Yay, I'm finally starting this story! I've had this sitting around in my documents as I wrapped up Mischief, and after a lot of writing and even more revising I finally feel confident enough to post it. It does, of course, take place after Issalea leaves Asgard for good, so the first few paragraphs are that little snippet from this story's predecessor. If you have not read Eyes Like Emeralds then I suggest you do. You might be terribly confused if you haven't.
Just so you know, the title is in Norwegian (one of the countries that Norse mythology hails from). If you would like to know what it means I got the translation from Google translate (because I can't speak Norwegian). Everything sounds better in a different language. But you have to type it exactly like it looks (or just copy and paste) or else it'll show a different definition from what I intended.
So now, without further ado, I present Kjærlighet ogSkjebne.
"I can't stay here any longer."
"I understand." Thor gave my hand a gentle squeeze as we walked into the throne room. The six witches Odin had gathered were standing in front of the throne. Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were off to the side, and I saw tears leaking from each of their eyes. I approached the throne, where King Odin was waiting with a solemn look on his face. I had dressed in the proper Midgard attire: light blue jeans, and a simple blouse. I had a cloth jacket on over that, and wrapped around my neck was Loki's striped emerald and black scarf. I had entered my room the day...well, that day to find it sitting on my bed, folded neatly. It still smelled of him.
"Issalea, child of Odin," he began and my eyes flickered down to the ring and piece of yarn on my finger. It wasn't official, but I was glad that Odin called me that. I didn't feel as alone anymore. It felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest and stomped all over. I had lost my other half, and Thor told me he was surprised that I was handling it so well. I wasn't. I'd often find myself crying into the night, because I should've been married and sharing a bed with Loki by now, not lying by myself. "You requested to be sent to Midgard by way of witches' magic. Do you understand the consequences? That you will not be able to return?" I nodded. He seemed to visibly sadden after that, and he looked down at the witches. I had already said my goodbyes to Sif and the others. I turned to Thor, my eyes welling up with tears.
"Farewell, little sister. Please, give Jane Foster my regards." I nodded and he hugged me tight, practically suffocating me. "I will see you again, I can feel it." I pulled back with a small smile, pushing his hair out of his face.
"I don't doubt it." Tears streamed down both of our cheeks as I stepped backward and the six witches surrounded me. They clasped hands and began to chant. I could see a white light surrounding me, and looked at Thor one last time before I fell, the witches' chanting growing softer and softer until I could no longer hear it. I saw two emeralds before I descended into darkness.
The fall to Midgard was quicker than I had thought it would be, and I fell from probably about two stories in the air, landing hard on my back. I gasped for air, clawing at the earth below me. Coughing violently, I propped myself onto my elbows, my heartbeat quieting as I looked around. The night was eerily quiet, I couldn't hear a sound. Not even those crickets that I had seen before. I quickly stood on my feet, brushing dirt from my hair. I turned in a full circle, searching for some sort of civilization anywhere. I had to find Jane Foster. If Thor loved and trusted her, then I could trust her as well. Thor, while arrogant and impulsive, was a very good judge of character.
I could spot a worn road up ahead and stumbled my way to it, searching for even the smallest hint of headlights. Frowning as nothing came into sight, I stuck my hands in the pockets of my jacket and began walking down the road. Suddenly, two black, shiny vehicles pulled up in front of me. Cars, I think they're called. They were much more advanced than when I had seen them when I was thirteen. Still, the sudden appearance of them startled me and I froze, my eyes widening significantly. I took a few steps back and bumped into something. I whipped around to find two more cars behind me, and then one on each side. I was completely surrounded.
The door of one of the cars in front of me opened, and a man stepped out. He was dressed in a suit and looked very high up when it came to authority.
"Hello," he said, and I could tell he was trying to be friendly, "my name is Agent Coulson, and I work with Shield." He reached into his jacket and I watched curiously. In a flash, his arm was extended towards me. I jumped back, startled. He simply smiled. My eyes narrowing suspiciously, I leaned forward and snatched the object from his hand. I looked down and saw that it was a card. I also discovered that Shield was not a word, but an acronym. S.H.I.E.L.D. I looked up at Agent Coulson, still slightly frightened. "Were you the one that just fell from the sky?" I straightened to my full height, which allowed me to look him comfortably in the eye, and lifted my chin lightly.
"Perhaps," was all I replied. Agent Coulson nodded.
"Would you mind coming with me?" I was back to my original stance, beginning to take a step back. "Don't worry, we have no intention of harming you." I scrunched my nose thoughtfully before slowly walking towards Agent Coulson. He gave me another smile and placed his hand on my back, helping me climb into the large car. I slid into the seat next to the window, gazing out into the barren land. It was like a warmer version of Jotunheim. Hopefully there weren't any giants here. I haven't been to Midgard since I was thirteen. Who knows what had happened since then?
"Where exactly are we going, Son of Coul?" I asked quietly, looking over to Agent Coulson. A small smile crossed his face, but I couldn't understand why.
"You must know Thor," he replied, attempting to evade my question. My face lit up at Thor's name.
"You're acquainted with Thor?" I questioned, surprised and elated at the same time.
"Yes, he also called me Son of Coul."
"Is Coul not your father's name?" I asked curiously, my head tilting to the side.
"No, it was Mark." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Then why is your name not Markson?" He gave me an exasperated look, his eyes telling me to drop the subject. Fearing that I might upset him if I continued, I closed my mouth and continued staring out of the window. The drive did not take long, as the driver was going faster than I think he should have been. We arrived at a sort of camp. The walls were circular and made with some sort of flexible white material. Agent Coulson led me into a room with a table and bright lights. I sat down on one side and he sat down on the other, placing a recording instrument between us. Agent Coulson pressed a button and said many irrelevant things, like his name and the date and time. The year 2011? Oh my, I had missed a lot.
"What's your name?" he asked me and I fidgeted in my seat.
"Issalea...erm..." I looked around, trying to remember my last name. My father passed when I was so young, I don't think I had a last name. If I did, it was never mentioned. What was my father's name, anyway? A glint caught my eye and I looked down at the ring around my finger. "Gold! Issalea Gold is my name." Agent Coulson's eyebrow arched, but he said nothing else on the matter. I bit my lip nervously. The agent also noticed my ring.
"Are you engaged, Ms. Gold?" I scrunched my nose at the question.
"In a way, yes."
"What does that mean?" I set my jaw. This was definitely not what I wanted to talk about at the moment.
"It's complicated," I said firmly, narrowing my eyes. Coulson nodded, moving on to his next question.
"How old are you, Issalea?"
"That's a bit personal, wouldn't you agree?" His eyebrows shot up and I rolled my eyes. "Somewhere around...ten to fifteen thousand years old. I stopped counting after five thousand." His eyes bulged from his head. "Yes, I'm being completely serious," I added as his mouth opened.
"O...kay...and how did you end up here?"
"I could no longer stay in Asgard. Too many sour memories. So, the AllFather gathered six witches and they sent me down to Midgard."
"You're also from Asgard?"
"Of course. How else would I know Thor?" Agent Coulson nodded, scribbling something down on a notepad.
"Thank you, Issalea. I have a temporary apartment set up for you in the vicinity in case I need to contact you again." I assumed "apartment" meant "living quarters" and nodded lightly. We both stood and he led me out of the room. I saw a woman standing next to the door. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown I had ever seen, almost like amber, and her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. "Go on ahead, I'll meet you outside," he said in a low voice and I nodded, slowly walking away. My acute sense of hearing was able to pick up their conversation.
"Is it true, does she really know Thor?"
"Yes, but Miss Foster, she needs to rest. Save your questions for tomorrow." My eyes widened slightly. Was she Jane Foster?
"Coulson! If she was able to come down from Asgard then maybe Thor can too!"
"She didn't use the Bifrost. Six witches transported her." There was a sigh, and by that time I was already outside. A woman was waiting by the stairs, and when we made eye contact her pretty blue eyes widened considerably.
"Whoa!" She gasped, walking up to me. I took a hesitant step back. "Dude, your eyes are awesome! Are those contacts?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"What in the Nine Realms are these contacts you speak of?" The woman smiled, like she knew something I didn't.
"I'm Darcy," she greeted, holding out her hand. I shook it.
"Issalea."
"Miss Lewis!" We both turned to see Agent Coulson walking towards us, the Foster woman not far behind.
"That's my cue, later Lea!" I cocked my head to the side. Lea? Well, it was certainly a nice break from "Issy".
"My apologies for Miss Lewis," Agent Coulson quickly said.
"It's quite alright," I responded, motioning downward with my hands. "She seems like an interesting young woman." I turned to Miss Foster. "Are you Jane Foster?" She nodded and I curtsied low. "Thor sends his regards." A small smile crossed her face.
"You knew him well?" I smiled and nodded, rising.
"He was like a brother to me."
"Miss Gold, you really must be getting to bed." I nodded and soon we were back in the large car. He pulled up to a brick building and led me to the third floor, opening the front door. "The decorations might not be up to Asgardian standards-"
"They will suffice," I assured him, stepping into my new home. "Thank you, Agent Coulson. You have been very kind in my time of need. Good night." He nodded and I shut the door, walking into what appeared to be the bedroom. My my, these S.H.I.E.L.D agents were fast. I already had clothes and pajamas in the wardrobe, with toiletries in the bathroom attached. I chose a pair of silk shorts and a matching tank top before throwing my hair up and slipping in under the covers, resting my head on the pillow. Loki's scarf was folded neatly on the dresser, and I stared at it until exhaustion finally hit and I sunk comfortably into sleep.
