A thousand apologies for the lateness of this update, but yesterday I was out of town and today... I actually forgot. I swear I didn't mean to.
Anyway, here we are now. And here it is where the story gets completely twisted around!
Oh, and one more thing, the song in this chapter is Hayley Westenra's "Listen to the Wind" from the "New World" soundtrack.
Fourth Element: Air
Air gives us its breeze, gifts us with songs, and grants the beauty of an endless sky...
Leaving wasn't as easy as we'd have liked. At first I insisted that we stay long enough for the members of the coven to recover their strength. I hated to think of something happening to them when we were gone, they were all so vulnerable in that moment, especially the members of the triumvirate, and it was only because they'd helped us. It was only right that we made sure they were alright before leaving.
Of course, SHIELD had to choose that exact moment to make an appearance (after they'd ignored each and every call for help Darcy and I'd made...) Suddenly there was a woman standing in front of me, thick curls of deep mahogany hair to her shoulder-blades with bright-red highlights and light-brown eyes behind a pair rectangular glasses. She was wearing a dark sharp-suit, black heels and holding a SHIELD badge that marked her as a Level 8 Agent.
"Hello, I am Agent Hand, from SHIELD, what's happened here is a matter of National Security and we will be taking over now." The woman began.
"Ha!" Adam snorted behind me. "Where were you when the actual battle was taking place?"
Agent Hand looked him up and down before looking away, dismissing not only him but everyone in the Circle in an instant. I could sense Faye's annoyance at that, thankfully Diana managed to calm her down before the Huntress caused a scene. SHIELD did not need to know about the coven, there was a reason why only three people inside the organization knew about them, and all had sworn not to reveal anything.
"A team will arrive shortly to secure the area." Agent Hand continued. "Meanwhile, I will need all of you to come with me for a debriefing."
It was obvious in the way she turned her back on me, on us, and began walking away even before the last word came out of her mouth that she expected to be obeyed, no questions asked. Well, wasn't she about to get a surprise... I couldn't help but remember something that had happened in Asgard, shortly after Loki began showing me around Asgard (after our union had been sanctioned, the magik-storm, and the revelation of his origins):
It hadn't been long since I had first seen Asgard, and I was still familiarizing myself with the realm. Thankfully it wasn't as big as I would expect a whole world to be. It'd been a week since we'd returned to Asgard from our short trip to Jotunheim with little Hákon in tow, and what I'd feared most had happened sooner than I expected: my son was sick.
There was some virus going around, and he'd caught it, and since it was a kind of illness no jotun ever got, my boy had no defenses against it. I would have gone insane with worry but, thankfully, Lady Frigg had been there, she'd explained to me that Loki had gone through the same when he was very young. All the boy needed was a iced bath (the opposite of what a human or an Aesir would need) to keep with his normal temperature and some herbs.
Being a Jotun himself it was only natural for Loki to take care of the bath, while I offered to go looking for the needed herbs, while the healers had many, some were quite rare, and not the kind they kept or cultivated, as Aesir had no need for them. Thor couldn't go, since he was on Midgard with Jane and no one else knew enough about the herbs and what was needed to help.
So I went, it was the beginning of the year, though in a place like Asgard, that did not seem to matter much. I was wearing my favorite dress, with long transparent sleeves and a white shawl over my shoulders. Once in the market I went straight to the herbalist, I remembered him from the time when my match had taken me, he sold the best lemongrass for tea, along with many other herbs (both healing and otherwise).
"Princess Nightingale..." The man received me with a smile. "What brings you here? Why is Prince Loki not with you?"
"My match remains at the palace, looking over our ill son." I explained to him quietly.
"The little prince has fallen ill?" The herbalist seemed truly worried. "It must be this awful virus that's going around. It's made almost every child around here sick."
"Yes well, Hákon appears to be especially sensitive." I admitted to him. "Thankfully, Lady Frigg had previous experience with it all. Loki's helping our boy keep his body at the right temperature, while I've come looking for the needed herbs."
"Tell me what you need, my lady." He said with a nod, obviously realizing that the herbs would be rare, and quite important to me.
Thankfully he had everything I needed, and soon I had the needed packaged herbs inside a bag and under my arm. I was so excited at the idea that soon my son would be all better that I wasn't as aware of my surroundings as I should have, I'd just stepped outside the small market when something hit me on the side of the head. The first thing I noticed was the smell, potent, awful... then I felt the wetness on the side of my head, my hair, my clothes; the last thing I became aware of was the stinging on my temple, whatever had been thrown at me had managed to open a cut just bellow my hairline, it was small, yet, like Aunt Kathryn had always said, 'the head always bleeds the worst'.
And yet, it wasn't the cut that got to me most, but the fact that someone had thrown such a thing at me. It hadn't even been an actual weapon. I could see the pieces on the ground at my feet, it was a small vial, glass (which explained the cut, as it had shattered against my temple), and worst was that it hadn't been empty, it had had crud inside (which explained the smell). I was so shocked by it all that for several seconds I couldn't say a word.
"Princess!" I could hear several voices calling, most absolutely shocked.
Abruptly, I saw none other than Sif standing in front of me. I reacted instinctively, raising a hand to smack her own away as it reached for my head. She took hold of it, making it seem like that had been the plan all along, before twisting us in such a way that no one could hear what we said, or even try and read our lips.
"Easy, little princess..." She whispered softly, her own nickname for me. "You need to take it easy right now..."
"I... Sif?" I was still a bit lost. "I don't understand."
"I know you don't, Nightingale." She admitted. "I didn't know you had left on your own until you were already gone, otherwise I'd have come with you."
"What...?" Had she known...?
"I suspected something like this could happen." She explained quietly. "You know, we all knew, that not everyone would accept Loki, even after what the two of you did to help all those people the day of the magik storm. And while most may be too cowardly to try and insult the Prince of Asgard, they still see you as an easy target." Her voice turned to steel. "Which is why you need to prove them wrong right now. You cannot falter now, Nightingale, you cannot show any weakness whatsoever..."
"You believe me weak?" I couldn't help but mumble.
"Never." She stated honestly. "I may not understand everything you've gone through, but I do know it requires someone with great strength, of body, mind and heart, to be able to deal with someone like Loki. You can do that, have been doing so since you were a child, which means you are most certainly not weak."
And then there was Thanos... though I knew not everyone believed everything we'd said about the Mad-Titan and our confrontation against him.
"What now then?" I asked her, taking a deep breath to focus.
"Now you show that same strength to everyone else." She answered softly. "You show them what Nightingale, wife of Loki and Princess of Asgard, is truly made of."
Carefully she pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, though she made no attempt to clean the wound on my temple, or the crud and blood matting my hair and face... no, she was actually making sure everyone would see it.
I understood then, it wasn't about hiding, but exactly the opposite. Whoever had thrown that vial at me, had done so in an attempt to humiliate me, to make me cower and hide... I couldn't, wouldn't allow that.
With a final nod at Sif I straightened up, taking the packages from the herbalist's hands (he'd gone out when hearing the commotion). I nodded at him with a smile before making for the road to the palace once again, Sif at my heels. Not a word was said, not by me, not by anyone, even the whispers of the onlookers had stopped. The people on the streets stepped away to let me pass, and whenever I would turn in some direction they would look away, as if ashamed to be found looking at me when I was in such a state. I did not care. I was going to prove, to them, to my attacker, to all of Asgard, that Nightingale, that Loki's wife was no weakling, no coward, they wouldn't make me back down.
Once in the palace I called on a simple elemental spell to wash the crud and blood from my hair and face, before re-arranging my hair to cover the scabbed over cut. I left the shawl with a servant and, thankfully, it had protected my dress from most of it, what remained of the smell could be easily explained as an accident while I was in the market. I might be brave and ready to prove it, but that did not mean I wanted Loki to see me in that state and go into a rage, especially not when we both needed to focus on helping our son heal...
Loki did find out about what happened, eventually. He'd found the attacker and gone after him in such a way that it could never be traced back to him. The man had been a merchant, and with a series of spells and whispers (while disguised) here and there, soon the man had no costumers whatsoever. Eventually he had to move off-world to try and rebuild his business elsewhere. My love hadn't meant for me to know, but I did anyway, and since no one had been truly hurt, I let him have his victory (I had to admit to feeling a certain satisfaction, at being avenged in such a way); I also suspected the herbalist had helped...
In any case, Sif's words came back to me in that moment, as I stood in what had just been the site of an interdimensional battle, looking at the back of the woman who'd just dismissed me as if I were nothing more than an ignorant little girl...
"No." The word to come from my lips broke the silence.
"What...?" The Agent turned back to face of me, shock obvious in her features. "What was it you just said, girl?"
"I believe you heard me just fine, Agent." I told her calmly, but with all the authority my position demanded. "And I am not girl, I am Lady Nightingale, princess of Asgard. If you expect us to respect you for your position you could do the same."
"Very well, princess." The sarcasm was obvious in her tone. "Will you follow me now?"
"No, I won't, and they won't either." I signaled to the Circle, gathered behind me. "We asked for SHIELD's assistance before the battle began, and no one could be bothered to help us. The Circle came, because they knew how much danger innocent people would be in if we were to try and do everything on our own, but I shall not allow SHIELD to use this as an opportunity to get more people in their Index and harass them, as you've done with every gifted you've learnt about."
"The Index is necessary..." Hand began, exasperated. "The... people with special abilities need to be under watch, for their own good as well as the world's."
"So you say." I interrupted her. "I say that's just your excuse. People like the Circle have existed for generations without SHIELD knowing anything, and everything's been just fine. You still wouldn't know they exist if it weren't for their own compassion and wish to protect those that need to be protected." I narrowed my eyes at her before he could interrupt me. "I say the Circle is under my protection. If you want to get to them you will have to go through me, and you will find that's not an easy thing to do."
"We have a pact with Asgard..." Agent Hand insisted. "They know of SHIELD and will accept that we need to know more about this people. Besides, they aren't even Asgardians!"
"You have a deal with a prince of Asgard, not with everyone." I reminded her, not at all bothered by her attitude. "And the Circle is under my protection, mine and my husband's!"
"And who might that husband be?" The Agent asked testily.
"Why that would be me, Agent..." Loki was suddenly at my side.
The woman actually flinched, obviously not expecting my love to just appear without her seeing him approach. Or maybe she'd believed me to be bluffing...
"Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard." He introduced himself with an almost predatory smile. "And like my match has so eloquently put it, the Circle is under our protection. As spell-casters it's only natural. It was agreed with your Director Fury that their coven, as well as any other that might reveal itself in time, would be so, and SHIELD would respect that and not interfere, with us or them unless it was a matter of world-security... and even then, they would have to come to us with it first."
"That's impossible!" The Agent was in full denial. "I would know if such a deal had been made. I am a Level 8 Agent!"
"The deal was kept on a need-to-know basis, Agent Hand, and you simply did not need to know." Another voice announced from the side.
"Agent Lewis..." Hand's tone turned almost sour when seeing the brunette.
"Agent Darcy Lewis." Darcy flashed her badge and introduced herself to the benefit of the younger Agents following Hand. "Lady Nightingale is of course, right, in what she has just said. Agent Hand, you're free to bring the matter up with Director Fury or Deputy Hill next time you meet them, if you wish." She turned her attention to the other Agents. "I imagine you shall be studying the remains of the battle. I would recommend caution, while the Event has passed, we have no way of knowing for sure if there could be remnants of the anomalies or even the magic that was used during the battle. If any of the Aesir or the members of the Circle wish to share something for you to add to your files, they will do so; like Lady Nightingale said, you cannot attempt to force them in any way."
I did not need magic to pick up on how much Victoria Hand did not like what Darcy was saying; I did not need it either to realize that regardless of that, there was something I knew not, that made it so Hand had to obey Darcy, something that went beyond any 'Level' one or the other might hold. I mentally added that to the list of questions I was planning on asking my best friend at the earliest opportunity (and probably in private), the first of which involved the tan-line I could see on her ring finger, and the chain that hung from her neck and held something (I would bet that the ring missing from her finger). Even as observant as I usually was, I wouldn't have noticed such details under normal circumstances, but the object hidden beneath Darcy's blouse held power, and not only that, it also marked the end of a two-way bond... something was most definitely going on.
Agent Hand just waved us past, not liking it, but somehow unable to do anything at all. Diana was actually kind enough to approach one of the junior Agents and explain (in somewhat vague terms) what the Circle had done to help, with Faye standing glaring silently at anyone that got what she considered too close to her partner.
We were on our way out when suddenly Thor seemed to become aware of something as he asked:
"Where is the Son of Coul?"
For several seconds nothing but silence, hard and unforgiving, was his answer; until, eventually, Hand turned to the god of thunder.
"Agent Coulson fell in the line of duty." She said stoically.
"Dead?!" Thor blurted out in shock.
My love and I didn't say a word, instead we just looked at each other, the exact same thing going through both our minds:
*We are being lied to...*
xXx
We took just long enough to take the Circle to the closest airport, I'd offered Salani manor for them to rest for a night but they declined, saying they would rather rest once they were home. I had no idea when their plane was leaving, or anything at all, but Cassie insisted that we not worry about it, arrangements had been made. After promising to send a message to Darcy, in case we weren't 'around' once they made it back to New Salem, we split.
We made it back to Jane's apartment in a relatively short time. We could have gone to Salani manor, but I was quite sure that we were being followed by someone from SHIELD and I wasn't about to reveal to them where my second home was. I'd done a pretty good job of hiding the one in Portland, Maine, until my funeral, and a part of me felt better having a place no one knew of where I could go in case of an emergency. And it wasn't just me, Darcy had used her techno-genius to create a special app which was included in her phone as well as Jane's; in case of an emergency they were to activate it, and it would guide them to the house (it would also help warn us that something was going on).
"So, I suppose you're leaving then..." Jane mumbled quietly.
We'd washed off the grime of the battle and after a quick spell to clean our clothes we were ready. Jane looked particularly morose as she said that.
"That depends entirely on you." No one was expecting those words to come from my beloved's mouth... not even I.
"What?!" Jane turned to look at him in obvious shock.
"Brother..." Thor began, not sure he was going to like where the whole thing was going.
"Two questions brother." My match said for all answer. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do!" The Thunderer actually seemed affronted by the question.
"Needed to ask." Loki shrugged (even as he preened at the immediate answer) before switching to Old Norse. "Do you want Jane to be your wife, match and one day Queen?"
"What?!" Jane called, confused. "I only understood my name from all that." She turned to me. "What did Loki just say?"
"It's a bit personal." I told her evasively. "It's better that Thor explains it to you... once he gives an answer to my Maverick..."
"Yes." Thor sounded more solemn, though no less sure when he answered then. "But I have no idea how..."
"That's where the trust part comes in." My love explained, switching back to English as he turned to Jane. "You need to get changed, pronto."
"What...?" Jane still had no idea what was going on.
"You're coming with us!" Loki finally announced brightly.
"What?!" This time the shocked outcry came from everyone else.
My beloved, for his part, just laughed, almost maniacally, at everyone's surprise. Thor didn't say a word, just rolled his eyes at Loki's antics.
"Is that a good idea?" Darcy asked, extremely worried. "I thought Asgard was... well... kind of off-limits to all of us."
"Usually that would be right but..." I wasn't actually sure how to explain things. "After what happened today... there really won't be a better time to do this."
"Do what exactly?" Erik asked next, they still didn't get it.
"Present Jane before my parents, and the Court, as my intended." Thor stated seriously.
By that point the shock simply seemed to be too much for anyone to even cry out.
"That's what I want, more than anything." Thor stated, going to stand before Jane. "I want you Jane. As my friend, my lover, my wife, and one day my queen. I want you by my side, to the end of time... do you want that? Do you want me like that?"
"Yes..." The scientist sounded breathless even as she answered.
"But how?" Darcy insisted. "You said Odin wouldn't approve."
"He probably still won't." My love shrugged, as if that were a minor detail. "Which is exactly why this is the perfect time for this."
"Consider what happened today." I elaborated knowing my husband wouldn't (if only because he found it funny for everyone to look so lost... he might be one of the good guys, but he was still the god of mischief). "Malekith, the Aether, the Convergence... a battle took place, in direct view of every single Realm. Individuals across the worlds saw what happened, and saw who was involved. We literally saved the universe today..." And wasn't that a sobering thought? "If we add to that the recent conflict with the Marauders... some of the realms will feel indebted to Asgard, like never before. They will feel honor-bound to send representatives to the Realm Eternal, to offer their best wishes to Thor, Loki and the rest of us, for what was achieved."
"That will help Thor ensure his position as future King of Asgard." Ylva pointed out helpfully. "And if the envoys were to see Lady Jane standing by his side..."
There was no need for her, for any of us, to elaborate further, the message had gotten across loud and clear. So, with that in mind, Jane spun around and went straight for her bedroom and the blue Asgardian gown she'd slipped off before the battle.
Loki approached his brother to talk quietly to him, giving him pointers on the best way to handle the situation we were about to jump into; Thor knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes, his future with Jane might very well depend on it.
It seemed like Darcy had every intention to follow her friend and help her get ready, but I stopped her briefly before she could go.
"Silbhé?" She asked, confused (she was one of very few to still call me that).
"I would like to ask you a favor." I told her softly, though with an edge in my voice, which she noticed. "Next time you talk to Fury tell him you cannot lie to the God of Lies... or his match. And he better have a very good reason for this farce..."
To emphasize what I was talking about (for I knew there was a chance she would pretend to be ignorant otherwise) I pressed the palm of my hand to her chest, to the object hidden beneath her shirt; her eyes widened, showing she knew what I spoke of.
"There better be a very good reason..." I repeated, a hint of steel in my voice.
Really, I'd seen Thor's expression when he'd learnt about Phil's death, had seen Jane's own at the reminder of it... there better an extraordinarily good reason to lie to our friends like that, to make them suffer believing a dear friend was dead!
Darcy didn't say a word, she just nodded quietly before leaving the main area of the apartment and heading for Jane's room. I had a feeling my match and I would be having a meeting with Director Fury soon...
xXx
By the time we arrived to the palace in Asgard, the sun was setting already; the reason was a sum of things: it was my husband's idea that we use the Shadow Paths to return to Asgard (without the Aether it was fairly safe for Jane to tag along), using as excuse that the envoys of other realms would need the Bifrost; Thor was the one to express worry that there might be enemies left on Svartalfheim, and it was a good idea to go there first and take a look (to which Loki agreed). The dark world was mostly empty, except for a few stray elves that had been transported there with Jane's devices, and which the brothers made short work of. There was a piece of Malekith there too, which Loki took great pleasure turning into ashes with his magic.
We made it into Asgard through the same Hidden Road they'd used to get out, and once out my Maverick revealed a skiff he kept hidden in a small cave, just beside the entrance to the road. Then it was my idea that instead of flying the skiff to the dock beneath the palace, we used it to get us to the main port, the one that connected to the most populated area of Asgard. After all, we wanted people to see us, to see Jane and Thor together... she just went along for the ride.
Once there, we actually found things to do. Soon I had vanished my cloak and was putting all my training as a healer into practice as I helped those who'd been hurt during the fight against the dark-elves during the invasion days before. Jane looked at me in silence for a couple of minutes before requesting healing supplies from one of the volunteering healers and getting to work herself; she might not have the magic, but she was still certified as a paramedic, and the things needed for minor wounds weren't that different in one realm or the other. Ylva and the men followed our example on getting to work, helping here and there making places safer and getting people trapped in crumbled buildings out.
We didn't stay long in any one spot, but enough that by the time we left the center of the city everyone knew we'd returned. Everyone had also noticed the fourth member of our company, and how Thor would constantly turn to her, making sure she was alright, and of course the answering looks Jane directed to him when she thought no one was looking. It was perfect, and the best part is that there had been no need to orchestrate anything, those two loved each other so much it was impossible not to notice it (no matter how hard the Allfather might try)!
Sif met us right as we were arriving to the palace, right as Ylva took her leave (there was no reason for me to need her protection in the palace).
"Thor!" She called in a whisper-shout.
"Sif!" The blonde replied brightly. "It's good to see you well, my friend."
"The Queen convinced the Allfather there was no point in keeping us in the dungeons, after all, we only did what we did obeying your orders." Sif explained with a light smirk.
"A reasonable argument." Loki agreed.
"The Allfather wants to talk to you, all of you, in private." He stated, eyeing Jane briefly. "He told me to get you to his private office through one of the side entrances of the palace..."
"I'm afraid that will not be possible, my good Lady Sif." Loki stated, guiding us in the opposite direction. "We're going in through the front door!"
"But..." The goddess of war did not know what to say.
"I'm sorry Sif." Thor said quietly, Jane on his arm, making sure she wouldn't let go. "This is something I need to do..."
"Go ahead." I told them suddenly. "I'll explain things to her."
I wasn't sure if such a thing was possible, it wouldn't be if Sif wasn't willing to listen. Still, I had to try. Sif was my friend... as surprising as that had been considering the way Loki and she had treated each other in the past. But apparently my presence, hearing everything Loki had done for me, seeing how broken he was when they all believed me lost, had given the warrior-lady cause for rethinking several things. It also helped when she and my love sat together and cleared the air regarding certain past events, like Thor's almost-coronation, the Destroyer, among others.
"Sif..." I began, softly.
"Don't." She interrupted me with a hiss.
She probably knew already what I wanted to say, it's not like it was the first time we spoke about it, about how Thor and Jane were bound...
"I told you Sif..." I murmured anyway.
"You told me their bond was thin!" She cried out. "Fragile! Weak! You said nothing was for sure, no fate written in stone..."
"I also told you that if you and Thor were meant to be, like you wish you were, a bond would exist between the two of you, yet it doesn't." I reminded her softly.
I did not want us to fight, not again, not over the same... but I cared too much for her, didn't want Sif to destroy herself in a lost fight.
"I don't understand..." My friend half-sobbed, her voice turning suddenly near-hysterical. "What does that mortal have that I don't?!"
"It's not a matter of what one has, or what the other doesn't..." I tried.
"Don't give me that bullshit!" She half-snarled. "Tell me the truth!"
"The truth is that, in your own mind, your soul, Thor is your King, he always has been, always will be." I finally told her.
"What's wrong with that?" She was confused. "It's what he is..."
"It's not what he needs." I told her softly. "You respect him, honor him, consider him above you. You will never be able to see yourself as his equal, and a match is one about equals. It's not even just about Thor. Every match, needs to be about equals. Thor needs someone who will stand by him, against anything and everything, someone who will challenge him, inspire him and who, when he does something stupid, will be there to stop him too, who will point out his faults, and help him better himself. You cannot do that Sif, you respect him too much for that."
"You don't know..." She began, though she didn't believe her own denial.
"But I do." I sighed. "Remember Jotunheim?"
"What does Jotunheim have to do with anything?"
"After the failed coronation, Thor decided he wanted to go to Jotunheim, 'teach them a lesson', I believe is how he put it."
"Loki egged him on!"
"And you didn't stop it. You might have expressed reservations at first, but in the end you allowed your sense of duty and loyalty to him as a prince, to over-power your common-sense..." I shook my head. "It's how I know you could never be his match."
"And what about you? Have you ever been in such a position...?"
"Several years ago... Loki returned to me after spending a month being tortured in the abyss. I did everything I could to heal him. Then he told me he had to go back, because Thanos was planning to attack Earth, and unless he acted as his second in command and managed to reign in the Other and the chitauri, we ran the risk of our world being ravaged..."
"But your heroes saved the world..."
"Because Loki gave them the chance. He stalled Thanos for a year, and then he made a show out of it, allowing the heroes to gather, to become a team, before the actual invasion happened."
"How does this connect in any way..."
"When it all began Loki tried to send me away, to get me to distance myself from him, from the situation, said it was for my own safety."
"What did you do?"
"I told him he was an absolute idiot if he thought I was leaving him alone. Then I brought out the card Agent Coulson had left me with after talking with me the day of my graduation and called him to take the job with SHIELD. It was how I came to be part of them, teach them everything they needed to know who Loki was, and the chitauri, and everything else..." I shook my head. "I wasn't there the day of the actual battle. Loki manipulated someone into thinking Jane and her team needed to be evacuated for safety, and convinced me to go along with it. I only allowed it because I knew things would work out, and arrangements had been made beforehand so we would be flown back as soon as the fight was over."
"You would have walked into that battle..."
"If it had been necessary, yes, without a doubt. I also would have told him not to do it if I'd truly believed there to be any other way we could have defeated the chitauri..."
"And Thanos..."
"Yeah..." I let out a breath. "If you want me to be honest, sometimes I cannot help but think that we're not finished with him just yet."
"But you said you killed him!" She obviously wasn't expecting that.
"It's what I believed..." I shrugged slightly. "But remember that I was dying at the time, and Loki was too distraught over that to make sure of anything. Thor was the one to finish him off... If Thanos had some trick ready to help him escape none of the others would have noticed, not even Thor, he isn't as sensitive to magic as others of us."
"You think..." She didn't dare finish the thought.
"I think this is one situation where I rather be safe than sorry. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. I'd rather be ready for an attack and have it never happen, than for someone like the Mad Titan to catch me with my guard down."
Sif nodded briefly. For a few moments at least I'd managed to take her mind away from the situation with Thor. But I knew that ease couldn't remain, especially when I needed to leave her so I could join the others and enter the throne room all together.
"Sif..." I whispered, not quite sure how to leave her.
"There really never was any hope for Thor and me, was there?" She asked, half-brokenly.
"I'm sorry Sif." I whispered, not knowing what else to say.
"It's okay." She said, swallowing the knot in her throat. "You were just being honest with me, I appreciate that. At least now I won't be making a fool of myself, insisting on fighting a battle I cannot possibly win."
"I believe everyone has a match Sif." I focused on giving her what hope I could. "Someday you will find yours..."
"Someday..." She repeated.
I did not think she believed me, not really, I could only pray to the Higher Powers that I would be proven right one day. Sif deserved to have someone by her side, an equal, a perfect match.
"I'm sorry to leave you like this but..." I could feel my match calling, it was time.
"Go." She waved me away with a hand. "Go to where you're needed..."
Even if she did not know what exactly we were planning, she knew it was important.
With a last nod at her, I focused my magic and jumped, landing by my beloved's side right as the main doors to the Throne Room were opened, placing my hand on his arm just in time.
*Perfect timing...* He whispered in my mind.
*I live to please...* I teased him.
*You know what would really, really please me...* Her tone turned lewd as the hint of a smirk appeared on the corner of his lips.
*Focus on Jane and presenting her now... we can have fun later.* I returned the smirk just briefly before turning my eyes back to the front.
*Then lets get this show on the road!* He chirped theatrically.
We both took deep breaths, knowing that what was to come wouldn't be easy.
"Are you ready for this?" My Maverick asked under his breath to his brother in front of us.
"Jane...?" The blonde turned the question to his own beloved.
"Not at all..." She admitted, her voice catching, before she took a deep breath. "Lets do this."
I would have been more surprised if her answer had been affirmative; still she was willing to go through with it, and we could ask for nothing more. So with that, we stepped through the doors and into the bustling Throne Room.
xXx
By the time we reached Odin Allfather, Lady Frigg and the representatives of the Elder's Council at the head of the Throne Room we'd already mingled with almost half of the people there. All of which were subtly directed to taking notice of Jane, who never let go of Thor's arm. The fact that whenever mention was made of the recent battle the Lady of Science's knowledge and actions were praised could only help the image everyone was building in their minds of the young Midgardian woman.
"My sons... and daughter!" The Allfather greeted us once we reached him.
He didn't say anything regarding Jane's presence with us, though I was quite sure he was clever enough to realize what we were attempting. Lady Frigg just smiled before rushing to embrace each of us in turn.
"It does my heart good to see you all back!" She declared with a bright smile. "Recent events have caused me great worry and stress."
"We're sorry Mother, it was never our intent to hurt you so." Loki assured her.
"It's alright Loki, what matters is that you're here now, safe." She turned to Jane. "I'm happy to see you again as well, Jane."
"The pleasure is mine, my lady." Jane curtsied at her respectfully.
"There's someone else who's missed you too..." The Queen added with a smile.
I didn't get the chance to ask who, neither did we need to; next thing I knew there was a pair of arms around my knees and a face pressed into my stomach (which still felt a bit tender, though I did not let it show).
"Mama!" My little boy cried out holding onto me. "I missed you mama!"
I felt my eyes tear up at his words, not being able to imagine how he'd felt with everything that had happened in the last couple of days. Had he seen me when I was badly injured? Had he known about it? About what his dad and uncle had done? Had he seen any of the battle? Usually I would think people would have the common-sense to shield him from such things, but seeing how it was Asgard...
I had no way of getting answers to my questions. So I did the one thing I could in that moment, I dropped to my knees in front of my little boy and hugged him tightly.
"I'm here now baby." I whispered, kissing his hair. "Everything will be alright now, I promise you. We're all safe now."
"Papa and Uncle Thor kicked the bad guys' butts?" He asked innocently.
None of us could help the bursts of laughter at those words. It was so like a child, to see things in such a simple way... yet, one could say he was right.
"Yes Hákon..." I nodded, still holding him. "That's exactly what happened."
"Yay!" The little boy cheered, before finally letting go of me.
"Hullo Papa..." He called to my match.
"Hey son..." He smiled his small, warm smile, which was usually reserved for Hákon and I, and the privacy of our chambers. "Were you a big boy while your mama and I were busy?"
"Yes!" He announced, quite proud of himself. "I did all my homework and stayed inside when Miss Sigyn said I had to."
"Good, good." Loki messed up his hair with a chuckle. "My big boy. You make your mama and me very proud."
Hákon's smile seemed to grow brighter at that.
From the corner of my eyes I could see people's reaction to the interaction. Some seemed quite shocked by the way my husband was acting, having never seen him be so caring, so tender. Lady Frigg was smiling widely, she'd always known he was capably of so much more than he allowed to show most of the time. Odin's expression was the one that surprised me most, there was a mix of joy, hope and... pain. I did not understand.
The next second Hákon turned, seeing the other two people in our little group, and while he waved enthusiastically at Thor, his attention focused on Jane.
"Aunty Jane!" He called excitedly. "You're back!"
Somehow, his words seemed to drive the message better than any 'subtle maneuvering' on our part, Jane was with Thor, and she wasn't leaving...
xXx
The next fortnight had us going from meeting, to feast, to dance, to conference, on and on, almost every single day. There were so many people we needed to meet, to explain the events that had taken place (again) reassure them that Malekith and the dark-elves were all dead (and yes, this time really all of them), the Convergence was over and such an 'event' wouldn't happen again for the next five thousand years or so, the coven that had helped us in the battle were honorable and on our side; and most importantly: the Aether was safe, out of reach of the 'wrong hands' and would stay that way (though we still had no idea how to keep it that way...).
It was the one true argument we had with Odin Allfather during that time (because either he'd given up on his thoughts regarding who Thor's match should be, Lady Frigg had said something that made him quit for the time being, or he'd simply decided it was a bad idea to express the same kind of opinions he had in the past when all the visitors were seeing Jane Foster as one of the heroes who'd saved them). The King had wanted to get rid of the Aether, saying it was a bad idea to keep the object around when Asgard was already guarding the Tesseract, it was dangerous to keep more than one infinity stone in the same place. His plan had been to send it to someone called Taneleer Tivan, also known as 'the Collector' somewhere on the other side of the galaxy (as strange as that sounded to my ears). Loki had vehemently opposed that plan, though he refused to explain why (I could feel it had something to do with his time in the abyss, which would explain his reticence in talking about it). So I'd supported my match; Thor, seeing how strongly we felt about it, did the same, even if he didn't understand what was wrong, Jane just stayed out of it. So the Aether was still in the Weapon's Vault, though the Allfather had stated, rather strongly, that it could not stay there for any significant amount of time. My love and I agreed on making plans on the best way of safe-guarding it (regretfully we couldn't just toss it in the abyss and forget about it... it would be a bad idea, especially if my hunch proved right and Thanos was still alive).
Finally, two weeks after the Convergence, the battle and Jane's formal arrival to Asgard, a final celebration took place. A feast for all the envoys that had arrived from every single realm. The group from Alfheim had been the last to arrive, just the day before, and Thor and Jane had spent the most time with them; for some reason I couldn't comprehend, the elves didn't seem to like my love. Loki didn't seem to mind for the most part, said it was how things had been for as long as he could remember; he hadn't even done anything to them, it was simply how things were. Which was ridiculous, as Alfheim was the one Realm where things like cleverness, magic and wit were valued the most, shouldn't they like my match then?
Still, it was a chance to spend time with our son, I was afraid of being a bad mother with how busy we'd been during the last few days. Hákon had assured me he did not mind, he knew that his papa and I were important people: a prince and princess of the Realm Eternal, just like his birth Father had been King. He understood we were needed. Also, Jotunheim had sent a couple of Frost Giants as well, and since my love and I were the only ones who could safely be in close contact with them, it was to be expected that we escort them around.
Still, I was actually happy when the time came for the last feast. The envoys would be leaving the next day and everyone would get back to working on rebuilding and making sure life could go back to normal in our realm. After the mess that had been the last few weeks... the last year even, I wished for nothing more than some peaceful, even boring, time.
From the very start it was quite obvious that the feast had gained more importance than originally expected. It wasn't only a goodbye for our guests... I could see it the moment Jane stepped into the room (on Thor's arm, as had become usual), and yet, she had something on the very wrist of the hand she kept on the blonde prince's arm which she hadn't had before. At first sight it did not seem like much, merely a bracelet (less than an inch thick) made from braided pieces of leather, it was obviously handmade... and that was exactly where its significance came from.
Loki had once explained to me that Asgard had some ancient courtship traditions. While it wasn't unheard of for marriages to be arranged by the parents, it wasn't exactly common anymore either outside of the highest nobles and royals; and most of the unions that were created that way, were dissolved after a few years, once both parties had gotten what they hoped for, with the union (an heir, help with a business, a truce...). Even in those cases some traditions had to be respected; though they obviously carried more significance when the match was voluntary. The most important of all was the betrothal present, whenever possible two of them even, offered by each to their to-be-spouse and worn as a sign of their commitment to each other. It did not matter what the present was, as long as it had some significance and was meant for that specific purpose.
Some families used relics, as a way to honor ancestors, but most prided themselves in either commissioning or creating something absolutely unique to be used as a betrothal present. Lady Frigg's earrings were one such present, commissioned by Odin Allfather from the best dwarven jewelers in all the realms. My own nightingale pendant was the same; my beloved match had commissioned it from the dwarves, before weaving all kind of spells into it. I'd (unknowingly at the time) corresponded to this gesture when giving him the pendant with the chip that held the recording of me playing the dizi flute. He'd once told me that, even when he'd first commissioned my pendant he'd imagined it being a betrothal present, yet didn't allow himself to hold onto that thought, not when he wasn't sure anything would ever come out of it; so he'd chosen to call it a graduation present instead. Then things happened, and the pendant became what it was supposed to be all along.
For rich couples that was the first gift given in a relationship, followed by rings during the wedding ceremony itself, and whatever might come afterwards. However, most peasant couples, who did not have long engagements, or great riches, the betrothal present was the one thing they had to show for their relationship, and that was enough. Ylva was one such case too, she had no rings, for there was no way Fenrir could ever acquire one for her (and he hadn't believed it right to ask Loki for help, when the lady was his bride), still, I knew that for the valkyrie, the woven bracelet was more than enough.
Thor had chosen to go down a route few did. He'd done most of the present himself, the bracelet itself; and while it wasn't perfect, it was obvious how much care he'd put into it. It might not have been the most expensive betrothal present, but the message was obvious: he loved Jane, she was no passing fancy, but his future wife. The only detail he obviously hadn't done himself was the steel hammer hanging from the very middle of the bracelet, a perfect replica of Mjolnir and showing to anyone who might have been aware beforehand, just who Jane's future husband was.
I wasn't actually expecting Thor to have a corresponding present on him, except he did, it was a plait as well, only his wasn't made of leather, but entirely of hair: Jane's hair. A perfect lock of chocolate brown hair had been beautifully braided; and in the middle it was holding a natural 12-rayed (the rarest kind) star sapphire. It was a very beautiful, extremely rare stone, highly valued too; that one in particular Jane had found during a trip to Montana, while trying to prove her theories of Einstein-Rosen Bridges, and other worlds... since no one had claimed it, she'd gotten to keep it. It'd been the day after learning she could keep it that she'd first become aware of the increasing atmospheric anomalies on the New Mexico sky, where she'd gone afterwards. The anomalies kept growing, and she'd taken to keeping the stone on her person at all times. The rest, as some would say, was history.
I was still trying to fully process what I was seeing, when suddenly Sif was at my side, looking as shocked as I was.
"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" She asked me in a hissed whisper.
"Either that or we're both hallucinating right now." I deadpanned.
"Neither of you is hallucinating." My match said with a chuckle from my other side.
"Did the Allfather approve of this?" Sif asked him.
"I'm not sure he even knows..." My love began, before seemingly noticing something from the corner of his eye. "Scratch that, he just noticed..."
... and he most definitely had not known. I could only hope Thor was ready to deal with the mess that was coming. Odin was political enough not to call his son out during the celebration, but by the next morning all bets would be off...
Things actually went quite well for the feast. While a number of ladies had commented on Jane's 'obvious lack of fortune' (adding that to her mortality and lack of name), showed in her choice of betrothal gift; someone had at one point said how special it was that, from all the things Jane could have used as her betrothal gift, she'd chosen to give a part of herself, claiming that it showed a level of commitment few were willing to give... And since everyone in Asgard knew the level of commitment Loki and I had (the vows we had pronounced, the Ancient Rites...), it was only right for Jane to have followed suit; and that was also something few would ever think of doing, of offering.
The golden bow to the evening was when my match got on his feet to offer a toast:
"Brother..." He called in a strong, honest voice. "I remember the first time I saw you, after you'd met Jane Foster. A few days in her company, and she'd changed you, she brought out a part of you I hadn't seen in years, the best part." He turned to Jane, at Thor's right. "My lady, you've done miracles worthy of any goddess. I have faith that, with you by his side, Thor will one day be the King Asgard needs; just like he's the warrior, man... and brother..." He took a breath to hide the way his voice was close to breaking. "To my brother and his lady, may the Higher Powers watch over you and bless your union!"
"To Thor and Jane!" I seconded him.
"To Prince Thor and Lady Jane!" Our friends followed.
And from there the wishes extended around the room.
I reached for my beloved's face with a hand once he sat back down; a part of me couldn't help but think that it was a speech better fitted for a wedding, rather than an engagement; and yet it didn't make any word any less true, and it had certainly driven the point home. Thor and Jane were together, and they would remain that way.
*I love you...* I whispered into our bond.
*No more than I love you...* He replied with a soft smile, taking my hand in his and pulling it to his lips, to place a delicate kiss on my palm. *Forever...*
*Forever...* I agreed, nothing else would have felt right.
"Sister!" Thor called right then. "Would you sing for us?"
If I was honest, I'd already been expecting that, just not quite so soon. Most of the time people did not ask me to sing until later in the night, after they'd gotten tired of drinking and dancing. However, it was my brother asking, and I imagined he wanted something to keep with the mood of an engagement party.
"It will be my pleasure brother..." I nodded at him.
As I walked to the dais where the musicians were placed my mind worked a mile a minute, trying to decide what song to sing. I couldn't help but think that most of the songs I'd sung in the past just did not fit in that moment. Also, as if I didn't feel enough pressure already, as I walked by I could hear whispers about my voice. Aesir telling our visitors from other realms how good a singer I was. I became especially nervous when Volstagg, quite vocally, compared me to that elven lady again, the one I could never remember the name of... and I could only wonder what the group of elves present would think about that.
I'd just stepped into place when a song came to me. I didn't even know where it was coming from. It wouldn't be the first time a song came to me like that, not even the first time someone had heard me sing a song before I had the time to study and practice it. I would have never imagined singing something like that before so many people, and yet in that moment, with that song, it just felt so right... so I let go, and began singing:
"Time is a river that flows endlessly
And life is a whisper, a kiss in a dream."
From the moment the first word left my lips I couldn't help but feel as if some kind of force was taking over me. It was nothing bad, for I knew if it were my beloved would sense it and do something about it. No, it was more as if another part of myself, a part that had been asleep for a long time (decades) had suddenly woken up, putting words on my lips and feelings in my heart.
"Shadows dance behind the firelight
And all the spirits of the night remind us:
We are not alone..."
"Tomorrow: a sun soon rising
And yesterday is there beside us
And it's never far away."
I still did not understand where it was all coming from, but I did not fight it. A part of me knew that song was important, that it needed to be sung; it was no longer about giving a show, or even doing what my brother-in-law had asked, there was more, even if I myself did not know what. As if the song carried a secret message even I wasn't privy to, one that needed to come out now.
"If you listen to the wind you can hear me again
Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song
High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves
Listen to the wind, there's no end to my..."
"Love is forever a circle unbroken
The seasons keep changing; it always remains."
As the song went on, it began to feel more natural. I still knew not where the song had come from, but the emotions began feeling more my own (or maybe I just grew used to them enough to make them my own). And in the end, it did not matter how strange things might have been at the start, for I still believed every word I was singing to be true. Even the part about being gone, it was something I'd felt before, when I died, when I believed I was leaving my love behind... when the stars seemed to go out and I left my last breath in his kiss...
"Spring will melt the snows of winter
And the summer gives us days of light
So long till autumn makes them fade."
"Remember the sound of laughter
We ran together through the meadows
Still we thought our hearts could break."
I did not know when I'd closed my eyes, I usually didn't when singing for a crowd, feeling it was important for everyone listening to feel some kind of connection to me. But in that moment they no longer seemed to matter, I'd mostly forgotten why I was even standing there. Until I sensed him, my Maverick, my match, standing right in front of me. My eyes blinked open as easily as if I'd just closed them for a second, hazel meeting jade and I could sense deep inside him the same twist of feelings and thoughts I couldn't fully comprehend, even as they kept coming out of me in the form of song and magic intertwined. He knew something was going on, just as well as I did, even if neither of us had the slightest idea of what exactly it was.
"If you listen to the wind, you can hear me again
Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song
High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves
Listen to the wind and I'll send you my love..."
I extended my hands to him, never stopping my song. I knew the climax of the song was coming, and a part inside of me felt the need to touch him, to feel him, to know without a shadow of doubt he was there... or maybe he was the one that needed that reassurance, with the song bringing up memories that weren't at all easy for either of us.
The moment our hands touched, it was like the final piece of the puzzle finally settling in place. As if something that I/we had been missing all along was finally where it belonged. And as I sang the last chorus of the song, I could feel every word resonate inside my mind, heart... my very soul. That was my song, my song to him, the reminder that I would always be there, in life and death, we were each other's lover, consort, match, soul-mate... everything. Our love was the kind that would never end, not by time and not by death, no matter what, we would love each other forever...
"Listen to the wind where the sky meets the land
I'm not really gone I've been here all along
High up in the trees in the sound of the leaves
Listen to the wind there's no end to my..."
"Time is a river that flows to the sea
And a life is a whisper, a kiss in a dream..."
My love timed it perfectly, bending to kiss me at the exact moment the song ended. It was a short kiss, tender, and very meaningful. We broke it after only a few seconds, and I immediately knew I wanted to kiss him again, for longer, and I knew in the corner of my mind that was connected to his that he felt exactly the same way. In that moment neither of us was really thinking about Jane, Thor, his parents, the guests... until we were abruptly interrupted by several of said guests, in a way neither of us could have ever expected.
"Lady Tinúviel!" A number of them called at the same time.
Loki and I pulled away as I corner of my mind realized that must be the name of the elven-lady Volstagg was always comparing me with, and which I could never remember... though it did not sound like I was being compared in that moment, in fact...
I didn't get to finish my thought when I became aware of someone staring straight at me with a mix of shock and... awe. A male elf of long dark hair with the slightest hint of curls and eyes of the deepest blue I'd ever seen, dressed in elegant robes of pale-silver-blue and burnt-red, with a thin silver circlet across his forehead (he was obviously someone important).
"Who is he?" I whispered under my breath, not able to take my eyes off him.
"Lord Erynion, he's part of the Ruling Council of Alfheim..." He told me quietly.
"Like the Council of Elders here in Asgard?" I asked just as quietly.
"Mostly, except they haven't had an actual Queen for... almost a thousand years now." My love replied. "The Allfather sent Frey there a long time ago to supervise, but even he isn't truly King. They have a court of princesses, but even they don't have absolute authority."
"Why do I feel like I've seen him before?" The question was mostly for myself, though I said it aloud anyway. "And why is he looking at me like that?"
There were no answers, and they weren't really necessary, for right then the elven lord turned to look at the Allfather.
"Allfather!" He cried out with such intensity I felt goosebumps on my skin.
The Eihenjar bristled but a motion from the King made them stand down.
"Is everything alright, Lord Erynion?" He asked in his most pleasant voice.
"Why?" Erynion's voice was suddenly low, though no less intense.
"Why what?" Odin really didn't seem to understand.
"Why would you hide such a thing from us? From Alfheim?" He asked, voice half-broken. "Why when you know we love her so? Why let us believe your son an Oathbreaker, taking a second wife, when it was her all along?"
I felt my love tense beside me, though I couldn't focus on it much, not when my own head was spinning. A second wife?! But my match had told me that he'd never really had a relationship with Hel's mother... And since we were a match, nothing could be stronger, I knew that. And yet, the elf sounded so sincere, he truly believed what he was saying... and the way he looked at me, like he knew me, like he... missed me? How could he possibly know me? I was no elf, but mortal, human (or I'd been). It didn't fit...
"Why didn't you tell us our princess was back?!" Erynion demanded loudly again.
"Princess?!" I wasn't even conscious I'd spoken out-loud that time.
"She doesn't remember..." The whisper ran across the room like fire.
"I know not what you speak of..." I admitted, holding myself back from reaching for him, like a part of me wanted to, the conscious part of my mind didn't think it to be a good idea.
"I knew you." Erynion said, looking straight at me. "A thousand years ago. Lady Lalaith Mirloth, princess of Alfheim, my ward..."
"I don't..." I shook my head, not knowing how to explain things to him without hurting him. "I cannot be who you say I am. I am human-born, my lord. Silbhé Salani, was my name, until my match renamed me Nightingale..."
"Tinúviel..." He agreed softly. "It's what he called you last time too."
"This is ridiculous!" This time it was my match calling out without thinking. "I would know if I'd had a wife before, and an elven princess at that!"
"Not if you'd been made to forget her, to forget everything." A soft, melodic voice called.
I knew who she was, Lady Thenidiel, the most powerful spell-weaver of Alfheim and part of the Ruling Council, I could also sense a connection between her and Erynion. She was one among few of the Ljósalfár who had spoken to my match without contempt. Did it have something to do with what Lord Erynion had said? About the elves calling him Oathbreaker for marrying a... second time? I did not understand!
"He went insane." The Allfather spoke abruptly. "It was for his own good."
"You made me forget something?! My own wife?!" Loki roared in fury.
"It matters not, you are married now, and the two of you claim to be a match." Odin insisted.
"It matters husband, if she truly is, like Lord Erynion has claimed, Lalaith reincarnated." Frigg offered neutrally, though there was a hint of something in her eyes.
"It's not possible." The King denied. "It is rare enough for a match to be reborn. A half of a match does not just come back, they cannot re-start the cycle of life and death until both are together on the other side."
"That's how it's supposed to be, yes..." His Queen nodded. "But there is always the chance..."
"She doesn't look anything like Princess Lalaith!" Odin was, most definitely, in absolute denial.
"It may not be the same body, but it is the same soul, I can see it." Thenidiel declared calmly. "And so can Prince Loki, it's why he chose her, even without being fully conscious of it."
"Her voice..." Erynion murmured, in a mix of grief and awe. "It's how I knew it was her. She still has the most melodic voice in all the realms. The very reason why she was named Lady Tinúviel, the Songstress, with a voice like the fairest birds in the galaxy." He turned to stare straight at me. "The one who gave up the crown and throne of Alfheim out of love for the second prince of Asgard, long has my people... our people sang songs about the intensity of their love. The match made in the stars..."
In an instant, I snapped. I couldn't keep hearing him say that. Odin Allfather's denial was nothing compared to mine; he didn't want to listen, I simply couldn't. My mind refused to process what I was hearing, its implications, it was simply too much for my human mind to comprehend.
I turned to look at my match, who was gazing at me with a mix of confusion and wonder, such intensity in his eyes, as if he were trying to see into me... or maybe he was hoping to see inside me and find... her. I didn't know, and I couldn't even think about it, I gave a step back, away from him, the last thing I ever imagined doing, before allowing instinct to take over as I sunk into the shadows at my feet.
xXx
My match found me eventually, kneeling in the middle of my rose-patch in Salani manor (the one in Maine). I wasn't even conscious when I'd crossed the Shadow Paths all the way to Midgard. I could sense our son inside the house, in one of the guest-rooms, he was sleeping.
"My love..." I whispered as I sensed more than saw him beside me.
I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even imagine what it must have looked like, for me to vanish so abruptly from the feast, leaving everyone else arguing, leaving my husband... but I just hadn't been able to handle it anymore. I also remembered Thor and Jane right then...
"Sh..." My Maverick must have sensed my restlessness for he focused on soothing me right away. "It's fine, my love. Everything and everyone is just fine. Everyone on Asgard understands it was all too much. Thor gave the order we were to be left alone until you were ready to return. Lord Erinyon offered to wait a fortnight in Asgard, unless you decide you'd rather not speak with him."
"What about you?" I was curious how he saw everything.
"I don't know." He admitted with a sigh. "Mother says I don't remember because I was made to forget. That I was insane and self-destructive and it was the only way to stop me destroying the world in an attempt at destroying myself. I also might have done a number of things that caused the Elders to hate me ever since..." He shook his head. "Somehow my forgetting made others forget certain things as well, which is why apparently no one connected you to her before. I..." He let out a breath. "I don't know if I believe any of it, though I don't think it should matter in the end. I am who I am, you taught me that... or reminded me, whatever. I am who I want to be, and I am with the person I want to be with... nothing else should matter."
It was obvious we didn't see things, or at least not this specific matter the same way. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
"I don't know if I can do it." I admitted in a half-sob, half-whisper. "I don't know if I can be her... this Princess Lalaith the elves believe me to be, or have been..."
"You don't have to be." My love hurried to assure me. "I love you Nightingale, Silbhé, for who and what you are, not who you might have been."
"I don't know if I even want to." I didn't want to say what was still in my head, but knew I had to, he deserved to know, needed to understand. "Because... because if I am really her, if I am the reincarnation of Lalaith Mirloth, Princess of Alfheim... do I love you for me, or for her? Are any of my decisions mine, or just a reflection of hers? Am I real, or just a place-holder?"
"You are real!" Abruptly my love took hold of me, twisting my body until I was facing him. "Do not make this mistake, my match, not the same one I made when I first learnt of the ice in my veins, the winter printed in my true skin..."
"But am I really your match?" I couldn't help but insist. "Or her? This Lalaith? She was your first-wife, and apparently your love was so great that a thousand years later songs are still being written about it! At least until you married me and Alfheim came to consider you a Forsworn for going against your oaths to her! For me!"
The whole thing was making me crazy, I did not think I could handle it.
We were kneeling, face to face, surrounded by my rose-garden in full-bloom, bathed by the silver-moonlight, which made the crystal in various shades of green, purple and blue scattered on my off-white dress sparkle beautifully. He was in his usual black and green ensemble, his black hair beginning to both reach his shoulders and curl, as it'd been a while since he'd last had a chance to cut it (I actually liked it more at that length).
"Some say I'm cruel but nobody knows what I feel for you
My love, you're the only one, yeah, do you understand?
I can't let you slip right through my hands
No, my love, don't try and run. See in my eyes, you and I are one..."
I wasn't expecting that. For so long I'd silently wished for my match to sing to me, and in that moment, it happened. Also, in that moment I could see a flash of an image in my mind's eye, of my love singing that same song to me, looking so sorrowful, repentant; only we weren't standing in a rose-garden, but instead one of flowers that looked as delicate as crystals, and shone as brightly as jewels under the bright starlight.
I would have gone down the same spiral once again, if my love hadn't distracted me as he did right in that moment. He pulled one one my hands to his own cheek, the other to my heart; before leaving my hands there to mimic the position with his own on my body.
"This is real... and this..." As he whispered the words he caressed my cheek and pressed over my heart in turn. "We Are Real..." He pressed a brief but loving kiss on my lips. "Our bond is real. Nothing else matters, my love."
He was right, a part of me knew that. And yet there was another part that couldn't help but still worry. I believed in his love, of course, how could I not? What I no longer knew was who I was supposed to be anymore: Professor Silbhé Salani or Princess Lalaith Mirloth?
I hope you like what I'm doing with Thor and Jane, I just like their pairing so much, and they deserved a chance! Also, Sif will get her own too, I promise. Eventually...
As for the other thing... I know things are confusing right now, but I promise it'll get better. And well, I would really like to know what you think about it. It wasn't planned at the beginning, not until I read a certain poem and heard a certain song (I'll reveal those in due time), and suddenly I couldn't get the idea out of my head. So, tell me what you think, and I hope you'll stick around for what's to come.
Also, for those who might be wondering, 'that' is what the sidestory will be all about (I'm currently writing that one). So, see you next week for the conclusion to this second part of Nightingale's story, and the connection to our next sidestory. And those who might have ideas for AUs, let me know! I have some, but I always welcome more.
Please review!
