CHAPTER 4

Thor gestured his hand towards the wooden door before them. "These will be your chambers. If you need anything, just ask one of the servants and they'll be more than willing to assist you."

Lina smiled at him appreciatively. "Thank you, Thor. For everything you're doing."

Thor returned the smile warmly, bid her good night, and walked to his room.

Lina walked into the room and took in her new surroundings. The bed was to her right, the makings of it colored similarly to the dress she was wearing. There was a balcony directly across from her that allowed her to see over the garden all the way to the training field she was just on. A desk and bookshelf sat on either side of the balcony entrance and a bathroom door was just beyond the bookshelf.

Interested, Lina immediately walked over to the books. She let her fingers skim over the spines of all the knowledge and stories they held. She grabbed one labeled "The Tales of Midgard" and flipped through its pages. Stories such as "Cinderella" and "The Princess and the Pea" interested her. Lina put the book on the desk, meaning to read it later.

Her eyes glanced over to the bed where she saw a green bag. She walked over to it and opened it, excited for what lay within it. Inside she found various familiar items. Her favorite books, her jewelry box, and many of her clothes were inside. As she examined all of her belongings, a small knock came at the door.

Lina rushed to the door and opened it, happy to find Frigga waiting on the other side. "My lady."

"May I come in?" Lina moved out of the way to let the queen inside. "I see you found the bag I left for you."

"Yes I did. Thank you so much for all of these things…I would have been lost without a lot of it." Lina smiled at Frigga warmly. She sat next to the bag, Frigga sitting opposite from her.

"I had asked the boys to grab what they could before they brought you here. I didn't want you to feel as if you had lost everything during that horrible event."

Lina nodded appreciatively, but her face wasn't as convincing.

Frigga touched her hand. "I know it isn't everything you wanted, but it's the least we could get." Frigga stood up and walked towards the balcony, stopping just inside the doorway. "Is there anything else I could help you with, my dear?"

Lina sighed. Still not taking her eyes off of the jewelry box, she replied, "Would it be alright if I came to visit you once or twice a week?" Frigga had been the sweetest person to her since she arrived. She wanted to spend more time with her, get to know her more, have her maybe help make sense of the craziness that was going on in her mind.

Frigga smiled. "I'd be delighted. I've always wanted a girl in the castle to converse with."

Lina giggled as the queen made her way towards the door. "Good night, Lina."

"Good night, my lady."

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The next morning came all to early for Lina. The sun peaked through the curtains that led to her balcony. She sat for a while, letting the morning settle itself into her mind. She wanted to get out and practice again as she did with Thor the night before. She had steam she needed to work off and that was the only way she knew how.

Lina got dressed in a training outfit and made her way to the dining hall. It was empty except for a few servants who greeted her and offered fresh fruit before she started her day. She gratefully accepted an orange and proceeded to stuff some apples and a flask of water into her bag before heading to the field.

The cool air of morning hit her skin gently. It was refreshing and relaxing. The field was set up for a one person practice session already. She assumed Thor knew she would be returning.

Lina dropped her bag near the corner of the field and proceeded to withdraw her sword.

You need to move faster.

She could hear her brother's words echoing in her head.

You need to listen to me.

Lina made quick work of the standing dummies that were there and soon resorted to practicing various combinations.

*Faster

She was getting winded.

*Faster

Her world began spinning. She dropped to the ground, her sword landing next to her. Sweat dripped off of her face, down her nose, and straight to the ground. She stared at the blades of grass beneath her. Eventually she rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky. The sun's beams danced on her face as she regained her breath.

She practiced like this all day, occasionally stopping to eat an apple or drink some water.

"Do you think she'll stop?" Thor asked his father. They had been watching from a distance for quite some time.

"She has the resiliency of her father. She will most likely go until sundown as she had been trained in the past."

Loki sat in his usual place while his father and brother watched the princess. He was still sour from the exchange they had the night before, but it made him very curious of her as well. He intended to find out more about her and extend some kind of act of kindness towards her, especially since his brother had shown her such a good time the night before.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

The bath had felt good. Training past sunset did not. Lina felt sick and tired. Her muscles stiffened as she finished bathing and climbed out of the warm water. She changed into an evening gown and made her way to the dining hall for dinner. She sat next to Frigga, discussing the events of her day as well as the day of the queen.

She felt eyes on her the entire time, though.

Glancing around the room, she noted the various warriors they dined with. She saw Thor laughing and exchanging words with many of them. She saw Odin discussing important business with his advisor. Then her eyes met his. His cold, emerald eyes were glued to hers.

She looked away quickly, not wanting to keep eye contact with the prince too long. It made her uncomfortable having a man watch her so intently for so long.

Suddenly, a man burst into the dining hall requesting to speak to Odin. She watched as the great king stood and met the man. They exchanged a few words, Odin's face remaining stern.

"Thor, Loki," he beckoned. "Follow me."

The brothers obliged, Loki taking one last look at Lina before he left. He knew this had something to do with her.

The man who had gone to see Odin had just returned from what was left of Lina's kingdom.

"What did you see there?" Odin questioned, taking his seat in his throne.

"It was desolate. No pure life remained in the land."

"Pure life?" Thor asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"My lord, forgive me as I will sound like a mad man," the man began. "There were creatures there that were not of our world. I don't even think they were of the princess'. They crawled in strange ways and made very foreign noises. They were hers to control."

"Her?" Odin asked. The three men's curiosities were caught by surprise.

"Yes. I can only assume that she is the woman you spoke of."

Lina had managed to make her way to the throne room once again to listen in on the conversation. She was trying to go through her head if she could remember what the woman from that fateful night looked like. Her mind could remember the creatures he talked about, but she didn't remember the woman's face.

"You really need to stop doing this," Loki teased as he walked over to the throne room doors. He was face to face with Lina, his stare harder than ever.

"I only think it appropriate that if these matters pertain to my kingdom that I be part of the meetings regarding it."

"Very well, come in," Odin called. As Lina strolled into the room, the man who had been reporting to the men froze. His eyes were locked on Lina's every move.

"Is something wrong?" Thor asked him.

The man opened his mouth but no words escaped his lips. He pointed at Lina, words still trying to form.

"What is it?" Odin demanded. The man snapped out of his trance and looked at Odin once again.

"The woman I saw," he began, looking back towards Lina, "looked exactly like her."