Razi

Razi wiped the sweat off her brow and swung her ax down on the last log. She was nearly finished her task and the pile of chopped wood measured up to her waist. This was exactly the sort of job she loved finishing her day on, she could enjoy the fresh air whilst chopping up her frustrations. There wasn’t a lot to get out of her system today, however, it had started off with that morning’s delightful conversation and gone entirely smoothly afterward, so she still had plenty of energy. Maybe she’d visit the pub for a pint tonight, catch up with Geoff or possibly even see if Angela was free. Although maybe she didn’t have quite that much energy leftover.

In the middle of her reverie, the door to the house cracked open and Frigga peeked out her head.

Razi’s brows raised, surprised to see the heiress here of all places, but nodded politely to her. “Miss Thorneheart.”

Frigga carefully slid through the door and slipped onto the kitchen’s shaded porch that overlooked the shed, receiving bay, and wood-working area, mindful of the precious attire she wore; a white dress with royal blue roses printed on it and delicate white lace on its hems, white stockings, and black slip-on shoes meant for indoors. Her hair was pulled back in a braided bun of some sort, though Razi wouldn’t pretend to know the first thing about hair, she kept hers short for a reason. Frigga was such a darling vision, and it contrasted the tired look she levelled at Razi. “I told you, “Frigga” is fine.”

Razi glanced behind Frigga into the kitchen where the others worked. Whatever Frigga wanted, it wouldn’t do to throw all the rules out the window, Gertrude was hard-nosed about etiquette and this was the Heir Apparent to the second most powerful family in the province. They were essentially nobility, and propriety should be observed right?

But the lovely lady had explicitly requested her first name be used, and Razi didn’t want to disobey the woman.

“What can I do for you, Miss Frigga?” That was a suitable middle-ground, right?

Frigga sighed and looked away from Razi as her hands fidgeted with a golden chain necklace that had been tucked under the collar of her dress. “I wanted to go out on the property, take some notes about the plants and things.” Frigga’s eyes darted back to Razi’s with the hint of a nervous smile on her lips and a suggestion of flush on her cheeks as she added hastily, “Auntie told me to take someone, just in case of wolves, and mentioned you. I thought you might like a change of scenery because it sounded like you’ve been doing this,” she vaguely gestured to the pile of wood, “for so long.”

Razi stood up straight, leaving her ax on the ground by the pile of wood. Her aunt said she needed protecting, did she? Sounded like a very legitimate reason to be alone together, definitely not an excuse every one of her girls had used more than once. Apparently Honeyshore was so perilous that young women needed her escort right to their bedside two blocks from the pub. And now wolves? Must be terrifying to be so under threat, but at least Razi was here to “protect” all the cute girls who could possibly need protecting. “Sure, Miss Frigga, I think I can do tha’ for you. Mind if I get changed, first?”

Frigga was giddy and shook her head. “No, I don’t mind. Why don’t you meet me on the veranda at the back door?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Frigga disappeared into the house and Razi returned to her private suite, one of several in-manor living quarters that housed single servants or staff members that worked especially early. In her little closet washroom, Razi wiped the sweat off her brow with a damp rag, washed her hands, and splashed cold water over her face. She changed out of her sweaty clothes for something more presentable, even pulled on her other pair of work pants, the ones with fewer holes, and applied a half-spritz of the cologne she usually reserved for nights she had particular activities in mind.

As she washed in the sink, Razi thought over their conversation; Frigga was an open book and Razi was a scholar when it came to girls. She wasn’t trying to break hearts or anything, but if a pretty lady felt like indulging her for a night, why in the world would she say no? Not that this was anything like that, and Razi didn’t want to get involved in what was obviously destined to be the messiest possible affair, likely ending in her getting strangled at the hands of her boss or worse. She wasn’t putting her ass or job on the line for a meaningless fling.

But the girl was obviously sweet on her. Frigga had been squirrelled away in a library for years, and now that someone paid her any kind of flirtatious attention, she got all hot and bothered. Razi wasn’t hard up for attention, but the Heir to the Thorneheart estate seeking her out was an ego boost, for sure. Maybe indulging Frigga was inappropriate, but it’s not like the witch would face consequences so what was the harm? Razi was just doing what she was told. And anyway, the witch’s attention would immediately be drawn away the second someone in her own class paid her a compliment, and that would be the end of it. It would only take a week, two maximum, and clearly Frigga was too important to be concerning herself with Razi. Didn’t she have angels to summon or something?

But when Razi got to the veranda, the sight that greeted her was sad. This poor woman was doing her best but couldn’t quite seem to figure out how to tie her own shoes. It would have been cute if Frigga was five, but the sight of a twenty-year-old woman losing her patience over something like this? A powerful witch at that? Kind of pitiful.

“Let me help you,” Razi offered, kneeling down in front of Frigga, who’s face reddened. 

“Oh, I wish you hadn’t seen that,” she groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

Razi chuckled, undoing the rats nest of knots in the laces. How did she even manage this? The tangle of cords was so wrapped around itself that Razi had to take the laces out of each shoe all together. “I’ll teach you, if you wan’, but I guess you’ve people for this sort of thing huh?”

Frigga sighed from behind her hands. “I guess so.”

Razi quickly completed the task, stood up, and offered her hand to Frigga to help her from her seat. “Don’t worry, Miss Frigga, I don’t mind assisting you with all of your knotty needs.” Frigga took the offered hand and stood, rolling her eyes, but she had obviously enjoyed the joke judging by that sly smile on her lips. Not so prudish after all, huh? Maybe this so-called innocent young lady wasn’t as naive as the gossips had made her out to be; Gertrude said the other day that Frigga was the picture of virtue and discretion, but Razi was starting to doubt that. As Frigga stood, Razi caught a mild scent of lavender coming from the woman’s shiny curls and noticed the woman’s hands were indescribably soft, very unlike her own or any of her girls for that matter. She blinked and refocussed, “So, where are we going, Princess?”

Frigga pointed to the forest’s edge. “I’d like to take some notes about the plants over there. I saw something from the library’s window I want to see up close.”

That was a long way to go just to get Razi alone, but the groundswoman did as she was told, leading Frigga through the different pathways that would get them there most efficiently. The grounds were expansive, so it was a long walk to the perimeter of the property. They passed by the pond, the pergola, and a stretch of grass full of wildflowers starting to bloom that stopped where the trees’ shadows covered the ground. Somewhere in the distance a creek splashed over rocks hosting frogs that gulped and croaked, and the mid-spring breeze whispered through the air gently rustling through Frigga’s braided curls and ruffling Razi’s short hair.

They were nearly to the forest when Razi heard Frigga gasp and excitedly chirp, “Oh, can we stop? I need to look at these, they’re just gorgeous!”

Razi turned and watched as Frigga flopped down onto the grass and started cooing over… dandelions? She broke out her drawing things and started writing in her journal with a fury that Razi wasn’t quite sure was appropriate for a weed. She seemed completely captivated by the tiny yellow flowers, and it took a few minutes for Razi to realize the witch had completely forgotten she was here. With the way she’d taken care earlier, Razi thought the heiress would be more precious with her delicate attire, but she had flopped down in the grass and dirt in her white dress, her attention entirely on her notes. Frigga really had come outside to study and hadn't made up a bullshit excuse.

Razi would have to take a rain check on that ego boost.

As the witch continued her work, Razi began to wander around and she let herself daydream about what Friday night might hold and what she might be able to get up to with Angela. Always a lovely time, that woman. Maybe the guys would play a better game this week, but if their previous games were anything to judge by, there wasn’t a lot of hope of that. She plucked a branch off the ground, used her pocket knife to break off a piece to work, with and returned to her charge. 

Razi’s curiosity got the better of her she and peered to see what Frigga was working on. The girl hadn’t said a thing since sinking down to the ground and was spending a lot of time on a single plant. The amount Frigga was observing about such a little thing was impressive. The witch was completely at her ease, the stress from the conversation earlier in the morning nowhere to be found. Her long lashes obscured her eyes, and her cheeks were still pink; was she winded from the walk or did she always have colour like that? Frigga peered up with a welcoming smile when Razi stepped closer.

Razi leaned over to more pointedly look at the drawing. “Tha’s lots of notes for a weed.”

Frigga chuckled and her nose scrunched slightly. “It’s only treated like a weed because people call it one, but dandelions are actually really useful.”

“Not jus’ for wishes, y’ mean?”

“No, they’re great as a tea that stimulates blood flow.” Razi hummed and Frigga looked back at her page. “The flowers and the leaves are also good for eating in salads and such, but I’ve never tried it.” She turned the page to start sketching another nearby plant. Razi sat herself nearby, looked like they were gonna be out here for a while. It was nice to hang out, not have to do a lot of physical work like she normally did. She began breaking down her branch with her pocket knife, a keepsake she’d inherited from her pa. Never knew when one might need a blade around the property, and it came in handy more often than not. She worked on her project but Razi made sure to look around every so often to keep an eye out. That was her official task, after all.

She heard some shuffling next to her and then felt a pair of eyes silently watching her whittle. Or not so silently, after a minute Frigga asked, “What are you carving?”

“Thought a little fox would be a cute thing to give Leland. He likes foxes these days, tha’s what Gert was sayin’.”

Frigga chuckled warmly. “Aw, that’s sweet. Do you do a lot of carving?”

Razi shrugged. “A little, just when I’m bored or have time t’ kill, but my pa showed me how a long time ago an’ I always jus’ kept doing it.”

“I see. Did he use to do a lot of wood working?”

Razi didn’t answer the question. The last thing she wanted to do today was spill her heart out to a blue-blood, even if that blue-blood was as lovely as Frigga. Thankfully the witch got the message because when she scooted closer, she dropped the subject. “It looks good so far!”

Razi looked up with a smirk and saw the woman staring at the project in her hands. “I could make you somethin’, if you want. Maybe a pendant necklace or a bracelet would be more up your alley, though… Maybe it wouldn’ go wit’ your perfectly appointed frocks, not like th’ gold one you got on.”

“How thoughtful, what a perfect gentleman.” Razi chuckled and Frigga smirked with a teasing grin, her hand resting at the chain on her neck. “This was my mother’s necklace, and I don’t take it off, so if you want to carve a different kind of necklace like a pendant, I would certainly not object.” She smiled with a fond sadness before peering down at her skirt hem and grimacing. It wasn’t especially ruined, the laundry staff at the manor were miracle workers, but the white fabric was grass-stained and damp in places.

Razi stopped her work and looked at Frigga who was much closer than she needed to be, barely an arm’s length away. “Had enough?”

Frigga shrugged. “Enough drawing for the day, I think, but I don’t want to go back yet. I feel like I haven’t had a moment to enjoy being outside in five years.”

Razi nodded and replied automatically, “You look like you ‘aven’t been outside in five years.” Her gut twinged when she realized what she’d just said to her boss’s Heir.

But Frigga burst out laughing and Razi’s anxiety was laid to rest. “My nurse back in Bluehaven told me,” Frigga said cheerfully, “that I both needed more sun and to stay out of the sun, so if you can tell me what I’m meant to do, I’d be grateful.”

Razi rolled her eyes and groaned. “I got no idea, rich people say absolutely ridiculous stuff like that like anyone’s supposed t’ understand. Do this thing but then make sure you don’ do it an’ do the opposite thing at the same time. What?”

Frigga sighed, and Razi internally winced when the witch’s stress seemed to return. “It’s exhausting. I’m supposed to treat everyone in the coven as if I’m destined to lead them, but I also need to be warm and treat them like family. I don’t know how my aunt does that.”

Razi frowned and then grinned. “Yeah, how do you do that? Maybe she’s magic or something, I dunno.”

That earned a giggle from the witch, and the way her nose scrunched when she laughed was something Razi wasn’t quite sure why she noticed but it was adorable. It was rewarding to make a pretty girl laugh, Razi wouldn’t deny it, and it was also refreshing to not need to worry if this girl was just trying to get in her bed like her other acquaintances in town. She didn’t need to be a specific person for Frigga, not really, she could relax and joke, and damn if that wasn’t refreshing. 

Razi looked down at the dirtied hem of Frigga’s skirt. “If you knew you were gon’ be out in th’ grass, why’d you pick white?”

Frigga deflated. “I didn’t, and I wouldn’t if it were up to me.”

“It’s not up to you?”

“My aunt,” Frigga said with a barely concealed tartness, “replaced my entire wardrobe with dresses in the family colour. Doris says blue looks so good with my hair, but she probably just says that because she puts my outfits together and does my hair every day. I’m still able to wear dresses from before I left, but I guess they weren’t appropriate anymore.” She sighed heavily. “Which is a shame, I really did like some of those.”

Razi’s brow wrinkled and she frowned. “Th’ hair I get,” she said cautiously, “but why can’ you dress yourself?”

Frigga pondered the questioned and stared out at the forest, her curls and lashes fluttering in the breeze. “I suppose it’s meant as a help, and it is nice to not worry about what to wear but,” she quieted and looked at Razi with an expression that could only be described as gloomy, “I do feel like a doll my aunt gets to dress up. Her tastes are so… different than mine.”

This honest confession from Frigga caught Razi off guard. The heiress really shouldn’t be so open with her on such a personal topic, what if Razi went off and narked to the newspapers about how the Heir Apparent of the illustrious Thorneheart family resented her aunt? It was a scoop that would easily earn a week’s wages, maybe two. But Razi would never, and something in her heart ached when she realized that, for absolutely no conceivable reason, Frigga trusted her. 

Razi decided to try and ease the woman’s sadness. “Is that a real nice way of sayin’ you think your ol’ lady has bad taste?”

She laughed, and Razi was relieved. “No!” She denied while tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s fine, I just wouldn’t make some of those choices.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “She and Theodore were planning my welcome home reception, and I barely said a single word during the entire meeting.”

“But it’s your party? I would’ve thought at least the big guy would ask your opinion, he seems a decent-ish fellow.” 

“It’s a coven party, which means it’s not actually about me.” Frigga sighed and ran a hand over her journal softly. Razi again noticed the woman’s soft hands, she’d probably never held a shovel in her entire life, and her nails were perfectly manicured, polished with a very appropriate translucent baby pink. “Maybe I’ll have more say when I’m familiar with the coven’s business, but it’s so tedious. My aunt is always so sure of her decisions and seems to enjoy all the minutia of managing the group, but no matter how much I try, the ins and outs stay entirely uninteresting.”

“No kiddin’. That would drive me up a wall. I’d rather eat my own eyeballs than run tha’ coven of yours.” 

Frigga grimaced and looked back at Razi. “That would be such a shame. Your eyes are exquisite.”

Razi blinked, staring back a the woman. Exquisite? Really? “Tha’s a big word, Princess,” Razi teased, “an’ I am but a simple kitchen hand. Please, I beg you deign to use smaller words that one who is lowly, like myself, might grasp your immaculate thoughts.”

Frigga snorted and gently pushed Razi’s knee as the groundswoman snickered. “Oh hush,” she commanded.

They sat out in the sun until the clock struck six signalling a half-hour until dinner. While walking back to the house, Razi asked Frigga questions about the plants she’d sketched, and Razi was struck by the woman’s intelligence. It was such a weird juxtaposition; Frigga was obviously brilliant and talented but hadn’t been able to tie her own shoes. What a weird way to live. As Razi dropped Frigga off at the house’s back door, the witch asked Razi to accompany her outside again the next day. Razi found herself not being able to say no. 

Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe she shouldn’t, but Razi found herself in her suite later that evening thinking about her time with Frigga. Earlier in the day she’d thought about going to the pub for some fun, but as she sat in the armchair by her wood-burning stove she found she was happy where she was.

And that was horrifying.

The next day had Razi accompanying Frigga to the pond they’d passed the day before; it was home to a crop of lily pads that Frigga was eager to take a look at. She may have accidentally gotten her stockings muddy, but Razi appreciated that this girl’s curiosity was so robust. It was adorable, Frigga’s nose had scrunched up again in delight when she was finally able to get up close and personal with the lily pads, and Razi had a suspicion this aristocrat had been so severely sheltered that any feeling of independence for her was new. Razi offered to grab it for her, but Frigga insisted. Far be it from Razi to deny her this shred of autonomy, even if it meant Frigga stumbling and ruining her snowy tights.

They had a similar afternoon one other day that week, visiting the meadow again, before it was suddenly Friday. Razi didn’t need to be up as early on Saturdays, so she made good on her promises and made her way down to the tavern, the Mead and Magic Pub. It was well into the evening when she arrived, which meant the magnificent stone hearth was already ablaze, lighting the humble pub’s stone walls and welcoming one and all to join the party. The place was packed with all sorts of reputable and disreputable patrons, some poor soul played music in the corner as a group of men drunkenly danced and sang along, and staff members buzzed around to refill tankards as they emptied in exchange for coppers. Geoff always ran a tight shop, and his staff were well-practiced. In the centre of the room was a large circular table hosting large rounds of card games, and that’s where Razi parked herself. She’d gotten a bonus this week and she was eager to flirt with lady fortune; a little excitement could be good for her health, after all.

Or her wallet, especially as she’d made sure to wear her long-sleeved jacket. No telling what could get caught up in there.

While the bar was bursting with men, there were plenty of ladies around too. A few sat at the card table, but most of the girls just liked to socialize which Razi would never complain about. She was usually partial to a little socializing, especially with some of the low-cut frocks the girls wore out on weekends. Darcie, that sly fox, was whispering to John in the corner. Were they back together? Razi felt sorry for her if so, but it was hard to tell with them. Jenny was flirting with the bartender again, probably trying to purchase her next pint with a pucker of lips and flutter of lashes. It’d gotten Razi to treat her a time or two. Or six. It was all in good fun and Razi had the spare coin to invest in a pretty girl like Jenny.

But this evening she found herself uninterested in her usual flirtations. She was having plenty of fun with her boys, bluffing and cheating them under the table. At one point she teamed up with Jack, just to see if they could have everyone at the table owe them a drink. They’d come close but in the end Jack had been drawn away from the table by his fiancé Rory, leaving the spot empty.

Not for long though, Angela claimed the seat but refused a deal-in. “You’re having quite the night, Raza! I thought for sure you would lose that last one.”

Razi grinned, looking the woman up and down. Her golden hair was specially curled, framing her prominent cheekbones and her dark red dress complimented her tanned complexion. Razi playfully brushed an index finger under the woman’s strong chin and boasted, “You know me, darlin’, I always come through in the end.” She waved as some of the other guys left for the night and then turned her attention back to Angela, vaguely gesturing to the others at the table that she’d be opting out of the round before grabbing her ale. “How was your week, gorgeous?”

She groaned, ethereal light reflecting off her freshly applied lip glass. “Oh, Raza, you know I’d rather not talk about the job on my weekends! I’m trying to get away from it!” she chided as she stole Razi’s drink, sipped it, and gave it back.

Razi laughed fondly, wiping the residual lip glass off the rim with an automatic motion. “Yeah, I get tha’. It’s been a weird week at th’ house, ’s good to get out of the drama.” She took a swig. “Boss was in a good mood, but I ‘ad to babysit ‘er niece and listen to nonsense ‘bout rich assholes bein’ assholes.”

Angela leaned forward with her wicked grin and scandalous neckline, and she trailed a soft touch down Razi’s arm nearest her. “Sounds stressful, you must be tired.”

Razi glanced down to Angela’s fingertips and then back to the woman’s face. She’d gone all-out for tonight’s affair, her painted lids and rouged cheeks were alluring and her tone of voice had dipped into a suggestive hue. Angela could have easily found a spouse and settled down years ago if she’d wanted, but she was as content in her singleness and freedom as Razi. They’d had lots of fun together over the years, and the woman clearly had something in mind for the rest of this evening too. Her emerald eyes flashed with a bit of hazel in the ambience of the pub, but Razi’s mind was immediately elsewhere, lost in a different set of green eyes. Frigga’s were more of a forest green, though. 

Why did she know that? And why did Razi notice that Angela’s curls were styled where as Frigga’s were entirely genetic? Sure they’d spent a few afternoons together, sure it felt easy to spend that time in both conversation and comfortable silence, and maybe that witch had caught Razi off guard with her strange mix of intelligence and helplessness, but that didn’t mean she’d know the exact hue of Frigga’s eyes.

Her stomach twisted as she gazed absently at Angela; she was at a loss. This wasn’t a feeling she’d dealt with in a long time, and she wasn’t eager to revisit it. Maybe she could enjoy her time with Angela for what it was and have her weekend as usual. She wanted to desperately. The way the blond was looking at her informed Razi it’d be a great time, and it had been several weeks since Razi enjoyed Angela’s private company.

“You know, Angie, I think I’m gon’ pack it in early tonight and head home.”

Razi drained the rest of her drink and Angela sat back up straight. The woman was displeased, almost angry at the simple statement. “What?”

Razi shrugged, gathered her coat, and looked towards the door. “You’re right, it’s been a real stressful week and I think it’s caught up wit me.” She looked back at Angela. 

The woman was fully pouting, Razi’s ego approved. “It’s barely ten, Raza, since when did you give up so quickly?”

Razi snorted. “Aw, don’t be tha’ way darlin’, maybe next time I stay out later. ’S past my bedtime I think.” She stood, planted a kiss on the top of Angela’s head and placed a hand on her sturdy shoulder briefly.

“I just thought-“

“I know Angie. I’m sorry.”

Angela looked up at the woman, and her pout gave way to suspicion. “Alright then Raza. I’ll hold you to it.” She pressed a soft kiss on Razi’s cheek by way of goodbye.

Razi grinned, nodded, and headed to the bar to say farewell to Geoff. He also gave her a strange look when he spied her leaving alone, but said nothing for which Razi was grateful. She slipped through the crowd and out the door, beginning her stroll home in the brisk night air, humming off-tune as she went.

As the weeks passed, the house fell into a structured rhythm. Frigga’s extensive studies and tedious coven obligations filled her mornings and her walks in the afternoon with Razi followed several times a week. They visited different spots on the grounds to study, but occasionally they’d gone into the village for Frigga to visit a coven member or patronize a local shop. Razi had half-considered showing Frigga around her favourite places, but she’d probably skip the dressmaker’s. 

Once or twice Razi had run into one of her girls while Frigga was otherwise engaged. The groundswoman did her best to be professional, she was on the clock after all, but if a flirtatious grin or stray brush of hands happened she couldn't be held responsible. The thought that Frigga might see Razi flirting with someone made her uncomfortable which was preposterous; why should she care if Frigga saw her flirt with other girls? It wasn’t any of the woman’s concern what Razi got up to after hours, even if it usually involved a wide variety of company. Really, what Frigga thought of her shouldn’t matter to Razi. But it did so she did her best to be pleasant to her girls while being as professional as could reasonably be expected. She thought Frigga had seen once, the expression on her face afterward had been one Razi had seen before on others’ but had never expected from a noble, not one who could have anything she wanted any time. Maybe she was mistaken, seeing what she wanted to see and not what was actually there. Not that she wanted to see anything.

The afternoon walks always started the same, Razi tied Frigga’s shoes and then helped her from the chair. They’d then pick an area of the grounds to go and hunt for new plants or insects to document, although sometimes Frigga would get distracted and they would sit and chat. At some points Razi would forget who it was she was speaking to, or even to speak at all. Frigga could talk for hours about this kind of thing if you got her going, and Razi would be happy to hear her talk about anything.

After the first week, Razi started packing a basket with things they might need: a blanket, a flagon of water, some snacks Frigga might like. Sometimes she’d bake something special for the occasion, but if anyone asked her why, Razi would dismiss it as the witch needing extra energy for the lengthy walks. It was technically true, but she didn’t strictly need to bake something special for it, certainly not with Frigga’s favourites in mind. Blueberry scones, cucumber sandwiches, Razi had even used some lavender Frigga harvested to make a delicate macaron.

The joy Frigga had when she’d seen those could have lit up the entire town in the dead of night, and it had ruined Razi’s ability to rationalize this anymore. The frightening thought that she wanted to make this girl that happy for the rest of her life flashed through her mind, and she knew this had gone way too far. 

But Frigga’s happiness was on a tight leash. At the beginning of their afternoons, her energy was low and deflated. But after a half hour of being outside, she brightened as she lost herself in her studies. “You know, it’s actually incredible how useful mosses can be!” she’d exclaimed one afternoon with such enthusiasm and sincerity Razi couldn’t even poke fun at the ridiculous statement.

Not that Razi would pass up an opportunity to poke fun. And to her shock and delight, the heiress could trade jabs and even get a surprise jest in when Razi didn’t expect it. Frigga was obviously sheltered, no doubt about that, but under the tight corset of expectation was a bright young woman who yearned for a single scrap of independence and was desperate to learn about the world that her responsibilities kept her from.

Razi soon found herself thinking about Frigga most of the time. She really tried to stop, it was the last thing she wanted, but the harder she tried, the less successful she was. She was kneading bread at six in the morning and wondered what she could add to it to make it more to the woman’s taste, or weeding in the garden and consider if the discarded plants might be useful to the witch. Whenever Razi spoke to anyone, she found her mind wandering back to this short, red-headed blue-blood and wished she was talking to her instead.

Every so often the family would visit the Magnus-Monroe estate for dinner or they’d have guests over and the afternoon walk would be forfeited, but most days Razi would take Frigga out and they’d spend a few hours together. Razi knew this was inappropriate, knew it was doomed from the start. Frigga would lose interest the moment a viable marriage option entered the picture, like every other girl had.

Razi’s insides burned and twisted like a knot that had been pulled too tight when that thought crossed her mind. It wasn’t a feeling Razi was used to. Sure, once or twice or five times a girl she’d been seeing went and got married out of the blue, but Razi would have lost interest in them eventually. No need to worry about who left who or when. Razi wasn’t one to get upset, not anymore, not when there was so many beautiful women in the world. She never had to worry about finding someone, there was always a beauty willing to pay Razi a smile or a something else for an evening. But she had never intended to want that from Frigga.

Well, she didn’t just want a carefree night with nothing but fun times followed with a sore wrist the morning after. No, she found herself wanting more than an amiable, flirtatious afternoon with the witch and that was terrifying. Razi never thought she’d find herself in this predicament, actively hated the fact she couldn’t say no to this rich, sheltered aristocrat and she hated the fact she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Frigga. 

With Frigga’s birthday approaching, it was against Razi’s better judgement that she decided to assemble a surprise to remember. There would be a posh get-together the night of her birthday and the heiress wasn’t looking forward to it. It was always a special occasion when a member of the coven was celebrating their solar return. It would also be Frigga’s first party as an official, eligible bachelorette, and as such it would be an opportunity for everyone to mingle, flirt, and get acquainted with their future leader. Frigga wasn’t one for politics, and these large occasions were all about the politics.

Razi figured the woman should have something for her birthday that was actually to her taste and not an obligation. Everything about this idea was terrible, and Razi wasn’t sure what she was expecting to gain from it. Why go through the trouble of literally setting something so large up for her? Indulging this impulse was a fool’s errand; according to Doris, the boss planned to marry Frigga off as soon as possible. Besides, Razi could have any girl in town she wanted making this whole enterprise an enormous waste of time and effort. Why was she bending over backwards for this one girl out of all the girls in Honeyshore?

But she couldn’t help it; she just wanted to make Frigga happy and Razi hated it.