Roots of Eternity

Chapter 35 - Grief's Embrace

The palace felt hollow.

I wandered through the gardens, the familiar scents and vibrant colors now dull and distant. I used to find solace here-among the flowers, trees, and the soft hum of nature. But now, everything was wilted, and my powers felt disconnected, as though my grief had severed my bond with the earth itself.

Frigga was gone. The words echoed in my mind, over and over, until I could hardly breathe. She had always been the heart of our family-the one who brought warmth, wisdom, and balance to our lives. And now... there was only emptiness.

I knelt by a patch of withered flowers, trying to summon the energy to restore them, but the magic wouldn't come. My fingers trembled as they hovered above the petals, my blue eyes blurring with unshed tears.

"She's not coming back, is she?" My voice was barely a whisper, though I knew who was standing behind me.

"No," Thor said softly, his voice thick with grief. "She's gone, Helena."

I felt him kneel beside me, his large hand resting gently on my shoulder. It was the same gesture he always used when I was upset-when I was a child and had skinned my knee, or when Loki had played one of his cruel pranks on me. But this time, the comfort felt hollow. Nothing could fix this.

"I couldn't save her," I choked, my voice breaking. "I should have done something, Thor. I should have stopped him."

Thor's grip tightened on my shoulder, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with a mixture of sadness and determination. "There was nothing you could have done. Malekith... he was too powerful. We all tried. It's not your fault."

I shook my head, tears spilling over now. "But I'm supposed to protect life. I'm supposed to nurture and care for the balance of nature, and I couldn't even protect her."

Thor's face softened, and he pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around me protectively. "You're still young, Helena. You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. None of us could have stopped this. We did everything we could."

I buried my face in his chest, clinging to him like I had when I was much younger. In his arms, I could almost believe his words, but the guilt gnawed at me all the same.

"She was the only one who really understood me," I whispered, my voice muffled by Thor's armor. "She... she knew how to make things right."

Thor's breath hitched, and I knew he was holding back his own grief. "She loved you, Helena. More than anything. And she wouldn't want you to blame yourself for this."

I pulled back slightly, wiping at my tears with the back of my hand. "I don't know how to... I don't know how to move on from this."

"You don't have to, not right away," Thor said gently. "Grief isn't something you can rush. But you're not alone, Helena. I'm here. We'll get through this together."

I nodded, but I wasn't sure if I believed him. I felt so lost, so broken. The gardens that had once flourished under my care were now a reflection of my own heart-wilted, dying, beyond repair.

"I want to be alone for a while," I said quietly, stepping away from Thor's embrace.

He hesitated, his protective instincts flaring up. "Are you sure? I don't want you-"

"I'll be okay," I interrupted, though the words felt hollow. "I just need some time."

Thor's jaw clenched, and I could see the battle waging inside him-whether to leave me alone or stay by my side like he always had. But after a long moment, he nodded. "I'll be nearby if you need me."

With a heavy sigh, Thor stood up and left, glancing back at me once before disappearing into the palace. The silence that followed was suffocating.

I stared at the flowers, my heart aching. I had always been so connected to life, to growth. But now, I felt... disconnected, as though a vital part of me had been ripped away when Frigga died.

"Still trying to bring life to dead flowers?" Loki's voice, sharp and bitter, cut through the quiet.

I didn't turn to face him, keeping my eyes on the wilted blooms. "You don't have to be here, Loki."

"I didn't have to save you from being crushed by that pillar either, but here we are," he said, stepping closer. His tone was casual, but there was an undercurrent of something deeper-grief, guilt, anger. It was always hard to tell with him.

"I didn't ask for your help," I muttered.

Loki crouched beside me, his long fingers tracing the edges of one of the withered leaves. "No, you didn't. But that's never stopped me before."

I finally turned to look at him. His face was as guarded as always, but there was something in his eyes-something that told me he wasn't here just to mock me.

"Why are you here, Loki?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

He shrugged, though the gesture felt forced. "Perhaps I wanted to see how the youngest Odinson was handling her grief."

"Don't," I warned, my voice sharp. "Don't make this into a game."

For once, Loki didn't smirk. He sat back on his heels, watching me closely. "It's not a game, Helena. But I know how you feel. Frigga was... she was more than just a mother to us."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat returning. "You don't act like you care. You never show it."

Loki's expression darkened, and he looked away, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "We all have our ways of dealing with loss. Mine just happens to be... less sentimental than most."

I frowned, trying to find the right words. "You're hurting, too."

He didn't respond immediately, but when he did, his voice was softer than I had ever heard it. "Of course, I am. Frigga... she always believed in me, even when no one else did. Even when I didn't believe in myself."

Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I wiped at them furiously. "Then why don't you act like it, Loki? Why do you always push us away?"

Loki's jaw tightened, and he stood abruptly, his back to me now. "Because it's easier. Easier than letting you all see what's really there."

"What do you mean?" I pressed, standing up as well, my voice trembling.

Loki glanced over his shoulder, and for a brief moment, I saw the vulnerability he had always hidden behind his masks. "It doesn't matter."

"Loki," I said, stepping closer, my hand reaching out but hesitating to touch him. "You're not alone in this. We both lost her. We both-"

"Enough," he snapped, cutting me off. His tone was sharp again, the walls going back up. "I don't need your pity, Helena. I'm fine."

I flinched at the harshness in his voice but didn't back down. "It's not pity, Loki. You're my brother. I care about you, even when you make it hard."

He laughed bitterly. "You shouldn't. I've done nothing to deserve it."

"You've made mistakes," I said softly, "but that doesn't change the fact that you're still my brother. And no matter how many times you push us away, I'm not giving up on you."

Loki was silent for a long moment, his gaze locked on the distant city. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the palace.

I stood there for a long time after he left, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Frigga was gone, and Loki was slipping further away. Thor's grief mirrored my own, but even he couldn't shield me from this pain.

I knelt back down by the flowers, my hand trembling as I reached out to them once more. This time, when I called upon my magic, it answered. Slowly, the flowers began to bloom again, small and fragile, but alive.

It wasn't much. But it was a start.