I'll tell you this - I was excited to write this chapter solely for the starting flashback.

Intersession: Everything's Changing

Two Years Ago - Asgard

For the first time, after a royal convicting, Thor's council called an emergency meeting after the abrupt ending. Every convict who wasn't yet properly convicted in front of the grand jury and royal family had to be rescheduled and the council is livid, especially since Sigyn's the reason. First she showed up late and then made a mess of the situation. Thor is trying to resolve all this and defend Sigyn against the council who wants to take action against her.

"And she thought that killing the Enchantress would what?" A council member asks. "Erase all those crimes? Magic makes people feel too powerful, too entitled. It makes them think they can defy the will of a king. We have to put her to trial."

Thor shakes his head. "Sigyn won't go to trial. I won't allow it."

"Thor, she killed an unarmed convict about to face her charges," another member argues. "I can't speak for the rest of the Council but I won't give her clemency."

"Amora would've faced capital punishment or a restrained banishment."

"The good things never cancel the bad ones. Sigyn took Amora's powers and -"

"She won't do any harm with them."

"Listen, my King, we're not saying she will. At least until she gets herself under control, we're not sure what to expect and after everything she's done, you can't blame us for being skeptical. At least consider a binding charm."

Thor slams a fist on the table to get their attention. His anger silences the room. "No, you listen. Don't go near my child with such a charm."

Apollo, sitting behind his father, zones out as they bicker. He wasn't sure what he was doing here. He's never sat in on these meetings before because he spent most of his time on Midgard. He should've been checking Sigyn who blacked out the last time he saw her. She must be with his mother and even Loki if he checked her, since Sigyn's own mother is dead by her hands. Apollo believes Loki went. Apollo wanted to be with them but he couldn't look at Sigyn without getting flashes to what brought him, his father, and the council to debate her.

Earlier, they were in the throne room, standing beside each other watching her mother be dragged to the front in chains. She didn't look defeated like the other criminals but amused to see Sigyn there, dressed in neutrals and ready to convict the woman who birthed yet abused her in nearly every form. Sigyn didn't have to be there. When the ceremony started and she wasn't present, everyone thought she wasn't coming but she came late and in time for her mother.

They thought she could handle it, that she wanted this, that all those years of being haunted by someone who looked exactly like her were over.

But that didn't happen. Sigyn objected. She stepped down from the throne level to be face-to-face with her mother, saying everything that happened to her and everyone she's loved, how it's over but she wasn't done.

That's when the moment Apollo can never forget happened. Sigyn nearly exploded with her magic, seething as she held her grip on Amora. Nobody knew what was happening or what to do as the throne room filled with a cyclone of her magic. And then they understood as there was a magical green sphere leaving Amora and entering Sigyn. She was taking her magic for herself.

Then everything dimmed and Amora slumped to the ground. Dead.

And Sigyn wasn't done. She wanted to tear Amora to pieces. That's the moment Apollo interfered and tackled her to get her to stop. She clawed at him, fought against him, but she ended up screaming so much that she blacked out.

What he saw during the Convicting wasn't his cousin. That sorceress was who fate wanted him to kill. That was Sigyn Lokisdottir, no longer Britney Braun using the name. Hell, after what he saw at his graduation, he isn't sure when he last saw Britney Braun. If he could've, he would've wanted to have said goodbye to her.

Apollo's eyes refuse to let go of that memory but his tears can try and blur it up. His hands and face are covered in small scratches from Sigyn and from shards of glass he landed on. The darkest sight he's ever seen was her body glowing with all that magic and nothing scared him more. He even told Sigyn that when she was getting him off of her. She probably thought he was lying but he wasn't.

"It's Amora's fault."

Apollo didn't realize he said that aloud until all eyes were on him. His father is concerned for his words and the council wants an explanation. It isn't until now that Apollo understands he's the prince. He's their prince. He has a voice and a say on this matter that he's never had to exercise before.

"Apollo?" Thor asks.

Apollo stands and walks to be next to his father. He presents himself to everyone. "Amora made Sigyn her enemy which was she knew was a stupid move. It's Amora's own fault she's dead."

-o-

Present Day - Wakanda's Palace - 11:33 AM

Iqadi and Imanu have been relieved from training and any royal responsibilities until they feel prepared in every aspect to return. Imanu wasn't exactly ready but he chose to go back to his royal training because it gave him something to do and because Iqadi didn't want to be alone, she sat beside him.

Oddly enough, hearing the teachers talk distracted her. It brought her back to when she was being trained throughout her childhood. They'd smack her wrists and ankles with rulers because a princess and a fighter never slouch, and the rules were more stringent on her because she's the heir, the princess, and a warrior.

Ever since their engagement, Iqadi insisted Imanu have a dedicated team to assist him in learning the ins and outs of royal life. Her mother got one when she first arrived in Wakanda. He's had people manage his schedule, whisper advice on how to handle situations should he be unsure of a topic of conversation or someone's name. But Imanu always preferred Iqadi to help but because back when they were getting to know each other, it got them closer.

Today, nobody had their rulers pointed at her but her back is still erect and ankles crossed. She has an arm looped around Imanu's and they're holding hands. The teacher didn't scold them because they know about the miscarriage. It was a palace secret not meant to leave these walls. Nobody could fabricate a story for Imanu's screams in the middle of the night.

She could still hear them in the back of her mind which is why she holds his hand tighter.

-o-

Somewhere in Brooklyn - 13:01 PM

Xavier lost track of how long he's been sitting in his car at the back of this parking lot. Nobody will be calling him since not only is he an adult but it's early in the afternoon. Nobody needs him.

His friends don't want to talk about Apollo and Britney. Xavier can't blame them. They have nothing to say since they know nothing about where they've been. Besides, they'll get sad about it and argue.

Apollo's one of his best friends and he always will be, but Britney's different. She was his best friend but also his girlfriend. He misses her as well but differently. It's more of a longing for her and the life he had before she left.

Falling in love and staying in love are two separate things. For a while, he thought he didn't exist without her. It's not sunny without her. But he's trying to take care of himself because when she comes back, their relationship if that comes back, will be better than if it didn't. Right? Would they even have one?

But if there's one thing Xavier knows about Apollo and Britney, it's that they would never let anything happen to each other. Ever.

-o-

Banner House - Manhattan - 15:04 PM

Emily's sitting across from Daniel in his kitchen's breakfast nook. Her legs are stretched across the table, resting beside Daniel. They're on laptops, finishing their school work for the summer before getting the night to themselves.

Daniel's currently in one of his classes and Emily's staring, smiling whenever his eyes flicker towards her so his lips wiggle trying to resist a smile. His jaw tightens, trying to tell her he's in class but that doesn't stop her.

"Is there something you don't know?" Emily asks.

"I'm busy," Daniel tells her.

"Or course you are."

Britney's Counterparts - Chapters 296-298: (Sigyn Lokisdottir) Avoiding Elsewhere / Amora, Did You Know? / The Most Powerful