Beautiful beyond imagination. There was magnificent landscape of the Realm, through the gleaming capital city, modern yet timeless.
The palace rose countless stories tall, gleaming with an other-worldly majesty, towering high above the Realm sprawled out before it.
This was Asgard, ruled by King Bor and his Queen Bestla.
They had three daughters, the eldest being the heiress, Freya. Freya had long silver hair that she wore in a braid down her back and an imperious face with high cheekbones and silver hawk-like eyes. She wore a white silver filigree dress and was always protecting her two precious sisters, especially little Joro.
Frigga, the middle sister, was the most beautiful. She had long wavy blonde hair, worn in two braids down her back. She had blue eyes full of wisdom and knowledge.
Joro was the youngest, with red hair piled in braids on top of her head. She had adorable freckles dotting her nose and bright green eyes.
The three of them were playing in the castle courtyard.
"Look, Joro! Frigga!" Freya said, pointing out a punctured kite. "It's so beautiful!"
Joro and Frigga looked at it.
"It's so sad and broken." Frigga said.
"Not that sad! Look at these beautiful ribbons!" Joro said.
She and Frigga began playing with it.
A man walked over. "That kite belongs to me? Can I have it back please?"
Frigga's eyes narrowed, but kind Joro handed it over.
"Ha!" The man grabbed Joro, hoping for a ransom.
"Sister!" Freya ran forward. "Give her back NOW!"
A stream of ice rushed from her hands, breaking the tree branch and knocking the scoundrel unconscious.
Freya gazed at her hands. "What have I done?"
Frigga helped up Joro and the two started toward Freya.
"No! Stay back! I'm a monster!" Freya insisted.
"You are wrong, Freya. That was very brave what you did to protect us!" Frigga countered.
"That's right!" Joro nodded emphatically. "We won't tell anyone at all! It's a sister's promise!"
"We'll help you conceal your powers. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know." Frigga chanted.
Frigga and Joro took the three ribbons from the kite and they wrapped them around their wrists and all three chanted. "A sister's promise."
Xxx
Dancing and merrymaking were going on in Asgard. It was King Bor's birthday celebration.
The princesses were all of age, and they all had many suitors.
It was Freya alone who declined a dance with any of them.
Joro danced with Vilhelm, her suitor, while Freya kept a watchful eye. She had never liked him. They way he looked at all three of them, like they were a prize to collect.
Freya clenched her fists as he met her gaze, and the snowflakes began to fall.
Freya immediately stood and withdrew from the ballroom.
It was Frigga who noticed her sister's absence first. She went to Joro, and took her to the bedchamber.
"What are you doing?" Frigga asked.
"Leaving." Freya said. "I am dangerous. I have not improved at all!"
"You can't leave! You are the heir to Asgard!" Joro protested.
"Joro, you will be a better leader than I could ever be." Freya said. "I leave the throne, and Asgard, to you."
"Enough!" Frigga said. "There is a place in Misthaven, a powerful sorcerer there by the name of Vor. We will go to him, together. He can help you control your powers."
xxx
A great castle rose out of the mists. Misthaven was well named. This castle was hung with ivy and blossoming with flowers that grew into a great garden in the courtyard; Vor was a well known herbalist.
Joro clung to Frigga. "Are you sure we should go to him? He is a sorcerer after all."
"People say that." Frigga said. "I am sure he is just misunderstood."
"You think so?" Freya said sarcastically as a statuesque woman appeared in the mists.
Vor stood taller then the three princesses, and held a staff with an orb on it. His eyes were silver and his hair was dark. After a moment of consideration he let out a disconcerting laugh.
"Well don't stand there in the fog all morning." Vor said. "Come in, daughters of Bor."
The sisters entered the vast castle and sat in the lush chairs at the huge table.
"Lord Vor, we would like to ask a favor." Frigga said.
"I know why you are here." Vor said. "I am prepared to help you, for a price."
He laughed his lilting laugh again. It was quite unsettling.
"What do you want from us?" Freya said imperiously.
"Nothing sordid my dear." Vor said. "The ribbons that bind you together. You always keep them with you. Give them to me, and I will help you."
The sisters exchanged a look, then consented, handing over the kite ribbons.
Vor headed into what seemed to be a vault like the one in Asgard. He returned after a time with gloves and an urn.
"These gloves will seal your powers." Vor said. "As long as you wear them, you will cast no ice. And the urn will seal you yourself away; if you become...dangerous."
He smiled, showing all of her teeth in a fearsome way that had Joro quaking and clinging fast to Frigga.
"We don't need the urn." Frigga protested. "We would never seal our sister away! And we are appalled that you would suggest—"
"Frigga." Freya stopped her. "Vor is right. Who knows what sort of monstrous demon I could become. We will take the urn as well with our thanks, Lord Vor."
"But—"
"I am the eldest." Freya said dangerously. "You will not go against me in this matter again. If I threaten innocent life, you must put an end to me.
The last thing they heard was the high lilting laugh of Vor as they exited the castle. They heard it over the misty waves as they returned to Asgard. His laughter at a cruel joke and an ominous foreboding.
Xxx
Freya stepped into the royal garden, admiring the white roses.
She took her gloves off to feel the petals between her fingers. She watched frost dance over the petals.
"Beautiful flowers, aren't they, princess?" A voice said.
Freya spun to find Vilhelm standing before her. She knew he was Joro's betrothed, and soon to be brother to her, but he always gave her a bad feeling.
But Frigga had always said to be kind to every member of their kingdom. Kindness makes a good Queen.
"Almost as beautiful as you." Vilhelm whispered, his hand tracing over her cheek, down to her neck, tracing her bodice.
Horrified, Freya panicked and blasted him away with a stream of ice. She backed away against the garden wall, shaking in terror and sobbing.
"Freya? Freya!" Joro rushed in, and upon seeing Vilhelm, glared at him, knowing Freya would only have used her power if he had harmed her.
"Sh-She attacked me! This sorceress!" Vilhelm cried. "She tried to proclaim her love to me and I refused her, as you are my only love—and she attacked me!"
Freya looked pleadingly at her sister, saying nothing in her own defense.
"You fool! Do you think I would believe your lies?" Joro shouted. "How dare you lay your filthy hand on her and then try to shame her! You are no longer my betrothed!"
"Shame her?!" Vilhelm laughed. "This sorceress...this WITCH! You will regret spurning my affections! I will tell all of Asgard what our future Queen is—a MONSTER!"
"I am NOT a monster!" Freya screamed, attacking him again.
This time, however, Vilhelm was ready. He grabbed the defenseless Joro and used her as a shield. The ice struck her and she became an ice statue, and then shattered.
"No...no...Joro..." Freya sobbed and held the shards of ice. "Joro please...Joro I'm so sorry..."
"I told you." Vilhelm said. The shadows burned his disguise away. "You regret it don't you? I am Vor. Now that you see what it costs you; you fear me, and you fear your power. You will learn! Fear will always be your enemy! I will always be your enemy! And the enemy of all who wield ICE!"
Vor vanished.
"Freya...what happened?" Frigga stood in the entryway.
"I...I killed her..." Freya shakily explained what had happened. "Oh Frigga it's all my fault. I killed Joro..."
"No. You didn't. This is Vor's doing." Gerda said after Frigga explained. "He shall be punished. Freya you did nothing wrong. He did this to her. Please...you must calm down. Everyone will understand if we just explain."
"No. No..." Freya said, as ice skittered around them, frosting her favorite white roses. "Frigga remember your promise. You must entrap me before I kill again."
"I-I cannot! You are my sister! We promised to protect our secret!" Frigga said.
"I am cursed. I am a demon, a monster. You swore not to go against me again!" Freya said. "This is the last thing I ask of you. The only thing I shall ever do for this country as it's Queen! Entrap me, Frigga, save our people!"
Frigga wept, and entrapped her sister with the magical urn.
Somewhere in the darkness Vor laughed.
Xxx
The years that passed were torment on Asgard.
In the end, the new Queen Frigga came to Heimdall of the Troll Kingdom, and begged him for aid.
"Erase these horrible memories. End this pain!" Frigga begged.
Heimdall looked at her sadly. "If I do this, your kingdom with forget Joro and Freya ever existed. And Freya herself may also be affected; who knows what she will think when she is freed!"
"She must never be freed!" Odin said. "We cannot ever have a monster in our kingdom again!"
"You may regret your words, my king." Heimdall said, frowning.
"Let it be done." Odin said.
A pulse went throughout the kingdom, and the pain and sorrow of the three sisters of Asgard faded into distant memory.
Xxx
Freya awoke inside the urn, placed her hands on the cage. Her sister had betrayed her and locked her away.
She opened her eyes and watched as the sun burst through.
The cold swirling in, but it never bothered her anyway.
Freya knew why she had awoken the only thing that could weaken the spell; another with magic like hers was being born right now.
Xxx
Baby Loki smiled up at his mother and the snow burst into a blizzard outside.
Still unknown to them, the powers he tried to hide.
Frigga looked down at her son and saw her sister reflected there; a memory almost grasped but somehow touching air.
Beautiful bright green eyes and dark hair. He looked so like Joro the memories pulled at Frigga's heart.
But his soul belonged to the ice so did it follow that he too, like Freya, possessed a frozen heart.
Was he a monster?
Xxx
A scream of rage could be heard in the caves of northern Asgard.
Deep in the frozen wasteland Freya tried so hard to break free.
But nothing could be done without a powerful group of three.
Still in the night, she quietly waited.
Until the two foreign princesses found her.
Stirring Freya sensed in one the power to break her of her cage.
And in the castle young Loki slept the second to her plan.
She only needed one more power to unlock the door and set her free.
One more.
The Power of Three.
Xxx
The morning broke with lightning
When Thor was born.
Freya was overjoyed.
The final piece to the puzzle.
Soon...
Soon...