The portal closed as quickly as it opened. Both Hela and Falcon appeared in her office, not knowing where else to open the portal but then immediately regretted it as she hadn't been back in the office since the night of Dahlia's injury where Falcon had his arms wrapped around her, was kissing her and telling her that he loved her. She cursed herself for opening it there, but she knew there was no more of a private place, other than their bedroom but she definitely couldn't be in there with him. She made her way to the window, moving away from the arm that he had wrapped around her and looked out over the courtyard to her people and could see them as busy as ever, not knowing that their Queen was watching down on them.

Hela knew she couldn't wait, so she said, "you might want to sit down".

Falcon let off a small laugh and asked, "is something wrong?" as he moved a few papers from the desk and sat down on that. She turned to find him smiling at her, looking at her as if she was his entire world and it made her feel worse. "Have I told you I love you today?" he said, and it dug the knife in even deeper. His usual comments of 'have I told you I love you' or 'have I told you how beautiful you are' became normal to her over the years and it made him all the more perfect in her eyes.

"Don't," she said shaking her head.

"Don't what?" he asked with a smile, but it wasn't as bright as his original one as he knew she was being serious.

"Don't tell me you love me. Don't tell me how beautiful or brilliant or perfect I am...I'm none of those things".

"You are to me," he lost his smile and said seriously as he looked at her like she was a puzzle he was piecing together. He got down from the desk and walked over to her but when he tried to touch her arm, she shrugged him off and looked away. "Have I done something?"

She shook her head, still not looking at him as she said, "you've done nothing but love me, be there by my side though everything. You even brought me back before I was lost in madness".

He raised his hand, tilted her chin and turned her head, so she looked at him and he could see the tears in her eyes, could see the worry and immediately asked, "my love, what's going on?"

"That's the problem, I'm not your love," she shook her head and stepped away from him, "I can't be your love".

"What?"

"What we did, our courting, sharing a bed all these years, it's wrong. You and I both know that-"

"No, it's not," he interrupted.

"Yes, it is. It needs to end now," just as she finished her sentence, Falcon had crossed the room and wrapped his arm around her waist, crushing her into his chest before her kissed her. His other hand going into her hair as the kiss deepened. She couldn't help but respond, if this was the last time she was going to kiss him, she'd make sure it was worth it; but it was also a reminder of what she was giving away and it only made it harder.

Falcon then tore his lips from hers, both of their lips swelled from the intensity of the kiss. A tear drop fell from her eye as she tried to keep her tears at bay, but it was met with Falcon's thumb as he cupped her cheek and wiped it away and his arm around her waist tightened. "Tell me that felt wrong," he said his voice sounding as if it was going to break, "look me in the eye and tell me that felt wrong and I'll believe you".

This only made her close her eyes and she tried to gather her breathing, but she leaned her forehead on his chest and said, "please don't make this any harder than it has to be".

"It doesn't have to be anything," he said as she pulled her head away and opened her eyes, "I love you. You're my world, you know that, and I know you love me. What's brought this on?"

She shook her head and replied, "nothing, I just think what we did is wrong. We did this all wrong. The timing, I accepting a courtship, sharing a bed with you, it was all wrong...it feels wrong". She pushed his arm away with ease as she knew her words hurt him and caught him off guard. For every step away she took, he took one closer until they stood a few feet apart. Both frozen to their own tiny spots on the ground, Hela looking like her heart was breaking with every second she was with Falcon while he looked like he was losing his world.

"If you want to do this right, we can," Falcon bargained, "we can do our courtship properly. Monitored, always having someone with us, I will even go and ask your father, your brothers for their permis-"

She interrupted and almost shouted, "No. They must never know of this, of us".

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?" he asked but then his eyes went wide for a moment as if he finally put the puzzle together, "this is your father's doing? He's found out about us and wants to kill me, doesn't he?"

"No".

"Then you're worried he will".

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY FATHER!" she snapped, wanting to steer him as far from the truth as possible. "We were too young," she said with a shake of her head, "young and foolish to believe we could love one another as much as we say we do. Too young to understand what true love meant".

A moment of silence passed before he said, "you don't love me".

This was it, the opening she had been waiting for, the thing that would finally end this. All she had to do was lie, to make it so convincing that even he would believe it. Shaking her head, she said "I don't" and looked away quickly.

She barely looked away before he appeared in front of her, so fast that she didn't even realise he was there until he gripped her hip tightly, almost painfully, and used his other hand to turn her chin, gripping it between his thumb and index finger. She saw the pain, the anger, the tears in his eyes and she had to gulp at the fact that for the first time since knowing him, she was genuinely scared of what he would do. She tried not to show fear or dishonesty but knew this would have to be the greatest lie she even told to protect him.

She said, "It was all a lie, a crush as children. Then when we grew up, I thought I needed someone. Then you were there when I was grieving but I have my family now, I don't need a distraction anymore".

"Say it," he said his teeth clenched together.

"I don't love you," she finally said it and had to take a small breath that she hoped he didn't notice. Thankfully, he was too busy staring into her eyes, trying to find any sign of deception but he was too broken by her words to notice the small flicker of love in her eyes that was shining through, that would always shine through any disguise or mask she put up. That small flicker of love in her eyes, the love for him would always be there.

His grip on her hip tightened on her again, this time painful and she winced at the feeling and he instantly released her and slowly backed up, before turning around completely and walking out of the office doors. The door slammed into the wall and flung back but didn't completely close. She took a seat at her desk and a hand went to her stomach as she took deep breaths, feeling as if she was going to fall apart at any moment and she couldn't let the servants and soldiers in the hallway hear her break as they relied on their Queen to be strong.

An hour passed when Hela finally had the courage to leave her office. A serving girl had noticed the office door was open and inspected to see if there was an intruder but when she saw the Queen, she asked if the Queen would like anything to eat as it was dinner and the cooks were unaware she was back. Hela declined and knew she better leave her office as the serving girl would soon tell people the Queen was back, and Hela really didn't want to see anyone at the moment.

Leaving her office, she went to her room to see the doors open and the candles lit inside and as she stepped through the doors, she saw two bags packed on the floor and Falcon sat on the bed with his back to her. He was holding something in his hands that she couldn't see but she could tell that all of his clothes and the little trinkets he had in their – her room were now packed. "Are you going back to your old room?" she asked as she stepped inside.

Shaking his head, he replied, "how do you expect me to stay, to live in this castle that holds so many memories of us? Our first meeting, playing as children, learning our powers and the accidents that came with them, falling in love...or at least on my part".

Her breathing clearly picked up slightly as she wasn't expecting him to leave, she at least wanted to see him, to go back to how it was before they confessed their feelings for one another. To be friends. "You are Death, you can't go far, you have a job...unless you plan on not being it anymore".

"Is that what you want?" he asked, still never looking at her but at the object in his hands. "if you wish it, I will leave and find and train someone else to be Death. Damn tradition, I'll do it a few thousand years early if that's what you want".

"No. You're amazing at being Death, the souls trust you, even the children who are scared. Don't leave," she said as she got closer to the bed.

"I have to. I can't be in this castle, I can't be in the capital, I need time. Perhaps I will go to Death's Valley".

Hela immediately froze at the name and said, "only those-"

He interrupted, "who have been Death live there. I know. I'll stay with Ari until I can think about where to live. I'm not giving up being Death, I don't trust anyone living to give that power to. I don't trust anyone to be by your side and to protect you and not to betray you...Don't worry, I will still collect souls and deliver them here, they shouldn't suffer because I am".

"Falcon..." she sighed.

He let off a small laugh and said, "you know what's funny? So many years we have both spent making sure that people believed in you, that you weren't what your prophecy said. Yet here you are, breaking my heart and I still love you. I guess this is the reason the old kings only had male kings and Death's, to lessen the chances that they would fall in love and what it would mean for Niflheim".

Hela moved from her spot to go to his side but when she caught a glimpse of the silver sphere open and something shiny, she immediately backed up and looked away, knowing exactly what it was. An engagement ring. She didn't need to see the ring, she didn't want to see it. The silver sphere with the engraving of the royal jewellers spoke volumes to her, let alone the shine that came from the inside of the box due to the candle light. "W-w-when did you get that?" she stuttered.

"Three months in I designed this. I knew you were the one, so I had this made. It took some time and some help getting a specific stone, but it came out better than I designed. It will be fourteen years this November that we confessed our feelings for one another, began our courtship. Our courtship may not have started out right, but I was certain I would do right by our engagement. I waited all this time, knowing one day your father would find his way back to you, then I would ask him. I was planning to, after you all returned to Niflheim when Dahlia was healed, I was going to ask him".

"Falcon, please..." Hela pleaded, she needed him to stop.

"How much power we give the word love. Four little letters. L. O. V.E. Letters with the power to make us feel power beyond belief and the power to make us crash and fall," the top part of the open sphere was pushed down and the closing of it made Hela jump slightly. He then looked to her and saw her with her head turned to the window and continued, "and feel nothing but emptiness".

He stood from the bed and walked towards her and she continued to look out of the window, but he could see the tears shining in her eyes but believed them to be for a different reason than his own. He reached for her hand and placed the sphere into it as she closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see.

"It was made for you, and you alone. It was made for our future, the future you have now thrown away," he let go of her hand and she opened her eyes to see she was still holding the sphere. "I will never stop loving you, but it seems you have stopped loving me. I hope you find happiness and I really do hope that one day you find someone to love as much as I love you". He leaned close and kissed her cheek, then pulled away and whispered, "your majesty".

He then walked away and picked up his bags and then walked to the doors, pausing when he stood at the entrance as if he wanted to turn to see her one last time and if he did, they both would have seen the others silent tears. He finally had the courage to leave and didn't look back as he pulled the doors closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been an hour since Hela had left with Falcon to go to Niflheim and Dahlia couldn't help but think of her sister and what she was going through. She knew her sister's decision was wrong, she knew how much they loved one another but it was her sister's decision and she couldn't control that. She sat on top of the hill watching her brothers and father train, but she knew they were keeping an eye on her since she came back with the founders and Helena. Picking at the grass, she was thinking of everything that had changed in the last week and how thankful she was that she now had her family when her father walked up the hill and sat down beside her. She smiled, as did he, and said, "hey".

Loki said, "how was your ride with your sister?"

"Good. Eclipse seems to be getting stronger, which is good".

Loki noticed her still picking at the grass as if something was on her mind and asked, "what is it?"

"What?" she asked and stopped picking at the grass and her right hand went to her necklace to fiddle with instead.

"Clearly, there's something on your mind. Tell me".

Dahlia sighed and answered, "just something Hermione said, about the kind of society we live in. You always say you want us to be happy but you're also protective when it comes to us courting and say you'll kill any man who attempts it. What if one day someone makes us so happy and makes us feel so loved, and we take that risk?"

Loki moved closer and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, so she leaned her head against his shoulder as he sighed and asked, "tell me you're not in love?"

She shook her head and said, "I'm only fifteen, I think you have some time yet".

Loki let off a small laugh then said, "thank the gods. So, I'm assuming this is to do with your sister then?"

He could feel her stiffen for a moment before she relaxed and answered, "no. I was just thinking about our future".

He hummed and said, "so this has nothing to do to with Hela and Falcon's courtship?"

Dahlia pulled away in surprise and pretended to be shocked as she exclaimed, "what? They're not courting". He gave her a pointed look as if to say he didn't believe her and she rolled her eyes and asked, "how'd you know?"

"They're not very good at hiding it. The way they dance, the way they look at each other, how when you were hurt Falcon reached to comfort her and of course, how it seems everyone in the camp doesn't seem to look when they stand a little too close to one another. Thankfully, the boys haven't noticed, or he'd be dead now".

"But you did, why haven't you..." Dahlia said nervously.

A moment of silence passed between them as Loki thought his answer carefully but told her simply, "I won't lie to you, the thought of killing him has crossed my mind numerous times since I figured it out. Hasn't seemed the right time yet".

"Dad, you can't," Dahlia said as she moved to sit on her knees and reached for his left hand to hold, "please. She loves him, and he loves her. They're like two sides of the same coin and I don't just mean because of their connection through Niflheim. They didn't just jump into a courtship, they grew up together, all the steps on becoming Queen and Death were taken together. He used to help you with chasing away suitors-"

"Which is why he knows why he shouldn't have begun a courtship," Loki pointed out.

"But it was worth the risk to both of them. Dad, he loves her and she loves him. When we couldn't be there for her, he was. He's been there everyday since Odin threw her into Niflheim and knows her more than anyone and I know that hurts to say, but he does know her better than us. When the year of sorrow happened, he was there for her, helped her so she didn't go crazy with grief". She then sighed and let go of his hand and sat back down to his side as looked down the hill to her brothers and said, "what's the point? He'll probably feel like dying now anyway".

"Why?" Loki asked confused.

Dahlia shrugged and brought her knees up to her chest and placed her chin on them, "after what Hermione said, it freaked Hela out. She's not here because she's breaking up with him to protect him from you and the boys. Probably giving him some stupid excuse". She then turned her head to look at her father and said, "she'll be heartbroken, and if you kill him, she goes through that for nothing. He's never been anything but a gentleman to her. He wouldn't even ask her to marry him until you came back but the whole prison thing stood in the way of that. Please don't kill him".

A few moments of silence passed until Loki sighed and rubbed his forehead and said, "do you have any idea what you're asking of me? If he loves her and knows her as much as you claim, he will look passed whatever lies she tells him and fight for her. She's my daughter, my little girl".

"I know what I'm asking," Dahlia said as she released her legs and let them lay straight, "I'm asking you to spare the life of the man your daughter loves. If he fights for her, which I hope he does, I'm not asking you to go easy on him. Make him prove he is worthy of being with her but give him, them, a chance to be together".

He took a deep breath before he gave in, "okay, fine. I won't kill him now but if he comes to me and asks for her hand, I won't make it easy".

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dahlia said quickly and smiled as she leaped quickly into her father's arms, almost knocking him back.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the side of her forehead as he said, "never tell Hela or Falcon of this conversation. Their actions should be their own...you are never courting or getting married do you understand? I won't lose my baby girl too".

She laughed as she pulled away then curled up to his side, her head leaning against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her and she said, "okay, just as long as you give Hela a chance at happiness...oh". She moved her head quickly away and said quickly, "I forgot I have something else to ask you. Don't worry, it's not about boys, well it is-"

"No," he immediately said.

"But-"

"What did we just agree on?"

"But-"

"No courting".

"Neville's parents," she said quickly so he couldn't interrupt her again, "they were tortured into insanity by the Cruciatus Curse done by Bellatrix fourteen years ago and the healers here have done everything they can. I know you're bad at healing magic but I'm not that bad and Hela suggested asking if you could do anything to their minds. You're good at magic when it comes to the mind". Loki thought for a moment before he stood, holding Dahlia who shrieked as he picked her up, but he immediately put her down to her feet seconds later. "What are you doing?" she questioned.