Sunday again, I can hardly believe it!
Enjoy the chapter.
Loki woke slowly, the rustling of a page making him think his mother was nearby, but it did not feel right. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open to find 'twas Livunn who sat nearby, reading a book. He was not certain whether to be annoyed either his parents or Lady Hlín had felt he needed a minder, or bemused by this new side of his personal servant he was seeing. Previously, he had seen her working on a small embroidery project when waiting on other tasks to finish which required loose supervision.
"Is it a good book?" Loki asked, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.
"Loki!" Livunn exclaimed, glancing up, startled. "How are you feeling?"
The question made Loki take stock of himself, carefully shifting his limbs, and he grunted at what he found. Everything felt achy and sore. 'Twas not the same feeling from before with the salt, but far more all-encompassing. Like when he was ill.
"Lady Hlín did say you might not be feeling terribly well. Something of having used too much seiðr too quickly," Livunn said.
Loki groaned as he realized the new healer was most likely correct. In shifting back to his preferred form, he had overexerted himself and he was paying for it now, but he would rather this than to remain as isolated and... not himself as before.
Livunn smiled as she shook her head while closing her book and placing it aside. "Would you like something to drink?"
Did he?
The thought made Loki realize precisely how hungry and thirsty he was, and he nodded as he tried to rise. That made him realize exactly how weak he was at present.
"Here, let me help," Livunn said, rising and leaning over the bed to where he lay.
With her aid, Loki was able to shift himself into a seated position with some pillows behind him. The move left him sore and tired, and he cursed his injury for making him so incapacitated. Though Loki knew Livunn had noticed his situation, she said nothing and instead turned to fetch him a glass from a prepared tray on the table at the far side of the chamber.
"I am not entirely certain what this is," Livunn admitted as she returned to his side. "But Lady Hlín said to try and drink it all, and that it would not taste as bad as it looks."
Loki could well understand the warning, as the glass contained what seemed to be a thick liquid of a dusky pink color with what seemed to be semi solid, little lumps. He pulled a face, though he had to admit the smell, when it reached him, was not so bad.
"I suppose if I must," Loki said, interested enough to want to try it.
"Are you strong enough to manage?" Livunn asked, hesitantly.
The very question prickled at his pride, but Loki knew he would rather admit weakness than be forced to suffer the indignation of spilling it all over himself. Particularly when 'twas merely Livunn, who knew him well enough to know this was only a temporary weakness.
"The glass, aye," Loki replied, before his eyes strayed back to the bowl on the tray from which the glass had come. "The bowl, however..."
"Very well."
With that, Livunn handed the glass over to him without any hesitation, and Loki appreciated her all the more. He knew she had been offered condolences when she had first become his personal servant, and others had offered to try and help her break free from him. Yet, she had never wavered or shown any inclination to leave, even when he had been at his worst.
The juice blend tasted odd, but Loki found himself craving it almost immediately and he had to force himself not to drink it too quickly, lest he chocked.
"Apples," he suddenly realized.
"My Prince?" Livunn asked, moving back towards the bed with the bowl.
"This has one of Lady Iðunn's apples in it," Loki replied.
"Oh. Do they help with core injuries?"
"'Tis not something I have looked into before."
"But you will follow healer advice," Livunn teased.
"Of course," Loki smirked at her.
She was well aware of his penchant for the golden apples, having seen more than one of the ones he had pilfered over the centuries.
"Well, this appears to be Hár fish stew, but 'tis cold," Livunn said.
"'Tis the proper way to serve it on Jötunheimr."
"I did not know that."
The easy way Livunn sat on the side of his bed and offered him the first spoonful, not drawing any unusual attention to the fact she had to feed him, helped Loki ignore the shame which prickled up his spine.
"What were you reading?" Loki asked, before he took another bite.
"A book," Livunn replied with a smile.
Loki gave her a look as he chewed.
"'Tis fiction, the first in a series I quite enjoy."
"So you are rereading it?"
"Aye."
Loki craned his neck to see the title as he chewed his next spoonful. Vanished in Death.
"'Tis of a woman who needs to uncover what has happened to the crew of a ship which returned devoid of crew or passengers."
"Æsir?" Loki asked, curious; it did not sound like it would be.
"Vanir."
"How long is the series?" Loki asked between spoonsful.
"At the moment, nearly thirty books long," Livunn replied, ere she smiled at his obvious surprise. "The author is quite prolific."
"And popular, clearly, to have so many available."
"The characters are good and each story compelling on its own, even as it also sees the evolution of the overall situation and characters."
Loki hummed before he took what seemed to be his last spoonful. It had not been a very large bowl of stew then, but he found his hunger satisfied, so mayhap it had to do with his condition. Sliding back down far was easier than rising, though Livunn did lean in to help him readjust the pillows, so they were more comfortably placed.
"Thank you," Loki said.
Despite feeling tired, he did not particularly have the desire to sleep, and a quick glance out of the window confirmed it appeared to be midday. Still, the thought of holding one of his books, which he could see lying on the stand next to the bed, felt like too much. Which left him with but one option.
"Read me some?" Loki asked.
"Of my book?" Livunn questioned in surprise. "Or one of yours?"
"Yours, I am curious now."
Loki knew 'twas a bit of an odd request, but he was curious as to what had caught Livunn's interest so. Besides, the thought of listening to a tale which was so clearly counter to æsir ideals and standards, quite appealed to him. He liked the chaos of it.
"Very well," Livunn said, picking up the book and flipping it open to the start.
The words and tale washed over Loki as he lay there, taking it all in.
When the young prince's breathing shifted and changed, Livunn paused in her reading and looked up. Loki's eyes were shut, and the hand which was not tucked under the pillow lay open and lax. The sight made her smile slightly, as 'twas not one she was used to witnessing. Though she had worked for Prince Loki for quite a few centuries, he was not like those nobles or royals who required their servants in their bedchambers in the mornings to rise.
He looked younger asleep, and Livunn had to fight the instinct to reach out and pull up his sheet as she had done with her own children when they were younger. Prince Loki would not appreciate it and she knew the unexpected action could wake him. Instead, she marked the place in her book with one of his leather bookmarks she had brought, in case he wished to read or know more later. She then flipped back to where she had been before. She had only just started reading once more, when the door to the chamber opened and in came both Lady Hlín and Queen Frigga.
"You Majesty, my Lady," Livunn said, rising to her feet and curtsying.
"Livunn," Queen Frigga greeted with a smile, ere her eyes went to Loki and softened.
"He woke?" Lady Hlín asked, moving towards the tray with the empty dishes.
"Aye," Livunn said. "He quite enjoyed the juice and finished all of the stew."
"Of course he liked the juice, it not only had an apple in it, but some of the other nutrients his body is trained to crave," Lady Hlín said. "But I am pleased his appetite was so good, I had not been certain."
"Loki has always had a hearty appetite, even when ill," Queen Frigga commented. "'Tis not a good sign when he avoids food. Well, at least deliberately."
The words made Livunn smile. For someone who ate as much as Prince Loki, 'twas rather ironic how easily he could become absorbed enough in his studies, to the point where he forgot to eat. She had long since learned to provide him with easy to consume food at those times, leaving it near him to be eaten almost unconsciously as Loki continued his work.
Obviously experiencing the same urge as Livunn had earlier, Queen Frigga leaned over to tuck the sheet and furs more tightly around her son. The way Prince Loki stirred proved her fear of accidentally waking him. Luckily, the queen was able to calm him with a few words, her voice soothing him immediately. 'Twas beautiful to see and not something many could, or ever would, witness.
"How long was he awake?" Lady Hlín inquired.
"Altogether, about forty to fifty minutes I believe, maybe an hour," Livunn replied. "He wished to eat almost immediately and then I read to him a little."
"The best way to settle him for sleep," Queen Frigga smiled, stroking Prince Loki's hair. "Thank you for watching him, Livunn. You may go now as we shall be running some more scans to determine how his healing is progressing, and what the best next steps are for this evening."
"Your Majesty," Livunn replied, hesitating before deciding to leave her book.
She need not worry about the young prince damaging it, as he revered books, and she could just as easily reread the next one in the series as she knew them all so well.
By the time Óðinn finished in his study for the day and made his way back to his chambers for dinner, he was exhausted. Yet the day was not even done.
The knowledge wearied him, and 'twas why Óðinn had taken to dining in his chambers with Frigga, rather than attending the evening feasts.
He required the time to rest and prepare for healing Loki later in the evening. They were making good progress and his son was doing better every day, but 'twas still draining in addition to his regular duties and ensuring he knew all which had transpired while he had slept.
"Good evening, Ó-" Frigga began when he entered their chambers, before she frowned. "What is wrong?"
His darling wife, always able to read him so well.
"Ragnvaldr and I reviewed the King's Funds applications Loki selected," Óðinn explained as they moved towards the dining table where dinner lay prepared.
"Ah," Frigga replied, sitting as a servant began to serve her. "You do not approve of his selections?"
"They are much as I would have expected of him, given which ones he has been nagging me to fund since he first joined the High Council."
"So?"
"'Tis more what happened around it all," Óðinn explained with a frown, motioning for the servants to leave them in privacy. "Starting with Lord Óðr."
His tone must have conveyed how absolutely furious he was since Frigga lowered her fork and knife, a truly concerned expression on her face.
"What did he do?" she demanded, softly.
Dangerously.
"He attempted to allocate the funds himself," Óðinn replied.
"What?"
Óðinn's fists clenched as he recalled Ragnvaldr's words.
"It would seem he tried to claim he was aiding Loki," he said.
"He knew he would not like how Loki would allocate them himself," Frigga guessed.
"Aye."
"It explains why Thor mentioned he was aiding Vé with some of the application response letters. I had not thought to question it at the time."
Nor should she have had to.
Óðinn was equally as furious that one of those he had selected to be on his High Council had dared to assume so much, as he was at the actions of Thor's former companions.
The action itself was not nearly as brazen and outright treasonous, but the betrayal came from far closer. At least for him, he was certain Thor and Loki would feel it differently.
"I do suppose, though," Frigga continued. "That he thought he was doing as you might wish. For he knew you and Loki disagreed on how to allocate the King's Funds."
The thought had occurred to Óðinn as well, but it still did not excuse Óðr's actions. Yet, 'twas likely why neither Loki nor Ragnvaldr had elected to deal with the lord then. Not only did they have a war and outright traitors to contend with, but the action had not had the potential to destabilize all of Ásgarðr.
"Regardless, I will not stand for it," Óðinn declared.
"Good," Frigga replied. "Not least because of what Loki's decisions regarding the King's Funds have uncovered."
"You heard of that?"
"'Twas all over court after the second trial. Their punishment made people curious, and the condition of the road in the eastern part of the city came out after."
Óðinn could understand that, even as the mere mention reignited his anger. He had hardly believed his eye when Ragnvaldr had first handed him the parchment with that application. His first thought had been his old friend was showing it to him to demonstrate how far some had gone to tempt Loki away from the traditional recipients of the King's Funds.
It had seemed far more believable than the alternative.
"Ragnvaldr and I have discussed this," Óðinn replied. "I also spoke with Týr after, thinking we might need to adjust some of his budget to account for the additional costs he would incur as a result."
"I take it 'twas not necessary?" Frigga questioned.
"He has funds he wishes to give back for alternative purposes!"
Part of him still could not quite believe it. The head of his army wished to give funding back to those projects Týr had originally competed with to obtain them!
"He did have additional armor made during the war," Frigga said.
Óðinn shook his head. "Nay, 'tis more than that. He said their need was clearly greater than that of the army."
Combined with what else the general was speaking of, Óðinn was tempted to have him checked for spells or insidious workings. It did not seem like his old friend to wish for seiðr, or seiðberandi, to interfere with his men.
Yet, at the same time, Óðinn could see and understand where all of the unexpected changes were coming from. Even his first reaction to the list of work Vé had already drawn up for their new indentured servants, was that something had gone horribly wrong. How could such vital parts of Ásgarðr's basic care have gone so badly wrong without his noticing? To the point where a whole part of the city was on the verge of severe economic consequences due to something as simple as basic road repair?
It shamed Óðinn to think his people and councillors had thought they could not come to him with something as serious as this. That they so clearly felt their concerns and dire situation would be dismissed. Ragnvaldr's words had been sharp and pointed, but his advisor had not spared himself from their bite and even gone so far as to suggest Óðinn may wish to find himself another advisor. The mere thought appalled him even now. He could not even think of having someone else by his side in the way his old friend was. Even if this had gone so badly wrong, there was plenty which had gone right. The fact this was a new development in a long reign proved his old structure had worked, and so it could do so once more.
"What are you worried about?" Frigga asked, lowering her utensils once more.
"Ragnvaldr mentioned today that it may be time for me to appoint someone else as my advisor," Óðinn explained.
"In his stead?"
"Aye."
Rather than reject the suggestion out of hand, Frigga seemed to actually consider it, her lips pursing in thought.
"Mayhap you are thinking too narrowly," she finally replied.
"Oh?"
"What if 'tis not to replace Ragnvaldr, who has clearly steered you well for millennia."
"What are you thinking?" Óðinn inquired.
"What if 'tis better to simply take on another advisor who has a different perspective? One who might cover any area you and Ragnvaldr feel he may miss?"
'Twas not something Óðinn had considered before, but Frigga was correct. It would allow him to keep Ragnvaldr by his side, even as he took actions to keep what had so clearly gone wrong from recurring.
"It would still require me to find another advisor," Óðinn said. "One who could cover those areas."
"Would it?" Frigga asked, returning to her meal.
Would it? What could his wife possibly mean with that? Of course it would, he currently had none who had rea...
"You mean Loki," Óðinn realized.
"You have said he seemed to be the only one who predicted the possibility of some of these events. And he was the only one of us who was able to see Thor was not yet ready to be king."
All true, but it took far more to be an advisor.
"And he is to be Thor's advisor, is he not?" Frigga continued, proving as ever she seemed able to read his thoughts.
"Aye," Óðinn admitted. "I am simply not certain."
"Of his preparedness, or your own?"
"My own?"
"To listen to and actually hear him?" Frigga questioned. "You would not be father and son in such a situation, rather king and advisor, and you would have to treat him accordingly."
Before, Óðinn would not have thought it a problem, now though... 'twas something which would require careful thought.
"I will consider it," Óðinn promised.
Frigga frowned. "Yet?"
"I will no longer assume either of our sons is ready for a position without verifying it."
This clearly displeased her, but Frigga did not argue. What had so recently transpired, and what had nearly transpired, were proof enough he needed to act more carefully.
"Speaking of Loki, there is a matter I require your advice on," Óðinn continued.
Interest flashed through Frigga's eyes. "Oh?"
"As I am certain you are aware, with Gungnir comes access to the king's library-"
"The one you have been denying him access to?"
"Frigga-"
"What?" she demanded. "Surely you cannot be surprised he used the opportunity to access it?"
"Nay, and most of what I can tell he looked at are the same tomes I would have used."
"So?"
"There is one tome, a very rare one I found on Jötunheimr, and which may well be unique, that has gone missing."
"Missing? Are not all of the books in that library tied to it?" Frigga questioned in surprise.
"Aye, but as king..."
"He was able to break the connection? What was the book on?"
"Seiðr, I believe," Óðinn replied and immediately continued, seeing her confusion. "I have never been able to open it before and Týr said it seemed to be species locked."
"Species locked? How does he know of this?"
"It would appear Loki was able to convince the High Council that the Casket of Ancient Winters and this book require jötunn blood to be utilized."
"I thought this was true for the Casket?"
"Nay, we thought one had to be fully jötunn. Somehow, with the aid of both Vili and Vé, Loki convinced them 'twas only partial jötunn blood combined with seiðr," Óðinn explained. "To imitate some shamanic figure tied to Mother Winter. Týr seemed uncertain as to all of the details and I do not know how Loki accomplished it."
"Do you suppose 'twas all a trick, or that there may be something to it?"
"Regarding the book, 'twas pure misdirection as I have never been able to open it, but as for the Casket? I do not know, that I have not attempted to wield myself."
Frigga considered this as she served herself some more pheasant.
"How do you know 'tis a tome on seiðr if you have not been able to open it?" she finally asked.
"'Tis what Loki told them, and apparently he gleaned a lot of pertinent information on the Casket of Ancient Winters from it," Óðinn replied. "It would explain why I found it with the Casket in the temple."
"Which would also explain why the jötnar sought to seal it to outsiders. I assume this he did not have Vili and Vé test?"
"Nay," Óðinn frowned. "But what has me most concerned is the fact 'tis missing. Why would Loki have taken it?"
Frigga's laughter was as beautiful as 'twas confusing.
"Truly, Óðinn?" she questioned. "You cannot fathom why Loki might claim a rare, priceless and one-of-a-kind tome on seiðr?"
Óðinn opened his mouth to reply but then shut it realizing that, when Frigga put it thus, it truly was not at all so surprising.
"It may also be a good thing," Frigga continued.
"How so?"
"Well, if the tome is jötunn and will only open for one of them, then 'tis likely to contain secrets pertaining to jötnar seiðr."
"You believe it may help him accept who, and what, he is."
"Much as the temperature play, aye. After all, what has Loki always loved most after his family?"
"Seiðr."
It made some sense, still, Óðinn worried.
"The risk to his core, though..." he began, unable to voice it fully.
Frigga regarded him steadily, and Óðinn already knew he would not like what she said next.
"Is it truly his core you worry about?" she questioned.
Óðinn frowned. "Of course, after what has transpired, how could I not? We nearly lost him."
"Through absolutely no fault of his own," Frigga countered immediately. "When have you ever known Loki to recklessly endanger himself through his seiðr use?"
It... Óðinn had to admit he could not think of a recent enough example so as to be relevant. 'Twas not to say his youngest did not utilize his seiðr in ways he should not - indeed of that he had countless examples! - but not of endangering himself.
Loki was not the son to rush into the unknown so blithely.
"What are you implying?" Óðinn questioned, pushing away his finished plate.
"If anything has become clear after all which has happened, 'tis that Loki does not feel trusted by us," Frigga stated, plainly.
Óðinn rubbed his eye as he considered this. His first instinct was to refute it, but Loki's words from before, of people only hearing what they thought he was saying, rather than what he was, returned to him.
Was he guilty of this more than simply when his son had come to him about his concerns for Thor's readiness to be king?
'Twas an unpleasant thought, but Óðinn forced himself to consider it.
"We do not know what may be in there," Óðinn eventually replied.
"Nay, we do not," Frigga agreed. "But 'tis not the point. The point is whether we trust him to be able to utilize the knowledge and seiðr responsibly."
"Beyond the odd trick or two."
Frigga smiled. "Aye, beyond that."
He smiled despite himself, already resigned to having to deal with more ice and cold related mischief than he had before. In some ways, he knew it would inevitably remind him of his mother.
As for the rest, Óðinn was uncertain of where he stood. Aye, his youngest had truly proven himself and his capabilities as of late, but he could not simply forget all of the trouble Loki had caused before, either. Nor all of the times his son had seemed to behave in a manner designed to act against his brother.
Had he truly been wrong about all of those?
"Clearly, 'tis something you will need to give more thought to," Frigga stated, rising to her feet, obviously displeased.
"Frigga," Óðinn protested.
"Simply remember this; had Loki not been as proficient in seiðr as he is, then Ásgarðr would have been in very great peril indeed. For not only does Múspellsheimr know of his ability to wield our greatest defenses, but Heimdallr's punishment would not have been possible without it, leaving us very vulnerable where the Bifröst was concerned."
With those words, and a final disappointed glance, his wife left the dining chamber, leaving Óðinn on his own.
Though the tone of her words and the turn of her countenance stung, Óðinn knew her words to be true. Had Loki's prowess with seiðr not been so renown, he had no doubt Sinmara would have done more than merely test his youngest's ability to be deceived into signing a poor trade agreement. Not after Surtr and Óðinn's own history.
So, why was he so hesitant to allow Loki to keep the tome?
Óðinn frowned as he pondered the thought. Did he truly not trust his son, as Frigga implied? It felt wrong, but how else was he to explain his hesitance? He wished he could say 'twas due to Loki's apparent age, but he knew 'twas not true. He would have hesitated before he had learned his youngest was still underage.
Thus, then 'twas a case of trust; or rather distrust.
The acknowledgement made Óðinn feel uncomfortable and he immediately sought to justify it, yet all he could think of was what Loki had said.
"It would be nice if someone would actually listen to what I am saying, rather than what they think I am!"
The words haunted Óðinn as he could not simply dismiss them. Not given how accurate they were in his case, which, of course, begged the question of whether his youngest was correct about how others did the same.
If so, then did any of them have any basis for it, or had they all been wrong all along?
Oh, Óðinn knew his son was not entirely blameless in this either. Loki did have a propensity for lies and had been deemed the God of Lies on his Mærr Ágæti day, but had they all taken it too far? Did they all assume his son would always lie to them? He shuddered to think what it must be like to be so easily disbelieved and to have to prove himself constantly.
The thought made Óðinn feel vaguely ill as he considered instances where he had done precisely that; forcing Loki to prove something rather than simply believing his son. That it had to do with an instance where Óðinn had sought to fund a military application Týr had asked for over more city council funding, only served to make him feel it all the more keenly.
Perhaps Frigga was correct in suggesting he take Loki on as a second advisor. His son oft voiced very different opinions from the rest of the High Council. Seeing how many of those had been proven to be based on fact as of late, it would behoove him to listen to them more. He would need to discuss it with Ragnvaldr and see what his old friend thought. And it would also be excellent training for Loki for when Thor did finally ascend to Hliðskjálf.
For now, though, Óðinn resolved to work on his own relationship with his son. That 'twas not as he had always thought it to be, was clear, though he was at a loss as to how to mend it.
If it could still be mended.
The thought came unbidden, and Óðinn wished he could dismiss it outright. Loki's reactions recently, however, meant he could not. In addition to clearly favoring his mother, his youngest had sought to draw away from him, to Loki's own detriment, more than once. Those instances still pained him greatly when he thought of them. They made it rather clear how his son thought of him when unable to guard his emotions and actions as Loki might normally do.
It also raised the question of precisely how much of Loki's true character, or emotions, were normally hidden from his view.
Did he even truly know his youngest?
Did Loki even think his father wished to?
'Twas almost too horrible a thought to contemplate, but Óðinn forced himself to do precisely that. After how abruptly he had dismissed Loki's concern about Thor's inability to be king, he had hardly interacted with his son. Was that Loki avoiding him, or merely both of them being busy?
Now Óðinn thought of it, he could not immediately recollect the last occasion he had spent time with Loki outside of Council meetings. Of Thor, he could think of morning fasts broken together, and conversations, or even watching the warriors train together. Time spent speaking or simply enjoying each other's company. With Loki, there were no such memories, at least none he could recall from the last two or three centuries.
It shocked Óðinn now he stopped to consider it, and 'twas no longer a surprise to him that he did not truly known his son. How could he, given this and all he had clearly not known of Thor, despite how much time they had spent together?
Ragnvaldr's words came back to him; of how differently he had treated Loki and Thor upon first seeing them after he woke. Was that the result of the distance which had grown between Loki and himself, or the cause of it? Had he driven his youngest away by unconsciously favoring Thor? He had not meant to, but mayhap he had allowed the knowledge of Loki's true heritage to affect him, and what he had expected, or feared, from the boy, as Frigga had suggested. If so, then he could only imagine how confusing it might have been for Loki, to be thus treated with no idea as to its cause, or why his father did not treat him the same as his elder brother.
'Twas no longer a surprise to Óðinn that his youngest might have grown jealous of Thor, and, once Óðinn had noticed that, of course it had compounded the problem even further.
And not just for himself.
Óðinn did not need to be told how others might interpret any signs of jealousy from Loki towards Thor, especially when his eldest was so popular while Loki and his seiðr were not.
"I- I- I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?"
If 'twas truly how those who had never personally known any fro- jötnar thought of them, then Óðinn could start to see, with shocking clarity, how Loki might have come to think of himself so poorly, if his son had already been keenly aware of how he was considered by others, beforehand.
This could not stand. He would not allow it.
Loki had already done much for his own reputation since becoming regent, Óðinn knew. Not only had Ragnvaldr spoken of it, but he himself had noted how many of the standards and banners over Ásgarðr were green, and had remained so even after his awakening. In solidarity of Loki's illness, one of the servants had informed him when the man had noticed where his attention had gone. But, if it aided in his youngest's recovery and helped Loki to come to terms with who and what he was, then Óðinn did not care if they were never replaced with gold ones. He would far rather have his son hale and whole, than have all of Ásgarðr display his color. Particularly if Loki had been keenly aware of the disapproval of the people before his regency.
Besides, his son had earned their respect and support after how masterfully he had navigated the very difficult situation Loki had found himself in. It could definitely have ended far worse for all of Ásgarðr.
"Your Majesty?"
Óðinn glanced up to see one of the servants standing in the doorway.
"Would you like some more time?" she asked.
"Nay, you may clear away," Óðinn replied, as he rose to his feet.
He would go out to the gardens to think some more.
Please let me know if you spotted any silly mistakes, my energy levels are not great at the moment. I know why and I'll be getting something done about it soon, but until then, I'm exhausted by early evening and not at my best when spotting errors! It's also why my notes here are less than normal. But I'll still read all of your amazing comments!
For those of you wondering about the book series Livunn is reading... I'll be honest, I had J.D. Robb's In Death series in mind when I wrote this scene. I couldn't help myself as I love those books!
As for the Mærr Ágæti day which is mentioned in this chapter, the exact Old Norse details are listed below, but basically it's the day on which a young æsir is given their title. So it's the Title Ceremony. It lasts two days, really, but the main title is bestowed on the first day and minor, additional ones on the other days. All of this is entirely made-up on my part 😊
Old Norse:
mærr - famous, glorious, illustrious
ágæti - glory, fame, renown, excellence - glorious deeds
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's throne
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
jötunn - "frost giant"
jötnar - "frost giants"
Up next week: Loki is allowed into the healing gardens with Lieutenant-General Yngvarr...