Chapter 19

Boda stared in silence at the food spread before her as Odin dismissed the einherjar who followed Frigga as she exited.

"Is there anything more you desire?" asked Odin, Boda continuing to sit still as a stone, her unblinking eyes glued to the contents of the platters placed between her and Odin.

"Oh...no…no...this is wonderful, thank you…it's been so long since I've had niffleberries…or soetrfruit…it was--it's my favorite," Boda said, filling the gold plate in front of her with fruits and berries, sampling a berry followed by a slice of blood red fruit.

"I recalled Loki requesting that it be served on the occasions he invited you to dine with us," Odin said as he placed a few slices of fruit on his own plate, "Before we begin, I must ask that what passes between us in this room remains here. It is not to be shared with anyone, including my son," requested Odin as Boda ate another slice of fruit, swallowing it before replying.

"I give you my word…but do you trust it?"

"As I'm certain Loki has informed you, I have given my blessing to your union and forgiven your past transgression. As you are to be my daughter and in the interest of subduing those who now threaten Asgard and the universe, we must trust one another," Odin fell silent for a moment as Boda placed another berry in her mouth, "I was father to a daughter. She was lost to me," said Odin, Boda looking from her plate across the table to Odin in surprise.

"Loki nor my father or anyone else ever mentioned–" Boda began before Odin interrupted.

"No living Asgardian, with the exception of my Queen and now yourself, are aware, or aware any longer, of her existence," Odin responded.

"You enchanted all of Asgard to forget her? Why?"

"I was not always the man you see before you. Long ago, when my father was Asgard's King and I his heir, I succumbed to the seductions of a demoness who took possession of a woman, scheming her way into the position of a lady of the court serving my mother, Queen Bestla. I put aside the young woman to whom I was betrothed and took her as my wife. She gave birth to Hela, my firstborn," Odin paused, remembering the bottle of wine setting on the table near him and picking it up, "My apologies, would you care for some wine?"

"Yes…thank you," Boda said, Odin standing and leaning over, filling the empty goblet in front of Boda from the bottle before filling his own and replacing the bottle on the table, seating himself again, taking a drink from his goblet before continuing.

"Under the nefarious influence of this demoness, upon taking the throne I was a very different king than my father and his father before him. I sought to conquer the realms and beyond with the intent of creating the most powerful empire the universe had ever known. When Hela came of age, she joined me in my pursuit. Power and the riches of the realms were all that mattered to me, to us…until the fateful day a young woman arrived at the palace to serve my Queen. She had been raised by witches who had become aware of my Queen's true nature and secured the position for her. As they intended, she revealed the demoness for what she was."

"Frigga?"

"Yes…."

"What happened to the demoness? Did you destroy her?"

"She slayed the body she inhabited and took possession of another, fleeing Asgard. I was restored to the man my father had raised to defend Asgard and those unable to defend themselves, to protect life and to preserve peace. Some time after, I took Frigga as my wife and Asgard's Queen."

"Did Hela leave Asgard with her when she fled?"

"No...Hela remained but it became clear she had inherited the demonic nature of her mother. I could no longer control her violent appetites. I was forced to imprison her in Hel. There she remains and will remain as long as there is life in this body."

"But…you have gone into battle many times. Why would you risk your life knowing the loss of it would put Asgard and the universe in danger? What will happen when you pass?"

"I trust that the fate of Asgard and the universe will unfold as it has been ordained. If fate sees fit, I will live long enough and remain strong enough to transfer the lock of her prison to my heir after he has taken the throne and I have prepared him…if not, the prophecy of Ragnarok will come to pass."

"But if the prophecy says–" Boda began.

"Prophecies can be misunderstood or misinterpreted as my Queen recently reminded me."

"Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with me?" Boda asked, confused.

"Even before your exile, I failed to treat you with kindness and respect. You reminded me…of the guilt and shame I have long carried…of the young woman who was to have become my wife…your mother."

"My mother was to have been queen of Asgard?" Boda responded, aghast.

"I left her a broken woman desperate to escape the pain I had caused her. It was my father who began collecting relics deemed dangerous to the universe. The Warlock's Eye was one of the first he obtained. With the knowledge I had previously shared with her she succeeded where you failed. She attempted to use it to free herself from her torment. To use it to manipulate the mind and memory of another is dangerous, but to attempt to use it on oneself is even more so. It was I that discovered her lying in the vault. After she awoke, she had no memory of our time together nor did she feel anything for me. She would go on to marry your father and give birth to you. It was only much later…"

"She went mad," Boda finished.

"Loki has said that your memories have been altered, that you suffer symptoms akin to what your mother experienced. I believe something similar may have happened to you."

"But…I never entered the vault. I didn't plan to use it on myself."

"As you are well aware, the manipulation of one's memory and will can be accomplished by means other than The Eye. Those methods can prove equally dangerous when attempted by those inexperienced and not fully versed in their many nuances."

"Who would have had reason–" Boda began before falling silent.

Odin stood, walking around the table to stand at Boda's side.

"With your permission…" Odin said as Boda hesitated before rising from her seat to face him, nodding her assent and closing her eyes as Odin placed his palm upon her forehead.

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Southern California

May 1979

Boda placed the last drink on the tray as Lisa waited on the other side of the bar, the music of KC and the Sunshine Band blaring as club goers danced.

"Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight!" the recorded voice of Harry Casey belted out.

"I've already danced, I guess we'll see about the second part later," Lisa said with a grin and a twinkle in her eye as she picked up the tray and sauntered off, Boda staring after her with a scowl.

Anthony stepped over, placing a small wrapped chocolate on the bar in front of Boda who looked down at it before picking it up.

"Thanks," Boda said as she unwrapped it, popping it into her mouth.

"Thought you could use it. Gina should be here soon. You only have ten minutes left. You got here early as usual. Go ahead and take off."

"You're sure?" Boda asked

"I used to be the only one back here for a long time. It's raining, by the way. I hope you didn't park too far away."

"Raining? It almost never rains here in May," Boda responded.

"It was coming down pretty good when I took a peek a few minutes ago. You'll think you're back home."

"Home?" questioned Boda.

"It rains a lot in Britain, doesn't it? I heard that somewhere. I've never been there myself."

"Oh…yeah. All the time," Boda replied as she turned towards the swinging doors leading to the store room and employee exit, "See you tomorrow."

"Same time, same channel," Anthony responded with a friendly smile as Boda moved past him and through the doors.

After collecting her purse from the locker and removing her keys from it, Boda reached the employee exit, stepping out into the night, rushing quickly across the lighted parking lot in the downpour to a late 1960′s model car that had obviously seen better days. As she went to put her key in the lock she noticed that the door was already unlocked. Warily she peeked through the windows through the rain running down them. Seeing no sign of anyone within, she opened the door, seating herself in the driver's seat and closing the door.

Drenched, water dripping from her hair, which now looked as Farah Fawcett's would have after diving into a pool, Boda sat for a moment staring out of the windshield before putting her key in the ignition, starting the car, turning her head to look at the radio, reaching out and turning it on, Debbie Harry's voice emanating from the small speakers.

"Once I had love and it was a gas, soon turned out had a heart of glass, seemed like the real thing only to find, mucho mistrust, love's gone behind…"

Boda listened in silence as the song continued, staring at the dials.

"Lost inside, adorable illusion and I cannot hide. I'm the one you're using, please don't push me aside…" Harry's voice sang on before Boda switched off the radio, her shoulders slumping as she placed her hands atop the steering wheel, resting her forehead against the middle of the wheel and closing her eyes as she began to quietly weep.

In the passenger seat, Loki materialized in a green glow, facing forward as he watched the rain running down the windshield before turning his head to look at Boda with a grim expression. Reaching out, he placed his left hand on her shoulder, emerald light tracing her shape from the crown of her head downwards, her hair, body and clothing now rendered dry.

Startled, Boda gasped and sprang up, accidentally activating the horn for a moment, turning her head to view Loki as he withdrew his arm, Boda drawing hers back and slapping him across the face.

"A somewhat unorthodox way to express your appreciation. I could have left you to marinate," Loki commented.

"You scared the shit out of me! Is this your doing?"

"Is what my doing?"

"It rarely rains here this time of the year. Not more than a drizzle anyway. There's even a song about it."

"I'm afraid manipulating the weather is beyond my capabilities. I thought you had a date. I assumed I would have a few hours to wait."

"I canceled it. You're right…."

"As always," Loki replied confidently.

"Don't you have one?"

"Have what?"

"She gave you her number, didn't she? She chooses a man to give it to every shift. I can't imagine the way you were throwing money in her direction..."

"She did give it to me but I had no plans to make use of it...I thought you said it wouldn't work. That wasn't my intention…it was, actually, though only as a means to an end."

"A means to what end? What are you talking about?" asked Boda, perplexed as Loki held out his hand, magically producing a slip of paper between his fingers, offering it to Boda, she taking it, "Lisa's number?"

"The other side."

Boda turned the paper over, reading Loki's writing on the reverse side.

"You went through my purse?!"

"Joe Conforte is the proprietor of a brothel," Loki informed her, Boda's face expressing her shock, "You honestly didn't know?"

"No…" Boda said quietly, the irritation and animosity now absent from her voice as she shook her head, both she and Loki silent for a moment as the rain continued outside the vehicle before Boda broke the silence, her countenance becoming stony, "So what if it is? What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?!" Loki repeated in disbelief, "How could you even consider–" Loki asked, flabbergasted before Boda interrupted.

"What else can I do but what I'm doing now or something that pays no better? Women aren't equals here. It's said we are but it's not so. It's not as if I can find a mortal man with money to marry," Boda became silent once again, bowing her head, "You thought you were doing me a favor, but it's a curse. Speak with your father, tell him whatever you need to tell him, you were in Midgard and happened to run into me…tell him I've requested to be made a mort–"

"No," Loki interrupted tersely.

"Please...it's the only way," Boda pleaded, tears welling in her eyes, spilling over, "I'll never return to Asgard. This is my home now," Boda continued.

"I can get you all the money you need."

"You would have to take it from someone else who needs it. One has to have money to survive here, to be considered worth anything."

"Trust me, there are many in Midgard from whom I could obtain it and it wouldn't be missed."

"I don't want your money! I don't want anything from you!" said Boda angrily, glaring at Loki before hesitating, bowing her head once again, her voice softening, "I think it would be better, for both of us, if we never saw each other again."

"How would that be better--" Loki said before cutting himself off, quiet for a moment, appearing as if in contemplation, then reaching out and cupping Boda's chin with his hand, raising her head, "Boda…look at me."

"I've made up my mind. Nothing you--" Boda stopped speaking as Loki's pupil's flashed green for a moment as she stared into them, her eyes becoming glassy and her expression blank.

"Only me…no other," said Loki, keeping his gaze locked with her own for a few more moments before taking her head between his hands, moving his lips to hers, Boda's eyes closing, the glassy blankness gone as she opened them after the kiss had ended.

"Isn't it strange how we always end up this way?" Boda asked softly.

"Strange? It's rather familiar, actually," Loki replied with a grin, "Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving."

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Boda's eyes fluttered open as Odin removed his palm from her forehead, a tear escaping and rolling down her cheek as her gaze locked with that of Odin's remaining eye.

"Will I become like my mother?" Boda asked.

"It's uncertain, though it is likely the effects will continue to progress over time," Odin replied.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"There is only one remedy I am sure of. I offered it to your mother. She refused."

"What is it? Why did she refuse?"