The Villain

prophecy

"I really don't like you mingling with the Serpent Tongue, my love.", Heimdall whispered, making sure the guards around didn't hear them.

Heimdall worried about Phoenix whenever she stood up to Odin that openly, when her provoking words would inevitably lead to consequences he couldn’t prevent, whenever she crossed one line too much.

She didn’t know what Odin had done to them in order to guarantee Phoenix’ loyalty to her purpose, but Heimdall knew how far Odin could go.

‘You’d be surprised by how far fate would go to ensure her undying loyalty.’ And Odin would go however far it took.

"Don't you trust me?", Phoenix asked, her steps and lowered voice matching his.

"I trust you more than anyone.", he took her hand, slightly squeezing it.

Phoenix smiled at him, thinking the topic was done, but seriousness took over Heimdall's features sooner than she had hoped.

"I'm only worried about you.", he said, his voice in a similar way demanding as hers had been while talking to her students only moments before.

Unlike them though, the goddess knew about the game played in Asgard's palace. She grew up here, spent the better portion of her life inside these halls, and she learned to survive.

Besides, what would Odin do? Kill her? He couldn't, was too well aware about the repercussions of her blood on his hands to even try and harm her.

"I can look out for myself.", Phoenix reminded him, adjusting her grip around the Vlaun in her other hand, covering them in an illusion of one instead, putting it in her hair.

"I never doubted that. But you feel responsible for him in a way that you aren't.”

As they walked through the hallways, people parted in front of them, greeting Heimdall with a respectful nod, and Phoenix with a wary one, before their looks dropped to their entwined hands. Phoenix and Heimdall ignored them.

Odin already knew about them, and he never brought it up to Phoenix, so she reasoned she had nothing to fear in that regard.

Heimdall disagreed – his story an entirely different one when it came to the king’s reaction to their relationship. But he wouldn’t let go of Phoenix’ hand if she took his – never again.

He remembered Hayden and the other soldiers, burning down and taking from him what he loved most, memories Phoenix had lost in exchange for new prophecies and important parts of the past. He couldn’t tell her – especially not now, after he had been silent for so long.

And why not keep her unaware of the few tragedies Heimdall could actually protect her from?

"Loki is my friend, I won’t just leave him to rot in chains. But more importantly – ", Phoenix whispered, passing the last people in the hallway, “it’s not his fate to spend eternity down there.”

"Promise me to be careful with this, my love."

"As long as you don't tell your king I am following fate over him, everything will work out just fine."

Walking through the big entry area, Phoenix noticed two guards flanking Odin on his seat, the piercing glare at her probably meant to intimidate her, but it didn't.

The sun behind Odin warmed his back, similar as it had done hers not that long ago and the wind through the open balcony draped the curtains around him in a veil of white innocence Phoenix never associated with the Allfather in any way.

"Have a seat, oracle.", Odin said, pointing at the chair opposite from him and Heimdall closed the door behind her, following her inside without thinking twice about it.