Sequel 01

Standard disclaimer time! Sorry to say I don’t the characters in this here fic. The characters of the wonderful game Valkyrie Profile belong to Square Enix. I just play with them a while, with no intent to make a profit of this story. Further notes, this is a sequel to my fic Chains of Fate. Go read that one first so you won’t be horribly confused.

—Michelle

Lenneth Valkyrie was absolutely lovely, a stunning beauty with piercing blue eyes, and an exotic mane of platinum hair. It fell all the way down to the back of her knees, tied back in a loose braid, it’s silver color gleaming with a hint of blue highlights as sunlight shined down on her. Her skin was pale, being the shade that was known as lily white. On others it would have made them look sickly, but on her, the porcelain paleness only enhanced her beauty.

She was garbed in shades of blue, soft colors chosen to compliment her hair and complexion, a loose flowing gown that stopped short of her ankles, showing of slipper covered feet. Her companion, a brown haired man, stared at her, thinking she would look good no matter what she wore. A faint smile crossed his lips, the man privately thinking she looked even better without any clothes on.

“Lezard?” She was speaking to him, cocking her head to the side as she gazed on him, fighting a frown. “Lezard Valeth! Are you even paying attention?!”

He blinked, Lezard having to shake his head to chase away the fantasies a naked Lenneth brought to his mind. Lenneth narrowed her eyes at him, placing her sleeve covered hands on her hips, sighing in exasperation. “How will you ever learn to control your powers if you don’t listen to me?”

“I’m sorry love…” Lezard began, forcing his mind to center on the here and now. “It’s just…you are so beautiful, I can’t help but be distracted!”

“Maybe this was a mistake.” Lenneth said, her lips pursed together in a thin line. That frown of hers was still threatening to come out, and now the Goddess began tapping her foot on the floor, an impatient sound as she looked at Lezard. “Perhaps I should have gotten someone else to be your instructor.”

“But I only want to learn from you!” protested Lezard. “Besides…” He was quick to add. “No one else would volunteer for the job.” It was the wrong thing to say, making that frown blossom on her face. Lenneth didn’t like being reminded that few if any of her court liked her choice in lovers, there being little support for the relationship. “You could always make someone be my teacher…” Lezard suggested, voice trying to beguile her into a smile. “You are the Creator after all.”

“No…no…” Lenneth sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t want to force anyone into doing something they do not want to do. That is not the way to win over anyone to our side.”

Lezard knew she was worried. It had been three months since he had come to live in Valhalla, and there had been nothing but resistance to his presence in the shining realm. The numerous Gods and Goddesses that populated the realm didn’t like him, nor did they like the fact that their ruler was in a serious relationship with him. Lezard supposed he couldn’t blame them, after all their courtship had been a unique one, based on lies and deceits. It hadn’t started off in the most orthodox way, Lezard having kidnapped Lenneth in order to be with her. Forcing the Goddess into a mortal body was hardly the start of a faerie tale romance, but somehow, someway, through obstacles both thick and thin, she had grown to return his love.

They had gone through a marvelous adventure, going on the run from the minions of Hel, the former ruler of Nifleheim. Her dogged pursuit had chased them over half the continent, Lezard and Lenneth eventually ending up on the Isle of the Elves. It was there that a decisive battle had been fought, both against Hel and her secret coconspirator, the elder God Odin. Together they had sought to overthrow the balance of Asgard, overrun the shining realm with monsters as they sought to take control of the kingdom from Lenneth. They were defeated when Lenneth regained her Godhood, her divinity restored to her by the golden apples of Idunn. Those very apples also being what allowed Lezard to transcend from his mortal body into that of a God’s.

Although the threat of Odin and Hel had been vanquished, ripples of their schemes still remained, two wars being fought because of their machinations. One was a battle involving all the forces of Nifleheim, the fiends attempting to invade Asgard. The other was a war meant as a distraction to the Gods, a war against the vampire Lord Brahms. Lenneth had put a stop to both of the wars, in the process freeing her sister Silmeria from the vampire Brahms.

The victories were short lived, the time for celebration put on hold, as the Gods, the Aesir pantheon demanded answers from Lenneth. Wanting to know where she had been, and who Lezard was. It had been a difficult retelling of their romance, Lenneth begging them give Lezard a chance, to see in him what she saw. They grudgingly agreed, staying their hands from hurting the new God, but few if any made the effort to get to know him.

There was even whispers of certain Aesir working behind the scenes in an attempt to break them apart, though Lezard had yet to be able to find concrete proof of this. Others were more bold, confronting Lenneth, denouncing Lezard and his influence on her. The War God Tyr could barely restrain himself when he saw Lezard, wanting to pound the smirking God into a pile of pulp. The battle scarred God seemed to have taken on the role of a protective older brother to Lenneth, anxious to keep her heart from being broken. Lenneth thought Tyr was sweet in his misguided actions, while Lezard merely found the God annoying.

But Tyr was the least of their problems, opposition coming in the form of Lenneth’s older sister Hrist. The woman was enraged at the thought of Lenneth falling for her captor, violently opposed to the relationship. The dark haired Goddess took every opportunity to denounce Lezard to Lenneth, whispering things meant to stir doubt and discontent in Lenneth’s heart. So far she had failed in her attempts, but Lezard worried that someday Lenneth might actually start listening to her sister.

He would prefer she listen to her younger sister, the Valkyrie Silmeria. For some strange reason, she actually liked Lezard, always having a kind smile to offer him. She even went so far as to go out of her way to talk to him, offering a friendly ear that Lezard could turn to for advice. She was soft spoken compared to Hrist, and many of the Gods liked her. It did Lezard much good in their eyes to hold Silmeria’s favor, although some feared her judgment had been clouded after spending centuries a captive of Brahms.

It appeared Lenneth was also lost in similar thoughts, eyes growing dim as she looked inside herself, face showing she was thinking too hard about things. Now it was Lezard’s turn to frown, the man approaching her, lifting a hand to her cheek. “Hey…” He said, tenderly caressing the back of his fingers against her soft flesh. “I’ll just have to try harder…”

She blinked at him, for a second looking confused. “I fear you’ve done all you can.” Lenneth sighed. “I sometimes wonder if the best we can hope for is anger and indifference to our relationship.”

“Then screw them!” Lezard said bluntly, tilting her face towards his. He bowed his head, brushing his forehead against hers as he stared deep into her eyes. “I’ve had more than enough with trying to please them. Watching you struggle, seeing you try to hide your pain at their rebuffs of your choices in love…it angers me.” It also made him feel helpless, Lezard not knowing how to wipe away the sadness that sometimes appeared in Lenneth’s eyes.

“If only it was that easy…” Lenneth sighed, her breath blowing back the brown strands of his bangs.

“It is!” protested Lezard, still keeping their faces pressed together. “All you have to do is let go of the ties that bind you to wanting their approval.”

“Why do I get the feeling you never worried about other’s approval before becoming a God?” She asked, expression serious.

“I didn’t.” He agreed. “Yours was the only opinion that matters. Still matters.”

“I often find myself wishing we were back in your tower.” confessed Lenneth, blue eyes looking sad. “It was so much simpler back then…”

“Is this before or after you fell in love with me?” quipped Lezard, happy to see a small smile cross her face.

“After!” Lenneth said. “Definitely after…I long for the chance to be with you unburdened by all the problems in Asgard.”

“We could take a vacation.” Lezard suggested, trying not to sound too excited over the idea. “Get away from it all for a few days.”

“I’d like that.” She said, but her smile faded away.

“Why do I sense a but is coming on?” Lezard asked her.

“But…”

“I knew it!”

“I can’t…” She lowered her eyes, trying to look away from him. “You know as Creator I cannot abandon my post, I must be around to oversee the other Gods, to hear petitions, keep the peace. Look at what happened the last time I was away…”

“Two wars, and a drop in miracles, causing the mortals to stop worshipping the Gods.” Lezard ticked off the reasons. “But there was some good of that impromptu vacation…You found me…you found love…”

“Yes…” Now her smile was dazzling. “And it would be selfish of me to ask for anything more.”

“It’s not selfish.” protested Lezard. “Not at all! It’s healthy to want things for yourself, to hope for more.”

“Do you hope for more Lezard?” She asked curiously.

He laughed. “I have everything I ever wanted, and then some!” His arms wrapped around her, hugging her close to his chest. Lezard breathed in deeply, inhaling her scent. “The only thing that could make this perfect is if those damn Aesir would stop giving you such a hard time!”

“And if that never happens…would you settle for less than perfect?” Lenneth asked, hugging him back.

“As long as it’s you, I’ll settle for anything!” Lezard grinned. Lenneth laughed, delighted by his answer, even as she slipped free of his arms. “Hey!” Lezard protested, making a grab for her. “Where are you going?!”

“Nowhere.” She smirked, keeping out of reach of his hands. “I just think it’s time we resume your lessons. Perhaps once you have better control over your powers, you will be accepted by the others.”

“Perhaps…Though I am not doing it for them!” Lezard was quick to point out. He was frustrated by his lack of control over the ether, the power the Gods called forth to use in all sorts of manner. From creating things, to using it as a weapon, ether had many properties to it, and Lezard had yet to master even one of them. He was rapidly becoming a joke among the Gods, the Aesir laughing at his attempts to teleport, Lezard being known for popping up in the most unexpected of places. It often took him several tries before he ended up in the general vicinity of the place he was aiming for, Lezard finding it easier to walk than to teleport.

He wasn’t totally useless as a God. He still retained his magic, having been an accomplished sorcerer as a mortal. He had a keen mind, quick to grasp spells, and hold power within him. Which is why Lezard didn’t understand why he was having so much trouble mastering the new powers his divine body granted him. It frustrated him, left him feeling impotent, though he’d never admit out loud how much it bothered him.

“Now…concentrate Lezard…” Lenneth urged him, drawing him away from his thoughts. She stood there, gazing upon him, eyes soft and compassionate, watching his every move. He had to shut his eyes, needing to block out the beautiful vision before him, finding it difficult to concentrate with cerulean blue eyes staring so intensely at him. It wasn’t that he minded her looking, indeed he enjoyed being the center of her world, loving catching her in the act of looking at him. But in this one instant, he felt it better to look away, hoping that it would prove the key in unlocking his powers.

“Let the energy build up in you…” continued Lenneth, her sweet voice a command he was all too eager to obey. “Can you feel it Lezard? Rippling just under the surface of your flesh?”

“Yes…” He could feel a tingle in his hands, like an itch he wanted to scratch, Lezard flexing his fingers trying to grasp hold of the ether particles he could feel forming in the air. “I can feel it…”

“Just hold on to that feeling…” advised Lenneth. “Don’t be too hasty and make a grab for the ether…Just concentrate on holding it before you.” He knew he was frowning, fighting against the impulse to do the opposite of her words. “Place all your thoughts on the newly forming energy…think on what you want to do with it…have it’s purpose firmly rooted in your mind before you take hold of it.”

He almost opened his eyes then, wondering if she could see the confusion on his face. “Uh Lenneth…what DO I want to do with it?”

“For now, concentrate on making a small ball of it…a weapon you can use…” Lenneth said, her voice sounding closer to him.

“A weapon for what?” Even as he asked, he was forming the orb of ether in his hands, a round ball of it fitting perfectly in the palm of his hands. It crackled, little zaps of energy that circled round his wrists, dispersing against his skin.

“That’s too much power…” Lenneth chided him, and Lezard nearly dropped the ether ball, feeling her breasts press into his back.

“Lenneth!!” Her hands were touching him, a warm presence on his waist, sliding upwards along his sides.

“Concentrate…” She whispered, from over his shoulder. “Tone down the power before you cause an explosion…” Her hands had found his arms, and she smoothed down them, along the fine satin sleeves of the tunic he wore. He wondered how she expected him to concentrate with her touching him, even as her small hands found the back of his hands, fingers caressing, ready to absorb some of the energy he had conjured up.

“Ether is a highly volatile substance…” She continued, molding her body against his, making him conscious of her every breath, every whisper. “It doesn’t need a lot of power to get the job done. You don’t have to force your will on it like you do with magic. It’s more of a…” Lenneth tried to think of it in terms Lezard would understand. “More of a give and take relationship.”

“I’m not very good at those…” Lezard admitted with a nervous laugh, the ether ball still hovering between his hands.

“You’re doing just fine…” Lenneth assured him. “Now…choose a target…”

He opened his eyes, taking a good look at the room. It was spacious, several yards separating the four walls, leaving room for at least thirty people to move about comfortably. It had to be, for it was one of the rooms set aside for einherjar to train in. Remnants of the day’s training was laid out, several straw filled mattresses positioned on the floor, their purpose being to cushion one’s fall.

Weapons were set aside in the corners, swords placed on a rack, their blades sharpened and battle ready. Shields decorated the walls, various coat of arms embossed on the metal, signifying various houses of the Gods. Lezard recognized the emblems, having studied up on them when he was a mortal. He grinned, spotting the shield of Tyr, it’s crest design being that of a minuscule army, gold gild lacing the edge of the shield.

“Target acquired.” Lezard announced, eyes fixed on the War God’s shield.

“Good…” Lenneth’s hands fell away from his, coming to rest on his hips. Her fingers gave a little squeeze as she urged him to release the ball. Lezard pulled back his arm, hearing the buzz of ether as it whined, and then he was throwing it. It flew in a perfect line, his aim true, barreling towards the shield. The two of them watched as it crashed into the shield, a loud burst of noise sounding as the ether tore apart the shield. Pieces of it went flying, clattering to the floor, Lezard watching in satisfaction of his handiwork.

“Lezard…” Lenneth’s voice, carefully controlled as she stared at the ruined shield. “Why did you pick Tyr’s shield as your target?”

“I…didn’t…” He lied, able to tell by the tone of her voice she wasn’t pleased with what he had done. “I was aiming for the window.”

“Oh…oh…” Lenneth said softly. “Well…we’ll just have to work on perfecting your aim some other time.”

“Yes…” Lezard agreed, turning to face her. “But I did it Lenneth! I controlled the ether this time, instead of it controlling me!” He laughed, giddy at his accomplishment. “And I didn’t blow up half the room in the process!!”

Lenneth smiled, pleased with his performance. “Yes Lezard…you did…I’m so proud of you!” Once again her arms were around him, Lenneth hugging his front this time. Lezard’s arm wrapped around her body, squeezing her tightly. He went to lift her up off the ground, her feet dangling a few inches of the floor, making her squeal and hold onto him tighter.

“Lezard…” Laughter was in her voice. “Put me down!”

“Don’t want to.” He retorted, hefting her up higher, his intent to kiss her. Lenneth didn’t make much of a protest, smiling as he brought his lips towards hers. She shifted her grip on him, bringing her hands to clutch at his shoulders, holding on for dear life as they kissed. Tongues mingled together, Lenneth tasting of candy, sweet and delicious.

They broke apart gasping for air, Lezard placing a kiss on her cheek, Lenneth letting out a giggle. “Lezard…we really shouldn’t be doing this…”

“Why not?” Lezard asked, kissing along her jaw line. “We have the room all to ourselves…there’s even a mattress here…” He grinned at her, ignoring the look she gave him.

“We’re supposed to be studying.” Lenneth told him. “You’re never going to learn…oooooh stop that!” She protested as he kissed the front of her throat, lips fastened on the sensitive skin. “You’re never going to learn how to control your new powers if we keep stopping to fool around!”

“Or maybe I’ll learn better if you give me proper incentive…” Lezard said teasingly. “Come on Lenneth…it’s been hours since we’ve been alone…” He made his eyes widen, a deep soulful look, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist him.

“Well…” Hesitation was in her voice, made worse by the quiver of his lips. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt…”

“That’s my girl!” grinned Lezard, seconds before he kissed her. He could feel the yield in Lenneth, the Goddess sighing into his mouth, kissing him back just as eagerly. Lezard shifted his hands, effortlessly holding Lenneth up, the woman wrapping her legs around his waist, wanting to ease some of the burden of her weight. It gave him free range to roam his hands over her body, and he was in the process of feeling out the roundness of her ass when an angry voice bellowed out her name.

“LENNETH!!”

He could feel her startle, hastily breaking the kiss, her blue eyes wide, her cheeks holding the hint of embarrassed blush to them. She startled to struggle, Lenneth pushing at his chest, trying to get down when the doors to the room flew open. “Lenneth!!” The angry female barked out her name, and then stopped up short, taking in the sight of Lenneth’s legs wrapped around Lezard’s hips. Her dark eyes narrowed, her face twisting into a snarl.

‘Hrist!” Lenneth called out to her sister, hastily glancing over her shoulder. Whatever greeting she intended to say faded away as she got a good look at her older sister.

Her long hair, raven black in color was looking distinctly not black, splatters of some white substance coating much of her hair, and the dark armor she wore. Spots of it were on her face, splotches of it decorating her shoulder pads.

“Do you see this Lenneth?!” demanded Hrist, stepping into the room.

“Hello Hrist.” Lezard said coolly, setting Lenneth down onto the floor. “It’s a nice look for you.” If possible, her eyes grew even angrier as she glared at Lezard, hands balling into fists as she stalked towards him.

“Hrist, what has happened to you?” Lenneth asked, wide eyed in disbelief.

“Him…” A hissed out retort was her answer, the Dark Valkyrie pointing an accusing finger at Lezard. “It was him!! He did this to me!”

“Nonsense…” Lenneth said, though Lezard didn’t bother to deny it. “Lezard was with me all afternoon.”

“It only takes a few minutes to lay a trap…” Hrist said, body shaking with her anger. “And this…this infantile prank reeks of his handiwork!”

“Calm down Hrist…and tell me what happened…” Lenneth stepped in front of Hrist, hoping to divert her attention from Lezard. She raised her hand, waving it over Hrist, watching as her hair became clean. The white substance disappeared from her face, lifting up off her armor, restoring it to it’s polished perfection. The blackness around her seemed to absorb all light, for not even a hint of a shine could be seen on her armor. The magical cleaning did little to lift Hrist’s foul mood, the Dark Valkyrie glaring daggers at Lezard.

“I returned to my room, only to discover my door had been…booby trapped.” Hrist said tersely, peering over Lenneth’s shoulder at Lezard. “Someone had set up a bucket of plaster to fall on whoever entered.”

“And you think Lezard is at fault…?” asked Lenneth, glancing at Lezard who was doing his best to look innocent. “Lezard…did you have anything to do with this?” Already disappointment was in Lenneth’s eyes, Lezard not liking to see her give him such a look. He shook his head in reply, shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

“LIES!!” Hrist all but screamed out the word, practically stabbing the air with her finger as she pointed at Lezard. “Cursed human, you may be able to fool Lenneth, but you won’t do the same with me!”

“Calm down Hrist, please!” Lenneth said, but her sister was already drawing her sword.

“Stand aside Lenneth!” ordered Hrist, giving an experimental twirl of her sword. “I mean to cut this spell slinger down a few pegs!” When Lenneth didn’t budge, Hrist was shoving at her shoulder, trying to push her aside. Lenneth stood her ground, reaching up to take hold of Hrist’s sword arm, using her divine strength to force the woman to let go of the blade.

“Hrist…” Lenneth’s tone was kind, not a single ounce of patronization in it. “Let us not jump to conclusions. You have no proof that it was Lezard.”

“No one else would dare!”

“Be that as it may…” continued Lenneth, not missing a beat. “Lezard is innocent until proven guilty.”

“HA!!” Hrist snorted, but some of her anger had dissipated from struggling against Lenneth’s grip. She locked eyes with Lezard, they glittering with promise as she said, “Mark my words necromancer! This is not over with!” With a fierce wrench of her arm, she pulled free of Lenneth’s hand, turning to stalk out of the room. Her hair swished, swaying from side to side as she pounded her metal greaves against the floor, so angry she didn’t even pause to retrieve her sword.

Lenneth closed her eyes at the sound of the door slamming shut, and sighed. “Lezard?” Her back was to him, and he hesitated, not liking the way she said his name.

“Yes Lenneth?”

“You didn’t have anything to do with this prank on Hrist did you?” She asked.

“Uh…” He tried to think, weighing the pros and cons of lying to her. “Which would you prefer…the lie or the truth?”

“Lezard!” She was exasperated, turning around to glare at him. “How could you?!” She started it sounded like such a childish thing to say, so Lezard kept quiet, biting his lip. “You may not like Hrist, but she is worthy of your respect! Treating her in such a manner is beneath both of you!”

“Forgive me.” Lezard said. “I’ll try to refrain from such actions in the future.” She wasn’t mollified by his words, her hands on her hips. “How about…” He began slowly. “I promise to leave her alone if she leaves me alone?”

“I suppose that is the best I’m going to get out of either one of you.” Lenneth said, the upset still in her eyes. “I wish you two could try to get along.”

“For you, I would do my utmost best to strive to be nice to your sister.” Lezard said smoothly, sneaking closer to Lenneth. “However…I can’t guarantee her good behavior.” He frowned, recalling how the two of them couldn’t stand to be in the same room together. They started out civilly enough, curt nods, and grunts of acknowledgment. They couldn’t even make small talk, their discussions always turned to his relationship with Lenneth, Hrist constantly putting him down. Vicious jabs that cut quicker than her blade, and made his blood boil.

Lezard often found himself shouting back at the Dark Valkyrie, her voice rising as she tried to drown out his screams with yells of her own. If only the fights didn’t escalate, changing from verbal sparring to a physical altercations. Magic met steel in bloody, brutal battles, the fighting enough to spill out and do damage to the room, the furniture, even people. It had gotten to the point that the einherjar, the warrior spirits of Asgard endeavored to keep the two apart, distracting them down separate corridors in order to keep the two apart.

He sometimes wondered if they’d kill each other, if not for the interference of the other Gods. He knew the Dark Valkyrie thirsted for his blood, Hrist confidant that he had cast some sort of love spell on Lenneth. She often commented that Lenneth would not lament Lezard’s death once she was free of him.

“Hrist can be…difficult at the best of times.” Lenneth admitted. “But you’re not helping the situation!” She gave him one last glance, frowning at him, and then was moving.

“Where are you going?” Lezard asked, moving to follow her. She held up her hand, Lenneth bidding him remain where he was.

“I have things to take care of. Alone.” She added, not wanting him to follow her.

“But what about the lessons?” Lezard protested as she reached the threshold of the doors.

“Is it the lessons you’re disappointed about, or what we were doing before my sister’s arrival?” She wondered out loud, shaking her head. “No matter. I want you to continue practicing on your own. See if you can’t use the ether to create instead of destroy for once.” Lenneth pointed at the remaining bits of Tyr’s shield. “Restore Tyr’s shield if you can.”

“Lenneth…”

“I’ll be back to check on your progress later.” She said, and the doors closed shut behind her. For one brief second Lenneth leaned against the doors, sighing heavily. She heard Lezard let out a muted curse, her divine ears picking up the sound of something breaking as the man unleashed a fire spell in the room. She almost ran back in to assess the damage, but she forced herself to step away from the door, not giving the ivory wood a second glance as she began walking down the corridor.

Lezard will be all right. Lenneth thought to herself. And the room will survive his tantrum. The training room had been made to endure far worse things than an out of control God, being bound in magic to keep the walls from crumbling from most manners of attack. Only the most powerful of Gods, or Goddesses could tear apart the walls with their attacks, and Lezard just simply didn’t have that type of power. Although, Lenneth mused, they were unsure of just how powerful Idunn’s apples had made Lezard since he still couldn’t master his use of ether.

She often wondered why it was giving Lezard such a difficult time. Even the most basic of uses for ether seemed to elude his grasp, leaving her lover frustrated and angry at himself. She knew he was used to being a magical genius, able to commands the magics easily, almost without any thought. Lezard didn’t like having to work for the ether, and perhaps that was the problem. He was holding himself back by being angry at the effort it took. It was a hang up he’d need to get over if he wanted to be effective at using ether.

It was little wonder she was hesitant to assign a title to him, Lenneth worried over how he would handle the duties that came with a title. Not that Lenneth was any closer to having a clear idea what to name him God of! Maybe she should name him God of Magic, it was an area he was an expert in, having no rival among the Gods in that area now that Hel had been destroyed.

Hel. Lenneth shuddered as she recalled the fallen Goddess, remembering the cruelty and evil she was capable of. Her death had solved one problem, only to cause a host of others, leaving the dark realm of Nifleheim without a ruler. There was several factions fighting it out at this very moment, each trying to wrest control of the damned kingdom from the others. The battle for power could be felt even in Midgard, the land shaking with tremors as the armies of Nifleheim marched towards each other.

What’s worse, many a monster and damned soul had escaped from the realm, the evil creatures being unleashed on an unsuspecting human race. Deaths were up on Midgard, senseless, brutal murders that had the Valkyries scrambling to collect souls and send them to their rightful place. Even with two Valkyries on active duty, some souls were missed, Lenneth fearing innocents stolen away to be eternally tormented in Nifleheim while the damned escaped their rightful punishments. If this kept up, she would have to interfere with the rite of succession, and choose someone to be Hel’s replacement.

Two candidates stood out in her mind, Belial and Hades, both enigmatic demons, each with a sizable army backing them as they sought to take over Hel’s domain. Belial was a demon of fire, with short black hair, and neatly trimmed beard and mustache who favored the color red. Hades was demon of much colder stuff, a demon with dead eyes, and white hair that flowed down to his shoulders. He preferred to dress in robes of black, with just a hint of blue to them. While Belial was an Ifrit, Hades commanded the power of ice, a contrast to Belial in every way.

Belial was all fiery passion, ruthless and quick to cut down his enemies. Hades was calm and practical, seeming to have ice water flowing through his veins. Both were ideal choices to seat on the empty throne of Nifleheim, though if forced to make a decision, Lenneth felt she would choose Hades over Belial. There was just something about him, something unsettling that said Belial would be a fierce enemy against Asgard. He seemed too hungry for power, too eager, and Lenneth doubted he would be satisfied for very long with only Nifleheim to rule over.

Her thoughts still on the situation with Nifleheim, Lenneth almost missed her turn, walking towards the great doors that led to the throne room of Valhalla. They opened on their own, the heavy marble not making a sound as they swung open to admit the Goddess inside. She was gratified to find the room empty, bereft of einherjar and God alike, neither bothering to put in an appearance when their ruler wasn’t around to hold court.

With a gesture from Lenneth, the doors swung close behind her, ensuring her complete privacy. She padded across the carpet on silent feet, heading for the dais on which her throne rested. She took her time, taking several minutes to climb up the staircase, pausing to touch the paperwork that lay to the side of the throne. A thick book made of rich brown leather was lifted up out of the pile, Lenneth placing it on her lap as she settled onto the throne. The pages crinkled as she flipped through them, scanning through the day’s problems and upcoming appointments.

It was a busy schedule she had, the Aesir seeking to keep Lenneth busy and away from Lezard, bothering her for any and everything they could think of. But not all their problems were petty, and she knew she must hear them out, meting fair rule to them all. There were miracles to grant, appearances to put in among the mortals, offering them guidance in what they must do in their daily lives. There was also still the matter of the Water Mirror, the elves needing much time to repair the broken treasure. It, like the restoration of Asgard was a slow process, the elves gathering the ingredients needed to fix the mirror. Most of the buildings surrounding Valhalla had been repaired, only the outer rim of sacred halls still bore the damage caused in the invasion by Nifleheim. Things were moving along, life was returning to a semblance of normal, for which Lenneth was glad.

Now if only her private life could be sorted out just as smoothly! With a loud clap of sound, she had the book closed, Lenneth letting it drop down to the floor. She sighed, slumping to the side, her hand resting on her chin as she stared off into the distance. Her friendships were strained, the source of all the tension being her relationship with Lezard. Lenneth didn’t understand why they couldn’t learn to accept him by her side, accept that he was here to stay.

If only there was someway to show them just how serious I am about Lezard. She mused inwardly, stifling back a sigh. Something that would give him a permanent place here in Asgard. But she just didn’t know what that something could be.

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Freya had been surprised to come acrosss Lucian, the youth with his corn colored hair, sitting perched on a windowsill. His blue eyes were focused on the glass, his gaze captured by something that over looked Valhalla’s courtyard. She stopped what she was doing to watch him, unaware of the blush that tinted her cheeks pink, the Goddess of Fertility feeling the stirrings of longing in her heart. She was almost disappointed by the feelings he roused within her, the Goddess having hoped that time away from the einherjar would have cooled the fire that burned in her heart.

She lifted her hand, fingering her lips as memories flooded into her mind. Of sharing a kiss with him one moonlit night, a kiss she had initiated, surprising them both with her bold actions. Since then things had been awkward between them, the relationship not progressing nearly as much as Freya would have liked. It was mainly Lucian’s fault that they still remained friends, the blonde still hung up over his former girlfriend.

It wasn’t that Freya begrudge him being wary of a new relationships, knowing it had been a bad break. It was the fact that Lucian was still enamored with the woman, still harboring hope in his heart that Lenneth Valkyrie would one day come back to him. Until he got over this hope, he would never be able to move on, and the man was proving to be stubborn in this regard.

She was still debating whether or not to approach him when Lucian straightened up, turning away from the window. His eyes spotted her, and for a second his boyishly handsome face looked startled. She watched it even out, settling into a nervous smile as he lifted his hand in greeting. “Hey.”

“Hello.” Freya said, walking towards Lucian. “What are you looking at…?” She tried peering over his shoulder, conscious of the way her hair brushed against his back.

“Nothing in particular.” came the answer. “I was just thinking.”

She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to risk hearing the answer, already knowing it would be Lenneth who filled his thoughts. “Oh.” She said dully, pulling back so that no part of her touch any part of him.

“It’s good to see you again Freya.” Lucian offered her a small smile, eyes warm with fondness. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes.” She agreed. “It has.” Unspoken was the fact she had gone out of her way to avoid him, unable to bear the pain in her heart of listening to him obsess about Lenneth.

“So how have you been?” Lucian asked, looking curiously at her. “Keeping busy I bet…too busy to spend time with us mortals.” But he was smiling as he said the last, meaning nothing spiteful by that sentence.

“Yes…there has been much to do.” Freya answered. “Lenneth has been keeping all of us God busy lately.” She winced, cursing herself for mentioning the Goddess, seeing the way Lucian’s eyes lit up in interest at her name.

“Lenneth…how is she?” Lucian tried not to sound eager, but failed. “I haven’t been able to see much of her. Lezard sees to that.” He added the last bitterly, making a fist in his hand.

“She is well.” Freya answered him, watching his face carefully. “Some would even say she is happy, deliriously so.” He didn’t like that, she could see by the face Lucian made.

“And the Gods?” He questioned. “Do they still stand against the relationship.”

“Oh yes.” Freya couldn’t help but smile at that. “The arguments haven’t gotten any less quiet. The Aesir still seek to change Lenneth’s mind about Lezard.”

“Do you think they’ll succeed?”

She wanted to say no, a part of her wanting to see his expression turned crestfallen. But instead she let out a hesitant maybe. “After all…” She said with a humorless laugh. “Even the strongest piece of rock eventually wears down in time…if they keep after Lenneth, she too might give in. And their arguments are sound, persuasive. He did kidnap her after all, placing not only her life in danger, but the lives of those who reside in Asgard and Midgard.”

“Freya, why can’t she it?” Lucian demanded. “Why can’t Lenneth see Lezard is no good for her?!”

“They say love blinds you to imperfections.” Freya began, but Lucian angrily cut her off.

“It’s not love. It’s not!” He was heated, insisting she believe him. “It’s just a spell…a sick obsession he has with her.”

“Be that as it may, Lenneth is with Lezard now…there’s little we can do about it.” Freya pointed out. “We can only talk to her, but if she refuses to listen…” A graceful shrug of her shoulders, the Goddess not knowing what else to say to him.

“Yeah…I guess so.” Lucian sighed, a frown on his face. Both blondes were silent, staring at the floor, seeming to find the patterns in the marble fascinating. A few seconds passed, Freya about ready to bid Lucian good-bye, when he spoke up once more. “Freya…?”

“Yes Lucian?”

“I know this is kind of sudden but…would you join me for dinner tonight…?” Lucian smiled his most charming smile at her. “That is…if you don’t have any other plans.”

“I think my schedule is free.” Freya said slowly, not wanting to appear too eager.

“Great, then you’ll meet with me?” Lucian asked hopefully.

“Yes…Yes I will.” The first real smile crossed her face, Freya’s heart racing just a little bit faster at the sight of Lucian grinning at her.

“Great. We can catch up.” said Lucian. “And perhaps even come up with an idea or two to break up Lenneth and Lezard for good.”

“Er…yes…” Freya said, her heart sinking. She should have known he’d have an ulterior motive to asking her out, one that focused on getting back in Lenneth’s good graces. “I’d…like that.” She lied, hoping her disappointment didn’t show on her face. “I have to go now Lucian…bye…” She was already flying off, speeding away from him before he could bid her good-bye. She didn’t see Lucian staring after her, a bemused expression on his face at her hasty exit.

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To Be Continued…

—Michelle