Earth-717 Special #2: The Winter Princess
Chapter 1: Let Him Go
A soft chill settled in around the room as Loki rested on his bed. His room in the palace was connected to a balcony overlooking a significant part of the city, and he had left the door wide open. From the balcony, the edge of the city could seen, as well as the Rainbow Bridge that emerged and led straight to the Bifrost nexus.
The breeze from outside filtered in, leaving the thin silk curtains adorned over the door to gently dance. Loki inhaled as he slowly rubbed his hands together. He was never bothered by the cold; rather, he actually found it quite soothing. After looking out the window at the golden city for a few minutes, he then decided to get up.
Loki walked towards a closed door that led to an adjacent area. Opening it, he found inside a small room that had nothing but a circular well at the centre. There was an overhead hole in the ceiling that allowed for sunlight to pour directly onto the water. The well was nearly identical to the one that Frigga had attached to her own chambers.
Closing the door, Loki turned back to the well and stepped up to it. After looking at his own reflection for a few moments and thinking of the place he wanted to see, he then started weaving his hands in the manner that his mother had shown him. Strands of green, magical energy formed between his palms, and he then tossed them towards the water.
They pooled together within the nourishing fluid, and seconds later, an image started to form. It showed an aerial view of a room, not too dissimilar to his own. However, this was a room inside of a castle in the realm of Midgard, and inside the room was a lone girl. She had blonde hair and striking blue eyes that looked like they were made of perfected aquamarine.
She was sitting against the wall, on the floor rather than on the bed. Her knees were huddled against her chest, and she wrapped her arms around her legs. She was not crying, but was clearly sad, her eyes conveying all of the pain she was feeling at that moment. All of the walls were covered in a thin layer of frost, and snowflakes slowly fell through the air, but she was not shivering.
Loki frequently found the girl in a state like this whenever he peered into her life. She would frequently be by her lonesome, having locked herself in her room for extended periods of time. She rarely ever interacted with anyone in her immediate family, and interacted with anyone else even less. She was almost always alone, consumed in her own grief.
Loki tilted his head ever so slightly to the side as he watched her mull about in her own thoughts. In a way, she was simply doing the same thing that Loki found himself doing so often. While a certain part of him felt guilty for frequently invading her privacy using his magic, he also could never bring himself to stop.
When his mother had taught him how to channel his magical powers to use the viewing well, she did it as a way of connecting with him emotionally because he felt so isolated, even amongst his family. Once he had his own well, he started to survey random places in the Nine Realms, curious about what he could discover in the universe using his power.
However, one day while using the well, he had stumbled upon a kingdom on Midgard. While observing it, he found the girl, and he was immediately captivated. There was something about her hair, about her eyes, and about her predicament that called out to him. The fact that she, like himself, had magical talents, even further piqued his interest.
He had never heard her voice or even known her name, but still he was repeatedly drawn back to her. He watched her as she spoke to her parents, who clearly could not understand her or the magical talents she possessed. He watched her as she rebuffed the affections of her younger sister, who had no knowledge of the torment that she underwent.
He watched her for so long, and even though she had no idea that he even existed, he still felt something for her that he was incapable of feeling with anyone else.
Empathy.
As Loki found himself lost in his own thoughts, he almost did not notice a knock at his door. Blinking, he then left the well room and then opened the door to his bedroom, but only wide enough for him to peer outside.
Thor was waiting on the other side.
"Brother!"
Loki raised an eyebrow.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Mother has summoned us. She asked me to tell you. We're to meet her at the western courtyard right away."
"Did she say why?"
Thor shrugged.
"It's Mother. She need not a reason to summon us, but she always has one."
Loki scowled, but otherwise did not respond. Thor then gestured with his hand for Loki to come with him. Rolling his eyes, Loki reluctantly opened the door and stepped outside. Closing the door behind him, he then followed his brother. While Thor walked with a confident stride, Loki shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered after him.
When the two young princes arrived at the western courtyard, Frigga was standing there waiting. As they approached, she took a moment to look over her sons. She was quite proud of how they were both developing into men, even if they had very contrasting personalities. While her eldest was far more outgoing and optimistic than his introverted and cynical brother, it still warmed her heart to see them together.
"My sons."
"Mother!"
Thor eagerly rushed up to meet his mother, while Loki did not quicken his pace. Frigga then held out both of her hands, and her two sons took them. Thor was on her left, while Loki was on her right. She then started leading them out of the courtyard and away from the palace. She took them to a meadow that was just outside the palace property.
Within the meadow were numerous carved stones, each one denoting the grave of an Asgardian.
"The Folkvangar," said Loki. "Why have you brought us here, Mother?"
"Because there is something I need you both to understand."
Frigga led them to a specific stone. As she looked down at it, she let go of Thor and Loki's hands and let them come together in front of her. Thor frowned when he looked upon the stone.
"Grandfather," said Thor.
"Yes," said Frigga. "Here lies the body of Bor, father of Odin. For tens of thousands of years, he was the King of this realm. But while his physical form may fall here, his soul rests forever in Valhalla, where all heroes meet their final destiny."
Loki slowly narrowed his eyes.
"But Mother, we know this."
"Yes, but consider why I want you to think about this place. My sons, you are both young and vibrant. You have the power of eternity, but that does not mean that you are infallible. We may be gods, but we can still be killed. Observe how many of our ancestors have arrived at the same fate."
Frigga then turned towards her sons and knelt beside them. She then reached into a pocket on her robe, pulling out two small objects. Placing one in each hand, she then held them out in front of the two princes. They were identical small stones, only four centimetres wide. They were both inscribed with a marking in the shape of a leaf.
"What are those?" asked Thor.
"These, my children, are relics of Vanaheim. They are Healing Stones of Hardol, and have a magic sealed inside unlike any other."
Both Thor and Loki stared at the stones with great interest.
"If crushed over a person, the stone will heal them, even if the wound is mortal. Whether it be illness or injury, the healing stone's power is absolute. However, once used, it is forever lost."
"How did you come by such relics?" asked Loki.
Frigga smiled.
"I inherited the stones from my father. When he gave them to me, there were three left in all existence. Alas, he used one to save my own life when I was but a child. I have possessed these last two ever since, but now is the time to pass them on. One each, for both my children. Take them, keep them safe, and hope that there never comes a day when you require their use."
Thor grabbed his stone and grinned before placing it inside one of his pockets. Loki was more methodical, slowly wrapping his fingers around the stone before taking the time to look it over. Holding it with both hands, he twirled it around in his fingers and meticulously pored over all of its features.
He found the perfection of its carving quite remarkable.
Thor and Loki stepped up to their father's throne in the royal hall of the palace. Frigga was standing next to Odin, and Loki noticed that she seemed to be less cheerful than normal. Both princes were wearing their regal attire, complete with a scarlet cape for Thor and an emerald one for Loki. Odin leaned slightly to the left as he looked over his children.
"My sons," said Odin. "This day is one I always knew would arrive, but to finally face it . . . ."
Thor and Loki briefly glanced at each other. Loki then looked over his shoulder at the empty hall behind him. Truly, they both had no idea what was going to come next.
"Your Mother and I have decided that now is the time for you both to know something. A truth that has been weighing on my heart ever since I made the decision to conceal it. I believe I did the right thing to protect you both from it, but that time is over."
"What are you speaking of, Father?" asked Thor.
Odin looked down for a moment. Frigga reached out and placed her right hand on his left shoulder. She patted his shoulder plate a couple times and nodded at him, indicating that it was time for him to proceed. He then looked back up at his sons.
"Do you remember the story you were told about my final campaign against the Frost Giants?"
Thor grinned. Loki furrowed his brow.
"But of course!" said Thor, holding his arms out wide. "You bested the foul beasts in their own realm! Defeated their King in single combat! A story of great glory and honour!"
Loki remained silent.
"Aye, that is all true," said Odin. "But that was not the entire story."
"What do you mean?" asked Thor.
Odin sat back in his chair. Moving his sceptre in a rhythmic motion, a circular magical image appeared next to him. The image molded to show various visuals as he started to recount the story, with the first one being of a battle between Asgardian warriors and large, blue-skinned humanoids known as Frost Giants.
"Several centuries ago, the ancient rivalry between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim reached a terrible climax. The war was upheld by much bloodshed and treachery, mostly due to the ferocity of Laufey, the latest in the line of Jotunn kings."
The image molded into that of Laufey. He was not quite as tall as two Frost Giants who stood at either side of him, but he had deep red eyes and a look of cunning on his face.
"Laufey's ambition, and his desire for power over the other realms, made him an enemy that Asgard could not afford to ignore."
The image switched again, showing Laufey's army slaughtering fleeing civilians on an unnamed alien world. Laufey himself was accompanied by a gigantic, four-legged monster with leathery, cyan skin known as a Frost Beast. It had sharp teeth and tusks attached to both of its cheeks. Its tail had a spiked club on the end, and it used this to slash at a group of people.
Loki sneered as he watched the image then change to a younger version of Odin standing with an army of Einherjar across from the horde of Frost Giants.
"With a troop of my finest warriors, I led the charge against Laufey's horde. The war was fierce, brutal, and exhausting, but eventually, we managed to drive him back to his homeworld, with the final battle taking place at his own castle."
The image showed Odin and Laufey duelling atop a castle tower as the rest of the battle was waged around them. Thousands of warriors on both sides were fighting both on and around the castle. Odin was fighting with his sceptre, while Laufey had two large ice swords. Both kings were bloodied and beaten, struggling with the last of their energy.
"It was a monumental effort on the part of Asgard's warriors, but finally . . . ."
The image showed Odin swing with his sceptre, slashing through Laufey's swords and cutting through his chest.
". . . . Laufey was defeated."
Frigga inhaled as she watched the image, for she knew what was coming next.
"The battle ended that day," said Odin. "But that was not the true end of the tale."
Thor and Loki both listened attentively. The image then showed Odin walking inside one of the rooms of Laufey's castle, where he found a cradle made of ice.
"After the battle was ended, I came across someone that would forever change the course of my life. Inside the castle, I discovered a baby."
Loki stared at the image with wide eyes as he watched Odin reach into the cradle with both hands. He pulled out a small baby with blue skin.
"Laufey's son," said Odin. "For a giant's offspring, he was quite small, and would have been considered malformed in their culture. While he would have been the heir to the throne, I knew that without his father to protect him, the remaining Frost Giants would have slaughtered him in a bid to seize power."
The blood in Loki's face started to drain away. Frigga looked over at him with concern.
"So I took him," said Odin. "Out of pity or mercy, I cannot say, but I knew that he did not deserve the fate that had been placed before him. I took him back to Asgard, and using the power of the Odinforce, I molded him into an Asgardian."
Thor slowly started to turn to look at Loki, who had pure shock in his eyes. The All-Father gulped before he said his next sentence.
"And I adopted him . . . . as my second son."
Everyone stared at Loki, who looked utterly betrayed by the revelation. There was seemingly no air in the room, with no one breathing for several agonizing seconds. As Loki's eyes started to water, he then closed his mouth and formed a scowl. He glared at Odin with pure contempt before he turned around and began running out of the room.
"Loki!"
Thor gestured as if he was going to stop his brother, but Odin stood up.
"Don't," said Odin.
Thor turned back to his father.
"But he . . . ."
"Let him go."
Thor and Frigga both watched with saddened eyes as Loki sprinted out of the royal hall, clutching both of his hands to his chest. Tears freely streamed from his eyes as he tore his way out of the palace. He had no particular destination in mind, but he knew that he needed to get away from his false family.
He needed to be anywhere else.
Finally realizing where he needed to go, he ran towards one of his secret portals. Activating it, he then burst through it, and was instantly gone from the world he once thought was his home.
