Chapter Text
Chapter 4
One last time
Frigga sat in her chair, reading a heavy book on the advanced art of Seiðr. She had redrawn to the southern Winter chambers which were specially designed to reside in during the colder months but were completely abandoned during the period of Summer. She shivered, the first signs of an unusually early Winter exposing themselves through cold breezes and freezing nights. She placed her book to rest on her lap and looked over at the fireplace, mumbling some words which caused a fire to ignite from the logs.
‘By my beard!’ Odin exclaimed, clearly startled as he placed a hand on his heart. ‘Frigg, love, I have already asked you many times, please do not use your magic without telling me so. You are going to send me to an early grave if you continue like that.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ the Queen nodded absentmindedly, trying to focus on her book again.
The Allfather straightened his back and lowered the documentations that his council had asked him to study. ‘Is anything the matter, dear?’
‘What ever you think is wise, Odin,’ Frigga responded, clearly not paying any attention to the man’s words.
The Allfather frowned. ‘… I have never liked visiting your mother,’ he dared to say, flinching as he had expected his wife to throw the heavy book straight at his head. He then looked up, however, as he found the woman staring into the soft flames of the fireplace. ‘Frigga,’ he knelled down in front of his Queen, his eyes admiring the dancing shadows that played over her face. ‘what is troubling you?’
‘It is merely…’ the goddess remained silent for a moment, uttering a sigh in frustration. ‘Earlier, during dinner, Hela vowed to slay every Jötunn once she is Queen.’ She let a tensed hand shift through her blond locks and swallowed, ‘her words, they concern me. If it is true what she says, then-’
‘Do not worry over her words, Frigga,’ Odin smiled at his wife’s troubled expression. ‘She is a teenager, energetic and ambitious, but also naïve and unexperienced in life. It will be years before she has the right to ascends the throne, so she will have plenty of time to learn.’
Frigga opened her mouth, wanting to counter the Allfather’s words with numerous hypothetical situations, but eventually closed her mouth again as she decided to trust his wise words. ‘I guess you might be right.’
‘And do not dare to forget,’ Odin laughed, placing a kiss against the deity’s temple. ‘Hela and Thor will be fine, each in their own unique and individual ways.’
‘Right,’ Frigga nodded, finally smiling again.
‘That’s my lass,’ Odin wrapped his hands around the goddess’s small waist, causing her to laugh and squirm under his touch. ‘Now, will you stop worrying?’
‘Y-yes, Odin, please sto-op!’ The Queen tried to breath, quickly placing a hand in front of her mouth as she let out a snort in her laughter.
‘I can not hear you, Frigga, could you please speak up?’ Odin smirked as she tried to push his hands from her sides.
‘Yes! Yes, I will stop worrying! Now let go of me, you oaf!’ Frigga’s laughter slowly ebbed into a soft chuckle as her husband stopped, only to be swooped off her seat and carried in his arms.
‘Norns know what I have done to earn a divinity as yourself,’ he placed his lips against hers, breathing in her sweet scent as he held her against his body.
‘Such a lout,’ Frigga smiled warmly as she placed her hands on his cheeks. ‘but my lout, nonetheless.’ She kissed him, passionately, wanting to place her hands on his strong chest but stopped as she heard a loud ticking sound coming from the window nearby.
Odin looked up, his eyes widening as he saw his two trusted companions screeching loudly at the window and clawing at the glass. ‘Huginn, Muninn,’ he carefully put his wife back on her own two feet and quickly opened the window, letting the two ravens in.
‘They are restless,’ Frigga placed a hand on Odin’s arm, noticing how the two birds frantically flapped their wings as they landed on the large oak table. ‘What do they tell you?’
The Allfather concentrated on the creatures’ cries, his face turning grim as they squalled, their eyes making rapid movements. ‘No...’ he muttered softly. ‘NO!’ He slammed his hands on the table, causing the birds to scatter, their black feathers fluttering through the air and to the ground. ‘Warn Heimdall and call out the Einherjar!’ He shouted towards his ravens, who were quick to fly out of the window again.
‘What is it?’ Frigga asked worriedly, wanting to place her hand on the god’s back as he walked away. ‘Odin, tell me, what is the matter?’
The Allfather turned around, an unrelenting expression etched in his face. ‘Frost Giants.’
‘Beg for mercy, and I might just let you live!’
‘Never! I shall never bow to your will!’
‘Than you leave me no choice,’ Hela smirked, the soft lights of the stables twinkling in her eyes as she wrapped her fingers tightly around the pitchfork in hand. ‘For Asgard!’ she shouted and charged, attacking her enemy with swift motions.
Thor staggered backwards as he defended himself with a shovel. He jumped up a few bales of hay, successfully dodging his older sister’s assault. He then yelped, barely able to escape from a green dagger that was thrown at his chest. ‘Hey! No Seiðr! That’s not fair!’ he panted, his breath visible in the cold of the night.
‘Darling, you have no idea what is fair,’ Hela smirked, managing to sweep her little brother of his feet with a low wave of her pitchfork. ‘Now, tell me, foul creature, where is the Casket of Ancient Winters?!’
‘Oh no, spare me, oh great Asgardian!’ Thor dramatically raised his hands in defeat, letting himself fall completely into the bales of hay. ‘I have no pride, no honor, for I am but a worthless Jötunn. I cowardly surrender, begging you for forgiveness.’
Hela smirked devilishly, pointing her pitchfork towards the “fallen Jötunn”, ‘Kneel.’
Thor looked at her with a questioning expression. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Kneel,’ Hela repeated, arrogantly looking down on her younger brother. ‘before your Queen.’
‘… As you please,’ Thor rolled to his side, lowering his voice as he got on his hands and knees with a smirk, ‘your Majesty!’ he then grabbed his sister’s ankle and pulled her down, hay now flying through the air as the two wrestled and play-fought each other. They screamed loudly in laughter, rolling from one bale to the other, not minding all the horses who were calmly resting in their stables.
With a rough thud, the two came to a stop as they rolled on their backs, staring at the wooden ceiling as they almost looked like scarecrows, hay sticking out of their hair and clothes.
‘Oh, no! you have defeated the meager King of Jotunheim!’ Thor laughed, keeping his body as still as he could as he tried to play dead.
‘The great warriors of Asgard shall never fall to your tyranny, King Laufey.’ Hela smiled as she tried to catch her breath, ‘I shall now bestow my judgement and all of your pitiable kin,’ she turned to her hands and knees, pinning the blond prince down under her as she held on to his wrists. ‘I sentence you… to death!’
The two looked at each other for a second, laughing loudly after as they sat down next to each other. ‘The Nine Realms will be in good hands once we get to ascend the throne!’ Thor smiled confidently, dusting off his clothes.
‘Quite,’ Hela agreed with a nod. She listened to the cold wind moving through the trees, the horses’ feet tapping softly against stone as they adjusted their stance and tried to sleep. ‘Thor, will you promise me something?’ She turned her head, their bright blue eyes meeting. ‘Jötnar are a foul race, abominations of nature, correct? We have been taught so in the learning halls and their history only shows to confirm. Now, it is our duty to protect our home from those horrors.’ Her gaze froze as memories flashed before her eyes. Memories she hoped never to experience again.
The gates of the courtyard opening, Einherjar wounded, suffering, falling. Their cries and pleads sending shivers down the young goddess’s spine, even now, seven years later.
‘Sis?’ Thor called out her name as he saw his sister growing pale. ‘Hela?’ he tried again as she did not respond.
‘I do not want a Jötunn to ever set foot in this Realm, not one.’ Hela continued, staring at the torches that illuminated the stables. ‘Will you help me with that? Will you promise me to defend our home, together?’
The young prince stared back for a moment, blinking his eyes. ‘Do you mean…’ he asked as a smile formed on his face. ‘We will get to fight them? Together?’
‘If it is necessary, yes.’ Hela nodded earnestly.
‘Not to worry, sister,’ Thor smiled as he got on his feet. ‘Thor Odinson will always be here when there is a battle to be faced!’ He grabbed his sister’s hands, pulling her to her feet. ‘We, the children of Odin, will see to it that no Jötunn will ever commit a crime and get away with it.’
Hela stared at her younger brother for a moment, feeling the warmth of his hand in her own. Thor was an oaf. An ignorant, annoying, hyperactive fool, who would steal her journal and could get away with murder.
But he was her fool, and Hela could not help but love her little brother.
She smiled brightly and nodded at the bright blue eyes, ‘For Asgard.’
‘For Asgard!’ Thor raised their hands in excitement, a shiver running down his spine as he felt a cold breeze howling through the creaks and cracks of the stable. ‘Mother must be getting worried,’ he said as he peered outside, noticing how it had grown dark. ‘Maybe we should-’
A loud sound coming from one of the stables caused the siblings to turn around.
‘Sleipnir!’ Hela jumped off the bales of hay and ran towards the largest stable. She looked at the towering eight-legged horse, her heart beating faster as the great black stallion kicked against the wooden door of its stable. He took heated trots, slamming his hooves against the stone floor with each step.
‘W-what is the matter? Are you ill?’ The girl tried calming the creature down, stretching out her hand to pet him, but she took a few unsteady steps back as the stallion neighed loudly and raised his front feet as a threat. She tried to look the creature in the eye, a frown of concern on her face as she wondered what could agitated it so. Her heart beat faster as the other horses joined Sleipnir in its agitation.
‘Sis…’ Thor called for the raven girl from outside, staring at the sky. He waited for his older sister to join his side and pointed at two large birds which were frantically screeching and shouting just south of them. ‘Are that not…’
‘Father’s raven’s,’ Hela’s heartbeat thrummed loudly in her ears as she saw the birds hover over the courtyard. ‘Something is wrong. Very, very wrong,’ she shivered at the sound of armored soldiers rushing towards the palace gates, the clinking of their armory sounding heavily through the air. ‘Come on, Thor.’ She dashed off back to the main gate, her little brother following her like a shadow.
‘My King!’ The doors of the Asgardian palace flew open, revealing a young and rather slender man. An Asgardian scout. ‘The Jötnar have made their move, they seem to be heading towards Midgard!’
‘Yet again,’ Odin sighed gravely, his body armored in the strongest metal, his red cape draping over his shoulders. ‘Ready my horse. We will stop them before they even set foot beyond their Realm. Midgard shall not fall in their icy grip again!’
The scout merely nodded before running outside again, barely managing to dodge the two young Asgardians that came barging in.
‘Father!’ Hela shouted. ‘Father, what is going on?’
‘Hela,’ Odin looked at his children, noticing how his young son was slightly hiding behind his big sister, his blue eyes rapidly scanning their surroundings as the warriors of Asgard prepared themselves for battle.
‘Thor, Hela, there you are!’ Frigga said as she entered the main hall in a rush, her voice balancing between relief and anger. ‘Where have you two been? I have been looking all over for you!’
‘We were at the stables, mother,’ Thor answered with a loud voice as he tried to suppress the shivering of his body. ‘We came as soon as we saw father’s ravens.’
‘I see,’ the goddess nodded slowly, quickly forcing a smile upon her face. ‘Well, the important thing is that you are here. Now come along, you have studies to attend to.’ She gently grabbed Thor’s hand, who was eager to follow her deeper into the palace. She looked back, however, as she saw her daughter unmoved. ‘Hela? Come with me dear.’
‘There is trouble in one of the Realms, am I correct?’ The young raven girl did not move, her feet firmly placed on the ground as she looked at her parents. ‘The ravens have called for you.’
‘… Yes,’ Frigga nodded reluctantly, ‘and your father will answer to that call. Now, if you will-’
‘It are the Jötnar,’ Hela said, making it sound like fact rather than question.
‘Hela, it is none of your concern,’ Frigga gulped as she tried her best to keep her daughter from venturing any further.
‘Correct,’ Odin took a step forward, ignoring his Queen’s words as she asked him to stop. ‘They are moving with great speed and strength. They are headed towards Midgard.’
‘And you are going to fight them.’ Hela’s blue eyes reflected tranquility, betraying none of the tension that made her heart pump loudly in her chest.
‘I am planning to stop them,’ the Allfather walked towards her, ‘which will most likely mean that we, indeed, are forced to fight.’
‘Take me with you,’ Hela nearly shouted, her voice raised in anticipation. ‘Take me with you, father!’
‘No,’ Frigga stated firmly, her golden eyes locked on her daughter. ‘Are you demented?! You will not follow your father into war, young lady! I will not have it! Hela, you are merely a child!’
‘No! I am ready! I can fight!’ The young princess shouted. ‘I grow up faster than other girls, I have no more need for senseless stuffed toys or- or…’ She turned her gaze towards her father again, ‘Let me fight, father. Let me help defend these Realms against those foul creatures!’
‘Hela,’ Odin’s voice was soft, the young girl nearly flinched at his calm and warm presence. ‘I truly believe that you are a skilled young woman. There will be a time that you will ride at my side, that we will fight battles, not as King and Princess, but as father and daughter. As equals.’ He kneeled in front of her, resting his large hands upon her shoulders. ‘However, now is not that time. You will stay here, Hela. I cannot risk losing you.’
‘I can fight, father,’ Hela whispered softly, her hands trembling at the thought of having to miss her father again for six months, maybe even longer this time. She sniffled, feeling tears sting in her eyes as a soft voice in her mind whispered that he might never come back at all, finding death on the battlefield. ‘Please, please take me with you. Don’t leave us…’
Odin smiled in compassion, wrapping his arms around his young daughter. ‘I will return, Hela.’ He rubbed the girl’s back as he heard her stifled sobs coming from her throat. ‘I promise.’ The Allfather looked over his shoulder as he felt a small hand resting on his back and he stared straight into the tear-filled eyes of his son. He wrapped an arm around the blond’s waist, pulling him into the tight hug.
‘Be safe, father,’ Thor whispered, tears now streaming down his cheeks.
‘I will,’ Odin smiled, placing a kiss on their cheeks. ‘Now, I need you two to be strong in my absence, do you think you could manage?’
Both the blond and the raven nodded, sniffing loudly as they tried to recompose themselves.
The Allfather smiled, amiably moving his hand through their hair before turning to his wife. He held her in his strong embrace and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Frigga closed her eyes and whispered, ‘The Norns be with you.’ She looked up, her golden eyes meeting those of her husband.
Odin gave her a silent nod and turned his back, marching out of the Asgardian palace and straight towards the Jötunn battle ground.