Midgardian princess

Chapter 1

"The people of Midgard have lost faith!" exclaims Odin who stares into the void from the balcony.

"My dear, it's not their lack of faith... They just have misplaced it and can you blame them, once we lived amongst them, we were a part of their lives, but not anymore," the All-Mother said, "The Midgardian life is so short, if we lose focus for just a moment, many generations of them have been born, lived and died. We have been away for too long."

Odin remains silent.

"This cannot continue. The Nine Realms must be united," he says after a while, "Thor will take his rightful place on the throne soon, he will need a queen by his side."

"Are you saying you want him to be wed to a Midgardian?" Frigga, Goddess of Marriage, doesn't like the idea of political marriages being in one herself, but she does understand the reasoning behind it.

"No, Thor will be married to someone influential, someone who can rule by his side with confidence and whose people are stronger and more important. Midgard has nothing to offer, the people are weak and unruly, selfish and foolish. Loki will be burdened with that honor."

Frigga looks at her husband, unhappy, but chooses not to argue.

"You are right about Midgardians being unruly and difficult, the bride will need to be chosen carefully," the All-Mother says.

"Not chosen, but taught. They are expendable, we'll send staff to find someone suitable and teach the girl everything she'll need to know," Odin's tone is cold, "We'll do that until we find someone suitable."

"If you don't mind, let me do it. Let me find a suitable bride from Midgard," Frigga stops as Odin looks at her, "It is a great responsibility that I don't trust to servants."

The All-Father seems to agree with that argument, Frigga doesn't tell him that the true reason was Loki – she loves him like her own flesh and blood, if he has to marry because the command of Odin, he deserves to have someone kind and gentle by his side.

"So be it,"

***

1925, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Frigga walks into the yellow house. A sign on the wall reads "Sunset Orphanage".

"Hello, ma'am, can I help you?" a kind woman walks up to her.

"Yes, I'm hoping to adopt," Frigga says.

The young woman looks past Frigga, "Do you have a husband with you?"

"My husband... he couldn't make it today, he is a very busy man," Frigga lies.

"Oh, I understand," the woman nods, "So, who are you looking for? A baby or someone older maybe? We have many fine children here."

"I've always dreamed of a baby daughter," the All-Mother says.

"Let us go to the nursery then."

Arriving in a big white room, Frigga sees many little cribs, two nurses are feeding babies and the room is filled with cries.

"We are terribly understaffed at the moment, but we do have a very sweet newborn baby with rosy cheeks just waiting to go home with you," the nurse says and leads Frigga to a crib that is empty. The nurse looks around and sees the child in the arms of a little girl.

"She was bored from looking at the ceiling so I helped her, nurse May, she isn't hungry, but might need to have her diaper changed," the girl says, she talks like an adult, but can't be older than five.

"Thank you, can I have her now?" the nurse asks.

"Here you go!" the nurse takes the baby and hands her to Frigga. "Oh, nurse May, James and Scott had a fight in the yard again! James took Scott's toy away, but I gave him mine!"

Frigga listens to the girl whilst looking at the baby.

"You're an angel, now off you go!" the nurse smiles as the little girl runs off.

"Who is she?" Frigga asks looking at the door where the girl had disappeared into.

"Y/n, she is a very sweet and kind girl, she has been adopted twice before, but... she can be difficult on parents, she talks a lot, she always wants to help and she is very curious, she is very special in many ways, I do hope she'll get a forever home someday," the nurse looks sad.

***

1943, outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

"Mother..." you look out the window.

"Yes, Y/n?" your mother, Maria, asks from the other side of the dining table.

"I wish your stories were true... The ones you've always told me... The ones about the mighty Gods..."

"What makes you think they aren't?" Frigga asks.

"If they were true... why would the gods let people shed so much blood for no reason? Why would they be so indifferent?" you look at a young man, younger than you saying goodbye to his old mother, a military car waiting to pick him up.

"The Gods aren't indifferent, they gave humans free will and freedom," Frigga says, but she knows that isn't quite right.

"Free will... Is that what this is? Young men sent to die on foreign soil, to fight a war they didn't start..." your heart hurts for the men and their wives, mothers...

Frigga looks at you and sees a true queen, someone fair and compassionate. She knows at that moment that you are ready to find out the truth.

"Heimdall, bring us home!" Frigga says out loud and you turn to face her with confusion.