Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
“By being a good little Queen,” he smirked at her. “And following my orders. You need to earn my trust.”
“Trust goes both ways, and you just tricked me!” She raised her voice, but he did not care. He was enjoying this. All of this
“We will work on that,” Vidar assured her. “And now, excuse me, I need to go. Get used to your new surroundings and-change before dinner.”
She shouted a curse, but he disappeared in flames, leaving her alone in this immaculate cold room.
Astrea ran to the windows, to look at the gleaming city, but did not allow herself to admire it for a long time. Then she ran to the doors and tried them, but they were locked.
She walked around the spacious room designated just for her until she saw herself in a tall golden mirror with an intricate frame.
Her hair was a mess. She still had dust smudged over her cheek from when she was helping the victims of the explosion. Deep dark circles around her eyes reminded her that she desperately needed sleep.
And yet, a little smile curled onto her lips.
She made it.
Their plan was working.
A group of maids wearing pale pink dresses walked in, bowing before her, and Astrea pursed her lips, gracefully acknowledging them with a nod. It was bizarre to be in this situation now, even though she was used to royal treatment in her first life.
“My Queen, we received an order to help you bathe,” one of them mumbled, eyes on the floor. She noted they did not look overly confident.
Astrea remembered this place as slightly more cheerful.
Back then, the maids chirped, telling her all the latest gossip, laughing wholeheartedly as they brushed her hair.
Now, everything was different. They looked as if they were scared to death.
What did Vidar do to them?
After a long day filled with disasters, a bath was not a bad idea. Besides, she had to kill time before she could act.
However, there were things that had to be done first for the plan to work perfectly.
“I don’t need company while bathing,” Astrea announced, lifting her chin slightly to intimidate them.
“But, my Queen-” The maids hesitated to follow her orders.
“I am not even your Queen yet,” she retorted, noticing how one maid nervously fiddled with her dress. These women definitely had a task from Vidar. “I want privacy. I will call you if I need you.”
She sounded so confident that they didn’t dare to object.
“We will wait for you here,” one of the women forced a little smile onto her lips.
“Fine.” Astrea nodded and went in the direction pointed by the youngest-looking maid, waiting for them to close the doors behind her back. She discovered a spacious white marble bathroom adorned with gold and moonstones. She forgot how luxurious palaces were, it was strange that she felt so at ease here. As if centuries didn’t pass. As if she belonged here.
Not with Vidar, of course, but in general.
Remembering her main goal, she got out the nightmares horn she had with her and quickly hid it on a little table behind a bushy green plant and added some towels there for extra coverage. Done with the primary task, she stripped and dropped her clothes onto the cold floor. Stepping out of her garments, she slowly entered the spacious bath, which would be enough for two. Or three.
The thought of sharing it with Vidar made her shiver, and she inhaled before submerging herself to the very bottom of the bath. Astrea wanted to stay there for as long as her lungs allowed it.
The water felt divine, and she had to admit it was enjoyable to soak in. The shadows in the room suddenly danced which didn’t surprise her. Someone was definitely in there, but when she returned to the surface, the room was empty.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed the towels next to the plant lying not as neatly as she left them. One of the maids was probably already on her way to Vidar with the horn.
Astrea smirked and dove back underwater, allowing herself to glance at the beautiful beads on her wrist and a ring Fenrir had given her when they devised this plan.
“If he did this, then he would come for you soon,” Fenrir said as they watched the buildings of the Southern capital burn before their eyes. So many skyscrapers had already collapsed in the cruel attack, but the Northern flag was still there to arouse more hatred and misunderstandings.
“Then we will let him have me,”
she announced coldly, her fingers clenching around the balcony railing as her beloved’s head snapped in her direction.
“I hope you are not saying what I think you’re saying.” His words sounded like a warning, to which she only smiled, enjoying the possessive tones in his voice.
“I am,” Astrea confirmed. “All we ever wanted was for him to leave us alone, but he will never do that. This is our last shot, Fenir, and, gods know, maybe we will lose again, but if I’m destined to die without even tasting a full lifetime of was right.”
happiness with you, f want to, at least, go fighting for what
He stared at her for a few seconds with that discerning gaze of his, and she was afraid he would try to dismiss her offer.
“Then we fight,” Fenrir stated dryly. He took no pleasure in this. “But I would rather die than let him have you.”
“This is something I would prefer to avoid.” Astrea gave him a stern glare but then took his large hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.
“Listen, I don’t like it either, but-This may help us distract him. I am the only one who can get close enough to kill him. If you attack him now or challenge him for a duel in this realm, then he will disappear into Asgard, where you cannot enter. And everything will be lost for this world.
Then he will return when we least expect it and-you know how that goes. We need to beat him in his own game.”
Fenrir grunted, hating all this already.
“I have Midnight’s horn,” she continued. “Riannon told me some riddle, and I now think that she meant the horn will be able to kill him. Midnight was my divine weapon, after all.
Think about it. If he takes me to Asgard, if he feels like he won-Then I can try to kill him. I acquired skills in this life, Fenrir. I am confident I can do this.”
He will search for the hom,” the wolf deity rubbed the bridge of his nose, already tired of this plan he hated so much. “He is not dumb.”
“I will hide it!” Astrea insisted.
“You are going to let him have it,” he interrupted, and now it was her turn to stare at him.
“Is it wise, though? This is the only thing I can use as a weapon against him.” Astrea arched her brow as the flames of the burning city illuminated their faces.
*If you get your full power, you will not need any special weapons,” he assured her, making her lips part. “All you need to do is get to the Source of Power in Asgard.
Remember that each god is born from it, and when we die, our powers go back to their beginning. All divine sources are connected, so your power is somewhere there, waiting for you.”
“Are you sure? It’s been a while-“
*The Source goes through seven realms, helping to keep the balance. Your powers are in there, and only you can access them. If that power was a part of you once, it would want to reunite. This and only this is our best chance.”
Astrea furrowed her brows.
“Maybe.” She looked away. “But I still don’t have my divinity. If I remember correctly, only gods can come close to a source.”
“It’s fine.” He offered a reassuring smile. “Because there is another way.*
“Another way and you are only saying it now?” Astrea tilted her head
“It’s not perfect,” Fenrir confessed with a sigh. “The perfect way would be to take my divinity and-“
“Fenrir, it’s out of the question. I will not take the divinity from you! You haven’t stepped foot in Asgard for centuries.
If you sacrifice your divinity, you will probably die, and then everything will be pointless. So, tell me the imperfect way, because I am not going into this if i know for sure / will lose you.”
He muttered something under his breath and got a little velvet bag with moon and stars embroidered on it from his pocket. Pulling two strings, he produced a ring, and her lips parted for the first time because she recognised it instantly.
She had seen it in both of her lives.
“Selene’s ring!” Astrea gasped. “The Moon Goddess-mother-“
“So, you know what this is,” he took her hand and locked eyes with her, seeking permission. “May I?”
“I never thought that the one ring you put on me would be my mother’s,” she giggled nervously as he slid the white gold up her finger.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?