HALF THE WORLD AWAY
ix. TROUBLE IN PARADISE
❝PEOPLE DON'T CHANGE.❞

TWO DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE KATRINA HAD SPENT THE DAY IN ASGARD. Her parents had been highly concerned that there had been an assassination attempt on her life, taking even more precautions to safeguard her from any further attempts. Due to that, King Arman and Queen Hira had sat down with the King and Queen of Asgard and decided that the wedding would take place on Meridian instead. It meant that everyone in the palace was busy with preparations for the wedding and it only made Katrina more anxious as she realized the wedding would be only in three days. Even Alis (whose only job was to protect Katrina) found herself being roped into the preparations, leaving her busy most of the time.

A sigh left Katrina's lips as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Three days. In three short days, Katrina would be wed to Thor and she would spend the rest of her days on Asgard with visits here and there to Meridian. It still felt surreal to the woman, believing it was all a dream. Of course, she did not love Prince Thor, but she didn't hate him either. She believed that she could, at least, become friends with the man. After all, it was for Meridian. The end of the war meant the start of peace for the planet, allowing them to heal from the wounds that had been left. It was all Katrina wanted.

Her thoughts wandered to Prince Thor again. Some would say Thor was the epitome of the perfect man with his attractive features and proud personality, but his flaws peeked out from underneath his facade. Katrina was able to overlook them, considering she, herself, was not perfect. Though, she couldn't keep herself from feeling as if she was using Thor. He was determined to help her with the curse, boasting about how he could defeat Hela all on his own. Thor offered Katrina so much, but she offered nothing in return. Meridian would gain its freedom through this alliance, but Katrina wondered what Asgard would gain. From how she saw it, Asgard was losing more than it gained through the alliance. She knew the Allfather, Odin, would not want to marry his son to a burden, so exactly what did Asgard gain through the alliance? Surely, it wasn't an act of good faith from the Allfather since he would stand to gain more if Asgard had won the war and annihilated Meridian. The thought chilled Katrina as she tried to force it away from her mind.

Instead, Katrina focused on the sun rays that came through the window and illuminated the room. The sunlight fit the crystals on the chandelier hanging overhead, creating hundreds of small rainbows throughout the room. It made a small smile appear on Katrina's lips, relishing in the beautiful sight. Another night had come and gone, but Katrina had yet to be fully rested. It felt as if she spent most of the night tossing and turning, fighting off the nightmares of Ragnarok. She didn't need to look into the mirror to know she suffered from dark circles and dry skin.

She sat up in bed, letting out a yawn as she stretched her arms. When her bones cracked, the feeling of satisfaction filled her as she lowered her arms and relaxed once again. There wasn't much to do, considering everyone was preoccupied with the wedding. However, her mother could come barging through the door at any moment to tell her to get up and prepare for the day. Katrina had yet to have a decent conversation with her mother since the truth about the curse had been revealed, causing a deep sigh to leave her chapped lips. Though it would still take some time to fully process everything and Katrina wasn't sure if she was ready to speak to her mother properly yet. But, it had to be soon because she didn't want to leave Meridian without resolving her problems.

Katrina forced herself to leave the bed, walking toward the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. Most days, everything would already be ready for Katrina and all she needed to do was step in, but it seemed as if no one had come into her room at all that morning. Though, she didn't mind as she turned the bath on and watched the porcelain tub fill with hot water. Katrina poured in some soap, watching the bubbles start to build up. She sat on the edge, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair. Her hair had been washed last night, but it seemed that her sleep had knotted it up.

Once the bath had filled, Katrina had gotten in and allowed the heat from the water to soak into her skin. A soft sigh left her lips as she leaned her head against the bath. With her eyes closed, Katrina tried to relax as she hummed a quiet tune to herself. Despite her humming, the room became uncomfortably quiet. She could no longer hear the waves outside her window or the dripping of the faucet. A frown appeared on her lips, causing her to open her eyes as she looked around the room. She shivered, despite the warmth of the water.

A small pressure made itself known on the back of her neck, making Katrina frown as she rubbed the tender spot. Before she could make sense of the feeling, she felt herself being pushed into the water. It caused a scream to leave her lips as she clawed at the intruder, unable to tell who it was. But, it only caused the intruder to push down ━━ keeping her head underneath the water as she struggled.

"Help!" She managed to scream for the briefest moment she had emerged, hoping the guards would hear her cry. But, she was quickly pushed back into the water.

Her chest began to burn, making her panic as she tried to pull herself out. Finally, the pressure disappeared and Katrina pulled herself out of the tub as she grabbed her towel. With deep breaths, she looked around the room to see it empty. "I..." Katrina drifted off, taking in a sharp breath. "It's the stress. It's just the stress."

She took in deep breaths, being grateful for the air that filled her lungs. Deep down, she knew it hadn't been stress that had caused her to almost drown. It felt like someone had their hands on her, keeping her down with viced vendetta. But, the room was empty and Katrina was the only one there.

The knock at her door made Katrina flinch, turning her head to see Alis walking inside. It took Alis one look at Katrina's trembling form. Immediately, she sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Katrina said, shaking her head. She leaned against the counter, trying to regain her balance. "I just slipped out of the bath."

"You slipped?" Alis asked, letting out a small laugh at the blatant lie. She placed a hand on her hip. "I'm gone for two days and you've forgotten how to bathe?"

Katrina sheepishly shrugged, feeling her skin burn. "I suppose so."

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt your alone time," Alis teased, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't mind since it's you," Katrina smiled, staring at the woman she considered her best friend. Despite Alis being hired as a bodyguard for her, the older woman was the only friend she had ever had. "How are you, Alis? It feels like it's been so long."

"You're so used to having me at your side," Alis chuckled. "But to answer your question, I have been good. Spent quite a bit of time with Tia, the woman your parents hired to plan the wedding."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she puts me to work," Alis rolled her eyes, letting out a scoff. "I hope she realizes soon that I'm not an actual handmaiden."

"Yes, yes, my sweet Alis," Katrina smiled, moving past her to get into the bedroom where she had a dress laid out for her. It had been picked by her mother the night before and she didn't have the energy to find anything else to wear. She looked back at Alis, noticing the pout upon her features. "We know you're an elite warrior. All you have to do is tell this Tia to do it herself."

"I would... but I have to admit that Tia is quite attractive," Alis confessed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh, so it's like that," Katrina smiled, slipping into her dress as Alis kept her gaze somewhere else. The dress wasn't anything extravagant, but it had delicate jewels lined against the bodice that sparkled as the sunlight hit it. "Are you planning to court her?"

"Perhaps?" Alis hummed, taking a glance in Katrina's direction. "Though, I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with her for the night."

Katrina chuckled. "As long as it makes you happy."

"I did have Thor's help with talking to Tia," Alis said, watching as Katrina ran a brush through her wet hair. "He helped me not make a fool out of myself. He sure does have a way with women."

"Thor's here?" Katrina asked absentmindedly, setting the brush down on the vanity table.

Alis nodded. "Yes, he's been here since this morning."

"Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"Thor told us to let you sleep," she shrugged. Katrina found it ironic since she had spent most of the night tossing and turning. "He's sweet. I can tell that he already cares about you."

Katrina gave her a half-smile. "He is... but, I want to hear more about Tia."

"Why don't you meet her?" Alis suggested, gesturing for Katrina to follow. "She should be downstairs with Thor and it would probably be best if you spoke to your wedding planner."

"Yes, you're right. I can't stay hidden in my room all day," Katrina sighed, following close behind Alis. Though, she was curious to see the woman who had caught Alis' attention. In all the time she had known Alis, the woman had only two lovers and her last one had been over four hundred years ago.

The palace was in a state of mayhem. The staff rushed to meet the deadlines that Tia had set out for them, considering the wedding was only three days away. In just one night, the palace was unrecognizable to Katrina. She wondered what the final product would look like.

"Excuse me, Matilda," Alis stopped an older blonde woman in her tracks, giving her a warm smile.

Matilda bowed, paying her respects. "Lady Alis, Princess Katrina," she greeted, returning the smile. "How can I help?"

"Have you seen either Thor or Tia?" Alis asked.

Matilda nodded. "Yes, they headed out to the gardens. They wanted to see if the grounds would be good to hold the ceremony."

"Alright, thank you, Matilda," Alis said, nodding her head before dismissing her to leave. All the maids followed what Alis had to say, knowing that her word was just as powerful as Katrina's.

The two headed out toward the gardens, commenting how nice the day was. They noticed Thor and Tia admiring the horizon in the distance, watching as the rays of orange reflected off the shimmering blue waters. But, the two seemed to be in a deep discussion and the two women found themselves hiding behind a pillar.

"It's strange how such a long war has been brought to a halt with a simple marriage," Tia mused, tapping her fingers against the marble banister that prevented a person's drop over the cliffside. Thor stood beside the woman, looking down at her with a confused expression. Alis and Katrina watched quietly. "And, how it was Asgard's idea in the first place when they were so close to winning."

"I suppose my father had a change of plans," Thor said, shrugging his shoulders. It seemed as if politics weren't his strong suit. She knew that Thor was familiar with Hela and her insatiable need to rule, but other than that, he had been happiest to go on adventures with his friends.

"The Allfather had a change of plans," Tia let out a dry chuckle, sharpening her gaze in Thor's direction. Katrina listened carefully, hearing the venom that dripped from the woman's words. "The same man who sent troops after troops into our home and killed our people suddenly had a change of heart."

"Do not speak ill of my father," Thor warned, narrowing his gaze as he realized where Tia's harsh words were coming from. Katrina and Alis shared a look, knowing that Tia had a right to be angry. The wounds that Asgard had left were deep and not all were healed. "You will not understand what Asgard has gone through. It has changed. My father has changed."

"People don't change. All you Asgardians are the same," Tia spat out, taking a step back as her nose wrinkled in disgust. She shook her head, walking off.

It was clear that Katrina and Alis had missed much of their conversation, but it was clear to them what had occurred. There had been murmurs throughout the palace about the marriage and how it wouldn't fix the scars that the War had caused. It was worse in further parts of Meridian as people rioted and continued to protest. Katrina sighed, watching as Thor turned his attention back to the sea.

Alis cleared her throat quietly, smiling awkwardly at Katrina as she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you've met Tia."

Katrina shrugged, looking in the direction that Tia had disappeared. She wanted to speak to Tia alone, wanting to know her thoughts on the alliance. It was important for leaders to listen to the words of their people since their decisions affected them the most. So, Katrina followed behind the woman.

♡

MY ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE WAS ABOUT HOW I WAS GOING TO GO SEE THOR: RAGNAROK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEATERS and oh my gosh, time passes by so fast. I still can't believe it has taken me so long to rewrite this book, too. I want to get it out of the way and have it finished tbh! I still adore this book since it holds a special place in my heart, but it feels mediocre. Maybe, it is because I keep looking at my writing from years ago and that makes me cringe. Even rewriting this chapter, I left most of it alone because I couldn't go back and fix what needed to be fixed. I just wanted to move on.

But, I did change all the dialogue with Tia from the original because I did not like the direction it had gone in. I like this version better, even if I am not the happiest with it. But, I hope I get more excited about writing future chapters because this one was not it. But, I am glad that I made it past.

━━ AMARA
[ original PUBLISH DATE  ━━ 11.05.2017 ]
[ rewrite PUBLISH DATE  ━━ 01.18.2022 ]