"Lord Odin," she whispered breathlessly, setting her spoon down with a faint clink. Her tone was a complex mix of reverence, surprise, and subtle nervousness. "I... I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here in Britain."
The older man chuckled as he leaned back casually in his chair, steepling his fingers together thoughtfully. "Well, my dear Lilja," Odin replied smoothly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips beneath his impressive beard, "of course I'd come personally when one of my two most promising Valkyries informs me she plans to... resign." Lilja's cheeks flushed deeply at his pointed emphasis, but before she could reply, Odin turned slightly, glancing casually over his shoulder. "Isn't that right, Rossweisse?"
My head turned instinctively toward the direction he was looking, and I noticed the striking woman standing a short distance away.
She was utterly captivating-a perfect, ethereal beauty. Her long silver hair cascaded smoothly over slender shoulders, framing a flawless face currently set in a firm, displeased pout directed squarely at Lilja. Her attire was professional yet distinctly provocative, a tight-fitting secretary outfit that hugged generous curves perfectly-curves that, incredibly, seemed even more pronounced than Lilja's.
The material clung distractingly to her impressive bust and narrow waist, drawing my attention despite my best intentions. She exhaled quietly, her eyes briefly meeting mine, assessing, before she strode confidently toward us.
Pulling out the chair opposite Odin, she sat elegantly, crossing her long, slender legs smoothly. "Hello, Lilja," Rossweisse said coolly, though beneath her stern tone I detected a faint, affectionate resignation. "So. You're leaving us, are you?"
Lilja's blush deepened, and she glanced downward sheepishly. "Hello, big sister," she murmured softly, her voice quiet and almost childlike with embarrassment. "I... I didn't think Lord Odin would trouble himself with my decision in person."
Odin chuckled again, clearly amused by her discomfort. "Oh, nonsense. Such a matter deserves my personal attention. After all, it's not every day a valkyrie as exceptional as you decides to leave her post and become Queen of a devil's peerage." His single eye drifted slowly toward me, sharp and penetrating. "Harry Sitri," Odin addressed me directly, his tone casual but holding a hint of warning, "Lilja here has always been one of my favorites, an irreplaceable asset. Replacing her will be nearly impossible..."
Odin's one good eye was on me, and I hated how much it made my stomach knot.
Up close he didn't look like some cartoon grandpa. There was an easy, casual power sitting in his shoulders and the way he held himself in that chair, like he could flatten the entire alley and then complain about the mess.
No pressure. I swallowed, my hand tightening around Lilja's under the table.
Rossweisse's gaze swung from Odin to her sister. Up close, she was even more ridiculous. Her breasts strained against the buttons when she crossed her arms, and my traitor eyes kept trying to drift lower, which was absolutely the wrong focus to have in front of a literal god.
"So," Rossweisse said, voice cool and sharp as a knife edge. "Lilja. Is this truly what you want?"
Lilja straightened in her seat like she was on trial, shoulders going back. I felt the little tremor that went through her hand, even while her face settled into that calm, serene Valkyrie expression.
She drew in a slow breath, held it for a heartbeat, then exhaled. "Yes," she said, voice steady. "This is what I want." Her fingers tightened in mine again, and this time she didn't look away from Rossweisse when she said it. "I've served Asgard well," she continued, "and I'm grateful for the life I was given. But Harry Sitri is everything to me. I love him. I've chosen him as my King, as my partner. I intend to stand at his side as his Queen for as long as I live."
My chest thumped hard at that. Odin's eyebrow twitched. Rossweisse's lips pressed into a thin line.
"And you understand," Rossweisse said slowly, "what that means. Leaving your post. Leaving our halls. Leaving me."
"Of course I understand," Lilja answered, softer this time. Her eyes flicked to her sister, and a little of the warrior composure cracked, something raw and vulnerable bleeding through. "But I'm not abandoning you, big sister. I'm just... moving." She smiled, small and wry. "And it's not as if doors between realms are closed. I'll visit. You can visit."
Rossweisse turned her head and watched me in silence for a long heartbeat. Then she looked back at Lilja. "Is this truly what you want?" she asked again, softer this time.
Lilja nodded once. "Yes. He's the man I've chosen."
Something in Rossweisse's expression shifted at that. The stern, older-sister mask stayed on for half a second more... then she slowly bit her lower lip.
I tensed. Some instinct screamed that that tiny little movement was a very bad omen for something yet to come.
Beside me, Odin gave this low, rumbling chuckle. "Wait for it," he murmured, and then he started eating his own ice cream sundae.
Wait-where did he even get that?
And what were we waiting for?
Rossweisse's eyes suddenly went shiny. Moisture collected along her lashes. Her mouth trembled.
"Ross-?" Lilja started cautiously.
In the span of a breath, Rossweisse's whole composure changed from intimidating valkyrie big sister to something else. Her shoulders hunched, her face crumpled, and she sucked in a huge, wobbly breath. And then she exploded into loud, ugly sobbing!
"WAAAAHHHHH!" she wailed, throwing her head back. "MY BABY SISTER FOUND A MAN BEFORE I DID!"
Half the parlor turned at the sheer volume. Odin took a calm bite of his ice cream like this was a normal Tuesday. "She's doing it again," he said with a sigh...
Rossweisse slammed both hands on the table as if she needed leverage to cry even harder. "That makes me the last single Valkyrie!" she bawled, fat tears rolling down her cheeks in torrents. "Every other battle maiden has at least been on a date! And now Lilja has a King and a ring and a future and I-I'm going to be a virgin spinster forever!"
Her voice went up half an octave on "virgin spinster."
I stared. People were actually flinching. At the next table over, a wide-eyed little boy tugged on his mum's sleeve. "Mum," he asked loudly, "what's a virgin spinster?"
His mother turned beet red. She shot our table a glare sharp enough to shave wood, clapped a hand over her son's mouth, and bundled him up and away in a flurry of offended huffing.
She wasn't the only one reacting. Conversation in the shop died in waves. A pair of young witches at the far counter grabbed their cones and bolted for the door. A cluster of older wizards in Ministry robes awkwardly pretended not to stare as they edged sideways out of the shop as well.
Even Florean behind the counter hesitated with his scoop halfway buried in a tub, eyes darting between us and the window like he was considering escaping from his own business.
Rossweisse doubled down.
"Nobody wants me!" she howled, tears streaming like waterfalls. Mascara ran in black tracks down her cheeks, giving her the tragic raccoon look. "I work all the time, and this is my reward?! Younger sisters finding love before me, and I'm left with expense reports and a vibrator that keeps running out of batteries-"
"Rossweisse," Odin cut in mildly. "That was maybe too much information..."
She slapped both hands over her mouth, eyes going huge. Then she just started crying harder into her palms, shoulders shaking.
What the actual fuck was happening?
I glanced helplessly at Lilja. She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long, suffering sigh like she'd been waiting for this. "She's always been like this," Lilja muttered, voice low enough only I and Odin probably heard. "Every time someone in the Valkyrie ranks gets engaged. Every time...."
Rossweisse sniffled wetly, pulled her hands away just enough to peer at Lilja, and then pointed at me accusingly with a trembling finger.
"And look at him!" she wailed. "Rich! Handsome! Stupid pretty eyes! It's not fair that my baby sister got such a good boyfriend before me!"
...Lilja kept attempting to soothe her sobbing older sister, gently stroking Rossweisse's silver hair while murmuring soft reassurances. Rossweisse clung to Lilja's waist desperately, her face buried in Lilja's chest, shoulders heaving violently with each dramatic sob that escaped her trembling lips.
The situation had escalated so absurdly fast that my head was spinning.
I turned toward Odin, incredulity and bewilderment battling openly on my face. "Lord Odin, what the actual fuck is happening right now?"
The ancient god raised his one good eyebrow, giving me a bored look that suggested he'd watched this exact spectacle far too many times before. "Don't worry yourself overmuch, boy," he drawled, lifting his spoon calmly from the towering ice cream sundae that had appeared out of thin air in front of him. "This is fairly standard procedure when another Valkyrie gets hitched. Rossweisse will cry herself out eventually-likely after consuming enough alcohol to render herself blissfully unconscious for a few hours. Give or take."
I stared at him, dumbstruck. "Are you serious? That really doesn't sound healthy."
Odin offered me a nonchalant shrug. "Perhaps not by mortal standards, no. But she'll be fine come morning. It's best to simply let her get it all out of her system-trust me, intervening only prolongs the inevitable."
Before I could even formulate a coherent reply, Odin raised his gnarled hand casually and snapped his fingers once.
Reality blurred nauseatingly around me.
My stomach flipped, my vision stretched and twisted, and a heartbeat later I was sitting directly across from Odin at a completely separate table on the far side of Fortescue's, utterly isolated from Lilja, Rossweisse, and every other patron. A shimmering veil of magic enveloped our new seating arrangement, muffling every sound beyond it.
All I heard now was the gentle clink of Odin's spoon against his ice cream bowl and my own harsh, startled breathing.
"What the hell?!" I gasped sharply, my heart hammering with adrenaline as my fingers instinctively clutched the edges of the table to steady myself.
I glanced frantically back at our previous table-Lilja and Rossweisse still sat exactly where we'd left them, completely oblivious to my sudden disappearance. Rossweisse's cries were still audible through the glass, though faintly.
My eyes snapped back toward Odin, mouth hanging open in shock. "Did you just teleport me without my consent-across the bloody restaurant?" I demanded incredulously.
That wasn't apparition-we were not touching each other...
Odin's single blue eye twinkled mischievously as he slowly lifted his spoon to his mouth again, savoring a bite of ice cream. "Of course I did." Clearly, he was flexing to make a point.
I forced myself to sit straighter, meeting Odin's piercing gaze head-on. "Alright. So, Lord Odin-why exactly did you drag me over here, then?"
Odin took another slow, deliberate bite of ice cream, savoring the taste with exaggerated leisure, before finally setting the spoon aside with a small clink. "I dragged you here, young devil, because we have business to discuss. You are currently searching for a dead man, yes?" He leaned back casually in his seat, studying me intently.
My jaw tightened reflexively, a pang of sadness flickering through my chest. "So...it's true, then? Arthur Weasley really is dead?"
Odin inclined his head solemnly, his expression sobering. "Indeed. I sensed the mortal wizard's soul as it passed into Helheim recently."
As for how he even knew who I was searching for, I wasn't surprised. He was known as an all-knowing god after all. He sacrificed his eye for knowledge beyond the realm of mortals.
And he spoke of Helheim-meaning Arthur hadn't fallen bravely in battle. He hadn't earned a place in Valhalla, among warriors. His death had been either accidental, or far worse-deliberate murder. The realization weighed heavily upon me, grief and anger mixing hotly in my gut.
"Damn it," I muttered hoarsely, fists clenched beneath the table. "Arthur was a good man. He didn't deserve that fate."
Ginny was going to be heartbroken.
Odin's single eye regarded me with genuine sympathy. "Few good men do," he murmured quietly. "But Helheim is not eternal damnation, merely a destination for those who die outside of combat. Your Arthur Weasley rests peacefully now, beyond mortal suffering. It could have been worse."
"I suppose..." I exhaled raggedly, shoulders slumping slightly. "But Ginny and her family-they deserve answers, closure. Can you tell me where Arthur's body is now?"
Odin's face grew contemplative, fingers steepled thoughtfully beneath his chin. "Indeed, I could. That, however, brings us to our second matter." His lips curled upward slowly, revealing a cunning, calculating smirk beneath the thick silver whiskers of his beard. "I find myself already relinquishing one of my most talented Valkyries into your keeping-an asset nearly irreplaceable. Should I now also assist you freely, Sitri heir, in matters of mortal politics and death?"
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. "What exactly are you implying?" I asked warily.
His grin widened, the clever spark in his eye intensifying. "Favors, Harry Sitri. I deal in favors. You're already taking Lilja from me-that alone would demand repayment. Now you require my knowledge as well? Then you'll owe me two favors. Two debts you will honor when I come calling, without argument or hesitation."
I swallowed thickly. Owing Odin-the literal Allfather-two open-ended favors was risky as hell. But what choice did I really have? Ginny's family deserved answers, and I'd promised to deliver them.
"Two favors..." I said slowly, testing the heavy weight of the words upon my tongue. My gaze locked firmly with his. "Alright. Name your price, Odin. What favors would you demand of me?"
The old god chuckled again, his deep voice rumbling pleasantly. "Not yet, boy. When the time comes, I'll call upon you and make my terms known. Trust that I won't waste such valuable debts on trivialities."
"Fine," I muttered resignedly. "Then at least tell me where Arthur Weasley's body currently lies."
Odin leaned forward, fingers steepled solemnly. "Arthur Weasley's body currently rests within a desolate wizarding graveyard not far from Little Hangleton. You should hurry. There is still evidence there-clues that might help you piece together exactly what transpired."
"Thank you," I murmured earnestly, rising from the table. "Then I'll go immediately."
