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Author Note: Disclaimer! I do not own any of the Marvel characters, however the OC's are of my own creation. This is a story that's been in my head for a while. It takes place before the Thor movies and will develop into a romance that may or may not contain mild sexual scenes. It also contains a timid and scarred heroine that has been through much abuse and pain - so if this offends you as a reader or is not your cup of tea for a heroine character, then please stop here! (you have been warned).
Enjoy!
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Synopsis:
She was a shell. A ghost of a woman with a veiled future and a dark past. A past so dark and haunting, she can no longer speak a single word. She was one of few ever to have escaped the shadowed wastelands of Nornheim. The scars on her soul easily outnumbered the scars on her body. It would take much time, much patience, and the charm of a raven haired god of mischief to bring her back into the blinding light of life again.
He was a prince. A royal of the golden halls of Asgard. The forgotten son of the all-father, Odin. Living as a shadow under the shining example of his brother, Thor. But it would not be for long. For he was observant, clever and cunning. He would wait, bide his time and have it all: the throne, Asgard... and the silent woman who had captured more than just his interest.
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All this time I've been afraid, I wouldn't let it show... Nobody can save me now. - Battle cry, Imagine Dragons.
Chapter 1
" Run, Bryn! Run!"
Fear and pain. It was mixture of emotion that was both potent and lethal. It was what was driving her onwards, propelling her legs to move as she and the others ran for their very lives through the vast wasteland of Nornheim. Her breath came in wheezing gasps, her legs burned, her body was weak, dying of starvation. But it was not a hunger for food that drove her on, but a hunger for life, for survival, for freedom.
There was four of them, she and three others, fleeing as though Surtur the fire demon of Muspelheim himself was following them. The other three men were much faster and much stronger than she was, making it difficult for her to keep up with them.
The cold wind whipped at her face, blinding her with tears. Tears of terror. Her body ached terribly. Her small frame was racked with agony as she pushed herself to keep going, to move faster. She swung her left arm, whilst the other clutched at her side, willing the pain from her ribs. She was sure a few of them were broken. Her back and sides were on fire, the open wounds slashed across her flesh stretched and oozed with each movement she took. It was a previous punishment, but it was also a reminder. A reminder that if they did not escape this hell this day, they would not escape at all. They would die here. If not by lack of food, then by torture of their captives.
She replayed the scenes over and over in her mind. The beatings. The cruelty. The whippings. It urged her on, gave her strength when she thought she had none left to find.
She gave a stumble, almost falling to her knees before a hand reached out and pulled her up, urging her to keep moving.
She glanced up at her friend, Thren, seeing the desperation in his eyes. " Quickly! They are gaining on us!"
Bryn did not need to look back to see that their chasers were indeed not far behind them. She could hear their gigantic feet pounding across the asphalt earth. She could hear their enraged shouts as boulders and rocks of all sizes flew passed their heads, skimming by them by a mere hair length.
Thren's grip on her was firm as he ran, almost dragging her with him. His usually handsome face was contorted with fear, the bruises against the hollow of his cheeks and the paleness of his face was enough to fill her with the adrenaline.
" There it is! Up ahead! We are not far!" It was Valnir, the oldest and leader of her companions that shouted out. His slender form darting around a large splinter of rock in the ground as he pointed towards their destination.
Low and behold there it was. Salvation! The Frostgrinder. It's huge metal structure was like a shining beacon on the peripheral of her vision. It was built buy the dark creatures that hunted them. It was a gateway, a portal between realms, a bridge between worlds. Fire filled her being, it gave her wings as they made it to the short climb of steps before its tall iron archway.
" Just a little further, Bryn, we're almost there." Thren urged, his pace increasing as liberation was finally within reach.
" Kill them!" was the gruff roar from behind them, the trolls heavy footsteps becoming quicker, spurred on by the chase, "Do not let them escape!"
Bryn did not dare to look back. Her heart built into a deafening, dangerous crescendo, almost bursting forth from her chest at its violence.
One step, two steps, three and four. All four of them made it to the top and without a further moment of consideration, they sprang for the doorway of the portal. As though reacting to their approach the construction burst into sudden life. Rays of light spilled from all angles of its frame. The hum of something magical and mechanical filled atmosphere.
Time was of the essence. This was the moment they had been waiting for. It was now or never.
All four of them tumbled through, into its blinding embrace.
" No!"
A large, misshapen hand reached for Bryn, brushing dangerously close to her body, almost catching the fluttering edges of what was left of her gown. But it was too late.
A vibrating powerful surge engulfed them. The world around Bryn began to tilt and whirl until there was nothing.
Nothing but searing blinding light, and the wild beating of her own heart.
Pure whiteness turned into a vortex of colour as the world around them formed and moulded itself. Shapes and patterns became a reality. Bryn's stomach jerked as though she had just fallen from a great height.
Her legs wobbled, almost threatening to collapse beneath her if it was not for Thren's hand upon her, keeping her upright.
She looked around at all four of her male companions.
The sounds of their gasping breaths echoed all around them. One by one they all froze, looked to one another as if in disbelief.
" Are you well, Bryn?" Thren's voice brought her from her chaotic thoughts, as she looked at him. He gave her a small almost sad smile of reassurance. She said nothing, just nodded at him. Flashing a brief smile in return. Her relief evident.
They had made it... They had escaped.
Their joy, however, was short lived as one of the others spoke up.
"Where are we?"
Both Bryn and Thren stepped away from each other to take in their new surroundings. Her eyes widened.
This was not right.
The portal had brought them to a strange unfamiliar corridor of some design. With ceilings so high it made her dizzy just looking up at them. The walls were such a bright golden hue that it dazzled her if she stared at them too much. The floor tiles beneath their worn, battered feet was equally so. Majestic was not worthy enough of a word for her to use to describe them.
They were no longer in Nornheim, that was for sure. But they certainly were not where they had intended to go. Home.
"This is not Vanaheim." it was Borik, one of her larger, dark haired companions that spoke up with bewilderment.
" No, tis not, " Valnir whispered, looking uneasy as he glanced down one end of the hall, as though expecting something to happen. As though he knew something the others did not. " I have not seen this place before... but I have heard of it."
There was a moment of silence before he finally said, " We are in Asgard."
Asgard. The moment the word was spoken, they all fell silent. Such a place was only spoken about in legends in Vanaheim. The halls of Odin, the all-father himself. King of the eternal. Protector of the nine realms.
"But that's... impossible." Thren piped up, "Why have we been brought here?"
"There has to have been some sort of mistake," Valnir could not seem to fathom it, "Perhaps the Frostgrinder malfunctioned..."
They continued to discuss the possibilities to themselves, of what action to take next. Bryn remained silent, listening with close intent.
"We cannot be here. We must leave before someone finds us."
" No. We should speak to him. To Odin. He will welcome us here, I know it." Valnir sounded confident, " He is both wise and kind, he will know what to do."
"Can you be sure?" Borik's deep voice questioned, "We may not be welcome..."
There was a blur of movement to Bryn's left and she turned her head in time to see two tall armour clad men walking towards them. Upon their heads sat fierce looking horned helmets. From a distance they almost appeared to be guards of some kind.
Upon spotting them, they drew thier swords and started towards them with a shout.
" Halt!"
Bryn heard the clink of steel as someone beside them drew his own weapon, ready for battle.
" Borik!" Valnir's voice berated him quietly, " Put down your blade, or they will attack us. Leave this to me, I shall handle this. I have a plan."
Bryn felt herself being pulled behind Thren as the men approached. " Stay close to me." Was all he whispered.
The two came to a stop before them and said, " You are trespassing in the house of King Odin. Identify yourselves."
It was Valnir who stepped forward, lifting his hands in a motion of harmlessness. " I am Valnir, son of Falrin of Vanaheim." He gestured over to us, " These are my friends, they are my travelling companions. We are in need of you and your Kings aid. We wish to speak to him."
The guards look to him, and then to Borik who was still stood there with his sword in his hand. They were tense, ready to fight if necessary; as was Borik.
"You have arrived uninvited and without ceremony to our halls." one guard asked, albeit with a hint of hostility, "What right have you to demand the attention of our lord?"
" Please," Valnir stepped forward a little, " This is all a misunderstanding. We have not come here to fight with you. We have come a long way, from Nornheim-"
"Nornheim!?" they both hissed and Bryn felt herself flinch at the anger that laced their voices.
Maybe that had not been the most wise thing to say. For all of sudden the two guards step forward and lifted their blades up towards them, their faces twisted with mistrust.
" Only treacherous and dark things come from such a place!" one bellowed, his dark eyes burning into Valnir, " You are spies! Admit it!"
Things were getting dangerously out of hand. Bryn could feel it in the tense air that surrounded them. She could feel it in the taut muscles playing in Thren's arm as she reached out and clung to him.
" We are not spies-"
" Enough! We will not listen to your lies!" one guard flew at Valnir, and it was at this stage that chaos erupted.
Bryn was pushed back as the other guard flung himself toward Borik and Thren, his weapon rising high and sweeping low in a killing blow.
She plastered herself against the wall as the men fought, wanting desperately to help somehow, but knew that with her slight and weak frame she would be of no use to them. The pain in her side was growing in intensity, making her see stars, causing her legs to tremble dangerously.
Thren and Borik dodged the guard; one ducking to charge at him and the other side stepping enough to knock the blade from his hand. Valnir swung his arm out catching his guard in the chin but not before he took a swift knee to his stomach, followed by a blow to his back.
More heavy footsteps met her ears.
" Intruders!"
She looked to see more of the golden clad soldiers coming their way. Ten of them at least. Ready to come to the aid of their comrades.
She sprung forward without a thought and took a hold of Thren's tattered shirt, tugging on it viciously to get his attention.
He paused mid hit and looked down to her with a frown and then over her shoulder at the approaching group.
" Valnir?" he asked the other man, " Please tell me this is part of you miraculous plan."
" Well..." was Valnir's uncertain reply, " Not exactly."
There was no time to consider it, before she could understand what was happening Bryn felt herself being grabbed and pulled in the opposite direction, running for her life once again.
She wanted nothing more than to cry out, to tell them of her struggle, of the searing spasms that racked her side. She could not go on much further. Her energy was fading, she would only slow them down.
They turn a sharp left, trying lose sight of the group following them. Just as they darted into the awaiting corridor, they almost ran directly into another crowd of guards, waiting for them.
The world whirled as Bryn was pulled to an abrupt stop. Her companions spun, trying to keep sight of all their aggressors, not wanting to be taken by surprise should they decide to attack again.
They closed in on them slowly, taking measured steps towards them, weapons at the ready.
" Run! Go!"
Bryn felt herself being pushed as Thren and Borik thrust themselves forward into the mass and begun to fight. They were strong fighters, quick and precise, but it was not enough to stop them from being overwhelmed by the armed men.
Torn between the urge to flee and urge to stay and help, Bryn hesitated.
" Come!" Valnir urged her, reaching for her, " We must go, now!"
She had no choice but to follow him, her legs pumping as she tried to keep up with his frantic pace. She wanted to voice her worry, her concern for her friends life but was unable to do so.
They turned this way and that, weaving their way through the endless labyrinth of golden corridors. Behind them, she could hear a few of the guards following closely behind them. Chasing them.
At some point Valnir let go of her arm and she turned another corner...
Only to slow to stop when she realised he was no longer beside her. The area was empty, save for herself. She had lost him.
She was alone.
Her pulse quickened, as a heavy lump landed into deepest pit of her stomach. Fear, like a living creature, manifested itself into her being, strangling her of all reasoning. She could barely breathe.
" One of them went this way!"
They were gaining on her!
With wide eyes, she threw herself into the nearest door, practically wrenching it from his hinges as she flew into the room awaiting on the other side.
It was dark and she could barely distinguish shapes and shadows in the blackness. With a whimper of a breath she looked for somewhere to go, some place to hide.
She could hear them. The guards. They were almost outside of the door, moving closer.
She noticed the flat surface of a table not far away by a heavily draped arched window and without hesitating she slid her small body underneath it, causing the fabric covering to ripple with her movements, falling into place to conceal her. It stilled mere seconds before the door sprang open, revealing her pursuers.
" She came in here." one said, and Bryn curled herself up as tightly as possible, praying to the holy goddesses that they would not find her.
With a bated breath, she waited, and listened.
" She's in here somewhere," there was a clang of steel, " Search for her."
There was a scuffling and scraping noise as furniture was being moved. Bryn could she thier outlines as they split up and stepped around the perimeter of the room, seeking her out. At one point someone nudged against the end of the table concealing her. The need to flee was an urgent demand in her mind; the need to remain as still and quiet as possible, even more so.
They were close. So close, she could swear they would find her by hearing her pounding heart.
Bryn clenched her eyes tight, and waited for inevitable to happen...
" Is there a reason why you have come in here unannounced and interrupting me?"
A voice. It came from the darkened edge of the room. A quiet and yet demanding voice. Authoritatively male and yet gentle at the same time. Cunning and yet with an almost playful edge to it. Filled with a knowing that had shivers trickling down Bryn's spine. A voice so clear and alluring; like the trickling ripples of a stream in spring.
The newcomer took everyone in the room by surprise.
A shadow peeled itself away from the corner, from a high backed chair.
Bryn's heart was in her throat. She had not known there had been someone there! She had assumed the room empty and had flung herself into her hiding spot without thought. Which meant only one thing...
She may not have seen who this newcomer was, but he had surely seen her.
He would tell them where she was. He would find her and drag her out from her sanctuary and...
"My prince," was it just her? Or did the guard's voice falter slightly as they addressed the other man? " Forgive us, we did not mean to intrude. It's just that..."
The speaker hesitated, his unease apparent in the silence that followed, filling the atmosphere with an ominous intensity.
My prince? The thought drifted across her mind.
" Yes?" the word was drawled, a silky invitation.
" It is just that there are intruders, here, in your father's halls." The guard managed to finish in a sudden rush, " We have reason to believe one of them is here, in this very room."
" Is that so?" There was no hint of emotion. Nothing.
" Yes." there was a rustle of fabric followed by a soft clink as a sword was placed back into its sheath, "A young woman is one among them, she arrived with three other males. Somehow they have managed to enter into the palace without us knowing, without the great Heimdall seeing them. We believe they are spies, they said they were from Nornheim, the dark realm of the..."
The other man sighed lowly, almost with boredom, "Yes, I know where it is and what resides there."
" Please," there it was again, that hesitation in the guards tone, "Allow us permission to check the room, your highness. If she is hiding here, we will find her. Your safety and protection is paramount."
For a moment, there was a pause. A long drawn out silence that made Bryn feel like all the realms and time itself had stood still.
Her eyes opened. Deep down she knew that it would soon be over, that her end was approaching.
"And you believe she is here?" came the low almost intrigued question, "In this very room?"
The shadow moved. From Bryn's position she could see the tall frame of a man. His legs long and sleek, his booted feet covered in the finest leather as they began a slow almost languid step towards the table. Heading directly for her.
"Yes, your highness."
Those legs continued and paused a mere step away from the table. All it would take is for Bryn to reach out her arm and she could touch him. And vice versa. He was close, far too close for her liking. She slunk back as quietly as possible, almost plastering herself to the far wall into a tight ball, trying to ignore the sharp stabbing in her ribs. The bright stars dancing before her vision.
"Tell me something, Ulrik." The mysterious Prince addressed him directly, " If you indeed believe that someone has slipped into these rooms, do you not think I would have noticed?"
There was a creak of wood as the man shifted to lean a hip nonchalantly against the table ledge.
"Well... I..." the guard stammered, unable to find the words.
" Do you not think I would have seen her?" The man was relentless in his merciless questioning.
" I was only consideri..." the young man's voice trailed off. Uncertain.
There was a long pause in which Bryn could not see what was happening, but could feel the tension in the air. The unspoken challenge, the battle of command between the men.
" Forgive me, your highness." the guard finally spoke up, his tone contrite, " We shall leave at once." There was soft tap as he lifted a hand to his chest in respectful salute to royalty, "Our sincerest apologies."
And with that all three of the golden clad men turned and left the room, their cloaks rippling softly behind them. The bang of the door closing behind them was like a clap of thunder to Bryn's ears.
She remained still, eyeing the legs that were still so close to her frame.
She heard a low noise, a sigh from above the tables wooden surface.
There was a creak of leather and a rustle of fabric as the person slowly began to lower themselves into a crouch. A long fingered, pale hand took hold of the edge of the table covering and almost cautiously began to lift it. Revealing her to him. And him to her.
Bryn gasped silently, her mouth falling open.
The ethereal being that peered back her was both awe inspiring and frightening. The man watching her carefully was beautiful. With rich ebony locks that were pushed back away from his handsomely smooth features; their feathered ends curling gently around the rounded curves of his ears. Everything about him had her attention. The long slender form that was covered in black as though he was born of the shadows. The aristocratic nose. The pale, almost luminescent skin.
But what really held her gaze was his eyes. They were such a bright and appealing shade of green, like the dewy blades of grass in spring. Almost feline looking in the dim light. They were so expressive and yet so concealing of the thoughts that lay within. They seemed to hold her captive, unable to allow her to look away. As though delving into her very soul, as though knowing her intimately.
His lips lifted into a slow smile. His voice an almost gentle enticement as he whispered to her.
" Why, hello there."