From The Ashes - 036

Chapter 036 – Queen

[2012]

Moving down the thin golden ramp that magically extended from the flying vessel, Frigga held a simple wooden basket in her hand as she got ready to move to the inner parts of the floating mountain.

She paused though as she turned to face the Einherjar that were acting as her guards that day.

“You may stay here, there is no need to follow along.”, she ordered with a soft voice, gentle strength in her tone. What sounded like a suggestion was clearly an order, even if not one spoken forcefully.

The captain of the small squad of Einherjar had a wry smile on his face as he replied: “My Queen, this … You're making things difficult for us, Your Highness.”

Frigga knew that they had orders to protect her at all times, especially considering who she was attempting to meet. But she was a headstrong woman that had her own considerations, so she didn't just bend to the wishes of her husband mindlessly.

“Even a legion of you would not be able to stop the one who lives on this mountain, Captain.”, Frigga stated truthfully, “I appreciate your loyalty and I don't doubt your bravery but I am only leaving this mountain alive if he wishes me to do so, regardless of your presence or lack of it.”

A short pause stretched between them as the Einherjar naturally knew that their Queen was not lying with her words.

“Stay here, I will be back.”, Frigga ordered once again, this time with added authority.

Giving in to her wishes, the Einherjar simply bowed lightly before taking up position next to the ramp, their demeanor returning to a stoic and serious expression.

Smiling lightly, she finally started her trek as she moved closer to the center of the island to finally personally meet the warrior, whose existence had been nothing but a myth and a legend from a time long past, up until his appearance.

It didn't take her long to arrive near the cottage but her gaze was attracted by something else entirely. On a clearing not far from the cottage, a massive body of blue fire was quietly resting, the flames flickering in an even rhythm like they were breathing.

As if sensing her approach, the flames moved and shifted, revealing a graceful neck that lifted up an avian head with a sharp blazing beak and astounding human eyes that watched her every move with quiet intensity and strength.

As the Queen of Asgard and a powerful sorceress, Frigga had seen many wonders and spectacles but she had to admit that the being before her was mind-bendingly beautiful, its sharp and fiery presence, the danger that it inherently represented, just added to its beauty.

She had never seen such a 'creature' and she could not even begin to guess its race.

There existed no 'phoenix' in the reality of Asgardian history, no truthful record of such a being could be found in the royal library either. A 'phoenix' was nothing more than a being of tales and myths, not a real creature. Or at least that had been the case until this day.

Frigga was fascinated and captivated by Noah's transformed presence, and as a sorceress and person, she couldn't help but be curious about his origins.

Naturally, her identity and duty as the Queen of Asgard was not something that she would just set aside for any extended amount of time, especially so when meeting a being as powerful as the one in front of her, which held a grudge against her own husband.

She would be foolish to let down her guard, and that was certainly not a characteristic that anyone who knew her could accuse her of possessing.

Frigga was still a short distance away from the giant blazing avian, so she moved closer just as the flames seemed to disperse into a flickering azure cloud, fizzling out of existence in a gorgeous visual display while a young man walked out of the center of the firestorm.

He had a tall stature, inky black hair, and a pair of eyes that reminded her of a rainstorm. They were dark and grey but filled with a palpable force that gave them life and deterrence.

His attire was also simple, not at all fitting for a man of his immense strength. And yet, there was no strangeness as he wore it as if it were battle armor, the normal fabric seeming indestructible as he moved with calm confidence.

"I am not quite sure to what I owe the pleasure of your visit. Still, I welcome you, Queen of Asgard, Mother of Thor.", the man greeted, his voice pleasant yet slightly raspy.

Still, his tone was neutral and despite the choice of his words being respectful, Frigga was not under the impression that those words of greeting placed the man in a lower position, which was the case most of the time when it came to the use of titles as that was their ultimate purpose.

After all, it was an old and established custom that was supposed to force the other party to show respect by reminding them of their lower standing, which was crucial in a monarchy as the inviolability of the royal clan was what held up their authority and power.

And yet, the man voiced out her titles as if they were simple words without any inherent power.

Frigga had never met someone like this but she understood the reason for the impression that she got from the young man almost instantly.

Her rather significant age and incredible life experience, as well as her powerful senses granted to her by her impressive Asgardian physique and prowess as a sorceress enabled her to see what no ordinary being could see.

Noah Hatahle didn't fear Asgard, not in any way or form. For him, they were merely a tribe of people, not a kingdom of gods. And his lack of fear had nothing to do with bravery or boldness.

Her firstborn was a hothead that practically embodied the meaning of boldness, his eyes having been filled with a brave spirit since he was barely old enough to speak.

But the man in front of her was different, his eyes and presence were simply focused, devoid of hesitation or fear. Instead, there was a sense of truly horrible desolation hidden in the depth of his gaze but that only made the being in front of her much more dangerous, not vulnerable.

Frigga felt a chill crawly up her spine as she remembered what her son had told her about this man and she gravely realized that things were much worse than she had thought.

Her husband hadn't just sown a grudge against a supreme warrior but against a supreme warrior that had clearly lost so much that he had nothing more to lose besides his life. And if she had to guess, she would say that he had no qualms about risking even that.

Her initial goal to come here was naturally to try to find an angle with the warrior in front of her that might help her reduce the tension between him and her husband since she knew very well that Odin would never 'lower himself' and apologize, his innate pride preventing that from happening.

As his wife and Queen, it was naturally upon her to be the 'softer' side to her husband's rule. She was the one that acted as the 'glue' that held Asgard together while the Allfather was the one that kept it 'sharp' and powerful.

She had always been pacifying those noble clans and highborn that Odin had alienated with his strict rule for centuries, her seemingly endless patience and political acumen being invaluable to her husband's strong rule over the millennia.

Frigga had never once undermined her husband's rulings though but had still always managed to find ways to smooth things over since she understood very well the importance of a united front.

So, while the people revered and feared Odin as the 'Allfather' for his prowess and actions that had allowed Asgard to maintain its iron rule over the Nine Realms, they also loved and worshipped her as she was undoubtedly the 'mother' of the nation.

At this moment though, something incredibly rare happened as Frigga seriously called into question her husband's actions that led him to build a grudge with a horribly dangerous being such as the man before her.

'A Supreme that has nothing to lose? *Sigh* Pride cometh before the fall indeed, dear. And this time, the fall might really be a grave one.', she lamented in the privacy of her mind, admitting to herself that her husband's overbearing pride was indeed his biggest flaw and the only thing that blurred his infinite wisdom at times.

It was also the biggest flaw of her firstborn, which Thor had clearly inherited from his father. Strangely, Odin could see this flaw in his son and had even banished Thor for his hubris, but failed to see it in himself every so often.

Frigga honestly wasn't sure if she could remedy the situation or if she could, to what degree, but she was determined to try anyway as that was her duty as Odin's wife and Queen of Asgard.

"Lady Sif went to the battlefield on Vanir to push back the Marauders, so I came to accompany you to Nidavellir, Lord Hatahle. Eitri sent a message that he finished the forging of your weapon just two hours ago.", Frigga replied with a mild smile, sharing the prepared excuse for her visit.

“I hope you don't mind but I also took over the responsibilities to deliver your breakfast this morning since it coincided with my visit and I thought it was a good opportunity to share a meal so that I could thank you properly for bringing back my sons to Asgard, Lord Hatahle.”, she added, raising the small basket in her hand before continuing.

"There are also two sets of clothes the royal seamstress made since I was worried that you might not have enough."

“How thoughtful. Let me thank you for your troubles in advance then, Your Highness.”, Noah complimented mildly, his tone somewhat flat yet not insincere as he took the basket from her hand before gesturing to the small cottage invitingly.