Hello again. As people seemed to like our first story, we thought we might as well put our other favourite up. Enjoy.
The young girl looked up and saw one of the young Princes of Ásgarð standing. She graced him with a brief smile and immediately looked sad again.
"May I join you, Machaira?" the prince asked.
"Of course, Your Highness," Machaira said.
"Please, call me Loki," Loki said while sitting down.
"What is wrong?" he asked.
"Way too much," Machaira sighed, "But I would not want to bother you with my problems."
"You know, talking about it often helps," Loki said, "So tell me, what is bothering you?"
"Those endless etiquette-lessons for starters," Machaira said with a deep sigh, "Frigga expects me to be a lady, so she sends me every day to Freya."
"Every day? I only have to go to Freya once a week," Loki said surprised.
"I know. However, as I refuse to do as Freya says, we do not like each other at all. We are really driving each other completely mad. I have to go to one of those lessons now, but, well, I really do not want to go."
"Of course not."
"And then there is the matter of my memory."
"Your memory? What is wrong with that?"
"Well, you know, I have a perfect memory. I remember everything that has ever happened to me in full detail. I remember Odin bringing me here when I was three months old. However, from before that… nothing. There are faint flashes of my life before this, but as soon as I try to hold on to them, they are all gone. It is as if someone is blocking my memory on purpose. It feels as if there is a part of me missing. As if I do not know whom I truly am. There is only one thing I know for sure, and that is that I am not from here. That this is not my real family, not my real home. That I am a stranger, trapped in a world where I do not belong."
"Of course you belong here. You are my sister. We are raised together," Loki said.
"No. We might be raised together, but we are not of the same flesh and blood. You and I differ five months. There is no way we can be of the same parents. We do not even look alike," Machaira said.
Loki looked at the girl. She was quite beautiful. She was naturally tanned and muscular, from about his own height. She had wavy silvery blond hair with a braid on one side that ended in two feathers. Her eyes were black with a bright blue gleam and if she wouldn't appear so sad, they would shine like stars.
"True," Loki said, "Thor and I also do not look much alike, but you indeed do not look like either of us."
Machaira nodded and they sat in silence for a while.
"Look, I cannot help you with your memory, obviously," Loki said while he stood up, "But I can try to help you with your other problem."
"How?" Machaira asked standing up too.
"You could skip an entire day."
"No way. Freya will kill me."
"No, she will not. Not literally at least. And besides, if you are not there, she cannot yell at you."
"That is true," Machaira sighed.
"I would like to offer you something you seem to lack," Loki said.
"And what is that?" Machaira asked raising an eyebrow.
"Friendship," the prince said while he held out his hand.
"You want to be friends with me?" the young girl asked surprised.
"I would love to have an actual friend," Loki said and smiled. Machaira smiled too and then laid her hand in his.
"Come on, let us have some fun!" Loki said and dragged his new friend with him.
They spent the rest of the day together having fun. They explored the palace more extended than ever. By the end of the day, they entered the dining hall, laughing, with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Frigga stood up immediately. So did Freya, who was sitting next to the Queen of Ásgarð.
"Machaira! Where have you been all day?" Frigga asked slightly angered.
"Calm yourself, mother," Loki said calmly, "She was with me."
"With you?" his mother asked surprised.
"Yes. We are friends now," Loki said with a smile, "Is that not right, Machaira?"
The girl laughed, "I guess you could say so, Loki."
"Well then," Frigga said, "If that is the truth, than I have no reason to be angry with you. I think it would be best if the two of you would spend as much time as possible together….
Therefore, from now on, Machaira shall only have etiquette-lessons once a week. But, only on one condition. You will have to pay attention and show progress in Freya's lessons."
"Fine," both Freya and Machaira sighed.
"Very well. Now let us have dinner," the Queen said.
For a long time, nothing special happened. But then, one day…
Loki, Machaira, Sif and Thor entered the main hall, having fun as usual. Odin Allfather was sitting on his throne and Frigga was standing next to him. They were having an argument with someone. That someone appeared to be … a giant squirrel.
"I need my guardian, Odin," the squirrel said, "Níðhögg is tearing up Yggdrasill's roots. Soon he will escape his prison. I need her."
"Can you not defeat the monster yourself?" Odin asked.
"Of course not. The Níðhöggr is much bigger than me!" the squirrel answered annoyed.
The two princes stared at the giant squirrel and said simultaneously, "What the heck is that?"
Sif just stared at it. The three of them looked back at their friend, who suddenly had stopped. Her mouth was hanging half-open and she was stammering.
"I … I … I know him," she said.
"You know whom?" Thor asked.
"That squirrel, I have seen him before. I know him."
"How can that be?" Loki asked.
"I … I do not know. M-maybe he is from my life before here."
"Who is he then?" Loki asked.
"He is … he is … my brother," Machaira stuttered.
So that's it. The first chapter. We hope you like it and please fav/follow and R&R