The One That Wasn't || Loki

Chapter 1: Where It All Began

"We'll do it all
Everything on our own
We don't need
Anything or anyone"
-

Asgard.

The safest land among the Nine Realms where everything was as golden as daylight. Only the person who could harness the Bifrost could dare risk entering the territory, ruled by the Allfather Odin. There were two rulers before him and they had helped Asgard flourish just as Odin was now, a huge responsibility on his shoulders for Asgard was not just the land it was built upon. It was the people who made it come alive, where laughter and dreams could flourish.

It was considered a privilege to be known by the crown, and it was only a matter of a long time until the people of Asgard attended the coronation of the crown princes. The throne was to be passed onto the next worthy among the two princes, and no matter which of the brothers would earn it, Asgard would flourish one way or another.

Among the thousands living in the land was a young brunette-haired girl who had always been fascinated by the gold-pillared Asgardian Palace. She always wondered how long it must have taken for it to be built, for it was said to be the most beautiful place in all the lands. All the beauty in the worlds was right before her eyes, yet it was the farthest away from her reach.

She stayed at home most of the time, being seen as an outsider by the other children, naive enough to be scared by a toddler like herself. She was called a half-breed only because her father had been from Vanir while her mother was Asgardian. She was made fun of by the bullies that she was forced to tolerate every single day because of how different she was from the rest of them.

Her mother Asfrid was the one who made her forget about all of them every night as she lay down to sleep, ready to dream of seeing all the galaxies out there. "Ignore them," Asfrid would tell her. "They don't comprehend the importance of kindness and being who you are."

And those were the words that the young Cordelia would live by until the day she took her last breath, protecting what she believed in the most.

Her mother would keep her entertained with stories from the palace, being one of the Queen's handmaidens. In normal circumstances, Asfrid and Cordelia would stay at the palace but because of how she was looked down upon, Asfrid had opted to take residence at a small cottage right outside the palace grounds. It was a reward for Cordelia's father having died in the battlefront, the war that brought peace between all the realms.

For all the souls still rooted in traditions, it was treason for people from different realms to have shared their inner selves. It was forbidden for Asfrid and Jorund's relationship to have a name, and Cordelia was the beautiful result of that restrained belief. It was impossible for a gift so precious have begun with poison.

But there would always be a turning point in history, one that could make or break someone's destiny, and this was going to be Cordelia's.

One fine sunny morning, Cordelia begged her mother to take her to the palace. "I promise that I won't bother you. I only want to see it up close." She wanted to touch the walls and make sure she hadn't been hallucinating them all along. Thoughts of lying on the grass as the sun shone right above her made her giddy up like the child she was.

"Cordelia, as much as I do want to take you, you become quite upset if someone-"

"I could care less about them now," she said, holding her head up high, speaking the words her mother had always wanted to hear. "I'm not going to hide who I am only because I don't look like every other pale Asgardian here. I'm not ashamed of who I am." She was feeling particularly confident about who she was, even if it meant facing everyone with utmost honesty.

Asfrid pulled her into a hug. "That's it, Lia. That's it." She cupped her face and kissed her forehead, proud of her daughter to have finally realised that she was no different than pure Asgardians. "I'll take you to the palace today, but only if you promise to behave. I'll put in a request with the Queen and let her know that you are interested in the palace duties after all."

And so, when Asfrid's time to report at the palace came about, Cordelia accompanied her to the palace. But it turned out that the Queen needed help getting ready, which made Cordelia's mother leave her at the safety of the palace grounds.

"I'll talk to the Queen and get back as soon as possible. I would take you inside but you would get easily bored. Will you be alright here?"

Cordelia nodded. "I'll be fine, mother. Don't you worry. I've known Asgard all my life."

Once she was convinced, Asfrid hurried towards the castle. She was unbelievably proud of her daughter that day. No matter how many sneers and remarks she had heard in the past few decades, she did not mind any of them because a part of her Jorund would always be with her in the form of Cordelia. What they felt for each other was real, and Asfrid only hoped for Cordelia to find someone she could love that way one day.

Cordelia spent many minutes staring at the structure of the palace. She walked around the grounds and noted the littlest details, wanting to capture them forever in her brain. She made a vow to herself no matter what opportunity came her way, she would not let go of a chance to serve the King. It would be a dream come true to wake up every morning under the protection of the spherical dome hidden under the spectrum of the cosmos.

As Cordelia walked around with her curiosity on high, she heard a particularly scruffy voice that seemed to talk out of thin hair. "I suppose you don't know about this, do you? Of course you don't! That's why I'm here after all."

She found herself looking at a long tree that resembled a smaller version of Yggdrasil, and was just as beautiful. She began walking towards it unconsciously and caught a glimpse of squirrel on one of the three branches talking to two boys. They seemed to look her age but with aging being slow in Asgard, she couldn't presume anything.

"Oh come on, Patarskor! Reveal the answer already!" The boy wearing the red tunic spoke. He had long golden hair that reached his shoulder and had tied one of the loose threads into a little braid. He also had sea blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle at the happiness on his face.

"What happened to the chariot?" That was when she noticed the taller raven-haired boy wearing a green tunic. He had shorter hair compared to his friend but he did have a sharp set of jawline. That would be the first detail that anyone would notice about him. It was either that or the sky blue eyes that anyone could get lost into.

"Ehem ehem." That brought her out of her train of thoughts. She looked up at the squirrel and seemed to stumble back a few steps with the way he stared at her. "You seem new around here, little girl. I think I would have remembered a pretty face like you."

Cordelia was taken aback. She had never been spoken to that way because everyone seemed too worried about the way she looked. But this was a new situation, and it was a good difference. "No....uh....this is my first time in the palace grounds. I've accompanied my mother here." She noticed the two boys staring at her and the realisation of having interrupted them with her presence dawned upon her. "I'm so sorry for disturbing you. Do go on with your story. I will find another tree to gawk at."

The blonde smirked but the raven-haired boy was still looking at her in surprise. She was curious as to why that was but she decided to pay a small salute to the squirrel before walking off in the opposite direction.

She managed to take a hundred steps or so before she heard someone running up to catch her. "Hey! Wait a minute."

She turned around, and that was the moment that her entire life was going to change. Whether it was for the better or worse is something that you, my dear reader, to decide. But as far as I am concerned, their story is a beautiful one and though I can't reveal the ending this early, I can tell you that nobody will forget their names in the years to come.