Own OC and plotline. Nothing else.
The warm tub of water stood in front of Anja as she slipped out of her robe and lowered herself into it. She sighed as the warmth eased her tired and stiff muscles. She had been on her feet all day delivering books to their proper places throughout the fortress of a library. She did not mind one bit.
Sinking into the circular tub to the point where merely her face from the nose up remained out of the water, she wrapped her arms tight around her legs, eyes closed as she replayed the day's occurrences in her mind. Yes, she had agreed to go to Asgard for the sake of her father. She could not help but wonder what could possibly be better for her there than where she was now. To be quite honest, she dreaded the idea of going.
She opened her eyes again, watching her long hair float around her like seaweed. At least there would be beaches in Asgard. Warm ones, not like the ones in Valaheim. Valaheim's oceans were dark, masses of water and dangerous to even a skilled swimmer. They were stony, harsh, and unforgiving. The oceans of Asgard- or so she had read- were warm, tropical wonders. That, at least, had her a bit excited.
But that was all. She did not wish to attend the parties her sister would surely make her go to. She did not wish to meet a suitor. She wanted her books, her responsibilities, her own life. She realized that these last three things made up the one thing that she valued most: her freedom.
With a sigh, she finished her bath, pulling water from the tub with her hands and tossing it over her back. She shivered as the warmth soothed her. Water. Water was good. Water was pure and sweet and comforting.
She drained the tub and prepared herself for bed.
*o*O*o*
Anja let out an irritated sigh as she stuffed the last of her things into her traveling bag. There were very few articles of clothing in the bag seeing as her favorite novels took up the majority of its pockets. She heard a small, disapproving sigh come from behind her and she turned to face her nurse maid, Marsi.
The woman looked to be in her late forties- at least in Midgardian years- with salt and pepper hair that she always kept swept back in a tight bun. Anja often wondered how the old woman did not get a headache from it.
"What have I done now, Marsi?" Anja asked jokingly.
Marsi shook her head as she came in with several very nice gowns for Anja to add into the case. "You will need more room, Anja," she said stubbornly. "There are books in Asgard, I assure you."
Anja looked down at the bag, now spilling over with books and scrolls. "Yes Ma'am," she said quietly as she pulled several from the jumbled mess and set them on her perfectly made bed.
"That's my girl," the maid said as she set the gowns gently into the bag to take the places of the books. "Do not worry, no one shall burn them while you are gone," she added jokingly.
It had been a month since Anja had spoken with her father about going to Asgard. The warm season had come a bit earlier than expected and Selena, Anja's sister in Asgard, had invited her to come even earlier than she had originally planned. Of course, her father did not refuse in the slightest. The old man seemed positively happy to see his daughter getting out on her own for a while.
Anja had tried very hard not to cry that night. She did not wish to be a spoiled daughter, but the thought of being away even longer had her near tears.
"Come now," Marsi said as she finished Anja's suitcases. "You shall miss the bifrost if you do not hurry!"
The maid scurried off, Anja's two bags in her arms. Anja grabbed her satchel for her personal belongings and followed the maid, trying very hard not to let out a sigh.
*o*O*o*
Asgard was even more beautiful than any of Anja's books could have depicted it to be. Colossal towers vaulted into the sky as though gravity had no effect on them. Looking across the landscape as she came upon the city, she took in the grandeur. The skyline of the towers shot up, forming a ripple as it stretched across the horizon. Up, down, up, down, even higher! Each tower played with the artistic eye as a painted masterpiece would.
Anja could hardly take it all in. Oh, she missed her father still- terrible, in fact. But looking at Asgard's beauty, she could easily see how her sister had fallen in love- with the city, that is. And perhaps Asgard would move Anja to grow to love it. Sway her into wanting to live there… Anja doubted it, stopping that nosense in its tracks. She would go through the motions, play her part, make her father happy. But she would not stay. The first chance she got, she would head back to her books.
Her older sister Selena was every bit as much like the moon from whence she got her namesake. Her blonde hair was almost silver, falling in thin, delicate ringlets about her porcelain face. Eyes so blue they were almost violet peered out from a rim of long, silver lashes.
"Hello, Anja," she greeted her sister as Anja made it to the city gates. The two embraced awkwardly as they had not seen each other since Selena' marriage.
Selena was married to an Aesir by the name of Fandral. Though the man was notorious for his womanizing capabilities, he had married Selena just last year. The two appeared to be happy, though Anja had her doubts about his devotion to her older sister.
"Odin's beard, Anja! Whoever let you leave the realm dressed in that!" Selena exclaimed.
Anja looked down at her sensible dress. It barely stood out when compared to her sister's.
"I like it…" she mumbled.
Selena laughed, and it sounded like water. "Of course you would, wouldn't you? Ah, well, we can fix you up with something nice for the forthcoming party."
Anja looked up quickly. "Party?" Already? She added in her head.
Selena chuckled again. "Yes, silly goose, a party. Fandral has been invited."
Anja looked back down at her feet as the two made their way deeper into the city. Now more Aesir were out and about. The sun had risen in this realm a mere hour ago and the commoners had work to do. Anja took everything in silently.
"When is this party?" she asked, trying very hard not to show her distaste of the last word.
"Ah, in a fortnight at the least," Selena replied. "It is said to be one of the largest Asgard has ever offered. And the most grand." Selena spoke as she glided through the streets.
How did she do that? Anja was trying very hard not to lose her footing as she attempted to keep up with Selena. "Oh," Anja replied. She wished desperately to be home with her books right about now.
*o*O*o*
Fandral and Selena's home was nearly as big as the library that Anja had just come from. It stretched halfway down the block of the upper class homes of Asgard, surrounded by a wrought-iron gate and fence.
Its size was the only thing that boasted any similarity to the Library. Where the library had been made of gray flagstones, this towering structure was made of pure white marble. Where the library had been warm and comforting, this home looked cold and unlived in.
As Anja walked through the main hall, completely taken aback by the grandeur, she could not help but feel intimidated. This was not even the palace of Asgard. It was the home of a warrior god and his wife. She could not begin to wrap her thoughts around the idea of anything grander or more expensive.
"This way, Anja," Selena's voice trilled further down the hallway at the foot of a grand staircase. Anja pulled herself from her thoughts, cringing as the heels of her shoes clicked along the hard floors. Where were the rugs? The carpets to keep people's feet warm? But then again, Asgard was typically a warm place. Surely rugs only made it hotter…
"This is your room," Selena said as she gestured to the simple, yet elegant bed chambers at the top of the stairs and down the hall a bit. Anja was a bit thrown at how much it resembled her own room. Simple, yet comfortable. Anja put her bags down at the door, following her sister into the room. "I am truly glad you are here, sister."
Anja gave a half smile. "As am I," she forced out.
Selena returned the smile, claiming she needed to tend to other household duties before Fandral arrived home from training at the palace. "We shall see about getting some food in you as well. I am sure you are hungry after your journey."
Anja looked up from her bags that she had moved to begin rummaging through for her books. "Ah, yes, thank you," she replied.
Selena nodded. "I shall leave you to yourself for a while then."
Anja found the book she had been reading, a study of Midgardian physics, and sat down on the bed.
*o*O*o*
Anja was pulled from her reading by a rather loud entrance that could only be Fandral. Running a hand through her long hair, she got up and made to slip her slippers on. She tucked her book in her pocket, in case she was able to slip away.
"Where's the lovely Anja?" she heard Fandral boom from downstairs.
A hushed female voice that could only be her sister's answered, but she was unable to make out what it said. With a sigh, she walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her to head for the stairs.
She reached the top of the stairs, glancing at the group that had arrived with Fandral.
A tall, heavily bearded man with red hair and a huge belly stood next to the much shorter Fandral. To Fandral's other side stood an equally as tall, somber looking man with narrow, serious eyes. Anja swallowed. Off to the side, speaking with Selena, was an extremely tall, extremely scary warrior woman with long, dark hair. Anja had read about this lady, The Great Lady Sif. The books had not made her seem so intimidating, though…
"There she is!" Fandral cried out when he saw Anja at her perch. "Come now, do not be shy, dear one! Any sister-in-law of mine is a friend to my friends!"
If Anja's skin had been pale, she would have been completely red from embarrassment. As it was, her dark complexion hid any sign of embarrassment when it came to the rush of blood in her face. That did not mean she did not feel the heat that accompanied it, however, and she found herself growing more and more uncomfortable.
She smiled demurely to Fandral as he took her hand and shook it warmly. "May I present my friends, dear Sister," he said. He had referred to her as a sister. She found that to be a bit too soon, seeing as she had just arrived, but she accepted it all the same. "This is Hogan the Grimm," he said as he indicated to the somber man that Anja had noticed. "Volstagg, this is Lady Anja," Fandral said as the large man with the great beard swooped down to take her hand. "And, of course, Lady Sif."
Sif looked up at Fandral's mention of her and shook Anja's hand politely. Dear Gods, that woman had a grip that would hurt a man! Anja tried not to show her grimace when Sif pulled away from crushing the bones in Anja's hand together.
"Tonight we dine!" Fandral said. "To celebrate my victory over Prince Thor in the training arena!"
Selena's eyes went wide. "Dear!" she said covertly. "You did not hurt the prince did you?"
Fandral shook his head, pride still getting the better of him. "Of course not, dear lady! Thor is my friend. He thinks it great sport!"
Selena let out a smile. "Fine, darling. I trust you." He took her hand in his own and led the group into the dining hall off to the side. "Are you coming, Anja?" Selena asked out of the chaos.
Anja nodded, though she had been hesitating, and followed the rather odd group into the dining hall. This would most definitely be a strange couple of months.
AN: Good? Bad? Haha I was fairly happy, even if it was a bit different. This story will be much different from my typical serious style of writing. I am writing it strictly as stress relief and am not trying to get everything 'just right'. Really, it will be for my own enjoyment and an attempt at writing for Asgard and the characters in it. Bear with me as I continue! And yes, the prince part will be up soon. I want to get stuff layed out first.
And thank you all for the overwhelming response to the first chapter! Really, it made me feel better about the character I have concocted.
~Sirius