{Chapter: 342 I Agree to Marry You}
"Brother!" Sif shouted, her voice sharp with fury. "Kill this man—now!"
William turned his head and saw a towering figure approaching. Dressed in shining golden armor and wielding a massive, radiant sword, the man's presence exuded quiet authority.
"Oh, it's Heimdall," William said with a casual grin. "You know, I've always been curious—how come you and Sif are siblings? You're dark as night and she's pale as snow. No offense, but you two don't exactly scream 'family resemblance.'"
Heimdall's golden eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice remained calm and resolute. "William, release my sister. Her relationship with me is none of your concern."
Sif's fists clenched. "Brother, don't just stand there! Help me kill this arrogant bastard!"
William tilted his head, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa, Sif. That's no way to talk to my future brother-in-law. Isn't this just good old family squabbling? Right, Heimdall?"
Heimdall's face remained stoic. "You and I are not family. And the All-Father's command is clear—we are not to provoke or engage William in combat. That applies to me, and to you, Sif."
"But brother, you saw what he did—" Sif began to protest, her voice trembling with frustration and something else she couldn't name.
Heimdall cut her off. "All father's word is law. I will not break it, and neither should you. Sif, you are strong, but you cannot defeat him. Continuing this will only invite ruin to Asgard."
William gave a small chuckle and held up his hands. "You see? Even your own brother is on my side."
With an annoyed sigh, he slowly released Sif from his grip. She stumbled back a few paces, her eyes still burning with barely-contained rage as she stepped beside Heimdall.
Sif's voice was low, cold, but carried a note of something deeper—regret? "This isn't over, William. One day, I'll make you pay."
Heimdall gave William a long, piercing look before turning away. "Come, Sif."
Sif lingered a moment longer, her gaze flickering between fury and something more painful—conflict. Then she turned on her heel and followed her brother into the distance.
---
Back on the cobbled streets of Asgard, Jane walked over and looped her arm through William's. She looked up at him, brows furrowed with curiosity.
"Who was that? He looked... formidable."
William nodded with a casual shrug. "That, my love, is Heimdall. In Norse myth, he's the guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, the watchman of Asgard. A god of perception and protection. Also, apparently Sif's overprotective big brother."
Jane blinked. "So he's the one who sees everything and hears everything?"
"Pretty much. You could say he's the guy who'd know if you were sneaking cookies in the middle of the night," William said with a grin.
Jane laughed softly, her voice full of affection. "Well, thank goodness I'm not the one making enemies. That seems to be your department."
William turned to her, his expression softening. "I'd make every enemy in the universe if it meant keeping you safe."
Jane blushed and looked away for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "You always say these things... and I don't know how you make me fall for you all over again every time."
William brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice warm. "Then I must be doing something right."
He suddenly pulled her into his arms, dipping her playfully. "But enough of gods and grudges. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. We're in Asgard, baby."
Jane laughed again, breathless. "So, what now?"
"Well," William said with a wink, "I say we make some questionable moral decisions."
"Questionable—?"
Before she could finish, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Jane let out a surprised "Mmm!" but quickly melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him as if she never wanted to let go.
---
Meanwhile, at Sif's home…
The room was somber. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three—Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun—sat around a large table. The air was heavy with unspoken frustration.
Thor slammed his fist on the wooden table, making the cups rattle. "I can't believe Father just let him go. That man—William—he should be punished! He mocked us, touched Sif, and wields the Tesseract like it's a toy!"
Sif's eyes blazed. "He deserves to be cut down a thousand times. Even that wouldn't balance the scale of what he's done."
Fandral shook his head slowly. "The All-Father is not without reason. If he fights William, the Tesseract could tear through realms. It's not about pride. It's about survival."
Thor growled in frustration, pacing back and forth. "So we just do nothing?"
Volstagg's deep voice rumbled. "It's not about doing nothing. It's about knowing when not to act. We're warriors, not fools."
Hogun, ever the silent observer, finally spoke. "If we move against William now, Asgard could fall. The Tesseract bends space itself. We must be cautious."
Sif stood, her voice trembling. "Cautious? Is that what we're calling cowardice now? He humiliated me—us! And I..."
Her voice faltered. She turned away, gripping the edge of the table so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Thor stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sif... what else is troubling you?"
She didn't answer. In truth, she didn't know what to say. The memories of William's touch, his maddening smile, the way he looked at her as if he saw straight through her fury into the part of her that still remembered softer things—it all boiled inside her like a storm.
Fandral eyed her carefully but said nothing. Everyone in the room felt it—the war inside her heart.
Thor stood with clenched fists, helpless and frustrated. Despite his Asgardian strength, he knew all too well that he couldn't match William in a one-on-one fight.
"Damn it…" he muttered, his voice low and full of restrained rage.
Hogun, ever the calm and strategic one, crossed his arms. "No matter how powerful someone is, he's still mortal. And mortals have weaknesses. Learn those, and you can defeat anyone."
Thor scoffed, pacing. "Sounds noble, Hogun, but how exactly do you find a man like William's weaknesses? He's unpredictable, arrogant, and seems to enjoy throwing the rules in our faces."
Fandral raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at Sif. "Perhaps… there is a way to learn more about him."
Sif narrowed her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Fandral offered a sly smile. "Well, if someone were close enough to gain his trust — intimately close — his guard might come down. He might reveal more than he intends."
Thor's eyes brightened with realization. "You mean… Sif could marry him? Gain his confidence, find his weakness from the inside?"
Sif's expression darkened instantly. "Absolutely not. That man is insufferable, vulgar, and beneath everything Asgard stands for."
Volstagg shook his head, laughing nervously. "No, no, this is madness. We can't ask Sif to do that. It's humiliating."
Hogun nodded solemnly. "It's not a warrior's way."
Fandral shrugged, his voice light. "I'm just thinking out loud. Sif, don't take it seriously."
But the seed of the idea had already taken root.
---
That night, long after the others had left, Sif sat alone in her chamber, her red-golden armor removed, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes were hard, her brow furrowed.
"William..." she whispered. "I will never forgive you."
Her anger burned hot, but deeper down, something colder — doubt — crept in. She hated how he smiled like nothing mattered, how he toyed with her, how he always seemed ten steps ahead.
But what she hated most… was how he had kissed her once — without permission, bold and reckless — and she hadn't struck him hard enough for it.
"The gap in strength… is too vast," she admitted to herself bitterly. "If this continues, Asgard will fall into his hands."
She recalled Fandral's ridiculous suggestion, but now it didn't seem so ridiculous.
"To protect Asgard… if that's the only way… then maybe… just maybe…"
Her voice trailed off.
She was still trying to convince herself when a familiar voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Sacrificing for the good of the realm? That's very noble of you, Lady Sif."
Her eyes snapped open. She spun around and saw him.
William.
He stood casually at the threshold, one arm wrapped around Jane, who looked radiant even with travel-worn cheeks and windswept hair. Jane smiled warmly at Sif, but Sif barely saw her. Her gaze locked with William's — smug, sharp-eyed, and unbearably confident.
"You—What are you doing here?" Sif managed, trying to mask the fluster in her voice.
"Oh, you know," William said nonchalantly, "Jane and I realized we needed a proper bath. Then I remembered you've got a splendid one here. Big enough for two, if you catch my drift."
Sif's eyes flared with anger and embarrassment. Her voice was tight. "She can use it. You, absolutely not."
William smirked. "That's fine. Real warriors can live a little dirty." He glanced at Jane. "Go ahead, sweetheart. It's right over there."
Jane rolled her eyes at him, though there was affection in the motion. "If you peek, I swear I'll melt your eyebrows off with that alien thing I found."
William laughed, clearly enchanted by her fire. "I wouldn't dream of it. I won't peek…"
Then he winked. "I'll watch openly."
"Shameless," Jane muttered, walking away, but she was smiling.
The moment she disappeared, the room felt colder. Now it was just Sif and William. The tension between them was palpable.
Sif tried to sound indifferent. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough," William replied, stepping closer, his smile softer now. "Enough to know you're thinking about something dangerous."
Sif didn't flinch. "When did you arrive?"
"Just a few minutes ago," he said, watching her closely. "Right in time to hear you contemplating marrying me."
"Don't read too much into it."
"Oh, come on. Don't crush my heart like that. I have feelings too, you know."
Sif looked away, arms crossed over her chest. "You're the last person in all the realms I would ever choose. If I'm agreeing to this, it's only for Asgard."
William's eyes sparkled, amused but not mocking. "That's still a yes."
She glared at him. "Don't you dare gloat."
"I'm not gloating," William said gently. "Not really. But I won't lie — I've always admired your strength, Sif. Your fire."
Sif's face betrayed something — not a smile, not warmth — but a flicker of something old and buried. Pain, maybe. Regret. Longing.
"Don't mistake this for affection," she said coldly, voice shaking. "I will never belong to you."
William nodded slowly. "That's fine. I'm very patient. I'll wait. Maybe one day you'll come to me not out of duty... but because you want to."
She didn't respond. She couldn't.
"You look lovely when you're not trying to kill me, by the way."
Sif sat back down, alone again, hands trembling.
"Damn you, William…" she whispered. "Why are you always in my head?"
Sif's eyes were unusually complicated, and she said expressionlessly, "I've thought about it, and I agree to marry you." ..