It was finally the day she spent a month preparing for. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering around, frantically trying to migrate to her throat. Although the nervousness never quite left her, Toreii had learned to manage it in a better way. Having just woken from her sleep, she was still mentally preparing herself for the coming meeting.
Being a ruler was difficult. There was almost no freedom or time for oneself, and everything one said could and would be used against them – to her, nothing more than a political prisoner with a few extra chains and weights around her steps. She never expected herself to be the one where every single word she spoke could be taken as a declaration of war. It was nonsensical, the power words held when one is put on a stage.
The last thing she wanted was to be misinterpreted.
[Gungnir] floated patiently where she last left it the night before. Although the divine weapon could not physically speak, that did not stop Toreii from speaking to it. One-sided conversations were had since she gained possession of it. She did not expect it to one day magically talk back to her, but it was nice to have something she could vent to.
The shrine maiden robes she had been wearing were neatly folded. Even if she were the almighty Allfather now, she still had to do her own laundry. It was quite embarrassing to have been told by someone else that the stains on your clothes were giving off bad smells. Although she only killed the one hydra, there was enough blood on her uniform to drive the elves into a frenzy.
Without the red and white robes covering her World Champion armor, the metal was giving off a prismatic shine without any source of light. Just as Asgard was a golden city of light, the Asgardian World Champion armor was golden from head to toe. When she found the armor in the treasury, it was in the same size as when the devs first offered it to her. Although she had declined it, she cannot deny it was personally crafted and designed with her race and job levels in mind.
Grasping the familiar wooden handle of her divine spear, Toreii pushed against the cold obsidian doors of her bed chambers. Even though Frigga now was the one who carried the armor she had personally crafted, the golden armor felt nice and comforting – a home away from home. The Deity's ears picked up the sound of a busy staff working tirelessly throughout the castle. Starting from the very bottom of Asgard, the clamor got louder and louder as more NPC servants rushed to get their jobs done.
Entering the lower chambers of Odin's castle, Valkyries stood guard everywhere. Upon seeing her, the elite warriors would bow their heads to her, asking Toreii if she needed anything. It was still strange to her to be waited by servants, and for some, their entire purpose of life was to serve. Did they all want to serve her? Was it their choice, or by design? It would make her uncomfortable if these NPCs worked because they had no other choice.
These thoughts were prevalent inside her mind as she made her way further upwards, gaining several Valkyries as bodyguards on the way. Although she did not tell them to, each one she saw quietly followed behind her. Even if they were Odin's personal elite guards, Toreii found it bothersome to be constantly trailed by others.
Finally out of the underground, she was now in the central part of the castle, where the noble NPCs would be arriving and waiting for her in the throne room. Having explored the castle a great deal of times, she had mapped the entire palace out in her mind. Even though Asgard was just a single floating city, its population and size was closer to a small sovereign nation. 100,000 NPCs who were just bits of data, now made into flesh, had Toreii worried about her own capabilities.
Why were they obedient to her? Out of fear? Duty? Or because there was no other choice? A small sample set like Frigga did not make up the entire population of Asgard. Was their reason for being loyal something she could freely ask them? Did her people want to appease her? Or did she serve to appease them? What kind of ruler was Odin? What kind of ruler would Toreii be? She hoped to find an answer to at least one of these questions.
Turning the last corner before the throne room, a set of arched, double doors were swung wide open for the world to view. Yggdrasil was beautifully etched into the golden doors, each side containing half of the Tree of Life. Asgardians in similar gold decorative armor lined the pathway to the entrance. As if the devs had run out of color after building the 8 other worlds, Asgard was almost exclusively enraptured by the concept and color of gold.
"The Allfather has arrived!" The Asgardians guards announced in unison. The combination of their voices drowned out the ongoing conversations in the throne room, as a wave of silence emerged from the back all the way to front. Thousands of eyes turned to her, looks of admiration and respect abound.
The hall was filled with eloquent bodies, their movement in tandem and without hesitation like a single organism. The Valkyries, without even a word among themselves, formed a wedge with their bodies, leaving a cleared path for their king. At the end of the throne room, the silver warriors split on separate sides, walking up a tiny stairway and behind a golden throne. Their pace was slow and methodical, as if to give the nobles time to arrange themselves in a proper manner fitting for the arrival of their king. The mouths of the nobles were sealed tight without as much a peep, but their eyes moved like a predator's.
Toreii watched in awe and amazement at the NPC's coordination, wondering if this was originally an animated cut-scene in Yggdrasil. She had to give credit to the devs on this one. Even if 'balance' was a term they never understood, the people who created Asgard poured their blood, sweat, and tears into it. Her own Parthenon, even if she spent the next hundred years designing it without any data limit, could not compare to the magnificence of the Asgardians.
All that was missing was for Odin to take his seat on the throne. Frigga was already seated on her own throne, smiling and waiting eagerly for her beloved. The assembly waited for Toreii to make her move. Lady Sif stood by Odin's throne, while Loki stood next to his mother. Heimdall seemed to not be here, which made sense since he only left his watch tower for emergencies.
With all eyes on her, Toreii gently took the first step to her throne. This would be the second time she walked through these halls, but the first with her World Champion armor in clear view. She was always ashamed she never earned the right to wear the armor, that what those other Players said at the tournament was true: she only won because she cheated. After finding it stowed away in Asgard, guilt chipped away at her being for wanting to wear it, as the reputation of the other World Champions was something she did not want to tarnish.
Toreii was 100 steps away from the throne.
When the game became real, when Toreii became real, the first time she put the armor on it was light, almost weightless on her young body — yet the Deity's heart ached from those awful words which resonated in her. What if it were someone else who became World Champion of Asgard? Who would they be? Who would Toreii be now? Where would she be? In this new world still or would she have quit the game by then?
Toreii was 90 steps away from the throne.
She did regret winning the way she did, but most of all, she regretted how she acted when the other competitors called her out on her unorthodox build. "Winning is winning. Who cares how I do it?" were her exact words. Toreii could not blame the world for alienating her because she was just as much at fault. Actions have consequences, no matter how little or trivial. Words of banter today could be the end of a lifetime friendship tomorrow. Yet…
Toreii was 80 steps away from the throne.
…yet, her friends did not see it that way. The other World Champions did not condemn her for her past words or actions, but instead taught her to see what she could be, what she did become. A person who is born human will always have their humanity, no matter who they were or what they are now. Humanity will always be the last thing to go.
Toreii was 70 steps away from the throne.
A person who grows cold and cruel, who thinks they have shredded their last piece of humanity, would still find these pieces in their memories, memories of a time when things were not so cold and cruel. No one was born evil or devilish or an outcast or perfect. Every path is open to us until we have chosen not to take it. This is why Toreii could never blame others for her own misfortune — besides the occasional dev mishap.
Toreii was 60 steps away from the throne.
The shining platinum knight who once lectured her on helping others – she wondered where he was now. Did he make it to the New World? Did they all make it? Toreii did not know. Still… Even if their physical presence was not here, their teachings would continue on… she swore on it. She would prove them right, prove to them their trust in her, their unanimous agreement she was worthy of holding the World Champion title, was not misplaced.
She was halfway now.
The Deity's heart no longer felt heavy. It was light, soft and proud. Every single NPC she walked passed – no, every person she passed had placed their trust and well-being in her care. The secret [Allfather] Class was more than just the 5 levels she grinded for – it was the weight of a nation, the expectation of a ruler, a protector, a rightful king.
To think she would go from deciding the immediate future of several students to the livelihood of 100,000 people…
10 steps away now.
Frigga's warm, beaming smile was the first thing to greet her, knocking Toreii out of her train of thought. Even with her rash judgement, or stalker tendencies, or spontaneous declaration of love, the Asgardian had not only proven her reliability but also earned a deep trust from Toreii. She was glad to have someone lessen her burden during her initial transition into this new world.
Ascending the stairs to her throne, Toreii took a seat as the rightful king of Asgard.
'Odin's throne… Why is it so uncomfortable?!'
The golden throne was cold to the touch, with practically no comfort in mind embedded in its design. There were no cushions for the arms or butt, and no lumbar support for her back. Once again, the devs had found a way to irk her so early in the morning. Yet right beside her, Frigga was sitting in a relaxed manner, which would explain why the Asgardian chose to wear an elegant dress with extra padding and fluff.
Perhaps wearing nothing but armor to an all-day meeting was not the best idea in the world. Maybe it was just her, but the upper castle had colder air than her chambers below… almost as if someone had left a window open all night during winter. Now that she could pay closer attention to the nobles, their clothing was more suited for winter than it was for royal meetings. It was not cold enough to make her teeth chatter, but just enough to distract her mind every now and then.
Standing up from her silver throne, the Queen of Asgard gave the crowd a slight bow and greeted them, "Thank you for accepting my invitation! I'm glad every family head was able to make it today. May Odin forever keep watch over us," Frigga cajoled. With almost 100 families showing up, she was glad Asgard was able to recover its fighting force from their war with Surtr.
'Forever is a bit of a lo-'
"Long live the Allfather!" Those echoes were shouted across the hall by every individual.
'Ahh… Frigga was the hype woman…' Toreii noted, unsure if a room of riled-up Asgardians was the best idea. 'There's… a lot of women here…' she noted after giving the entire assembly a full scan. Grandmothers, mothers, and daughters exclusively made up the crowd in the room. Even the male Asgardian guards which stood outside were nowhere in sight.
Loki was the only male present.
'It's a bit of a breast-fest here… Where's Thor?'
Holding up a gloved hand, Frigga silenced the roar of every noble. "The Allfather shall now hear your concerns," she politely said, turning away from the crowd. Instead of returning to her seat, one of her handmaidens gingerly walked up to the queen with a silver tray filled to the brim with parchment. Breaking the wax seal on the first scroll, she read aloud, "Where is Asgard?" Without missing a beat, Frigga looked intently into the crowd, zoning in on the family who had written the question.
'That's a good question…' Toreii thought to herself. Their guess was just as good as hers at this point. The best answer she could give was somewhere in a New World, but then she would have to explain all the leaves falling off of Yggdrasil. Telling the Asgardians, "The old Tree of Life is dead!" was the last thing she had in mind today. However, after seeing how far her lies got her with the elves, perhaps a half-truth would suffice.
Speaking clear and calm as she practiced, Toreii chose her words carefully, "Asgard is in a safe place."
Before Toreii could continue, Frigga had already broken the seal of another scroll, reading its contents while looking for the family who had sent in the question. "Did something attack Asgard?"
Unsure what to do about the sudden shift, Toreii tried to keep up with the pace, "Yes, a horde of dragons and a hydra-"
"Communication with the other realms has ceased. What does this mean?" Frigga quickly read.
"The other 8 realms… are gone… and so is the world of Asgard. This city is the only thing left of our old world," Toreii explained. Back in Yggdrasil, the entire world of Asgard was open to every Player. It was only this city and Odin's castle which Toreii had exclusively claimed for herself. The secret mines which she farmed Uru-metal from were no longer available, which meant whatever was in her inventory could be the last supply of the ultra-rare metal.
Adjusting her tempo to match her husband's, Frigga continued on, "What has happened to Asgard?"
Thinking over what Vy had told her about the new world, Toreii's best guess was the entire base was transported. However, as far as she knew, the Asgardians were not programmed to know Yggdrasil was nothing more than a game. To everyone here, Yggdrasil was a way of life, which could also be said for her.
Grasping [Gungnir] lightly, she spoke softly to her people, "A new realm has been born… and we are in it now. This world is young — it does not know of Asgardians like the other realms have." Scanning the crowd for their reactions, she glimpsed mixed views: some were shocked, some still processing what they just heard, others lost in thought and staring blankly forward.
First it was whispers throughout the assembly hall, which eventually grew to a loud chatter among the large mob. Frigga, who looked peeved at the disturbance, held back her anger when Toreii let the crowd form their own opinions about the situation. Even Loki seemed unsure what to do about their new predicament.
Allowing herself to lose control of the crowd, she wanted the Asgardians to think for themselves about this New World. She wanted to learn about them, who they were, and why they looked up to her for leadership. Even in peaceful times, Toreii had to remind herself Asgardians were a warrior clan first and politicians second. Æsirs, at the end of the day, were just like the mortals who looked up to them.
Had Toreii actually read the full backstory of Asgard, or even just Frigga's for that matter, her assumption about every Asgardian would be dead wrong. Only the male NPCs were programmed by the devs to be proud warriors, Thor and Baldr included. The entire female population, on the other hand, were leveled and classed in [Political Affiliation] and [Wisdom].
The only exclusion to this general design would be Loki, the Valkyries, and the secret prisoner locked in Odin's basement.
She gave the crowd a look of content. Something was quickly being passed through the crowd. Too fearful to even murmur or whisper, the nobles had passed a new piece of parchment to the front of the room where Frigga was standing. Her handmaiden quickly grabbed the scroll, handing it off to her matriarch.
'Will you conquer the New World?' Frigga read inside of her mind. Making sure her beloved's vision of her was blocked by the scroll, the queen glared directly at the matriarch who wrote it. Standing at row 37, column 17, the family was right where she seated them when sending out the invitations.
'House Björk. Current head, Eerika. First daughter, Inkeri, second daughter, Brenna,' Frigga listed off the top of her head. As Queen of Asgard, one of duties was to keep check on the families in Asgard, to make sure every family was able to send a healthy son when Odin called for war.
'The last war with Surtr…' she distinctly remembered, 'Eerika, daughter of Oydis. She lost… 3 sons in that war… and 3 brothers.'
Asgardians did not mourn the dead like other societies did. The fear of dying without a weapon in hand was the only form of damnation for these families. Yet… Frigga could not bring herself to ignore the last year of her life with her husband. Times have changed, her beloved has changed.
Frigga was not the same woman she was a year ago. She was shown, time and time again, bountiful compassion from a being whom she thought grew apathetic eons ago. The fears of a mother not wanting to lose a son, as her own mother did, was something Frigga knew very well. If not for societal conforms, the matriarchs would shout and cry out the queen had been replaced by an imposter for suggesting that one year was enough evidence to ease their loss of generations.
'One step at a time,' Frigga reminded herself, 'Even if it's just one step today, you're still further than you were yesterday.' Many times, Toreii had read self-help books aloud in the presence of Frigga, who had mistaken these quotes as words of wisdom from the all-knowing Allfather.
"Is there a threat of war with Asgard?" Frigga read aloud to the crowd. Asgard needed to know their Allfather had changed for the better, even if it meant angering a few noble families now. Painting Odin as the conqueror he always was was a disservice to who he is now. 'Please forgive me, Oydis. I must once again ask so much of your family.'
Knowing this question would come sooner or later, Toreii gingerly looked over her court of nobles. Although she wondered where all the male Asgardians went during such an important meeting, it was still quite a sight to see the diversity in every family here. Some had 5 generations of women all standing together, others with several sisters or daughters or granddaughters, but never just a single family head by herself.
"If there are threats, I do not wish for any Asgardians to get involved," Toreii explained. Had the little Deity known more about these NPCs, or was able to read the room better, she would have been able to deduce the strange look every Asgardian gave her. As if their warmonger king had gone senile in his old age, they looked at Toreii in puzzlement and shock.
Continuing her explanation, "Make no mistake, we will defend Asgard, but we will not be the aggressors in this New World. So I must humbly ask all of you to look kindly on these natives."
Frigga could be seen beaming at her beloved, yet right beside her, Loki looked like he had just seen a ghost. "Father, are you well?" The prince frantically asked. The God of Mischief was hearing words from the Allfather which he thought would only be spoken on the king's deathbed.
'Just peachy… Ahh… Peaches sound really good right about now…' Toreii thought to herself, salivating about food already. However, drooling over food in front of hundreds of nobles was the last thing she had in mind today. "I'm perfectly fine, Loki."
The prince thought himself to be inside of a feverish dream, expecting to be woken up any minute now, yet… Here he stood, still clearly awake and bearing witness to the impossible. The Allfather, God of War, God of Death, was asking his subjects to be benevolent, and not the aggressors. Whoever was sitting on Odin's throne was not the father he grew up knowing.
The eyes of every noble ricocheted between their king and his son. They did not know what to believe. Their ears still worked perfectly fine, but what they heard fried their minds. Asgard's status quo was being challenged and done away with, by not only the king who put them in place, but also the queen who enforced it.
Whoever was sitting on that golden throne was not the same man who caused every mother countless sleepless nights, wondering if their son would be the next on the roll call or make it back home. He did not speak like the same man who wiped out almost all of Asgard's populus when he waged war against the World Ender. This Odin was not the same king who wreaked havoc across 9 Realms to prove his superiority complex.
Who was sitting in Odin's throne now, and where was he a millennium ago?
Frigga could barely hold herself back from giving her beloved a hug right then and there, as she watched more nobles send additional scrolls up for her to read.
~~~ 3 days later…
The entire meeting with the nobles had lasted 2.5 days straight, with the last half day ending in a banquet for their families. At first, she was still fine because it ended with a grand feast, yet as the huge crowd of nobles left for dinner, none of her own family members did so. 'Do we have our own dinner to go to?' Toreii thought.
What Toreii originally thought was going to be a meeting of several hours became a day long and soon after it became days long. It was a rather unorthodox method to communicate with the nobles than she had expected. Books and shows had always depicted these kinds of meetings to be filled with outlandish nobles which competed for favors with the crown.
Not only were her expectations subverted, but the entire process was just… different. Where had all the male Asgardian gone during this time? Was Frigga supposed to be the mediator between the nobles and Odin? It seemed like a flawed system which could lead to bias very quickly inside her mind. The devs had once again left her speechless in their game design.
"Now that the nobles are away, should we begin our own meeting?" Frigga asked without a single hint of sarcasm.
'We are having dinner, aren't we…?' Toreii frantically panicked inside. 'I won't complain about instant ramen anymore! Please… I'll take any options! I'll eat a salad!'
"Are you not tired, Frigga? Perhaps a quick break? Some nourishment?" Toreii sternly suggested. Inside, she was sweating like she was in the middle of a feverish dream, with doubt starting to set in her empty stomach.
Despite enduring through the entire meeting without rest, Frigga looked as impeccable as when it first started. "Thank you for your concern, my King," the queen reassured with a light bow, "Time spent at your side could never wear me down."
The only other female Æsir nodded her head in agreement with her mother-in-law. Lady Sif stood patiently next to Frigga, eyes wide awake and without any baggage even though both of them have gone days without sleep now. To the Asgardians, a 3-day meeting was nothing compared to a century-long campaign into another realm.
There was no point in pushing the matter. These were hardened veterans in front of Toreii, the same ones who could take on entire guilds and only be mildly annoyed by the inconvenience. Eating was just a formality for the Deity at this point, yet her mental fortitude weakened the longer she went without a warm meal. As if a cosmic entity was working against her to deny every meal, she silently cursed her luck.
"Then… I shall continue with your personal questions," Toreii said, persisting through the imaginary hunger. 3 whole days of being cold, 3 days having to sit in this uncomfortable throne – it was enough to enough to make her go crazy.
Lady Sif cautiously looked to her father-in-law, "Please excuse my ignorance, father. The Odinson… He speaks of things which have caused him and I sleepless nights… My love has been whispering at dusk and dawn about… the end of all 9 Realms… I've had time to think further on what this means. Has… Ragnarok started?"
'Uh… What was the story of Ragnarok again? Asgardians fight a few raid bosses right? Surtr or something? Maybe I shouldn't have skipped those cutscenes… Ah… I was being too impatient. Can't Thor one-shot Surtr? The guy looks like he benches planets as a warmup…' Toreii mumbled inside her head.
With impeccable timing, Heimdall had entered the throne room. "I'm afraid the Odinson's fears are true, Lady Sif," he exclaimed, walking quickly to be by Odin's side. "The Allfather told me himself when I lost vision of the other realms. Ragnarok has indeed begun."
'When did I ever tell him that? I've talked to him… I don't know… twice? Did I say something to him? Anything?' Toreii wondered about the vanguard. Her memory was not the best unless she was specifically committed to remembering it. She was the type of person to derive enjoyment from grinding a dungeon, rather than the story behind its creation.
Every Asgardian present looked shocked amidst their inner thoughts. Slowly, every set of eyes eventually locked onto Loki. The sole Asgardian was quick to notice the shift in the room, as he quickly looked to Toreii for guidance. Frigga, who was unarguably Loki's favored parent, also gave her an endearing look to sort out the situation.
Of course, Toreii was oblivious to it all, still trying to remember bits and pieces of the story behind Ragnarok. As the gears slowly turned inside a clock tower filled with spiders and cobwebs, her mind searched the deepest parts of itself for any clue what they were talking about.
'There's a snake… or something? Err… Maybe a dog? Something with Surtr? Thor gets a pet dog…? Or was it Loki? Or was it a snake? Loki gets a pet snake? Maybe Loki turns into a snake… but would Thor also turn into a dog? I don't remember at all…' she silently complained to herself. As if she was caught by a teacher for not paying attention in class, Toreii felt phantom sweat dripping down her forehead.
Lady Sif looked silently from Loki back to her father-in-law, sitting quietly on the golden throne. With Heimdall confirming Ragnarok, she finally understood why her beloved did not elaborate despite the both of them being in their own private chambers. The end of the world would never sit well among a crowd of people, especially among those types. The slightest mention of it, even a slip of the tongue in a passing conversation, would be enough to cause mass hysteria.
Marrying into the royal family was not just about a title and bearing children. Frigga has shown her things which would appall even the most wicked of politicians. Words and resentment were the wedge separating the crown and its subjects, but to see an even darker side to it made it difficult for Lady Sif to sleep at night. The things Frigga had forced these families to do… The things Lady Sif actually knew about… How much the Odinson knew and what she had to keep from him… It made her feel sick to keep her mouth shut.
'Those stupid devs! Maybe if they didn't make Asgard their dev room, we could have had the end of the story! I have no idea what Ragnarok is because they never programmed it!' Toreii remembered, as the last of the cobwebs in her head finally got cleaned out. Despite learning how to read the mood in a room, she never learned to keep paying attention when her thoughts eventually wondered.
"Don't you have something to say to the Allfather, Loki? Surely, you remember the words you said to me? Or has your silver tongue turned to lead?" Heimdall blatantly said to the kneeling prince.
Loki kept his head low with his helmet still on, while Frigga actively gave the vanguard a look which could burn all of Hel.
"Hmm?" Toreii peeped, snapping back to reality. The Asgardian in question gently raised his head to meet her eyes. His face was of confidence, with a bright smile as proof. Still half lost in her thoughts, she accidently said aloud, "Something to do with a snake?"
Everyone all had a confused look on their faces, looking to Toreii for further explanation – all except for Loki, who turned pale as soon as the words left her mouth. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as any form of coherent speech left his conscience and ability. She continued to wait for an answer, but the Asgardian seemed like he had just seen a ghost.
'Did he accidently lose his pet snake? Maybe this was a bad time to bring it up… Ahh… Please forgive me!' Toreii silently prayed inside, too embarrassed to say to everyone. During the month-long wait for the noble meeting, Solomon had briefed her on the history of Asgard as well as each individual Asgardians. However, with such a large disparity between her time and these mystical beings, she questioned the validity of the info.
"T-Thank you f-for your patience, Father! As Heimdall said… I humbly wanted to ask you if you wanted to name someone to act in your stead during extended periods of the Odin Sleep. I fear a lack of leadership could lead to mishaps which could have been avoidable," Loki declared, regaining his ability to talk.
'I thought I could manage these kinds of meetings after learning all of those things from Vy… But these Asgardians meet for too long! Maybe if I just let Frigga take care of things, then she can give me a shorter report…' Toreii thought, remembering her original plan. It was a shame to put her efforts to waste, but meetings dragging on for days was not the best use of her time.
"Frigga," she softly addressed, "From now on, every matter in Asgard must go through you first. You have my blessing to do as you see fit. As for you, my children," Toreii looked to them with a stern gaze, "Please listen to your mother."
"Yes, Allfather!" The Asgardians said in unison.
"For the time being, forget about all of this Ragnarok business," she calmly said.
The king and queen quietly made their way back to their shared bedchamber, after 3 whole days spent dealing with Asgard's political system. Frigga was still in high spirits, eagerly leading Toreii to their bedroom, nothing seemingly able to ever drain her energy reserves. The young Deity, on the other hand, was very much worse for wear.
Had she known at the end of the day the grand feast she was promised was meant only for the nobles, or the fact that the meeting would go on for 3 whole days, she would have just sent Frigga to do all the work from the start. Some parts of the meeting went through one ear and out the other without as much as reaching her mind. She really did try to grasp everything she could, but 3 consecutive days of Q&A was not good for her mental health.
She had been up now for more than 72 hours, and well over a month without proper food. Although she was not racially a zombie, she was ready to drop dead like one. Toreii had personally confirmed her immortal body was capable of literal sun bathing, yet her mind was threatening to engage the blue-screen-of-death any moment now. She was thankful Frigga had offered to walk her back, as she lazily followed behind the Asgardian, hand in hand.
"Thank you for indulging me in my selfish request, my love," Frigga bashfully squealed like a giddy middle-schooler.
"It's quite alright. I'm sorry to have put such a heavy burden on you," Toreii quietly yawned, tears forming on the corners of her eyes. She was still being led by the Asgardian through the quiet halls. Midnight had come quickly, with not even the castle maids walking any hallway. The only noise she could hear were the winds blowing against the castle and the quiet marching from the guards on duty.
Finally reaching their bedchambers, Frigga stood hesitantly outside, firmly holding her beloved's hand. Despite the masquerade she put up in front of her family, the last of today's news left her shaken up inside. Instead of opening the doors to their bedroom, she turned around and lovingly looked her husband in the eyes. "Is it… true… my love? About… Ragnarok?" She whispered through the knot in her dry throat.
'Ahh… Maybe I should have said something about it earlier…' She regretted inside. Although she had some clue as to what Ragnarok was, their guess was just as good as her. The most she knew about Ragnarok was it was the end of an era and the start of a… new beginning… like… the New World…
'Is this the Ragnarok expansion? Am I beta-testing an expansion? Am I still in the game? But… This feels too real to be a game…' Toreii's thoughts began wandering again, but mental fatigue did not let her get any further. The Queen of Asgard was still gazing at her, waiting patiently for an answer.
"Would you believe me if I said Ragnarok has already passed?" Toreii questioned, testing the waters.
"A-Already… passed…? I'm afraid I don't understand," Frigga confessed, although her body felt lighter after hearing so.
'I guess none of them know the aftermath of Ragnarok,' Toreii confirmed. Being comfortable enough to not need an act around Frigga, she led them into the bedchamber, making sure to close the doors behind them. "Asgard has survived Ragnarok and this New World was born from the end of the 9 Realms we know," she tried to explain in a way the Asgardian would understand.
Nanami was patiently waiting for her mother's return, standing idly in front of the wooden bed frame. With a bow, she tentatively greeted her real parent, "Welcome back, Mother."
Yellow candle light cast long shadows in the bedroom, which was not a problem for Toreii's [True Vision], yet her daughter's passive stealth skills made the NPC fade in and out of view constantly. "Were you up waiting for me? I'm sorry to make you wait for so long," Toreii apologized as she stumbled forward to the comforts of sleep.
Toreii barely made it 5 steps in before her consciousness faded to the land of dreams, with her body falling forward and her face set to break her fall. Frigga was quick to react before her lover could hit the stone floor, yet Nanami had beaten her to it. Catching the adolescent body of her mother with both arms, Nanami had already put the Deity onto the mattress before the Asgardian had time to react.
Seeing Nanami's speed for the first time surprised Frigga, realizing that perhaps these other children of her beloved did inherit some semblance of his supreme power. Even by Asgardian standards, Nanami was worthy of praise she was reluctant to give. Frigga had not spoken another word to her step-daughter since their first meeting.
The room was quiet, save for Toreii's light snoring and the wind blowing outside. Frigga was still standing near the entrance as she watched Nanami open a nearby cabinet to get the familiar red and white robes Toreii always wore. To the Asgardian, the young girl was like a shadow, with her silhouette the only real thing she could keep track of. Had she not seen Nanami in open lighting first, Frigga would probably never know what the quiet girl looked like.
Realizing conversation would not be a thing unless initiated by herself, Frigga decided she would be the bigger person. "I'm sorry about what I said about you," the queen apologized. She walked quietly to her dresser, trying to not disturb her lover's slumber. Untying the threads keeping her dress together, the corset underneath released her lungs to allow the first full, unrestricted breath of air she had in days.
"Okay," Nanami replied, uninterested, as she finished dressing Toreii back into her robes.
Back into a more comfortable nightgown, Frigga was on the other side of their shared bed. She did not mean for hostility to continue, but there should be a minimum amount of respect between the two. As if an eerie ghost was standing beside her beloved, Frigga wondered who Nanami's other parent was. "Do you hate me?" She asked, trying to remove all bias in her tone.
"Does it matter if I do or don't?" Nanami asked back. Picking up her mother's lonely habits, Nanami found peace in solitude. Watching things from a distance was an enjoyable pastime, but talking with anyone beside her mother or sisters was an annoyance for her.
"I would hate to make my beloved worry about whether we get along," Frigga explained, walking to the other side where Nanami stood. From the architecture of the building the quiet girl had called home, Frigga guessed the other parent must have been from another region in another time, one from long ago and now forgotten.
Although she did not personally care or like the new step-mother she suddenly got, Nanami disdained the thought of ever being cumbersome to her creator. She was indifferent to most things, and with how little time she had to spend with Frigga, she was inclined to be apathetic with her too. However, after seeing how much time Toreii spent with the Asgardian every waking hour, an exception had to be made this single time.
"As long as my Mother is happy, I don't mind what happens between us," Nanami compromised.
Standing a foot away, Frigga was able to get a clear look at her newest daughter. At half at her height, Nanami's deep purple eyes were very calm and collected, a stark contrast to the raging storms which she was used to seeing in Thor. Lady Sif was her daughter-in-law, but their relationship was purely formal, public or private. However, just like her beloved, Nanami had not the slightest care for titles or formality.
Looking over her new daughter again, there was a cuteness in her young face and sleek, dark green hair. "I would like to start over, if you don't mind," she suggested, kneeling down to be on the same eye level as Nanami. "I'm Frigga, Queen of Asgard, and Wife of Odin."
Her cream colored hand reached out to Nanami, which the girl only stared at, unsure of how to continue. Frigga, who normally would feel offended when her greeting was rejected, knew better than to hold it against the quiet, reclusive girl standing with a confused look all over her face. Gently grabbing hold of Nanami's right hand, the girl's skin was soft and warm as Frigga held it with both her own. She saw neatly trimmed nails and a healthy pink palm, which was normally hidden away in the long sleeves of the monk robes. Having raised 3 sons and gaining a fully grown daughter-in-law, her maternal mind wondered what it would have been like to raise an actual daughter from birth.
"Can you tell me your name?" Frigga politely asked, pretending like it was their first time meeting.
"N-Nanami," she quietly answered, unused to physical affection.
"Nice to meet you, Nanami. You're a very pretty girl," Frigga said with a smile.
Beside them, Toreii snoozed away without a care in the world in blissful sleep.
A/N: Sorry this took so long, I didn't mean for it to, but I wanted the follow up chapter to this to be finished before I put it out. Please tell me if you have a preference between Toreii's NPCs and the Asgardians for future chapters.