Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers.
Authors note: Thank you to the new followers and favourites and to those of you who reviewed. Sorry for how long the update took, you would not believe the number of times I have been in hospital the last few months. Hopefully, I'll be back on track now. Enjoy.
Chapter 36
"WHAT IN YMIR'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE," a shout woke Dahlia and she looked to the end of the bed, she saw her sister standing looking like a mixture between shocked and cross. It was only when she tried to sit up that she realised the position she was in.
Hela certainly wasn't expecting to walk into the room her sister was staying in to find her in bed with the prince of Durilia. She walked into the room, just as Eva was entering to wake Dahlia for the day and was surprised to find Dahlia and Micah in bed together. Of course, they were above the covers, both wearing clothes, Dahlia in her nightdress and Micah dressed in his ordinary clothes but his shoes discarded to the side of the bed. He was lied down with an arm wrapped around Dahlia as she slept with her head on his chest and her hand resting on his stomach where she held his other hand and his lips almost touching her forehead, as if his lips had placed sweet tender kisses there throughout the night.
Hela didn't mean to shout, she was just so surprised and glancing at Eva, it seemed Dahlia's maidservant didn't seem to know of Dahlia's midnight visitor either. Hela couldn't believe the guards outside didn't know either but her suspicion that magic was involved only confirmed itself when they didn't come storming in when she shouted with the door closed.
The two young royals woke with heavy tired eyes, blinking at Hela before moving slightly to then only look at one another with wide eyes then jumped apart. Prince and princess jumping from opposite sides of the bed, putting the bed between them as they looked anxious and awaited Hela's judgment.
"I-I-I can explain," Dahlia stuttered after a moment of Hela's silence then cleared her throat. "I can explain. I know what this looks like but nothing happened, I swear it. We just fell asleep talking."
"On the bed, in your nightdress and without a chaperone," Hela said with a raised brow in disbelief looking between the two. "Not only that but I assume you used a passageway to get in here without the guards seeing as you wouldn't have been allowed in alone otherwise, especially with the door closed. Meaning you didn't want anyone to know what you were up to. You expect me to believe nothing happened?"
"You're one to talk about having a chaperone, I never saw one with you and Falcon when you were courting," Dahlia said and crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Besides, I don't expect you to just believe me like that, I expect you to trust me and what I say and trust that I wouldn't do anything like that."
"She speaks the truth," Micah said and moved around the bed.
Hela shushed him and held up a hand to stop him from coming close. "You should know better. You know her past, you're much older than she is and you were raised in this way of life of royalty. I could very well make an enemy of this whole world for what you've done, your father could very well do the same if it was your sister and one of our brothers and he would understand."
"Hela, don't," Dahlia said dropping her arms suddenly fearing what could happen.
Hela ignored her sister and continued to look to the young prince. "You know what would happen, how others would view her, if anyone was to find out what happened last night. I believe you only
spoke and fell asleep but if others were to find out, my sister would be the one to be slandered and discredited while your reputation would suffer very little. People would twist the truth and the lies they would tell about my sister-"
"I would never dishonour her in such a way" Micah said and moved past Hela and went to stand beside Dahlia, surprising her by taking her hand in his. "This isn't some game to me. I care about her, more than a friend, more than I know I should but it is impossible not to. She's smart and beautiful and dedicated. She looks for the good in everyone and treats everyone as an equal even though she is a goddess and is far superior to most. Even her stubbornness is a quality I admire because she lives with her heart and jumps into action, especially if it involves someone she loves. She changed me, and you and my father both know that as you both realised the time we spent together changed me and it wasn't because of the training on Niflheim but because of her. I know I am just a second born prince of a world outside of the realms and I know that I am unworthy-"
"Micah," Dahlia said and squeezed his hand.
"It's okay, I accept that. Your majesty, I know you want the best for her and I know there is nothing I can offer that she doesn't already have but what I can offer is me and how I feel and I swear to you, I would never allow anyone to bring any harm to your sister, even her reputation. I know there are proper ways to go about this and if I knew it wasn't a lost cause, I would have come to you, your brothers, your father, every member of her family to ask for your blessing to court her-"
Dahlia interrupted. "But dad wouldn't let us and you know it, Hela."
Hela looked to her baby sister and could see her eyes watering, almost in fear and she could see the grip Dahlia had on Micah's hand and his on hers were turning both their hands white. There was clearly more going on here than a simple crush.
"Leave," Hela said calmly to Micah. "I wish to speak to my sister alone."
Micah seemed reluctant to leave and even looked to Dahlia who gave a slight nod encouraging him to go. "Go. You need to get back to your room before anyone realises, you're gone and you need to start preparing for the wedding. If we ruin today your mother will go mad."
Micah smiled and almost laughed knowing his mother would kill him if he ruined his brother's wedding day. He lifted her hand and kissed it, knowing he was pushing his luck with Hela in the room but he did not know what the outcome of the conversation would be between the sisters and if he was about to be forbidden from seeing her, he wanted to kiss her one last time. He didn't push his luck for the lips though, he wasn't that foolish with the goddess of death standing in the room.
He gathered his shoes and went to the door when Hela stopped him. "Use the passageway," Hela said. "If I was to reveal this relationship, it would not be today of all days. Your brother and Durilia deserve this wedding to go ahead as calmly as planned."
Micah agreed and left through the passageway.
The room was left in an awkward silence with Eva stood near the door and Hela gestured for Dahlia to sit on the bed as she sat beside her. Almost a minute passed before Hela broke the silence. "So clearly there is something you need to tell me."
Hela gave a teasing smile and Dahlia couldn't help but return that smile. "I know, I know I should have told you at least. I was scared, I thought you might tell me I wasn't allowed to see him anymore; you're not going to do that are you?"
"Well, I need to know more about what's going on. How long has this been going on? What even is this?"
"I thought you of all people would know a secret courtship when you see one, you were in one for more than a decade."
"Dahlia," Hela said sternly but still smiling.
Dahlia looked down and began to play with her nightgown. "The courtship, it started just before he left Niflheim. Our feelings for each other, I can't pinpoint when they started but I just know when I found out he was leaving, I didn't want him to leave. It wasn't the same feeling I had when the twins and Hermione came to visit. I was angry that he didn't tell me himself that he was leaving and that I had to find out at the end of the winter solstice celebrations. We danced and talked and after it got me thinking about why I didn't want him to leave and I realised I had feelings for him."
Hela reached out and turned Dahlia's head with her fingertips under her chin so the sisters could look at each other's. "So, you do have feelings for him, this isn't just some friendship or him liking you and you don't know how to say no."
"Hela, I'm selfless sometimes, I know that, but I would never be with someone just so that I wouldn't hurt their feelings."
Hela sighed and moved her hand to go around Dahlia and pulled her close.
"Are you gonna tell me not to see him anymore? Are you gonna tell dad?"
"I should, but I won't. I would be a hypocrite if I did but there are differences between Falcon and I and you and Micah. Dahlia, I've known Falcon for a thousand years, we grew up together, we worked together and we were bound by Niflheim together and our shared responsibilities. He is my first and only love and I am so lucky to have fallen in love with him and married him but it is not that way for everyone. You and Micah are both royals and I am sure you share many qualities that you have bonded over but I want you to be careful. You are so young and sometimes your first crush, your first love, isn't the one you're destined to be with."
"You're talking to the goddess of destiny about destiny? Hela, I know this may not last, especially if dad and the boys finds out, but I want to give it a chance at least. We're young like you said, it's not like we're about to run off and get married."
"I should hope not, neither one of you is of age in either of your cultures…I'll allow you to continue to see him and I won't tell papa or our brothers-"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dahlia said happily as she hugged her sister.
"But I have conditions," Hela said and Dahlia pulled back still smiling. "He's a good boy, I've known him his whole life, I know his family and I've said before this world is as close to a declared ally that Niflheim has. If he was anyone else, I wouldn't be allowing this. Firstly, no being alone together."
"Hela, I don't want a chaperone," Dahlia moaned.
"I'm trying to protect your reputation".
"My reputation is already bad with people thinking I'm a hybrid that is going to go insane one day."
"That may be for some people but that reputation and rumours are slowly disappearing with the more people that meet you and realise what an amazing person you are and the people that have met you have nothing but kind words to say and they don't fear you. I'm not saying a chaperone all the time. In public you can be together without anyone being present but if you're alone in a room like this again, I would prefer it if you had someone with you. Say like Eva," Hela said and gestured to the maidservant who gave a slight nod.
"But-"
"If what's going on between you is so innocent, then someone being present won't be so bad, will it? They don't have to listen in on conversations, just have you in their sights."
"Fine. I won't be alone with him in a private room again. Next."
"Tell me of any changes and times when you go to meet him. I'm not a fool to think the two of you aren't going to meet, especially when you can teleport."
"Okay, next," Dahlia said almost rolling her eyes at the rules and lack of freedom she was soon to have.
"I trust the two of you to be responsible, you're young but not stupid so I hope you both stick to the boundaries you set and neither one of you pressures the other for anything more. Now, speaking of boundaries and seen as you don't want papa to know, it seems I have to do this. Sister, you do know the difference between what your Midgardian friends consider dating and what they do and what we consider a courtship".
Dahlia blushed as she knew just what Hela was talking about.
"I see you do," Hela said trying to hide how amused she was.
"I really don't need that talk".
"And I'm not going to give it as you know that kind of physical relationship isn't really what courting is about. That in detail talk usually comes during the final days before the wedding. Dahlia, you are from two different worlds, two different cultures, but I like to think you've been following mine, this one, more than the other. Dating on Midgard is seen as much more relaxed, rules are different among the people but the general idea is to get to know someone with the idea of becoming serious, it might end in marriage or not, it usually does not involve supervision and sometimes may not include any deep emotional connection but could include being physical. Courting is a different matter. Courting is getting to know someone with the intention of having a future with them, it usually involves supervision and for us, courtship is very serious when it comes to feelings as a courtship is learning about the person and thinking about the future you could have with them. It also doesn't include a physical relationship as we believe an emotional bond is stronger than the physical."
"I know this, which is why we're courting."
"And you know that is serious."
"Hela, I understand that. I would never be this close to someone, bring them so close to our family if I didn't think of the future. We may not be discussing marriage but Micah and I have talked about the future," Dahlia smiled as her fingers grazed over the purple crystal of the bracelet she wore. "Micah wants dad and the boys approval, he said he's even willing to wait a thousand years like Falcon had to do, if that's what it takes. He said he's willing to wait."
"He gave that to you," Hela said glancing down at the bracelet.
"He's only given me two gifts. The third to symbolise his intention for courtship, he said he wouldn't give to me until he had their approval so we didn't have to hide. We didn't hide it now to hurt anyone or offend anyone, we just wanted to get to know each other and Micah wants to prove himself worthy. He already is to me but he wants to prove it to you and the rest of the family."
"I just want you to be cautious and now I know, I'll help you. Just remember you can come to me for anything, just remember what I said."
"I will. Thank you, Hela, you have no idea how much I wanted to tell you."
"Well, at least you've chosen someone who's handsome" Hela said smiling.
Dahlia blushed again and Hela laughed.
"Now, I did come in here to ask if you wanted to have breakfast with Falcon and I. We don't need to start getting ready for the wedding for a few hours."
"Sure. I just need to get dressed."
"Well come to our room when you're ready and I'll have breakfast delivered," Hela said as she stood from the bed.
"Wait…are you going to tell Falcon about Micah and I?" Dahlia asked nervous.
Hela sighed. "He's my husband, I try hard not to lie to him."
"He'll act like an overprotective big brother."
"Well, he is by marriage and he does love you. Listen, I'll tell it to him slowly and I know I can get him to promise not to tell anyone but I won't lie to my husband."
"Fine, but please make sure he understands we didn't hide it to hurt anyone".
"I will. Love you."
"Love you too," Dahlia said then Hela left. Eva couldn't help but smile as the queen left and Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Don't, I mean it, Eva."
"I knew something was going on with you, the way you were together when he first came to Niflheim and wanted to escort you to dinner. It was clear from the beginning you were going to be more than friends."
"And you couldn't have warned me," Dahlia said as she groaned and fell back on the bed.
Eva laughed. "Come on, we should get you dressed. We can talk about your love life and what plans you have to see him after we leave, while you're getting ready."
"Just leave me to die, maybe Ymir will have mercy on me and I won't go to Niflheim due to dying of embarrassment."
"You'll survive," Eva said walking to the bed and grabbing Dahlia's hand to pull her up. "At least your sister and I know now so we can help and the King will listen. The Queen always has a way of getting what she wants when it comes to him. Let's get you dressed; you can die from embarrassment after the wedding."
Dahlia knew the moment she saw Falcon that he knew about her and Micah as he didn't look pleased as Hela smiled to her but he didn't mention what he now knew and Dahlia was grateful to Hela as she knew her older sister had something to do with that.
When 12 o'clock came, the sun high in the sky over the desert land, filled with music and colours, the wedding began. The thousand turned out at their temple to watch the future king and his bride marry. It may not have included magic or swords like Hela's wedding but it was just as magical and special for all those involved. They returned to the palace for the celebrations of music, food and dancing while they had celebrations and fireworks in the streets with food and drink being provided by the royals for all the kingdom to celebrate. Hela told Dahlia she was allowed two glasses of wine, that was all as the King and Queen of Durilia was leaving the decision of alcohol and children in the hands of parents and guardians in attendance.
While outside was filled with colour, inside the main hall, the decorations were mostly gold and white. The circular tables all over the hall had golden cloth covering them with white on top of crystal chandeliers in the centre of each one. Dahlia enjoyed her time catching up with other royals in attendance that she knew and met others who seemed almost eager to meet her, as if they heard from others that she wasn't some hybrid monster. It was certainly an easier time than when Hela and Falcon wed and she was meeting most for the first time.
She danced with Falcon and Hela and the young couple danced together but not much. It was clear to Falcon and Dahlia that Hela was tired and weak and they both caught her touching her stomach subconsciously and quickly moving her hand once she realised as the pregnancy was still a secret. Hela also clung to a table at one point, as if she was having a dizzy spell but thankfully both Falcon and Dahlia were beside her. After that, Falcon wanted her to go back to their room to rest but being stubborn she refused and just sat to talk to people. Falcon stayed glued to her side and told Dahlia to have fun as they would be returning home the next day.
Dahlia kept a cautious eye on her sister and she wasn't far from her thoughts as she walked around the room. She danced with a few others but most of the time she spent dancing with Micah. As usual like the other balls and parties they had attended together, he had a nasty habit of coming into conversations with other boys around their age when they were talking to her and when some asked to dance, he let a few without interrupting but that didn't stop him from watching. His jealousy was clear to those who knew about his feelings for her as she overheard his sister tease him but she also couldn't help but see the nod that Falcon sent his way when Micah interrupted someone's request to dance with her. It was then she remembered Falcon would do the same thing before he married Hela, she had overheard stories about them growing up and Falcon interrupting dances and never letting other men get too close. He knew the men had bad intensions and acted as Hela's knight in shining armour. Her father admired that about him, trusted that Falcon would keep her safe when he couldn't be there and the boy he believed he didn't have to worry about, was the same man who married his little girl. Was Falcon's nod to Micah some sort of approval? An acceptance maybe?
The hours passed by with Dahlia meeting others, including members of Micah's family who she hadn't met before she finally sat down with Micah and his friends. They sat side by side and while she was still nervous, he even touched her hand every so often, making it seem like a mistake of the graze of his hand touching hers but she knew it wasn't. There current topic of discussion, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
"They have to be geniuses with what they have invented," Traze said, a young man their age with light brown hair just past his ears and light blue eyes with the usual vertical slit pupil like a cat.
"It's such a shame they only have one store, especially one we can't go to," Koltn said, the same age but with slightly thick blonde hair and green eyes.
"Yes, they are extremely smart," Dahlia said about the Weasleys. "Perhaps not as academically inclined as their mother would have liked but their professors can't deny the skill and study, they had to go into to design their products. Going to school with them was fun, you certainly didn't expect what they would do next and I'm not just talking about their products. I recall an incident just a few years ago, there was a tournament at our school with other schools involved."
"The Triwizard Tournament you told me about?" Micah asked.
"Yep. You had to put your name in this goblet to possibly be a contestant and in order to do that, you had to be seventeen at the time. The twins weren't and the headmaster had placed an age line, a spell, around the goblet so that you couldn't enter but the twins didn't like to be told what to do. They didn't have much time and eventually took an ageing potion believing that would fool the line. At the time, everyone thought, they got past the line…that was until they were ejected forcefully half way across the hall and had sprouted these long grey beards."
Everyone around the table laughed.
"Hermione, my best friend and now Fred's girlfriend, she warned them that our headmaster wasn't a fool, he's actually known to be one of the most powerful wizards and still the twins believed they could fool him. Clearly not."
"If they had more time, could they?" Traze asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. Dumbledore, the headmaster, is smart, but if I have learned anything from the twins over the years it is to not underestimate them. When they put their minds to something, especially if it causes mischief or breaks the rules, they seem to accomplish it."
"They sound great," Koltn said.
"They are…Perhaps you'll still think that after you meet them," Dahlia said smiling.
Both boys froze and glanced to each other while Micah looked to Dahlia. "You've decided?"
"Yeah. Them meeting wouldn't be such a bad thing," Dahlia said to him then looked back to the boys. "Micah has been telling me what such big fans you are of their work and how fast you go through your supplies, we talked about you meeting up and I think it would be a good idea."
"Yes!" Traze said excited.
"When?" Koltn asked quickly.
"I'm not sure, I have things going on at the moment but I'll make it happen," Dahlia said.
"Great, now that's all they'll talk about," Janae said who was not only like a sister to Micah but was a beauty their age with wavy blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Perhaps, but it will be fun. I know you're not the biggest fan like they are but you are welcome to come, see the magical world of Midgard if you like."
"I would enjoy that, thank you," Janae said with a smile.
"So, what's it like, having magic?" Traze asked.
"Traze," Janae scolded slightly loud to cause some people around them to look their way.
"What? It's just a question."
"It's fine, really," Dahlia said. "You can ask anything."
"So, magic?"
"Well, it's difficult to explain. I was born with it and I happen to have two different kinds, that of a Midgardian witch and that of the Aesir which makes me a goddess. Midgardian witches and wizards have a magical core, that's how they describe magic within a person and they use wands to channel that power in order to control it. Without learning to control it, an uneducated and uncontrolled wizard could cause disasters. I don't really know how to describe it other than a feeling of power coming off of your body and depending on the spell, it can feel very light or very draining. Certain levels of magic are unaccomplished by some while they come easy to others."
"And you being a goddess, how does that feel?" Janae asked curious but got a glare from Micah. "What? She said we could ask. Micah hasn't given us the greatest explanation of what it means to be a goddess or what you do."
"Micah, its fine really," Dahlia said. "Truthfully, there is a difference between the two powers but over time they've almost aligned. I don't have to use a wand like my friends, my Aesir magic destroyed my wand because the power became too great. Now I think of a spell or say it if it is a powerful one and…" Dahlia held up her hand and it glowed slightly as if she was about to use her power.
"Wow," the boys said as Janae just stared.
Dahlia stopped. "That's Aesir magic but being a goddess on top of that can be quite overwhelming. Being a goddess means you have your own magical specialty and gifts and hear voices. I hear the voices of everyone who prays to me and those who need my help."
"And you don't go crazy hearing them all, wow," Traze said.
"Traze," this time it was Micah who scolded him.
"No I don't," Dahlia said. "I can push them to the back of my mind so they don't become an issue. I didn't react well at the beginning and struggled with control, Micah was there at the time and knows that as much as he denies my lack of control."
"You didn't lack control, you just needed time," Micah said.
"Exactly, time to gain control. Thankfully both my father and sister are gods so they were able to teach me well. It was and still is a struggle though, the Goddess of Destiny hasn't existed before so there is really nothing, no diaries or scriptures I can learn from. I have visions, flashes of people's future, not just one but numerous ones depending on their choices. I can hear them asking for my help when it comes to decisions they're stuck on, it can be something as simple as turning left or right, both leads a person to different possibilities in life, one path may lead someone to bump into the love of their life and the other doesn't. Then there's also decisions such as war. I can have a say, push people down one path that I believe is right."
"You can control them?" Janae asked surprised.
"No, not like that. I strongly encourage people to do what I believe is right, however, if their will is strong enough, they can go against my decision and choose one of their own. I can see people's futures if I try to, not just those who ask for my help."
"Can you do mine?" Traze asked excited.
"Me too!" Koltn asked just as excited.
"How about another dance?" Micah asked already standing and holding out his hand.
Dahlia gave a small polite smile to his friends before taking his hand and being escorted to the dance floor.
"You didn't have to do that," Dahlia said as she curtsied and how bowed before they began to dance.
"I know but I also know how much your visions can affect you, especially if they are unpleasant. I don't want you to feel pressured to try and see their futures just because they're my friends."
They danced to one dance before leaving the hall, Micah saying he wanted to show her something so they casually left, passing few words to people as they left to not draw attention that they were leaving alone. Micah knew that Falcon and Hela knew about them and she had explained Hela's rules but Micah claimed that they weren't going to a private room and they wouldn't be completely alone so they were following her rules.
They walked through the castle until they got to the tower that was at the centre of the palace and walked to the top, coming across guards along their way who didn't seem at all surprised to see them, in fact they showed no emotions and just gave a slight tilt of their heads to show respect to the royals. They soon came to a large golden room surrounded by arched windows and a curved ceiling and Dahlia knew they were at the very top of the palace. The room had glass cases around it with paintings and old books but at the centre of the room there was a podium with a beam of light surrounding it and in the centre of that was what looked like a knife. As they got closer, Dahlia could see that it was a sharp rock chiselled to look like a knife with brown leather wrapped around the end to make a handle.
"The story," Dahlia said as she remembered the day before and the puppet show. "The love story between King Armanis and Queen Ylivea!"
"Correct," he said smiling. "This is the same sharpened rock that my grandfather used to end the war. Everything in here belonged to them, it's a protected part of my people's history, my families. You seemed interested in the story yesterday, I thought you might like to see it."
"It's amazing," Dahlia said.
She looked at the glass cases and read some of the passages of love and devotion the king had for his queen, it was no wonder he rallied his people together and won a war for her. There was even a portrait of the old queen and the signature at the bottom was the kings, it was made of charcoal and the queen was young, her hair flowing in curls but what stood out to Dahlia was her eyes. They were almost enchanting with the detail and she wondered if the king saw that every day.
"She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is," he replied and Dahlia looked to him to see he wasn't looking at the painting but at her. He smiled when their eyes locked as she blushed at his flirting.
"I can't imagine what they must have gone through. Hela, she created a world on Niflheim, she brought society and laws and brought people together but she was a child, she had guidance and she didn't have an army fighting against her, well at least not at the time she started. People only felt threatened after she brought everyone together in peace and had an army that was powerful…Your grandparents, they had to fight a race of people who were more powerful than them at the time and they had generations of their people being slaves, to mentally overcome that kind of subjugation, that's something."
"They did it for love, I don't believe they ever thought Durilia would become what it is or if their dynasty would succeed and we would have the allies we do but I hope we do them proud. Whether its our work here or our work trying to help worlds trapped in servitude like this one was."
"They're proud," Dahlia spoke with confidence smiling. "I may not have grown up here hearing their stories but what you do is follow your heart, just as they did. I think if they could have seen the future, they would have been proud and would have fought just as hard as they did to make sure this future happened."
"Do you ever think about it?" Micah asked approaching slowly. "Your future. You have the power to look into it, to look at those around you, I know you help those who ask but what about looking into your own?"
Dahlia shrugged. "I know it sounds stupid but I'm not interested. Perhaps that's why I was given the power so that I wouldn't become obsessed with looking into my future and every choice I make. To me, I see every choice affecting a person's life so why should I look into my own and affect people's choices around me, to make my life better. Not only that, but what if I look and see something I don't want to see?"
"Then change it"
"And if I make matters worse, if I hurt others by changing my path? I help when I can but I don't see a point in knowing every single little thing that happens. There would be no mystery, no surprises, and that doesn't sound like a fun life to me. I did once ask Hela and Falcon if they wanted me to look to see if they were having a son or daughter and they don't want to know. I don't think anyone really wants to know their future, once you know it you can't un-know it and changing it might not go the way you plan. Life is full of ups and downs already, even I can't stop the bad and give someone the most perfect life. Why ask?"
"Curiosity," he answered.
She reached out for his hand and held it then looked into his eyes. "Do you want me to tell you what I see in your future?"
Almost instantly, he shook his head and moved his hand out of her hand and reached to pull her closer, keeping his hand on her hip as she giggled. "I hope my future is right here, standing in front of me. I want this courtship to be a success and I don't need my future to be seen to tell me if it will or will not be. That's between you and I and our combined choices. If I make any mistake or do something foolish that puts that success at jeopardy, I hope I can fix it. Like you said, life has its ups and downs."
"And what if it is I that does something foolish?" she teased.
"Like putting yourself in danger and running off to help innocents when you can barely control your power?" he teased right back about the situation they were in when she first became a goddess. "I know our courtship is unconventional and isn't perfect, so let's make a vow to be ourselves and try not to be something we're not. If either of us does something stupid, we just talk and try and resolve it."
"I think that's one of the smartest ideas you've had, definitely showing your age and wisdom there."
He laughed. "Here I thought my best idea was risking my life courting you."
"That was one of your foolish ones" she said, putting her hands on top of his arms as she leaned close to kiss him but as their lips grazed, she pulled back. "Wait." She felt a shiver run down her back, and felt like she was being watched.
Without meaning to or willing it, a vision pushed itself forward and her eyes glazed over, instead of seeing Micah, she saw a large blue man dressed in back with bald head and purple eyes holding a large gun. He was walking along a gold corridor with decorations that looks like…she pulled out of the vision gasping.
"Are you okay? What is it?" Micah asked concerned.
"Kree. Here," she gasped.
"Impossible, the planet is being watched, guards, ships not just from this world but others, you brought your own."
"I saw them, they got in somehow."
Micah grabbed her hand and ran to the door and out into the hallway to see that the two guards who were stood closest to the door when they entered were now on the ground bleeding, their throats slit wide open. A group of seven Kree were standing there, covered in blood and looking past them, they could see the guards further down also dead.
The Kree smiled as they approached and Micah and Dahlia backed into the room, Micah taking out his curved ceremonial sword he wore for the wedding while both of Dahlia's hand lit up.
"Hela, the Kree are here, you have to warn everyone," Dahlia spoke through her locket connecting to her sister.
"Where are you?" Hela asked.
"The main tower, the guards are dead."
The sirens rang out alerting the people to an invasion and they could already hear people shouting and fighting, clearly these were not the only Kree to have snuck onto the planet. The main Kree, who stood in front of six others, smirked as he spoke. "Isn't that unfortunate?"
"For you," Dahlia said then allowed her magic to flow and shoot at them, blowing them back hard enough into the wall it cracked but not before the main Kree dropped a silver sphere that released a white gas.
The young royals coughed and Micah was quick to recover. "Is that supposed to do something?" Micah said as he picked up a gun one of them dropped.
"Mi-Mi-Micah," Dahlia struggle to speak and he turned to her to see she was pale, her breathing was heavy and staggered and she even began to bleed from her nose.
He wrapped his arm around her to keep her straight as she seemed to be swaying.
"Teleport us."
Dahlia tried but when she felt her powers about to pull them away, it was as if they were pushing themselves back and keeping them there. "Can't," she gasped.
Micah moved them to the back of the room and sat her down behind one of the display cases.
"What is it?"
"I don't know," Dahlia continued to gasp.
Micah then stood seeing the Kree coming back into the room. He shot the first two as they came through the door while the others ducked for cover behind display cases too.
Open fire ensured, but as the minutes passed, it became clear they were running low on firepower on both sides and all they were doing was destroying the room and shattering the windows as Dahlia was becoming weaker by the second. She used what power she had throwing spells at the Kree but her aim wasn't great with the sudden dizziness. Once Micah heard the click of the gun run on empty and those of the Kree, he jumped from behind the display, slicing the legs of one Kree with his sword so the Krees fell to the floor bleeding. He took a hidden dagger out from his boot and threw it into the chest of another Kree who ran at him with a shining blue spear.
The remaining four surrounded Micah and attacked. It was clear that he was outnumbered, but they were larger than him and wore heavy black leather clothing which would slow them down so he had his speed to his advantage. The batons that one Kree had clashed with his sword when he went to strike and Micah used that as leverage to lift himself and kick another one back.
One Kree left the fight and began making his way to Dahlia. He kneeled down beside her, her eyes barely being able to stay open as he smirked and reached for her. "Avada kedavra," she was barely able to say clearly enough and the last thing the Kree saw was the greet light shooting from her hands before he fell to the floor.
She crawled as best she could to see Micah and there was only two Kree's left but he wasn't in a good position. One Kree had him tightly by the neck on the ground while the other Kree was standing over him with his own sword about the strike.
"No," she said and held out her hand, allowing her power to flow but it felt different than before, it felt almost new as her hand glowed a blueish red. Before she could strike, the dizziness overcame her and as the darkness consumed her as her eyes closed, she could hear Micah screaming her name one last time.
Authors note: Please review
