The baby was sleeping. Frigga rocked the little girl, stroking her downy golden hair as she set her down in the crib. Odin had built the crib when they first married, crafting each bar with love and care. It had laid empty since he had proudly shown it to her, until she decided that it was no good waiting for a baby that would never happen, and she started to put Freyja's children to sleep in it while she watched them.

Five-year-old Var wandered into the room as Frigga covered her younger sister, one of Freyja's triplets. Var stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"Syn sleeping yet?"

"Yes."

"You gonna read me a story now?"

Frigga smiled at the little girl's big blue eyes and took her hand, leading her back to the main room of the nursery. All of Freyja's daughters were adorable, and they all looked exactly like her. Seven daughters. While Frigga had none. She knew she shouldn't be jealous, that Freyja had her own problems, but she couldn't help it. Seven daughters!

Var settled next to Frigga on the couch as the queen opened a book. Var leaned against her, and Frigga put an arm around her. Her heart always warmed when she was close to children. It always had. When she was a child herself, when she wasn't helping the local mothers in the square, she was in her room, carefully caring for her dolls. Changing them, feeding them, rocking them. She would even pace the halls for hours, telling anybody who asked that her baby was colicky and wasn't going to sleep.

She and Odin both had planned to have a baby as soon as possible when they married. And decades later, nothing had happened.

Var twisted her fingers into Frigga's hair, repeatedly curling and uncurling a strand around her little finger. When she stuck the same finger up her nose, Frigga carefully extracted it and wiped the mucus off both the finger and her hair.

"When do I get to go home?"

Frigga stroked her silky blonde hair from her face. "Aren't you enjoying the story?"

Var shook her head. "I want Mor."

"She's going to come soon, sweetheart."

Var's lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. "She never sees me anymore."

"Oh, sweetie." Frigga pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, her heart aching.

With so many children, and three of them only infants, it wasn't surprising that some of them were feeling left out. When Freyja asked Frigga to watch Var and Syn, she had told her that Frey was watching Lofn, who was just a few years older than Var, and Snotra, another of the triplets, while Hnossa and Idunn, the two oldest, were taking care of Sjofn.

When Frigga had asked Freyja what her plans were, Freyja just laughed and told her she didn't have plans – she was just going crazy and needed a few hours to herself. Frigga tried not to judge her, but there was still part of her mind that questioned how much Freyja actually wanted her children if she couldn't stand to be with them.

"Last night Mor told me that she was going to sing to me, but the babies woke up and they kept crying and she didn't sing to me." Var tugged at the stained lace pinafore she wore. "I miss Mor singing to me. Those babies take up all her time."

"Well, they're still very little," Frigga said, trying to comfort the little girl. "When they grow up a little bit, she'll have more time. You just have to be patient."

Var seized the book from Frigga's lap and threw it. "I'm tired of being patent!"

"Var, that was unnecessary," Freyja said firmly. "I know you're angry, but ruining my belongings won't help you."

She set Var aside and retrieved the book, returning it to the shelf. As Var made angry noises behind her, she set about tidying the bookshelf, glancing over her shoulder once in a while to make sure Var wasn't doing anything that would hurt herself. Eventually the noises stopped, and Freyja returned to the couch.

"I'm sorry for throwing the book," Var muttered, rubbing her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Freyja embraced her.

"It's alright, Var. You're feeling frustrated and I know that can be hard."

Whatever anybody said about Freyja's lifestyle, her daughters were all generally well-behaved, genteel and very self-confident. All good qualities in young women. If – when – Frigga found herself blessed with a daughter, she was going to follow her friend's lead and have her trained in swordplay and self-defence.

Var sighed. "That's what Uncle Frey says. He says that Mor is just really tired and she needs me to be extra good." She let out an even louder sigh. "Hnossa still sings to me though. I love Hnossa."

Frigga stroked her hair, and Var stuck her thumb back into her mouth. Her eyes slowly closed, and soon she was snoring softly. Frigga smiled as she laid the little girl on the couch and covered her with a blanket. The screaming babies probably didn't just keep Freyja up at night. Var probably had some sleepless nights as well.

A soft wail told her that Syn had woken, and Frigga went into the bedroom and retrieved the baby. She was wet, so Frigga changed her quickly and fed her some goat's milk. It wasn't long after that Freyja came to the door, looking significantly more relaxed than she had earlier that day.

"I hope the girls were good for you," she said quietly, smiling at sleepy Syn. The baby grinned instantly and reached for her mother. Freyja took her and cooed a few loving terms.

"They were little angels," Frigga assured her. "Although… Var does seem to feel neglected. I'd be happy to watch the girls anytime, if you want to take them for individual mother-daughter days."

Freyja's expression, which had been growing weary, broke into relief. She rocked Syn from side to side as the baby grabbed a fistful of her hair and stuffed it into her mouth. "Would you?"

"Of course," Frigga assured her. "I love your girls."

"Thank you."

"It's no trouble."

Freyja retrieved her hair from Syn's mouth. "I can't thank you enough. The triplets have been eating up all my time. I've been feeling so guilty, not being able to give Var and Lofn as much attention as before. And Hnossa and Idunn have been such helpers, doing far more than I have a right to ask them. It's not fair to them. And I'd never be able to cope without Frey… but that's enough of me ranting." She took a deep breath and let it go. "Thank you for your offer. I will definitely take you up on it sometime."

Frigga nodded. "Of course. Var just fell asleep not long ago."

Freyja rescued her hair from Syn again. "Would you be available to watch her for a while longer? She hasn't been sleeping at night."

"Yes. I'll bring her by when she wakes up."

"Thank you." Freyja smiled again. "Now let's get little Syn home before her temper turns. Yes, because she's the grumpiest baby I've ever had." She spoke with a playful tone, and Syn giggled as she kissed her nose.

"Grumpy?"

"Yes. None of my other girls needed to be held constantly. But Syn needs extra attention, I guess." She kissed her baby again and thanked Frigga before taking her leave.

Frigga wandered back into the nursery, and picked a book off the shelf. As she read and watched Var sleep, she couldn't help but daydream about watching her own child sleep.

#

Frigga arranged a few lilacs from her garden on the nightstand of her and Odin's wedding chambers. She hadn't been able to see him all day, he being busy with the war against Jotunheim, but she had sent him a message asking him to spend the night with her. Normally they would be in their private chambers, since they had such drastically different schedules.

"Frigga. Do you have any wine? I'm exhausted." Odin entered the room and started taking off his everyday armor.

Frigga bit her lip, moving to stand by the bedpost. She leaned against the elaborately carved wood, hoping Odin would look at her soon. She had bought a new nightdress, and was trying out a new hairstyle. She waited.

"Well?" Odin set the last of his armour on its statue. "Wine?"

"I do." Frigga's heart sunk. She moved to the wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle. "I'm afraid it's not chilled at all."

"That's fine. I just need a little something to help relax me."

Frigga glanced over her shoulder. Odin was changing into an old, ratty nightshirt. Her lips pressed together and she selected her least favourite wine. No use in wasting the good stuff on a night like this. She put out two glasses, and started to uncork the bottle. It was stuck pretty tightly.

Odin pressed his lips to the back of her neck. "Let me help with that."

His arms slipped around her waist, and she surrendered the wine bottle to him.

"Is that a new nightgown?" he asked in a low murmur.

Frigga nodded, leaning back against him. "Mmm-hmmm."

"It looks beautiful. You look beautiful." Odin uncorked the wine and poured them each a small amount. "How was your day, love?"

"It was good. I watched little Var and Syn for a while this morning. They're such sweet little girls."

"They must get it from their uncle," Odin grumbled. His eyes darkened. "Goodness knows Freyja-"

He cut off at Frigga's glare. Clearing his throat, he handed her a glass.

"How was your day?" Frigga didn't want to fight, as they so often ended up doing when Freyja came into the picture. Odin had never forgiven his sister-in-law for taking up with all the men she had instead of marrying again after the death of Ve. Freyja had never forgiven Odin for sending Ve to the battle where Laufey had killed him.

"It was productive. We have found a weakness in the Jotun's armies, which should allow us to buy a little leeway. But I don't want to talk about the war right now. I assume there was another reason you asked me here today." Odin waggled his brows at her, and leaned forward for a kiss.

"I want to try for a baby again."

Odin drew back. "We haven't been doing anything that would prevent-"

"But we haven't been trying, either." Frigga twisted her hands together. "I know we're in a war and things are in flux, but I want a baby. Odin, I want one so bad…"

"I know." He set his wine aside and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight. "I know you do. But the fertility herbs and potions that the alchemists make leave you feeling so ill, all the time. Perhaps we should wait for a more "

Frigga's eyes filled with tears. "I just don't know what else I can do."

"Jord. The elder goddess." Odin took her hand and led her to the bed. "She's powerful, and she's the spirit of life and the creation of life. Maybe she can help us."

Frigga looked away. Jord. Freyja's mother. They had crossed paths a few times, but only briefly. In the presence of the elder goddess, one of the first beings to gain an intelligence in the universe, she always felt small and insignificant. Jord had a power that the Aesir could not begin to understand.

"You think I should go to Midgard? But aren't the Jotuns showing unusual interest in the realm these days?"

"Laufey would never be fool enough to attack Midgard," Odin said with confidence. "It's been neutral ground for the Nine Realms since the World's Tree was planted. He would be condemned at all sides if he dared trespass that sacred ground."

Frigga nodded. "Then I will go to Midgard. Tomorrow."

Odin smiled at her. "Good. Now, how about we have some of that wine and have a good sleep."

He moved back to the glasses. Frigga accepted hers without a word, and sipped slowly. It seemed the new nightgown had come to go good after all.