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XI. A Light Knight

Three days later...

Chapter Eleven
Kieran

Freyr and his top military officials came to Hala to sign the Treaty of Unity. He signed it in the ruins of the Supreme Intelligence headquarters, where construction will begin on a new government building, one where elected officials will run Hala. Lorcan is one of those elected officials, and he signed the treaty along with three other newly elected officials. Soroya, Sam, and all the other Avengers were there for the signing, baring witness to a new era of peace among the humans and Kree. Naomi was there for the signing as well on behalf of all of Earth's leadership.

As soon as the signing was done they got right to business discussing relief programs for each planet, as well as deciding what to do with the Kree soldiers who fought for Yon-Rogg and Njord willingly and with the Sword of Surtur. The prisoners, it was decided, would be given a fair trial, and if found guilty, would be sentenced to death or life in prison. The sword is to go to Queen Verena, where it will be kept under her and the Light Elves' protection.

Naomi was spearheading the conversation the whole time, like the natural born leader she is. It took quite the effort to steal her away from the planning and strategizing, but eventually I was successful. I wanted to take her to my apartment here on Hala, the place I lived in between missions. I have things there that I would like to move to our apartment on Earth, and I didn't want to have to go back there alone. That apartment is filled with pain, with memories of my grief over my mother, of my slavery to the Supreme Intelligence, of my utter loneliness. The moment we cross the threshold I feel as if I can't breathe, like the walls and ceiling are caving in on me and those feelings and memories are strangling me. But Naomi slips her hand into mine and squeezes tightly, bringing me back to reality, to the truth that I'm no longer trapped or enslaved.

"It's so hollow." Naomi whispers as she takes in the apartment.

That's certainly a way to describe it. The apartment is one giant room, with a bed in one corner, a small kitchen, a door that leads to a bathroom across from the bed, and a chest filled with all the tokens I took on missions. Naomi lets go of my hand and makes her way over to that chest, starting to sift through each item in there. There's paintings, jewelry, gems, cultural artifacts, and all manner of things that sparked a little life into the dark abyss of my existence.

"They're all beautiful." Naomi's voice is quiet and sad.

I approach my bed and sit down, suddenly remembering how uncomfortable it is. It's like lying on a pile of bricks. "I don't know why I want them honestly, they're just reminders of the darkest time of my life."

"You want them because they brought you hope during those dark times," Naomi closes the chest and comes over towards me, sitting on my lap, careful of the spot on my leg that the pipe had gone through. Princess Shuri healed it but it's still tender. "It makes perfect sense why you want them."

I lock my arms around her waist and tug her close, kissing where her jaw meets her neck. "Think we'll be able to fit everything in the apartment?"

"If we can't then we'll get a bigger place. Maybe a house."

I feel a smile tug at my lips. "Will we even have time to buy a house? With everything going on?"

Naomi kisses my cheek, lifting one hand up to tuck a strand of hair that's sprung loose from my braid back. "There will always be something going on. We can't hold off living our lives just because we're busy with a couple things."