"Merek?"
"Hm?" He opened his eyes, looking down at where Kenna knelt before him. She touched his amulet, young eyes lighting with curiosity.
"When's your birthday?"
He smiled. "Why?"
"Just wondering. I might have gotten something."
"I see." He wanted to laugh but her words pierced deep. He remembered this... once before. Another girl her age, just as small and curious.
"I might have gotten you something," she had giggled when he picked her up.
"Then perhaps I should tell you it's today and get it all the sooner." He told Kenna. Her smile was just like Tallah's... always so bright, always for him. Her small hands were still gripping the amulet, questions unasked in her upturned gaze.
"Tallah?" He took her hands in his, staring down at their stark difference in size.
"Merek?" Kenna's smile widened. It fell slowly as she studied him. "Merek, you have to go."
"Go?"
"She needs help. We need you."
Merek jolted awake, looking around frantically. Jotunheim. Still on Jotunheim, that was good. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He bit his lip and tried to stop the shivers that raced through him. The pull remained.
Why that dream, he wondered. Why did it choose... ah. He tried to think of exactly what day it was. The traveling had confused him. Of course.
"Happy birthday." He mumbled with a humorless laugh.
.........
Farbauti held up her hand and the people quieted. Just like Asgard, the people of the capital gathered in a gigantic area set aside near the palace. Messengers among them would spread the news across the kingdom.
"My people, I'm sure you are wondering about our visitors. We have made a decision to end the war between our realms." The people muttered but quieted as she signaled again. "It has gone on too long and it is time we put our differences to rest. They will stay for a time to better learn about us. My children will travel to Asgard to do the same. Then, we will settle a treaty. I ask that you accept them and make them see we are not the barbarians they have been taught to believe. And perhaps we will find they are not the pompous bastards they seem." She smirked and the people laughed.
"Good, we're in agreement. They mean us no harm, I assure you. Please, be so kind as to welcome them?" She stepped aside and gestured to their guests. The people saluted and dispersed as Farbauti dismissed them. She turned to Loki. "We have our Festival of the Lights tonight. Will you join us?"
Kenna nodded. "We'll be glad to! What is it exactly?"
Loki explained. "It's a bit like the Aurora Borealis on Midgard."
Kenna grinned. "Sweet."
They were allowed in the village again but the people were wary and busy. Loki suggested they try again that night.
"Merek!" Kenna knocked on his door after dinner. He had stayed in his room all day, claiming he hadn't slept well.
"Hm?"
Kenna cracked his door open. "We're leaving. Coming?" He was searching for something in his bags. He didn't look up, only shrugged.
"Maybe later."
Kenna stepped in and closed the door. He looked up finally as she hugged him. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"
He patted her back. "Go on, have fun." She frowned but he continued to ignore the questions in her eyes.
She sighed as she left. She closed the door and took Rowan's hand. He'd found some leather gloves and cut the tips of the fingers, allowing him to move freely and not worry over frostbite. Kenna looked down at them and smiled. "Come on. Just you and me."
He grinned and let her lead him out towards the village square. Helix was on the road already, head tilted up at the fall of light snow. He turned as they approached. He hummed slightly, trying to decipher who was approaching. "Kenna?" She grinned and hummed in the affirmative. He smiled. "And Rowan. I wish I could join you, but I have some things to take care of. And I couldn't enjoy it anyway." He rolled his eyes shrugged. "Enjoy the night!" He waved and headed back the way they'd come.
"I'm supposed to accompany you for the night." A voice said as they entered the square. Fandratin came to stand in front of them, looking furious. Kenna bit her lip.
"You can go. It's alright. We'll manage on our own." Fandratin left with a grumble, disappearing in the crowd. They looked around them, watching the people mill about with an air of celebration. The entire capital seemed to have come alive. Music drifted throughout the square and Farbauti waved them over. She smiled at them and pointed up at the sky.
"It's starting."
Kenna and Rowan grinned and followed as everyone gathered together and sat down. Rowan sat behind Kenna, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist. "What's it like? The um.. Aurora... whatever."
"I don't know how to describe it. To me, it looks like the sky has turned into a lake. And every time something under the surface disturbs the water, colors ripple across and fade away. Look!" She pointed at a pocket of rippling and rolling color in the sky. It was a vibrant green, curling through the sky at a slow pace. The onlookers were silent but in a small corner of the square, a tune began to drift on the wind. Kenna craned her neck to look around for the player. He stood on a narrow platform behind them, looking up as he played his flute. He noticed her watching and he smiled with his eyes. She kept watching and another man went to stand beside the first. He dragged out something resembling a cello and sat down, dragging the bow smoothly along the string.
"Kenna." Rowan whispered.
She turned back to the sky and gasped to find that a new color was joining the green. It seemed to float lower, a light purple against the twilight sky. She grinned. The purple seemed to flow with the cello's voice and she looked back at the cellist. He was watching the sky, seeming to let the lights guide his tune. It was perfectly in sync with the flute.
Farbauti leaned over to speak to them. "Amazing, isn't it? They practice all year to learn how to watch the skies. But this time of year it is at its best." Kenna nodded, her mouth agape as she went back to watching the sky. It continued for some time, the crowd silent. She was shaken out of her awe when a drum signaled the beginning of the celebration. The people cheered and stood. Rowan picked Kenna up and set her on her feet. They moved out of the way, watching the activities. Food was set all around in a banquet and the people gathered for some. They ate and danced, talking loudly and stopping often to stare at the sky.
Kenna nudged Rowan and pointed as a group of men took the center of the floor. They looked to be warriors mostly, dressed in white furs and leather. Farbauti sat next to Kenna. "These are some of our most honored warriors. They and their families will dance."
The men started alone, stepping to the beat of the drum. Two men in front slid aside and Byleistr stood in the middle, leading the group. Farbauti leaned over.
"Byl is the only one who is not married so Fandratin dances with him." She explained.
Just then, the song softened and slowed slightly as the women emerged. They spun and leaped across the ice, going to take their husbands hands. The drum rejoined the song and the couples danced as one. Fandratin and Byleistr laughed and joked for the first time since their visitors had arrived. The children joined the dance when things settled slightly in the song. They ducked and wove throughout the dancers, laughing as their intricate steps made it seem as though they played among the notes of the music.
The song ended abruptly with the beat of the drum and the crowd cheered. The floor was cleared and the celebration continued until the next set of dancers was ready. Kenna turned to Farbauti. "What's next?"
"The women eligible to marry and without a suitor will dance." She nodded towards the floor as a young woman stood in the middle. Kenna looked around.
"Is that all?" Rowan asked. The crowd was silent. The girl was bent over, curled in on herself while she waited for the song to begin. Kenna studied her dark cloak that hid all but a tuft of white-blonde hair. Without warning the woman sprang into action. Two vibrantly colored ribbons were tied around her wrists. She wore gold bangles on her ankles that clicked together as she spun and wove around the circle of people. The crowd parted in some areas as more women ran to join her. She led them throughout the dance, finally shedding her cloak to reveal it was Fandratin. She grinned and leaped into the air as the song took a suspenseful turn.
The women turned and stepped to the drum, dispersing as the tune became slower, slightly more seductive. They ran to a man of their choice and dragged him into the dance. Fandratin continued to dance alone in front of one man before slowly backing away, watching him. He grinned and followed her with little beckoning. She beamed at him and ran, hiding in the crowd. He tried to grab her, laughing as she disappeared. The people cheered him on, trying to help him find her but also keeping her hidden. She emerged from the other side of the circle, running as he lunged at her. He grabbed her hand and spun her into his arms, pulling her to join the dance.
What began playfully, ended in a show of strength that had Kenna breathless and grinning. The women were expected not just to lure their chosen men in but to pin them down, to prove, as Farbauti explained, that they were strong enough for the hardships of marriage and war. They used cunning, and even teamwork to bring every man to his knees. Each stopped with their ribbons clasped tightly around their chosen man's neck.
Farbuati nudged Kenna. "You two are courting, are you not?" Kenna nodded. "I would have liked if Fan taught you the dance. You could join them then." Rowan and Kenna both stared at her but she smiled. "There is no courting dance for you on Asgard?"
"N-no..." Rowan shook his head, his face flushing. "We hunt or fight for the women."
"Sounds boring."
Kenna snorted and nodded. "So boring. Maybe we can bring this home with us! We can learn it and teach it at home and bring it to the next holiday! Tell us, what other festivals do you have?"
"Oh many! But the main ones are only four. In spring, those to be married and those to be new parents are the stars. Newborn children are blessed. Memories of dead loved ones are renewed. It is one of my favorites. In summer, we celebrate the forests and the rivers and the hunt. Our new warriors are chosen and honored. In autumn, we honor the elderly and their long marriages, their large families. All should be well towards the end of life. But the hunts lengthen and we must also celebrate returns. There aren't many." Her smile faded. "I lost my youngest son to a hunt. Before Loki returned with Thor, you see." She shook herself and smiled at them again. "And in winter, we celebrate the lights. You will have to return for all of them."
"We will." Kenna nodded.
The celebration continued late into the night, the sky still painted in beautiful greens and purples. Kenna was staring through half open eyes when a pair of strong arms lifted her. She let her lids droop as the arms pulled her against a familiar cold chest. She rested her head on Loki's shoulder.
"I'll take her." Rowan said. She sighed and let the pale color of her Aesir form take over as the cold was replaced with Rowan's warmth. He chuckled when she nuzzled his chest. "Come on, you. Goodnight, Farbauti."
"Goodnight!"
She fell asleep on the walk back, waking up as a door opened. She looked around, finding herself in her room. Rowan set her on the bed and went to close the door. She caught a glimpse of Loki talking to a man in a cloak before it closed. Rubbing her eyes, she looked down at her clothes and decided she was too tired to change. She rolled under the covers with a sigh.
............
"Again!"
"Is that all you've got?"
"Come on!"
Kenna and Rowan looked around the arena, watching the warriors train. They'd been told to stay out of the way. But as they stayed and asked questions, the men warmed up to them bit by bit. A man had come to invite Rowan to join. He stood slowly, looking around shyly. Taunting voices and cheerful insults drifted through the room, mixing with commands.
"Come on!" The warrior nudged Rowan. "Don't tell me you don't fight?"
"Well... I-I do. But... okay." He picked up a sword and tested it out. Nodding to the man who had invited him, he stood at the ready. The man charged him and Rowan lifted his sword. Metal crashed against metal as the training continued. Kenna watched curiously, studying Rowan's smooth movements. She had never seen him fight since he returned from Alfheim. He was cautious about it, seemingly weak. But his blows had force behind them and he was very graceful in his form.
His opponent pushed off and shook his head. "If you came at us with an attitude like that, you'd be cut down. You have to let go of this moral sense of mercy. In war, mercy is one thing. In battle, when it's just you and your opponent, you have to let go of yourself and wound him severely or kill him. Do you see?"
"Right..." He raised a surprised brow. "I'm getting advice from a Jotun. Never expected this."
The man laughed. "I never expected to train with an Asgardian. World's full of surprises. Now hit me harder!"
Kenna smiled. "You must forgive him, he's a gentle and shy sort. He only fights when he must."
Rowan nodded. "Sorry."
The man laughed. "Come on."
"Your move." Rowan murmured. The man struck out and his eyes widened as Rowan's parry struck with even more force. Rowan slid to the side, jabbing the man with the butt of his sword and swinging round to slap him with the flat of it. The man grunted and doubled and Rowan swung his leg up, catching him in the chin. The giant fell and Rowan set his boot against his chest, keeping the point of his sword poised over the man's neck.
The man laughed. "Well done!"
The week passed slowly. Merek warmed up to the warriors. He spent his time with Byleistr for the most part. Rowan began to accompany Helix on his duties. Loki became an honorary student of Mimir, travelling with the scholars and studying with them. He was given his own cloak and a necklace with a carving of Mimir's head. He was not allowed to drink from the well, but he still grinned like a child when the scholars presented him with a cloak after dinner one night.
Kenna was left to deal with Farbauti and Fandratin. At the end of the week, on their last day, she was sitting out by the village square and watching people go about their business when Fandratin suddenly sat next to her.
"I haven't been very kind to you." Kenna stared at her, unsure what to say. "And it was by no fault of yours. I simply don't know how to accept the changes you will bring."
"Were you close to your father?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
Kenna shrugged. "We thought you resented us because of his death."
"No, I thank you for it. It is mother alone who mourned him. I apologize for being so... Well." She shrugged. "Though it will be difficult to accept the changes, I would like to try again." She shifted and kept her gaze averted.
Kenna smiled. "I'd like that. Will you come with us?"
"Yes, I think I will." She stood. "Come. I was on my way to Urda's Well. Will you ride with me?"
"Sure!" Kenna stretched. "Just let me get a few things and change into something more comfortable."
"Meet me by the stables; I'll wait for you." Kenna watched her go and then ran towards the palace. She burst into her room and exchanged her skirt for a pair of light trousers. She'd been going about barefoot or with thin slippers like she'd seen some do but she changed into some boots now and tied her hair back. She threw a small notebook and some snacks into a pack. Leaving a note for Rowan, she ran to meet Fandratin.
The Jotuns had few horses in the capital. Mostly, they were reserved for the mountain patrols and royalty. For the rest, there were wolves close to Fenrir's size and smaller ones used to pull sleds. Other than the wolves, a sort of cat-like creature stood by, which Fandratin said she preferred, but she had two wolves waiting patiently beside her. "You can't ride a Nari."
"A what?"
Fandratin pointed to the cat-like creature. "You need lessons to ride them. However, your half brother is a wolf, no?" Kenna nodded. "Have you ridden him?"
"Once or twice." Fandratin nodded towards one of the wolves beside her. They stood and waited as the girls mounted. "Why are we going to the Well?" Kenna asked as they set off.
"Something is wrong. We're not sure what but I want to check it before we leave tomorrow."
"Wrong how?"
Fandratin shrugged and looked curiously at her. "Your friend, the quiet one. He has not told you?" Kenna shook her head. "He said he sensed something wrong with the Well. Mother wants to send some scouts out soon but I simply don't want to wait. I heard your father saying something about the Ceiran burning. Is it true?" Kenna nodded. "Then Skuld help us all."
"Why do you swear to Skuld?"
"She guards the future. This way." Fandratin turned her wolf off the path, looking back to make sure Kenna followed. "We'll ride up the mountain and look it over before going to see it." Kenna didn't reply, she was too busy watching her steed. He was really very close to Fenrir's size but obviously cared for. Fenrir looked larger because of his ferocity and his wild fur and eyes. He really was a wolf. This looked like a giant dog, only less friendly. She watched the roll of his shoulders as he padded through the icy undergrowth, his tongue hanging out. He looked up as she gripped his hackles tighter. She'd never been allowed to ride Fenrir without supervision and now she knew why.
The wolf had power running through him, she could feel it in every shift of his muscles. To feel that raw power running through Fenrir, well she wasn't sure she could take the stress. Fandratin looked back at her again, calling to ask if she was alright. Kenna nodded and looked around her.
Loki had been right. The forests were beautiful. The trees were taller than on Asgard, covered in snow and dangling ice. She broke one off as they passed and weighed it. It was heavy, certainly heavy enough to be thrown and cause some damage. She threw it to her side. It flew smoothly, hitting a tree and causing snow to fall. The forest animals went about their day, mildly curious about the passerby.
They broke through the forest eventually, running past the tree line. Kenna looked around the mountain top, grinning. "It's beautiful!" She called.
Fandratin looked back and grinned at her. "Wait until you see the valley! Hurry up." She leaned forward and her wolf sprinted forward with a quiet bark. Kenna followed suit, grinning at the snow covering her. She'd only seen it once. Loki had caused it when she and Garik were little. But this snow was natural and perfect and she began to wonder if she would ever want to leave.
Fandratin stopped on the mountain peak, she and her wolf breathing heavily. Kenna followed suit, trying to breathe deeply in the thin air. She looked down and gasped at the sight before her. It was a lush evergreen valley, untouched by the harsh winter around it. In the very center lay a large well of white and grey stone with three statues on pillars around it. Fandratin scanned the area.
"Everything looks fine." She murmured. Kenna focused, remembering they were there for a reason. She searched the area, feeling a strange fluctuation in the peace that emanated from the valley.
"No, Merek was right. Something is wrong. I can feel it. Like a... an uneasiness but only barely detectable."
Fandratin's brows furrowed and she nodded. "Alright, let's go down then." She turned her wolf and they started down the mountain, entering the forest once more. Kenna watched as the snow slowly thinned and a little light began to shine down on this seemingly always gloomy world. The clouds parted, for a time, and sunshine actually shone through.
They reached the valley and approached the well at some length. Fandratin slid down her wolf's back and knelt in the grass, staying off the white stone around the well. She bowed her head and pounded her chest with her fist. Kenna followed suit, waiting for something to happen.
A foot stepped into her line of sight and she gasped in surprise, looking up. A hideous woman stood before them, her head titled curiously. Her wide eyes and disfigured nose stood out against her mottled skin and patchy hair. She gestured to them and they stood. Two other women stood behind the first, obviously sisters and all of them hideous. Kenna began to think of Elder, Loki's teacher on Muspelheim. The man had fallen for Skuld, said to be the most beautiful. Kenna wondered at the sanity of all who said so. The women in front finally spoke.
"You come here with questions. Ask them." Her voice was calming. Fandratin opened her mouth but the woman held up a hand. "Not you. This one." She tilted her head to the left and the woman to her left and behind her spoke.
"Kenna, daughter of Loki. A goddess and princess. Half Jotun and half Aesir. But with the blood of a Midgardian as well. Having defeated a Titan and restored balance to her realm and the mind of her father. A murderer." Kenna stepped back upon the last statement. Fandratin looked at her in confusion. The woman continued. "A murderer of many Jotun soldiers, all lost because of her fear and hatred." Fandratin's confusion turned to horror. Kenna shook her head.
"No, you must understand! I am not what you think! He tried to kill me all for a secret! All for getting in his way! I couldn't stop myself..."
The one in front held up a hand for silence and tilted her head to the right. The other woman spoke now, softly.
"But she will prove to be a saving grace and a sacrifice for the sake of many. Peace for War." She stumbled over her next words, seeming confused suddenly. The other two turned to her, worried. "She is hidden. The child to save us... I cannot see. It is connected to her, very much so. But I cannot see if it is her." She took a step back and shook her head to clear it. "I don't understand..."
Kenna spoke up finally, pointing at each woman in turn, starting from the far left. "Urda of the Past. Verdandi of the Present. And Skuld of the Future. Yes?" They nodded. "I come to ask of your wisdom. For the sake of your home. Your well, is it safe? Is your root to Yggdrasil well?"
They hesitated and then Verdandi shook her head, waving for them to follow her. She led them to the well. "The mud at the bottom of our well is of the purest white, so white you can see it even from so far. But it is grey now." Kenna and Fandratin looked in.
Urda spoke. "The dew that falls on the valley and keeps it green has not fallen in three days."
Verdandi spoke again. "Our root withers. Yggdrasil is dying. The Night are burning."
Skuld spoke. "The universe will crumble."
Kenna looked around at them. "What do we do?"
They remained silent. Finally, Skuld spoke. She shooed them. "You will leave early in the morning and report to your king. It will begin soon." They stepped into the pillars of their statues, disappearing without another word. The girls mounted their wolves and rode off. Fandratin finally slowed in the forest and turned to Kenna.
"All three were hideous." She said slowly, her words laced with horror.
"Yes."
"We are going to die." She whispered.
Kenna jerked and stared at Fandratin. "What?"
"Their appearance corresponds with their message. Urda was hideous. Your past has been grim. Verdandi was hideous. Your present is grim. Skuld was the most hideous of all. We will die. Explain to me the murder of our soldiers."
Kenna remained silent for a long time, shocked and frightened. They would all die... She turned slowly and explained to Fandratin what had happened and why she had killed them all. The princess seemed to accept it and no longer looked at her with anger and horror.
"I cannot fault you for defending yourself or your realm. I have killed many an Asgardian myself." They raced back to the palace and reported their findings to Farbauti and Loki. Kenna called Merek to them but was told by a guard he could not be found.
That evening, he came to them but refused to answer any questions, claiming he felt sick. He stood with them in silence as they waited where they had been dropped. Heimdall pulled them up and greeted them all with a nod.
They took the long route from the Bifrost to the palace. The villagers left their homes to stare at the three Jotuns walking alongside Loki. Helix and Loki walked shoulder to shoulder, talking quietly. Loki had regained his Aesir appearance when they left the Bifrost. Merek and Byleistr were talking. Fandratin, Kenna, and Rowan walked alongside each other. They did not stop to speak and explain to the villagers. The initial show was to intimate that there was peace between the two races.
They reached the palace grounds just as a commotion ahead made them all pause. A horse barreled down the path, followed by a woman, calling after him. Kenna cried out and ran to the horse, flinging her arms around his neck and hanging on as he slid to a stop, prancing excitedly to see his sister. Kenna laughed and nuzzled Sleipnir.
"I missed you too! Ah!" She cried out as he pushed her playfully. Grinning, she pulled herself atop his back and rubbed his neck. Fandratin approached him slowly, smiling shyly as he greeted her. Kenna cried out again and slid down just as Ebony joined them. Ebony swung her around, grinning.
"Kenna!" A voice cried. She looked around and found Garik sprinting to her. She gasped as he hugged her tightly and just barely lifted her.
"When did you get so strong?!" She demanded. He laughed and ran to greet Loki and Rowan. Loki introduced his siblings while he pulled Ebony to him, hugging her tightly. He bent and kissed her cheek.
"I missed you so much." He mumbled, nuzzling her neck. She turned in his arms, kissing him.
"I'll make up for the absence, don't worry."
He grinned and let her go as she led them all inside. A bark made him turn and he found Fenrir and Hel standing farther off, waiting for him. Grinning, he ran to Fenrir, leaping on the gigantic beast. "I got you!" He laughed as Fenrir wrestled with him, his tail beating the ground excitedly. He threw Loki to the ground and stood over him, tongue lolling out and butt in the air. Hel laughed and pulled him back.
"We need him in one piece, Fenrir." Hel hugged Loki as he stood. "How was it?"
"Well... uncomfortable at first. But as you can see, we're getting along well." He pulled her hood down and took her hand, kissing her forehead. "Come inside. Helix insists on meeting all my children and you will not be excluded." She sighed and nodded, telling Fenrir to behave before following him in. They were all gathered in the throne room, talking animatedly.
Loki stepped in and let Hel go greet their visitors. He stood back, observing his entire family. Odin and Frigga were there and Olik had come to greet his brother. Thor and Kat were talking to Fandratin. Loki grinned and looked at Helix. The man nodded to him. Loki may have only two children by his wife but he certainly did not have a small family.
Hel approached Helix slowly. He tilted his head and Loki saw her face light up and her shoulders fall when she realized. Helix spoke to her and Hel glanced back at Loki, her eyes creasing with her wide smile. He waved her on. A pair of arms encircled his waist and Ebony rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Never thought you'd see the day, huh?"
"No. All because of you."
"Me?!"
"Where would I be without you to put me on the right path?"
"Well, you're welcome. But I think this is all your doing. You done good, Odinson." She stretched up to kiss his cheek.
They all began to file out of the room, headed for dinner. The meal was extravagant and the room was filled with loud talk and hearty laughter as the Asgardians readily accepted Loki's family upon the news that the offer of peace had been accepted. Though tension was evident in their eyes, they presented themselves with warm smiles. The subject of their past together was carefully avoided, their issues laid aside. For one night, they were at peace but more than that: they were friends. The meetings over treaties and information of such serious nature would be considered in a week. Tomorrow, the people would gather to hear just what was going on.
Loki stood after dessert and bowed slightly, smiling. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire."
"He's tired but I did all the work." Kenna muttered.
"Excuse you, I trained with Mimir's scholars. Very difficult work, you know."
"Let him be, Kenna. Using such a small brain must be very difficult." Fandratin said but she was smiling into her cup.
Ebony grinned as she stood to follow Loki. "Don't start. I have to deal with his pouting."
"I don't-"
"Yes, you do. Shut up and go." Ebony pushed him out, rolling her eyes at them over her shoulder.
The announcement was made that peace would be given a chance. Some accepted it gladly, thankful that the battles and invasions could end. They were glad that the hatred and the fear could be allowed to disappear, that their children could be taught to think differently of the Jotuns. Some objected to the entire ordeal. The Jotuns were not to be trusted or tolerated. Only time would tell what would come of this.
Helix, Byleistr and Fandratin were allowed to roam the capital freely. They joined in a large celebration over the coming peace of their realms; they participated in the market. Helix joined Loki and Kenna for the second meeting of the Asgardian Parliament. In all the recent chaos, it had been abandoned, but they met again to consider the future of the realms. They hoped that including the people in the decision-making would smooth things over between royalty and the commonwealth. It wasn't clear if they were right in this.
"And how can we trust a common Jotun?!"
"I would like to remind you, Lord Terrance, that I am a Jotun." Loki said.
"And I would like to remind you, Prince, that you have betrayed and dishonored us many times."
Loki nodded. "Granted."
"What have we to gain from this alliance? What are you not telling us? The people are restless. They don't trust that the Crown has revealed all."
Loki and Thor shared a look before Thor nodded. Loki sighed and spoke. "When my daughter went to stay with Lord Erin to settle the issue he raised, she was given a maidservant. This woman is responsible for Thor's poisoning. She does not know the name or location of the party that has commissioned her to do so. All she knows is that they want war. We do not know our enemy or their power. What we do know is that the universe is under threat of collapse."
Murmurs went around, a few shouted their outrage. "But that's ridiculous!"
"The universe can't collapse!"
Thor signaled for silence and Loki continued. "We have good reason to believe this to be true, however impossible it may seem. The roots of Yggdrasil are withering, the wells are drying. Yggdrasil is dying. Vanaheim is already on its last leg. We have no idea who our enemy is. We need our alliances secured. There is much we can learn from the Jotuns and much they can learn from us."
"We don't need them. Can't trust them."
Kenna spoke up. "Do you say so because of your deeply ingrained hatred for them? Or because you have logical reasons against the union?"
"Of course there's a logical reason! They've killed thousands of our men! They attacked us not even ten years prior! They-"
"Were slaughtered in an attack led by Odin," Kenna's eyes narrowed to thin slits, "by Thor, by Loki. War is war. We have agreed to a ceasefire and await a treaty. You state the obvious but not the pertinent. Try again. And speak carefully. I am Jotun as well. I can defend both sides quite easily."
The court grew quiet as the men thought. They knew it to be their prejudices that stood in the way but did not want to admit it, especially in front of the Jotun prince. Kenna had her father's gift for twisting words and her mother's penchant for argument. They could not win against her. Kenna nodded. "So I thought. Speak to the people. If they cannot bring forward a reasonable objection, we will proceed."
The meeting was adjourned and the representatives went their separate ways, prepared to meet again in three weeks.
The people could not come up with an objection to the alliance between realms. Helix and his siblings returned to Jotunheim after extending their stay to two weeks. They had remarked that the people, while uneasy around them, had often seemed to find the giants were easygoing and not much different from them. Before they left, Kenna watched with surprise as Merek and Byleistr shared a friendly hug.
The council met for another session of the new parliament the week after. The people had reluctantly agreed to go through with the alliance, saying it would be good for the generations to come. But some wondered what the giants could offer them. Loki answered that they had been offered access to Urda's Well and that the evergreen forests held pockets of natural resources that the giants had learned to mine without harming their environment. Their war tactics could also be learned from. He mentioned that having a group of scholars much like Mimir's Students would be very helpful in the royal court and the new people's council.
Those who argued did so valiantly but once Kenna stood to support her father's words, the naysayers dwindled. When Thor voiced his own support, the opposition ground to a halt. It was resolved between both realms that Kenna and Merek would return in a few months. In the meantime, things seemed to only get more tense within the royal family. Kenna deteriorated slowly; her episodes were still few and far between.
Loki told Ebony only that her daughter was sick and that even Mimir knew of no way to help her. He waited until Kenna and Rowan left the capital for a day to seek out Merek. He was willing to bear this burden. But Merek, with all his mysterious knowledge, might know of a way to stop it.
Merek joined him in his workroom, black eyes watching blankly as Loki flipped the last book on Yggdrasil closed.
"You know what I've called you for." He sighed, slumping in his chair. Merek hummed in the affirmative. "Then what can you tell me of Yggdrasil's root poisoning?"
Merek came closer, leaning over to examine the book. He frowned and huffed. "That will tell you nothing."
"I'm aware."
Straightening, Merek folded his arms. "I can't stop it. I don't know how. When one comes into direct, uninvited contact with the raw power of Yggdrasil, usually by the roots, it affects the mind alone."
"Uninvited?"
"Yggdrasil calls those she desires to bond with. Lot was not born a guardian of Yggdrasil. She likely called him when her last guardian died. I understand it occurred when Aben attacked. Usually, poisoning is presented through delusions. However, for some reason, Aben's illness was far more violent. Still, it will take decades to kill her. There is no cure as far as anyone knows."
"I was told. Have you known all along?" Loki searched Merek's eyes, hoping against hope that the one man he trusted with his daughter" life had been keeping this from him. Merek nodded. A knife twisted in Loki's gut.
"Would you have told me had I not already known so much?" He challenged, sensing Loki's thoughts.
"Have you told her?"
"I'm no fool. It would mutate with her knowledge. She would only die younger and trapped in her own body. Her mind will slowly deteriorate over the years. She'll forget things; her personality will change. Her powers of reason will be flawed. You will have to remove her from her position. It will bring up questions about the decisions she has helped make."
"How will she die?" Loki asked, his voice soft. The politics of it didn't matter now.
"She may simply die. Her mind may never realize it is wrong. But, more likely, she will go mad. It will buckle under the strain. She'll go into a psychosis and her mind will kill itself in the delusion that it is being killed."
"How do you know?"
"Aben killed himself." Merek's voice was bleak and without inflection. Loki stared up at him, watching every emotion get sucked out until all he could see was a dead man relaying facts. All this time, he had been shutting it out. What had it done to him, Loki wondered.
"Records claim he said 'they' were killing him as he stabbed himself."
"They?"
Merek shrugged. "Merely 'they.' No one was coming for him but his mind didn't know that. Or it did and was at war with what reason was left in it."
"So she'll still die terrified and trapped. Likely, she'll know she's gone mad but won't be able to stop it."
Merek nodded woodenly. "She'll have to be on constant watch. Thus far, I've noticed no hallucinations or delusions. But they will likely be auditory when they start."
"Merek..."
"I'll stay with her." There was a resolve in the set of his shoulders that Loki had never seen before. "I swore it to you. If there's pain, I will take it on."
"Pain? How? You can... you can absorb it the way she does?" Merek nodded. "For how long?"
"Until it kills me."
"I'm not asking you to do that."
"I will." His hands balled into fists and what Loki thought was a determined shine in his eyes was the first sign of tears. "You don't understand," he choked, "you could never understand."
"Understand what, Merek? That you love her? You don't think I feel that? I have felt like a part of me died since the moment I realized she would never recover. I can't tell my own family because the knowledge would break them! And you don't think-"
"She is all I have!" Merek looked away, shaking his head. He clenched his jaw so hard Loki could hear his teeth grinding. "She's all I'll ever have. You don't... you haven't lost a child, Loki. I know your pain. But imagine doing this again. Imagine Asgard, your family, your people. Worse, imagine the star system and it's countless planets and moons. Imagine all of them depending on you. Imagine the silence after. And when you've finally found peace once more it's to be ripped from you again. I cannot save her and that is my sole purpose. You could never understand that. The loss alone would drive you mad. But the loneliness... it would kill you."
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Sorry, it's gotten pretty heavy, huh?