The Queen Of Winter Book One

Sally's Song

Back on Earth in the small village of Awe in the Scottish highlands, Rumlow and a team of Hydra agents began preparing for the arrival of the Queen of Winter. In a small cottage just below the imposing mountain of Ben Cruachan, they worked hurriedly to assemble the arch. This arch would act as a portal between the realms. Once opened it would allow Callieach to leave her banishment. Leave the hellish realm of Dubnos and walk the earth. She would claim the nine realms as her own and cast an eternal winter. Hydra would become her army and Rumlow would take his place as Prince of Winter, heir to Callieach's throne as her sole surviving son.

After Callieach and Bodach's banishment their children scattered into the wind. They were hunted down one by one and killed by Njord himself. All except one. Rumlow had managed to survive. He had made it his sole purpose in life to free his mother and father and seek revenge on those who caused his family such misery. He had searched for Annabelle for years but Frigga's spell had made it difficult for her exact location to be found. He was able to connect with her mind. Planting in the nightmares and fears she struggled with every night. He tried to find her location by searching through her mind while she slept. He caught wind of her visiting the Highlands when she was a child. He had called upon the water spirits to destroy her then. The kelpies Baron and Duke were supposed to lure her into the water but she was saved by the selflessness of her foster parents. He lost track of her again after that for a short while. Until there were whispers of a teenager with special abilities. A girl who could heal with a magic golden glow. After the Attack in New York, Rumlow had her watched and followed. He had to be sure it was her. It was his plan to have her work for Hydra. He thought it would be a fitting revenge to have Njord's daughter be the one to destroy him. Rumlow became attached to Anna. If he was to be a Prince again he would need a Princess and eventually a Queen to rule with him. Rumlow thought that through time and conditioning she would be a suitable consort. His mother had approved of the deviousness of his scheme and welcomed the idea.

For the arch to be activated Rumlow needed an energy source and magic. He needed the tesseract and the spell to open the portal. The tesseract was being guarded in the basement of The Avengers compound. Tony believed that they could protect it better than any SHIELD facility. The spell required was hidden in Odin's library. To obtain these there was no one better for the job than his little Ghost. There was no way Rumlow would be able to get into the compound unnoticed and it was even more impossible for him to reach Asgard even though he knew a secret way in that didn't require use of the bifrost. Rumlow needed to get inside Anna's mind. He needed her to bring them to him.

Rumlow instructed the agents that he must not be disturbed under any circumstances. He made his way from the living are of the cottage, upstairs into a bedroom. It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled outside and the rain lashed off the windows. Rumlow lit a few candles throwing shadows all around the room. He sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He continued taking slow, deep, deliberate breaths, clearing his mind. He searched through the ether for Annabelle.

Annabelle's mind was quiet and peaceful. Rumlow had been in her mind nearly her whole life and had never known it to be like this. It was usually a chaotic and jumbled mess. This tranquility was something new. Instead of her usual nightmares Rumlow could see her dreams. He could see Anna replaying the ball in her mind. Dancing with Loki, laughing and smiling with her friends, watching the stars and Loki confessing his love for her.

"Annabelle ... Annabelle....Anna..." He called out to her as he began twisting her dream into a new vision.

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"We can gaze at the stars and sit together for now and forever. For it is plain as anyone can see. We're simply meant to be." Anna said into the nights sky.