Chapter Six
Olivia

I'm more than grateful when the wedding planning gets finished for the day. It's well after dinner by the time we finish, and usually I would just head up to Zy's room, but instead I find myself in my bedroom at home, sitting on my bed, with my head in my hands, feeling overwhelmingly sad. I shouldn't feel this way. I should feel happy, overjoyed, and for the most part I do. I'm getting married to Zy soon, I'm gonna live with him full time, I'm gonna be queen. All of these are things to be excited about...but then I think about moving out of the house, packing up all my belongings, no longer calling this place home, and I feel that sadness creep back in.

I don't know how long I've sat here alone in the dark, running through my conflicting emotions, but I know it's late when my light switch flips on. I know it's Zy standing in the doorway without having to look up. A second later I feel his hands rubbing my arms, his breath dancing across my hands, which still cover my face. He's kneeling in front of me, his face incredibly close to mine. When I finally pull my hands away and look at him, I find fear in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asks lowly.

"I'm not sure." I answer honestly.

"If you're having second thoughts, I completely understand. We can call the wedding off, wait longer to make things official..." Zy trails off, and understanding now floods through me. That's why there's fear in his eyes, he's afraid I'm getting cold feet, that I don't want to marry him anymore. For most of his life, Zy has struggled with his insecurities, mostly about being king and living up to Uncle T'Challa. After he died, those insecurities seemed to have faded away, but I guess some lingered. I never thought he would ever feel insecure about me, about us. He has no reason to be.

I place my hands on his shoulders and pull him closer, spreading my legs so now they rest on either side his hips. His hands fall down to my waist, and instinctively, he pulls me closer to him just like I did a moment earlier, so now there's no distance between our bodies. Before he can say anything else, I lean forward and kiss him full on the mouth, and while Zy is more than willing to respond with kissing me back, he's still tense. When it's clear he won't fully commit to the kiss, I pull back from him, seeing the spiral happening in his brain, the worrying.

"Never, for one second, believe I would ever have second thoughts about marrying you. I love you. Only you. Deeply, completely. Never doubt that."

Zy visibly relaxes, and instead of saying anything, he answers with another kiss, and this time he isn't tense at all, and he doesn't hold back. For several minutes he and I are clutching at each other, becoming a tangle of limbs, lips, and panted breaths. Somehow we end up on my bed, with my legs still on either side of his hips, but now I'm above him, his hands snaking under my faded red and black flannel shirt. Just as I begin tugging off Zy's stylish black jacket, he stops me, his expression clouded, like he's coming out of a high.

"Please tell me what's really bothering you," He pleads, his voice sounding deeper than usual. It makes me blush. "I want to help make it go away."

I kiss his lips gently before rolling off of him, my body now curled up against his side. Zy slips his arm under my waist and begins trailing his fingers up and down the bare skin showing underneath my shirt. The contact sends shivers down my body.

"I'm nervous about becoming queen, but not as much as I thought I would be. Your mom really made me feel better. She just said that juggling being queen and continuing to be a doctor will be a bit hard at first, mostly because people will treat me differently. She assured me I only have to be queenly when there's special occasions and important meetings."

Zy nods, leaning over to cup my face with his free hand. "I would never get in the way of you being a doctor. It's what you were meant to do. I'll handle everything else."

I place a kiss on his chest then rest my head against that spot, right above his heart. "I'm also a little nervous about the ceremony, mostly about forgetting the words I'm supposed to say. But the thing that's really bothering me is moving out of the house. I know that sounds stupid. I'll literally see my family and come here all the time, and I have barely slept here since we got together...but it still makes me sad."

"That's not stupid at all. This is your home, it's only natural that you'd feel upset about moving out," Zy assures me. "You'll be able to have all of your things at the palace, I've arranged for us to be moved to a new room, a bigger one."

I didn't know that. "When did you decide that?"

"A little while ago. I just thought it would make you feel more comfortable. In the new room you'll be able to bring your bookcase, your desk, all your medical equipment. You could even bring your dressers if you'd like, though I think the dressers and closets there will be enough room. I made sure I got big ones, that way all my clothes and all your flannel will fit." He says with a chuckle.

I chuckle along with him, deeply touched he would do all this for me, though not surprised. There's nothing Zy wouldn't do for someone he loves. He continues on: "We could go shopping and get more things to decorate the room if you'd like. We could paint it, buy some nice rugs, put pictures up. Anything you'd like. I know it won't feel like home like this house does, but I want it to be comfortable for you. I want you to be happy there."

"It will be home," I assure him, nuzzling against him. "Any place with you is home."

Zy lifts his head up enough to kiss the top of my head, holding onto me even tighter. For a long while we're silent, Zy continuing to trail his fingers across my skin, his heartbeat under my ear more calming and beautiful than any other sound. I could stay here forever like this: in his arms, in the house he and I both grew up in, the one we fell in love in. It could be our own mini eternity.

I know he can't though. Zy has a kingdom to run. "If you have any free time tomorrow could you help me start packing?" I whisper against his chest.

I feel him nod, and when I look up at him, he's smiling down at me, but it's melancholic. "I remember helping you pack when you were moving to New York. I tried so hard to hide how devastated I was. I could tell you were excited, and I didn't want to ruin that for you."

The same bittersweet smile crosses my lips. "I was excited, but every time I thought of leaving you, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was so overwhelmed with sadness and back then I didn't understand why. All the signs were there, the blushing, the heart flutters, the constant pain when I wasn't around you. I just refused to see it. It took me so long to stop being so stubborn."

"It's been a long road to get here," Zy agrees, his voice softening, melting me from the inside out. "But I wouldn't change any of it. Our stubbornness, you moving away, my past relationships, our fears, our insecurities, our pain, all of it has made our love strengthen."

Zy sits himself up a little more, allowing him to see my face fully, to cup my jaw and rest his head against mine. His thumb brushes over my lips, and as he begins speaking again, his voice drops to a whisper. "I know the next couple weeks, months maybe, will be difficult. Becoming queen is no easy task, especially since you'll be continuing your work as a doctor. But I want you to know I'll be by your side, be there to support and comfort you throughout this trial and every other. I will always be there for you, always."

I lean forward and gently brush my lips against his, but only for a second. I pull away only enough for me to speak, our lips barely touching. "I love you." It's the only thing to say, the only thing that matters.

"And I, you." He whispers, a grin forming as fast as it fades, and then his lips reconnect with mine.

-

Steve

Alfheim is gorgeous. I feel like I'm walking through Rivendell in Lord of the Rings. The entire planet is covered in lush green forests, crystal clear rivers and waterfalls, and mountains so beautiful I wouldn't be able to capture them in a painting if I tried. Built into these mountains are cities made of the purest white marble I've ever seen, it makes the cities glow in the sun's light. The buildings, particularly the castle, have vines and wild life growing on their walls, but instead of making them look abandoned and old, it makes them look full of life. As we step off the ship and make our way into the city Thor directed us to, I find myself breathless in the face of so much beauty. Even the people, the Light Elves, are all gorgeous. They all have different colored skin, different heights, different ages, and yet they all have the same glow the city does, like the gods above are shining light onto them.

I tap on my Kimoyo Beads and begin recording the city as we walk through it, needing to capture every detail I can. When I get a curiously upraised brow from Lee, I explain: "I have to try to paint this place and my memory won't do the painting justice."

"Make sure you include the forests in your painting," Lee says, sounding as awestruck and breathless as I do. "They're so incredible, all of the wildlife here is."

"I bet your powers are going ballistic right now." I comment as I zoom in the video footage on a Light Elf woman playing a harp.

Lee nods, visibly antsy. "There's something...pure about this place. Pollution has messed up our world so much, but not here. The sunlight, the grass, the trees, everything is so clean and untouched. I wonder if my powers would be stronger here without so much interference like back home."

"I bet it would be. I think you should try it out."

Lee tries to hide his excitement by clearing his throat and nodding towards the castle a few feet away. "After we talk to the queen."

Dad and Uncle Alex agreed to stay behind and let us take control of the mission. I was a little nervous at first about going on our own, but now I'm just sorry they have to miss out on all of this. Hopefully Alfheim allies with Earth and then we can come back here, this time with the whole family. This would be the perfect vacation spot.

Two elven guards stand near the entrance, giving us stern looks as we stop in front of them. One of them, a tall elven man with black skin and flowing black hair asks: "What is your business here?"

God, even their voices sound like warm honey. "We're here to speak to the queen." I say, sounding a little meek.

"We are members of the Avengers," Liam adds. "We come on behalf of the council of Earthen leaders to speak about an alliance with her highness."

The guards step aside and open the doors for us, allowing us to enter. Once we're inside, I wiggle my brow and murmur to Lee: "Look at you being all professional and authoritative."

He bashfully shrugs. "It was nothing."

"It was sexy."

He doesn't respond with words, only with a lingering kiss on my cheek. We walk down a long hallway, which is covered in vines and flowers like the outside walls. Even the door has a swirl of vines attached to it in a decorative pattern. Lee sees this door as an opportunity to use his powers a little bit. He extends his hand out and moves the vines downwards, wrapping them around the handle, swinging them open. What we see beyond the doors steals our breath away.

It's a throne room, made of the same marble everything else is, but the closer you get to the throne, the less marble you see and the more grass appears. The throne itself is made entirely out of vines and flowers, and it sits on a patch of green grass with identical flowers growing all around it. Behind the throne is a tree, and I know without having to ask that this tree is meant to represent Yggdrasil, the tree of life. I learned about it in school. The tree is even more beautiful than the ones in the forests. It's branches and leaves extend the length of the room and reach up to the ceiling, which is made entirely of glass, but not regular glass. Something about it makes the light that comes through it shimmer, which makes the flowers and the leaves sparkle like they're crystals.

Sitting on the throne is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her skin is a smooth olive, her hair obsidian, her eyes the color of the sky when the sun has just set. She's wearing a long blue dress that drapes across the floor, it falls down her body and the throne like it's made of water. Her hair is the same, the long curls fall past her waist as flowingly as the dress. The crown on her head might actually be made of sunlight, I don't even know how to describe it. And just like her people, she has a shimmer, a glow to her skin, like she is filled with the sun's light. I quickly take a picture of her with my Kimoyo Beads, hoping she didn't notice. There's no way I can't paint her too.

"I am Verena, queen of the Light Elves. What is your business here, humans?"

Lee and I glance at each other and then back to her, still reeling from the beauty of her and the room. We both get down onto one knee and bow our heads, with Lee grabbing my beads for the recorded message from Naomi while I explain:

"My name is Steven Barnes, this is Liam Knight. We're apart of the Avengers. We're here to present a message to you, your majesty."

Queen Verena nods, gesturing for us to continue. Lee hits one of the beads and Naomi's image pops up, her voice is clear and humble as she says: "Hello your majesty. My name is Naomi Jackson, I am the ambassador to Earth. I was tasked with making the Nine Realms apart of the alliance Earth has been trying to build. If you agree to sign the Treaty of Unity, Earth will do everything in it's power to protect your people without taking away your independence. Alfheim can operate as it always has, but instead of facing trials alone, you will have us and the others to depend on. Legends are told of the Light Elves strength and courage, but no one can do everything alone. Songs are sung about the light your people bring into the lives of everyone they meet, and now that light is needed now more than ever. Earth has made mistakes in the past, bonds have been destroyed, trust has been broken. But we cannot change the past, all we can do is look to the future, and we want to build that future with Alfheim by our side. I plead you, your majesty, join us, help us reunite the bonds that once connected the Nine Realms, for the sake of your people and for the sake of mine."

Naomi's face fades away, and I'm once again left in awe of her talents with persuasion and public speaking. I could barely get passed the spelling bee in high school.

Queen Verena ponders the message for a moment before standing up. She glides across the floor towards us like a feather in the wind and motions with her hands for us to rise. We do as she asks, and when we lift are heads, I see that her eyes are an even deeper shade of blue than I thought. I would have to mix so many different kinds of blues and purples to get that exact color. I don't even think I'd get it right after that, but damnit I'm gonna try when we get home.

"The Light Elves are the protectors of life. For so long, we have witnessed the violence and destruction your world and the other worlds across the universe have caused. If we were to ally with you, could you truly guarantee we would not subject ourselves to the chaos you have created and perpetuated?"

"Earth has made a lot of mistakes, but we are actively trying to make up for them," Lee answers, using the same authoritative and confident tone he used with the guards. "I follow a religion that values all life, so believe me when I say that our intentions and goals are pure. I would not be here if they weren't. I truly believe that an alliance would be beneficial for your people and for the rest of the Nine Realms."

For some reason, his words seem to have struck her deeper than Naomi's. I don't think that's ever happened before. Queen Verena studies Lee for a second, her eyes twinkling with curiosity and wonder. "The Light Elves were made from the sun's energy, we are it's children. That is why our planet is so teaming with life, why we fight so hard to protect it. I sense you are a creature like us, young human."

Lee nods, looking a little startled at the direction of this conversation. "I am one of the enhanced humans. I was forcibly experimented on by scientists in a secret government conspiracy. Their experiments gave me the power to manipulate wildlife using light energy."

The queen's eyes light up in delight. "Will you demonstrate?"

Lee doesn't need to be asked a second time. He gets back down onto his knees, shutting his eyes as he places both hands on the grass covered marble. The grass stretches a few inches taller, then more flowers sprout, transitioning from bud into full bloom right before our eyes. The vines that make up the throne grow longer, as do the branches of the large tree behind it. A small smile appears on Lee's lips as he manipulates the vines to travel up the trunk of the tree, coiling around it like a snake. I've always thought Lee's powers were beautiful, but they're even more so here, where his abilities can thrive. I swear as I stare down at him there's a faint glow on his skin, just like the queen, just like the other Light Elves we've seen. I rub my eyes a couple times to double check that I'm seeing what I'm seeing, and I am. My boyfriend is glowing.

Lee finally opens his eyes, the glow dimming, his chest heaving as he takes several deep breaths. The look on his face is euphoric, like he's drunk from the power he just felt. I think he might be.

"Interesting." The queen muses.

"Huh." I mutter.

Lee shakes his head, still a little breathless. "I've never felt like that before...I can't even describe it. Whenever I've used my powers in the past, it felt like I could tap into plants, but only enough to control them. This-this felt like I became them, like I was growing and moving. I could feel them, feel their energy, the life in them."

Queen Verena stares down at Liam like he's a newly discovered diamond. "The original Light Elves could manipulate wildlife just as I saw you did. They felt a strong connection to them, a kinship. They loved them so much they let them live in the cities alongside them as equals, that is why you will find vines, trees, and flowers in every building on Alfheim. Very few of the ancient Light Elves live, one who does is named Eira. She moved to Asgard to be with the woman she loved and was lucky enough to survive Thanos's attacks. Last I heard, she lives on Earth with her in the new Asgardian settlement. If I were to guess, I would say that the scientists who experimented on you got their hands on Eira's blood."

Lee looks beyond the ability to speak, so I speak for him. "So you think Liam has blood of a Light Elf in him? That's what gave him his powers?"

Queen Verena nods, smiling down at Lee. She bends down enough to place her fingers under his chin, an almost maternal gesture. "You are the son of humans, but you are also the son of Light Elves. I trust the word of any Light Elf, no matter how little of our blood flows through your veins. If you say that allying with Earth is the right decision, then I believe you."

"So-so you'll sign the treaty?" Lee asks, practically shaking. I don't know whether that's from the shock of learning all this or from the aftereffects of feeling such a rush of power.

"I will, on one condition."

"Name it." I reply.

"When Alfheim is in need of the Avengers it is you we work with." She's talking to Lee, and without hesitation he nods his head.

"Of course, your majesty. I'd be honored to help you whenever you need it."

Her smile widens. "I look forward to our alliance, Liam Knight."

-

Alex

It's times like this that I really, desperately, want to have my real eye back. Bucky and I are sitting on the ramp of the ship while the boys talk to the queen. We parked the ship at the edge of the city, giving us a perfect view of all the buildings, the castle, the mountains, and the never ending forest. It's breathtaking. There's no other word for it. It's straight out of Lord of the Rings. Out of my right eye, I can everything in such fine detail, but out of my left, it looks like I'm just looking at a picture of it instead of the real deal. It looks fake. Everything out of my left eye and ear looks and sounds fake.

"We could talk to Shuri," Bucky suggests all of the sudden. He's clearly been watching me as I have my internal pity party. "We could see if there's some new advancements she could make to the eye."

I shake my head, tearing my gaze away from the dazzling city to look at my brother in law. "It's no use, Buck. It will never be the same again, no matter how many updates Shuri makes to either device. This is just my life now."

"It was hard for Stevie to adjust to his new leg and to shifting, but I think he got the hang of it quicker because he's still so young. You've had your powers for decades. I think it will take more than eighteen months for you to get used to this."

"I hope you're right."

"And maybe it would be easier for you to acclimate if you learned not to rely on your hearing and sight as much."

I feel my eyebrows crease in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You keep telling yourself that your senses are all messed up, but that's not true. You can still sense chemicals and pheromones. In a fight, that could be just as useful as hearing someone sneak up on you or seeing an attack coming from far away. When Stevie lost his leg, he kept trying to overcompensate and make up for his missing limb, but Soroya taught him to work with what he has and use that to his best advantage. I think you should do the same. I'm sure Soroya would help you train like she did with Stevie."

I consider his suggestion for a moment before smiling at him, thinking that he may be onto something. "Thank you, Buck." And I mean it.

He nods like it's no big deal. "Anytime."

"I know I don't say this often," I begin, trying to use my sincerest tone so he knows I'm not being sarcastic when I say: "But I love you, and I really appreciate all you do for me."

Bucky gives me a strange look. "It's odd to hear you be nice to me."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

Bucky grins, clasping my shoulder with his hand, squeezing it gently. "I love you, too."

Maybe a minute or two later, Stevie and Lee appear, and trailing behind them is probably the three most gorgeous people I've ever seen. Two are men in guards uniforms and the other is a woman in a long blue dress with a shining crown.

"I take it your mission was successful." I direct this to the boys, but I keep my eyes on the queen, unable to stop staring even though I know it must be creepy. Out of the corner of my eye I see Bucky staring too, so I feel less bad.

"Queen Verena has agreed to sign the treaty and come with us back to Vanaheim to help convince the others to join." Lee informs us, looking a little off.

I'm about to ask why he looks like he might throw up or pass out, but then Stevie says: "Lee has Light Elf blood in him."

Bucky and I look at each other then to Stevie. I say with a shake of my head: "You're gonna have to explain that one to me."

"It can wait till we're on the ship. We should get back to Vanaheim as soon as possible," Lee insists, then he turns to the queen, and uses his hand to gesture to us. "This is James Barnes and Alex Roberts-Chikere, Steve's father and uncle. They are Avengers as well."

Queen Verena nods her head to each of us. "A pleasure to meet you."

Bucky blinks a couple times before coming to his senses, bowing his head to her. "The pleasure is ours, your majesty."

I do the same, though Bucky bows a little more gracefully than I do. The queen doesn't seem to mind, she just wraps an arm around Lee's and steps onto the ship, her guards trailing behind her. Stevie shakes his head to himself as he follows after them, mumbling to himself: "I can't wait to paint her when I get home."

With only Bucky and I left standing on the ramp, I say to him: "Was my hearing aid malfunctioning or is your foster son part elf?"

Bucky sighs, glancing over his shoulder at everyone settling in their seats. "After all these years, I've learned it's best not to focus too hard on the weird things that happen in my life."

"Yeah. Probably best."