ARRIVING IN ASGARD'S OBSERVATORY, THE GROUP WATCHED AS ODIN RIPPED HEIMDALL'S SWORD FROM THE CONTROL PANEL AND THREW IT TOWARDS HIM. Astrid saw Heimdall leave the observatory as soon as he caught the sword, anticipating Odin to argue with Thor. She didn't blame him. Rather, she envied him. She knew she'd get an earful from Ymir too so couldn't escape as easily.

"Why did you bring us back?" Thor questioned, anger mixed with betrayal and confusion lacing his tone.

Odin turned to his oldest son, fury flashing in his blue eyes. "Do you realise what you've done? What you've started?!" The Allfather barked.

Astrid cringed at his tone, praying that her father wouldn't be so demeaning to her. She turned to her guards who looked equally as uncomfortable. Locking eyes with their queen, they silently begged her to send them home, not wishing to be caught in the crossfire between the two gods. As quietly as she could, she conjured a portal leading to the Infinia's throne room. There she caught sight of her lady-in-waiting, Zithara, sitting upon her throne. Her creamy white gown flowed down to her feet, complimenting her warm, bronzed skin and dark eyes. Zithara waved at Astrid through the portal with a smile, before tilting her head as she watched the Hod Twins walk through the opening, but not Astrid. The blonde goddess mouthed, 'I'll tell you later,' with a smile and a thumbs up. Zithara nodded, returning the thumbs up. Astrid closed the portal and was met with an emptier observatory. The Warriors Three and Lasy Sif had left, leaving just the gods to watch Odin and Thor continue their fight.

"You're a selfish, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin belittled the blond god.

"And you're an old man and a fool!" Thor yelled back.

Astrid's eyes widened at Thor's outburst. Time seemed to stand still as space absorbed his words and ricochet them back to Odin. The blonde goddess looked towards her father, who shared a similar expression to her own. She then spotted Loki a few steps from her with a look that perfectly resembled her own. The two locked eyes, a shared terror mixing in their blue eyes.

Odin fell silent and it added to the unnerving tension that settled between the father and son. "A fool, yes. I was a fool to think you were ready!l Loki decided that this was the perfect moment to intervene, but anyone watching could tell how wrong he was. As he moved forward, he called to his father, but in response, Odin roared, causing the raven-haired god to retreat. "Thor Odinson. You have disobeyed the express command of your King, through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful Realms and innocent lives to the horrors of war," Odin plunges his sword into the control panel and turns the turret. The Bifrost opens behind Thor, creating the familiar blinding light interlaced with faint and flashing rainbows. "You are unworthy of this Realm. Unworthy of your title. Unworthy of the loved ones you've betrayed. I hereby take from you your powers," The Allfather announced as he ripped the discs from Thor's armour. He extends a hand out, Thor's hammer flying from his grasp and landing in Odin's. "I'm the name of my father, and of his father before..." he speaks as he points the hammer to his son, a sliver of lightning extending from the head and landing in the centre of Thor's chest, disintegrating his armour into nothing. "I cast you out!"

Thor is hurled back towards the open Bifrost after a deafening crack is thunder sounded from it. Odin then hurled the hammer into the portal after his son, bitterly. Odin stormed away after the portal closed, without looking at Loki, Astrid or Ymir.

Astrid turned to her father. "I won't meet the same fate as Thor, will I?" She asked.

Ymir chuckled. "Of course not. You are a leader of your own land. I thank you for protecting my honour, daughter. Your mother will be proud when I tell her of your battle," Astrid smiled, grateful. "And your brothers will be envious," he added with a chuckle, enticing a laugh to ripple from his daughter too. "Don't get yourself killed, is all. You know your mother wouldn't let you live it down, even if you're dead."

After another chuckle, Astrid hugged her father. "I'll look after myself, I promise."

"Good. If I don't see you before, I'll see you in a few days when you come to visit Odysseus," With one final embrace, Ymir created a portal that led to Alfheim and was out of sight. Astrid believed to be alone and was about to leave for Infinia until she spotted Loki, looking out of the observatory, watching his father approach the palace.

"Loki, you're still here," she spoke, causing him to jump at her voice, not expecting her to address him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, watching her approach him and stand beside him. "Is he usually so... cruel to you and Thor?"

"He's always taken a liking to Thor, so for him to banish him is rather extreme," Loki spoke. The blonde turned to look at him, her gaze flickered between his face before falling to his exposed forearm, remembering what she witnessed on the battlefield. Loki noticed her gaze. "You saw, didn't you?" Astrid nodded, not needing him to elaborate further. "I was raised to believe that the touch of a Frost Giant would scorch another species' skin. Do you know what it means?"

Astrid was not sure what to say. She was rightfully perplexed by his arm and also wanted to give him answers that she, unfortunately, could not answer. "I do not. But I'm certain you'll discover the answers you seek soon," she soothed.

Loki smiled wearily. A part of him was concerned, another part relieved. "Thank you, Astrid."

"No problem, Loki."

Loki's eyes twinkled as he looked at the blonde goddess. "Would you perhaps visit Asgard again, Your Majesty? I'm sure the people would be delighted to see you, as well as my mother. If I recall correctly, she once told me and my brother that it had been centuries since she had met with any of the Ymirs."

Astrid cast her gaze behind him to see look to the Asgardian horizon. It was bright and beautiful, it was different to the golden-yellow hue that washed over Infinia. Plus she rarely left her kingdom so the answer seemed easy enough.

"I'd be honoured, Your Highness," Astrid smiled as the sun of Asgard began to set. "When would you like me?"

"Whenever you'd prefer, Astrid," the mischievous god grinned, happy that she agreed. "Would you prefer a grand arrival? If so, I'd have to make arrange-"

"Oh dear, no, no, no, no thank you," Astrid chuckled. "I'd prefer something private. I hate the attention," she whispered.

· 　⠀⠀✧. *　　 * ⋆ 　 .
· 　　 ⋆ 　　　 ˚ ˚

IT WAS NEARING THE DEAD OF NIGHT WHEN ASTRID MADE HER WAY BACK TO HER KINGDOM. She made her way to her chambers after dismissing her guards so they could sleep, trusting the night guards to protect her kingdom while she was asleep. Zithara followed after her to aid her queen with changing from her armour to her nightgown.

"So?" Zithara asked as she stripped Astrid from her clunky armour.

"So?" Astrid repeated her question with a head tilt and furrowed brow. Now bare before her best friend, Zithara turned to grab a cream-coloured, silk nightgown. She bunched up the material until the hem was scrunched up to the neckline. She hovered it over Astrid's head and extended her arms. The material pooled down the blonde's body until the hem landed a few inches above her knees and the sleeve-fitting snuggly at the elbow.

"How was the fight?" Zithara asked intrigued, guiding her friend over to the vanity desk and sitting her down in front of the mirror. The light-skinned woman grabbed Astrid's favourite hairbrush - a vintage-style paddle brush, with a decorative back and boar bristles. Grasping the handle, she began to gently run the meeting through Astrid's blonde locks.

Astrid smiled. She knew Zithara loved a good fight story. She was an excellent fighter, her speciality being martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.

"Nothing special, unfortunately," Astrid chose to lie. If she went to full details about the secrets and drama that were laid before her nose, she knew that Zithara would get upset that missed the fun. "I did get to finally meet the Odinson brothers."

Zithara stopped brushing the blonde locks in front of her and locked eyes with her leader through the mirror. "As in Thor and Loki?" Astrid nodded. "What are they like?" She implored, desperate for details.

Astrid smiled. "They are an interesting duo. The eldest doesn't have any respect for others, and the youngest has too much respect for others. Of course, as you can imagine, it made matters even more difficult."

The light-brown-skinned woman raised her brows. "Oh, really? That is interesting," Zithara commented. "Did you talk to either much?"

"I spoke to Thor in a rather demeaning way. I feel rather guilty thinking back on it," she spoke. It was true, especially after watching his own father cast him out. "But he didn't seem to take it to heart. I spoke to Loki too, he complimented my powers and leadership," Astrid grinned, smugly sitting up straight.

Zithara chuckled, her laugh died down but her grin didn't fade. "He complimented you? And how do you feel about being admired by another god, Your Majesty?" Her tone teased, urging Astrid to dish her feelings to her.

Though the blonde wasn't easily swayed or manipulated. She let out a laugh, spinning around on her stool to look up at Zithara. "He was simply complimenting me. Nothing more, nothing less," Zithara narrowed her eyes down at her friend, knowing there was something else under Astrid's words, begging to burst out. "Fine, he was... pleasant."

"Just pleasant?" Zithara asked with a shit-eating grin.

With a groan, Astrid stood up and brushed past a smirking Zithara, jumping on her bed, and landing face-first into her cushions. "I don't know, Thara. You know I've never had any love in my life. I don't know what the difference between a simple comment and flirting is! Do you think he was flirting?" Her voice was muffled as she suffocated herself with her pillows.

Zithara chuckled, perching herself on the edge of the queen-sized bed. "I wouldn't blame him if he was flirting with you. You are stunning, Astrid. It seems the entire galaxy knows that but you."

Astrid rolled onto her back to look down at Zithara. "Thank you, but I don't want the entire galaxy to think that of me. I don't even want one person to think of me like that. If they focus on the outside, they won't care for what's on the inside."

Zithara nodded. "Understandable," she nodded. "But from what you've told me, it sounds like Loki doesn't care for your outside. He did compliment your skills and power. Not your appearance."

Astrid sat up, her once neatly brushed hair now a mess from her rolling around and jumping. "I don't know how to feel about that either," she groaned after a minute of contemplation, believing herself to be unfit to be loved or to love another. She flopped back down into her cushions, staring up at the white ceiling in despair.

The handmaiden chuckled. Her hand rested on Astrid's knee, her palm rubbing up and down the smooth skin that lay there. "I understand, Astrid. I remember when I thought I met the love of my life a few years ago. Turns out he was only a lowlife criminal, and when he got what he wanted, he left."

Astrid furrowed her brows. "You never told me before. I'm so sorry that happened to you, Thara."

Zithara shrugged it off. "It's alright. But what I'm trying to say is that you'll meet a lot of people in your long life. You might think some are the ones. You might get heartbroken here and there, but it only makes you stronger. Loki may or may not be the one for you. But you'll never know unless you try."

Astrid sighed, knowing that her lady-in-waiting was a fountain of wisdom. "I hate you."

"You love me, and we both know it."