Chapter 1
Hanne woke just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. She sat up in bed and looked around, studying her surroundings in the warm morning light. She started as her door opened, but realized that it was just Eir and Gudrun, come to make her ready for the day. She bade them good morning, and shushed them when they apologized for not being present when she woke up.
Gudrun went to the closet and laid out the most beautiful dress Hanne had ever seen. Raising her arms, she felt goose bumps as the cream colored silk slid over her arms and over her legs. Her shoulders were covered in a wide shawl that fell almost to her knees. Eir set to work arranging her hair in a complicated set of braids that gathered into one braid down her back. Her brown hair, shot through with streaks of gold, set off the cream color of the gown perfectly. After slipping her feet into a pair of soft shoes, she was pronounced ready for her day. A guard appeared at the door.
"Your presence is requested in the dining room, my lady." He said formally.
Hanne looked uncertainly at Eir and Gudrun.
"Go! They're asking for you." Said Gudrun with a warm smile. Eir gestured her out the door encouragingly.
Hanne set off with the guard, unsure of whether to make small talk. Finally she decided to try it.
"How is your morning going?" she asked.
"Very well, my lady."
"Do you usually guard this wing?"
"yes, my lady."
"Are you allowed to call me anything other than "my lady?"" she asked.
The corner of the guard's mouth twitched upwards.
"No, my lady."
Right.
They rounded a corner, and two sentries opened the door to the dining room. There stood the longest, most enormous table Hanne had ever seen, strewn with platters of meat, fruit, bread, eggs, cheese, pastries, goblets of wine…
The royal princes, Frigga, and Odin had all sat down to breakfast at one end of the table. A fifth setting was laid, but the chair was vacant. As she approached, she heard snatches of the conversation.
"… treat her as one of the family. Give her a suite of rooms, her own maid servants, access to the entire grounds." Frigga was saying. Odin nodded his head in agreement, and Thor and Loki nodded as well. They looked up as Hanne came closer.
"Hanne! Good morning!" Frigga smiled warmly. "Would you join us for breakfast?" she gestured to the vacant seat next to her at the table. Thor, Loki, and Odin all stood up.
Hanne blushed. She'd read about this kind of chivalry, but had never thought anyone actually practiced it any more.
A servant hurried over and drew out the chair for Hanne to sit down. Once she was seated, more servants began serving food and pouring wine. Hanne had never had wine for breakfast, and drank sparingly. She picked at her food, even though the smell was delicious. There was so much she didn't know; so many ways for her to make a mistake; it was too overwhelming.
Thor and Odin chatted, oblivious to Hanne's discomfort. Loki merely studied Hanne, his expression unreadable. Frigga, noticing Hanne's barely-touched food and wine, asked quietly, "is everything all right, my dear? I do so want you to feel at home."
"I'm sorry," Hanne whispered back, "I've never – I mean, I don't –" she searched for the right words.
"What on earth do I do?" she finally blurted out. "I mean, I've never eaten with royalty before. I've never dressed like this, or seen this much food in one place, or had wine for breakfast, or – " she broke off as Frigga gently laid a hand on her arm.
"We'll start small, then. Baby steps, to get you acclimated." She gestured a servant over.
"May we have some tea brought for Lady Hanne and myself? I feel I prefer a hot drink this morning."
Hanne smiled, grateful at the courteous way Frigga had saved her from her discomfort. The rest of the meal was spent politely recounting the story of her coming to Asgaurd that she had told Frigga the previous evening, at Odin and Thor's behest. Only Loki remained silent.
Loki watched the girl in front of him with interest, but schooled his face into a mask. As he listened to his father and brother badger her with questions, he found himself growing impatient. Didn't they understand? The girl had looked like she'd seen hell in the throne room last evening. Just because they put her in a new gown and scrubbed her clean didn't mean she was happy. She had been abandoned by her own mother. This girl was barely fifteen, hardly even a child herself. She was small, with a slender build, he noticed. Her hair was dark chestnut, shot through with streaks of gold. Her eyes were blue; not large, but expressive and intelligent. Her round face was made for smiles, and her cheeks, now that she had had rest and food, had regained some color.
Suddenly a great crash echoed through the hall, making Hanne jump and yelp in fear.
"Another!" Thor bellowed, and a servant rushed forward with another mug of ale.
Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. Thor was…. well, Thor was Thor. He studied Hanne again. Her expression was one of complete shock. She turned to the rest of the family, trying to gage their reaction. Frigga merely clucked her tongue absently, as though she had given up trying to change Thor's boorish behavior. Odin had ignored the outburst completely.
Hanne whispered something to Frigga, who smiled and responded quietly, "yes, my dear. That is quite normal. Wait 'till he and Volstagg get together. The poor servants spent nearly four hours picking up broken crockery the last time."
Loki nearly laughed out loud at the expression on Hanne's face.
Suddenly, Odin stood up. The rest of the family rose, and Hanne hurried to her feet when she realized the custom.
"I'm afraid duties compel me to leave you. I look forward to our evening meal." He nodded to Thor and Loki in turn, kissed Frigga's hand, and bowed slightly to Hanne, who returned with an awkward curtsey, her face turning pink. Loki bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
Hanne watched Odin stride out of the room, face still burning from her awkward attempt at respect. Suddenly, she felt Frigga's arm loop around hers.
"Lady Hanne, I would like you to come with me. There is much we should discuss. Odin and I have talked, and –if it is agreeable to you, of course – we would to invite you to become a member of the royal household."
Hanne snuck a quick glance at Thor and Loki. Thor was grinning widely. Loki did not look as enthusiastic as Thor, but his expression was not hostile. Hanne looked back at Frigga. Based on her treatment last night, she doubted that she would be brought on as a servant. But she was not part of the royal family. She was not a child of Odin or Frigga and would therefore never stand to enhereit the throne. She was not even a noblewoman's daughter.
"but what would I do?" she blurted out. "I mean, I do want to be useful." She faltered.
Frigga laughed.
"well, we shall teach you our Asgaurdian ways, first. I am sure that we will find some ways for you to use your talents. Which I'm sure are many," she added, winking.
As they walked out of the dining room, Frigga steered Hanne down a series of corridors. Soon she could hear the intermittent clanking of metal on metal. They rounded a corner and came to a courtyard, filled with women. Hanne gasped as she realized that all of the women were dressed in armor and had a sword in hand. She watched as a pair of women sparred with each other, ducking and weaving, apart and then coming together, almost like a dance.
"This will also be part of your training," said Frigga quietly. "Women of Asgaurd learn to fight as a matter of course, and some even surpass their male counter parts." She motioned to a woman with long, dark hair swept back into a high ponytail.
"That is Lady Sif." Frigga continued. " She is one of Asgaurd's best." Sif noticed the queen and Hanne watching her and bowed very low. Hanne returned with a deep curtsey. She wanted to stay on Sif's good side.
Frigga gently guided her away from the courtyard, and lead her around the palace in a grand tour. Hanne loved the library, with its towering shelves of books and marble columns. She stood in awe of the throne room, which looked like it had been forged of pure gold and hammered until her face shone in every surface. She was enchanted by the gardens, with its wide variety of flowers and trees of every color. There was a room for making music, which Hanne fell in love with immediately. But most of the instruments were strange to her, and she didn't recognize any of the songs on offer.
The tour complete, Frigga ushered her into a comfortable sitting room. There she and Hanne spent the rest of the afternoon going over Asgaurdian culture and royal etiquette. Several times Hanne had the feeling that there was someone else in the room, watching. But no one else was in the room; only Frigga and the sentry by the door.
At last, Frigga decided that the studies could cease for the evening. After dinner with the royal family, during which Thor and Odin dominated the conversation again, Hanne felt weary to her very bones. But instead of retiring to her room, she wandered back to the music room. She walked silently among the instruments, finally choosing something that looked like a guitar. She strummed it – the sound was deeper, richer than a guitar, and suddenly she realized that she was holding a lute. She'd never plaid a lute before, and was elated. She strummed a few times, and began to sing along to a tune she'd learned as a child.
Suddenly Frigga appeared in the doorway.
"My dear! I had no idea you could sing!"
Hanne jumped, and blushed at the surprise.
"It's not a hard song, really, it's something I learned a long time ago."
Frigga thought a moment.
"I believe, my dear, that you will be put to very good use." She smiled. Hanne looked back at her, uncertain.
"How would you like to be the head court musician?" Asked Frigga.
Hanne continued to receive education on Asgaurdian history and culture. She even had her first sparring session, something that left her uneasy.
After dinner one evening, Frigga summoned her to her chambers and had her play the lute for an hour or so. Loki and Odin joined in later in the evening, but Thor went off with this friends for a drink.
By the time Frigga and Odin were ready for bed, Hanne's hands were sore and tired from playing the lute. They bade Hanne and Loki good night, and left the room. Not wishing to be alone with Loki, Hanne stood to go.
"I did not bid you good night." Loki said.
Hanne stopped and turned around.
"What would you have of me, my prince?" she asked quietly.
"I am told that you can sing." Loki said, an unreadable expression on his face. "Sing me something."
"I'm afraid I don't know any songs sutable for royal rooms." Replied Hanne. "I played the songs on the lute merely by sight. You must have known how I slurred my way through the more difficult parts."
"No." said Loki, his expression kind. "No one who heard you play to night could have thought that there was anything wanting."
Loki looked at Hanne, who looked back up at him. He had watched her in the music room when she played, but had not been able to clearly hear her sing. He wanted to hear her. Somehow, this girl made him feel protective, made him feel resentful that she would be set up as nothing more than a performing monkey, to be brought out at the whims of his parents and then put away again when she was no longer required. But he wanted to hear her sing.
"Sing," he commanded, his voice harsher than he had meant it to be. He flopped down onto the nearest couch and passed a hand over his eyes. He was suddenly quite exhausted.
Hanne looked at him a moment, and then took her usual chair. She sat up straight, opened her mouth, and began to sing:
'tis a gift to be simple,
'tis a gift to be free,
'tis a gift to come down where we want to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
'twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we will not be ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight
Till by turning, turning, we come round right.
Loki's heart nearly stopped at the sound of it – this sweet, clear voice, singing pure, sweet words acapella. He stared at her, but she was oblivious to him: her eyes were closed, her eyebrows raising and lowering as she sang – no, felt – the music. She repeated the lyric twice before she stopped and opened her eyes. Loki was unable to tear his gaze away from hers, and she blushed under his scrutiny.
"That was – that was good." Loki said gruffly.
"Thank you," was all Hanne said.
After another minute of silence, she rose and quietly left the room.