Author's Note: Weeeeell, some of you have spectulated as to what may or may not be happening in Emprise. I can say with certainty that you will not find out in this chapter. Or the next one. But after that ALL BETS ARE OFF. Okay, I'm very tired, clearly, and I've been writing and rewriting and watching Friends. So much rewriting lately, which is really for the best, I assure you. Thank you to penderruth for her constant conspiring over writing with me! And now onto the properly broody next few chapters. I love hearing from you guys, so keep up the comments! <3
Side note. Voting for the Watty Awards begins January 6th and runs through January 31st. Please make sure and give Recompense a vote for Best in Fanfic, Movies, On the Rise category. Your support is a miracle I can't thank you enough for! Here's the link: http://www.wattpad.com/wattys/showcase.
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Chapter Seven - Opna, or Open
I take a deep breath of the morning air, trying to settle my stomach. Breakfast did no good to ease my uneasiness this morning; if anything, it perpetuated the ill feeling welling up inside me. I wipe the sweat from my brow and take another deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I look down at my hands and they tremble before me, fingers twitching and dancing without control. I shake them out and look back up at Hogun who is standing opposite me. His posture is casual, his hands resting on the hilt of the sword at his hip. He offers me a calm smile and I grip my own sword in my hands, withdrawing it from its sheath and holding it out before me. My palms are slick with sweat and the sword feels undeniably heavy in my hands. The blade wavers and I drop it back down quickly to reprieve my arm.
I make light and attempt to joke, “En garde!”
“Oh, would you shut up and get on?”
I whirl around and stare at Sif for a long while before a grin spreads across my face. I clasp my free hand over my heart. “Oh my gods, I am so proud right now!”
I deflect Hogun’s attack from behind me with my sword without bothering to turn around and confront him. I wink at Sif who smiles crookedly back at me and then I turn back around to fight Hogun like I am supposed to. Parry, thrust, block, on and on until my hands and feet are aching. My eyes are having trouble focusing, my depth perception off. I suppose that’s really what to expect from a blinded eye. I let my guard down slightly as Hogun reaches up to wipe the sweat forming on his brow and when I halt the pain rushes into me, arms and hands trembling. He thrusts suddenly, catching me unaware, my sword arm too heavy to lift, and his sword slices the back of my hand open, the stinging bite of the blade causing tears to well in my eyes.
“Motherfu - ow!” I drop my sword and cradle my hand. “Not cool, Hogun!” I drop my sword in frustration. “I’m bloody useless with a blade lately, it seems.”
Hogun sheaths his sword and approaches me as he hurriedly apologizes. I hop up and down on my toes, shaking out my hand as the blood drips from the wound. Hogun drops to his knees before me and bows his head. “Apologies, my queen.”
I scoff, “Don’t be ridiculous. Get up, you idiot. I’m fine.” I pull him to his feet and look him directly in the eye. “I am your friend. I am sure as hell not your queen.”
“You should not speak like that,” Sif says, appearing at my side. I turn to give her a look but her own countenance is solemn. “People have expectations of you now. You have a role to play in the hierarchy of Asgard. You are by all accounts, the reigning queen, married or not.”
“I should expect your people would prefer more formal bonds before declaring people to be in power,” I state, crossing my arms over my chest, my hand still stinging. I am getting thoroughly angry and Sif is doing nothing to help it.
“Oh, they do. And that is why there is to be a wedding by the end of this week.”
I crouch down to pick up my sword and I sheath it hastily. “Well, it would be nice if people would tell me these kinds of things!” I adjust my bodice, refasten my cloak around my neck and I head straight back towards the palace.
“Valkyrie, wait!” Sif calls after me, likely having realized that probably wasn’t the best way to break the news to me. I march up the steps and hurry towards Thor and Loki’s council meeting. The meeting I was noticeably not invited to attend. I kick the door open in a whirlwind and I stand in the doorway, glaring at Loki.
“Hey, thanks for the heads up on the wedding front! OH WAIT.”
Loki rises to his feet. “Valkyrie, now is not the time to discuss this.”
“Oh no, of course not. Don’t let me intrude on boys club! By all means, continue with your gossiping and dick measuring contests! I will see you later,” the words are practically a hiss. Loki pales but before he can do anything I’ve slammed the door behind me again. I whistle as I suddenly resolve to take care of my problem once and for all, skipping down the steps to the dungeon with great joy.
Anger and frustration course through me and gather in my fingertips of all places, making them twitch with anticipation. Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear something telling me to calm down and stop being ridiculous. To stop overreacting. But it doesn’t feel like overreacting - it feels good. My fingers tingle like they’ve got electricity in them and as I jump the last stone step I find myself curling my hands into fists. I round the corner and my favorite guard is on duty.
“Well if it isn’t...you!” I laugh despite myself and he growls, lunging towards me. With the flick of my wrist he is pinned up against the wall and I take a moment to cross towards him slowly, a smile creeping across my lips. He struggles and squirms but I cock my head to the side and watch as clenching my hand restricts his movement further. He gasps for air but still I show him no mercy.
“Stop!” he gasps and watch him with narrowed eyes before I turn my back and heave the doors open. I glance back and with a dismissive gesture I release him and he slides down to the unforgiving stone floors. I turn back, done with him, only to hear his feet pounding up the stones steps. Well, good then. Let him go cry to someone who cares.
I pull my mouth into a satisfied smirk and I march myself down the corridor of cells, my dark green velvet cloak swirling out behind me. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the outside of the glossy, electrified cells and I flick my hair back. I feel unstoppable.
Frey’s face is the first I see as I arrive before his cell. “Hello, darling,” I purr at him. He smiles to see me, coming close to the edge of the cell. Something changes in his expression and he takes a step back.
“My lady, are you alright?”
“Never better.”
“Are you certain?”
I sigh, looking down to examine my fingernails. The open wound on the back of my hand has disappeared entirely. “Fascinating.”
“What is?” Frey sounds uptight and so I glance back at him with a smile.
“Nothing of your concern, Guarinnson.”
“My lady...”
“Look, do you want to get out of here or not, varir sykur?” I ask sweetly though my blood is rushing so quickly I can feel it and I can hear it. My heart is thumping wildly and everything about me feels more alive than it even has. Frey looks taken aback but he nods slowly. “Tell your men to get back.”
I have no sense for how this is supposed to work, but yet, I do. I know no magic, know no spells, and yet, somehow it is all in my head. Magic of old. Powerful, powerful magic seems to be running through my body. I crack my knuckles out of habit before I take a step back from the cell and eye it carefully.
“Opna.”
I wait, but nothing happens.
I furrow my brow and say with more assertion, “Opna.”
The glowing force field sparks and crackles, but still remains, glowing lazily, throbbing like a life force. I grit my teeth.
“Opna!”
I let out a guttural growl of frustration and then I raise my hands towards the smoldering barrier.
“Opna!” I cry out, determined for the heavens to hear me. “Af valdi fornu sjálfur, býð ég að þetta innsiglað hlið að opna!”
Power surges forward, rushing out of my body, and the cell erupts into smoke and sparks, the barrier disappearing with a blinding flash of light. It courses through and out of me all at once and I gasp as it all fades away. I feel cold and empty, like the very life has been dragged out of my body. I sway on my feet, my head filled with so many things, and also nothing. I cannot focus on one single thing and my head begins to swirl, aching, my Seer eye throbbing with the potential visions that have not come in so long, but I push them away as I bury my face in my hands.
I look up and Frey is rushing towards me. His mouth is moving but my ears are ringing and I hear nothing of what he says. I can feel the ground shifting beneath me and as Frey darts forward and wraps his arms around me I realize I am no longer standing. My head falls to the side, my nose pressed to Frey’s chest. I can feel the warmth radiating from him, I am able to hear his heart thumping wildly in his chest. I look up at him and it skips a beat.
I smile, parting my lips to say something, but I cannot remember what it was I desperately wanted to say.
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I wake up with a jolt, gasping and coughing, my head a mess. It feels as though someone took a whisk to my brain and whipped me up a pot of trouble. There are hands on me, on my face and it runs through my hair. Faintly, I hear someone’s voice, though it sounds like they are yelling to me through water.
“My lady!” The ringing subsides enough that I can make out the garbled words and I see Frey clearly through my clearing vision.
My throat is dry, but still I croak, “Hey, you...” he smiles down at me and he hurriedly kisses my forehead and his lips feel surprisingly cool. I wince as something else comes into focus, a bright light shining above me.
“Valkyrie, stay still.” Loki. He waves his hands, containing an orb of bright blue light, over my body. Assessing the damage, I’m sure.
“Peculiar.”
I force myself into a sitting position which jostles my brain all over again, but at least now I can see and hear for the most part. I find myself in Frey’s lap which I am not all together quite certain what to do about, nor really how I came to be here.
“Are you...” I pause to look at Frey whose mouth is pressed into a firm line. “Is everyone okay?”
No one says anything right away which causes me to panic a little bit. “Guys?”
Loki sniffs, “Everyone is fine. Even you, surprisingly. You should not have been able to sustain the force of the explosion, let alone the...well, never mind that.”
“Let alone what? The magic?” I say suddenly, looking at Loki. He extends his hand and helps me to my feet.
“Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere private,” Loki whispers, leaning close to me, holding tightly to my arm.
I flash him a smile, “We’re all friends here!”
Loki looks to say something as anger flashes in his eyes but instead he frowns at me. Frey gets up from the floor, still looking a little flustered. “Loki, perhaps I can speak with you in private? There is something I think you need to know.”
I look between Frey and Loki and Loki nods, acquiescing to Frey’s request. I stand there, still light-headed and not entirely sure what to do with myself. Loki places his hand on my shoulder and barely looks at me. “Go, see Eir. Have her check you over and then I shall speak to you in my chambers.” His tone is sharp and authoritative. It has been a long while since he has spoken to me like this. Which lends me to believe I am in deep shit.
I nod my head slightly and lock eyes with Frey before I limp off down the hallway, a shooting pain traveling through my leg. I pass by the guard who ratted on me and whom I nearly killed. Though we got off on a terrible foot last time, I do feel a bit badly for my behavior towards him. It’s like it came from nowhere. Then again, he did attack me...sooo...
I cling to the wall as I climb up the stairs and I wonder what Loki and Frey could possibly be discussing? I’m not vain enough to assume it’s about me, however, I did just magically explode an Asgardian cell right before Frey’s eyes. That’s something worth talking about. It’s coming violently back to me now and all I can recall is the panic and the anger and the way I felt so powerful. I could have sworn I was on top of the world.
But it felt like someone else was inside me. I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like someone came in and took me over, but yet, I know exactly what I said and did. I was an asshole. Varir sykur? Oh god, I literally called Frey sugar lips. That’s mortifying. Who even says shit like that?
Apparently I do.
I decide to forego seeing Eir and instead sulk back to Loki’s chambers straight away. I’d rather not have to see anyone. I shut the door behind me and I flop over onto the bed and bury my head beneath the pillow. I inhale the smell of Loki that permeates all the fabric and I sigh, knowing that he is going to come back and reprimand me. Suddenly my stomach contorts in pain and I let out a gasp. I slide off the side of the bed and crumple on the ground, wrapping my arms tightly around my middle.
Do not pass out. Do not pass out. You have felt worse pain.
I take a deep breath and I try to ignore it. Push it away. Slowly, it is subsiding and I feel like I can properly breathe again. Mjölnir has been lifted off my gut. I grip the edge of the bed to start to pull myself up but the door slams open and Thor and Loki come barreling in, in the midst of an argument. I roll under the bed, breathing heavily, my heart pounding.
“Loki, I am begging of you! Use your magic for good. You must help us,” Thor says.
Loki scoffs, “I have larger concerns than your wife’s immortality. I am attempting to keep Asgard running in Odin’s infuriating absence but no matter what I do the problems continue to build!” He sighs and then lowers his voice so much I can barely hear him. “I am worried about Valkyrie.”
“Worried? Valkyrie?” Thor asks. “Brother, you always worry about Valkyrie. Needlessly, let me remind you. The girl is quite independent.”
“That is not the issue at hand. Valkyrie has somehow developed magical capabilities.”
“Good! The girl could use a little magic to protect her,” Thor attempts to laugh but it all sounds like sadness. I wince.
“It is not a little magic, Thor. She obliterated an entire cell in the dungeons. With the kind of magic she shouldn’t even have knowledge of. It is not basic magic, brother. It is dark magic and I do not know where it is coming from,” Loki says. I bite down on my lip fiercely, trying to stifle my gasp of surprise.
“What did the vagabond have to say?”
“Guarinnson?” Loki clarifies. “He said it was unlike anything he’s seen. He said she wasn’t herself. She was rage and...well, seduction. Which, I will have him whipped for having the nerve to say, but still.”
“Is that all?”
“No.”
“Well then?”
Loki heaves a sigh and I can see his boots from beneath the bed as he paces towards the window. “Guarinnson said her eyes flashed scarlet red.”
“I take it that is uncommon when practicing magic?”
“Oh don’t be thick, Thor! I may not always use my magic for good, but when have you ever seen my eyes turn red?” Loki demands, his tone sounding more manic. I need to talk to Loki, and I know he’s going to be angry at me for hiding under here like a coward, so I suppose the sooner I come out the better.
“Is she dangerous?” Thor asks quietly, his tone very serious. I wait for Loki to respond but he says nothing. “Loki, is she a danger to this kingdom?”
Loki hesitates again and then sighs, “Most likely, yes.”
I let out a loud gasp in surprise and I clamp my hands over my mouth but it is too late. “Valkyrie?” He sounds angry. “Where are you?”
I worm my way out from beneath the bed carefully and I peer out over the edge of the bed. My voice is small, “Hi.”
Thor smiles tightly at me. “Valkyrie.”
“I’m sorry. About everything. About Jane, about what I did. I don’t know what’s happening to me,” I attempt and at the mention of Jane, Thor tenses.
“Please, pardon me.” Thor escapes out of the room and leaves me to deal with Loki myself.
“Loki,” I take a step towards him and he holds his hand up.
He turns slowly before he finally looks at me with wild eyes. “I don’t know what you think you’re getting at.”
“Excuse me?”
“What is it that you want? What are you trying to accomplish, Valkyrie? Are you trying to undermine me? Because you are succeeding magnificently!” Loki yells, his face flushing red. I say nothing, dumbfounded. He crosses the distance between us and grabs me by the shoulders. “Tell me!”
There is nothing for me to say. “I want nothing more than for you to succeed and rule excellently...”
His eyes widen and looks unlike anything I have ever seen. He reaches toward my face but I shake him off and back away. “Valkyrie...”
I shake my head. “I think perhaps you need to calm down. I am fine for now. We will figure out where this magic and all this madness is coming from.”
I take a deep breath, trying not to get overly upset about all this. I turn back around and head out the door, going back to my own room. I arch my neck and try to think about something else. Pain briefly flickers through my abdomen and I grab my side instinctively, pressing my fingers against where the dragon wound was. It does nothing to ease the pain and instead I get light-headed all over again. My vision blurs and I stumble back towards my room, determined to make it. I get to the end of the hall and I turn to go down the next hallway when I come face to face with what I’m almost certain is a Dark Elf.
“It’s not...you are not possible,” I mumble before I look down at my hands, tingling...no, burning again. “No, no, no!”
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Spell translation: “By the power of the ancient ones, I command that this sealed gate be opened!”