A/N: This fic was written for profmyrtle, the 3rd place winner of the Odin Sphere Fanfiction giveaway I held on Tumblr. The 3rd place winner receives two fics of 750-1000 words each and one of the fics profmyrtle asked for was a Griselda/Onyx fic. So here it is! Enjoy, everyone!

His dreams had been filled with images of nothing but wings and silver hair. When Odin had told him that his wish of marriage was to be fulfilled, the Inferno King's heart had been filled to bursting point with flames of utter euphoria. Finally, the daughter of the bluebirds that he treasured, that he craved, would be his and his alone for all eternity.

Bluebirds were called bluebirds because they were blue, not fuchsia.

The flames were snuffed out as quickly as they had been lit, leaving nothing but a smoldering pit of disdain. Why the older sister? Why Griselda? Why not Gwendolyn? Was there some kind of tactic behind this insult? Onyx put an armored hand to his forehead and growled in irritation while the Vulcans in the room chattered nervously amongst themselves.

Day by day, the pits holding the heat of the earth's fury seemed to shine brighter. Eruptions were much more frequent and even the hardy Goblins who sometimes hid in this place seemed to have trouble surviving. It was on a morning when the Inferno King's rage was at its peak that his wife was finally brought to him, freshly and permanently injured from a fight against the fairies.

He watched the older sister elegantly hobble towards the shrine where he stood, proud and with dignity. She did not bear the enchanted armor the Valkyries were famed for wearing; no, instead, a vibrant violet gown weaved from the finest silk in Titania adorned her slender, slightly muscular frame. Her tresses had been carefully woven into a single braid that fell down her back and feather hairpins had been tucked behind her ears. Still a bird, but no longer a warrior, he mused.

Yet he noticed that, despite the struggle she made to drag herself up the steps, her gaze failed to break accordingly. Her head was held high as she came to stand before him and she completely ignored the need to dust off her skirts. In a way, it almost was an act of defiance.

His hand slowly came to take hold of her chin as he examined her like a fine piece of obsidian. She did not flinch nor writhe when he tilted her head this way and that, trying to get a good look at every little piece of her.

"King Odin raised a fine warrior," he said in a low voice. "A shame that she can no longer do the job she was bred to do."

"Snap the wings of a Valkyrie and you're not left with a helpless girl," she replied tartly. "You're left with a woman craving to take to the skies again."

He pulled back in mock surprise at her words. She simply looked up at him with lips pulled back in a tight frown. The Inferno King forced a smile back at her as he drew back to her again, his hand scratching thoughtfully at his chin. "So you still retain your free will. I hear that some Valkyries who are clipped out of punishment are forced to fall in love with a total stranger. You were lucky, Princess Griselda."

"Wouldn't the proper title be Queen, Inferno King Onyx?" Griselda asked. "As I am your bride, no, wife, as of this very moment."

Dramatically, Onyx spread his arms out. "What nonsense do you speak of? We have yet to hold a proper wedding! Come now, would you not like your sister to see you ascend to the Fire Kingdom's throne in all your glory?"

Griselda slowly blinked, then turned her head away. "My father fights a war with the Fairy Kingdom right now. Thus, she has no place seeing us married. You're better off inviting the feeble King of Titania to our wedding."

A heavy sigh fell from Onyx's lips as he turned around and shook his head. Did this woman not know her place? A Valkyrie was subservient to her husband. She was making this incredibly hard on herself. Her words only served to make this situation harder on herself. Then again, he was the same seeing as he was hardly happy to be in this relationship.

"Onyx."

She called his name in a tone that lacked any sort of sweetness or gentleness. Still, it was enough to make him turn back to her with a hand on his hip and tight smile on his features. "What do you ask of me, my bride?"

Her grave eyes only blinked at him. With a single stagger, she leaned forward and rested against his chest. He looked down at her and she looked up, expression unfaltering.

Gwendolyn would have been a warm welcome to this kingdom. Griselda was colder than any snowstorm. "The journey here was long and I require some time to rest and recuperate. Please, take me to my new quarters."

At this point, it would have been childish to refuse her. When he lifted her into his arms, he found her to be lighter than any feather and her pale, scarred skin to be soft and delicate. Daintily, her feet hung in the air as though seeking the wind to take her somewhere far away.

"Until death do us part," Onyx mockingly vowed as they retreated to the depths of the shrine.