"Allmother, we should send word to-"
"No," Frigga replied firmly, looking at the tiny still bundle cradled in her arms.
"But surely, even in battle the King would want to know." The healer pressed, not letting the subject drop.
"I know he would, but Odin needs to focus on winning his battles." Her fingers brushed the babies forehead, she was already cold, "he will have to deal with this soon enough."
Frigga was amazed at how well she was holding herself together. But she was sure it wouldn't last long. She wanted this baby, she had prayed to the Norns for a daughter and the obliged; only to take her back before she had even been born. Frigga knew she would be angry later, she knew that when no one was looking she would breakdown, curse the powers that gave her this beautiful blonde haired girl only to snatch her away.
It wasn't fair.
After a long while she handed the baby over to be prepared for her funeral, Frigga felt a cold hand wrap around her heart at the thought, she crossed her arms over her chest and winced.
When thor was born she immediately produced milk for him, and, this time, was no different, only that there would be no baby to nurse. She rubbed her sore breasts and wept.
It wasn't fair.
Frigga told them the following morning to wait until Odin returned from Jotenheim to have the funeral for their daughter, whenever that would be. She knew she should get up and shower, she was still sticky with sweat from her labor but couldn't bring herself to leave the bed. Her body felt heavy with her depression, immoveable…she was surprised her lungs could expand to breathe.
She knew she should go and see Thor, that he would need his mother, but even that could not will her muscles to move.
It was late the next night when Frigga was awoken by loud voice in the hall outside of her chambers.
"I should have been told!" Odin roared, "My wife, the Allmother, goes into labor and delivers our stillborn child and I was not told?!"
The wooden door hit the wall with a crash as he stormed into the common area, a bit louder than he meant too.
"Frigga, oh my love I am so sorry." He knelt by her bedside, gathering her hands in his.
Frigga finally felt her tear ducts release as she fell into agonizing sobs; the first time she had cried in the two days since her baby girl was born. Odin crawled into bed with her and held her as her body shook for what felt like hours.
She thought she must had fallen asleep at some point because the next time she opened her swollen red eyes, Odin was no longer next to her, but she could hear hushed voices in the next room.
"Take him away, to the palace nurses, I don't want the Allmother to see him," Odin whispered to someone.
Why would Odin send Thor away? She wondered until she heard the unmistakable sound of a baby fussing.
"The…nurses are not…comfortable-" A males voice replied.
"It is not their place to be uncomfortable," Odin said sharply, as the babies fussiness increased.
"Odin?" Frigga called, willing herself to get out of bed, groaning as her breasts responded to the now crying baby. Passing through the doorway, she saw Odin arguing with a soldier holding a baby who was squirming angrily in his arms.
"Whose is he?" She asked, neither Odin or the soldier seemed to want to answer so she asked again, "Whose is he?"
"I found him…on Jotenheim…in one of the Frost Giants temples. Abandoned." Odin said slowly.
"What are you intending to do with him?"
"I couldn't leave him to die, he is much smaller than their typical offspring, which I think is why they left him behind."
"That doesn't answer my question." Frigga crossed her arms, trying to hide the wetness that began to bloom over her breasts as they began to lactate.
"I thought, that maybe…if we raised him he could be useful in strengthing our truce with Jotenheim."
Frigga stared at him for a moment, "Give him to me." She commanded firmly.
"What?"
"I said give him to me, I will nurse him, don't you know from Thor? The child is hungry."
"With all due respect Allmother, we can find another woman to do that." The soldier said, even though his face told her that no decent Asgardian would dare take on a Giants offspring.
"The Allfather brought him here, we should be the ones to raise him. Now, give him here." She held out her arms expectantly.
With a glance at Odin, the baby was reluctantly placed in Frigga's waiting arms.
Returning to the privacy of her room, she pulled the front of her nightgown down to expose an aching breast and swollen nipple, "Hello baby," She cooed, unwrapping him from his blanket slowly and brought him closer to nurse.
"It's a boy," Odin said quietly from the doorway watching as the baby latched and his fussy noises ceased to a gentle suckling sound.
"Loki," She whispered, running her fingers through the soft black hair that covered his head, "His name is Loki."
"That's a fine name." Odin nodded.
Frigga felt most of the heavyweight leave her as the baby nursed contentedly, and she couldn't help but think that he was the baby the Norn's meant for her to have after all.