When you are the most powerful seidr wielder in the Nine Realms, many people come to you to request favours. And that is how Loki came to assist a simple milkmaid in catching the eye of Prince Frederick of Vanaheim. He assisted her in acquiring a Golden Fleece that the Vanir prince wished to have, stating the woman that was able to retrieve it from the Light Elf forests, a place only women could enter, would be the maiden he would wed. So Loki aided her in doing so, giving her everything she required to get her passed the water dragon defending the fleece. But as her payment for his aid, the maid had to make an agreement with Loki; on becoming the Prince's wife, she had to convince the prince to bestow certain spell scrolls upon Loki. She attained the fleece, and wed the Prince, but she did not keep her end of the bargain.
Not more than a year after the marriage, which Loki had not received an invitation to, Prince Frederick was crowned King of Vanaheim, and within a few short months of that , he and his common-born wife welcomed a child, a daughter, the heiress of the Vanir throne.
The day came for the little princess's name day, and again Loki did not receive an invitation. He watched as Thor, the now King of Asgard, and his entourage made their way to the Bifrost via the bridge. Irate at the maid not upholding her end of the bargain, Loki came to a decision. The child's names day was the following day, he needed only a few hours to find and ready the spell he required to do what he decided upon. The scrolls were not exactly essential, but he needed to send a message to her, he needed to show her and all the realms, why you always pay your debt to the God of Mischief.
X
"She is a fine child." Thor beamed, looking at the small child, lying in her bassinet in front of her parents. "And a wonderful name, as bright as the child herself. I wish her nothing but the greatest, and as such, I bestow on her, this jewelled necklace, a favourite of my mothers." He turned to a servant and nodded, causing the young man to come forward and display the jewelled trinket to the King and Queen. "I believe it was given to her by your grandfather on her wedding day."
"Indeed, it was Allfather, it was in our family for generations, but she was his favoured Godchild and he had no daughters, as you know, you are too generous." Frederick gave a gracious smile in return.
"Then it deserves to return home," Thor grinned.
"Again, I cannot thank you enough." The King indicated for one of his staff to retrieve it and add it to the mountain of gifts their daughter had received for her big day.
"Well, is this not precious?" Those gathered looked around for the owner of the bodiless voice, though they all knew it, none could not but know the voice of the second, albeit unknowingly adoptive son of Odin. "It seems this family is grateful to Asgard for bestowing so much on them they do not tend to deserve." Loki walked into view, a malicious grin on his face.
"Loki, what is the meaning of this?" Thor asked.
"I am merely here to bestow a gift of my own on the Princess of Vanaheim." He explained, though there was no denying the wicked tone within his voice. "Nothing more, though I have to say, the King of Vanaheim should have better social etiquette than to not send an invitation to all his recent events to me, his Queen can be excused considering her…previous status."
"Loki," Thor warned.
"Prince Loki." King Frederick rose to his feet. "You have been invited to everything that has happened of late, you and the Allfather have."
The Queen shifted awkwardly beside her husband, not able to look the second prince of Asgard in the eye. "But I have not, all you need to do is ask your dear wife, for she seems more focused on the design of the tablecloth than this conversation." He smiled, enjoying her torment.
"Darling?" The Vanir king looked to his wife.
"I do not know what he is referring to." She stated quietly, though not quiet enough for none other to hear and with no conviction in her voice, something her husband and others also noted.
"I shall enlighten him for you, shall I?" Loki offered with a tooth filled grin.
"Enlighten me to what?" Frederick looked between his wife and the mischief prince.
"Loki, what have you done?" Thor was terrified of what his somewhat redeemed brother could have been part of.
"I have done nothing; I fear it is the Queen that is the one that is at fault here, is that not correct, your Majesty." The manner in which he stated her title left everyone in the room curious as to what the prince was implying.
"Darling, what is he talking about?" Frederick asked again.
"It is better from you than from me, I guarantee it," Loki warned.
"Nothing Frederick dear, he is just being dramatic." She dismissed. "And he is ruining our daughter's big day with his lies, should he not be dismissed?"
With his lip curled in contempt of her dismissal of him, Loki gave a bark of a laugh. "Have it your way. King Frederick, your wife ensured I was not invited to any of your events because she owes me a debt." The king looked at his wife again for an explanation, but she remained silent. "I gave her the magic necessary to attain that precious golden fleece you wished for, and in return, she was to gift me the Shoreline scrolls your family has all but discarded, needless to say, she did not uphold her end of the bargain, and was under the impression she could prevent my coming in search of my payment."
Frederick looked at his wife in hopes that Loki's words and claims were false, but she looked guiltily back at him, causing him to realise that she, in fact, was the liar, and the Liesmith was the truth speaker. "Well if that was the bargain, then they are yours. My wife should not have left her debt unpaid, take them with you now." His voice shook, for he knew it would not be so simple.
"Your wife made to make a fool of me Frederick, making her the foolish one and I do not suffer fools. It is not so straightforward, and you know that now."
"Please, Prince Loki, I will give you what you want." The king pleaded.
"Loki, brother…" Thor tried to intervene, but he knew it futile, a debt unpaid to a God was something even he could not control, the Norn's and elders of old ensured that there was such, it gave a man's or woman's word honour, or else, their words would mean nothing, and in so would mean they could not turn to the Gods' for help.
"You know the Old Magic Thor, do not involve yourself, I beseech you," Loki warned through clenched teeth, causing the Allfather to step back. He looked at the child in the basket, who looked back at him innocently. "And so, because you took lightly my aid that gave you everything you have, I take from you all you have."
"No." Frederick pleaded.
"On your darling daughter's seventh hundred name's day, she will cut herself on a crystal chalice, and from that, fall into a slumber that will continue until her five thousandth Names Day." The queen wailed at his words.
"Loki, please, the child is innocent," Thor begged.
Loki raised his hand and the Allfather was silenced. "I am aware, so I will give her this saving grace, if she is given a kiss by one for no personal gain, an act of selfless and true love, something her mother is clearly oblivious to the meaning of, then she will awaken, but of course, such a thing is rare, if it exists at all." And with that, Loki turned on his heel and strutted out of the room, leaving a distraught King and Queen in his wake.
Tried as he might, Thor could not counter Loki's punishment for the Queen not adhering to her side of the deal, and though Frederick sent the scrolls, and many other magical paraphernalia to the prince, he did not rescind his curse; leaving the King decided to do what he thought was best for his daughter, and sent her away, to be raised away from the castle, by the same woman that trained with Frigga in seidr many many moons before. He also demanded all crystal chalices in Vanaheim be sent off realm and none other be made in their stead, they were traded with other realms for their precious materials, if there were no chalices for her to touch, the spell could surely not come to pass.
Aurora would not know of her royal heritage until her seventh hundredth names day had come and passed, and Loki's curse had failed. After that, she would return to the palace, well educated, and protected from the wayward second prince of Asgard.
X
Loki knew where Aurora was being kept, with the curse on her; she was inherently connected to him. He could sense her as well as he could utilise the five senses most all beings are bestowed. He watched from afar, disguised as a raven as she grew, and over the years, the girl became more aware of her surrounding, and in turn, noticed the glorious black bird that watched her from the branch of an oak tree that was situated close to the garden she played in every day. He would watch as she was kind to the animals and even the plants that surrounded her. On many an occasion, thinking him to be a simple creature, the child would leave scraps of food for him and even talk to him, trying to convince him that she meant no harm.
On a day she wandered further away from the small cottage she was living in, he followed her, watching carefully as she made her way to a stream not too far, yet out of sight of the dwelling. She hummed quietly to herself as she did so. He had calculated she was coming to her three hundred and fiftieth name day soon, and she perhaps was yet too young to be wandering off by herself. His thoughts were proven correct when she became stuck in a thicket, right next to the stream, and instead of calmly trying to get herself out of her predicament, she twisted and turned, causing her to become off balance, and fall into the flowing water. The mud on its bank were too wet and meant the young girl was at risk of drowning, so Loki, for reasons unknown to even himself, which he would later try and state was because he wanted to see his curse to come to fruition, changed himself to his human form, and aided the girl.
Spluttering and coughing, Aurora attempted to thank her saviour. "Thank you." She took a few deep breaths before continuing. "Where did you come from?" Her question was not one of accusation, but of curiosity.
Loki smiled down at her, recognising the tone. "I was just walking by, you really ought to be more careful." He kept his tone calm and unthreatening.
"I did not see you." She frowned, looking up at him.
"You did not see that thicket either, though; perhaps you also need to be more observant."
"I am Aurora." She held out her hand to him.
Loki's brow furrowed at her manner. "Nice to meet you, Aurora." He gave a small nod of his head but did not go to shake her hand.
"And what is your name?" She enquired, not sure if she should let her hand fall to her side.
"I am unimportant," Loki stated, not wishing to give her any information that would alert any to his watching her.
"That's an odd name; your parents should not have given you one such as that."
Her innocence caused him to chuckle. "Perhaps not. I would suggest running along now little Aurora, I have little doubt someone is looking for you."
"I got sidetracked." She admitted guiltily.
"I can tell, what was preoccupying you?"
"My bird."
"You have a missing bird?"
"No, my raven, he is wild and he keeps an eye on me, but I have not seen him of late, I went in search of him."
Loki felt himself become somewhat winded at her concern for his disguise creature. "Well, wild birds tend to go about their own lives."
"He always is there, though." She sniffed sadly.
"Yes well, that is the way of the world." Loki was not feeling overly sympathetic. "Now run along, you will get in trouble if you remain away from your home."
"Aurora!" A call came from not far away, startling Loki. "Aurora."
"Coming." The girl called before turning to look at him again. "I better go."
"Yes, you must." Loki kept a keen eye out for fear the old woman that was raising Aurora as her own were to spot him. "Be careful of thickets." He called after her.
"I will." She did not even turn to look at him.
Looking at her run away, Loki scolded himself for interfering once more, before turning back into the raven and flying off.