HEEEEEY! This story is back! Hope you all missed it!
I promised an influx of new characters, a Coming-of-Age Ball, a Wedding, in-laws, and plot, and here it begins!
On with the story!
Previously
Gylfi looks at Kerwyn and silently thanks him, Kerwyn nodding with a gentle smile, looking back to where his practically adopted daughter is almost within arm reach.
Oh, it is so good you are home. I can't wait for you to be the best ruler we've ever had.
Chapter 24
Alfheim
The pair walk until they are at the steps leading into the castle, eyes downcast in respect, letting their hands go.
Shadow stays by her mistress' side, her glance at Kerwyn gleaming with recognition and at Æfhare in warning.
Æfhare, wanting to scowl, settles for a quick glare before focusing his attention on his youngest half-sister.
"Father." Isabella murmurs, hands clasped in front of her, ring glinting in the sunlight, much to Æfhare's annoyance.
Shadow flicks her tail in Æfhare's direction, giving him the feline equivalent of raised eyebrow.
Head Guard, if you are going to be annoyed by every unorthodox action Mistress does, you are going to be annoyed quite often.
"King Gylfi." Loki bows low in respect, acknowledging the higher rank of the king as a common man rather than a prince.
His actions cause the crowd to whisper in shock, wondering what other surprises their princess has brought with her.
"Welcome Daughter. Welcome Loki Odinson." King Gylfi greets, then looks at Æfhare for him to greet Isabella.
"Sister." Æfhare acknowledges stiffly, bowing as low as his station would require, but no lower.
"Brother." Isabella greets, bowing as low as her station requires, but no lower.
King Gylfi, smiling broadly, turns and addresses the crowd in a booming voice, "Our daughter Arnbjörg comes home to stay. This son of Asgard has brought her home to us. Let us celebrate and praise our Mother for bringing her home safely."
The crowd cheers as King Gylfi pulls Isabella and Loki up to the top step, walking with them into the castle.
The doors close behind them, sounding like the final nail in the coffin of Isabella Aella.
Isabella looks around the castle, her breath taken away by the sight of what seems to be nature incarnate.
The walls seem to be made of living stone, shifting and pulsing as if reacting to the elves entering and leaving the entrance hall.
The windows reveal a wild garden and forest full of thick greenery, colorful flowers of every height, especially ones that she hasn't seen before but can't wait to explore.
Isabella feels her magic surge and fill her with such an intense warmth she needs to press a hand to her stomach for fear that she might burst into flames.
It's happened before. It's best not to discuss such horrible things.
Loki sees his soon-to-be wife clutch her stomach with an awestruck expression on her face, smiling fondly and closing his eyes as he feels his own magic being touched by the spirit of Nature encompassing the Palace.
Kerwyn turns to face the girl he saw grow up to be a beautiful woman inside and out, watching as she reigns in her excitement and tries to regain control of herself as her magic tries to break free and absorb into Nature.
Gylfi turns and faces his daughter, eyes roaming her face as he hasn't seen it since she was born.
She looks so much like her mother.
"Welcome daughter, to Alfheim and your home." Gylfi says with a warm smile, Æfhare barely containing a growl of frustration.
"Thank you Father." Isabella responds with polished, perfect manners. "It is wonderful to finally be back where I am supposed to be."
Loki walks to stand next to his fiancée, keeping a careful distance between them.
"And thank you, Prince Loki Odinson, for bringing my daughter home, safe." King Gylfi notes with a slightly hard look at the ring on his daughter's marriage finger, worn in imitation to the Midgardian betrothed.
"Of course King Gylfi, it was my honor and pleasure to bring your daughter home." Loki responds with a respectful nod, showing deference to the King and his officials. Æfhare, Kerwyn and Gylfi stiffen slightly at that, Gylfi's glare intensifying.
Kerwyn tries to break the tension. "Please, let's congregate somewhere more private. Say, the King's office?"
"Please." Isabella says with a grateful smile, shooting Loki a warning glare before following behind her father, looking for all the world a humble princess who is much used to the ways of the court. Shadow follows behind, head and tail up, the vision of a proud cat.
Æfhare forces Loki to walk behind him, Loki tensing up at the dismissal of his rank as the guard knows that he is the son of Odin, a prince, but treats him like a person with negligible rank. He takes a deep breath and follows, determined to play nice for the sake of Isabella.
...
King Gylfi's Office Designated for Visitors from the 7 Worlds
Once the royals are seated, the rest follow suit, guards standing at the door both in the hallway and in the office.
The men begin arguing promptly, Æfhare arguing vehemently against showing Isabella to the Court and the royals of the Nine Worlds until she has gone through the years of training necessary for a Princess of her station as well as until she can prove that she will not bring ruin to Alfheim and let it be swallowed up by Malekith of the Dark Elves.
Gylfi argues for his daughter and heir to be released immediately into the Court so the leaders of these Worlds will be forced to acknowledge that Alfheim is still a reigning power and will not be scared by threats of invasion into showing that fear by not announcing a new ruler.
Kerwyn tries to mediate between the two in an attempt o keep things calm, knowing that one of the reasons Æfhare protest so much against Isabella is because he feels unacknowledged and slighted by his Midgardian-raised sister stepping in to take the throne when he was raised on Alfheim and was passed over as heir for someone whom the Worlds acknowledge as the inferior race.
Isabella stares off into the window, leaning back in her chair with her hands intertwined under her chin, letting the other men argue about what to do now that she has returned home. She absently strokes Shadow's head, Shadow watching the argument intensely and with no small amount of amusement.
She sees a group of seven birds flying, gradually getting more and more distant, two rising and one falling below the group of three remaining together at the same altitude. A strong gust of wind knocks the two flying high down and the one falling below up to where the group of three are, the two high-flying birds struggling but the gust of wind keeping them in their place. They struggle together until eventually the birds fall into place and the birds return to their original closeness.
Isabella blinks and she sees the birds have disappeared, leaving her with a sense of certainty that her plan is the right one.
"You need to leave Loki." She absentmindedly interrupts the men's talk, still looking out the window.
Loki, who had been arguing with the men himself, replies with a shocked tone, "What?"
"You need to leave from here." Isabella says, turning to face her fiancé. "It would be best if you were to return to your rightful place in Jotunheim and wait."
"Wait for what?" Loki asks, hurt that she wants to further put off their wedding.
"Yes, what exactly are you planning Arnbjörg?" Gylfi asks, curious as he sees that stubborn look pass her face, a perfect mirror of his last lover, Arnbjörg's mother.
"I believe that if we were to announce that I was found living on Midgard all these years, it would open Alfheim to more danger from the rising power Thanos." Isabella says carefully, flinching slightly at the reminder of her new name.
Æfhare scoffs, sneering as he asks mockingly, "And how do you know the danger, sister?"
"Well, brother, if you must know, I helped the group of heroes on Midgard prevent the World from being consumed by Thanos' army after finding out they captured my betrothed. May I continue explaining or do you have anymore questions?" Isabella says coolly, raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to agree before continuing.
"Now, I propose that we keep the circumstances of my arrival within the kingdom and try to spread a rumor that I was sent away after being willful and disobedient. That way there can be enough turmoil to explain my disappearance and allow me the room to make inevitable mistakes."
"But we have already sent out word of your return. How would that work?" Kerwyn asks with a slight frown.
"Better to be a willful child than an incompetent ruler." Isabella says sagely. "It will be that much more impressive when I turn those who think me incompetent around and have them acknowledging my capability as a ruler and forced to submit to Nature's Laws."
"So we are expected to spin this story of you, the future ruler of Alfheim, running off to Midgard to hide away from your responsibilities?" Æfhare asks with disbelief. "How would that help?"
"It will draw the attention of the other worlds to Alfheim, putting us in more conversation with the supposed childishness of its future ruler. They will take a step back, either trying to find an angle to use to convince me to join their side in this battle for power or trying to find a way to eliminate me and take the throne for themselves. With that attention, it will be easier to hide away our intentions to set right what has been sorely neglected: balance between the worlds." Isabella insists, eyes and lights flashing as she loses her control of her magic. She closes her eyes and regains her control.
"As I was saying. We spin a story about my unruliness and Loki acting on behalf of Asgard to help bring me to heel with the promise of the forgiveness for betraying Asgard as Alfheim is surely grateful for its heir to be returned safe and sound, right? So grateful as to make its first royal visit in eons to Asgard in order to help resume relations?" Isabella asks with an arched brow, already knowing the answer will be 'yes'.
Loki looks up at that, now more willing to focus on the plan now that he knows the extension of their engagement is for a good reason, still a little upset regardless.
"There, Loki will express his wish to return to his home on Jotunheim and integrate himself with them as one of the many princes not able to access the throne easily."
Isabella sudden swivels to face Gylfi. "Would I be considered the proper age for marriage?"
"Uh, yes. Actually, this year would be your Coming of Age Ball." Gylfi nods, starting to put some pieces together.
"Good. We'll throw one in a few weeks, after I've had some training navigating the political sphere and learning the ways of an Alfheim Princess. There I can be introduced to some of the princes, Loki included." Isabella says, smiling over at Loki who gives a small smile back. "Then after I take the throne, I can begin business with Alfheim with much help from the captain of the guard" she gestures to Æfhare "an advisor" she gestures to Kerwyn "and my husband" she nods to Loki "where the first business shall be getting rid of Thanos, who's becoming a much bigger threat that needs to be eliminated."
The men absorb this, Æfhare in slight disbelief that his Midgardian-Elven sister, completely unprepared to take the throne, is proving to be far more intelligent than her gave her credit for. Perhaps she will make a fine queen... with much training.
Gylfi beams with pride that his heir contains a backbone and a crafty mind, which will be much needed if she plans to bring his brothers and sisters to heel after being so long remiss in their promises to maintain the Natural Order.
Kerwyn is proud of the strength and conviction the little girl he raised and took as his own still retains despite all that was done to her. He can't wait to see the kind of queen she will turn out to be: one who is compassionate but strict, intelligent but not arrogant, wise but not bitter.
Isabella looks at the men and feels that familiar fear rise and threaten to choke her. She shoves it down, determined to not be distracted from her goals and chicken out when she's given everything up for this moment.
It's time to take control of my fate and do what's needed. But they'll be done my way.
Hope you like this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long to put out, but I hope it wasn't too bad.
I mixed up Marvel Universe with ACTUAL Norse Mythology 'cause I can do what I want!
Let me know what you liked, what you didn't and what I can do to make it better in your REVIEWS!
