Chapter 47

I watched the sun rise in Asgard from the bed of a Viking god. It couldn't get much better than that. Unless you added in the fact that I'd yet to go to sleep because said god had kept me up all night with a marathon bout of the most incredible sex I'd ever had. I smiled and snuggled deeper into the sapphire silk comforter as I sleepily perused Thor's bedroom.
He'd gone to get us coffee and breakfast so I finally had an opportunity to take a look around. The massive, four-poster bed I was in was draped with deep blue silk, the thick posters carved with runes and Scandinavian scroll-work. Beyond it, the walls were the same dark wood as the bed, divided by pillars carved in the same style, adorned with eclectic artwork, and separated by bookshelves. Persian rugs littered the floor haphazardly and antiques were strewn about just as carelessly. In front of the stone fireplace were two chairs upholstered in deep burgundy leather, one with a thick animal pelt thrown over it. Dominating a corner was an amethyst cathedral crystal which would probably stand about waist high on me. Opposite it was a Native American headdress set on a stand; long feathers trailing to the floor.
It was the room of a scholar, with piles of books and prime pieces of art from extensive travels. It was the room of a warrior, with weapons of every size and shape hanging proudly on the walls. It was the room of a sensuous man; comfort and seduction oozing from every surface. It was the room of a god.
What the hell was I doing there?
The god himself walked in carrying a tray with a silver coffee pot, two ceramic mugs, and two plates of steaming food. I grinned and sat up; the comforter falling to my waist, forgotten. Thor's eyes glowed appreciatively and my hand shot down to replace the cover. I couldn't handle another round yet.
"Food first."I wagged a finger at him.
"Puny human,"Thor teased as he laid the tray on the bedside table and then poured me a cup of coffee. "First, I want you to see something."He held a hand out to me and helped me from the bed. "Here."He picked up a discarded robe and helped me into it before handing me my coffee.
I wobbled a bit, and Thor steadied me with a smug look as I added cream and sugar to my coffee. When I had it perfect, he led me out to the balcony with one hand carrying the tray of food and the other on me. There was a small cafe set there, and he placed the tray on the round wood table before he pulled out a chair for me. Amazingly, the table and its cushioned chairs had survived the thunderstorm; remaining completely dry. I raised a brow at their untouched condition, and Thor smiled.
"Bilskinir is mine. Nothing enters without my permission, not even the rain."
"Must be nice."I sipped my coffee as I looked out over Asgard.
Unsurprisingly, his balcony had the best view in Bilskinir. Asgard was laid out before us; the cliff we were situated on practically giving us a bird's eye view. Speaking of birds, big white ones darted in and out of sight; their cries carrying gently up to me along with the sound of the surf pounding endlessly on black boulders below us. The mountain we were on stretched out to the right; continuing around the lake where it was bisected by a channel of water leading out to the sea. High above this channel, at the edge of each cliff, were twin stones; tall boulders carved with runes.
"The Guardian Stones of Asgard,"Thor said from my left.
"I thought you were the Guardian of Asgard."I smiled at him.
"I am, but I'll take all the help I can get."Thor smoothed my tangled hair back from my face. "Especially when I have such treasure to protect."
I blushed and looked down into my cup. I should have been used to Thor's sweet talk—he'd been pouring it on thick all night—but I wasn't. It felt like a movie to me; everything too soft and too shiny. Life wasn't like that, especially not mine, and it was hard for me to believe that someone so perfect could want someone so far from it.
"Those mountains separate my immediate family from the rest of the Norse pantheon."He pointed to some white-capped massiveness which I assumed were his mountains. "Although, Balder's hall is beyond the peaks as well. And there runs the herd of Asgard; Odin's favorite horse comes from their line."
He gestured to a group of magnificent horses running through a valley on our left. They went straight to the lake below us and hung their heads to drink.
"Are they divine horses?"I pulled my plate over and took a bite of french toast. "Do they listen to the prayers of regular horses?"
"Only Nordic ones."Thor winked at me.
"Is that the forest your brother Vali lives in?"I pointed at the thick woods surrounding the valley.
"Yes, though he tends to favor the region around Valhalla."Thor pointed at the shining hall, roofed with golden shields. It spread out, wider than a football stadium, on a patch of open land across the lake from us. "Even though he doesn't visit Father, he still likes to be close to him."
Then sunlight hit the shields, flashing red and gold, and setting the surrounding trees aflame with light. The rest of Asgard seemed to shiver with that first strike of sun. Everything flashed, everything sparkled, though that might have had something to do with all the raindrops left over from the previous night. The Viking territory stretched and yawned, sparkled one last time, and came awake.
"Wow,"I breathed; my fork forgotten on my plate.
"That's what I wanted to share with you."Thor smiled and took my hand to place a quick kiss on it.
"Thank you,"I whispered.
"I want you to feel at home here, darling."
"That may take some time."I chuckled, but stopped abruptly when he frowned. "I just meant it's a lot to take in, a lot to get comfortable with, but it's wonderful. Asgard is amazing."
"I agree."He relaxed and started to eat.
"How long has it been since you've visited your father?"I asked casually.
Thor swallowed and looked at me sideways. "Does sneaking in to steal his war plans count?"
"No."I pushed at his shoulder. "Is it really so bad between you?"
"Well, we're on opposite sides of a war right now,"he said. "I think I'm an embarrassment to him, but I also think he secretly agrees with me. He's a leader, but after Sabine died, he started letting his people lead him. They want the power, and so he goes along with their plans."
"That's sad, baby."I frowned when he smiled at me. "What?"
"I just like hearing you call me baby."He grinned wider.
"Well, if that's all it takes to make you smile."I held up my coffee in salute. "Thanks for breakfast, Baby Thunder."
"You're welcome, Darling Witch."He kissed the syrup from my lips.