Chapter Nine~

She was nervous, how could she not be, as she holds tightly to her mother's hand chewing her lower lip. They had traveled many long days to come to the celebration and she had grown more nervous which each passing day. She had been dressed in her finest silk gown of pale lavender with silver straps and stars sewn into the silk for this occasion. Her hair had been put into a loose bun behind her head though her mother said she was too young for rouge or eye paint.

"Are you ready dearest?" she hears her mother say to look up at the elegant woman holding her hand. With golden honey blond hair her eyes were that of spring green with flecks of blue. She wears a silken gown of summer green with golden half suns sewn into the silk.

"No mama." she replies honestly in a tiny scared voice so that her mother laughs before bending down before her to say as she cups her face,

"Don't be afraid dearest, today is a day of celebration and feasting for the two young princes—nothing more." nodding at her, her mother stands once more leading her to a pair of gilded double doors where two guards clad in golden armor stand and open the doors upon their arrival. Inside was a grand massive Feasting Hall where two long tables were on either side of the room with one table raised on a dais. In front of her sitting on a golden throne where Odin Allfather and his wife Lady Frigga next to him who both smiled upon seeing the pair. Odin sits clad in silver and gold while Frigga wears a simple golden gown standing gracefully to come embrace her mother.

"Ēostre my dear friend how fair thee?" she asks before noticing the child hiding behind her mother's back peeking out at her.

"And you must be Aina." nodding her head, Aina stepped out from her hiding as Frigga said,

"It is nice to finally meet you child."

"And you also my Lady." Aina says remembering to be polite as she curtsies causing Frigga to laugh merrily.

"Come, sit and eat, you two must be weary from your long day's journey." and so she waves the two to sit by the table on the dais where two boys sit giggling with one another. One has golden blond hair with dark blue eyes, the other raven black hair and beryl colored eyes that shine with mischief.

"Boys, this is Lady Ēostre and her daughter Aina, I want you to make Aina feel at ease while she stays here." Frigga said sending them a motherly gaze so that both boy stops giggling to politely nod at the age younger Aina. After taking her seat away from the two princes, Aina eats silently listening to the buzz of joyous laughter around her. Suddenly someone pokes her in the shoulder so that she turns to look over her shoulder to see it's Thor smiling up at her.

"Come play!" he says as his brother Loki nods giving her a small smile. Turning to her mother, Aina sees both her mother and Frigga nodding in agreement so that she stands and follows the two boys out of the Feasting Hall.

"Where are we going?" she asks so that Thor turns to her to say,

"The gardens, Mother suggested you would enjoy them."

"Actually it was my idea that I suggested to Mother." Loki says with a shrug as they leave the Feasting Hall only to hear a loud crashing sound and shouting voices.

"Run!" Loki cries so that the three children race laughing as they hear angry voices behind them. As she follows the two Princes, Aina can't help but be amazed at the glory of the Asgardian palace. Her home is simple compared to the gold and marble and crystals all around her. At last the three come to an archway and Aina stops to stare with a wide grin and gasps in joy. The garden is more like a great courtyard with a fountain, dozens of flowers in full bloom and a mighty oak tree in one corner.

"Tag!" she calls tapping Loki's shoulder and as she darts away he blinks in surprise before noticing that even Thor is running away from him. Smirking, with a wave of his hand Loki makes several clones appear to confuse the two. It's Thor who starts swiping away the clones with his hand knowing that it's one of his brother's tricks. Only Aina is left confused and a bit scared not used to this sort of magic. Turning to hide behind the oak tree she feels a tap on her shoulder and jumps to see the Real Loki grinning.

"That tis not far brother!" Thor says coming over to the two but Loki shrugs saying,

"It is to me."

"How did you do that?" Aina asks in wonder as Loki gives her a small smile and says honestly,

"Magic, I am talented in such matters."

"Show me!" Aina says jumping in excitement so that Loki's smile grows so that he picks up a flower and waving his hand over it the flower turns to pure gold.

"Here," he says offering it to Aina who stares in shock at him as Thor says in an annoyed tone,

"Come brother let us spar. I grow weary of this game." Loki turns to Thor before asking Aina,

"Do you mind?" she shakes her head and goes to a bench to watch the two begin their sparring match. She's mostly intrigued by the now golden flower in her hands smiling before she watches Loki fall to the ground from a particularly hard blow from Thor. Loki sits up holding his chin saying in a snap,

"That was a bit too hard Brother."

"Ah but you will heal." Thor says with a shrug with a laugh but Aina says as she looks between the two,

"Play fair you two." they both laugh at this making Aina blush in embarrassment as they all hear footsteps and turn to see Frigga and Ēostre coming towards them, Frigga looking none too pleased with a cross expression on her face.

"Boys, come here." she says with both hands before her so that both boys exchange glances before standing before their mother who says,

"That was a nasty trick you two pulled."

"I'm sorry Mother, we meant no harm." Loki says bowing his head so his chin touches his chest as Thor adds,

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No thankfully, but the Feast was spoiled thanks to you both." but Frigga sighs before waving the two back into the palace saying,

"Both return to your chambers while I show Ēostre and Aina to theirs." both boys nod and wave to Aina as they return inside as Aina smiles and waves back.

"You must excuse my boys; they are often pulling pranks of the sort. They mean no harm but I often worry for them." Frigga says honestly but Ēostre laughs saying,

"Tis little matter, they are only children after all." later Aina and her mother are shown to their bedchamber that they shall share in the Guest Wing of the palace and given a short tour of the palace by Frigga herself. Aina doesn't see the two Princes for the rest of the day and figures they had been punished for their trick. She finds out that the two tables in the Feasting Hall had been flipped over and all the food onto the ground. Odin had been furious but Frigga had soothed his nerves saying that the two would be fairly punished. And Aina found out that that punishment was confinement to their bedchamber for the rest of the eve with extra tutoring lessons for a fortnight. That night Aina doesn't see them again though she did show her mother her gift from Loki asking,

"Why can I not do such magic Mother?"

"Dearest we each have a purpose in this realm, and yours is yet to be found." her mother tells her honestly as she ushered her to bed. Changing in her nightgown, Aina sets the flower on her bedside table before turning to her mother asking as she fixes her hair,

"Mother, do you suppose my magic will be as great as anyone else's?" Ēostre chuckles saying as she sits on her child's bed,

"I cannot say dearest, I can only hope that whatever the Norns see to gift to you that you use them wisely and with great care." and so Aina snuggles into bed drifting off to sleep as her mother watches on and sighs heavily to herself.