Age 14
Outskirts, Alfheim
We dismount a short distance away from the village. I forget how many villages we've been to, but I can see it's one of the smallest. They're harder to get to, which is why we Bifrosted just outside the village. If we can't get diplomacy to work on Alfheim, it really will mean war.
A small envoy meets us, soldiers and tribal elders alike. It's a rural village, unlike our visit last week, to one of the cities. Alfheim is pretty, the very opposite of Niflheim. Illuminated by two suns, and covered in a sea of golden grass ringed by rich green trees, I find myself distracted by it.
But I am sure to pay attention as the courtesies begin with the Alves. They're a proud people, kind, but not always forgiving. Loki speaks on behalf of Asgard, standing ahead of us. I notice I'm gaining attention, my glow just barely noticeable in the daylight.
Loki motions to us, and I bow, though he and Thor as princes do not. We've brought Fandral and Sif with us as well, to look amiable. The other elites are back at the camp, leading the small force we brought from Asgard.
Once Loki is done with the pleasantries, the elders come to greet us personally. I stay next to Thor, since Loki's lost in the crowd now. He's good at diplomacy, it's why we've lasted so long without needing to use violence.
Thor, however, worries me. Royal as he is, the chance of him inadvertently offending someone and ruining the whole thing is very high. I do my best to keep an eye on him.
But the elders actually seem more interested in me. They bow to both Thor and I, but they face me. "You are most beautiful," one says. "Blessed by the sun."
"Chosen," another agrees. "It is a sign." I blush, but I'm also incredibly confused.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Your light," yet another elder explains, female this time, "it shows you are favored of the suns. We are honored by your presence."
"Oh… okay." That's different, at least. The Asgardians prefer to see my light as a sign of Hel, so it's a welcome change.
"We apologize for not better preparing for your arrival." They're talking to both of us now. "News often doesn't travel to us, and we did not expect your great interest to come to our home."
Thor looks hurt by that, officially, this whole diplomatic mission is under his supervision. It was his idea that we visit the smaller towns, against Odin's advice. "We are honored to be here," he assures them. "We've come in peace."
"We are grateful for that. We hope you will consider our pleas. We do not wish to go to war." They are very cordial, unlike the previous village, which separated all of us for what was basically interrogation.
"Neither do we," I butt in. I've been instructed to promote a peaceful resolution as much as possible, but I don't think I'm very good, but I try. Loki says my presence helps assure people though, which is why I'm diplomatic missions in the first place.
If they were polite at Thor's comments, they're ecstatic at mine. They really do look at me differently, and even though it's positive, I'm not sure I like it any better. The group that met us starts to lead the way into the village, and I move to walk next to Loki.
"They like my glow," I tell him, "maybe too much, it's weird."
"They're called Light Elves for a reason, Ally, and this tribe is particularly devout. You shine like their sun, they have to put importance on that," he explains.
"Yeah, but it's creepy. They keep staring at me."
"It'll work in our favor, they're only admiring." That's not exactly comforting, but I try to relax as we walk.
Music sounds from the village, light and joyous. They sound like they're celebrating. We're being approached again, and this time it's all kinds of people, families with kids and workers having left behind their work to see us.
"Welcome our friends from Asgard!" Cheers erupt from around us. "Please accept our many gifts." Within moments, I'm wreathed in flowers and jewelry. Thor has a new cape draped on his back, and has been handed a rope, with a strange looking, three eyed goat on the other end. Loki accepts a large bundle of some kind of grain, and Sif and Fandral receive presents as well.
"Thank you!" Thor bellows awkwardly. "We are honored by your offerings."
Something tugs on my skirt, and I look down to find a small group of children with faces lit up in wonder. I smile, honestly, because they're cute.
"Thank you for coming, Your Highness," one of the girls says. "We've never met a princess before." I blush, which only makes me glow brighter, and draws more eyes to me. I crouch down, even though I'm already mostly on their level.
"I'm not a princess, but thank you for letting me come," I tell them. It's easier talking to the kids. "Your village is so pretty." They laugh. I wish I wasn't lying to them, but neither Loki or Thor has said anything, so I guess we're going with it.
The girls pull me forward, and I shoot a look back at Thor and Loki. Loki nods encouragingly, and Thor just looks lost. I give them a look like they're no help. The girls giggle, and we're soon accompanied by older girls, my age and young adults.
"Are you sure you're not a princess?" one asks.
"You could be, if you married a prince!" Another interjects. I blush.
"Are you betrothed to Thor?" They're all speaking now, asking questions, and it's all I can do to shake my head. I do not like this.
"I'm not betrothed to anyone," I try to clarify. "I'm too young."
They continue their chatter, and I answer what questions I can. We're well into the village now, with Thor and Loki just barely following as they discuss with the elders. I'm led into a building, it looks nicer than most of the shacks and smaller buildings. Overlapping suns are carved into the white and gold stone, and fires burn in a variety of braziers and torches. I can sense them, even when I close my eyes. To anyone else it must be swelteringly hot in here, but I don't notice. I do notice the smell though, like herbs burning.
"Please, my lady, would you mind sitting on the dais? We would like to pray in your presence, your light with aid our pleas in their journey to the suns." I choke, coughing.
"I don't want to be rude," I struggle to explain, "I'm not sure I understand the ritual. Are you praying to me?"
"Oh no, you are not a god. But the brighter light is said to hasten our prayers to the heavens. You are like unto a sun yourself, my lady."
I'm getting some very conflicting signals, and fear keeps me rooted to the spot while wanting nothing more than to run screaming from this place. My blushing light brightens to rival that of all the fires. I'm not particularly religious myself, for a variety of reasons. The foremost being that getting kidnapped and travelling to several different planets tends to entirely destroy your worldview.
The women are still looking at me expectantly, so I grudgingly move up to the dais. There's a chair, but I don't sit. It's not that what they're doing is strange, it just makes me uncomfortable. Their language is unfamiliar, and they seem to be singing their prayers. At times the flames around them appear to dance to the melodies. I get distracted looking at them, though I can still feel the eyes on me.
I sit after a couple minutes. I wonder if they know that suns are just giant balls of gas in space, it doesn't seem to me like something that should be worshipped. Maybe I am like a sun in that aspect, they shouldn't hold me in that kind of honor anyway. At least all I have to do is sit here. Still, the songs are sung with unsettling notes that reverberate off the walls, combining with new ones to twist the melodies. I wonder if they'd notice me bolting from the building.
When the songs are done, the women come up to the dais, and I'm quick to leave the chair and rejoin them. "You have our thanks," they say. "We offered prayers in your behalf as well."
I'm surprised by that, it's very kind of them. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
"We prayed that the suns may help us all create peace on Alfheim, and quickly, so that you may return home and find a husband." I blush, throwing yet more light into the room. I wish I could jump into a brazier and escape into oblivion. This is gonna be a long diplomatic mission.
I can't bring myself to say anything, which makes many of the women giggle. They lead me out and I'm glad to see Thor and Loki not far off. I shoot Loki a 'please get me out of this' look.
"We'll see you at the feast tonight, my lady." My entourage leaves and I walk over to my friends, taking Loki's offered arm. Sif and Fandral nod in greeting.
"This is so awkward," I tell him. "They're too nice. It's creepy."
"They're just being polite, Ally, it's nothing to worry about."
"They think I'm a sun! They prayed that I would go home and find a husband!" Thor chuckles and I blush, not realizing he'd been listening. "It's not funny."
"It isn't, I know. But we won't be here for much longer. With the way things are going, we can talk things out at the feast, amend the treaty tomorrow, and be on our way by the afternoon."
"That's not so bad," I admit. "I'm just uncomfortable."
"We'll make sure one of us is with you at all times," Sif interjects. "I don't like it much either."
"It's something we can use to our advantage though," Loki says. "If they respect Ally that much, she's our key to making things go smoothly." I groan.
"You can do it, Ally. They won't expect you to negotiate, but having you present will help. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
We're led to our rooms, where our stuff has been brought. Even in the Outskirts, we have propriety to maintain, which means respecting the local customs to not wear armor while we're here. I've just about broken in my new leather set, and the blacksmiths say they're close to getting a metal version to work. Hopefully, if these preliminary missions go well, I won't need it.
Sif and I wear simple dresses, we aren't here to show off wealth, just be polite. The men wear formal tunics. It's interesting to see everyone out of their armor on a mission, but that's the point of diplomacy. Showing the people that there's more to Asgard than its war hungry past.
More music plays as we enter the central area. Stringed instruments I've never seen before, and drums, with quiet complicated rhythms. It's calming, unlike the song prayers that were sung before.
A table has been set up, laden with a variety of breads and soups. It's a staple for the more rural Alf towns, where different kinds of grain are grown in abundance. They pair the breads with soups to further vary the flavors.
We don't eat yet though, it seems there are yet more formalities. One of the elders, probably the leader, gives a speech, and I do my best to pay attention. He thanks the suns for the harvest and the children being born, and most of all for the arrival of the Asgardians. I smile, looking out at the gathered crowd.
"We know many of our brother and sister tribes are angry. We acknowledge their protests and share their concerns, but we wish only to resolve the matter peacefully. We have had honor and peace as part of the Nine Realms, and we would be remiss to have that come to an end." The leader sounds sincere, and despite my personal qualms about their beliefs, it's a relief to hear that this won't turn into a fight.
The feast officially begins and I eat politely, sampling different breads and a couple different soups. Alfheim has some interesting vegetables, and the soup comes in a variety of vibrant colors. Deep purple, aqua, orange. They're all savory soups, and I find that I enjoy them.
The conversation at the table is subdued, and not many questions are directed toward me. I get plenty of staring though, and I try to brush it off. It's just part of their culture. They aren't judging me, not like on Asgard.
As the first sun sets, the light in the pavilion darkens. There's still more than enough to see, and the rosy light reflects off the few clouds in the sky, while the second sun makes its way to the horizon. They set and rise about an hour apart, and almost every sunset is this stunning.
A song starts up almost immediately, like the prayer ones, but not as creepy. Some of the villagers get up and make their way to the ornate stone building. They emerge carrying the braziers, as if they're making up for the loss of light. Additional torches are lit, and continue to be added as the second sun sets. Conversation subsides, we all watch the fire and the sun instead. I wonder if they do this every night, or if it's because of the occasion. Soon, all trace of sunlight is gone, but the pavilion is still bright.
"What is the purpose of the fire?" Loki asks. He seems more relaxed out here, he enjoys the diplomacy and seeing other cultures.
"We mourn the setting of the suns, and the loss of light. The fire protects us from the dark, pushing it back until the suns return to save us." It's a superstition, of course, but I find that I like it. The reverence of the light, the view of it as a protector.
The brazier in front of us goes out, and I automatically move to relight it, tossing a small fireball the few feet to the coals. It reignites, and the hushed conversation stills. Anyone who wasn't looking at me before has turned their attention.
"You truly are a sun," the elder says. "Unfamiliar to us, from far away, but come to protect and save."
"I'm not- I'm just- I can't" Loki elbows me and I fall quiet, trying to stop the rising panic. I get a breath in and force out a thank you, which seems to lessen the tension.
"We will negotiate when the suns rise again," he continues. "Your presence will bless the new treaty and create peace in the land."
We are guided back to the place they've given us to stay, and I realize for the first time how much darker Alfheim is at night. With the two suns, it's so bright in the daylight that every shadow in the nighttime looks like some eldritch monster. Maybe the villagers are on to something. I glow brighter as we walk, provoking more excited whispers from our entourage. I'm starting not to mind.
The night passes quickly, and after a light breakfast, we meet in a garden. It's nestled into the vegetable gardens, and the aroma in the air is of spices and herbs. It's Loki, Thor, and I, we didn't want to overwhelm them.
Loki begins, starting with the fact that we've been able to renegotiate treaties with almost ten other villages, and that there's terms everyone has to accept. The first is that they rejoin the overall coalition between Alf tribes, since Asgard can't recognize the hundred different sects as individual kingdoms. The second is to keep the peace. No one wants this to come to war, now or in the future.
It takes a lot of reasoning to bring this group to that point though. We hear their story, how the other villages mock them for their devotion to worship, how their positioning in the area brings further isolation. They would rather be their own people, free to live under the suns.
Hearing their side of the story makes me no longer uncomfortable. I understand where they're coming from now, and I can relate to them. I can overlook that they think I'm a sun or whatever, if it helps them deal with hardships.
We find that we can accept most of their terms. We can take their concerns about religious discrimination and trading routes to the other villages and the major city in this area. We can promise them safety, and that they'll have an access point to further voice their complaints.
I do my best to help out, but my presence seems more than enough. I just smile and encourage them to speak up when I see that Thor or Loki havent noticed. Everyone gets a chance to speak, and we end with a treaty that everyone is satisfied with.
They talk us into staying for a celebration feast, adding that they've have a surprise. With how well negotiations went, these people deserve to know we do care about them, and not just about ruling.
The feast is a more casual gathering than the night before. The tables are closer together, and people mingle freely, unafraid to come talk to the Asgardians. We laugh and smile, and the looming tension has completely dissipated.
The song starts up again as the first sun sets, but the people don't bring out the braziers as they did before. It makes me worried, like we embarrassed them by asking about it before. But I know it's important to them, making up for the lost light. I glow as bright as I can, subtly, trying to help.
"Where is the fire?" Loki asks, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed. It just seems so strange to me.
"Have no fear," is the response comes, "and be patient." The singing increases as the second sun descends under the horizon. I glow even brighter, not caring now if people notice.
But as the darkness encroaches on the pavilion, it reveals the surprise. Glowing lines coat the arms and legs of the villagers, casting weak but noticeable light. It's obvious what they're trying to mimic. Like veins, my light flickers and waves across my skin, matching me to the people who grin eagerly. I smile back, letting them know how much I appreciate it.
"They're beautiful," I say. "Thank you."
"You are beautiful," they tell me. "Our third sun." I blush. The kids pull me from my seat, they're painted with the glowing lines too, and immediately start a game of tag. I chase after them, happy to play.
The feast turns into a party that lasts into the long hours of the night. This is what all of Alfheim should be like, able to laugh and celebrate without fear. This is the goal. And I'm happy to be part of it.
As a kid, I wanted to be so many things. A mermaid, a dancer, a doctor, a firefighter. Someone that changed lives. But now I'm actually doing it. I'm helping. It's better than anything I've done so far in life, even compared to saving everyone's butts on Niflheim. This is important, lasting change that I didn't have to accomplish with fighting.
When we ride out the next morning, it's with tired bodies and uplifted spirits. Loki rides next to me, we'll have to reach the Bifrost first and debrief the command center before they send us to the next village. This is a small but important victory.
"Thank you for your help, Ally," Loki says, after we've ridden for a while. "That went smoother than anyone expected."
"It's not like I did much," I reply. "I just stood there most of the time."
Loki sends me a disapproving look. "You did more than stand there. You listened to them, you advocated for them. You showed them that we care, and that we respect their beliefs. You gave them hope."
I think about that as we ride. It's hard to see, but I guess I was understating my own involvement. I did help. I smile as we enter the last leg of our journey.
Loki notices, and he smiles back at me. "You're amazing, Ally, don't forget that." He catches my eye. "You're radiant."