Dungeon of Niflheim

Yarrow sat on his bed with an aggrieved expression. His entire face was swollen like a pigs head making him look very comical. A generous gift from his wife’s loving touch earlier. No permanent or even lasting damage but certainly graphic in appearance. Like a well smacked bottom that expanded and shone red.

Lola continued laugh out loud, tears pouring from her eyes as she pointed in a ridiculing manner, not leaving her father any face. His already red and swollen face grew a deeper shade as his anger boiled. Flames of fury filled his eyes as he looked over at the elegant rabbit woman that walked in last. She even had the nerve to giggle quietly when she was the one that caused his current state in the first place.

This wasn’t the first time his wife had been physical with her punishments, but it was the first time in a long while that she was so excessive. He obviously didn’t blame her too much given that he understood the pressure she was under as the interim mayor of Kranor. She really wasn’t suited to such a stressful job that didn’t let her blow off any steam, so if by taking a few beatings here and there she could relax a little, he was willing to make that sacrifice, but this was different. She went too far and had now embarrassed him in front of the whole family as well as their honoured guest. He was torn between flipping out in anger or hiding underneath his bedsheets, pretending that everyone else was just air. However, he wasn’t that shameless or cowardly.

“C.H.I.A!!!” He called out her name in a loud booming voice hoping to overshadow the raucous laughter of his daughter. His swollen face was from more than Chia simply letting out her stress, no she was getting out one last good beating before he was cured. Using his use of the word “fat” as an excuse. They’d been married for too long for Yarrow to not understand his wife’s thoughts. If his daughter didn’t laugh without restraint and his pig’s head wasn’t on display for the world to see, he may have been able to forgive her or at least mark it down as a point for him whenever Chia did something punishment deserving in the future. Of course, his means of punishment was far different from his wife’s, and he had very little opportunity to enact it upon her.

Chia turned her head to stare at her husband, doing her best to glare his way and not giggle. Normally given their positions she’d never condone such behaviour towards her, but she felt a little guilty for her earlier actions, she was a bit too excessive.

The elderly husband and wife continued this stare down with neither backing down, Yarrow was determined to win back some of his dignity as mayor and more importantly as head of the household.

‘Haaaaaaaaaa’ Frost internally sighed as he watched the bickering between the old couple. Then a shiver ran down his spine and a looming vision of the future flittered through his mind. Imagining himself in Yarrow’s position and Maya in Chia’s. The fact that the comparison was so easy to make chilled him to the bone. Was he destined to be under her fist in their relationship....no no that can’t happen. He wasn’t adverse to having a spouse with a strong will and personality like the many women he became acquainted with, but he refused to be in a subservient position. He turned to see his teacher Sam shaking his head, as if saying to Yarrow “why bother even fighting her.” Like it was pointless to not let his wife have her way. Maya’s smirking and sadistic face filled his mind at that moment.

“Noooooooooooo!!!!!” Instantly he roared out his refusal at such a future.

.....

“Eh?” Everyone in the room turned to Frost in confusion, wondering why he suddenly roared out the word ‘no’ with such gusto.

“......Cough cough, sorry just ignore me.” Frost quickly realised that he wasn’t alone and what he thought he said in his mind, he said out loud. After a quick blush of embarrassment grew on his cheeks he coughed audibly and apologised, trying to sweep his roaring under the rug.

His surprise yelling had changed the atmosphere in the room, Lola no longer laughed out loud, and Yarrow and Chia weren’t staring daggers at one another. Instead after a few seconds they laughed, making Frost feel even more awkward.

“Tulip, Jasmine, Ren come sit with grandpa, how about we finish the book we were reading earlier.” Yarrow no longer filled with anger, smiled lovingly at his three grandchildren while patting the bed. His loving smile however was very ugly with how swollen his face was currently, but the kids didn’t care, instantly running over towards the bed to get comfy. They’d just gotten to the good part when their mother and father walked in and disturbed them.

Chia and Lola ended up looking at one another, smiling gently before shrugging their shoulders. “Scooch over, make some room for me and grandma.” Lola and Chia decided to join them on the bed, completely forgetting the earlier situation. Yarrow to be honest was tempted to make another joke involving the space their butts would take up but wisely restrained himself, he was already quite injured and couldn’t endure a second beating. Lola sat to the left of her father while holding Tulip on her lap, while Chia was to Yarrow’s right, holding Jasmine on her lap with Ren resting on Yarrow’s, helping to hold the large book that Yarrow retrieved from his cabinet. It was a very cosy and wholesome image, beautiful and warm, unfortunately it left out two people. Frost and Sam still stood at the edge of the room.

Sam wasn’t in such an awkward position, though there wasn’t much room left on the bed he could probably fit but Frost on the other hand was an outsider. He couldn’t very well sit on the mayor’s bed like a member of the family plus he got the vibe that Yarrow was wary of him for some reason.

“Let’s go Frost, we’ll come back later when Mira’s done with the medicine.” Sam sauntered over and patted Frost’s shoulder before walking out of the bedroom. Though he would likely enjoy some close knit family time, it wasn’t right to leave their honoured guest hanging, besides he still had lots to talk about with his young protégé. Lola watched her husband lead Frost out the room, showing a gentle smile full of love before turning her head back towards the large book in front of her.

“Sorry,” As Sam and Frost walked down the hallway towards another room, Frost apologised. If Sam didn’t need to take care of him he could be amongst his family during that blissful moment. Frost couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, the atmosphere around them was so warm and fuzzy.

“What that pshhhhaaa no need to apologise for that, I can spend time with them anytime I want, no biggie.” Sam turned his head around to show Frost a big smile. “Besides I should probably be thanking you for your earlier outburst. Though I’m pretty sure it was accidental it allowed a change in atmosphere, otherwise I’m sure Yarrow and Chia would still be glaring at one another full of rage hahahahahah.” Frost couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as Sam brought up his earlier actions.

While laughing Sam led Frost into a nearby office that was lined with books and documents, it had a strong smell of leather and paper. There was an ornate desk and chair in front of a large window that filled the room with light. As well as two small leather sofas with a coffee table in the centre, a grand fireplace added to the grandeur of the room.

“Take a seat” Sam gestured to one of the sofas while he manoeuvred towards the large desk. “Now I know he hides the stuff somewhere.” He felt around the large desk in search of something before moving towards one of the nearby bookshelves. “Ah here it is,” he pulled out a large book that was oddly less dusty that the books around it. The title on the cover and spine was “import and export tariffs” a rather complicated implying title that would put off many people from reading it, and that was the point.

The room they were in was Yarrow’s secondary office, where he liked to work alone in the peace and quiet. Very rarely did anyone go in this room bar him but just in case anyone did -mainly his wife- he felt the need to hide certain things. This unimpressive book “import and export tariffs” was used to hide one of those things.

Sam smiled widely as he opened up the large book. Inside was not pages and pages of complicated tax and accounting information but a large recess that held cigars. One of Yarrow’s favourite hobbies was smoking a cigar and drinking whiskey; however, his wife hated the smell as well as the impact it had on his health, so he needed to smoke in secret.