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Chapter 4

Rayna grinned as her friend gaped at the sight in front of her. Hermione was more gobsmacked than when she had seen the library. "It's beautiful!" Hermione breathed.

They were on one of the tower balconies of the palace, and they could see Asgard stretched out before them, framed with the planet and star filled sky. "I know. I like to come up here, and just sit and watch. It helps me think."

"I can see why," Hermione replied, still staring at the incredible view of the realm eternal, that her best friend called home. "This is stunning. I've never seen anything like it."

"Probably because Midgard has yet to catch up with architectural progresses that have been made here."

Hermione snorted. "You can say that again, even with magic, we're centuries behind!"

Rayna opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by Ardwyad running into her from behind and then circling her, looking up, begging her to scratch behind his ears. She laughed and did so. "You haven't been gone long, Ardwyad, and I'm still here. Why are you cutting down on your prowling time, eh?"

"He still in overprotective mode from when you were kidnapped?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently so. I think that my powers settling didn't help. I really worried him that night."

"That wasn't anything you could help. And neither was your kidnapping."

"I could have fought harder. I'd been trained in for months!" Rayna said, upset.

"And you were facing people who had been training for years. This Amora and her partner Skurge are apparently formidable enemies. She was court enchantress here once, you told me that yourself. She is going to be good, and know a lot more than you do. Personally, from what I've heard of that night, you did really well. Your family is incredibly proud of you, you can bet on that."

Rayna shot a small smile at her friend. "Thanks Hermione," she said.

"No problem, now, apart from flying lessons, what have you been up to?"

"Mum and I have been working on organising a ball to raise money for a local orphanage. Want to see what we've got planned so far? You may have a few ideas yourself."

"That sounds like fun. And it's something g new. I've never organised anything like that before!"


She had been in a fury for weeks now. All Death Eaters that had approached had been killed. It had become a problem that Voldemort himself had needed to step in and order his minions to avoid the Asgardian Enchantress. Amora was itching to get her hands on the brat and her mother. They had completely destroyed her plans and now she was consigned to being bound by fate to these mortals. Whatever punishment was dealt to them would be dealt to her as well. On top of punishment for the crime of treason. Had Rayna just died as she was supposed to then Amora could have killed the Death Eaters and then given the brats body back to her family, lamenting that she had been too late to save the young princess. But now everything was in ruins. How would she ever get him now?

She let out a shriek and sent out a wave of magic, destroying the rooms contents. She had not wished to do this. Two deaths should have been enough, but if she wanted Thor, she would need to start killing others he was close to. When he agreed to be hers, she would stop the death. She would need to get creative to remove Ingrid and Rayna from the picture though. If Ingrid had been brought back once, what was to stop it happening again? For her and Rayna? No, there needed to be a different plan for them. One that would divert Asgardian attention from her.

"Concentrate. Imagine it floating and pull on your magic, telling it to do what you want it to," Rayna said. She was sat in the library, sat across a table from Arya. The young girl had been brought in when her mother had come to work. Remembering her wish to learn magic, Rayna had begun teaching her a few of the things she had learnt since she had first come home.

Arya was frowning at the book. Her hands were tapping impatiently on the table. Rayna placed her hands over Arya's. "Breathe. Calm down, this takes patience as well as thought. Don't think of other things. Think only of the book, and of your magic picking it up, as your hands would. Imagine how it would feel to pick it up."

Arya nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright," she said, obviously trying to let go of her frustrations. A minute more of her staring at the book, they saw it shake and begin to rise. It hovered for a moment, before it dropped.

Rayna grinned and smiled. "You did it!"

"Only for a moment," the younger girl huffed.

"Oh, but that's just the start. It just takes practice. It took me a whole hour to levitate a feather with a wand, the first time I tried a levitation spell. It took you thirty minutes less to do the same, without the use of a focus, and on a book."

"Really? But you're so good!"

Rayna laughed. "I have a long way to go before I reach anywhere near the level 'good'. Now, excuse me, but I have a lesson of my own to get to. Keep practising. Next time I see you, I want to see you be able to hold that book up for at least a minute. I'll teach you how to conjure flames next, if you manage it. Will you be able to come back here in three days?"

Arya nodded.

"I will see you then, in that case. Goodbye, Arya."

"Goodbye princess!"

With a smile, Rayna began heading to her rooms. She needed to change and grab her weapons before heading to the training fields. She was soon on the fields and saw her father waiting for her. "What are we doing today? And where are the others?"

"This is not their area of expertise. You know how to use your throwing weapons, now it is time to learn how to lace the blades with magic, which can add to the damage very effectively," Loki explained to her. "You will need to treat your knives and throwing stars almost as if they were wands. You want them to channel the magic, but only to the point where they retain it, and not expel it. When the blade hits something then, the magic will come into play. Even if it is a shield."

"So I could throw a knife, and say a Death Eater would shield against it, not expecting a spell, which would then shatter the shield, allowing me to get another knife or spell through?"

"Exactly. Now, we will begin with a petrification spell. Because of the nature of the blades and stars, the spell, when active, will only effect the limbs hit, so the best aim is for the torso, head or, in the case of Death Eaters, wand arms."

Rayna nodded, and they began to work.


Ingrid smiled as she watched them from the balcony. Rayna was progressing remarkably well. It was wonderful to watch. And watching her with Loki… they were forming a bond that she had hoped Rayna and James would share. It was impossible now, but Ingrid could think of no one better to take up James' role as Rayna's father. Loki had changed. He was still fiercely protective, but had adapted it to ensuring that Rayna was able to protect herself, instead of simply ensuring she was protected. He regularly sparred with Ingrid as well, helping her hone her own skills. They had both changed over their years apart. He was not the brother she remembered. She doubted she was the sister he remembered either. His anger at discovering his heritage, his time spent at the mercies of Thanos and then trying to help Rayna, they had all changed him, just as becoming mortal, fighting a war, becoming a mother and then dying had changed Ingrid. Both were still rebuilding themselves in their own ways, and had one focal point that linked them. Rayna.

Ingrid watched as Rayna took up one of her small knives and took aim at one of the enchanted training dummies, designed to move, especially for training exercises such as these. She threw the blade and hit the torso of the dummy. It froze for a moment, before bursting into movement again. The spell was weak, but her daughter was a quick learner. Ingrid was confident she would master the skill soon enough. By the proud look on Loki's face, he thought so too.

"She is doing well," a voice said.

Ingrid turned to see her father. "Yes, she is. I am very proud of her."

"I bet you are. We all are. However, I have another matter to speak to you about."

"Oh?"

"Ever since Amora left, we have not had a court Enchantress that has lasted long. Of course, now we know of her betrayal there is not a chance I will invite her back to her old position. There are no other contenders for it with strong enough magic and a high enough skill set and political ranking."

"Which is why there has been a steady stream of sorceress' coming and going from the position?" She felt excitement well as she thought she knew where this might just be going. The position of court Enchantress was a vaulted one. The woman would be involved in the realm's security, often acting as a magical advisor during battles and in more… sedate, political matters. Her role included seeing to and preserving the magical protections of the citadel, working closely with Loki, who had quickly established himself as Asgards best magic user, earning his position as the god of magic.

"Exactly. I need someone who is magically strong and skilled who cannot be opposed on political grounds. I want you to take the position."

"Of course!" She hugged her father tightly, smiling widely. When Amora had left, after she had discovered her plans, Ingrid had asked her father for the position, but had been denied, being told it was too unsafe for her to do so. He had not wanted to risk her heading into any battlefield situation. For him to offer her the position now showed he was willing to let her take her own risks now. That he would not wrap her in cotton wool anymore.

"And, obviously, in a few centuries, when you wish to retire, no doubt your daughter will be well placed to inherit your role."

Ingrid smiled. Rayna would definitely appreciate being given the chance, and recognise what it meant. While in the future she may not choose to take the position, when the time came she would be ready when she wanted to, or for anything else she wished to turn her hand to, befitting of a princess, of course.


A/N: Sorry it has taken so long, real life has been a mess. I managed to get this typed up, bit by bit, and today can publish it for you guys! I hope you enjoy! Please leave me a review!