Chapter 9: It Starts Like This
Today was a big day.
Almost as big a day as their naming ceremony. Pretty much every Asgardian was present and their cheers were deafening.
Opposite to the makeshift throne that had been carted into the open banquet hall specifically for this occasion, stood Thor in all his glory. His armor has been polished and his deep red cape stood out like a beacon on his back. In his clenched hand was Mjolnir, raised high for everyone to see.
Loki and Elysia stood beside Frigga to the right of the steps that led to where Odin was perched atop his throne. Both had to contain their joy for Thor, knowing that it would not be suitable for them to clap in public. They would have to wait until they were alone to express their congratulations.
The Warriors Three stood on the staircase opposite of them and Sif resided on the stair below the two siblings. Elysia had understood why Sif was standing with them, being Thor's soulmate, but she didn't have the faintest idea why the other three boys were allowed to wait with them as though they were family.
Blinding smile plastered across his face, Thor made his way towards their father, stopping to hold the hammer high once more as he soaked in the sound of praise coming from their people. Their mother wore a look of fond exasperation, knowing by now that her eldest was one to preen under attention.
However the more he continued to do so, the more uncomfortable Elysia began to feel. She understood that he was excited for this day, but it just seemed like he was living it up a bit too much. The way he egged the crowd on, encouraging their boisterous noise, didn't seem fitting.
They weren't actions that spoke to the wisdom of a future king, but instead of a boy who still had a lot to learn.
Quickly glancing over at Loki she could notice the strain on his face for the first time, no doubt realizing the same thing she had. She didn't dare look at their father though, knowing that she might not like what she saw reflecting back.
Elysia subtly reached for Loki's hand, hoping to calm her sudden nerves. It warmed her heart when her brother merely grasped ahold without a single word. Both watched as Thor finally made it to the base of the stairs where he proceeded to kneel.
Elysia resisted the urge to slap a hand to her forehead when she watched him smile charmingly at their mother as he winked up at her.
Frigga wanted to laugh at the cheek of her son. He reminded her of a young Odin, full of confidence and the shared belief that they were on top of the world. Instead she settled on the slight shake of her head, the tiny up tilt of her lip exposing her amusement.
Odin stood and hit his staff against the floor, drawing every eye onto him as a hush fell across the people. "Thor Odinson, my heir, my firstborn."
Everyone was so engrossed in Odin and what he was going to say that they missed the slight sneer that Frigga sent him as she forced herself to turn her eyes away, all previous amusement vanishing. The sheer audacity that he had to forget the past both astounded and aggravated her. Her teeth clenched as she thought back to a time when the sun seemed not to shine on Asgard, when a very different dark-haired beauty strolled these very halls full of power as she shouted commands left and right.
If she closed her eyes Frigga could almost imagine what it would be like if different choices had been made, had Odin and her noticed things a parent should notice before it becomes too late. She imagined a scenario where her husband could not claim such things, a time when the very foundations of their home was not buried beneath pretty lies and shaky testaments.
Frigga's struggle went unnoticed as Odin's voice continued to carry, "So long entrusted with the mighty hammer Mjolnir forged in the heart of a dying star, its power has no equal, as a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build." Odin paused, thinking that perhaps it may not have been the whole truth, but he still wasn't ready for the universe to know about Elysia. "Tis a fit companion for a king." The insinuation laid heavily upon that statement. "I have defended Asgard and the lives of the innocent across the nine realms from the time of the great beginning."
Elysia prayed to every Allfather, hoping that this was not going to be one of his long speeches about the history of their home. They had all heard it so much by now that they could probably recite it verbatim. Elysia was not ashamed to admit that she focused her stare on a crack on the wall and let her father's speech flow into one ear and out the other.
"Do you swear to guard the nine realms?" Loki squeezed her hand, letting her know that now was the time to pay attention. She watched as her eldest brother began swearing his oaths to the throne and all those in their kingdom.
"I swear."
"And do you swear to preserve the peace?"
"I swear." There was more conviction laced in the words, yet still that small grin had not been wiped from his face.
"Do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambition and pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?" Elysia tried to ignore the way Odin said it. The way the knowledge in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. The Odinson family all knew what Thor was like, and Elysia hated that their father would phrase the question in such a way that practically set her brother up to fail.
Her father said it like he knew his son would only be able to accomplish half of that oath.
"I swear." Thor raised Mjolnir in the air as he practically shouted his response, clearly ready for them to move onto the main event.
Loki glanced down at Thor wishing that the sliver of doubt was not rooted in his heart. Thor was not selfish in the way that many were, his was an unintentional result of how they were raised. Nobody had ever told Thor that he couldn't do anything, that he was incapable or not allowed certain advances. He had gotten used to getting his way.
And though Loki knew that there was nothing more important to Thor than protecting their people, he also knew that his brother's need to come out on top along with his rashness could at times be labeled selfish. That's why he was concerned by the sureness in Thor's voice when he made that oath. He feared what would happen to him if it was accidentally broken.
"Then, on this day, I Odin Allfather, proclaim you..."
Eagerness was pouring off of Thor, every cell in his body awaiting those final words that would signify all of his hard work. Prove to anyone who doubted, that he had been deemed fit as his father's heir. All the training he went through, the battles he fought, the blood that he had shed, all led to this moment.
This moment when he would no longer be just a prince, but a future Allfather.
The air around them shifted as both Odin and Elysia went stiff.
Colors burst from inside her, shooting off in a million directions, only visible to her. Something deep in Elysia tugged at her, on an anchor she didn't know existed. An old, deep anger she had only ever felt a handful of times rushed through her. It was calling her, commanding her body to move. And her body was all too happy to obey.
There was an energy signature that didn't belong. It reeked of maliciousness and whatever was on the other end of the line, rooted firmly in her very being, possessed an ancient wrath. It was not pleased that there was danger nearby.
Loki sent her a bewildered look as he had to jerk her back towards him, wondering what his sister was thinking about so deeply that she was about to walk away from the ceremony while it was still going on. But between her and his father, Loki wasn't sure which one to look at. Both were acting strangely.
"The Frost Giants" Odin murmured as his eyes focused on something in the distance.
Instantly everything made sense. Odin could feel Asgard at its very core, was on a wavelength that no other could understand. He knew every inch of their land in the same way that Elysia knew souls, how she would know if a foreign one was ever present.
It wasn't hard to put two and two together. The Frost Giants were here to retrieve what Odin rightfully took all those centuries ago.
Odin tapped his staff on the ground once, the sound echoing through her bones, and the royal family all knew what it meant. The Destroyer was now taking care of the intruders, with a swift efficiency that would eliminate any chance of accidental casualties.
Frigga was left to explain what was happening to their congregated people as Odin swept down the stairs, beginning his trek towards his vault. Thor dutifully followed behind, well placed fury etching the lines of his face, and Loki and Elysia quickly shuffled out after them with hands still intertwined.
In the back of her mind Elysia couldn't help but think that this whole thing sounded an awful lot like a coronation before it had been interrupted.
The vault was a mess when they arrived, bodies slung across the floor caused her chest to ache. Friend or foe had no bearing, all was hard to look at. Ice coated the floor and ran alongside the walls, creating a coldness that was hard to ignore. Elysia buried her face in Loki's shoulder, taking comfort from the excess warmth his attire brought him.
While her father and brothers all wore armor, she was in her formal wear. A dress, a flimsy dress that provided no heat in this dungeon like room. She cursed their customs for stating that it was most inappropriate for her to arrive in a warm cape and silver-plated protection.
Thor on the other hand was looking around in thinly veiled anger, taking in the sight of damage caused on what was supposed to be his important day. "The Jotuns must pay for what they've done."
She pulled her head away from Loki's shoulder long enough to ask, "Thor, they're dead. What more could you wish for?" Elysia hated this. Hated standing there trying to pretend that the promise of vengeance in her brother's voice didn't frighten her. She wanted to turn around and flee from the room that reeked of death.
Odin was looking at the Casket, inspecting to make sure there was no harm done. "Your sister is right. The Destroyer did its work, the Casket is safe, and all is well."
The scoff that made its way out of Thor's throat sounded harsh, "All is well? They broke into the weapons vault! If the Frost Giants had stolen even one of these relics..."
Elysia could feel the irony prodding at the back of her skull. It was as if he had forgotten that the three of them had broken into the very same vault when they were nothing more than mere children.
Whatever bait Thor was setting up had not affected Odin in the slightest, "They didn't."
The Frost Giants had escaped with nothing, not even their own lives. If anything, it already proved to be a good enough warning to others that they shouldn't try the same.
"Well I want to know why!"
Loki's head flew back as he stared at his brother in shock and Elysia's grip on his grew tighter. He had wisely chosen to remain silent, knowing that the slightest comment from him could spark a match between the two. Never had they spoken to their father with anything less than the respect he deserved, and they had certainly never raised their voices to the man.
To Elysia and Loki this whole thing was very simple. If Odin, Allfather to the nine realms, wasn't asking any questions then why should they?
But Odin was proving to be patient with Thor, choosing to explain his reasoning instead of forcing it upon him without so much as a word. "I have a truce with Laufey, king of the Jotuns."
Thor sounded incredulous as he stared wide eyed at his father, "He just broke your truce! They know you are vulnerable." He did not understand how Odin was not worried about this attempt.
Vulnerable wasn't exactly the word Elysia thought of when she pictured their father.
Odin finally turned around, "What action would you take?" This was so very clearly a test that Elysia almost prayed Thor would keep his mouth shut. There was only one answer that Odin was looking for and she already knew it wasn't the one that Thor possessed.
"March into Jotunheim as you once did. Teach them a lesson. Break their spirits so they'll never dare try to cross our boarders again."
And just like that Thor failed the test he didn't even know he was taking.
Elysia closed her eyes and tampered the rising urge to back away from her eldest brother. For so long she had tried to ignore what was staring her right in the face. There was far too much of Odin to be found in Thor, and it broke her heart. She missed the brother that had been more intrigued by the beauty around them and not the most effective way to cause his enemies to submit.
There was a vindictive part of her that she liked to forget about, that hoped Odin could see what he had done to his own son. See how he had twisted Thor into someone who would rather fight their way out of things with no consequence to the people around him.
As much as he would like to deny it there was a distinct disappointment in Odin, "You're thinking only as a warrior." Asgard was not in need of another warrior. Perhaps it was for the best that the ceremony had been interrupted. The two of them continued to argue, Thor with a passion that burned red hot and Odin with a spine of steel wrapped loosely in subtlety.
"This was an act of war!"
"It was the act of but a few, doomed to fail."
"Look how far they got." Thor gestured to the small carnage behind him with the hand that wasn't holding Mjolnir.
Blocking every one of his excuses, Odin remained calm and collected. "We will find the breach in our defenses and it will be sealed."
There was a grim determination that washed over Thor and although Elysia had remained silent, everything in her screamed to stop whatever it was that was about to come out of his mouth. Thor didn't always run things past his brain before he put them out in the open.
"As king of Asgard-" Thor started heatedly, not understanding that this was a button that was not to be pushed when it came to Odin.
"But you're not king!"
The following silence was louder than Odin's shout, cutting through all three siblings. Elysia and Loki wanted to step forward for their brother, wanted to let him know that they stood by his side, but Thor was only the heir to the throne, he didn't sit upon it. And that fact seemed to escape him. In this instance Thor was in the wrong.
Elysia didn't know how to defend someone who couldn't even admit that they've made a mistake.
"Not yet." Odin walked away, unaware that he had left his children to once again clean up the mess he made of them.
Thor had stormed out of the vault once it was clear that Odin would no longer be in the immediate vicinity. The two remaining siblings decided to give him a bit of space, but not too much in fear that in his tantrum Thor might do something stupid.
The tense silence that enveloped the room dispersed and settled into soft waves as Loki and Elysia refused to separate from one another. No words needed to be exchanged between them, both knowing that there was nothing that could help them make sense of what had just happened.
Every family had its dark spots and cracks that were kept well hidden, but their family's cracks were more like caverns.
Their particular brand of brokenness had been busted wide open with every dismissal they received from their father, every misplaced guilty look he threw at his two youngest when he thought no one was looking, and the way he had made it so very clear that asking for a tangible gesture of his love would have been considered a weakness.
They were broken down and put back together in the worst of ways.
All because their father didn't know how to love his children properly, and made the mistake of letting them realize it.
It was no wonder that Thor would do all it took to make that man proud, even if he thought a war was the way to go about it.
But just because Loki and Elysia knew all of this didn't mean they would ever let it cross their lips. A truly blasphemous thing for a child to say in regards to their father. But Loki and Elysia were not holy people and the words lingered on the edge of their tongues, desperate to feel the damage they could cause.
Her voice itched to rip her father apart with the same words he used against them so many times before, and see if his soul bled in response.
Ever since she touched the tesseract there was a small portion of her that wanted to savagely tear into something and taste the blood coating her teeth. Elysia shunned it, much like she did now with this new urge.
Because if it was said out loud, if they acknowledged it even to each other, they could never take it back and it would have been set in stone. And such a thing would only serve to break Frigga and Thor's hearts, which is the last thing either of them wanted.
The prince and princess of Asgard took a deep breath in and when they exhaled, they shoved the bitter knowledge out to be consumed by the silence. Turning, they followed the path their brother had taken, leaving behind frozen bodies and acidic secrets.
Infinity stones should have come with a warning. Because anything that ancient must have had the time to accumulate quite a storage of rage. Maybe power had nothing to do with the reason people couldn't survive an encounter with them. Maybe it was the all-consuming wrath that drowned them and broke every molecule of theirs apart.
Elysia didn't like housing such a dark thing, but her feelings didn't stop the call for retribution that resonated within her.
Standing behind a pillar they watched as Thor cried in outrage and flipped a table in the banquet hall. Heavily breathing, their brother made his way to sit on the stairs with a clenched jaw and tightly wound fists.
Loki, being the braver of the two, slunk out from around the pillar and approached him cautiously. Thor had been upset before, but this was to a whole new degree.
Thor spared him a brief glance before turning his eyes back to the marble beneath his feet, "It's unwise for you two to be in my company right now." The last thing Thor wanted was to take his anger out of his younger siblings when they had done nothing to deserve it.
Elysia could practically taste the hidden sadness in his soul and her heart moved her to kneel down behind Thor and wrap her arms around his neck, gently resting her cheek beside his. Even though he was upset, he still reached up and cradled the back of her head with his large palm. She was filled with warmth at the gesture and nuzzled in closer.
Loki sat beside his brother and nudged his shoulder with his own. Feeling the comfort of both his siblings, Thor began to rant despite his previous warning for them to leave him alone. "This was to be my day of triumph."
Loki looked at Thor, searching his face trying to think of something to lift his spirits, "It'll come, in time." It's not much, but he hoped it let Thor know he's here for him. He made to reach out and lay a hand on Thor's shoulder when the entry doors swung open, causing Loki to swiftly snatch his hand back to himself.
Sif walked in first, and the bane of Elysia's existence trailed in after her.
The Warriors Three looked around the room, not expecting to see an overturned table and food scattered across the floor. Turning, they saw their princess draped across their friend's upper body, her piercing eyes trailing up and down their bodies before she casually dismissed them and seemed to mold herself closer to Thor.
Volstagg could no longer stand the curiosity, "What's this?" Thor was by far the loudest of them, always making his displeasure well known, but to see him sitting so quietly when he was clearly upset was not a normal sight to walk in on.
None of the siblings responded verbally. Elysia's grip on Thor tightened subconsciously, because the Warriors Three always had a way of stealing him right out from under her. Her hands found a home in her brother's bright golden locks, trying her hardest to make it impossible for him to get up and walk away from her and Loki.
Thor slumped a little at the contact.
She didn't care if it was selfish, Loki and Thor were hers. She would share them only with their parents and soulmates, no one else.
Loki, realizing that he didn't have as much time to discuss this as he thought, leaned in closer and begun whispering quickly. "If it's any consolation, I think you're right. About the Frost Giants, about Laufey, about everything."
Sif glanced at the siblings in contemplation, wondering why her soulmate looked so tense and why whatever they were talking about was so important that they could not speak in normal tones.
Ignoring the other occupants in the room Loki continued, "If they found a way to penetrate Asgard's defenses once who's to say they won't try again? Next time with an army."
Vindication raced through Thor's veins as his brother spoke, "Exactly!" Why was it that their father could not understand the same thing? All Thor wanted to do was ensure the safety of his family and his people, what was so wrong with that?
Sitting back an inch, Loki shook his head minutely, "There's nothing you can do without defying father." There was sympathy in his eyes and he slowly reminded Thor about his biggest hurdle. The immovable mountain that would always stop him in his tracks.
But all his words did was serve to light the spark of determination and recklessness that resided in Thor at all times and Loki's face dropped as he realized what his words had actually done. He meant to cheer his brother up, not encourage another one of his insane ideas.
"No, no, no. I know that look."
Carefully extracting himself from Elysia's grip, Thor stood and pointed at Loki, abandoning whispers for his usual booming pitch. "It's the only way to ensure the safety of our boarders." He was ignorant to the way that his sister's hands clenched in his direction, her fingers itching to pull him back towards them.
"Thor, it's madness" Loki couldn't stress it enough. There were so many ways for this to go wrong and only a handful of ones where they would be victorious. He wasn't sure that the odds made any of it worth it. Without the backing of Asgard's army there wasn't much any of them could do.
They had just successfully gained the full attention of the other four Asgardians in the room. Volstagg was the first to speak up yet again, "Madness? What sort of madness?"
Elysia growled under her breath, still keyed up from earlier. Her ire waited, festering inside of her, and there was nowhere for it to go. So it sat in the pit of her stomach, waiting and searching for a victim to unleash itself upon. And as much as she didn't want to, Thor's friends were quickly on their way to becoming a target.
This was a family discussion, and Elysia felt that nobody besides the three of them had any place to speak or pry into their private conversation.
"We're going to Jotunheim."
Her breathing faltered and her eyes fell shut on their own account.
Behind her eyelids a world gone white exploded, a place where fear and death lived, where the sun seemed to abandon its post in the sky. Her fingers trembled at the memory of her Papa's body on the ground, a stark contrast to the vast nothingness surrounding him.
A sharp stabbing pain was sent shooting through her palm from the indentations her fingernails were making. How could Thor so casually make that decision knowing what it would mean to her?
Elysia was not the only one shocked by Thor's statement and Fandral scoffed like he couldn't believe what had just come out of his dear friend's mouth. "What? This isn't like a journey to Earth where you summon a little lightning and thunder, and the mortals worship you like a god. This is Jotunheim."
For once in centuries Elysia found herself agreeing with Fandral. Thor had no idea what he was up against.
Words proved useless because Thor swatted them away with nothing more than the shake of his head, "My father fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies and took their Casket. We would just be looking for answers."
Pinching the bridge of his nose Loki bowed his head and prayed to the Allfathers. Prayed that they give him the strength to deal with his brother. Thor was not Odin, no matter how much he tried to imitate him, he simply wasn't. Yes, their father had indeed marched into Jotunheim and left with a victory, but he paid a heavy price for it.
A price that they were reminded of every time they looked at his face or thought about the reason Elysia was their sister in the first place.
His brother had either forgotten or failed to realize the enormity of those sacrifices.
"It is forbidden!" Sif loved Thor, he was the other half of her soul and she liked to think she was one of the people who knew him best, but sometimes he astounded her with his choices and reasoning. He was talking about going against their king and Allfather, and regardless of the fact that Thor was his son, Sif couldn't imagine him getting out of trouble this time.
Thor smiled wide and chuckled, his arms opening wide as he walked towards his friends and soulmate, once again turning his back to his siblings. Elysia felt like he was slipping away from them with every step he took. "My friends, have you forgotten all that we've done together?"
He understood their hesitation, for this was something on a much bigger scale then they had ever done before. But they were the best warriors Asgard had, and Thor had the upmost faith that if anyone could travel to Jotunheim it would be them. All he had to do now was convince them of what he already knew. "Fandral, Hogun. Who led you into the most glorious of battles?"
A rare smile crossed Hogun's face as he nodded his head reluctantly, "You did."
Pleased that he had made his point, Thor moved onto Volstagg who was in the middle of putting together some sort of sandwich, "And Volstagg, to delicacies so succulent, you'd thought you died and gone to Valhalla?"
Elysia couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes as the red headed man chuckled as he was remembering what was no doubt more food, "You did."
Laughing joyfully, Thor patted him on the shoulder, "Yes!"
Elysia could see Thor's praise twisting and changing their viewpoints. Men were so easily led, all it took was a little bit of stroking their pride and suddenly they were ready to throw themselves into death's clutches just to prove they were fearless. As much as she wished it wasn't true, her brother was not exempt from that.
Moving to eye his soulmate tenderly, Thor took note of the unimpressed look on Sif's face. There was no need for him to convince her, already knowing that she would follow him to the ends of the universe, as he would do for her. Still, he wanted to stress his point further, "And who proved wrong all those who scoffed at the idea that a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors this realm has ever known?"
"I did."
"She did."
Thor briefly paused before conceding to Sif and Elysia's claim. He really should have seen that one coming. Pointing at her with a fond smile Thor admitted it, "True. But I supported you, Sif." He let his gaze linger on her for a little longer before addressing the whole lot of them, "My friends, we're going to Jotunheim."
Elysia went to stand, dead set in her mission to shake some sense back into her brother when Fandral piped up. "Um, are you sure it's wise to bring the ladies along?" Seeing both Loki and Thor tense back up had him rushing to explain, "I mean, Jotunheim is far more dangerous than anything we've ever done before and we wouldn't want them to get hurt."
Elysia's hard gaze swung to the man as Sif let out an exasperated scoff. Her displeasure with her brother was momentarily placed to the side as her focus shifted to one of the only three people she really couldn't stand.
Thor didn't move from his position nor did he immediately rise to Elysia's defense, which should have been a warning to the rest of them. Had they noticed Loki's smirk however, then perhaps Fandral would have taken more care to try getting out of the hole he had just dug himself into. There was nobody who could ever offer the slightest of offenses to Elysia without the two of them right there, ready to crush bones in her honor. But both boys knew that there were some things that their sister liked to address herself, one of them being her capability to handle herself.
Frigga had been a very powerful warrior and was an even stronger magic bearer. It stood to reason that her daughter would not be anything less than magnificent.
Elysia appreciated the fact that her brothers had not directly came to her aid. She knew that Fandral had not meant any harm, he was just sharing his opinion. It was just unfortunate that he couldn't see how offensive it was to her and Sif.
Making her way to lean against the upturned table Elysia caught Fandral's eyes and held them, gauging whether or not he would be the type to look away. "If you think that I cannot do this because I am royalty and have therefore been sheltered, then I will accept it without complaint and simply prove you wrong." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. If that had been his reasoning then she didn't think she could have been genuinely upset with him. Elysia looked a bit soft to be a warrior, it was not news to her.
She also knew that her upbringing was not the theme behind his reasoning because he had lumped Sif in the same category, and they had not been raised in the same manner. And that had been his mistake.
Sif was the Goddess of War, a title well earned.
Every time Elysia fought she did it for her soulmate, the need to know that she would be strong enough to take care of him motivating her to push past previously set limits. For Fandral to doubt her strength was an insult to her ability to protect her younger soulmate.
Her eyes narrowed, "But if you are implying that we cannot do this because we are women, then I will wage a war that will leave you trembling." Elysia's voice grew firmer and it seemed to echo in the large banquet hall. "And I will rise from among a carnage unlike you've ever seen and ask you if you think a man's war is somehow more beautiful than a woman's war."
Elysia straightened up and began walking towards Thor's friend, "Did no one tell you that our fires burn brighter? That our sword cuts deeper?" Fandral's wide eyes had not left her form, even as he unconsciously shifted backwards, almost bumping into Hogun. But Elysia was not done, "Do you not think our pale skin looks more enthralling with the deep red of our enemies splattered across it? Do our hands still feel soft knowing that they have snapped necks?"
She ran the pads of her fingertips across her throat gently, barely allowing them the slightest of pressure. For a brief moment Elysia wondered if she was taking this too far, but she couldn't honestly say she cared. She was tired and upset her brother had made such a huge decision without consulting her, and there was still that age-old anger that didn't belong to her blazing within.
"Don't worry about us because Sif and I know the answers to all of those questions" Elysia stopped right in front of Fandral, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Would you like to find out how?"
A shiver ran up Fandral's spine and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad. What he did know was that the docile princess had never looked so fierce, and he had never been more afraid of a woman other than his own mother before.
There was no hiding the large smile that overtook Thor's face. He was all for women warriors, thought that they were amazing. He had always admired that Sif could hold her own among them, and on a great many occasions even beat them. Seeing that same fire in his little sister made him proud. She may not have been the biggest advocate for violence, but she certainly knew how to put someone in their place when the time arose.
Loki simply reached out and gently dragged Elysia back to the step he had been resting on. He drew her in between his legs and let her lay her back against his chest. He had gotten his show and was now content to sit here and bask in the peace that his sister brought him. He waved his hand in Thor's direction, telling him to carry on, knowing by now that nothing he said would change his mind.
Everyone besides Thor and Sif watched the two of them in mild awe. They had seen the way that Elysia had practically melted into Loki's arms and any trace of that righteous fire was wiped away. The people of Asgard knew the three siblings had a bond unlike any other, but to feel the outright contentment that flooded the room when all three were together was another matter entirely.
Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun had never spent much time around the princess, or even Loki, getting the feeling that based on the downcast looks they would shoot Thor that they were not all too pleased with the boys' presence in their brother's life.
At times it was frustrating because that look had never been directed towards Sif before, just the three young men. To Fandral's knowledge he had never done anything before to warrant such a look, neither had the other two, although after today he might not be able to say the same. Before he could stumble his way to an apology, Volstagg quickly interjected not wanting any more toes to get stepped on.
"I think what this idiot meant to say was that we think you and the lovely Lady Sif would be wonderful companions to take such a journey with, and we are honored to have such great warriors accompany us in the heart of battle."
Sif chuckled, knowing by now that Elysia was over it. She had said her piece and harbored no residual grudge. Volstagg's apology was unneeded but Sif enjoyed that way Fandral's cheeks heated in embarrassment at his friend's words.
Thor looked over at his siblings and a part of him longed to sit alongside them. How long had it been since the three of them laid down in the grass surrounded by nothing besides each other and the secrets of the night sky? Often times Elysia needed to be touching them, to remind herself that they were still there, and the two boys had grown accustomed to it, had come to expect it by now. It got to the point where it started to feel unnatural if they went too long without Elysia clinging onto one of them.
His fingers twitched in their direction, but it wasn't like he could very well walk over and lay his head down in Elysia's lap while they were making plans to sneak out to Jotunheim.
Sif simply turned her soft gaze to the three of them, already knowing by now how the siblings functioned. She had certainly spent enough time around them, something that many did not get the privilege to do, and she knew that both Thor and Loki turned into mush when Elysia was involved. And if she was being honest, so did she. That girl just had a way of making people want to bundle her in their arms away from all possible danger.
Elysia and Loki were the only ones she could talk to about Thor, they were a safe harbor for her to vent to. They always did their best to assuage her fears and ensure her that one day their brother would see the light and realize that his feelings for her were not merely platonic.
Sif would always be grateful to them for that.
Elysia had been suspiciously quiet while Thor and the others finalized their plan, instead opting to sit and let the wind run through her hair, caressing her face with a warm familiarity. Her frustration had not ceased, but she was determined to speak with Thor about it privately. It wouldn't be a conversation for anyone other than them.
When the others went to go retrieve the horses Elysia nudged Loki in Sif's direction with a soft "Go", knowing this would be her time she was waiting for. She ignored the worried look he shot her and waited until she could no longer hear their footsteps before rounding to face Thor.
"You are unbelievable, you know that?" Her voice so quiet that it barely reached Thor. But the heaviness it carried could not be denied. "You expect me to waltz into the place where my Papa was killed like it won't rip my heart out?"
"Elysia-"
"No." She held a hand out in front of her to halt him mid speech, "You are asking me to face his murderer and watch as you make conversation with him as I what? Stand off to the side and pretend like I don't want to take my sword and lodge it into his spine like he did to my Papa? Is that what you would have me do brother?" The words tasted like ash and they burned her tongue as they flowed out of her mouth, encasing her in an ocean of buried anger and deep regret.
Gunnar had given his life to end that war so she could live her life in peace. She would not insult his memory by creating another one.
Thor was ashamed to say that he had indeed forgotten what their parents had shown her years ago. He hadn't stopped to think about the difficulty he was asking of her. Instead of saying any of this, Thor reacted by going on the defensive. "Elysia you don't have to come. I just wanted to give you the option because Loki is and I know how you worry."
Elysia didn't even want to get into that, and threw her hands up in exasperation. "It bad enough that you want to go, and now you have to drag him along with you?" Loki was so blinded by the prospect of going on one of their fabled adventures that he was willing to follow Thor to the very depths of damnation. For the sheer sake of her sanity Elysia had to move on from that point. "You are aiming to wage a war, against a people that our father had created a peace treaty with when mere hours ago you were swearing an oath to preserve the peace. Was that nothing more than a lie?"
Narrowing his eyes, Thor couldn't believe that Elysia would doubt his intentions like that. "They committed an act of war sister! Are we supposed to ignore that and simply hope they don't try again?"
Slowly the two of them had been moving closer until they stood toe to toe with one another. "And what is worse Thor? Committing an act of war or starting one? Because right now it feels like if you do this, then we are the ones who're guilty."
His nostrils flared and his breath had a hard time escaping past his clenched jaw. They cut him like knives, reached out and wrapped themselves around his neck in a tight embrace. His sister, his sweet sister, knew exactly where to prod. Knew every weak spot he possessed, and was unafraid to tear into them one by one.
His cutting reply could not get around the lump in his throat, and in the end he was forced to swallow it down. "This is happening whether you approve of it or not Elysia. But I won't deny that I want you by my side when it does." He tried to walk away from her but Elysia was never one to allow someone to turn their back on her.
"How do you think father would feel if he could hear you now?"
It sparked a bitterness in the air that was inescapable. Not once had they ever gone behind the others' back, not once in over a thousand years had they ever stood on opposite sides. But then again, Thor had never been so stupid before.
Elysia was not about to let him walk away without answering. Even though she had a feeling that she knew what it would be, she still wanted to hear it from his mouth. Ached to see how far she could push him before he snapped, to see if their bond was strong enough that he wouldn't.
Not bothering to look at her, Thor waved her concerns off. She did this every time, always taking the safe route and never just jumping into something regardless of the danger it may have presented. It was like his sister ran from anything that would allow the thrill of adrenaline to course through her. She would never truly live if she was so cautious all the time. "I imagine he wouldn't be too pleased, as always. But he can't hear me and he doesn't need to know."
Elysia could not believe that Thor just wanted her to ignore the fact that he was talking about traveling to Jotunheim without permission from their father. Peace treaties were not things to be trifled with. "The last time you told me father didn't need to know something an innocent woman lost her life when she got too close to me, or have you forgotten that day and the repercussions that followed? Sometimes doing things on our own does not yield the best results."
The air was sucked out of the room as the hurt and the fear and every other miserable emotion that was associated with that day came rushing back. They never talked about it but it clung to them like a shadow.
The way that Elysia couldn't stand the dark for fear that she would once again be lost to the emptiness of her own mind, unable to escape.
The way a small room could throw her breathing off and kick start her heart because all she could feel was the remnants of a table beneath her, and the press of an unyielding barrier on the tips of her fingers.
How there was a hole inside her, a longing to hold onto her brothers because she remembered a time when she hadn't been able to, when the simplest of human contact had been denied to her.
Perhaps it was low of her to bring up past mistakes, but she did not know what else to say to get him to stop and think about what he was about to do. Thor had always been more inclined towards action first, but if he made one wrong move Asgard's entire future could be placed in jeopardy. There was no way Elysia could let it go with a clear conscious.
Finally spinning around, Thor grasped ahold of Elysia's upper arms lightly. That had been one of the worst days of his life, and contrary to popular belief, he had actually learned something from it. "Sister I swear to you on my life that no harm shall come to you. I was a foolish child then, unable to protect you, but not now. You and Loki will always be my first priority, trust that." Regardless of how wary she felt about this plan, he had to know that she understood there was nothing he would not do for them.
He would battle all of Jotunheim single-handedly, paint their world bright red, before he allowed a single scratch to be placed upon their skin.
Elysia could see the honesty pouring out of him and sighed, feeling her resolve weaken in the face of those stupidly bright blue eyes. Slowly the hold that tether had on her loosened and any trace of a red haze vanished.
She was a fool to try a convince herself that she wouldn't gravitate to her place at his side. There was no other option, there never was. "Make no mistake, I am coming along purely to make sure that this whole thing doesn't get you all killed." She loathed to think about how much trouble they would be in once Odin found out.
And he would, because Odin always found out.
She had a sneaking suspicion that Heimdall had something to do with that.
AN: Wanted to clarify something here. Elysia doesn't like violence, and the anger that she feels here isn't her own, it's a product of the infinity stone. Sometimes she'll feel it and it'll come to life in her, but it never originates from her personally. Also this chapter touches on Odin's terrible parenting skills because I wanted to show the damage that it causes.
SunnySides: Yeah Bucky totally knows about the objective to bring Elysia in once he finds her. But in this story I kind of set it up in a way where he's fully aware and okay with it. At this point having his soulmate is the only thing that he truly wants, even when he forgets what it's like to want things, and it helps him get through some of the stuff he has to deal with.
