Winds of Winter ｡ Loki Laufeyson

2 - GOOD MOURNING

I love you, Skadi.

She would do anything to hear those four words again.

Skadi hadn't even realized that the help she was screaming for had arrived until a pair of arms slithered around her waist and gently pried her away from her mother. She didn't know who it was, nor did she really care, as her eyes never left her mother the entire time she was being pulled backwards. Through her blurry vision, she was able to see her father kneel beside her mother and caress her cheek before leaning down to touch his forehead with hers, dread swimming in his deep brown eyes.

"Sif," a voice spoke softly. Only then did Skadi realize that it was her friend Sif who was holding her back all this time. The voice, however, belonged to Loki.

With a nod, Sif moved back and allowed Loki to step forward. He approached cautiously, as if coming upon a wild beast that could kill him. After all, grief was unstable. It could break a soul and shatter it into pieces, leaving a person feeling hollow and only untamable rage. But when Skadi didn't show any sign of anger and only sadness as her body continued to tremble with each loud sob, he finally wrapped her in his arms.

Skadi fell into him, her tears soaking his tunic and her hands balling into fists as she hugged him tightly. Her body felt entirely too weak under the pain her heart enduring, so weak that it caused Skadi to sink to their knees. She brought Loki down with her, whose gentle and loving hold on her never faultered even as they fell together onto the hard floor.

Unlike the day before and in the garden by Skadi's favourite fountain, Loki didn't whisper soothing words into her ear because he knew that she couldn't hear them anyway. Not with the loud sobs that would surely make him go deaf. Nor would they even help at all in this moment. Instead, Asgard's prince remained silent, simply rocking the woman he loves gently while caressing a hand through her platinum hair and up and down her spine.

　
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That night, all of Asgard had come together to honour their fallen Horae. Beira Edwindottir had been a kind and compassionate woman; she would never be forgotten by anyone and would remain a legend as the most promising Winter Godess to serve along the Horae. Many knew that she would be the most honourable and impressive Winter Goddess to serve the moment that she had consumed her powers at the Consummation Coronation in the ceremonial courtyard outside the Palace of the Horae.

Skadi stood next to her father with Loki still offering further support on her other side. While her father had been occupied all day arranging the funeral with Odin Allfather, Loki never once left her side ─ and to be quite honest she was entirely thankful that he hadn't, for she really didn't want to be alone after finding her mother dead. Skadi wondered if her mother was already dead when her father kissed her this morning before leaving to train the Asgardian army, or if she had died after. Not that it really mattered, for in the end her mother was still gone.

Next to Ullr stood the three Horae Goddesses, Ostara, Iduna and Emblr, all of whom were crying silent tears with pained expressions for the loss of their fallen sister. The Horae, with all the time they spend together, truly were a family of their own.

On the otherside of Loki, stood Thor and Frigga, the pair holding grim expressions, the Allmother even shedding many tears for the realm's great loss. Asgard's Queen has shared so many blissful moments with her dear friend Shiva; she would miss her terribly now that she was gone. Glancing toward Skadi, the woman frowned at the crestfallen expression on the young woman's face. She desperately wished that such a pure soul like Skadi didn't have to suffer from such pain. But the mother then smiled when she watched Loki take Skadi's hand and intertwine their fingers together, causing Skadi to move closer and place her head on his shoulder. In response, Loki pressed a tender kiss to her platinum hair, then leaned his cheek against her head. It always warmed her heart to see the love that the pair silently shared.

Also surrounding Skadi and Ullr were their friends. Ullr's lieutenants and soldiers that he has trained for ages now stood beyond him and Sif and the Warriors Three stood beyond Skadi. The grieving family appreciated their comfort even if no words had been spoken between them, for nothing needed to be said ─ they knew. They knew.

When Beira's boat began to float down the river, Skadi felt her tears return. Loki squeezed her hand, a reminder that he will always be here for her. She squeezed back. After a few moments passed where she simply stood, watching her mother leave her for good, a single arrow from a soldier Ullr Damionson himself trained hit the boat and lit it with dancing flames.

As the boat neared the edge of the waterfall, Odin Allfather slammed his scepter into the ground. With a burst of light and the falling of the flaming boat, Beira Edwindottir's soul morphed into bright, sparkling stars that soared up into the sky, becoming a brand new constellation that would light their darkness along with the other Winter Goddesses and fallen Asgardians.

I love you, mother, Skadi thought as her new tears fell, always.

　

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a/n: I don't know about you guys, but the fact that Frigga and Beira love the way that their son and daughter are hopelessly in love with each other really warms my freaking heart??