HELLO! And welcome back, it is time to continue the story. THE GAME, my dear readers, IS ON! ~ Imagineer
The invitation came just as the king said; a palace guard knocked on the door and gave me the scroll. When the guard was gone I shut the door sat at the kitchen table and fed little Calder as I read the scroll. It stated that:
"All eligible maidens ranging in ages twenty-five to forty are to go to the palace and present themselves before King Odin by order of the High Council of Asgard. All eligible maidens will be questioned by his majesty based upon what qualifications he desires his new to have; all eligible maidens are required to wear their best casual clothes to the palace, they must also bring their best elegant dress for a feast that will be held that very evening of their arrival. Only five eligible maidens will be attending the feast that evening the rest will be sent home; one of the remaining five will be chosen to be the new queen of Asgard. In two days time all eligible maidens are to be escorted by the head of their household to the palace and taken home by the head of their household if eliminated. Good luck."
It was absolutely ridiculous that I had to go, I loathe the fact that I have to get a dress and that I may have to wear it. I laid Calder on my bed, and placed Kibeth and Mogget on either side of him to watch him so he would not fall off; then I walked over to our next-door neighbor's house, she was an eighty year old retired seamstress who desperately wanted to make me a dress ever since she met me.
She knew that I did not like dresses so she made me other clothes instead; ever since I was eleven she would always tell me what kind of beautiful colored dresses she would make for me if I said I wanted a dress. I knew that when I tell her that I'm going to need a dress that she will go absolutely bonkers.
I knocked on the old wooden door in front of me, and waited for Brunhilda to open it. When she did she saw that it was me who had been knocking her face lit up like a child receiving a present.
"Ah, Wonder! What a pleasant surprise, do come in and tell old Brunhilda why you are here." She said in a sweet grandmotherly tone. Frigga was my mother, and Brunhilda was my grandmother.
"You may want to sit down Brunhilda… this may shock you." I told her.
"Nonsense child, there is nothing in of the Nine Realms that could shock me now." She dismissed but sat down anyway.
"Brunhilda… I need a… a…" I was hesitant in saying the word.
"A dress?" she asked.
"Yes." I sighed in relief.
"FINALLY! Oh this is wonderful! Come with me I have already made it!" She cried out in the utmost joy.
"You have?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I just knew this day would come!" She told me, and then led me upstairs to her sewing room. The dress was green, not a vibrant or pale green, but a simple shade; its elegance was shown through the design of gold beads on the front, and the slight ruffle of the thin sleeves. On the back were the laces, which would cover some of her bare back, for the corset was sewn in, or whatever expert seamstresses do.
"You will be the jewel of any ball you go to, I cannot wait to make your wedding gown!" Brunhilda sighed happily.
"I will not be going to a ball Brunhilda." I told her seriously.
"Then what will you need a dress for if your are not going to a ball?" She asked confusedly.
"I will need the dress in case I am chosen to attend a feast two nights from now with the king, apparently he needs to provide another heir for the throne, and Asgard needs a new queen." I explained to her.
"Oh, well you'd be a good queen, you were practically the late Queen's daughter in her eyes." She said to me. I highly doubted that I would be a good queen, but I was not in the mood to disagree with Brunhilda.
"As I was a daughter to her, she was a mother to me." I replied.
"Well, then you'd best be off. Calder is not going to stay asleep for much longer, but before you go I made so more clothes for him to take with you." Brunhilda handed me a basket of baby clothes.
"Thank you Brunhilda."
"Don't thank me now child or you won't have anything to say to me when I'm on my death-bed." She chuckled.
"Brunhilda, you mustn't talk like that." I gasped.
"I've waiting for fifty years, childless and alone, to join my husband in death; I am not afraid to die, but before I do I want to see you happily married in the wedding gown that I will make for you. It will be my last and my greatest masterpiece." Brunhilda said with tears brimming her eyes. I gave a long warm hug and then bid her goodbye.
When I got back to the house and checked on Calder, sure enough he was awake laying on his side with Mogget facing him, holding both of the cat's ears with both of his tiny hands.
"What's the matter Mogget, Calder got your ears?" I laughed, and then freed Mogget. After picking Calder I placed him near the foot of the bed, and then changed his diaper, and put him in some of the new pastel green colored clothes that Brunhilda had given me.
Looking down at the babe I realized that I would have to bring him to the palace with me; I just had to pray that it would be acceptable to bring the child with me. Velkan, Kibeth, and Mogget would be perfectly capable of sneaking into the palace, and be able to watch over Calder while I undergo the 'bride selection' thing.
"Wonder, I'm home." I heard Rohlstagg call out in the other room. I went out with Calder to greet him.
"I have news, my friend," I told him. He eyed me carefully, trying to perceive if the news was good or bad.
"What kind of news?" he asked slowly. I handed him the scroll and watched as he read it once, and then again.
"This was bound to happen, since the deaths of Queen Frigga and Prince Loki, and Prince Thor refusing to take the throne… I just knew this would come to pass. Some crazy old woman told me it was written in the stars while I was making my trip back here." He explained.
"I knew about this since yesterday evening, the king told me about all of this the other day after I had been acquitted, once again." I muttered the last bit.
"I should have known, " he chuckled "So I am to escort you to the palace two morns from now." He continued.
"Yes, I'll be taking Calder with me." I told him smiling down at the little boy in my arms.
"I am going to tell you the blunt truth of what I think might happen to you if you take the lad with you," he started cautiously.
"Okay then." I nodded.
"Some people can be very cruel, as you already know, and I think that some of these women when they see Calder will call you a… a whore." He explained gently.
"Their words will not hurt me for I know that I am still pure, I still have my virtue. I know you mean well but I can defend myself against other women; I'll be perfectly fine Rohlstagg, there is no need to worry." I told him.
"I know you can take care of yourself but what about the child, what if they go after him? I don't want you to get hurt in any way possible, you're like a daughter to me." He tried to reason with me.
"I know, but I promise Calder and I will both be safe. The 'golden trio' will be with us." This seemed to ease his worries; he knew that Kibeth, Velkan, and Mogget would tear anyone who harmed me or anyone I hold dear, limb from limb.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop worrying. You should pack extra clothes though, in case they keep you there longer, I know how much you hate wearing dresses." He chuckled.
TIME SKIP
"Do you have everything you need?" Rohlstagg asked as I was walking into the kitchen with a bag of Calder's things and mine.
"I just need to go and get the dress from Brunhilda." I told him. As soon as I said her name, the old woman herself walked into the house holding a decent portable case.
"Wonder, I brought you your dress, and packed just right so that it won't wrinkle." The old woman handed me the case.
"Oh Brunhilda you didn't have to-"
"Nonsense child 'tis the least I can do." She interrupted me "Now go show those other maidens what a real queen is." She cheered happily.
It was very early in the morning, just before dawn, so I would most likely be the first maiden to arrive. I had my best casual clothes on and left my long, dark, curly hair down. We were the first to arrive at dawn and were greeted by Odin at the front doors.
"Good morning my liege." I bowed cradling Calder in his soft green blanket, as soon as I rose from the bow I quickly shushed him and began to rock slowly as he began to stir.
"Good morning Wonder, Rohlstagg. Kaynara will show you to your room." Odin greeted, and then gestured to the maid waiting off to the side.
We followed Kaynara to where I would reside for the next eight hours at the most. The maid bowed and then left Calder, Rohlstagg, and I to settle in. And sneak the golden trio into my room through the window.
"Before I leave you I just want you to know that if any maiden was to be queen I'd want it to be you; you did learn from the best after all." He chuckled as we watched Velkan help a struggling Kibeth climb over the windowsill.
"I don't know Rohlstagg, there is a part of me that does not want to be queen, and another that thinks that I will never be good enough." I told him.
"Well no matter what happens you will always have these three by your side, to be there for you when you need it. You should not worry about what happens, and just try to get through today without getting into trouble." He chuckled loudly, which made Calder giggle.
"And that goes for you too little one." He chuckled at the child. "Farewell you five, stay together." He began to walk out.
"Don't worry we will." I assured him as the door shut. Rohlstagg was the best father figure that I could have ever asked for.
As soon as Rohlstagg left Kaynara came in with a cradle for Calder by order of King Odin.
"Thank you Kaynara." I said to her.
"You're very welcome my lady." She replied.
"No please do not call me that, Wonder is just fine." I told her.
"Thank you… Wonder." She tested my nickname.
"You are very welcome Kaynara."
"I am to be your personal maid for your stay here and will gladly watch over the lad when you go to the throne room for the selection." She explained.
"Am I needed there now Kaynara?" I asked her as I placed Calder into the cradle.
"You will be in five minutes, all of the other maidens have just arrived and are being escorted to their rooms as we speak." She told me.
"Well then, I might as well get there now then, wouldn't want to be late." I said in a slightly cheerful tone.
"Very well then, I will escort you." Kaynara nodded and lead me to the throne room.
Upon entering I saw Odin sitting on his throne, it was funny because I remember Loki sitting exactly like that when he was temporarily king, I guess it must be a family trait. Three minutes later all of the other women were being ushered into the throne room, and stood before the king.
"As you already know why you are all here. Asgard needs a new queen by decree of the High Council and therefore throughout the day each of you will be questioned and put through tests. You will not know what the questions will be and you do not know what the tests will consist of. For now, I shall decide which of you will stay to continue to that point and which return home. A queen must not only have beauty the shows in appearance but also inner beauty to be admired by her subjects. As an old saying goes, respect begets respect." Odin informed us as he stood up in front of his throne.
There were at least a hundred and thirty maidens in the throne room but when Odin was through deciding there were only thirty left, myself included. With that done he sat back on his throne and addressed, those of us who remained, that we were permitted to return to our rooms where we would stay for the remainder of the selection process.
On my way back to my room I met the woman whose room neighbored mine. She had turned forty only a week ago and ran a small orphanage near the edge of town; her name was Malgrah. I told her about Calder, and how I had found him, and she immediately congratulated, and praised me for my kindness towards the babe.
When she asked me if she could see Calder I brought her into my room so that she could hold the babe while Velkan, Kibeth, and Mogget hid themselves so they would not be seen.
"He is looking very well, you should be proud of yourself for being such a good nurturer for this babe." She complimented me as she handed Calder back to me.
"Thank you, Malgrah." I replied.
"Well I'd best be getting to my room, I mean who knows when those tests will begin." She said, and then left in a haste.
"Oh Calder, what am I to do?" I sighed looking down at the child in my arms. Calder giggled, and smiled at me. The smile I gave him was a small one but it was enough to let him know that he had brightened my day.
Okay, I am going to stop here. I'm tired, don't worry though, chapter three will be posted soon… hopefully ~ Imagineer
