Andromeda's eyes were tightly closed and her lips were pursed as her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Her body was bare and her curls were wildly floating around her. She stayed under for a moment more before kicking her feet and breaking the surface of the water, taking a huge breath. She ran a hand through her hair and floated on her back for a moment, looking like a sea nymph or a beautiful siren.
She stared into the sky and squinted her eyes at the light of the Asgardian sun. The sky, as always, was beautiful and vibrant and the water around her seemed to mirror the heavens above. She paddled herself around the hidden lake, her arms out to her sides.
These days, Andromeda like to be alone. She did not socialize with everyone as she once did and a smile was rare on the pretty woman's face. She would spend her days in the garden, walking around the castle, and swimming. At least she was out of bed, for the first week of her being back in Asgard she stayed in bed. A certain prince's bed.
As a matter of fact she still stayed in Loki's chambers, though most of the time he was not there. She would wake up and breakfast would be brought to her, then she would get dressed. She would go do her activity of the day then she would come back and eat lunch alone. When the day was done, the maids would bath her and dress her for bed, where Loki would be waiting with a book. He would read to her and she would fall asleep.
"Andromeda!" A deep, booming voice reverberated through the trees. The kingdomless princess' eyes widened and she took a deep breath before diving under the water. Thor looked at the lake curiously before turning to his mother, "I could have sworn I heard the water moving."
Queen Frigga smiled at her son and patted his arm. "You should go back to the castle, my son. I am sure she is somewhere." The prince nodded to his mother and left her, making his way back to the castle.
The queen's smile grew as deep brown eyes and smooth bronze skin peeked from the surface of the lake. "I knew I sensed you, princess."
Andromeda sighed, bubbles coming out of her mouth. She raised her head above the water, "With all due respect, Queen Frigga, I am not a princess anymore. For what is a princess with no kingdom?"
Queen Frigga just continued to smile in that motherly way she does and crossed her hands in front of her. "Aethiopia's legacy will continue to live as long as you do."
"That will not be long." Andromeda replied, not meaning to sound as bitter as she did. "I am sorry for my flippant tone." She hastily said and Queen Frigga waved it off.
"You are fine, little princess. I have come to inform you of a meeting with my husband and I."
Andromeda furrowed her brows and bit her lip, nervously pushing the water around her. "Am I in trouble?"
Queen Frigga laughed and it sounded like bells, "Heavens no! We would like to discuss something with you. My sons will be there as well." At the mention of the princes, the beauty sank deeper into the water. "It will be after lunch, so do not be late, Princess Andromeda."
"Yes, Queen Frigga." The princess nodded and the Queen winked at her before walking off. Andromeda floated there for a few more moments, basking in the warmth of the sun like a gazelle, before getting out the water. She draped her dress over her, the material clinging to her wet body. The bronze girl never brought a towel for the chilled feeling of the air reminded her that she was alive. Nowadays it seemed like she needed to feel something so her mind could be grounded, whether it be chilly air or rocks digging into her feet.
Andromeda rang her wet hair out, the water dripping from her long curls. She began to follow the path to the palace before getting distracted, hearing a horse's loud neighs. The princess turned the other way and made her way to the stables, pausing in the doorway to see what the commotion was.
Sleipnir was throwing a fit and giving his caretakers hell. The big black steed was bucking against his reigns and throwing the field hands every which way; his green eyes glaring and angry. Suddenly, Sleipnir huffed angrily and bucked through the stable gate, galloping away. The stable hands yelled after the horse, calling for the guards to come and retrieve him.
Andromeda sighed and bunched her damp skirt in her hands, beginning to run after the horse. The short woman tried to keep up as well as she could, not calling for the horse in fear of spooking him. She followed her child until he reached the top of a cliff overlooking the kingdom, where he stopped and sat.
Andromeda caught her breath and lowered her skirt, approaching Sleipnir slowly. She sat in the grass next to her son and looked out over the horizon, placing a hand on the back of his head. "Beautiful steed of noir," She whispered, her words sweet, "Why did you run?" Sleipnir made no noise in response, only continuing to look at the sky. "I understand," Andromeda sighed, "Sometimes you just want to be alone." She made a move to get up but Sleipnir rested his head on her lap, preventing her from moving. The surrogate mother just petted her sons head, knowing the look in his eyes. The two just sat there and forgot about the time, just enjoying each other's company.
A little over two hours later, footsteps approached the pair and a voice rang out, "You missed your meeting."
Andromeda looked over her shoulder and held a finger to her lips, gesturing down to the horse asleep in her lap. "I apologize." She whispered, petting Sleipnir's head.
Loki sighed and walked up to her, sitting beside the princess. "I should have known the two of you were together." He commented, glancing at his son in her lap, "You baby him."
"Someone has to." Andromeda retorted, narrowing her eyes, "If everyone was kinder to him he would not be so miserable."
"Spoken like a true mother." The prince stated before noting, "You take care of everyone but yourself."
Andromeda averted her eyes and stared out into the horizon. "I did not mean to be so careless and disrespect your family by missing our meeting. What was the topic of discussion?"
"You will found out later in the day. But for now," Loki stood up, offering his hand to her, "Let us return to the palace." The princess nodded and nudged Sleipnir's head out of her lap, taking Loki's hand and standing up. "Hold on." He muttered, teleporting the both of them into the castle.
"It is nice of you to join us." Queen Frigga's voice reverberated off the golden walls of the throne room.
Andromeda's face heated up and she bowed her head as Loki left her side to join his family on the mantle. "I apologize for my tardiness, your highness."
"It is alright child, raise." King Odin raised his hand and Andromeda obeyed. "Has Prince Loki informed you of the purpose of this meeting?"
"No, sir."
King Odin nodded, stroking his beard. "Princess Andromeda you have been in Asgard for a month. Aethiopia has fallen and because of the tragic event that led to the demise of your kingdom I do not wish to return you to Midgard."
Andromeda nodded in reply and continued to listen to the king speak. "I have spoken to my advisors, the royal court and my family and we have all decided to invite you to become an honorary Asgardian citizen. You would keep your title of Princess of Aethiopia, but you also would have a home here in the palace."
The princess' mouth dropped and her eyes widened, a furrow in her brow. "What?" She babbled articulately.
"We want you to stay with us, dear." Queen Frigga said with a smile, "If you would like to, of course."
"You have no family left on Midgard," Thor added flatly, "It would not be wise for us to return you to your realm with no home."
Andromeda's fingers twiddled the pendant of her necklace nervously as she thought about what was being said to her. What other choice did she have? She had nowhere to go and they had been so kind to her. She looked at each individual face staring down at her: Odin's face was stern but inquisitive, Frigga's face was kind and motherly, Thor's face was oddly blank and Loki's eyes were ushering her to agree. "Alright." She finally said, cupping her fingers in front of her.
"Excellent," King Odin boomed, the ghost of a smile on his face, "the ritual will take place tonight."
"Ritual?" Andromeda asked with furrowed brows.
The Allfather raised his eyebrows, "You have agreed to the ceremony yet you do not know what it is?" Andromeda's cheeks flushed and she bowed her head, making the king chuckle.
"Beloved." Frigga lightly chided, nudging her husband. She turned to the princess with a light smile, "For a mortal such as yourself to become an Asgardian citizen you must first be blessed by the elder sorcerers then you will drink the Veigr Ykkar Ungmenni."
"The Liquor of Youth." Loki translated as Andromeda furrowed her brows.
Frigga nodded, "You will sleep for a time but when you awake…" She trailed off, motioning to herself, "Your life will be extended."
"If it takes." Odin added, stroking his beard.
Andromeda's head snapped up, "If?" She questioned lowly.
"What my family has failed to mention," Thor started, his blue eyes narrowed, "Is the possibility of death. If your body is not strong enough to contain the liquor, you will die."
Andromeda let out a shaky breath and looked to Queen Frigga, "Is this true?"
The queen looked away with a solemn face and her husband answered for her, "Yes. I understand if you do not want to continue-!"
"I do not care." Andromeda boldly declared her brown eyes turning to embers for the first time in a month.
"Andromeda!" Thor called but the beauty shook her head.
"I want to do it." The princess vocalized looking at the King with sure eyes. "I want to become an Asgardian and I do not care what it takes."
The Allfather nodded, a smirk on his face, "So be it. Prepare yourself as the ceremony will take place tonight. You may go."
"Thank you." Andromeda bowed and left the throne room, picking up her pace when she heard thunderous footsteps following behind her. She kept her gaze forward even as a large hand grabbed her arm and made her turn around.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Thor's voice boomed making Andromeda flinch.
"No," She sneered, snatching her arm out of his grasp, "But I am sure you are going to tell me where to find it."
Thor exhaled harshly through his nose, ushering Andromeda behind a pillar. He leaned over her and searched her face with his blue eyes, "You could die."
Andromeda licked her lips, "I cannot continue to live with such uncertainty about my life. As a mortal I could truly die at any minute, at least now I would be able to live with the comfort of being one of you."
"You want this that badly?" Thor questioned, his nostrils flaring furiously, "You would risk your life? We are not immortal or indestructible Andromeda, our lives are not perfect just because they are extensive."
Andromeda took a breath and looked down, setting her jaw. She looked back up at Thor after a moment and he saw tears brimming her eyes. "Every mortal I have known and loved has died. My parents, my friends, my love…" She paused and swallowed, "And it was all because of me. What was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life turned into the most tragic and I am the last Aethiopian left. I am miserable but I am trying to heal myself, yet you speak to me like I am being selfish."
Thor looked away from her, her words provoking shame in him. Andromeda placed a small hand on his cheek and turned his face towards hers once more, looking into his eyes. "You should be happy," She whispered, her brows furrowing, "I could be hanging from a tree or drowning in a tub but instead I am choosing to prolong my life instead of ending it." Her thumb brushed against his cheek and she removed her hand, cupping both of them in front of her. "Thank you for your concern but I have made up my mind. Excuse me." She gathered her skirt and walked away leaving the golden prince standing there for the first time of many to come.
Andromeda found her way to the garden and sat on the pebbled walkway, playing with a picked flower. Every time she picked a petal off, it grew back just as quickly. She felt as if she were the flower, refusing to die under any circumstance.
"Are you frightened?" Loki's voice rang out from the doorway of the garden.
Andromeda turned to her caretaker and shook her head, watching as he sat down on the stone bench behind her. "Are you frightened for me?" She retorted, crossing her legs like a child and facing him.
Loki shook his head with a smirk, "It was my idea; I knew you would be strong enough to handle the Veigr Ykkarr Ungmenni."
Andromeda tilted her head in question, "How could you be so sure?"
The prince leaned forward, lowering his voice, "You have already suffered an unimaginable tragedy and have been able to continue to live. A pathetic little potion would not even be able to harm you." He stated, his intense green eyes on hers.
The beauty's face flushed and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, her eyes flickering down to avoid his gaze. "You always made me smile."
"Why do you speak as if in the past, little one?" Loki questioned, raising a brow.
"Why do you always call me 'little'?" Andromeda retorted, "I may not be as old as you but I am a grown woman. At twenty, I could even be considered an old maid."
"Technically," Loki started with a smirk, "You are twenty-one. Though when you are as old as I, you stop counting the years." Andromeda rolled her eyes and he chuckled, reaching out a hand and brushing her cheek, "It is a term of endearment, I assure you." Andromeda tilted her head into his hand and stared up at the prince. Loki's eyes searched her face and opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by a maid.
"Princess Andromeda, it is time to prepare you for the ceremony."
Andromeda sighed and nodded, standing up from the cobblestone trail. She began to walk towards the maid but paused and turned around, quickly walking back to Loki and placing a kiss on his cheek. She lingered there for a moment, before turning on her heel and walking out of the garden.
She was lead to her old bedroom and straight to the bathroom where a tub full of hot water was waiting for her. She was wiped pure of impurities and her curls were made soft once more. When she was clean, she was dried off and dressed in a pure white dress with skinny straps that draped over her body like a robe. Half her hair got pinned back and a silver crown was placed on her head, though her face was left bare of any powder. The maid told her she needed to be in her purest form.
The princess was led to a small golden room with a large illuminated stone in the middle of the room. Pillars with large bowls on them contained fire that lit the room. Four women in blue robes stood around the stone with blank faces, though the oldest of the women smiled at her.
"Lay down, princess."
Andromeda obeyed and laid on the stone, the light molding to her body. One of the women in blue then began to sprinkle something on her skin as another began to recite words in a foreign tongue. The elder woman in blue flicked her fingers and an orange light appeared above her. She marveled at the illumination and blinked as a woman dipped her thumb in the liquid and drew a symbol on her forehead.
This continued for a few more moments before the elder woman waved the lights away and took a golden goblet from one of the other women. "Sit up and drink this."
Andromeda took the goblet from the woman's hands and obeyed, feeling the liquid go down her throat like small bursts of fire. She drank all of it and made a move to hand the goblet back to the woman, but she dropped it as pain surged through her stomach. She vaguely felt hands press her body back down to the stone and she struggled against them, her breathing becoming ragged. Invisible knives dug into all parts of her body and the air flowing through her lungs like thick pools of water. She began to panic; She couldn't breath.
The women in blue looked at each other worriedly, and the eldest one murmured something to the others and they nodded. That was the last thing Andromeda saw before she passed out from the pain.
"This one cannot die." The elder woman muttered, making Andromeda's aura appear above her body again.
"She is barely alive, Ubon." One of the younger nurses stated, checking the girl's pulse. "Her heart beat is slow."
Ubon looked down at the girl with a frown, every so often she would twitch and her face would twist into a grimace. "Ingrid, quietly alert the queen." She whispered, navigating through the girl's soul forge.
In another moment, Queen Frigga was walking through the door. "What is the matter?" She questioned, looking over a twitching Andromeda. "Why is her aura so light?"
"She is barely with us, my Queen." Ubon informed the royal, her fingers making quick work of the girl's soul.
Frigga turned to the sorceress and lowered her voice, "She cannot die. I am entrusting you with this girl's life and I would be very," The queen stressed the word, "Upset if she were to perish. So upset that you might lose your home here in the kingdom...or anywhere else for that matter."
Ubon paused and swallowed thickly, nodding at the royal woman's threat. Frigga gave the woman one last scathing look before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, a light of green surrounding her as she transformed from the Queen to the youngest prince.
"How could you be so selfish?" Thor's thunderous voice greeted Loki as he entered the training grounds. "For all we know Andromeda could be lying in her death bed."
Loki sighed boredly and narrowed his eyes at his brother, "I assure you she is not deceased. I do not know how extending someone's life can be considered selfish…"
"Oh brother do not jest with me." Thor barked, his blue eyes glaring. "I know the only reason you wanted Andromeda to drink the Veigr Ykkarr Ungmenni was so she would live long enough to be a suitable companion for you!"
"Your delusions amuse me, brother. You think me that clever?" Loki raised an eyebrow and Thor huffed, narrowing his eyes.
The golden prince took a step towards his brother and glowered at him, lowering his voice, "Just understand that if she perishes; so will you."
The threat reminded Loki of the earlier threat he made to the nurse and he chuckled, "Duly noted, brother. Are you going to threaten Mother and Father, too? They did play a part in my dastardly plan."
"No," Thor nearly growled, clenching his jaw, "Just. You." The golden prince walked by his brother and nudged him with his strong shoulder, stalking away.
Loki's easy-going smirk dropped and he straightened his cloak, turning on his heel and walking back to the infirmary.