The Goddess Of Death

Hela rummaged idly around her closet, keeping a trained ear out for any unusual sounds. The hairs on the back of her neck are standing straight up, and she started breathing deeply to calm herself.

There ! An almost inaudible step sounded and Hela's gaze sharpened. She whirled around, conjuring a sword along the way just in time to block the dagger that swung inches towards her throat. "An assassin," She gritted her teeth as the wielder pressed their attack, "How very original."

The assassin is covered head to toe in black, their face covered so excellently she struggled to see if it is a man or a woman. Its figure is broad and stocky though, so she wagered it is a man. She brought up a foot to kick, but the assassin suddenly jumped out of the way. "I feel compelled to ask who sent you, but then again, no one really answers that question, do they?"

Thrown knives are his only answer, and Hela quickly ducked her head. It struck the mirror behind her and smashed it, raining shards around the two of them. "I don't really know anyone who wants to kill me though." She continued musing aloud, "By the way, that's my favorite mirror. You're gonna have to replace that." She hid a grin and noted how the assassin narrowed their eyes in irritation.

Prone to anger then. She could work with that.

The assassin suddenly lunged forward with their dagger, which Hela quickly met and parried. She can't say she isn't nervous a bit, especially since this person is actively trying to kill her, but after facing a twenty foot tall beast, this honestly pales in comparison to the terror she felt back then.

She swung her sword in a wide arc, and the assassin quickly leapt back and landed on her bed. She frowned heavily when his boots left visible dirt and stains on the pristine sheets, and decided enough is enough.

She flicked a hand in their direction and the assassin's mask promptly caught on fire.

Using seidr may seem a bit like cheating in a fight to most, but it is never really a fair fight in the first place when he decided to sneak into her room and attack her from behind.

"Do you want to continue fighting?" Hela stared him down wearily. "Because if so, I'm just going to burn your clothes until you're left with nothing."

She's tired, she's cranky, and she's just about done with everyone's bullshit. A bed sounded nice, and he just stepped all over it.

She just wants this to be over and sleep until morning.

To her surprise, the man just waved a hand and the flames immediately went out. He then held out his hands in front of him, and Hela swore and ran as multiple daggers formed from his silver-colored seidr in midair before streaking through the air towards her. She hurriedly vaulted over her couch and crouched behind it as the daggers embedded themselves on the thick wood, sending splinters and chunks of wood in the air.

A seidmadr! That complicates things.

She waited until the barrage stopped before quickly conjuring her own to retaliate, watching as the assassin just nimbly leapt out of the way of her daggers. He conjured a few more and she blocked those, before realizing too late that it was a distraction.

The assassin tackled her bodily from the side, knocking the wind out of her and making them crash into the closet. He gripped her wrists with one strong hand and she bucked wildly, trying to dislodge his position above her. His hold is strong though, and she knew it would leave bruises after this. His other hand held a blade, and she felt her eyes widen as it moved to stab.

Hela quickly tried to jerk her body to the side. Unfortunately, she was already exhausted and didn't move fast enough. Pain immediately blossomed in her shoulder and she screamed.

Seeing an opportunity, the man quickly raised the blade above his head again, clearly intending to finish the job.

He didn't account for the hammer directly beside him on the table where she left it earlier.

Hela held out a trembling hand right at the assassin's other side and watched weakly as Mjolnir responded immediately, flying directly towards the man who barely managed to react. It smacked hard into his side, knocking the breath out of him, before landing in her palm. The winded man gasped and struggled to scramble to his feet, before throwing himself to the side again to dodge another throw from Mjolnir. He wheezed and held onto his side before heading to the door to escape. He slammed it open, but before he could run, Hela quickly threw Mjolnir again for the third time. This time, it struck true and he collapsed in the doorway, wheezing and panting.

The hammer smacked back on her hand just seconds before footsteps thundered in the halls and the guards began spilling inside the room. They briefly stared in astonishment at the wheezing man before the Captain of the Guard gestured and they began restraining him.

"Princess! You're hurt!" The Captain of the Guard, who she recognized as Ingvar, said in shock before quickly calling for aid. "Get me Healer Eir immediately!"

She collapsed on her knees in exhaustion, whole frame trembling and barely managing to hide the whimper of pain that escaped when the action jostled the wound on her shoulder. It is bleeding steadily and hurts like hell . She looked to the downed man, who looked completely terrified of the events as he was manhandled and forced to stand. She sighed wearily, "Take him away; I'll speak with him later."

"Please stay still, Your Highness, help will be here soon." Ingvar crouched beside her and scanned the wound while the other guards started roughly shoving the man out the door. Some guards remained and searched the room, though she knew the threat is over.

Ingvar pulled out a roll of bandages out of his belt and began applying pressure. It instantly brought tears to her eyes and she cried out. He gazed worriedly, "I'm sorry, Princess." He said regretfully, "We arrived too late."

She couldn't reply, too busy breathing deeply and trying desperately not to panic, cry, and look at the wound that was bleeding openly on her shoulder. Gods, it hurts so goddamn much!

To her relief, Healer Eir suddenly swept into the room, clear blue eyes immediately fixing on her wound like a moth attracted to flame. " Move !" She barked to a stray guard who immediately jumped out of her way. She quickly kneeled beside her and gently took her arm, and Hela barely suppressed another whimper of pain at the action.

"It's deep," She remarked idly, "I am going to need to take you to the Healer's Ward. Guards, carry her there." She called and they immediately obeyed. Hela almost protested but before she knew it, they already picked her up.

They didn't get very far though when they suddenly heard a loud gasp and a sob that was not her own, and Hela quickly turned around to find Astrid, the old servant she saw in the courtyard earlier being led to the main room by a guard, her cheek bruised and her hair and clothes disheveled. Hela instantly felt numb and squeezed one of the arms of the guards holding her, stopping them. "What happened?"

"We found her restrained and unconscious in one of the side rooms, Your Highness." The guard informed her, and Hela's eyes went wide.

Astrid sobbed and bowed shakily, and Hela quickly rushed to get down from her position and stop her. Eir protested loudly but Hela ignored it, quickly assessing the old woman's condition. She could only sob, "Y-Your Highness, I am so sorry I could not stop him! I b-beg of you, punish me as you see fit!"

"Astrid, no." She brushed a few strands back from her face gently, "It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself." She had to fight to keep her hand from forming a trembling fist. "You did the best you could, and that's all I could really ask."

The old servant shook her head violently, "No, it is my fault! I couldn't warn you nor the Gatekeeper in time. Please just punish me!"

Hela sighed before placing a gentle hand on her bruised cheek, and Astrid winced. "I think that's more than enough punishment, wouldn't you agree?" She said softly. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."

Again, the old servant violently shook her head, and Hela feared she would get whiplash. " No ! Please do not say that! It was definitely not your fault, Your Highness!"

She smiled wryly, "I feel that this discussion may never end, so let us just forget this ever happened, all right?"

Astrid stared wide-eyed at her, but before she could respond, footsteps suddenly sounded outside and the King and Queen burst into the room, Odin's face twisted in rage. " Where. Is. He?"

Everyone quickly froze, Hela included, as the pure power and fury in his voice reverberated around the room. His ominous aura seemed almost palpable then, and she could see the guards beginning to sweat and tremble in fear. Poor Astrid practically cowered behind her. She couldn't exactly blame them though, since she's terrified herself.

To everyone's relief, Frigga then stepped forward and broke the tension, pulling her shocked daughter into a hug. She cried out and Frigga stiffened before assessing her more thoroughly, "Hela," The Queen gasped.

She nodded slightly, patting her mother gently on the back before turning her attention on the proceedings though as the guards began recounting the situation to their King.

When they got to the part where the assassin was found out of breath and bruised, Odin's gaze turned to Mjolnir, which was still in her hand the whole time.

The guards finally finished, and Odin appraised her for a moment, gaze hardening at her bleeding wound, before storming out again wordlessly and heading directly towards the prison.

Hela stared after him before sighing. Well, what did she expect? Hugs and kisses? Odin would die first before he's caught doing that red-handed.

"So I take it Heimdall got my message?" She glanced up at Frigga, who still looked worried.

"He informed us as soon as he received it." She confirmed, before letting out a shaky breath. "I am very glad you trained for this back then. I fear for your life if you didn't."

The Princess tilted her head slightly, "I've somewhat known this would happen. It was why I asked for training in the first place."

However, it seemed the wrong thing to say when Frigga suddenly looked pained. "You shouldn't have had to worry about those things back then. How much have we wronged you, to make you feel unsafe in your own home?"

 "Mother, no." Why did she come to that conclusion? "That's not the entire reason; I genuinely want to learn combat and how to defend myself. The assassin just had a lucky shot." She tried to make her gaze earnest enough, "Besides, it turned out for the best, didn't it?"

The Queen sighed inaudibly before nodding, "I suppose you are right."

"Your Highness," A guard suddenly ran up to them and saluted. "The King is currently interrogating the prisoner and requests your presence. He also told the Princess to go to the Healer's Ward immediately."

Hela inclined her head, "Understood."

…

Hela is very thankful for her Asgardian body for their rapid healing abilities, because she was immediately back to normal after just a few hours. She left the Healer's Ward and thanked Healer Eir whose eyes still assessed her like she's trying to find more wounds to treat. She doesn't have time for that though, since she needs to find out what's going on.

Hela headed down to the dungeons and immediately found Odin bearing down on the maskless man on his knees. Hela didn't recognize him, which was a relief. The last thing she needs is to ruin the future because one of the side characters suddenly decided to murder her. That's just her luck.

She felt for him though, especially when Odin began projecting a murderous aura that made him seem so intimidating and dangerous, even Hela couldn't suppress a shiver at the sight. "I wonder," The King began softly, gaze focused on him and him alone. "how much Vanaheim paid you to do this. And how much of a fool you were to accept this job."

Hela's eyes widened, before glancing furtively up at her mother who looked impassive. Her hands are clenched into fists though, and it must hurt her to know her own realm wanted to have her daughter killed.

Still, Vanaheim ordered an assassin to kill her. What did she even do to them?

The man jolted in surprise at the allegation before glaring up at the King in defiance. He spat at his feet, "Vanaheim didn't pay me to do drit 1 !"

Odin's face suddenly twisted and he thundered, " You dare–?!"

Mesmerized with fear, Hela watched as the interrogation continued, seeing with her own eyes how dangerous and ruthless Odin really was to his enemies. A simple slam of Gungnir and the defiant assassin's head was slammed into the stones at his feet. He cried out before Odin angrily lifted his spear and blasted the man off the floor and into the wall, making him scream.

She must've made a noise, because Odin immediately glanced at her before smiling. Hela instantly felt cold at the sight. "Come here, my daughter."

She tried her best to hold her head high as she approached, but the sheer power and intensity of Odin's aura made her feel like she should slump her shoulders meekly. "Yes, Father?"

He nodded to the trembling man in the cell. "Kill him."

Her stomach dropped at the sudden command and she choked, " W-What?"

To her disbelief, Odin just stared at her impatiently. " Kill him." He repeated. "He snuck into your rooms and tried to have your head. Surely you do not intend to let him live?"

Hela almost took a step back in shock, "But Father," She began, mind rapidly working to get out of this mess. She doesn't want to just go and kill someone! She couldn't ! "I-I hardly think this is fair, he's imprisoned and weakened."

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Likewise, I hardly think it was 'fair' of him to go into your rooms and attempt to assassinate you." He turned fully towards her and nodded his head at the slumped figure of the man who was watching them with fear in his eyes. "Vanaheim has been our ally for a hundred years now. That ends now. As its Princess, show him how Asgard deals with traitorous filth."

Damn it! Hela frantically looked to her mother to help her, but Frigga looked furious at the man too. Running out of options, she glanced at the man still on the floor and was taken aback by the sheer hate in his eyes. Why did he hate her so? What did she even do to him? To Vanaheim ?

Whatever it was, it must have been truly terrible for him to risk coming all the way here just to kill her. But even so, she couldn't just execute him. Animals are different; she can't just take a human life!

Some Goddess of Death she is. She almost scoffed internally.

To her dismay, Odin noticed her hesitation and glared at her. "Kill him. I will not ask again."

Clenching her fists, Hela closed her eyes before inclining her head, even as her heart thudded painfully in her c.h.e.s.t at the action she is about to take. She has to remember that she's in a different world now. Earth's laws don't apply here. If someone wronged you, you are legally bound to take vengeance however you see fit. Killing is unfortunately an acceptable course of action in situations like this, and for the first time, she absolutely hated the position she held. "As you wish."

The guards let her in the cell and she quickly summoned a sword with her seidr. She could've just summoned flames and let him suffer as long as she could. No doubt that's what Odin actually wanted. Unluckily for him, Hela just wanted to give him a quick death. She gazed down at him sadly, and didn't even mind when he also spat at her feet. "I don't know why you hate me so, but you brought this upon yourself." She leveled the sword at his throat. "Any last words?" She asked softly.

To her surprise, he just cackled and grinned deranged. "You are a curse, girl. It was foreseen, you were never meant to be here."

Hela froze and felt her heart stop for a moment, "What?"

He laughed, as if all this is extremely funny to him. "It was foreseen! A child of a Vanir and Aesir will bring the end to us all! What choice do we have but to remove the threat?"

Odin suddenly stepped forward, his face the epitome of rage. "What nonsense are you talking about?" He demanded, "Your thoughts says nothing of this claim."

The man only grinned and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Hela's thoughts are whirling rapidly. Who foresaw this? The child of a Vanir and Aesir will bring the end? If so, she couldn't blame him then for trying to kill her, she would want to eliminate the threat too. "Who foresaw this?" She demanded aloud.

His answer caused all the Asgardians behind her to freeze and her to stare in confusion. "Mimir the Wise."

Frigga gasped and Odin looked visibly taken aback. A first for him. Hela just tried thinking back on what she knew about Norse Mythology, but came up with a blank. Who's Mimir ?

"Kill him. Now ." Odin's voice sounded soft but it was layered with a fury so controlled it almost gave an echo of power. Hela hastened to obey and swung the sword, steadfastly not looking as the man's head rolled on the floor and his body slumped.

Without another word, Odin left the dungeon and the guards started entering the cell to dispose of the body. Hela is left trembling in the middle of it all before being swept up in Frigga's arms. "Go back to your room and rest, my sweet. We will explain later."

Hela could only nod before she was escorted back at Frigga's command, determinedly not looking at the lifeless body being carried out of the cell or she's going to throw up. She did that with her own hands, and it felt absolutely sickening.

… F.u.c.k.

…

Hela did her best not to stare into space and pay attention to Vor but it was hard. It has been exactly two days since the incident and she still hasn't heard a word from either of her parents about 'Mimir the Wise.' She knows he's like a prophet, if the assassin's claim that he foresaw something is true. But that's about it.

Speaking of that, the grave prophecy kept circling around her head, and she can't help but be anxious of its implications. The child of a Vanir and Aesir will bring the end? Everyone in that cell heard it, and she's aware rumors had already spread, especially because it implies she'll be the cause of certain destruction.

Fate really hates her, it seems.

"It is not normal for you to lose concentration like this," Vor suddenly said and Hela jumped in surprise. Her instructor's eyebrows rose steadily at the reaction, "What is the matter?"

She shifted in her seat guiltily, knowing she didn't pay attention to the entire lesson. If Vor even asked one question about it, she's doomed.

But wait, since Vor knows almost everything, then she must know about Mimir the Wise!

"Actually Lady Vor, can you help me with something?" Hela tried smiling sweetly, but Vor's gaze only sharpened at the sight.

"What is it?" She asked warily.

Hela shrugged, "I was hoping if you could tell me something about Mimir the Wise? Anything at all."

"Why do you want to know?" She asked slowly.

"B-Because it's related to the attacks two days ago…" She almost muttered. That particular incident spread throughout Asgard like wildfire. Why wouldn't it, when the topic is the Princess of Asgard almost being assassinated in her own home? By a Vanir, no less. The assassin made Asgard's defenses a joke, and it caused a whole lot of embarrassment for Odin.

She doesn't even want to know what he thinks of such rumors.

To Hela's relief, Frigga had the presence of mind to threaten all the witnesses to speak nothing about the prophecy and its terrifying insinuations. After all, it wouldn't do to have all of Asgard's citizens afraid of their own Princess. It seems the guards kept their word, because no one has mentioned it yet.

At the mention of the attack, Vor's gaze visibly softened and she cleared her throat. "The fact that you say Mimir is related to the attack suggests that he is the one who 'ordered it'. Is that correct?"

"Not really?" Hela sighed, "To be honest, there's something I haven't told you. The assassin mentioned Mimir the Wise said something odd that almost sounded like a prophecy." At this, Vor stiffened. "I was just wondering who he is?"

"Tell me." Vor's tone brooked no argument.

Typical Vor, always curious and no-nonsense.

"He basically said the child of a Vanir and Aesir will bring about the end of things." And that I was never meant to be here , but she doesn't need to know that .

"And then he decided to just assassinate you ?" Vor raised an eyebrow, "You are but one of the many children with Vanir-Aesir blood. Countless people fit that description. It is not exactly an uncommon occurrence."

"But not a lot of people have the King and Queen of Asgard as parents." Hela pointed out, "I guess if I was the assassin, I would go for the child with the most influence too."

"That is also true." Her instructor fixed her with an unreadable gaze. "It is a good thing you know how to defend yourself, but you must also remain vigilant. You cannot allow such a thing to happen again."

"Of course. I do not intend to die," She suddenly grinned, "…Not yet at least."

Vor stared in slight puzzlement, but Hela waved it off. "So now that you know, I want to ask who is he exactly?"

The instructor hummed in thought, "It would make sense you do not know of him, since he left before your time." Vor glanced at her, as if deciding how much she should say. Hela only smiled innocently. She sighed, "Mimir the Wise is Odin's past adviser and counselor. He is an exceptionally wise being who always had an answer to everything." Vor smiled a bit, "He had also occasionally foretold prophecies and events he has Seen through visions. To my knowledge, he is the only known seer amongst the Aesir."

A seer! Hela frowned in thought. That certainly explains things, but if someone knows she doesn't actually belong here, then what would that bode for her?

Vor's eyes suddenly turned melancholy, "Then the war between Asgard and Vanaheim happened. Mimir tried his best to give military advice to Odin, but both sides remained at a stalemate."

"How come?" Hela asked, "Wait, let me guess. Asgard's warriors and Vanaheim's seidmadr are evenly matched."

Vor inclined her head in acquiescence. "Indeed. Contrary to popular belief, the Vanir are extremely skilled warriors that can utilize both hand-to-hand combat and seidr in battle. They can easily match Asgard's best, and that was exactly what happened in that war.

Eventually, the fighting went on for so long that an agreement for a ceasefire came, where it was decided by both parties that the only way to stop the war was if they exchanged hostages so neither side can attack the other secretly. Vanaheim sent Freya, Freyr and Njord to Asgard, and Asgard sent Hoenir and Mimir the Wise in exchange." Vor clenched her fists, "It has been a hundred years, and we have not heard word from them ever since."

Hela went silent as Vor got lost in her thoughts. She is willing to bet Mimir is a friend of hers. Poor Vor though, she never got the chance to talk to him again. Hela's eyes softened and she opened her mouth to comfort her, but before she could, a sharp knock sounded on the doors. "What is it?" Her instructor called out.

The door opened and a servant appeared, head bowed respectfully. "Good afternoon, Your Highness. A missive from His Majesty, The King."

Hela tensed in surprise and accepted said letter, vaguely noticing the servant leaving and Vor staring at her intently as she opened it. "The King is summoning me to today's meeting." Her brows furrowed in confusion. "My father has never invited me to attend meetings before."

"This is rare, indeed." Vor voiced what was practically her thoughts, her wise eyes narrowed in thought. "Something must be happening that Odin wants you to know about." She nodded, "Our lesson is adjourned. Go on, and do not keep him waiting."

Hela almost g.r.o.a.n.e.d. She didn't even get to ask Vor any further about Mimir yet! However, needs must. "Understood."

…

Hela hurriedly strode through the halls, not knowing if she is feeling excited or nervous. She's going to be attending her first meeting with the rest of Asgard's royal court. What could be the reason she is summoned now? Has the war already started? Did someone invade the Realm? Is the economy unstable? She is absolutely dying to know–

Hela grunted in pain as a blur suddenly knocked into her with such force that she fell promptly on her backside. At the same time, someone cried in surprise and collapsed beside her with a mighty thud! that she actually winced in sympathy.

"I am so sorry!" A familiar voice cried out, and Hela found herself blinking at Tyrkir's pale face. A bruise is already forming on his forehead, but it looks like he didn't even notice as he began panicking. "Oh no, Princess Hela?!" To Hela's fascination, his face seemed to turn even paler. "I-I swear I didn't mean to, it was an accident!"

"Calm down, Tyrkir!" To her disbelief, he only seemed to become more visibly distressed. "I'm fine! I am not hurt, see?" She quickly stood and offered him a hand.

Tyrkir didn't look like he believed her, but he gradually relaxed.

"Let's just forget that happened." Hela smiled sheepishly at him, "Now, why exactly are you running like the devil's right at your heels?"

"D-Devil?" Tyrkir repeated in confusion, and Hela resisted the urge to smack her forehead. Right, idioms don't really work here. "Never mind that, just answer the question."

"I was supposed to meet with my father at a meeting, but Ornulf wanted to show me something and I did not realize I was already running late." He let the words out in such a rush, his face reddening in embarrassment. 

"Meeting?" Hela stiffened in realization, "You wouldn't happen to mean the meeting with the King?"

Tyrkir furrowed his brows, "My father did mention that King Odin is going to be there."

"Shit." Hela hissed. Tyrkir automatically shot her one of the scandalized glances he probably reserves for Ornulf, before immediately flushing as he realized who he was sending it to. Hela ignored him.  "Great, my first meeting, and I'm already late. Wonderful. My father must think highly of me now, I'm sure." She stopped, "But wait, he was the one who sent the invite just now, so technically, I'm not late."

"Uhh… that's good to know?" Tyrkir said in confusion. "I am the one who's late, though."

"We can go together." Hela immediately grabbed the opportunity. "Thank goodness, now I at least know someone in there." She started to drag him with her, but paused as she noticed something. "Wait, you can't go to the meeting looking like that."

"Like what?" He asked nervously, but Hela ignored him as she began waving her fingers in front of the reddening bruise on his forehead. She has never been good with illusions, but surely, she could do something as simple as concealing.

Green seidr materialized in her hands, and the bruise is immediately covered by an illusion of perfect and unmarred skin. Hela immediately felt awe and pride; she suspects she will probably continue to feel like that every time she uses magic. Even now, the thought of using magic is still completely unbelievable. "Just don't touch it, and you'll be good to go."

Tyrkir visibly looked like he wanted to touch his forehead, but restrained himself. "Thank you, Princess."

"Hela," She reminded and he actually laughed a bit, "I told you to call me Hela."

"H-Hela…" He smiled hesitantly, and she beamed so wide her cheeks hurt.

"Excellent! Now lead the way, Tyrkir!"

He huffed in amus.e.m.e.nt at her enthusiasm and dutifully proceeded to lead her to the large double doors of the meeting chamber. "Why are you allowed to attend meetings like these, Tyrkir?" She asked curiously.

Tyrkir immediately scratched his head in embarrassment. "M-My father asked me if I was interested, and I agreed. I discovered pretty early on that I like attending meetings more than training. You saw why. I'm not skilled enough for battle."

But you are probably skilled enough for politics. Hela almost smiled. Sorry, but you're not yet subtle enough, Tyrkir.

Everyone knows that no child is permitted into meetings unless they are invited to be there. Minister Vifil probably wanted to train Tyrkir to become the next Minister of Law, and Tyrkir likely knew this as well. However, uttering that in front of others will cause so many problems, especially because nepotism is generally frowned upon.

"You said this was your first meeting?" Hela nodded. "The first thing you need to know is that you should address the King first and apologize for your tardiness. But since you are his daughter, I am assuming he will let you go easily."

Hela almost laughed at that, "Not exactly."

Tyrkir glanced at her curiously, and she waved him off. "Time to face the music, I suppose."

He quirked a smile. "You say the strangest things, Princess."

"Not the first time I've heard that one. Though usually, I am also called antisocial, reserved, and cold."

He immediately looked like he regretted saying that, but Hela shot him a playful grin to show that she was joking. "However, I think I like 'strange' better."

Tyrkir relaxed at that, and Hela barely restrained herself from laughing. Honestly, he gets so worked up and fl.u.s.tered sometimes. Hela made a mental note to help him with that problem in the future. Not until she's done teasing him about it, of course. It's fun to see his face turn all shades of red.

With that, Tyrkir nodded to the guards and they watched as the doors are pulled open, revealing the chamber in all its glory.

Hela barely remembered to keep herself from freezing in place as the eyes of all of Asgard's ministers, politicians, the court, and the King and Queen focused on her. She felt Tyrkir begin to salute and kneel and tried to copy his movements as gracefully as she could. Though judging by Frigga's amused gaze, she only did a passable job at it.

She steeled herself and proceeded to meet Odin's eyes head-on. "We deeply apologize for the delay, my King."

She could barely believe Odin was really her father at that moment. Clad in golden robes, his immense power almost humming in the air, and with Gungnir in his hand, he just seemed so regal, majestic, and intimidating. "My daughter," He began, and Hela could only swallow nervously. He looked furious by something, and was visibly trying not to take it out on her. "It is good to know that you are actually planning on arriving today."

She could just imagine how much sarcasm dripped into that statement. They both know he was the one who only just remembered to invite her. "Again, I apologize, Your Highness. It will not happen again."

Odin only stared at her a few seconds more before dismissing her, and Hela fought the urge to bristle. "See that it won't."

With that, Hela took her seat near the end of the table opposite from her Father's end, and Tyrkir sat himself across from her and next to Minister Vifil, who just looked impassive.

"Now that the Princess has deigned to join us, it is time we move on to the purpose of this meeting."

Hela immediately straightened up in interest, her eyes trained on her father who signaled sharply for the Asgard's famous general to rise.

Immediately, Tyrkir straightened as well. "That's General Tyr!" He hissed. "I heard he's one of the best warriors in Asgard, second only to Odin himself!"

Hela nodded excitedly too. She also heard that, and more. General Tyr has been considered as strict during training and battles but kind and patient outside it. It is one of the reasons why Hela wanted to learn from him instead of Commander Herryk.

Another thing is that General Tyr is not stationed in the palace, which is why seeing him is always a rare sight.

The first thing she noticed is his size. He easily towers over everyone in the room when he stood. The man looked like a virtual image of the strongest and largest viking you could possibly imagine; a figure of immense strength that showed in each corded muscle and broad frame. He's wearing full body armor that looked extremely uncomfortable to Hela, but the general looked at home with it on. He carefully removed his round helmet which revealed black hair and a full beard before settling it down on the table with a dull ' thump' !

Nevertheless, what caught Hela's attention the most is the glint of the golden ornamental prosthetic where his left hand was supposed to be. 

The hand that was swallowed by the very Wolf that is currently roaming the palace grounds.

Hela made a mental note to let Fenris know the general is around, or vice versa. It wouldn't do for the general to lose his right hand as well.

"I will just get to the point," Tyr said brusquely. "My spies report Vanaheim is claiming that they had been cheated in the exchange of hostages during the past Aesir-Vanir war. They said one of the hostages is a 'witless fool' who had tricked them for a long time by giving unwise counsel." He narrowed his eyes in anger, "They had beheaded Mimir the Wise due to this belief and sent back his head. Attempts to negotiate has been disregarded. It seems they are willing to go to battle for this."

Hela's eyes immediately widened. Mimir is dead?! And they beheaded him just because he gave faulty advice? Then what of his prophecy regarding her, is that faulty too?

" Mimir gave unwise counsel?" One of the Ministers said in disbelief. " Mimir ? He was called 'the Wise' for a reason, General. Are you certain this is what the Vanir said?"

General Tyr visibly looked insulted at the insinuation that he heard wrong. "As certain as I am that the sky is blue, Minister." He said slowly, as if the Minister is an idiot.

"What of Hoenir?" Minister Vifil asked.

The General only shook his head, "There was no word from him."

Everyone fell silent at the grave news and Hela quickly looked to her parents. Frigga remained completely stoic, betraying no sign of worry or fear. Odin, on the other hand, only looked even more furious at the reminder, "The terms are clear, and we have honored them. What more are they demanding?"

"Another exchange of hostages, Your Highness." Tyr scowled, "A pretty low reason to declare war over, in my opinion. However, they cannot be swayed."

"Cheating?" A Minister angrily said. "We took great care of the Vanir hostages they sent us. Freyr and his father Njord we even let free to live their lives in Alfheim. And in exchange, they sent us Mimir's head?!"

A chorus of furious yells echoed around the room, and Hela shrank back on her seat. Tyrkir also looked wide-eyed at the scene.

Odin suddenly slammed Gungnir on the dais and everyone promptly fell silent. "Vanaheim sent an assassin to kill my daughter," He whispered softly, but it still carried throughout the whole room. "if Hela was not trained, they would have succeeded. Then I lost my trusted adviser after they claimed Mimir is a fool and beheaded him, and now they want war?" He slowly stood, and Hela froze in her seat in alarm. "Vanaheim violated the agreement and almost committed regicide. There will be no more attempts to negotiate because nothing can excuse their actions." His gaze hardened, "The truce ends now."

The table was banged on repeatedly as bloodthirsty cries and shouts for vengeance filled the room after Odin practically declared war. In the resulting chaos, Hela could only meet Tyrkir's terrified gaze across the table with her own.

This is no ordinary meeting; this is a war council. A war is truly going to happen, and she may just be caught right in the middle of it.

Gods help them. Norwegian word which means "shit."