Today is your first day in the Asgard palace. You holds your stepmother's hand tightly as you walk into the entrance. "why do we have to come here?" You ask nervously.
"because it's time for you to grow up, my child." You can see her fake smile.
"but I don't…" you starts to whine.
"enough!" you starts to tear up as your step mother drag you towards a woman. You can hear them negotiating and after a few minutes the women gives her a large package. she take a long look, then her face is replace with a large smile. "go with her."
"no." you hold on her dress. "I don't want to." Noticing your reluctant, she forcibly take your hand and push you away. "have a good day." She ignore your plead and smiles to the women.
"what's your name?" the women kneel down ask nicely. But all you can do is cry. "how old are you?" she tries again.
"… five." you keep wiping your tears.
"come now. I will show you around." She takes your hand gently. As you walk, the woman explains to you the reason you are here and your task from now on.
"so, I can't go home?" you look up with your sad eyes.
"this is your home now." She opens the door and your eyes widen.
"this room is so big!" it is the first time you ever been in a huge room.
"this is a servant's room, which you will be living with the others." She takes out a set of clothes. "put this on." And so you did but perhaps too big for you. Later the day, she takes you to the east hallway. "this is your task from now on. Clean up the hallway and do not talk to anyone that passes by." You blink your eyes. "understood?"
"what if they talk to me?" you ask innocently.
"you will not look at them directly and speak with a respectful tone." Those words means nothing to a five years old. You just nod and pretend you understands. "I know this is tough, child. But life goes on and this is your life now. You are a servant and must not forget that." Then she continues explaining the rules but those just goes over your head. She takes you back to servant's room and you can see the other are resting. You get on your bed and tuck yourself in. You look up at the ceiling and eyes are getting watery. You realized your stepmother has abandoned you and from now on, you don't have a family anymore.
The next few months has been rough for you. Well who can blame you, You are just a child. and yet you are doing everything that the adults could or couldn't. Luckily, you find a lovely company. "woof!" a little black fur puppy standing behind you. "hi." You can see her wiggling her tail. "here." You take out a bag of snack that you've been saving. "wait. no. You know what to do." You hold out a hand and she immediately put her paw on yours. "good girl." You smile and rubs her head.
"hey!" another servant come to you. "what you think you're doing?" he look at you harshly as you pick up the cloth and continue your job. "hurry up and finish it, or there wont be dinner for you!" you try not to tear up, because you realize no one will help you no matter how much you cry.
"I will hurry up." You just give him a simple answer. However he is not satisfy. he see you hiding the snack. He swiftly takes it from your pocket. "well. Well. Well. Look who's been hiding the goods." He takes a bite and the puppy is not happy about it. She jumps up and bite his arm. He throw her off the floor and kicks her. "control your stupid dog!"
The puppy whimper and you immediately goes to her. "you okay?!" you try to comfort her by holding and gently soothing her. However the puppy continues to whimper. You really hope he did not break a bone or something. The man keeps yelling and screaming at you as you holds the puppy close.
"Fenris?" a child's voice raise up. You look behind the man. It's a little girl with black hair and she is wearing a greenish black dress. Suddenly the puppy runs out of your embrace and head towards her. "what happens?"
You look towards the man and all you see is sweat. He immediately kneels "Princess Hela!" he swallow nervously. "I was just talking to this servant here."
"really?" the puppy is now in her arms. "Fenris said otherwise." She keep soothing the poor dog. "you." She look at you.
"yeh?" you just look at her innocently.
Hela is surprise how you responded. "tell me. What happen."
"emm. I just feed little puppy some snacks and he come to me then kicked her." You give her the simplest answer and Hela just frown. "what?" you ask.
"do you know who I am?" she let go of Fenris and walk to you. "no one talks to me that way."
"so?" you look straight into her eyes. "you so small. How old are you? Are you a servant too?" you are now curious and think you can finally make some friends.
"I'm Hela. The Goddess the Death." She cross her arm and does not look amuse. You stare at her blankly and the man on his knees eventually speak up.
"princess Hela. She is new, she just got here a few months ago." He keep his eye on the floor. "I was just teaching her, and please! I didn't know it was your dog." Well he just reminded her.
"I see." Hela didn't say anything else. She just do a gesture with her hands and the guards have show up. You can hear the man plead as he was drag away.
"what did you do?" you ask.
"execution." A word that you know the definition to. Suddenly there is a sadness within you. Fenris somehow sense that. She comes up to you and lick your hand. You smiles and lean down to pat her head. Hela watch this interactions in front of her. "Fenris has never been this close to anyone. What did you do?"
"I give her snacks." You pick up Fenris and hold her in your arms.
"this?" Hela picks up a small bag full of servants food.
"yes." you can see Fenris tries to reach out for it.
"this is garbage, Fenris!" Hela yelp and her puppy just whimper.
"leave her alone. Child." You try to defend the poor dog.
"watch your tone! I could have you executed!" she yelps with disbelief. No one dares talks to Hela like that and you are the first.
"well. You're quite small." You look at her presence. "how old are you?"
"I'm ten. And soon I'll be the goddess of death." She reply with a proud smile.
"oh." You realize she is older than you.
"so watch your tone. Servant." Hela walk pass you. "let's go Fenris." The puppy once again jump out of your embrace and follow Hela.