Choices

Chapter 10
Seraphina woke early curled up next to Cephera. When at home, and Seraphina didn't have a bedmate, the twins shared Cephera's bed. It was something they did growing up for the comfort it brought them. They were often accompanied by their mother and sometimes even their father. With their mother gone now and the girls grown past the child years he no longer slept with them as it was weird.
Seraphina slipped from the bed and pulled on a robe. Both girls usually slept naked. She exited the room to go to her own and get ready for the day. Halfway down the hallway Seraphina was sent sideways into the wall. Instantly she was in her fighting stance and grabbed at the servant whom had attacked her. The servant dodged the grab and landed a strike to Seraphina's side. Seraphina buckled sideways, but instead of letting the attack bring her down she allowed herself to drop to the floor and swiped out with her foot knocking the servant girl to her ass.
Seraphina pounced quickly pinning the servant girl to the floor by sitting over her waist and grabbing her wrists holding them above her head. "Your movements are becoming quicker princess." The servant girl, Chia, said smiling. This was a thing Seraphina had started with all the servants. Everyone in Mechanova were born to be fighters. They were taught how to fight at young ages. Seraphina had told them to randomly attack her so she could hone her abilities for unexpected combat.
"Thanks to all of you." She replied. Servants were not treated that same in Mechanova as they were in Asgard. They were respected and paid as the people they were.
"I remember a time you held me down this way ... though the circumstances were different," Chia said winking. Seraphina grinned wide. She bent down close to the girls ear.
"Maybe you'll find yourself there again." She told her licking the shell of her ear before flipping back to her feet letting Chia go.
"Princess," She said bowing her respect. She walked away smiling and Seraphina continued on to her bedroom. Entering her large room she stopped to look around. She was noting how different things were in Asgard. Her large canopied bed with blankets of red and silver made of thick trunks of the crystal trees of their forest. The ceiling above was made of crystal and she could see the sky above. The sun shining brightly down. The crystal stopped the room from reaching insanely hot temperatures; the windowed double doors out to the metal balcony. Her bathroom to the left was also very large with mechanics that allowed water to flow without pumps. Mechanova was a place of steel and magic wrapped into one tight realm. All energies used in some way to advance them. Asgard had a flare to it, but in a more earthly kind of way.
Seraphina finally moved into her room; selected an outfit and climbed into her glass bath. The glass was reinforce by magic and more steel. She scented the warm water with lavender. It was imported from earth. Once a month their father had a merchant sent to earth to acquire things the girls enjoyed. Their mother spoke of things she enjoyed on earth and for family trips that was where they would go. They didn't really visit much anymore now that she was dead, but Cephera did a lot of research to keep up with its development and Seraphina also enjoyed learning with her. It was the only thing she liked studying.
When she finished bathing she dressed and pulled her hair into a messy updo with a few ties and skipped breakfast. She stopped into the meal room to find her sister. "I'm headed to the market, you want to come?" She offered.
"Not today. I'm gonna stay here. A new book has arrived from the carrier," She said referring to the earth traveling merchant. On his trips to Earth he documented many of the development there. The world was no longer the one their mother knew. With each passing decade the humans were growing in ingenuity.
"Hmmm. I'll check it out later," Seraphina said interest, but she really wanted to go to the market. She waved goodbye to her sister and left.
XxX
The first place Seraphina went was the blacksmiths. She was hoping to acquire new blades to hide beneath her dress when she was off realm. "Good morning Ofel," She said to the burly orange skinned man.
"Princess Seraphina. Thought you were all the way over in Asgard." He chuckled.
"I was, but I'm home now. What do you have to show me?" She asked touching some of the weapons laying nearby.
"As always I'm always inventing new things." He said grinning. "Like these." He went to a cupboard and pulled out two shiny crystal tipped weapons. They were curved in opposite directions on each end with a place to hold the weapon in the middle. Seraphina took hold of one and examined it. The blades on each end were extremely sharp. The slightly curved blade would be good for slitting a throat and the crystal tip was durable for penetrating certain armour. She was impressed, but such a blade would not go well strapped to her leg and would most likely cut her.
"Impressive." She agreed. "But I was hoping for something I could put under my skirt. Maybe attached to my leg should I need them." She told him. He rubbed his chin thinking. He restored the blades back to the cupboard and grabbed something else. This item was completely round with half of it as a bladed edge and the other for gripping. There were two such items.
"These are known by some as a Chakram. They vary in shapes, but this one when in flight will light ablaze cutting and burning your enemy. They are honed to the user so that they would return to them." He explained. "But you would have to watch it for if not caught properly they can cause damage to the user as well." He warned her.
Seraphina circled one around her finger admiring it. "I like them," She said. "How much?" She asked. They bartered back and forth on price until they came to an agreement. She paid and left to her next place of interest. Seraphina moved down the colourful stone road. The stones lighting up with magical energies inside them. She stopped when she reached a bridge and a stream. She followed the stream off the road to a small quant house. Everyone knew she came here, but no one spoke of it.
She knocked on the door and a man, hunched slightly over who was missing one arm and an eye on the same side, opened up the door. "Hello handsome," Seraphina said to him with a smile. This man was Mordrid. He had grown up around the girls. He was over 1000 years their senior and in his youth had taken part in a battle against an attacking enemy. He lost both his eye and arm in the battle and he now lived in solitude save for Seraphina who visited him at least once a week if possible.
"You flatter me princess, you know I hate that." He told her glaring with one eye. She laughed and let herself in. She made herself at home on his bed and beckoned him over with her index finger. He closed the door and walked to stand in front of her. "You know your father would not be happy if he found out," Mordrid said. He said it every time they met this way.
Seraphina couldn't explain it, but she was drawn to him. He might not be able to fight a battle any longer, but he knew what he was doing where the bedroom was concerned. Out of all the lovers she had ever taken he was the only one she made consistent time for and never bored of.
"You know very well he doesn't care." She coo'd pulling him forward by his shirt. He didn't argue with her. He allowed her to pull him atop her and kiss him.
XxX
Seraphina had spent the good part of her evening laying with her lover before parting ways. When she reached the bridge she ran into the one woman she would rather drown than talk to. "Oh hello Seraphina," She said as if the two of them were friends. "Doing charity work again?" She asked snidely.
Seraphina eyed Katarina Favour, Kristoff's younger sister. She was a bitch if there ever was one. Their mother having been a wood elf she was gorgeous. "At least my charity work doesn't involve a brother, Katarina," Seraphina said. Katarina caught on to the implication. The two girls always spoke this way. Always insulting one another without directly doing so.
"Come now Seraphina we are friends. Please call me Kat." She insisted a vicious gleam in her eyes.
"Friends? I'm afraid I don't keep friends. Just lovers." Seraphina told her. "As I'm not a relation I'm afraid I'm not your type," She said and Kat furrowed her brow dangerously. Seraphina was really laying it on thick today. She liked getting under Katarina's skin.
"You've only been to Asgard for a week yet you look as though you've been gone for years," She said looking over the princess.
"Yes. Asgard has a way of making a real woman out of you." Seraphina quipped back.
"Where's the little one? My brother does so miss her when she's gone," Katarina said. It was Seraphina's turn to glare.
"She's home writing a love letter I think." Serpahina lied. "As I said, Asgard has a way of making a real woman out of you." Katarina was looking straight at Seraphina to try and deduce whether she was lying or not.
"I see. Well wish her well for me," Katarina said taking that time to leave. "Talk to you later princess," She said over her shoulder. Seraphina watched her white blond hair bounce in its shorts curls as she walked off into the market. Seraphina made a rude gesture at her back with a thirst to slit her throat, but unfortunately she couldn't do that.
With her daily fill of shopping, sex and sending snarky remarks to her enemy; Seraphina made her way home picking up a basket of assorted fruits for her sister to enjoy.
(Cephera)
Their return to Asgard was imminent and Cephera grew more excited as the week past. Their father was glad that they were going back so soon. They were old enough now to be left to their own devices. It was almost a bittersweet time for him when Seraphina hit her sexual age of maturity. Their kind were very sexually inclined. As there reproduction rate was extremely low lots of sex was needed to achieve families and sometimes even that wasn't enough. Seraphina used a serum that made sure she didn't conceive yet. She was still too young.
Every girl hit maturity at different ages. Cephera hadn't reached it yet. She was still very childlike in that aspect and sex just wasn't something that interested her. They may share the same anatomy as the Asgardians, but it was clear their cultures were very different and perceived everyone in their kingdoms differently. It was odd having people considered higher or lower. The royals treated all their people as simply people.
They didn't take advantage of others by looking at them as lower beings. Everyone was allowed to learn everything the world had to offer. Cephera enjoyed that about Mechanova and wished she could show the Asgardians the benefits of such things, but it wasn't her place to try and make others like her kind. Perhaps overtime some of her culture would rub off on the princes of Asgard and therefore change some things by proxy. Cephera always felt peace and happiness was best found in trust and love. Loving everyone equally when possible. Not everyone shared those ideals, but all the same she strived to make a positive impression to those she met. She was after all only one person and could only do so much.

Notes