Eira strode through the courtyard, her sandal-clad feet lightly hitting the cobblestone below. The gold-trimmed edge of her purple dress swished across the floor, sending eddies of dust and soil swirling into the air by her feet. Her dark hair, curled intricately, cascaded down her back in dark rippling waves. A silver circlet was placed over her head, nestled in the dark curls.

Exotic flowers in myriads of colors were planted in strategic clumps along the path, completely encircling it in wildlife. She brushed her hand along the velvety leaves of the small flower trees that grew in the courtyard, protecting it from the blinding light of the sun above. There were still a few gaps in rich green leaves that provided the brilliant light some entrance to the courtyard, bathing it in a warm golden glow. The trees arched their branches along the yard, creating a tunnel of branches.

It was through here that Eira walked, her back perfectly straight, and her arms at her sides, one hand clutching a book. Her royalty training was never far from her mind, so she made sure to keep up the appearance of a future queen. Her focus were set on a stone bench placed at the end of the tunnel of trees. When she reached it, she sat down, smoothing her dress at her sides, and opened her book.

Her brown eyes flashed over the pages, quickly absorbing the words. She had been taught to read when she was young, and she used it as a small escape from the royalty training and the spotlight. And yet, she loved her life, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Birds chipped melodically from the branches above, having entered the courtyard through the gaps in the twisting boughs. Eira listened to their beautiful songs, smiling ever so slightly. She continued reading, until her peaceful bliss was interrupted.

"Princess," Ysta called, entering the courtyard. Eira looked up to see her handmaiden hurrying through the path to find her. Ysta had curling brown hair that was fringed with black. Her face had a warm, kind look to it, and her brown eyes were always filled with compassion. For years she had served Eira and her family, and they all depended on her.

The maid, having spotted her, rushed through the path, brushing away foliage as she walked through the arboreal tunnel. "Princess," she murmured, dropping into a curtsy. "Your mother needs you." She rose, and smoothed the edges of her simple black dress.

Eira closed the book. "Ysta, I told you not to curtsy. There's no need for such formality," she spoke to the handmaiden gently. Ysta was timid and shy in nature, and always tried to avoid confrontations by doing whatever was required of her without complaint.

"Yes miss," Ysta replied, bowing her head.

"Now, What was it you had to tell me about my mother?" Eira asked.

"Oh yes," Ysta began walking back towards the entrance, signaling Eira to follow her. "Your mother wishes to see you. She didn't disclose why."

Eira pondered why her mother would ask to see her. Her training was underway, and she hadn't missed a lesson. So what was the reason? She followed Ysta through the iridescent halls. The walls and ceiling were carved from ezidial, an opalescent stone found in Ioyelia's mines. The stone was an opaque white in color, but when light hit it, a myriad of colors burst forth from the stone's milky center. That's what made the palace so beautiful.

Finally, they reached the throne room. Footmen clad in gold and white, the royal family's colors, opened the door for Ysta and Eira. They stepped through, Eira giving a curt nod to the footmen.

As they walked into the throne room, the first thing that caught her eye was her mother, standing, bent over the large banquet table in the corner of the room. She appeared to be studying papers, perhaps documents regarding Ioyelia's future transition of power.

"Your Majesty," Ysta called from beside Eira, her hands folded demurely behind her back. "The Princess is here to see you."

Eira's mother turned. Queen Voria had long, flowing black curls that matched her daughter's and her eyes shine a bright blue. Unfortunately, Eira had inherited her father's much less rare brown eyes, and had often envied her mother's brilliant blue eyes. But that had been a long time ago, and she had long accepted that she was who she was.

Her mother looked absolutely regal in a deep blue dress fringed with gold. An ornate circlet was placed on her head, the gold threads woven together to look like twisting branches.  A teardrop-shaped stone of ezidial was placed in the middle. Eira knew that in a few weeks, that crown would be hers. "Thank you, Ysta, you're dismissed," Voria told the handmaiden.

"Yes, mistress," came the polite reply, and Ysta left the room, leaving Eira with her mother. Voria beckoned Eira toward her with a slight wave of her hand, and the princess followed the gesture. She walked over to the table, and stood next to her mother.

"Helvra," Voria spoke, using the simple term of endearment common in Ioyelia. "I assume that you don't know why I'd sent for you."

Eira shook her head, her black hair shifting with the movement. "Well," she continued. "I have fortunate news. We have long since aspired to create an alliance with one of our neighbors to ensure our protection and prosperity. And we might finally have it." She grabbed her daughter's hands, clasping them in her own. Eira raised her eyes to meet her mother's gaze, before lowering them back to the table.

The documents she had first perceived as regarding the transition of power, she now saw were certificates of betrothal. She read the name on one, Eira, Princess of Ioyelia. And, her breath caught. Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard. "A betrothal?" She whispered. Her mother paused, and glanced down at the table, as if forgetting she had left the papers out.

"Yes," she admitted. "Odin has promised us his first-born son, and we have promised our only daughter." Eira looked at her mother. She felt betrayed, she felt angry, she felt confused. How could her parents not tell her this? But she reminded herself that it was for the good of her planet. With Asgard's protection, they would never have to live in fear. And she felt that she could be happy with Thor. Odin's son used to be arrogant and proud, but she now knew that he had changed. He was a good person, and she felt that she could grow to love him.

But a small voice in the back of her mind spoke up. How could she love Thor? How could she love a man she barely knew? Especially with what she felt. In the deep, dark, corners of her heart, pushed back into the last reaches of the dark space, lay a single idea. A feeling. She had felt it as a child, and, unaware of what it was, pushed it back. But it had resurfaced later in her life.

Herla Dellia. A girl in Eira's school, one who just so happened to sit in front of her, allowing for Eira's eyes to wander in the middle of a lesson, glancing quickly at Herla's glossy black curls, imagining what it would feel like to touch a strand of the silky hair. But she was afraid of what she felt. And she knew that it would interfere, so she pushed it back, deep, into the corners of her mind where her demons hide, and where the light doesn't penetrate the shadows.

And now, the feeling surfaced, inching feebly forward into the warm light of clear, pure, possibility. What if?

Eira's every tumultuous thoughts were interrupted by her mother. Voria gently cupped her daughter's cheek, and titled her face so that she was forced to look into her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry to put this on you," She murmured softly. "But it's for our people."

Eira nodded. "I understand, mother." She straightened her back, and lifted her head proudly. "And I won't let you down."

Her mother smiled. "I know you won't, helvra."

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Eira sat in her room, gazing through the window at the view of her home. Ioyelia was a beautiful planet, known for its exquisite waterfalls and lush, tranquil gardens, as well as its rich mineral deposits. No one really came to the planet unless they were looking for a peaceful escape.

She stared at the waterfall past the walls of the palace. Angaeli Vitai. Angel's Tears. It cascaded down from the rocky cliffs above, into a low pool. As a child, Eira and her brothers, Defro and Jacor, would play in the pool, splashing each other, and swimming around until the day was done and they were all weak with exhaustion.

To the right of the waterfall was the city. Constructed out of ezidial and limestone, Ioyelia's main city was a beautiful sight to behold. The houses were square, with blue-tinted windows and flat roofs. Stalls covered in colorful fabric took up the majority of the space in the market, and people dressed in vibrant colors milled around.

It amazed her to think that in as few as five weeks, after the coronation, all of this would be under her control. Eira had always wanted to be queen, even as a child. So when it was decided that her father would soon step down, she vied eagerly for the position. Of course, social stigma had caused her parents to first pick Defro, their firstborn son, as heir to the throne, but over many days of convincing and pleading, her father had announced that Ioyelia would be a planet of inclusion.

And she would be queen.

But she had to work hard to prove it. The public disproved of her; they felt that as a woman she wouldn't be suited to lead them. But she had worked to prove them wrong. She led outreach missions, she helped the poor, and she helped found a homeless shelter. This proved not only to the public that she should be queen, but to her parents, and to herself.

And now, even with the betrothal, Eira was still so ready. She knew that uniting with Asgard would help her people, so she was prepared to do it. Her mother had told her that she would marry Prince Thor a day after the coronation, and that part of the deal was this: she would live in Asgard for a few weeks of each year, to familiarize her in the Asgardian's eyes, and to earn their trust. And Thor would love with her for almost half of the year, as he didn't have to run a country. That was the price of security, and she was prepared to pay it.

A knock at the door roused her from her musings. "Come in," Eira invited, standing up from her perch by the window. Defro peeked his head in through the door. She smiled at the sight of her younger brother, and he walked through the door.

Defro had brown skin, and chocolate brown hair. He had inherited their mother's blue eyes, and had their father's sharp nose. Defro was only a year younger than her at twenty-one, so they had always been close. When he had found out that she was campaigning to be ruler against him, she was worried that it would put a strain on, or even completely destroy their relationship. But in fact, it had done the opposite. Defro was one of her biggest supporters, and he too agreed that she should be queen. His reason was that he was never interested in ruling a kingdom, and that he could do much more for the planet behind the frontlines than sitting on a throne.

"Eira," he greeted, smiling cheerfully. She returned the smile, throwing her arms around him in a short embrace.

"Neuthrol," She murmured, using her nickname for him.

He pulled away, groaning. "You know I hate that nickname."

She shrugged. "It's accurate, isn't it?"

He sighed. "We were eight."

"You were eight," she corrected, accusingly pointing a finger at him. "I was nine, and I still knew better. And it was correct even then. You are a nuisance."

He rolled his eyes in defeat, and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Eira," He said, more seriously. "I have news."

She looked at him, her brown eyes no longer filled with playful amusement, but concern. "What is it?"

"I...I enlisted. In the military. I'm going to be a soldier."

A smile broke across her face. "Why did you say so earlier? You almost had me worried. "That's great!" Eira knew that Defro had wanted this for a very long time, so even with the ever-looming threat of death, she still was happy for him.

"No, Eira, you don't understand. I enlisted in the Asgardian military." He admitted, and sighed, running a hand through his chocolate hair.

Her smile fell. "But, that means that you'll travel throughout the Nine Realms. That means, you'll be gone for months."At least in the Ioyelian military he could be close by, but now, she might not see him for a long while.

He sighed again. "Yeah. Yeah it does."

She shook her head, her black locks whipping across her face. "No. You shouldn't. You can't."

"Eira, I have to do this," He insisted. "I want to protect people, I, I want to inspire them. I want to bring them hope."

She sighed. "You're right," she murmured softly. "It was selfish of me to what you to stay. You're doing the right thing." She came and sat next to him on the bed, and he put his arm around her.

"You know I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to," He whispered. "But the people need help."

She nodded, and stood up. "The we will both help them," she declared. "You'll fight for them, and I'll guide them." Defro stood up next to her, smiling.

"There's my sister."

But soon, she remembered something. "When are you leaving?" She asked tentatively.

He sighed. "In five weeks. After you coronation." He attempted a weak smile. "I have to watch my little sister become queen, after all."

Eira smiled, then frowned, and pointed at him. "I'm older than you." He laughed, the warm sound filling the room.

He pulled her in for another embrace. "I'll miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you, too," she murmured. "Nuisance."

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Eira gently ran the brush through her tangled curls, brushing out the coiled locks. She laid the brush down on her dresser, and stared into the mirror, gazing at her reflection. Thoughts whirled through her head, faster then a hurricane, but the most prominent ones were the ones about her coronation.

Would she make a good queen? Would the coronation go successfully? Would Defro get to see it as planned?

She sighed, and smoothed the wrinkles on her night gown. She walked over to the candle sitting on her dresser and blew it out, effectively sending the room into darkness. She walked over to her bed, a beautiful four-poster with a white canopy stretched across the top, and climbed in, drawing the sheets up to her chest. She stared at the top of the canopy for a few seconds, before closing her eyes and succumbing to sleep.

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A/N:

Thank you all so much for reading. I have great plans for this story, and I think it's going to go well. Again, the plot for the story belongs to lokidyinginside. Thank you all so much.

I love you three thousand,

E l i z a b e t h