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Your former chambers have remained unchanged since your departure from home, your palace, your realm, all those years ago. However, you can discern that the servants still diligently enter to maintain their freshness and tidiness.

You feel tempted to recline on your luxurious bed, but the gown you are currently wearing would make it difficult to rise gracefully. So, you postpone that pleasure for now and wander around, soaking in the familiar surroundings. A small smile plays on your lips, as you realize how much you have missed home.

Home has always been a delicate topic for you. As the youngest among your siblings, you never quite felt you fit into the roles and responsibilities expected of the prince and princesses of Vanaheim. The primary burden of becoming the heir to the throne was never within your grasp, nor did you truly desire it. Freya, your elder sister, claimed the first heir position by mere minutes over your brother Freyr, leading to many heated arguments about legitimacy throughout their upbringing. Despite this, your father always emphasized that Freya was next in line. Freyr took charge of the realm's guards, armies, and warriors, while you initially sought to relinquish your title as Vanahiem's princess, rejecting the associated duties.

Your father adamantly refused your request, leading to a compromise: you would become an ambassador, representing Vanaheim in other realms while still assisting him, your king. With the blessing of the All-father and after making necessary arrangements, your new title as ambassador was agreed upon. At home, you remained a princess, but throughout the nine realms, you were simply known as an ambassador.

You were the one who approached Odin, requesting that your true title be concealed from the rest of the council and the inner circle of the Aesir, a request to which he willingly agreed. This arrangement ensured that for a long time, no one questioned your true identity. While it was known across the realms that there were two princesses in Vanaheim, your status as the youngest often led to you being overlooked. Thus, besides your resemblance to your siblings, only the Vanir truly knew your full identity.

However, you were well aware of the consequences of returning home to investigate and uncover who was deliberately causing disruption at the borders. You had orchestrated this elaborate ruse over the past fortnight with the assistance of the Prince of Asgard, knowing full well that he, along with Fandral and the others who had joined for the festivities, would discover your true identity the moment you set foot in the palace. It didn't bother you that they would learn the truth, but you anticipated that their perception of you might change, whether intentionally or not. 

You didn't want those you had come to know during your time away to view you differently, but you recognized the necessity of the risk you were taking. In the grand scheme of things, the revelation of your title paled in comparison to the threat of war looming over the nine realms.

Engrossed in reflection upon your past, present, and the disquieting future should you fail to unravel the looming threats, you scarcely notice the door to your chambers creak open ever so slightly before someone slips inside, closing it with utmost care. They regard you with an expression that remains obscured as you turn away from your position near the vanity. Your heart leaps as you startle at the sudden realization of another presence in the intimate foyer of your quarters.

The intruder's smile carries a tinge of curiosity, causing an immediate crease in your brow. Instinctively, you place a hand over your chest, as though the unexpected visitor has momentarily quickened your pulse.

"Do I dare inquire how you managed to bypass the guards posted outside?" you query, your frown deepening as he interprets your question as an invitation to venture further into your chambers, hands nonchalantly clasped behind his back.