What a marvel. Such a young, resilient creature…
Frigga smiled in wonder at the strange little mortal sitting in the steaming water. The child was nervous of Maia and herself at first, reluctant to bare her flesh to them even though she was wounded. But once the child had allowed Maia to bathe her, she relaxed and begun to ask questions. Where was she? Who was 'the gold guy' she saw earlier? Were we really the people that legend spoke of back on her realm?
The Queen answered each question as best as she could, in a way she thought the mortal would understand. Frigga was fascinated with the fragile girl that spoke so boldly to her; she seemed to hold a much greater wisdom than one should of her years. The child met her gaze curiously, her hazel orbs filled with intelligence and awe. But there was also something else, something that made Frigga feel an overwhelming sadness in her heart. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was.
It looked like a bitter concoction of conflicting emotions- pain, despair, loneliness, fear- an internal battle forever raging in the back of her mind but never ending. Perhaps that is why she behaves so maturely- whatever the child has suffered through has caused her to miss her childhood!
Frigga's reasoning was further fuelled by the number of horrific scars that marred the skin on the girl's back. Thick, raised lines latticed over older, thinner scars… it reminded the Queen of the aftermath of the whip. Then there was her most recent injuries caused by a weapon unknown to Asgard. A small piece of metal was lodged into the hole on her shoulder- obviously a projectile of some sort. The gash on her leg was strange, it was like she had been cut and partially burnt at the same time. But alas, the child was healing at an astounding speed!
She noticed a tiny scar on the right side of the mortal's neck. It looked very precise, so what ever had made that wound must have been incredibly sharp! Who would find it acceptable to harm a child in such a way? Tis' monstrous! What kind of realm has Midgard become?!
The Queen sighed gently as she observed the child talk animatedly to her hand servant. This fragile little mortal was just so full of life! Seeing the girl calm and looked after warmed at the cold clutches of loathing that lingered in her heart. Perhaps not all of Midgard had been affected by evil after all. Seeing the child's guileless face made her joyous. Frigga continued to silently watch the child have her hair washed before Maia told her to get out of the bath. She nodded, stood upright and slowly stepped out of the bath. The brunette maid led the mortal over to the soul forge and proceeded to dry the child's body before checking her wounds and dressing her.
The girl looked lovely in her attire. She wore a sleeveless silk frock in white with gold beading around the neckline. It was gathered in slightly at her waist before falling gently to the floor; white sandals were placed on the child's feet. Her damp hair fell back over her shoulders, revealing her frown. She shifted nervously from side to side, grasping the skirt of her frock and swaying it around.
"What is wrong, child? Do you not like your clothes?" Frigga asked, concerned.
"Oh! N-no, Ma'am! I-It's just… It's really pretty and it feels kinda weird… I've never worn one of these before or wore my hair down… I'm just not used to this I guess…" The child said quickly and her cheeks flushed red. Frigga chuckled at her mortified expression. It was so endearing!
"That is understandable, under the circumstances… speaking of which, have you thought of what name you would like?"
"Errm…n-no, Ma'am…" She whispered.
"Then we must think of one now, hadn't we? Let me think… seeing as you are of Midgard… and you are so unique and full of life…How about Zoey?" Frigga mused. The mortal girl smiled happily and nodded with vigour. The Queen noticed that the girl's eyes shone more brightly once she had been named, like some of her troubles had burned away with that very word. She longed to know what troubled the child so, but she decided to leave that conversation for another time. Frigga knew the girl was suffering; she didn't want to cause a greater burden for her.
"Come, Zoey. I wish to show you something!" Frigga said, gesturing to the door.
"O-okay, Ma'am…" She smiled faintly and walked by the Queen's side, Maia trailing behind. Frigga approached the large entrance and pushed open one of the doors. The mortal's eyes widened and she gasped in delight; stepping past Frigga in a daze.
Zoey stood in the middle of a wide corridor constructed of beige stone pillars over thirty foot high, the walls adorned with red velvet drapes and golden torches alike. Her eyes darted around, taking in every detail. She gazed at the ceiling in pure disbelief, admiring the beautiful paintings that coated the domed roof but unsure of how they could have been there. Two guards strolled past, staring at the little girl that gawked at the ceiling. They inclined their head respectively towards the Queen as they passed and she smiled graciously in return.
"Tis' beautiful, is it not? Come, there is much more to see!" Frigga laughed and held out her hand. The mortal snapped out of her dazed state before nervously grasping the Queen's pale hand. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson and her eyes glistened from unshed tears. Frigga smiled in reassurance before gently leading the mortal down the passageway. Many soldiers stared at the girl holding the Queen's hand as they passed, whispering to one another in curiosity. Zoey kept her gaze firmly to the floor whilst they walked, hiding her face. Frigga felt sympathy for her, knowing that she did not enjoy being the focus of everyone's attention.
"Ahhh! Here we are, child! This is Asgard!" The Queen proclaimed gesturing out to the scene before her. Zoey looked up shyly and her mouth dropped open in awe. Frigga had leaded them to a balcony over looking the entire kingdom. Zoey could see the shining metal buildings, the clear cascading waterfalls flowing from the luscious mountains, the iridescent shimmering crystal of the bifrost. A gentle breeze lifted at the girl's hair, making it dance sporadically. The mortal tentatively lifted her hand into the air, as if trying to catch it, before closing her eyes.
"I-Is this wind? I-I've never felt the wind before…" She murmured.
"My dear girl, you have never been outside before now?" Frigga asked. She shook her head despondently.
"My goodness! That is a shame… but, now you can. Whenever you wish! You are under my care now, Zoey. You are my ward!" She smiled.
"…What's a ward?" Zoey asked, confused.
"You are now my…Aah… adopted daughter? But you do not have to be, it is up to you, whatever you may prefer!" Frigga answered quickly, worried about the child's reaction. The mortal girl blinked once, twice, thrice…
"S-So…You're my M-Mother now?" She whispered. The Queen nodded.
"I-I've never had a mother before!" She said. Her voice trembled and wavered at the end, tears slowly leaking out of her eyes. Frigga tittered quietly before delicately sweeping away the wetness on the girl's cheeks. She gently grasped the mortal's chin and tilted her face upward. The Queen looked dotingly into the girl's eyes before speaking.
"Hush, my child, and know this. You are alone no more and I will help you carry that burden that rests so heavily on your shoulders. As will your new brothers- once they have adjusted to your being here of course!" Frigga winked at her before placing a feather-light kiss on her forehead.
"Come on, daughter. I shall give you a tour of the palace and then show you to your chambers. Maia, please may you inform my husband of my activities?" The brunette smiled and gave a curtsey before spinning on her heel and striding off.
"Now! Where would you like to go first, Zoey?"
I must be in heaven- or something darn close to it!
This place is amazing! Everything looks so cool and shiny! I smiled to myself in glee. I was on an alien planet where all the people were basically the stuff of legend- in other words these guys are like gods. Speaking of which,I was being led around by Lady Frigga, who's the Queen of Asgard. And she's now my Mom. So cool! It's like a dream! Wait. I'm not dreaming… surely not! I reached up with my spare hand and pinched my cheek. Ow. Yep. Not dreaming!
"What are you doing, child?" Frigga asked me with a smile. Oh, I love it when she smiles. I feel so lucky!
"Just making sure that I wasn't dreaming, Ma'am!" I said sheepishly. Damn. I don't want her to think I'm stupid.
"Of course, Zoey! This must be quite a strange occurrence for you to deal with. You're doing very well child!" Frigga said softly. Whoa. That was unexpected. She's so nice to me…
Frigga led me to another fancy passageway, this time decorated with silver stone pillars and dark blue materially stuff- it shimmered like the night sky! It also had black metal torches lining the walls; burning with green fire. Green! It was so magical! The light cast a soft- if slightly eerie- glow, showing off several huge wooden doors lining each wall. The Queen glanced at my face every now and then, checking my reaction. Which was always happiness and shock cos' this place was just damn awesome!
She led me to the doors at the very end. She gently pushed one open with a whoosh before turning to me with a sparkle in her eyes. She told me to close my eyes and not to peek. O…kay? I did as I was told and squeezed my eyes shut. I felt her hands wrap around mine and lead me forward, the faint tock sound of the door closing and the clicking of our footsteps echoed around my ears. Hmm… Where was I?
"Open your eyes, dear one…" Frigga whispered in excitement. Slowly, I opened my eyes. WOW.
I was in a massive room- I mean massive! It could easily fit the size of my cell in it twenty times over! It also had a really high ceiling, too! It was shaped like a dome-ish building, all the edges were lined with a golden pillar; stopping before the curvy roof. The ceiling was awesome- it was painted like a night sky with the stars actually glowing! I looked down to see a lovely king-sized bed, complete with a golden canopy and floaty see-through sheets attached to it, covered with loads of cream and gold pillows and a cream silk duvet. A pretty wooden chest topped with a cushion rested at the foot of the bed. I turned around slowly, taking in the yellowish stone walls with those mounted fire torches- these burnt with a normal flame colour- the small vanity mirror, table and stool that sat off to the left of the bed.
As I kept turning, I saw a small archway that led into a smaller room filled with clothes and stuff- wow! The doors in which I'd come in were lined with shelves stacked with books. Oh man, I love books! Sweet! I spotted a small round desk with some kind of game on it- chess I think- and two chairs tucked under it. This is so cool! I stopped turning and just gawked at the massive balcony area in front of me. It was sectioned off by more stone pillars and by some more of that billowy curtain stuff that you could see through. There was a lovely little cherry blossom tree in the middle and a stone bench rested underneath. From here, I could see the whole of Asgard… It was beautiful.
"These are your chambers, Zoey. Tis' all yours now!" Frigga said and placed her hand on my head delicately. Mine? All mine?
"T-Thank you, Your Majesty! It's amazing! I love it!" I smiled. I really felt like launching myself onto that awesome-looking bed, MY bed, and burying my face into those pillows. But I didn't want to look super stupid in front of the Queen, so I settled for a slightly-less-stupid looking grin instead. Frigga smiled in return before gently ruffling my hair. It feels nice when she does that…
"I am glad to hear of it, child. Come; let me do something with your hair!" Frigga gushed and led me over to the dresser table. She sat me down on the little stool, facing the mirror before opening the dinky little drawer and pulling out a hairbrush. She gently runs the soft, but spiky-looking bristles through my limp brown hair. Hmm. Lady Frigga is so kind and lovely. The whooshing sound of the hairbrush made me really sleepy. I felt my eyelids flutter closed at the sensation. I felt the Queen's light touch as she picked at my hair. A faint tinkering sound reached my ears and I felt something slide onto my head. Pins, maybe?
"Done! What do you think?" Frigga asked. I opened my eyes and nodded. It was really pretty!
Frigga had pulled up the front bit- the part that always hides my face- into a twist and pinned it up at the back with a few white roses. Where did the roses come from? Magic? I dunno. Anyways, she had left the rest of it hanging down, but it looked all pretty and shiny like. I looked like…well…like a girl. It was weird.
"Well, I should introduce you to my husband and my sons now, shouldn't I? I have kept them waiting long enough… I do hope this causes no trouble…" Frigga sighed with worry.
Oh hell.
This must be some sort of twisted joke, surely… What in all the nine realms was Mother thinking? Was she insane? Taking in a spoiled little brat? And a midgardian brat at that!
Loki gaped at the Allfather, aghast. Surely he must have misheard him. Surely! The raven haired man turned his glare to the right, directly at his pompous older brother- Thor. He was tall, broad shouldered and fair of hair like their mother. Unlike him, his brother still gaped at their father in shock and confusion. Probably still trying to figure out the meaning behind the words just spoken to him! Loki mused inside his mind; his lips curved into an infinitesimal smirk at the notion. Tch. His brother was such a foolish brute. The Allfather sighed before speaking to them.
"My sons, I know this is all very sudden, and a lot to comprehend. But I tell you the truth- your Mother is no longer able to bear children and she so desperately wants a daughter to call her own-"
"Isn't two sons enough for Mother? What did we do that was wrong? She needn't harbour a midgardian brat for our wrongdoings!" Loki interjected bluntly, a look of disgust etched onto his face. Uggh. Mortals. Why did Mother fawn over such weak creatures?!
"Loki! Do not interrupt me again- let me finish boy! Besides, your mother didn't braid your hair or dress you in gilded frocks when you were a child, no? Of course not! You are a boy! Your mother simply wants to indulge in such moments… I will not deny her that right. It isn't like I could make her think otherwise, my sons. You know your mother, once her mind is set…" Odin trailed off, sighing deeply.
Fair point.
Loki huffed. Mother was so stubborn. Well, if it was for Mother, he supposed he could tolerate the mortal's existence. Doesn't mean he was going to be kind to the brat- oh no. Quite the opposite. He was going to give the mortal hell, and enjoy every moment of it. When Mother wasn't looking, of course!
Clunk.
Loki heard the sound of the throne room doors opening, so he glanced over his shoulder with a haughty expression on his face. He saw his Mother striding up the hallway, her footsteps reverberating around the throne room, a small figure huddling behind her body. Oh my, what do we have here? The raven haired man tittered silently whilst glaring shrewdly at the figure. By the appearance of things, it was the mortal his father spoke of, the midgardian. As the pair drew closer, he could see the creature more clearly. It was a child, no doubt, as it barely reached his mother's waist.
It was a young female with shoulder length brown hair, swept up into a simple style. Her head was tilted to the floor, hiding her face. Tch. She wore a frilly white frock and a pair of plain white sandals on her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself, like her limbs were some form of shield to protect her. Hmm. What a futile gesture. Frigga approached with a warm-but-authorative smile directed at Thor, and then himself. Her brow arched and her eyes darkened slightly. Loki stared back, his gaze never faltering.
'Behave yourself, my son. She has suffered enough.'
His mother's words echoed in his head. Loki rolled his eyes and sighed drastically. Tch. Like that mortal would ever know true suffering!
"Loki, Thor… My darling sons. Odin, my love. Allow me to introduce my Ward, Zoey!" Frigga said pleasantly, stepping to the side to reveal the mortal. The brat shifted nervously from side to side and gulped. Then she flicked her gaze upward; looking the Allfather dead in the eye. She smiled cordially before dipping into a low curtsey, her gaze never wavering.
"A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty…" she spoke passively, giving nothing away. Her wording was coarse and unrefined; it grated in the Prince's ears. Midgardians… Tch! She then turned to Loki and Thor. Again she smiled and stared boldly into their eyes.
"…And you two Sirs…"She finished. Her cheeks were tinged pink; she looked wary.
Good. The brat knows her place!
"Very good! How very well mannered… I believe my sons could learn a thing or two from your company, young Zoey!" The Allfather chuckled in response. Thor's response was immediate; he stood bolt upright and huffed indignantly. Loki simply clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes a fraction. Inside, he was bristling with rage. Not only had this little mortal brat wormed his way into his mother's heart, but now his father's also! That little doe-eyed wench… She looked so innocent, with those big, dreamy hazel eyes. But Loki knew better. There was something haunting those girl's orbs- and she was doing a fairly good job of concealing it from view.
She was a bright spark, this mortal. She knew how to play the part well. Her behaviour was… Intelligent, to a degree. But, alas, she was just a spark. And sparks are so easily extinguished. Especially when they are mortal! Loki mused silently, glaring at the child. Even though neither he nor Thor would ever admit this aloud, Loki felt rather envious of the brat standing before him.
"Come along, Zoey! There are many more people for you to meet- but not this day. I think you ought to rest till the morrow comes. Maia?" Frigga called out and, like a ghost, his mother's handmaiden appeared out of thin air. She curtseyed low and awaited her instructions. The Queen asked for some food to be brought to Zoey's chambers. Thor snorted arrogantly at the request before looking to his brother. Loki nodded, for once in total agreement with his older sibling.
Frigga tittered in disapproval of her sons' behaviour before taking the mortal's hand and leading her back towards the doors.
"Good riddance…" Loki muttered under his breath, earning another snort from Thor. The Allfather sighed despondently before dismissing them both. Finally!
As the two brothers strode imperiously towards the door, Loki overheard his mother and the mortal brat talking.
"I sincerely apologise for my sons' behaviour- Twas' truly a disgrace to observe…And well done with your speech, you have really pleased me, doing what I asked of you!" Frigga spoke empathically. The mortal simply smiled up at her.
"It's no problem, Ma'am, and obeying orders is second nature to me. I mean, to disobey… that wasn't an option for me where I came from. And, as for the Prince's behaviour… I've dealt with far worse, Ma'am. Besides, I expected it, to be perfectly honest!"
What? That little brat! How dare she!
"What do you mean by that, child?" Frigga asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. The girl bit her lip and asked if she had permission to speak freely, in which his mother granted. Loki ground his teeth in annoyance, quickening his step slightly.
"Well, where I'm from…I'm not sure it applies to Asgard, but I've heard that siblings- brothers especially- are meant to be a royal pain in the ass?" The mortal brat pressed her lips together, holding in laughter. Frigga looked at the child in surprise before bursting into a round of musical laughter. The mortal peered over Frigga's arm and stared at him. The look in her eyes said it all- Game on. She grinned devilishly before ducking out of view. Loki snarled under his breath.
Keep it up, little midgardian. You won't fucking win this game- you'll suffer in the end!
(A/N)- Just want to say a mahooosive thank you to all my supporters out there- It means a lot to me! Oh, and cheers to 'Nico' who spotted that mistake I made in German. I'll finish the story, and then I'll edit the whole lot at once- Foreign languages included! *sheepish grin* Thanks, Google Translate… I have no linguistic skills what so ever. Anyone knows a reliable translating website, please let me know!
Oh, and a shout out to mah amazing friend and awesome Beta reader- AbsoluteAnarchy. Narchy is my inspiration to do all this. Thank you!
Ninja3 x
