BOOK TWO. After being manipulated and kidnapped by Restitution, Anna + Loki narrowly escape with their lives only to be separated by Odin. Stuck on Earth with Jane Foster, Anna finds herself missing the one man she thought she would always hate.
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ANNA WATCHES as the boat bearing Frigga's body makes its way across the water. Her body is surrounded by flowers, a testament to her love for the palace's beautiful gardens, and she is adorned with a stunning battle dress and armed with her sword. A thin veil covers her face, and - for a moment - Anna can't help but think that the queen looks as if she is only sleeping.
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A single lantern hangs from the front of the boat, and her eyes follow its light until it is little more than a speck on the water. It's heart-wrenching, knowing that the woman who welcomed her into Asgard with open arms - the only one who truly supported her relationship with Loki, is now gone.
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Oh god, Loki. More tears pour down her cheeks at the thought of him. Biting her lip, Anna tries to stem the flow without success. Her heart aches for him, to comfort him in this time of loss, because she knows that what she feels right now is nothing but a grain of sand compared to the hurt Loki must feel at the loss of his mother. She wants to be angry with him. She wants to hold him accountable for the bruises on her arms, for his hateful words toward Odin...but she can't. Despite his flaws, she loves him unconditionally. His tough exterior is merely a shell, one that she's seen crack before and that she's determined to shatter again.
Taking a deep breath, she watches as Odin gives an imperceptible signal to an archer. Lighting an arrow, the soldier lifts it to the sky and sends it directly to Frigga's boat. The arrow flies true, and the funeral pyre bursts into flames while the entirety of Asgard says goodbye to their beloved queen.
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