Frigga stood by her daughter's side, holding her hand out and showing her the flower she held in her fingertips. Closing her fingers around it, she held it for a second before opening her fingers once more. Ella's eyes widened as she saw the flower which, she was pretty sure, had been dead come to life once again. Frigga let out a soft laugh at her daughter's expression, moving a hand to run down her daughter's arm.

"You look as confused as a child," Frigga informed her daughter.

"How do you do it?" Ella wondered and Frigga let her lips arch into a smirk before placing the flower into a vase and moving a hand to Ella's back, urging her forwards and onto the balcony.

"With great skill," Frigga said. "Have you been reading the books I gave you?"

"I have," Ella responded. "I read them before I go to bed and after I have trained with Thor. He is going far too soft on me, mother."

Firgga chuckled once more at hearing her daughter, both of them wandering around the balcony together. Frigga had taken Ella by the arm, both of them strolling side by side as Frigga considered her daughter's words.

"Thor is your brother, sweetling," Frigga declared. "I doubt he would practice with you as he does the Warriors Three. However, I did observe you in the gardens. You are able to hold your own, Ella. I only wish you…well…"

They stood by the side of the water as Ella looked to her mother. Frigga went to lean her hip against the stone railing. Remaining stood up straight, Ella looked to Frigga. She bit down on her lip as her mother looked for the words she wanted to say. She let her hands fold together and drop down into her lap in front of her before looking her daughter in the eye.

"I never wanted you to learn how to fight because I never wanted you to be put in a scenario where you had to," Frigga declared. "Your brothers were always going to be King and I knew that the day might come when they needed to fight. Besides, could you imagine if I had told Thor he could not spar?"

Ella chuckled at the thought. "I cannot," she said in a soft voice.

"But you were my only daughter," Frigga said. "I wanted to see you happy and I thought that your happiness came from…well…books and the prospect of a long and happy marriage. It seemed to be the safest option, but now I see it is not the happiest one for you."

Ella let her lips quirk upwards as she heard her. Nodding her head, she seemed to understand her mother's comments.

"I suspect if I ever had children then I would want the same," Ella declared. "I would want to protect them as best as I could."

Frigga's smile seemed to grow, a warmth coursing through her at the acceptance of her daughter. It took another second before she reached out and took hold of Ella by her hands.

"Thank you," Frigga said. "I know that we have not always seen eye to eye, but I think things have changed. I would like to think so, anyway."

Ella moved to her mother, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly. Frigga was in slight shock at the sudden movement, but she moved her own arms around her daughter. Closing her eyes, Ella took in a deep breath as Frigga ran a hand down her hair.

"I am sorry," Ella managed to say to her. "Everything that I did…I know I was not easy…"

Frigga chuckled. "You never have been, but that is you, Ella," Frigga said with a small smile. "I think we are both guilty of not understanding each other in the past, but I need you to know I only ever wanted the best for you. I love you, Ella."

"I love you too," Ella said, pulling back as Frigga kissed her on the cheek.

"Come on," Frigga said, taking Ella by the arm once again. "Let us continue on our walk until your brother returns to us."

…

Thor had finished his work on Vanaheim and returned home that evening. He had returned to the palace to find his mother and sister in the library, both of them sat on a chaise longue. Ella held a book on magic in her fingertips while Frigga held some fictional book in her hands. Thor almost wondered if both of them had switched bodies.

"I trust it went well?" Frigga asked from her son as she moved to her feet and embraced him tightly.

"As well as I had hoped," Thor said with a nod of his head. "And what of business on Asgard?"

"Your father informs me all is well," Frigga said as Ella moved to her feet and went to peck Thor on the cheek. "However, he is also aware that there are tensions between all of us. He…well…he knows of both of you and the connections you have made on Midgard."

Ella almost balked at hearing her mother as Thor smirked. Ella looked to him then, glowering as she did so.

"Did you tell mother and father?"

"Oh, Ella, you had no need," Frigga said with a soft chuckle. "Do you think that I am blind? Besides, Heimdall might have mentioned how you continue going to the Bifrost most days to look in on a certain man down on Midgard. I am only upset that you did not tell me of him."

Ella shook her head. "There is nothing to tell," she said with haste. "I met Steve and he was nice to me. He was the only one I understood. I just want to make certain that he is well."

"So you are still going for that story?" Thor asked and Ella moved to hit him across the arm as he chuckled darkly. "Honestly, Ella, no one believes you."

"Stop it," Ella demanded from him. "Anyway, why does it matter if father knows about Steve or Jane on Earth?"

"Because they are both mortal," Frigga said to them. "I would be happy for both of you if you found someone who adores you as much as I do, but your father thinks more practically. He wants you both to remember that you are Asgardians. You cannot be with mortals."

Ella rolled her eyes as Thor shrugged his shoulders.

"Jane is safe on Earth," Thor declared. "I think of her often and I…I wish that things were different."

"And Steve is safe," Ella said. "There is nothing to it. Regardless, why does father care so much?"

Frigga smirked and went back to her seat as Thor and Ella remained stood in front of her.

"Because he knows that there will come a time when both of you need to move on and find someone who you can be with. You will be King one day, son, you should have a Queen by your side to guide you."

"I have Ella to act as my moral compass," Thor responded with haste. "Why should I rush into marriage?"

"You should not," Frigga said. "Both of you should not, but I just want you both to understand that your father does not think as I do. He does not wish to see you with mortals for your own benefit. Consider it, both of you, people on Midgard will be dead long before you even begin to consider aging."

"Can we not discuss this another day?" Ella complained. "I am already not on the best of terms with father. I do not want to have an argument with him again."

"Nor do I," Thor responded.

"Then it would be best not to broach the subject," Frigga informed them. "However, for this evening, it might be nice if we could all manage to sit around the dining table without arguing or glaring?"

Ella chuckled darkly as Thor arched his brow.

"Do you think it possible?"

"It would be nice," was all Frigga offered.

…

Ella and Thor had been pleasant during dinner. They had answered questions Odin asked them and had managed to smile for their mother. Thor was well aware of his father's ploy to have him see sense and consider sharing his affections with another woman. He had even suggested the Lady Sif, but Thor knew where his heart lay. He knew whom he wanted and adored. He just wanted her to be with him.

Standing outside of her chamber with Thor, Ella held onto her cup of wine, sipping on it as both of them leant against the stone ledge. Thor held his own cup of wine, the bottle in between both of them as they drank while the sun slowly set over Asgard.

"Do you want to go to her?" Ella enquired from her brother.

"Everyday," Thor answered without needing to think for anytime.

"Then why do you not?"

Thor looked down as Ella gulped down her wine once more.

"Because I have duties here," he answered. "I am to be King, Ella. I have to protect the Nine Realms. I have to do that. I cannot be selfish."

"Not even for a day?" Ella wondered.

"If I see Jane for one day then I will not want to leave her," he answered honestly. "It is not fair on her either. It is not fair that I come into her life and then leave. I cannot keep tormenting her feelings."

"Why must it be this way?" Ella wondered from her brother.

"Because we are Asgardians and they are from Midgard," Thor answered. "It is simply the way it must be, Ella. Perhaps…perhaps it might change one day…perhaps we can see it change."

"Maybe," Ella nodded and drained her cup of wine again.

She reached for the bottle and poured more of the red liquid into her cup as Thor raised an amused eyebrow, his lips arching upwards as he looked to her.

"You are aware that you can hardly handle more than two cups of wine?" Thor asked from her. "For an Asgardian, I have never seen someone drunk after so little wine."

Ella snorted and rolled her eyes. "Loki used to say the same thing," she said without thinking and both of them lapsed into silence, peering out over the distance, their minds clearly on the same person.

"I know that mother is teaching you magic so that you can see him," Thor said to her. "I know that both of you keep going to him. Why do you continue to offer him compassion? Why do you continue to offer him your affection?"

Ella shook her head. "I am not compassionate," she said with haste, biting down on her lip for a moment. "At least, I do not mean to be. I just wanted to see him once. I…when we were on Earth and the Chitauri were attacking, I thought I saw something in him. I thought I saw some hint of compassion…some form of regret."

"And what did he say?"

"He denied it, of course," Ella shrugged her shoulders, holding the cup of wine and whirling the liquid as she moved the cup in her fingertips. "You know how he is. He is always wanting to prove us wrong."

"Because he is stubborn."

"And I wonder where he gets that from," Ella said with vague amusement as Thor nodded his head. "Father was always stubborn. He might not be his father by blood, but he raised him. Besides, you are not exactly a weakling."

"This is true," Thor said. "Regardless, I do not believe you should be allowing him to consume your thoughts. He is trapped in that cell for the rest of his days. That is all there is to it now."

"Perhaps so," Ella agreed, "but that does not mean I have to ignore him. I assume you do not intend to tell father of this."

Thor chuckled and sipped his wine too. "I am many things, dear sister, but I will not do that to you."

Before either of them could say anything further there was a knock on the door. Ella passed her cup to Thor and he held onto it as she moved to the door and pulled it open. She was almost shocked to see Heimdall stood in front of the door and she almost felt worry take over her.

"Is it Steve?" she asked before she could comprehend anything.

"No," Heimdall and said and she let out a deep breath, wondering why she felt so worried out of nowhere.

As she opened the door, she turned her head over her shoulder to see Thor making his way down towards her. His eyes met Heimdall's and he knew that something was wrong.

"But it is Jane Foster," Heimdall spoke. "She has gone missing."

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!