After her bath, Eirlys remained alone for a few minutes, letting the warmth fade from her skin before finally leaving the water. She dried herself slowly and returned to her chambers, where the noise of the palace seemed to grow louder with every passing moment.
The maids were waiting for her, but this time Eirlys did not complain. She knew there was no escaping the preparations now. They dressed her carefully, beginning with the gown that had been chosen for the ceremony. It was a deep golden-red, the fabric rich enough to catch every flicker of light without appearing overly bright. The darker red beneath the gold gave the gown a regal warmth, while delicate golden embroidery ran across the bodice and down the flowing skirt in patterns inspired by both Asgard and Vanaheim. The sleeves were long and elegant, fitted at the arms before loosening slightly at the wrists, and the train followed behind her like a quiet trail of crimson and gold.
It was not what Eirlys had originally imagined wearing. But the moment she saw herself in the mirror, she knew it was hers. Her family had chosen pieces of the ornaments she wore first. A delicate Vanaheim necklace rested against her collarbone, its centre stone an old family jewel passed through generations. Matching earrings framed her face, while smaller golden ornaments were placed in her hair among the carefully arranged waves.
Then came Frigga's gifts. The queen had sent them to Eirlys the previous evening, refusing to let her open them until the morning of the wedding. The first was a slender golden tiara, not the heavy crown of a queen, but something softer and more personal. Small stones were set into it in the shape of leaves, representing Vanaheim's forests intertwined with the patterns of Asgard. There was also a bracelet. Eirlys remembered Frigga placing it around her wrist herself during one of their quieter conversations. It was made of gold and finely worked silver, with a small blue stone in the middle.
"For my daughter," Frigga had said.
Not daughter-in-law. Daughter. Eirlys had not forgotten it. Now, as the bracelet was fastened around her wrist, she touched the stone gently. Frigga had given her more than jewelry. She had given her a place in the family long before the ceremony ever began. Another ornament was brought forward, a pair of delicate golden hairpins shaped like tiny ravens. Eirlys recognized the symbolism immediately. They were from the royal family, but Frigga had chosen them specifically because Loki had always been fascinated by ravens.
That realization made Eirlys pause. For the first time that morning, she thought of him without guilt. The way he had looked at the ring she had given him. The happiness that had crossed his face before everything had become complicated. Her fingers instinctively touched her own ring. Then her thoughts shifted to Thor and her smile disappeared. She looked away from the mirror.
One of the maids carefully adjusted the final fold of her gown while another placed a small golden pendant around her neck. This one belonged to her own family, an heirloom her mother had worn on her wedding day. When they were finally finished, Eirlys stood before the full-length mirror.
Gold, deep red, jewels from Vanaheim, and gifts from Asgard. Two families represented in every piece she wore. She should have felt nothing but happiness. Instead, beneath all the excitement and grandeur, there was a quiet ache she could not explain. Tonight, she would walk down the aisle and stand beside Loki. Somewhere in the palace, Thor would be there to watch it happen. Eirlys drew a slow breath and straightened her shoulders. Whatever waited beyond those doors, she would face it as the bride she had chosen to become.
Once the final adjustments were made, Eirlys looked at herself in the mirror for another long moment before turning towards the maids. "That will be all. You may leave me for a while."
They hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave her alone so close to the ceremony, but Eirlys reassured them with a small smile. Eventually, the room emptied, leaving her surrounded by nothing but silence. She sat down slowly, now that there was no one telling her what to do. And suddenly, the thought she had been avoiding returned. What was she doing?
Was she really marrying Loki because she loved him, or because somewhere inside her she was still angry that Thor had chosen Jane The question hurt more than she expected. Thor had Jane, and yet he had also told her that he loved her. How could both things be true?
Eirlys lowered her eyes to her hands, feeling the weight of the jewelry around her wrists. The wedding suddenly seemed less like a beautiful beginning and more like a decision she had already made without fully understanding why. Then Loki came to mind, she felt that sharp pang of guilt again. He was not truly at fault for any of this. He had misunderstood her that night, yes. He had kissed her without realizing that she did not mean what he thought she meant. But he had not known what was happening inside her heart. He had not created the confusion between her and Thor. And yet she was about to marry him. Perhaps, in some terrible way, she had been hurting him without even intending to. Eirlys exhaled slowly and leaned back.
She could not keep doing this to herself. Every bride became nervous before her wedding. Every bride questioned things. Every bride probably wondered whether she was ready to change her entire life in a single evening. That had to be all this was. Nerves and nothing more. She straightened her back, looked at her reflection once again and forced a faint smile. Tonight was her wedding and she would not let doubt ruin it before it had even begun.
A sudden knock broke the silence, Eirlys looked towards the doors, startled. Before she could ask who it was, the door opened, Thor stood there, breathing heavily. For a second, neither of them spoke. Eirlys had expected perhaps a servant coming to tell her that everyone was waiting in the hall. She certainly had not expected Thor. After three days of silence, his sudden appearance in her chambers felt almost unreal. Thor, however, seemed to have forgotten why he had come. His eyes settled on her, and he simply stared.
Eirlys stood in the middle of the room wearing her wedding gown, the deep golden-red fabric glowing beneath the morning light. Her hair was carefully arranged, the ornaments from both their families resting against her skin, and the delicate gifts Frigga had given her completing the image of a bride who seemed almost too beautiful to belong to the world around him. Thor's breath got caught, she looked like something from a dream. Something he had imagined without ever allowing himself to admit it.
His gaze moved slowly over her, taking in the gown, the jewellery and finally her face. There was no teasing smile, no friendly amusement and no attempt to hide what he was feeling, Eirlys noticed. "Thor?"
He stepped into the room and closed the doors behind him. "I know what I am supposed to do," he said quietly.
She waited for him to finish his sentence.
"I am supposed to stand there tonight and watch you marry my brother."
Eirlys's heart tightened as Thor moved closer, his expression becoming more serious with every step. "But I cannot do it."
She stared at him.
"I tried to stay away from you," he continued. "I thought perhaps if I gave you enough time, I would stop feeling this way. I thought I could accept it."
His eyes dropped briefly to the ring on her finger. "I was wrong."
Eirlys swallowed. "Thor, you cannot come here now."
"I know."
"Then why are you here?"
He looked at her again, and whatever hesitation had remained disappeared. "Because I love you."
The words hung between them when Thor took another step forward. "Break this marriage off, Eirlys. Choose me."
Her eyes widened, she could barely breathe.
"I will make you my queen," he said, his voice low but certain. "Not because you are convenient od our families expect it but because I want you beside me. Forever."
Eirlys stared at him, unable to find an immediate answer. Only hours remained before she was supposed to walk down the aisle. And now Thor was standing before her, asking her to destroy everything and choose him instead. Eirlys no longer knew whether her trembling hands were caused by bridal nerves.