Choices

Chapter 136
Again Cephera was on her back with a cry.
It hurt.
They'd made it to Asgard safely and in the courtyard with her sister and father she trained. It had been so long since she'd done training that Loki was right, she was out of shape.
Her back ached, her shoulders hurt, her legs felt like they might fall out from beneath her, but all this was not enough for their father to stop.
"You have to watch each other's backs." He warned them again and again.
Their father had always been in charge of their battle training growing up until they were of age and then an instructor took over. Cephera had almost forgotten how tough her father was. When it came to battle he believed in tough love.
"I'm sorry," Cephera said getting to her feet with a cringe.
"Don't show weakness. Any pains you feel internally scream but never show your enemy that he has gotten the best of you." He warned again at her reaction.
"Yes father," Cephera replied. He was picking on her more than her sister. At least her sister hadn't been sent to her ass fifty times. Seraphina was doing very well standing up to their fathers blows. But then again, Seraphina had always loved to fight and never stopped practicing.
Cephera was well aware of Loki's eyes on her from a window above. He'd check in on her from time to time and she was embarrassed. She'd assured him she'd been fine and could handle herself, but her father was proving her promise very empty.
She didn't doubt that if things continued this way, that Loki would insist she should go back to Earth.
It had been only three days since their arrival on Asgard and Cephera missed Ikol. She ached to hold him in her arms again and listen to his laughter, but she had to be strong. After all, she was doing this to help make a better future for him.
Cephera ducked her fathers first strike after she'd gotten to her feet. He hadn't waited long to pounce. A reminder that an enemy would have attacked her while she was down, he would wait only because he was training her not a bully.
Seraphina cut across Cephera and plowed King Yorin in the side knocking him sideways but not knocking him down. The elder twin flipped back when her fathers arm came her way. She dropped to her back on the ground with graceful battle elegance and snapped her leg out in an attempt to take the King legs from under him.
He jumped over her attempt. Before he could make a second attack to her sister, Cephera jumped in, her elbow colliding with her fathers torso making him grunt. She dodged his fist twice before nearly knocking into her sister.
"Don't just watch your enemy. In a war you won't just be fighting one." Her father tutted at her near miss and shook his head. Cephera flushed and chewed her lip. "Let's resume this tomorrow," he finally said, sighing.
He gave Cephera a very worried look and her stomach dropped. She wasn't ready and the truth was, she might not be by the time Thanos showed up, whenever that might be.
Cephera had used some skill and tricks to escape from the SHIELD facility and she'd been kind of proud of that, but fighting against people as strong as her father or stronger was a completely different matter. Tricks would only get her so far, her combat skills could make or break her.
"You'll be fine. You just need time." Odin, or rather Suvia still pretending to be Odin, said as they entered the walkway surrounding the courtyard.
"Don't coddle her. She's a grown woman. Time won't help if Thanos shows up tomorrow. Hard work and dedication is all we have right now." This was Cephera's father in battle mode. Stern and unforgiving.
He would praise Cephera only if she managed to get through one round without making more than four fatal mistakes. According to her practice today, she would have died 20 times over. Unacceptable in his books.
He was like this when they had been kids training and she was used to it. He wanted only the best and to make sure he didn't lose a daughter. He didn't love them any less.
She knew she had flaws but it was bad form to make excuses for them, at least when it was something she strived to change and can be changed. She had to be positive and vigilant.
"Any word on the cosmos?" King Yorin asked Suvia.
"No. Hiemdall has not seen anyone enter our galaxy yet, but he is always watching." She replied.
Every time Cephera looked at Suvia and saw Odin it was very disconcerting. She handled the role like a pro.
They'd decided that when Thanos came they would make it look as though Odin died protecting his kingdom so that at least he could have a warriors death instead of the cheap death Tyr had given him.
Tyr had been 'kind' enough to let them know he already burned the body. Suvia did locate the ashes and collected what she could for a proper send off when the time came.
Loki was currently hiding from view. When he watched Cephera he did so while being invisible. He walked the halls using that spell and only in his room and tower could he be free to be seen.
Thor seemed eager to mend their broken relationship and Loki was being stubborn. Though he did the things he did because he was trying to protect everyone, there was still hurt feelings and a gap between their once close bond.
"Supper shall be served soon." Suvia reminded them. "Will you be taking it to your room?" She asked Cephera, who spent her meals up in the room with her husband. Cephera nodded, she could use a nice long bath before food arrived.
(Seraphina)
"Your fathers intense." Natasha remarked when Seraphina found her lurking nearby. She'd been watching the training it would seem.
"When it comes to battle and surviving it, he has to be." Seraphina replied with a shrug. He'd been hard on her sister today, but she needed the kickstart.
"You're all sweaty. What are your plans before supper?" Natasha grinned.
"A good wash and relax." Seraphina added.
"Looking for company?" Natasha asked with a coy smile.
"Not right now," Seraphina had felt conflicted far too much lately.
"Anymore thought to that treat you wanted to play with?" Natasha asked following Seraphina at the same pace.
The treat. Seraphina's ultimate confliction.
She'd asked Natasha if she'd enjoy a sexual experience with her and Fandral at the same time. Natasha seemed like the adventurous type and Seraphina, at the time, became very excited over the thought.
Natasha had agreed and Seraphina had been excited to tell Fandral. She saw it as sort of a treat for him. But since he met Natasha a bit of flirting had begun and that made Seraphina second guess her feelings on the matter.
She'd never witnessed Fandral's woeing of others and now that she had, she didn't like it. She became possessive and jealous. Two feelings she always thought were silly and petty.
"I'm more concerned with the upcoming battle than that right now." Seraphina replied, unable to admit her feelings out loud.
"It might be a nice way to let loose. To relax before a war." Natasha continued. Seraphina looked the red head over. She couldn't tell if Natasha was testing her or being honest. The agent knew how to manipulate and for some reason Seraphina felt like she was the target right now.
"I'll see you later." Seraphina gave Natasha the cold shoulder and walked away, leaving her behind.
(Thor)
"Jane stayed behind?" Sif asked Thor finding him on his room balcony.
"It's safer that way. Besides, she has her work to do." Thor replied.
"You sound different when you say that." Sif noted. Thor forgot how well Sif knew him. His posture, tone, or signs of nerves. "Are things okay between the two of you?"
"Since arriving on Earth, myself and Jane have been very happy." Thor replied and even he felt the 'but' arrive at the end of his sentence yet he struggled to put into words his concern.
"But?" Sif urged him on. "Thor, I am your friend, you know you can tell me your troubles."
Thor turned and looked at his friend and still current wife. "For that I am grateful." Thor smiled. "I do not know how to explain it. Our first few days together had been wonderful. So carefree and joyous, but lately she works more often than not. I see her seldom and sometimes I feel like she wants to tell me something, but she does not."
"She's not pregnant is she?" Sif asked cocking up one fine eyebrow.
"No." Thor immediately responded with a shake of his head. "I mean I would know if she were." He followed up. "She'd tell me, I am sure of it." He continued. With each statement he felt a little less certain. "Do you think that's it? She is afraid to tell me she's pregnant? We've been careful. She was very adamant that her work came first and that she was not ready for children at this point in her career." Thor suddenly felt nervous.
"It's a possibility, but she does seem the type to tell you." Sif frowned. "Bring up your concerns when you see her next." Sif insisted. "Lack of communication is the reason our relationship failed. That, and assumptions. Don't make that mistake again."
Thor pondered her words with a nod. Sif touched his shoulder and left him to his thoughts.
(Loki)
The bubbles in their bath covered all his wife's body from view, but he could feel it pressed against him below the surface. He had his back to the edge of the bath and she was sat between his legs her back pressed to his chest.
When they had slipped into the water he noted the bruises that had formed along her body from her training. He was not used to seeing her this way.
He had concerns. He had many concerns, but it had only been three days. He promised himself he'd wait at least a week to see if she improved before voicing those concerns.
"You're father is a brute." Loki told her, his lips pressing to her damp hair.
"He's a great fighter and knows what he's doing. I remember training with him when I was a child. Back then my mother was alive. I remember asking her if father still loved us, because we'd just started training and I saw a side of him I hadn't before. She assured me that he loved us and that this was a different way of showing that love. That he wanted the best for us so that we could have strong futures." Cephera smiled at the memory.
"You've never spoken much about your mother." Loki noted rubbing a cloth down Cephera's back as she moved her hair out of the way.
"She was 81 when she died and 22 when she gave birth to us. For a human that was a good long life, but I feel as though that time was so short lived. The longer I live and look back, the more of a dream it sometimes feels. I miss her. I remember everything about her though. She loved my father so much even though at first she'd been afraid." Cephera paused remembering the tale of how they'd met.
"When he went to Earth, back then they saw Earth as a menial world and its inhabitants insignificant. My father was desperate to have an heir. He says that when he saw my mother, he had to have her. He scared her because he literally kidnapped her to his world. He wasn't bad to her. He didn't force her into anything. According to my mother, he woe'd her with his creepy charm." Cephera laughed as she knew what her mother meant.
"He would bring her gifts of knowledge. He'd take her on walks to introduce her to his world. He was smitten. My mother wasn't always a gentle woman. According to my father she was a spitfire when he'd met her, ready to kill him on more than one occasion. But eventually, she fell in love and became pregnant. After having children she tamed down and settled into her new happy life. My father married her and worshipped her. She was a saviour to our people. Without her, the King might never have produced an heir. As long as she lived, he was loyal to only her. He wept when she passed on. It has been the only time I've seen him cry."
"Your father doesn't seem the romantic type." Loki almost snorted.
"You'd be surprised." Cephera playfully elbowed him.
"Are you in pain?" He asked her. Worried for her bruises and any injuries he couldn't see.
"I'm aching, but not in pain. I plan to train all day tomorrow, and the next day and everyday after until Thanos shows his face." She sounded determined.
"Be careful." He warned her, but he didn't say more than that. "Now stand so I can finish scrubbing you down." He growled at her and gave her ass a slap when she stood.
"Can you ever behave?" She asked him peering over her shoulder.
"Around you? Never." He grinned and pressed the cleaning cloth between her thighs unnecessarily. Cephera wanted to roll her eyes, but ended up closing them when he dropped the cloth to stroke her most sensitive area.

Notes