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Thrymheim is just filled with this oppressive uncomfortable atmosphere, but most people don't know exactly how uncomfortable it is or will be. I only bring Alith along when Haera and I go for a longer walk, although Skirlaug and shieldmaiden Raneigh comes along. It is probably best that Haera stay on this island, small Ackerek. It feels nice to walk in the northern forest, and most people would expect me to isolated her far away in some isolated cove where she and her mansion can't be seen, and probably on those rocky forested islands, but Iselin agree that it's better for Haera to be near Unn, and I'm not planning to force her into isolation. She's going to spend the rest of her life here, so we might as well accept that and make the transition for all of us as painless as possible, and just get along. It's better she lives somewhere in the southern part.
Haera knows the islands quite well after several visits here, and the walking she's done while visiting, and she really likes the height and view in the south-west part of Small Ackerek and wish I would let her build her mansion there even though it will be very visible from the village across the valley. She will spend her future here, and with her rooms attic window, she realised that a good view would be nice, and there is a small overgrown pond there too so she will have fresh water for her needs. Like most elves she doesn't think about wells or water collection systems or pipes and pumps, and of course most of the land here is forest covered cliffs. Fresh water is taken from streams or possibly collected in rain barrels, and when I point out that she should have the same filtered water system that Thrymheim has, it becomes obvious that she hasn't thought about that, and she immediately starts thinking. I'll have the builders dig a well there to check the water and flow rate is okay, otherwise she wants it built down south. She needs a place where her horses can graze, which frankly is harder than a nice place for a mansion, and she need someone to look after her horses and take care of her mansion and cook food and such. She intends to offer that to certain people from her other properties. Many of them will be loyal to her even though she has been disgraced, and no longer is The Queen.
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We head for the Academy building, as I need to look at that too. The workers are harvesting ice for the ice house at the north end, but there are some people trying out skates at the south end of the lake, including Ryla and Agnes. Right now, everyone is allowed to borrow equipment just to try it out and have some fun, but good skates are relatively cheap and something I will sell cheap to the population here. Of course Haera and the others can entertain themselves with learning to skate while there is ice.
A lot of the work on the Academy and other things are temporarily on hold. On warmer days without rain like today they can do some work, but it is slow compared to how the mansion was built, but of course there is less than half the amount of daylight hours per day and only a small portion of the workers are still here. It's a hell of a thing going from 18+ daylight hours when the night doesn't really get dark, to 6-7 mostly completely overcast and quite dark moist and cold daylight hours, and very dark nights. Modern electric floodlights makes such a difference. It's a few weeks until the other workers return, but people from the region are working here and many are just happy to have work, which help with the construction pace. I have also asked them to be careful not to build moisture into the walls, because even if they try to cover the important stuff with large sail-tent cloth, most of the rain is just deflected away, and there is condensation, fog and dew. Scandinavian winters are generally a few degrees above freezing, with plenty of rain, fog and moisture, which might freeze during the night. Frost and cold and snow have also been problems.
It might seem silly for those not used to it, but I prefer constant overcast, slight rain and fog to cycles of snow, slush and ice. I even prefer it to -10C and constant powder snow, but that is mostly because of air humidity. My nose, throat, lips and cheeks don't like cold and dry air.
When the workers can't work at the Academy, but the weather is still okay, the labourers work on paving the roads here towards Orusingen or on the north road. Or the workers build fences, cut down and transport trees from the north to be dried for future construction projects. Or help with the sawmill and the canal to the bay south and other things. There is almost always work. Team Adam is extending and improving the road that runs across Large Ackerek past the West Farm and East Farm to the east side of the island. They are going to make a proper paved road south, past Iselin's parents' farm and to the bay where there will be a harbour sooner or later. So around 3 km of road to build, and there may be a road from the future port up to the centre or via the eastern part of the island afterwards, for another few kilometres, just to increase access and transport possibilities on the island. Eventually I will need to make a road loop in the north of Large Ackerek, but a gravel road will suffice.
Master builder Pedr greets us but I stop him when he tries to greet Haera as Queen Haera. She was after all here with Asbjörn only three weeks ago, and well known. Haera takes a deep breath, steels herself and explain:
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"I am no longer Queen Haera. I betrayed and deceived King Aeriksson by being unfaithful in Borgarsandr, but realised and admitted my stupid mistake, so now I am exiled and just Storman Haera. King Aeriksson asked Robert and Iselin to let me live here, where I will at least be able to see and be surrounded by the Kingdom, but can never set foot there again. Robert and Iselin are better friends than I deserve, and I am grateful to them for letting me build a house and live out the rest of my life here, instead of in faraway lands."
Pedr's face turns into a grimace of disgust and anger as he looks at Haera, and she averts her eyes and becomes sad as she finishes her speech. I just tell him:
"Pedr, we'll talk later. Haera will be our guest at the mansion for the next few months, and she will probably live on these islands for the rest of her life. You and others cannot avoid meeting her in the future and I would appreciate if Haera is allowed to suffer in peace. At least Haera has boldly admitted what she did instead of trying to hide it - knowing full well the consequences - and she will have to live with what she did, knowing how everyone will look at her. I'm not going to distance myself from her, even though I don't like what she did."
Silent tears run down Haera's cheeks, so I give Haera a one arm hug so she can cry on my shoulder. Haera is not prepared for it and resists a little before she just accepts it. Pedr is still looking at Haera with disgust but gathers himself and answers:
"You're a good man Robert, and obviously a friend in better or worse. I will try to be courteous to Storman Haera when we meet, and I will let others know."
"Thank you."
We leave them. I've seen people reacting, including the craftsmen, but I just nod at them and we move on. Some walk over to Pedr as we leave, and the one who has probably heard and seen most of it is just looking at us. Word will travel as fast as an elf walks, or runs.
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We have checked a lot of land and other things in the south, and Haera is more or less as usual, when we reach Unn. Time for the next big revelation. We make sure we're alone and no one else is here, and Raneigh, Skirlaug and Unn's apprentice are waiting outside. After swearing Unn to secrecy, I tell Unn the truth, and that we need her help to hide the time of Haera's pregnancy.
Unn's body language and face are a collection of shock, disgust and sadness, but also hope and a little jealousy. Unn offers to mix something up that will make her lose the baby and help against the bleeding, but Haera immediately declines, saying that the baby is a gift from Freya, which Unn obviously prefers to hear and she breathes a sigh of relief. Unn say that Haera should have come the next day, and the excuse Haera used later to get the IUD after her lady-in-waiting came back and told her about it - it worked then too. She should not have waited so many days. Haera reply that it probably wouldn't have mattered since Freya wish her to have the child, and she pulled the IUD out when she realised she was probably pregnant - just as she was told - and keeps it in a box in her room. We have to pretend that the IUD either broke or wasn't inserted correctly or was on its way out or something, so it didn't work. Unn is happy that I'm going to be a father, and will be watching the pregnancy with hawk eyes, because she wants to be pregnant with my child, and like Asbjörn and Haera, she's convinced that Freya has blessed me or the child. Unn brings up the fact that Haera has to seduce me so we have sex, to protect my reputation, and Unn is obviously jealous of Haera for that. Haera laughs sadly;
"It's not hard to play or do, because Robert is the only man of honour who even wants to touch me, instead of recoiling in disgust. He hugged me and immediately started comforting me when I told master builder Pedr and couldn't hold back the tears." She looks at me and with a sad smile: "Who wouldn't lust after such a man? Don't worry. There will never be anything between us. I will not let my reputation tarnish the reputation of Robert, Iselin or his women, any more than my presence and the child unfortunately will."
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It's evening when Kari calls in on the radio. They've heard the rumour spreading like wildfire in Borgarsandr, that Haera is no longer queen. Kari is just really deeply disappointed in Haera, and that she was so stupid even drunk. It doesn't really matter if anyone listens, but I tell Kari we'll talk about it when she gets back, but Asbjörn has been here today and asked me and Iselin to let Haera build a house and live on the islands for the rest of her life. We are not part of the Kingdom. So Haera is currently in the mansions small attic room and she will be our guest for the next few months until her mansion is built. Kari is surprised, annoyed and angry, but understands. Kari would definitely have preferred to hide Haera away in the northern forest of Large Ackerek, or at least in the northern forest of Small Ackerek. I take the blame for not considering how Kari and Jane would view Haera's future living arrangements. It will not be fun when they learn about what I have to do, and then the child.
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Iselin and I just lie in bed and are mostly silent while we try to sleep. This is such an upheaval in our lives and I'm going to be a father, with a woman I barely know. Damn. I had hoped that the first 'proper' child would actually be Iselin's, but she seems to prefer to wait at least a few more months. Kari is more interested in becoming a mum, and it won't be long if the baby seems healthy, because we can't wait 10-15 years to see if the baby grows up healthy. We have to roll the dice. I don't know if Ciara has even really thought about a child. Caecilia can't have children. I have no idea what Jane truly thinks about children, except that she doesn't want to be a mum for the next few years.
There are lots of projects going on, and the Academy isn't finished yet, but children have definitely become a bigger issue.
So I just lie here, my mind racing, holding Iselin, and trying to fall asleep.