked up and admired the swords in the ceiling. The positioning was unusual and it made her ask, "Are those swords up on the walls recent?"
Tynir looked around. "Yes, they were not here the last time I spoke to my grandfather."
"When was that?"
"A few weeks ago. While we were plotting and scheming to get you down here."
The horn blasted out again and the first person with a dispute came forward--a mountain giant who had lost some sheep to a frost giant.
Mari was third applying for judgement. She strode forward with arrogance and faced Thosnas. "My lord, I demand that your grandson Morgarn be removed from consideration of succession."
The old giant leaned forward and crooked a brow at her. "Demand?"
"Yes, it is unseemly for him to be wed to an off-worlder and for his children to be inheritors of your lands." Mari was bristling with icy indignation.
"Morgarn, what do you think of this?" Thosnas beckoned and his grandson, the mountain giant, stepped forward with his new bride at his side.
"I think that this is yet another attempt to disrupt the plans that you and the council have put into play regarding succession and involvement with the Alliance."
Mari was staring at him in shock. Apparently, this was not the answer she had been expecting. "Lord Thosnas, your grandson earlier promised to withdraw his bid for succession."
Morgarn put his arm around Solial and winked down at his wife. "I promised to withdraw if you released Fehniel from her ice prison. What you could not know at that point was that there was no way you could. She was already back with my cousin in good health."
That was their cue. Tynir led her through the crowd and they stopped in front of Mari. A few other giants in the crowd quickly ran for the nearest exit.
"How? There was no way out of that room." The horror on her face was genuine.
"I can understand your confusion." Fen released the catch on her cloak and passed it to a servant nearby. Her body language must have communicated to Tynir, because he took a step back.
She held her hands out at her sides and brought fireballs into being. While the near members of the crowd were stunned, Fen shifted her face into a wolf's and snapped the air inches from Mari. With a light smile playing around her mouth, she returned her body to normal.
Thosnas started applauding. "Fire and a shifter. My grandson is a lucky man."
Guards moved to grab Mari and Fen rounded on Thosnas. "You, sir, are the most manipulative, weasely, sneaky giant that the gods ever created. Did it ever occur to you just to ask?"
The patriarch of the giants was leaning back, away from her fire.
"Do you know how hard it was for us to start that bar on Raven's Rest? How difficult it was to build up steady clientele?"
Sol was watching her with wide eyes. Jin appeared and was just as surprised as the other elemental.
Thosnas was blinking, but smiling. "I had heard that you were the most level-headed of the three and I think I now know why. You are all business, aren't you?"
"I save my fire for what matters. Friends, family, business and love." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her new grandfather-in-law. She was quite sure that her father had already signed the papers, so setting her new family straight was going to be her first step.
"Good. The giants here will need someone knowledgeable when they begin off-planet trade."
Fen blinked. "Are you serious?"
"We found out that our planet is sentient and slowly waking, but we have a psi-enhancing mineral here and we need someone to broker it. Djihntalia would be an excellent front person with Ragnar to assist, Solial is an amazing enforcer loyal to Morgarn and you are a calculating woman who has the support of a very honourable man. We need only gain control of the space station above to use as a base of distribution and the giants will once again enter the Alliance with heads held high." Thosnas was smiling as all of his schemes and machinations were coming to fruition in front of his eyes.
Sol, Jin and Fen looked at each other and had a silent communication. When imperceptible nods came from her two friends, Fen turned back to Thosnas. "We need to speak privately. The mates, the ladies and you."
"I believe that I need to finish the immediate matter first." He looked past Fen to the woman who had kidnapped her, flanked by guards. "Mari, I reject your petition to have Morgarn struck from the succession. I find you guilty of kidnapping and am holding you for sentencing and questioning for others who share your thoughts on these fine ladies of impeccable families."
"My lord, no! They are all blends of other species."
"And they are now members of my family." His voice boomed and Mari flinched at the wave of sound and blast of air that came with it.
That power surprised Fehniel. She whispered to Tynir, "What kind of giant is Thosnas?"
"A storm giant. The last of his kind. He married my grandmother and they began a family of daughters that astonished those around them." He smiled and put his arm around her tightly wrapped waist.
Mari was shaking as she was taken out of the audience hall.
"I almost feel sorry for her."
"Don't. If you hadn't escaped or been able to call me, you might be dead by now." His harsh tone reminded her of the danger she had been in.
"Fair point." She wrapped her own arm around his waist and squeezed him to remind him she was safe.
Thosnas asked, "Is there anything urgent that needs to be addressed today?"
The crowd shook their heads.
"Good, now let me go and talk with my
family."
A giant woman of elder years but with a twinkle in her eyes greeted them as they followed Thosnas to a private garden in the centre of his home.
"Fehniel, this is my grandmother, Khasna. Grandmother, my chosen, Princess Fehniel of Hickom."
The woman eyed her warily. "You are the fire elemental."
"Yes, madam."
"Tynir is frost."
"I am aware of that, madam." She waited patiently, the woman was going somewhere with this.
"Isn't that a little contradictory when you come together?"
"Only if we are not careful, madam. Your grandson and I are very big on self-control."
"He has a temper."
"I have noticed that as well, but usually in defence of others. He may feel it, but he won't use it to hurt the ones he cares about." Even when he had been torturing her, he had been careful and only her stiff muscles resulted.
Tynir was standing next to her, waiting for Khasna's verdict. "Give me a hug, granddaughter. It is a relief to welcome you to the family."
Tynir let out a gust of air as Fen hugged his grandmother. She kept her internal snickers to herself.
When the familial introduction was over, Thosnas snaked an arm around his wife and asked Fen, "So, what is it that you needed to discuss with me?"
"You will not be able to purchase the space station."
Jin and Sol stepped forward and close to her.
"Why not?"
"Because the owners won't sell it."
Thosnas looked confused. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Because it is owned by the Gaia Group. It was a silent takeover and only the management knows that the station has changed hands."
He looked angry and irritated. The men stood protectively next to their ladies and Fen felt Tynir wrap his arm around her and braced for his grandfather's temper.
"Who is the Gaia Group? I have never heard of them."
Fen, Sol and Jin looked at each other for a moment. "We are."
Thunder boomed in the distance. "What?"
The girls were shoved back and the men stepped forward to face their grandfather. It took him ten minutes to calm down, but he finally did.
"Can you tell me how you happen to own the station above my head?"
Fen grinned. "A seer came to me when I was a teenager and gave me a reading. She said that not only would my best friends be air and water, but also I would find my destiny and my true mate over the head of a giant. It took a lot of research, but I pinpointed the station and we were already friends who wanted to leave home. The rest came naturally."
Thosnas's mouth opened and closed for a moment and then he erupted in laughter. Khasna held him as he howled with mirth and smiled at the girls while her husband got himself back under control.
"Will you accept the position as business manager for the Jotunheim exporting system?" He was asking her directly and she decided to ask Tynir.
Would you mind if I took this position?
I have a few positions with you in mind and none of them involves business. But I believe this will make you happy, so please take it on.
Thank you. That is going to get you all kinds of goodies as soon as I can do some research on sex. Being new to the concept is awkward.
What? You were not a virgin.
No hymen, but it was the first time I took a man inside of me. Hickom women have the hymen removed to prevent bloodlust during first mating. It's safer.
His hands held her waist tightly and she knew that this would be discussed later. His mind was reeling with shock. "Yes, I will take on the challenge of trying to organize your business matters."
"Excellent. Now to a meal, you look far too pale for my liking." Thosnas led the way into a dining hall and when he had spoken to a servant, food began to appear.
Before they started eating, he lifted his goblet. "To my grandsons, who knew a good thing when the seer told them of their future brides, to the elementals who had the good taste to agree that life amongst the giants held some appeal and to my beloved Khasna, who gave me a garden of daughters that bore this strange and unanticipated fruit."
Everyone lifted their goblets and drank.
Morgarn stood and raised his goblet. "To a future where Jotunheim thrives and grows and to my beloved Solial and her chosen friends Djihntalia and Fehniel. Three women of power who took pity on us poor males and made our lives brighter."
The three elementals didn't drink to themselves but all blushed, their varied skin tones darkening.
The conversation turned to intergalactic trade, some of the characters who had frequented the bar and the families that were on the way to visit. Sol's grandmother and grandfather were already visiting Thosnas, Jin's brothers were at Ragnar's home and Thosnas informed Fen that her sister and brother-in-law were coming to ratify the union.
Laughter flowed as freely as the wine and when Tynir escorted her to their guest rooms, the wine and laughter took over in a loving tumble to the bed. He was on top, then she was on top and nothing mattered except that they were together.
* * * *
Two years later
"I understand that you want to expand production, but Tonhemic has become a black-market substance. We need to control the amount and the destinations."
Morgarn nodded and looked to the miner who was pushing for expansion. "Slow and steady expansion is what we are after, Raso. These are early days and many of the psi races are experimenting and creating records of effect. We need these to produce more information, documents to show that we are responsibly examining our product. The price that we are demanding is only acceptable because we are restricting production. The planet can drain the mineral of its properties at any time and we have to keep that in mind."
Raso scrubbed his face. "We will abide by your decree, my lord."
"Thank you. Do mention this to your miners as well. Several have been caught smuggling the mineral to Raven's Rest. The scanners on the station find the mineral the instant that the shuttles dock. There is really no chance for them to engage in profit."
Fen grinned. The scanners were members of the Gaia Group who wanted to be helpful.
Raso cleared his throat. "I am not missing any men, nor have any reported anything like that."
Fen looked to Morgarn and receiving his permission, she explained. "There is a minder on premises as well. Their little excursion into illegality is removed from their minds and their connections are tracked down."
"Oh. I see." He was looking worried and Fen quickly touched his mind, running through his own thoughts of espionage that had just been nipped in the bud.
Morgarn dismissed him and turned to her. "Well, cousin, what do you think?"
"I think that the properties of the mineral need the examination. I think that Raso is going to tell the men that they are to stop trying to smuggle it and I think that Tynir had better get his butt in here before this baby appears in your office."
She grunted as another pain rippled through her. Tynir! Now is the time and I don't want to give birth in front of your cousin.
Morgarn opened the door and called for Sol. She came in and grasped the situation. She raised her hand to lift Fen with air and the pregnant woman glared her friend into freezing. "I am going to start walking. Feel free to follow me. Blow air up my skirt and I will injure you, Sol."
Jin had been giving her birthing classes and she knew what to expect. It didn't make it less uncomfortable or make it hurt less, but it was comforting.
Jin was on the station right now and Fen cursed the timing. She slowly made her way through the halls until Tynir caught up with her and lifted her into his arms.
"How long, Fen?"
"Since this morning, but I couldn't miss the meeting with Raso." She grunted as another pain gripped her.
This was the first baby to be born to the new ladies of Thosnas's family and she had wanted to get all the business out of the way before becoming a mother.
A birthing chair was in
the corner of her bedroom and after setting her down on the bedding, he settled the chair closer to the bed. Tynir lifted her and placed her on it with gentle care. He changed her clothing, putting a new nightgown on her for the labouring and bustled about getting ready while her body slowly spun out of her control.
The Jotunheim midwife stood by in case she was needed, but Tynir managed to handle everything with only minor coaxing.
When she got the urge to push, he told her to breathe until she felt the tremendous pressure below. Her child slipped from her body in a rush and landed with a smack in its father's hands. The frost giant thawed as the tiny one wailed its distress at the speedy entry into the world. The midwife came over, tied the umbilical cord and allowed the proud father to cut the cord.
"Here he is, Fen." His voice was thick with emotion.
"He?" It was a little boy with his father's ice blue eyes. Thankfully, he was the same size as a normal Hickom baby, but he was his father's son and would no doubt be quite the giant.
They would name him at a formal ceremony in a week, but for now, she admired the dark fuzz of his hair and the silky skin of his cheek under the slickness of the birthing fluids.
After the rest of the birthing details were carried out and the midwife pronounced her sound, she was allowed into another fresh nightie and was placed into her bed. She was a little tired, but there were visitors and protocol meant that Thosnas meet his grandson.
Sol came in and grinned at the new baby. "He's adorable, well done."
"Thanks." Tynir grinned and got swatted by his wife.
Thosnas pronounced him the most handsome baby that ever there was, Khasna wanted to babysit immediately.
Ragnar brought in a portable com and let her show her new son to her mother and father back on Hickom, while Jin used her other talents to check on the birthing stress. "You just had to do this while I was on the station."
"Sorry, he saw his moment and he went for it." She opened the nightgown to allow her bundle of joy to have his meal.
Jin grinned, her parents laughed and Sol covered Morgarn's eyes as her friend bared her breast.