Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide feature descriptions of violence, marital coercion and abuse, and attempted suicide.

Twenty-year-old Freya lives on a fjord in the village of Selvegr. Freya’s husband, Vragi, is a child of the gods. At conception, he was granted a drop of blood from the sea god Njord. As a result, Vragi has the power to control the fish of the seas and uses his power to deprive other fishermen of a catch. Ten years ago, Vragi was renowned for saving Selvegr from famine after the crops failed, but now, all who know him hate him. Despite Freya’s protests, her parents insisted that she marry Vragi to bring their family wealth. Freya’s father, Erik, died on the night of her wedding. Freya’s remaining family members are her mother, Kelda, and her one brother, Geir, who fights as a warrior for the local jarl, or chieftain. Freya endures her marriage for the sake of her family; Vragi’s money takes care of Freya’s mother, and Vragi’s influence allows her brother a position in the jarl’s war bands. Vragi is abusive and treats Freya like a brood mare, but she secretly uses contraceptives to avoid bearing him any children.