(Okay after weeks of waiting here is chapter four. Sorry for the long wait but I have limited internet in the summer.)
"What?" I nearly screamed at the All-Father, "No, no, no, you know how important it was to me not to…father please?"
"Octavia please. You knew this would come one day." Odin said. I could detect the smallest hint of regret in his eyes.
I stood my ground, "No. I won't do it." My hands curled into tight fists. This can't be happening. I watched the compassion drain from my father's face as he took on the role of King.
"Octavia it is your duty as princess of this realm. You have one week to choose a husband or I shall choose one for you." Odin's expression told me the decision was final but I couldn't help but protest.
I begged, "Father please…"
"Enough! You are both dismissed." Odin snapped. The gaurds opened the doors and ushered us out. I buried my feeling deep inside, I would not cry in front of Olivia. I calmly started towards the far end of the castle.
"Going to see your dear Loki, sister?" Olivia called after me. I spun around, my eyes like daggers.
"What do you want Olivia?" I barked. Her lips contorted into a grotesque smile as she sauntered over to me.
"Power." She whispered in my ear.
"I-I don't understand. What does that have to do with me?" I crinkled my brow in confusion, why was she telling me this?
Olivia laughed, "You never were one for politics dear sister. Let's just say you have something I want." She laughed again as she wandered off towards the gardens. A thousand thoughts buzzed through my head yet none of them could decipher Olivia's words. I turned quickly and walked off towards Loki's chambers. I desperately needed to talk to him.
I lay with my head in Loki's lap as he stroked my hair trying to calm me down. The moment I had set foot in his room I had burst into tears. I could never keep my brave face on around him. After an hour of inaudible sounds he had finally been able to coax the information from me.
"Octavia, calm down and look at me." Loki pleaded. I nodded as I sat up and his green eyes met my tearstained ones.
"What am I to do brother?" I whispered. Loki grimaced.
"I'm afraid there is no way to change the all-fathers mind." He said bitterly, "But that's not what concerns me. Whatever Olivia is playing at…it doesn't sit well with me…I just can't imagine what it is she wants from you." Loki stood quietly and pulled me up from the couch. "Promise me you'll be careful?" he asked as he led me to the door.
"I promise." I whispered as he gently shoved me out of the room. I wandered around the empty halls, reflecting on our conversation. Loki was right. I couldn't find out any information by sitting around crying. I silently spun around and hurriedly made my way for the gardens.
THUD! I ran smack dab into somebody's chest and landed hard on the stones of the garden.
"I'm terribly sorry." I said as I tried to brush my hair out of my eyes. A hand reached down to help me up. I followed the hand all the way up to a face and when I could finally see I realized that the hand and face belonged to Fandral.
He laughed as he helped me up, "Perfectly alright, my lady. In fact I was just looking for you. I have some exciting news to tell you."
I smiled as I brushed the dirt from my clothes. We looked around for a place to sit and finally settled on a nice patch of grass in the shade of a weeping willow.
"What is it you wished to tell me?" I asked as I picked at a blade of grass.
"It's most exciting really. The All-Father has named me governor of one of our colonies in the outer realms. I'll have complete political control…" The rest of the conversation blurred out as the truth hit me like a blow from Thor's hammer. I knew exactly what I had that Olivia wanted. I had Fandral.
"Father?" Olivia called.
"Yes. Come in Olivia." Odin replied from the depths of his study. "What is it you want my daughter?"
"Well," Olivia said with a smirk, "I was just thinking. Octavia will never agree to marry. So why bother waiting a week to marry her off. Why not arrange the marriage now?"
"And I suppose you have a suitor in mind for her." Odin said without looking up.
'Oh yes I do' Olivia thought before speaking an evil smile forming on the inside, "Well she is adopted yes? And there is a certain prince she is rather fond of. A certain prince who you have been wanting to keep out of trouble. Well they are both adopted so why not marry her off to Loki? You could promise him that he'd be reinstated as part of the royal family…that should be at least enough to keep him from trying to take the throne again." Olivia let a small smile form on her lips as the All-Father considered the possibility.
"Normally," Odin said with a sigh, "I would never consider such a thing but….you have made quite an argument. I shall call her to me at once."
"Hello…Octavia?" Fandral exclaimed while waving his hand in front of my face.
"That's wonderful Fandral…" I whispered as a sinking feeling began to form in my stomach. It wasn't the realization of Olivia's motives but the realization that I really was in Love with Fandral and I didn't want him to leave me.
Fandral studied my face, "You don't want me to leave do you?"
Tears started to form and I tried to hold back but I couldn't. Years of emotion was pushing these tears forward and there was nothing I could do except let them slide down my cheeks. That's when Fandral did something rather unexpected. He whipped the tears from my face.
"Octavia," he whispered, "I have loved you for a very long time…but I never thought you felt the same way until now. Octavia…are you in love with me?"
I sighed and laid my head against his shoulder, "Yes Fandral…I am in love with you." He smiled down at me and cupped my face in his hands while brushing away the remainder of my tears.
"I love you too princess Octavia." He said as he pulled my face to his and we locked in a long passionate kiss. I smiled when we broke away. He pulled me closer to him and we sat for a long time.
"Excuse me." A guard suddenly appeared farther up the path. "The All-Father wishes to see you at once, princess."
(Okay that all for now! Haha don't you just hate cliffhangers? Anyway I'm sorry for any grammar errors I didn't spend time fixing them cause I wanted to post this right away. I will try to go back and fix them later. Please let me know what you think and sorry for the long wait. XD)
