The Runaway Mother

Mother Dearest

"How is Sage today Little Queen? Any new adventures?"
Seth felt herself being pulled into the lap of a tall dark figure. She felt safe there in his arms, like she was loved. She looked down at her doll and placed the toy into the strong hand before her.
"She broke her arm..." the cloth doll had a tear in the shoulder and a rip in her dress.
"She's been very brave I see..." a deep warm chuckle rose out of the chest that Seth was leaning against. It was like the thunder of a far off summer storm.
Seth's breath slowed and she instinctively rested her head on the chest of the man who held her. She found comfort in the sound of his heart beat and the rise and fall of his breathing. This felt so natural and familiar...she missed this terribly.
"Let me see what I can do." The deep voice vibrated in her ear and she smiled.
Seth watched as a gentle mist of magic surrounded the doll. Her arm and dress began to mend as each thread was renewed and strengthened in its weave.
"There you are Seth, all better." The hands placed the doll in her little lap and she felt a gentle loving kiss press into her hair.
Who was this man that cared for her so affectionately? Why was he so kind?

People are not kind.

Seth slowly looked up and her gaze fell upon a leather clad chest with green fabric overlapping. A gold chest-plate that had faded with time. And finally the fringes of dark raven hair, like her own. She finally pulled her confidence together enough to look upon his face and-

"SETHYANA!!!"

Seth jolted awake at the sound of her mother calling her name.

She had slept in! AGAIN!!

Seth bolted up and scrambled for a change of clothes. She took a leather strap and tied her hair up quickly. It had been three years since her mother had jumped systems to save her life from the war lord that wanted her dead. And the nine year old had been hiding away ever since.
She pulled on her boots and ran towards the main room of the house. Their new home had been a gift, or so mother said. It was a three story mini mansion built from pure scrap metal and old star cruisers. The planet they lived on was a dinghy and lawless one. It was kill or be killed here, which is why Seth was confined to the house.
They had moved over eight times in the last three years. The war lord that was after them had connections everywhere. Seth had been learning magic and was a talented student. She read every book and scrap of paper she could get her hands on and questions were the native tongue of the girl.

"Mother I'm so sorry! The story was so good I just couldn't put it down last night and I-"

"Oh hush up with your excuses child. If I cared I would have asked." Lyna continued to fiddle with the weapon in her hand. She often spent days at a time pillaging. Get them before they get you, she would say.
Seth held her tongue, the last thing that she needed was a beating like last time. She sat down at the rusty old counter and watched, patiently waiting for instructions. She did as she was told, otherwise...
"I think you are old enough to come with me today." Lyna said simply, not looked at her daughter. It was rare that Lyna gave the girl the privilege of eye contact. She didn't need connection with the girl, just control over her.

Seth's eyes lit up and she looked up at her mother. "Really?" She asked. She had never been allowed outside the house.
She snuck out all the time of course and had seen the city many times over, but she had a silver tongue and a quick wit which allowed her freedom to do as she liked.

"Really. I need a distraction this time around and I think you are just the thing. If you prove yourself to me, perhaps I'll get you a new book." Lyna knew that she could buy this girl with knowledge. She was so much like her father, inquisitive, clever, smart.
Lyna had been grooming the girl carefully. Controlling what she read, careful to shape a very specific image that she wanted Seth to have of the world. She had Seth's mind. And if she held a firm grasp of it until she was old enough, the throne would be hers.

Seth gasped and nodded eagerly. "Anything you want mother! Anything you want!"
"Very well. Go change into something ragged and I'll tell you what to do."
Seth hurried off to do as her mother said.

Lyna watched as the girl scrambled towards her room. She had been running from Asgard for three years. Her daughter was the crown jewel of her rise to power and she had taken brutal precautions to safeguard that. There had been many times when Asgard nearly found her, but she had slipped into nothing before and this was no different.
Lyna often chuckled at the thought of how desperate and decimated Loki must be day after day not knowing where his precious daughter was. Love had made him so weak, she was disgusted at the very thought of him. Their child was destined to rule, and he was lurking under the shadow of his brother, letting Sethyana's potential rot away into dust.
He had even been to weak to keep his promise and kill her when she had returned.
That's how she had known she had a chance to take her power back. And in the end, as long as she had damaged Asgard in someway, it was all worth it.
Nothing says weakness like monarchs disappearing over night.

"I'm ready mother!" Seth came out wearing a torn old dress, she had even scuffed up her hair.
"Perfect. Now come here, for this to work you need to look beaten and abused. The guards we are fooling will take pity on you which will give me time to steal a dangerous weapon from them."
Seth came and sat before her mother. Lyna never did anything to harm her, or so she claimed. Mother always said the hurt she caused was out of protection.
Lyna punched her daughter across the face. One of the rings she was wearing formed a gash on Seth's cheek. The girl winced at the contact and her eyes clamped shut as she felt her head whiplash.
Seth put her hand to her face and saw the blood. She looked up at her mother, Seth was scared of her, but she couldn't let that show.

"I'm trusting you with a mission. I did this because I love you, so what do you say?"

Seth got lost for a moment in her heart. Somewhere in there was a scared little girl that wanted to go home, but she was home...why did she long to be somewhere else? She refocused and her eyes settled on her expectant mother.

"Thank you."