A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

ELEVEN

     Odin and Frigga stood at the open gates of the palace watching as Frey and Astrid approach them on horses with two guards either side. Thor had returned to Midgard. He had gone to check on Jane through Heimdall, however, Heimdall had lost sight of Jane and Thor knew something wasn't right.

"Lady Astrid, it's good to have you back." Frigga welcomed the girl with open arms. The young Princess always loved the comfort of Frigga. She always felt relaxed.

"Frey, good to see you my friend." Odin and Frey shared a formal handshake.

"I must thank you Odin, for accepting my visit. As you can see it is very important for my daughter and I." Frigga looked over to Astrid who was saddened by her fathers words.

"Come child, let's get you settled in. I'm sure these two have lots to catch up on." Frigga grabbed Astrid's hand and lead her to her chambers.

~

Astrid sat down in front of the mirror with Frigga brushing her hair. Frigga sent the maids out to be alone with the girl.

"I hear Loki has returned." It seemed like forever before Astrid spoke up. Frigga only smiled at the girl.

"Yes that's correct my dear." Frigga didn't find it was appropriate for them to talk about Astrid's past lover considering she will be marrying soon.

"Even though Loki has done things in the past. Do you think Odin will ever find it in his heart to forgive him?" Astrid never blamed Loki for any of his actions. She actually understood him.

"Though Odin has sentenced him for eternity in the dungeons. It doesn't mean we love him any less." Frigga had finished styling her hair and plants a small kiss on the top of her head. She didn't agree with what Frey was doing. But like Odin, she had no say in the matter.

~

Astrid decided to take a stroll around the palace to think. She had three different men to meet tomorrow. All of them way too old for her liking but each putting down an incredible amount of money for her father. She comes to a room with the door open and pears in. Jane is lying on a table with an energy field of some kind around her. She is surrounded by Asgard's physician, Eir, who stands beside her alongside her assistants.

They study the energy field to try and determine the cause of Janes illness. The Midgardian woman points to the thick mass of it floating above her.

"What's that?"

"Be still." Eir warned her.

"This is not of Earth. What is it?" Thor was growing more concerned for his girl.

"We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her."

"That's a quantum field generator, isn't it?" Jane asked still curious about the energy field.

"It's a Soul Forge."

"Does a Soul Forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"

"Yes." Eir looks at Jane impressed with her knowledge.

"Quantum field generator." Jane whispered to Thor as he smiles affectionately at her.

"My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" Odin enters startling Thor.

"She's ill."

"She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait."

"I brought her here so we can help her." Thor didn't want to give up so easily.

"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table." Jane sits up and looks to Thor.

"Did he just..." she looks to Odin. "Who do you think you are?"

"I am Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms." Jane felt stupid now.

"Oh. Well I'm..."

"I know very well who you are. Jane Foster." Jane turns to Thor smiling.

"You told your dad about me?"

"Something's within her father. Something I have not seen." Thor only wished his father could understand.

"Her world has its healers, they're called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards! Take her back to Midgard!" The guards approach Jane, Thor steps forward to try and stop them.

"No I wouldn't-" The Aether zaps the guards sending them backwards "-touch her... Jane, are you alright?" As the aether attacked them. Astrid felt pain shoot around her entire body. She backed up into a wall and curled into a ball on the floor. She wanted to scream but she couldn't, whatever it was winded her. Odin steps forward and runs his hand over Jane's arm. As he does so, her skin glows red.

"It's impossible."

"The infection, it's defending her?" The healer tried to make sense of the situation.

"No. It's defending itself." Thor understood what it was doing. The pain starts disappearing through Astrid's body and as she looked at her hands, she notices a light coming from them. She stands up slowly, her body felt strange, she felt strong. Thor looked over to the door and saw Astrid standing there, oblivious to her surroundings. Just as he looked over to her, he could swear he saw her hands glowing.

"Lady Astrid! Is everything alright?" He walked over to her cautiously not entirely sure on what he witnessed. Maybe he was seeing thing?

"Yes I'm fine." She puts on a smile acting like nothing happened. Considering she didn't know what was going on herself. She looked back to Jane. She felt the surge when Janes powers attacked the guards. Maybe she got struck but the aethers power too? No... no one else in the room was affected apart from whoever touched Jane. Astrid was no where near her so what was going on? Maybe it had nothing to do with that. Astrid thought hard for a moment. Her father was a God. It was possible that her powers had finally started to awaken after all these years. She always thought she was ordinary like her mother. There was no other way to explain it.

~

Odin had called for Thor and Jane to follow him, Astrid bid Thor farewell and returned to her chambers for the night. She was sat in front of the mirror as she stared at her hands. She could feel that source of energy. It was still flowing through her veins. Not visible to the eye but she felt it. Astrid looked up into the mirror and saw something she couldn't believe. She gasped at the sudden sight and jumped up stumbling back knocking her chair over. In the mirror she saw her eyes were glowing.

"Everything alright my lady?" The guards had run in after hearing the Princess. They looked around with their spears up looking for a threat.

"Sorry, I'm just a little clumsy. Thank you for your concern. You may return to your post." She knelt down to pick up the chair to avoid eye contact with the guards. The guards simply nodded at her and left. When Astrid heard that she was alone again she slowly turned around to face the mirror again to see that her eyes had returned to normal. She decided to rest for the night, thinking about it was only stressing her out more.