Around six months later...
The past week had been a grueling round of training. Magic knowledge and practice tests with Frigga, and combat tests with Heimdall.
Leila's teachers thought she was ready to go out on missions. The prospect both excited and terrified the woman, but the last few months of training had prepared her.
The warriors three, Sif, Thor, and Leila were to set out for Vanaheim in a few hours.
Leila shakily adjusted the straps of her battle armor. She wore steel armor over a dark purple tunic and brown leggings. The set had been specially made for her by the palace's craftsmen, enchanted fabric and metal strengthening her powers and providing protection.
She fastened her sword belt to her waist, looking at her reflection in the mirror. A knock came at her door, and she called out for the person to enter.
Frigga walked in. She looked at Leila's armor and smiled. "My dear, you look very formidable!"
"Thank you, queen Frigga." Leila grinned softly.
"Please, I told you months ago to just call me Frigga!" The queen waved her hands. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you... I know you are nervous. But you will excel. You are very well prepared... And we both know Thor will protect you if need be. Better than he will himself." She sighed. "He cares for you a great deal, Leila."
"As I care for him." Leila's cheeks flushed a deep red as she looked at her hands folded into her lap.
Thor and her hadn't exactly talked about the kiss they had, but they had continued spending much of their free time together. He would also often walk her to her room after dinners, where they would share a quick kiss before parting.
"I will speak to you later, after your mission. Best of luck, my dear." Frigga touched her shoulder lightly and left the room.
Leila sighed, looking in the mirror again. Time to do this, she thought.
-
Leila spun away from an attacker's fist and ducked to swipe at their legs with her sword. As soon as they had fallen, another enemy took their place.
She felled the masked enemy with a blast of blue flame, finishing them off with another sword strike.
Sif rode in on a mighty horse, dropping to the ground a few feet away from Leila and joining the battle, her dark hair streaming behind her.
Some of the attackers had gun-like weapons. One of them was aiming their gun at some of the fleeing civilians. Leila threw up her hands to form a barrier. The projectiles were stopped and destroyed in spots of blue flame.
The hairs on Leila's arms stood up as the air crackled with electricity. Thor slammed the ground with his hammer, a wave of lightning disrupting the group of enemies around him.
"Nice of you to join us." Leila called out.
"Come on, Thor! We had it handled." said Sif.
Thor laughed. "Is that why everything's on fire?"
He joined the fight alongside Leila, Sif, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg.
Someone threw a sword and it had nearly reached Thor, but Leila formed a barrier that stopped it.
"You're welcome" Leila grinned and turned back to the fight.
Once most of the invaders had been defeated, a loud roar echoed through the battlefield. Everything stilled, and the ground shook with the sound.
A giant kronan began stepping towards the crowd of onlookers slowly, comprised of both the attackers and defenders of the village. One of the Asgardian warriors
ran towards the kronan, but it swatted them away easily.
"All yours," Leila gestured to Thor, who stood next to her. He met her eyes and shook his head with a small smile.
"Hello. I accept your surrender." The village attackers laughed.
Thor stepped forward and destroyed the rocky beast with one swing of his hammer.
"Anyone else?" he asked. The attackers exchanged glances between themselves and threw down their weapons, surrendering to the Asgardians.
-
"Is Vanaheim secure?" Odin asked from next to his son, leaning over the balcony of Asgard's castle.
Thor nodded. "As are Nornheim and Ria."
"For the first time since the Bifrost was destroyed, the Nine Realms are at peace. They're well reminded of our strength and you have earned their respect and my gratitude."
"Thank you."
"Nothing is out of order except your confused and distracted heart." Odin said smugly.
Thor felt anger rise in his chest. "This isn't about Leila."
"Human lives are fleeting. They're nothing. You would better served by what lies in front of you." Olin gestured to Sif, who was sparring in the courtyard.
"She means a great deal to me, father. Besides, she is not human. She is Asgardian."
"Half Asgardian. And that does not mean she is one of us. I am telling you this not as the all father, but as your father. You are ready. The time has come for you to take the throne.embrace and celebrate what you have won. Join your warriors, eat and drink, revel in their celebration. Spend time with your human, before she grows old and withered and you must attend to your kingly duties."
To say the least, Odin's words had angered Thor greatly. He had left without another word to his father, washing up in his room and getting ready for the celebration that night.
-
Asgardian warriors of all kinds gathered at Siggi's tavern; Thor, the warriors three, Sif, and Leila among the most celebrated.
Leila sat in the chair next to Thor, sipping on beer and sweet meads as people asked them question after question about the battles they had fought in other realms.
"What was your favourite enemy you fought?" One young man asked, and the two exchanged an amused look.
"I enjoyed watching Thor's battle with the ice giant on Nornheim." Leila said.
"Yes, a fine opponent." Thor chuckled.
Leila had picked out a beautiful maroon dress from her wardrobe, a similar color to the doublet that Thor wore. Leila had smiled to herself, perhaps thinking that some servant or perhaps Frigga had somehow coordinated it.
As the night went on, the alcohol flowed endlessly, and eventually people stopped bothering Leila and Thor.
"Would you like to step outside for a moment?" He asked, and she nodded, allowing him to guide her out onto a snowy balcony. The two of them looked out on the snowy streets of Asgard, the crowd below forming a river of people.
Leila drew her cloak tighter around herself and leaned on the railing.
"How long has it been since we traveled here?" she asked quietly, not wanting them to stand in silence but unsure of what to talk about, her mind slightly clouded by alcohol.
"On Earth, around a year."
"Really, here... I guess it has been almost a year. But it hasn't felt like that."
Thor nodded. "Time passes differently here. More importantly, you have been busy."
It was true. Leila had magic lessons with Frigga most days, sparring and combat lessons taking up the rest. The few free days she had were spent exploring Asgard, either with Thor or Theresa. She visited her mother often as well, hearing about her first few years of life and her father. Aemma had been teaching her magic as well, as she had the same kind of abilities as Leila.
"Do you miss your world?' Thor's low voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"Not so much Earth itself, but the people I know there. My dad, and my papa, and Jane, Erik, and Darcy." Leila paused, chuckling under her breath. "Never thought I'd be saying I missed Darcy Lewis."
Thor laughed. "Perhaps I know someone who can help us check on them."
-
"How fare the stars?" Thor asked, walking into Heimdall's outpost, Leila's hand intertwined in his.
Heimdall turned around from looking out over the stars, bowing his head in greeting to the two of them. "Still shining. From here I can see Nine Realms and ten trillion souls." He paused for a moment. "You recall what I told you of the Convergence?"
Leila wondered what he was talking about. Thor gave a quick squeeze to her hand and responded. "Yes, the alignment of the worlds. It approaches, doesn't it?"
"The universe hasn't seen this marvel since before my watch began. Few can sense, even fewer can see it. A world that's infected can be dangerous. It is truly beautiful."
"I see nothing." Thor, Leila, and Heimdall walked closer to the wall of stars, the young woman captivated by the sight in front of her.
"Or perhaps that is not the beauty you seek." Heimdall inclined his head towards Leila, earning a deep blush from her and a laugh from Thor.
"How is Jane?" Leila asked.
"She's quite clever, your mortal friend. She doesn't know it yet, but she studies the Convergence as well. Even..." Heimdall stopped.
"What is it?" Thor looked inquisitively at the other man.
"I can't see her."
-
A/N: So... long time no see. I'm back though! As much as I can be while being a full time student with three jobs 😅 I will be doing my very best to keep writing and updating this story.