Forever. I Promise (Sequel to As one. Always)

Chapter 3

It had now been a month since Loki’s sentencing. During that time I was kept busy by Sif and Fandral. We sparred all day, and then they dragged me out to the social scene during the evenings. And though I smiled and sometimes laughed, I couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with everything. And it became clear to the few people who knew me well enough that I was unhappy.

I was sitting outside one evening, keeping to myself, taking a break from being around people. It was chilly, but I didn’t mind. It made me feel more alive. Since Loki’s been shut away I’ve felt so confused about many things, mostly my feelings for him and my feelings towards myself. I was trying to be the person everyone thought I should be, feel the things they thought I should. But I couldn’t just walk away, could I? I had to keep holding on to the past, didn’t I?

I watched the sun setting, pulling my shawl closer around me, shivering slightly. “If the lady is cold, why not go inside?” The deep voice rumbled quietly behind me, making me jump.

“Because the lady doesn’t mind the cold.” I wondered if Thor got the double meaning there. I turned to smile at him as he took a seat beside me. “Off to check on Jane again?” I dint need him to answer. He went nearly every night. Whenever I saw Thor now, she was all he talked about, which was probably due to the fact that no one else took him seriously when he did. And the more I heard about Jane, the more I liked her. She seemed like a sweet girl, and Thor looked so happy when he could think of her and talk about her.

Why did Asgard judge so much when it came to who you loved? Wasn’t the happiness that came from the love their prince felt enough to make it acceptable?

“Have you visited Loki yet?” Thor said it softly so no passerby’s would here.

“No. The Allfather has forbidden anyone to have any sort of contact with Loki. Your mother can’t even see him.”

“And do you truly believe that stops her from seeing her son?” I hadn’t spoken much with Frigga. I didn’t know her well, but the times I had conversed with her gave me a few hints of her personality. She was kind and generous, wise and mischievous. She was well versed in magic, and even though Loki seemed to think he had surpassed her in skill, a teacher never shares all their secrets with their students. I believed Frigga still had tricks up her sleeve.

So I wasn’t surprised to know she was visiting Loki in secret. Magic made things possible, it opened doors. It was why I studied it, and sometimes I forced myself to master spells quicker than usual. It was a handy tool few could use.

Thor and I were silent, watching the sun sink into the sky. It was so beautiful at this time in Asgard, and it was becoming my favorite time. It only lasted five minutes, but during that short duration the sun was still peeking out and the stars and galaxies were creeping forward, taking over. It was almost half day and half night. “It seems the convergence is happening soon.” Thor leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees.

“The what?” Thor was good at switching topics randomly.

“The convergence. It is when the nine realms are in perfect alignment. The barriers between worlds become thin, and in certain cases, it is possible to travel between realms. It only happens every so many thousand years.”

“And you can see it?” I looked at the sky and it didn’t look any different to me. This half day half night thing happened all the time during the cold season, or so I’ve heard.

“No. Few can see it. Heimdall can, of course.”

“Of course he can. Heimdall sees everything.” I retorted.

“You are right. He sees everything. Including the struggles you have with your heart.” I closed my eyes when I heard this, running a hand over my face. “And I see them too. I know you are not happy Noelle.”