Billionaire Romance: MAXIMILIAN (An Alpha Bad Boy Contemporary Mystery Romance) (Mysterious Billionaires Book 3, Anthologies & Collections) (50 page)

“Sure,” Aila said, offering her thanks before she headed back. “If you’re not back in an hour, I’ll come searching.”

“Agreed.”

Chapter Two: Inner Healing

Dagmar finally felt reasonably normal. At least he thought he did. Either that or the afterlife was very sweet. This time when he opened his eyes Aila’s beautiful gray irises were staring at him. “You look tired,” he whispered.

“I’m alright,” she smiled unable to push her tears back. “Just waiting for you to move your feet right now. I’m tired of pampering your sorry arse.”

“Pampering is it?” Dagmar laughed wincing as pain seared through his side. “I feel as if someone beat me with a tree trunk.”

“Sort of,” Aila grinned. “In the form of three very well-placed arrows. One more and I might not have you here with me.” Dagmar looked at her again and realized just how fragile she was. She didn’t like to admit it, which was part of the reason he’d fallen for her, but she was all woman and that thrilled him.

“I’m made of tougher stuff than that,” he smiled. “Ragnic say when I could get out of here?”

“Not yet. I think he’d like to make sure you’re well on the mend before we move you.”

“I feel great compared to whenever before was. How long have I been here?”

“Since just after sunup. I wasn’t sure Ragnic could get you back in shape, but he did amazing work.”

“You haven’t given up on me have you darling?”

“Not yet, but I’ve told Ragnic if it lasts much longer someone else can come baby you.”

“Heartless bitch,” Dagmar chuckled, wincing when the pain in his side flared. “Got me good didn’t they?”

“If Breslin and Bregnan hadn’t been there I don’t know if you’d have made it back.”

“How’s it been since?”

“Calm,” Aila said, a grimace on her face. “I know it’s only a matter of time before they come back. Ballsy bastards, attacking us on the Solstice. No respect for the seasons or symbols of this time of year.”

“Not everyone honors the Earth like us, Aila,” Dagmar said. “Still, I’d like to be ready should they attack again.”

“How about,” Aila said, “We just concentrate on making sure our people celebrate the Solstice as they should. I don’t want the battle this morning to mar the celebration tonight, especially when it’s perfect outside.”

“Perfect huh?” Dagmar grinned. “I don’t know about that, but right now it’s pretty perfect from where I’m sitting.”

“Lying,” Aila corrected.

“Whatever.” When she smiled and leaned down to him, Dagmar gladly kissed her, slowly going deeper into the ocean of need that never seemed to be satisfied between them. “Help me up won’t you?”

                                                                                    ***

Aila helped Dagmar sit up and held him steady while he got his bearings. He complained of a headache, which Ragnic said would be normal. Having his medicine handy, she gave him some herbal tea to help him with the pain.

“You feeling any better?”

“Some,” he said. “I’m not ready to dance a jig yet, but compared to how I felt a few hours ago, I’d say I feel remarkable.”

“You don’t look so great,” Aila laughed.

“Like me for my looks? You shallow woman.”

Putting an arm around his waist, Aila helped Dagmar stand, steadying him before he took his first step. Pain etched itself on his face when he stumbled, but with each step he grew stronger and more confident in his ability to walk. A couple trips around Ragnic’s cabin and Dagmar was almost back to normal. “I need to see Aislin if I can.”

“Tonight?” Aila asked, obviously concerned.

“It’s rather important love.”

“Alright,” Aila sighed. She walked him gingerly toward Aisleen’s home and stopped just short of the door. Aislin was one of the first to have a structure put up for her. Built into the mountainside, her home stayed relatively warm during the increasingly cold nights as winter really got a grip on Hail. With its thick mossy covering, Aila sure hoped her friend liked her new home.

“I’d ask that you stay here for just a moment,” Dagmar said, looking awfully pale to Aila’s untrained eye.

“Hurry up then” Aila sighed. Aila waited and paced while Dagmar was inside. She noticed almost immediately that she couldn’t hear what was being said, except for the occasional roaring of laughter. It was unusual to be standing outside someone’s home and not hear them plain as day. Not that she was an eavesdropper or anything, but still, she noticed. Perhaps it’d make relations between married couples a little more private, especially for those who liked to get loud during such activities. Aila herself could scarcely bring herself to softly moan, let alone scream. No matter how great Dagmar was under the blankets, she was a severely private person, unless she was punching him in the face for making time with Asgurda. Sighing she knocked on the door to Aislin’s home.

“Well Aila,” little Edgar said. Aislin’s youngest, Edgar was the spitting image of his father, right down to Dufguss’ pretty green eyes. “Nice of you to drop in on us tonight as well. Dagmar’s already here.”

“I know young, Edgar,” Aila smiled, roughing up the boy’s cap. “I brought him by and was wondering if he’d fallen flat on his face yet. Seeing as just this morning the mule had three arrows sticking out of him, I’m surprised he hasn’t just collapsed at your feet by now.”

“Nah,” the little boy went on. “Dagmar’s made of sterner stuff. He showed those damn Dunkerie bastards how things are done by the Pict people of Hail. See if they try any of their bullshit again. We’ll show them exactly where they can stick it.”

Aila choked back a laugh and was warmed to find everyone else seemed to be doing the same. “Dagmar,” she sighed, coming to see him in the small nook where he sat leaning against the wall. “I need to get you home before you can no longer walk.”

“Aye lass,” Dagmar smiled. He grabbed a package off the small table and turned to Aislin. “Thank you darling. I’ll be sure to get some more skins to you soon.”

“See that you do,” she smiled. “After you can walk straight and shoot straighter.”

“She likes me,” Dagmar joked as he walked to his tent with Aila.

“You think everyone likes you,” Aila pointed out.

“You like me,” he chuckled.

“Much to my peril I’m sure.” Helping him into his tent Aila made him as comfortable as she could before she got him to release the package.

“You need to open it love,” Dagmar instructed as Aila sat down to undo his boots.

“I’ll get to it in due course.”

“Now,” he demanded softly. “If you don’t mind of course.”

“I don’t mind,” Aila said. She grabbed the package and set in it her lap, carefully removing the patchwork paper covering.

“Aislin said her youngest and his friends helped decorate the package.”

“I can see that,” she smiled. She opened the package fully and just stared at the ermine covered boots that now sat in her lap. “You had these made for me?”

“I know your fondness for ermine skins so I used the last ones I caught to have Aislin make you a pair of boots to match your tunic and leggings.”

“Dagmar…” Aila sighed. Putting the boots aside, she crawled over to sit with him. “I would have waited until tonight to give them to you so you could wear them to the festival, but give my condition I thought it prudent to do it now as I may be sleeping later.”

“Not if I can help it,” Aila grinned, giving Dagmar a wink.

“Oh love,” he sighed. “I can’t do that, despite wanting you.”

“I’m not asking you to make love to me,” Aila laughed. “There are other related activities we can do to pleasure each other, aren’t there? Certainly straight up sex isn’t all you know how to do.”

“No,” Dagmar argued. “However, given that I was shot three times this morning it may not be a good idea to get my heart rate up.”

“I already discussed it with Ragnic. He says as long as you’re comfortable with it, its fine.”

“Of course he’d say that. He’s a man.”

“He’s also a healer with plenty of experience. I say if it won’t kill you, we should try. Even if just as payback for my boots.”

“I had them made for a reason, Aila,” Dagmar said, taking her hands. “I know that we’ve certainly had our differences and that some of them were nasty and unsolvable. Over the last three weeks though, I’ve come to see that you are a remarkable woman and I’m so very blessed to have you in my life. I know that we both want to rule the people of Hail, we have our own strategies and ideas. Lately though we’ve been able to bring those things together to benefit our people.”

“Yes we have,” Aila smiled “It’s been nice to work together and see our people thrive because of it.”

“Would you be willing, Aila, to rule by my side, not just as my best friend, but as my wife as well?”

“What?” Aila asked, her eyes going wide.

“I’m asking you Aila Dagny Forsberg, if you’d consider spending your life with me. Will you marry me?”

                                                                                    ***

Dagmar didn’t know if the look on her face was a sign that she was happy, sad, or ticked off. Her stormy gray eyes were filled with an emotion he couldn’t read and he was deathly afraid she might burst into tears. The tears came, but thankfully it wasn’t the deluge that Dagmar had feared.

“I’ve dreamed of this day, like most women, I suppose. When I was eight I hoped one day we’d love each other. The more I tried though, the harder you fought me until I was convinced we weren’t right for each other after all. Then things changed. I can’t even tell you what it was that shifted between us, but whatever it was, I’m so thankful it did. Four weeks ago if you’d asked me to marry you I probably would have fallen down laughing. Now I know that I’m saying yes to my best friend. I’m saying yes to a man that I can count on to not only protect and provide for me, but a man with whom I want to share my life. A man I can rule alongside knowing that neither of us is less because we rule together. You smooth out my hard, choppy edges Dagmar and I am eternally grateful for you.”

“So is that a yes?”

He could admit he deserved the punch in the arm. The fact that she punched the arm that had taken an arrow earlier in the day, however, made his eyes smart with tears of his own. Her apologies rolled off her tongue as quickly as her acceptance speech, but Dagmar took it all in stride.

“I need to see, Dragna about putting the herbs we collected in cold storage.”

“Alright,” Dagmar said. “I’m going to rest while you’re gone. Then we’ll see about truly celebrating this Solstice and announcing our engagement and our plan to rule Hail together.”

“Sounds good Your Highness,” Aila chuckled. Dagmar did exactly as he’d said he would and slept for the entire two hours Aila was gone checking on things. When he woke the sense of calm was a little too convincing.

“Aila?” Dagmar called. He sat up, nursing his very sore side and shoulder. By the time he gained his footing, he was sweating up a storm and had to fight not to pass out. He grit his teeth and took his first step toward the door of his tent. Pulling it back, he stepped out into a gloomy day. Wasn’t it just like the winter solstice to be overcast and cloudy without a drop of rain? Looking around he could see anyone walking around, or any sort of celebrations going on. Where the hell was everyone? And why hadn’t Aila come back to check on him? Surely it couldn’t take that long to check with Dragna about the cold storage.

“Aila?” Dagmar called again, raising his voice so she could hear him.

“Dagmar!” came the panicked scream. Dagmar felt that first surge of adrenaline and took off at the best run he could manage without falling over. “Aila!”

“Dag-“

Dagmar rounded the corner near the food tent and stopped in his tracks, nearly falling over as his body adjusted to the speed. There sat Aila and nearly everyone from the village their hands bound. They had gags in their mouth and fury pumped through him like liquid fire.

“Thank you for joining us Dagmar,” a brute of a man said as he stood behind Aila, her dark hair wrapped around his hand. “Your woman here was nice enough to introduce herself. Dagmar watched as the man ran a knife close to Aila’s throat. “We seem to have a misunderstanding between our two peoples. You see, when I settled across the river, I did so knowing that one day I’d need to expand as my people keep multiplying. We simply need more space. You, my friend, have prime space here. It was a space I wanted badly so I had my warriors attack you. You defended yourselves well and then reciprocated that attack. Today however, on the Solstice, we bested your people and would kindly ask that you leave this area behind. You can move wherever you’d like as long as it’s away from here.”

“Are you delusional? We can’t move on the Solstice, in the middle of winter.”

“Oh on the contrary, I think you can. You see, from where I’m standing it is far better to move, even on the Solstice and have your people alive; than it is to refuse and watch them be slaughtered. I can guarantee that the first choice is best. Take your chances resettling somewhere else and take most of your people with you, or my people will simply execute them.”

“Most of my people?” Dagmar asked, his mind blurring with the pain as it lanced through his body, concentrating in his side and shoulder.