The next morning Felicity was dragged out of bed for another etiquette lesson...during breakfast. Today's torture of choice; The Correct Way to Handle a Breakfast Spoon. Felicity was ready to gouge Melis' eyes out using the improper holding technique just to spite her.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." Felicity and the other ladies turned to find Thor leaning against the doorframe. "But I have so missed the lovely lady Felicity's company and I wondered if I might be able to have breakfast with her. Under the wise chaperoning of you ladies of course."
"Of course my prince." Lady Melis was practically salivating. She moved over and indicated the empty space next to her on the small couch she was sitting on. Thor ignored her invitation and went to sit next to Felicity.
"Good morning, my lady." He said, taking her hand and giving it a kiss. "I trust you slept well?" Felicity blushed. All around him the ladies remarked on how gallant and well-mannered he was and how grateful she should be that he took an interest in her. Thor gave her a small wink. Felicity knew she was supposed to be mad at him for the previous day, but the look on lady Melis' face was too good to pass up. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I am happy that you came home safe my lord." She said. Thor gave her hand a squeeze and then slipped his behind her back and put it on her waist. Leaning in he whispered.
"I promise to get you out of here so we can continue our conversation from last night." His lips brushed her ear and Felicity felt her face grow red again. Leaning back he smiled at the assembled ladies, but Felicity could see it wasn't a genuine smile, it was the same type of smile Oliver used when he was in his playboy persona.
"I can't thank you ladies enough for watching over Felicity while I was away." Thor said as he accepted a cup of the Asgardian version of coffee from Lady Simora.
"Felicity." Melis said, frowning at Lady Simora. "The prince has just returned from war. As his consort shouldn't you service his needs?"
"In front of all these people?" Felicity asked innocently. Thor coughed and spilled the coffee over his shirt and pants. Felicity got an idea. Grabbing a napkin, she began patting down the spilled coffee on his shirt.
"Oh, no." She said in a high pitched, airy voice. "Look at the awful mess I've caused. Here let me clean it up."
Thor looked at her in confusion. "Felicity, you don't have to –"
"No I insist." Felicity imitated the air-brained tone women used around Oliver and began wiping up the stains on Thor's shirt. This would be her revenge for him leaving her so flustered last night. But she quickly realized her plan had backfired on her spectacularly; she hadn't factored in his muscles. Judging from his smirk, Thor was on to her plan. Thor:1 Felicity:0 she hated losing.
"It got on your pants too. Oh silly me." Felicity exclaimed. She turned and looked at the other women in the room, making sure not to look at him. Putting her hand on his knee she began pressing on the stains and rubbing slowly. "I'm always so absent minded and clumsy. This one time, I was at a classmate's birthday party and I was wearing these really cute brand new sandals. But they had heels." Felicity began sliding her hand up Thor's leg. "I tripped and fell, knocking over the birthday girl's older sister who was carrying the cake." She paused. Her hand was about mid-thigh. She tilted her head thoughtfully and slowly rubbed circles in Thor's leg. "The candles were already lit so of course, it set the table cloth on fire." She began moving her hand again. Thor shifted uncomfortably. He put his hand on hers, stopping her from going any higher. Felicity:1 Thor:1.
Felicity looked down and gave a fake gasp. "I forgot the other side." She leaned over and began "cleaning" his other leg. Thor grabbed her wrist.
"That won't be necessary." He said. His expression was heated, and uncomfortable. "I can always change later." Felicity: 2. Then Thor got a thoughtful look. "I am always grateful for your help. Especially yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?" Melis asked.
"The lady Felicity quite probably saved my life on the battle field." Thor said. There was a sharp intake of breath from the assembled women. It was funny, but Felicity knew better than to laugh.
"I was under the impression that yesterday's lessons were cancelled on account of health reasons." Melis hissed.
"Of course they were." Lady Aroway said. "You needed time to go to the healer's to regrow your eyebrows."
"She used that as an excuse to sneak off. A lady does not engage in battle." Melis retorted.
"That doesn't seem to bother Sif." Felicity said. Melis looked like she was going to retort, but then she seemed to remember that Thor and Sif were close friends. To insult her in front of him would be very bad. "Besides" Felicity continued. "I didn't really fight in the battle. I kind of just zapped them."
"Your training needs work." Thor agreed. Melis's eyes popped out of her head. "In fact I believe you could take lessons from my mother. She is rather skilled with daggers and small swords. She has also mentioned how much she misses your magical training and how she worries what the consequences of neglecting it might be."
All the ladies sat back in horror. Felicity bit back a smile. Thor's face was the picture of innocence. He had set the ladies up brilliantly. Everyone in the room knew what had happened when Felicity's power was uncontrolled. In fact, many of the women, besides Melis, had been unwilling to push her too hard to avoid setting her off. And by mentioning his mother, he'd basically guaranteed that none of them would disagree with him; no one wanted to say bad things about the queen.
"Perhaps the two of you should go to her now." Lady Aroway suggested.
"Only with your permission." Thor said gravely. "I would never want to get in the way of your expert teachings." He laced his fingers with Felicity's and gave the ladies a wide eyed expression, which somehow came off as genuine and serious. He looked, adorably, like a giant puppy. Felicity fought to keep her expression neutral. Note to self; Thor's puppy face is extremely effective, she thought as she watched Melis's disapproving face soften.
"Of course my prince." She waved them out. Thor flashed her a smile so bright it was blinding. Tugging Felicity along with him, he led them towards the royal apartments.
"You are evil." She whispered as they walked up the stairs.
"I'm evil?" Thor looked at her incredulously. "If you'd moved that hand any higher those ladies would have been witness to a real act of impropriety."
Felicity grinned. She waved the napkin she was still holding. "Do you have any spills you need me to clean up, my prince?" She said in her high pitched voice.
"How is it?" He said, stepping closer to her. "that every time you use my title, it is to mock me?"
"Well, you seem to like it." Felicity said. "You're tall." She added as Thor got closer.
"That is true." Thor said as he backed her against the wall.
"We…" Felicity said. "Are also on the stairs. Which means anyone could walk in on us and I'd probably trip and fall inspiring the next century's worth of court gossip and…ah"
"I'd catch you." Thor murmured against her ear. "I'll always catch you, but." He pulled back. "Perhaps you are right and we should continue this later." He turned and continued up the stairs. Turning at the top he raised an amused eyebrow at Felicity's flustered expression. "Are you coming?" he asked.
"Not at this moment." Felicity huffed as she went up. Thor stumbled. That's 3 points to me, she thought.
"Points?" Thor asked. "I was unaware that we were playing a game."
"Yep, and I'm winning." Felicity smirked as she walked past him and started down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Thor was leaning against the doors to his chamber.
"We're going to see your mom aren't we?" Felicity turned.
"That was a ploy to get you out of lessons today." He opened the door. "In addition I need to change my clothing."
Felicity hesitated.
"Have no worry. I will not presume to force you into anything you don't want to do." Thor said. "We still need to discuss yesterday."
"I'm not apologizing for saving your life." Felicity said as she walked in.
"I'm not asking you to." Thor led her over to a couch in the entry room. "You are tense. Why do you look as if you are preparing for battle? This is a simple conversation." He pulled a chair over and sat in front of her. The chair was lower than the couch so she and Thor were at eye level. "Would you like to go first?" He asked softly.
"I…" Felicity looked at the ground. She'd been mentally preparing for an angry confrontation, like the ones she had with Oliver when they disagreed. She needed to stop basing her reactions to Thor on Oliver, the two were nothing alike.
"Would you feel more comfortable if I went first?" Thor offered, Felicity nodded. "Seeing you on that battle field yesterday was one of the most wonderful, terrifying moments of my life. I was happy to see you and I was impressed at the way you destroyed that monster." He grinned at the memory. "Most importantly; I was incredibly proud to see how much you'd progressed in controlling your ability." He pulled her hand into his. "But then I remembered that we were on Vanaheim and that Vadrun wanted you to be his. While I don't particularly like you being in danger, I know you are capable of entering battle so I would never presume to attempt to stop you. But not on Vanaheim. Vadrun was preparing to imprison you yesterday."
"What?"
"He accused you of trespassing. If I hadn't made Heimdall take us back, he may very well have tried to have you charged and locked up. He has not relinquished his will to possess you. Which is why I pulled you out as quickly as I did; I did not want to give him the opportunity. Not," he added quickly. "That I would have ever have allowed him to take you. I was angry with him and at Sif because she should have discouraged you from coming to Vanaheim."
"Don't blame Sif." Felicity said
"I've already apologized to her." Thor looked ashamed. "It was wrong of me to assume that the two of you couldn't protect yourselves. And I am sorry if yesterday I was in anyway…uncommunicative."
Felicity let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I was ready for an argument."
"Would you like one?" Thor raised an eyebrow. "I could shout or summon some lightning if that would make you feel better." Felicity laughed.
"Just because we didn't argue this time doesn't mean we won't have them in the future." Thor murmured.
"I know, and judging by the different types of powers we control, we'll have to evacuate the palace." Felicity said. Thor laughed. "We might even have to make everyone leave the realm." He added, drawing a smile from Felicity's lips. Then he gave her hand a squeeze.
"Are you prepared to tell me what had you so upset yesterday that you had to take on an army of trolls to calm down?" He said.
Felicity took a deep breath. "Well I had a conversation with your dad and it was…eye opening. I guess I realized that our relationship was weird because you're a god and I'm half immortal control freak, but I forgot the royal aspect of it. Taking with your dad reminded me…" She broke off and took a deep breath. Thor didn't interrupt, but waited patiently until she was ready to continue. "He mentioned that your intentions towards me might include marriage and then I talked to Heimdall who, on top of telling me that my dad is alive and has been a prisoner for the last 20 years and that my cousin is on Midgard, oh so casually mentioned that since I'm half immortal I may have a longer than human life span. I guess I realized that this might last longer than I thought."
"So you panicked and went to Vanaheim to vent some frustration." Thor said. "What exactly did my father say?"
"He told me that I'd make a great queen someday."
"That is correct." Thor agreed. Felicity stiffened.
"You do realize that the only way I'd be queen is if I married a king. Are you saying you want to marry me?"
"Not right this second." Thor laughed, "But I do see it happening at some point. My father knows this, which is why he brought up the subject yesterday. He probably wanted to force us to have this conversation." Thor frowned. "I'll talk to him; I didn't want to talk about this until you were ready. Especially if the thought of marriage makes you want to take on an entire troll army."
"I'm definitely a bit…iffy on the whole marriage thing right about now." Felicity admitted. "I've never really been in a serious relationship where it was an option. My first boyfriend was this guy named Cooper and he got himself arrested because of an algorithm I created. Then he…" Felicity paused as the familiar rush of pain of thinking about Cooper brought tears to her eyes. "He killed himself in prison."
"Felicity." Thor lifted her chin. "You don't have to feel obligated to explain your entire past to me."
"It's just that we might be together for a really long time and I was afraid you might not want to be stuck with me for – "
"Do you really believe I would push you away?" Thor looked hurt. "I am grateful that we might have more time to be together."
"Only two other men have told me they loved me. One died and the other served me up as bait to a crazy murderer 2 seconds later. Well to be fair, it was my idea to be bait, but him saying he loved me was not part of my plan. I almost gave the entire plan away because it hurt so much. He only said it because he was afraid one of us was going to be killed, then he never mentioned it again. 3…2…1." Felicity looked away and shook her head. Taking a steadying breath she continued. "Ever since you told me you loved me, a part of me has been afraid that you'll change your mind or that some earth shattering disaster changes it for you."
Thor pulled her onto his lap.
"Gamiel is coming. Heimdall said my dad warned Team Arrow that he'd try to get to me and Peter soon." Felicity said as she buried her head in Thor's shoulder.
"I should have been there when you heard this." He growled.
"You can't be with me all the time." Felicity chuckled.
"I can try." Thor muttered. "If Gamiel attempts to hurt you, he'll have to go through me. I won't allow him to take you from me. Nor will I use the threat of him doing so as an excuse to push you away. I am yours as long as you will have me." He kissed her forehead. "We are stronger united."
Felicity nuzzled his neck and started playing absentmindedly with his hair.
"Promise me that the next time you feel frustrated you'll find an outlet that doesn't involve going near Vadrun." Thor said.
Felicity laughed. "I promise."
"I mean it. Don't even go to the same realm."
Felicity kissed his neck. "I Felicity Meghan Smoak, Rock Monster Slayer extraordinaire, promise that I will not go near Vanaheim."
"I Thor, son of Odin, God of thunder and amazing kisses accept your promise."
Felicity giggled. "Can I be the goddess of something?"
"What would you like to be the goddess of?" Thor kissed her nose. "Wisdom? Beauty?" He slipped one hand under her skirt and ran it up her leg. "Perhaps love?"
"Thor." Felicity sighed.
"Would you like me to worship you my lady?" he asked pressing his forehead against hers.
"Yes." Felicity shifted so she was straddling his lap.
"Thor I …unbelieveable." Volstagg had just entered the room. He gave them a look of exasperation and crossed his arms. Felicity made to move off, but Thor gripped her hips; holding her in place. Turning, he glared at Volstagg.
"If you value our friendship, I suggest you leave now and forget you ever saw anything."
"It is precisely because I value our friendship that I'm not leaving." Volstagg sighed. "I have important news for you both, Felicity find another seat please."
"Okay, I'm just getting him off… I mean I'll get myself off, I mean I'll get off." Felicity scrambled back onto the couch across from Thor, her face as red as his cloak. Thor winked at her.
"The lady Amora has left for Vanaheim. Apparently Vadrun believes marrying her will cement alliances with Asgard." Volstagg began.
"I don't like the idea of her allying with him. She is very powerful and it is unlike Vadrun to settle for second best. He's planning something. But that hardly qualifies as important enough to enter my personal chambers without invitation." Thor nudged Felicity's foot, attempting to get her attention. "It definitely could have waited a few hours.
Felicity felt her blood run cold. Vadrun and Amora together was a nightmare.
"It may also interest you to learn that Amora requested her sister be transferred to a prison in Vanaheim." Volstagg said. Thor sat up in alarm.
"Your father refused, of course, but it doesn't change the fact that she tried."
"They are definitely plotting something." Thor growled, he looked at Felicity in concern. Volstagg looked at him in confusion.
"What happened to your clothing?"
Thor looked down. "Oh, this? A simple accident." Then he got an evil smirk. "I should change." He stood, towering over Felicity and slowly lifted his shirt. Felicity, who had been looking pale since hearing Volstagg's news, watched him wide eyed.
"Go change in the other room." Volstagg grumbled.
"You're a lot less amusing since you got married." Thor turned and left to change. Felicity watched him go, unconsciously licking her lips. Volstagg cleared his throat.
"Sorry." She blushed. "He just has a nice….everything."
Volstagg rolled his eyes.
"Didn't you and Gudrun find ways around the stupid propriety laws when you were dating?" Felicity asked. Volstagg looked away. "You did! Tell me. please?"
"Our circumstances were…different. A prince and his consort are subjected to more scrutiny than a warrior and a baker's daughter." Volstagg patted Felicity's knee. "You are potentially going to be our next queen." He paused and smiled. "I do remember my courtship. Sneaking out at night…NOT that I am suggesting you do so, but…there is a distinct advantage to having rooms which are on top of each other." He gave her a small wink as Thor walked back in.
"My prince. Sif requested the lady Felicity at the training grounds. Something about target practice using a moving mark."
"Fandral?" Thro chuckled.
"I only deliver messages." Volstagg said. "I don't presume to know anything about Fandral accidentally staggering drunk into her chambers lest I be used as target practice myself." He looked over at Felicity. "You won't tell her."
"It'll be our little secret." Felicity got up and began following Volstagg out.
"Am I allowed to join?" Thor asked.
"What do you think, My lady?"Volstagg asked. Felicity grinned.
"I don't know." She said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "Do you think he's earned it?"
Thor rolled his eyes and picked Felicity up. Throwing her over his shoulder he began making his way to the training grounds. When they turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs they ran into Lady Melis. Thor gave her a polite nod as Felicity waved and smiled.
"Great, I've probably just earned a week of balancing books on my head, you caveman." Felicity hissed.
"Sounds exhilarating." Thor laughed. "Now why are you accusing me of living in a cave?"
"My niece is still on Asgard, surrounded by the most dangerous group of warriors in the nine realms." Gamiel's anger caused ripples in the scrying bowl Vadrun was using to contact him. "You have failed me."
"No." Vardun said. "I have information which could greatly help your plans. My spy, lady Amora, has just informed me that your son is on Midgard and that he and the lady Felicity are linked through dreams."
There was a pause as Gamiel pondered this new information. "And you say that my niece has attracted the attention of the Asgardian prince?"
"Yes." Vadrun said, quickly. "There is nothing he will not do for her. Nor is there anything she will not do for him.
"Excellent." Gamiel murmured. "It appears that, when the time comes, Thor will be the key to controlling her. I can hardly wait to see the look on Odin's face when he realizes that his rule is crumbling because of the affections of his son."
"What of your son?" Vadrun asked tentatively.
"Leave the boy to me. If he and his cousin are linked, then it will provide an interesting means of accessing her."
"She is extremely powerful, my lord." Vadrun said. "I do not believe she will be easily controlled."
"If she cares half as much for the Odin brat as you believe she does, she will." Gamiel sneered. "How exciting."