Forbidden

As was custom in Asgard, our wedding date was set for exactly one year after the engagement. Although cost was no issue to royalty, there was still and incredible amount of planning necessary- at least in our parent's eyes. I swear, my mother was meant to plan a wedding. She and Frigga decided everything for Thor and I, and we just sat, watched our mothers and nodded or agreed when necessary.

We sat in one of the various luxury rooms in the palace and watched our mothers talk excitedly to each other from the other side of the small fire in the center of the room. Thor's arm was wrapped protectively around my waist with his other thrown haphazardly on the arm of the couch. I allowed my body to lean into his. Our parents would appreciate the loving gestures between us. But I knew as soon as our parents would leave- we would be back to being purely platonic.

"What do you two think of having a winter-themed celebration?" My mother asked and looked up at us.
"Well, you know I love winter." I smiled towards her.

Out of my parent's duties and titles- I preferred my mother's. I had grown to love and embrace winter and everything about it. My mother had the powers to control things like cold winds, snow, and especially ice. She was able to just touch something and freeze it over if she wished. My father, however, did not really have godly powers like my mother. Instead, he was incredibly cunning and clever. As the God of War- I could see how these qualities would be beneficial during wartime. But, honestly, during times of peace- these qualities seemed to fester and grow to the point that he would start fights and fake battles, just to get the war-like feelings. These qualities did not make for a very effective father. Although my mother's personality was cold and bitter, she at least did not spend the majority of her time fighting for fun. Of course, having a father trained exclusively in battle- I had skill with a blade. Thor trained with his hammer- Loki with his staff, and I trained with a blade shaped much like the Japanese katana of Earth. As Thor's hammer is Mjolnir, my sword was Ridill. Unlike Thor, I had trained with Ridill since I was old enough to actually wield it as it was bestowed upon me as a gift upon my birth. Ridill had been a relic of the treasure room, as all god's and goddesses' weapons once were. The wise keepers of the relics had decided Ridill was to be my companion because it would increase and channel my godly powers.

But, my powers never developed. Most godly powers appeared in the early adolescent years, but mine had never made themselves apparent. My parents gradually increased the level and frequency of my training with Ridill in hopes of the enchantment on the sword would cause my powers to finally make themselves known and present. Many had given up hope that I would ever be a full-fledged god like my parents and husband-to-be. However, in my eyes- I had inherited enough from my parents- I was proud of my abilities as a warrior and felt no necessity to have a godly power.

Frigga and my mother looked to Thor for his opinion. Of course, Thor could not have cared less about the details of the wedding. To him, all he cared about was himself and his future. He picked at his nails absent mindedly.

"Thor, darling" I smiled fakely up at him. "Would you enjoy a winter theme?"

"Hmm?" Thor looked up- rejoining reality. "Oh yes! That sounds perfect darling. Mother, let us make an icy wedding!" He bellowed. Frigga rolled her eyes at her son's boisterous response and returned to discussing how we could incorporate aspects of winter into the celebration and ceremony.

"You could at least feign interest for your mother's sake." I whispered.

"I fake plenty around her. It is hard to retain or listen to information when I care not for any of this." He sneered.

"Yes, well this is an important process for your mother. And it should be for you as well." I muttered harshly.

"Well, darling, wedding planning is woman's work. My time should be spent elsewhere on something actually necessary for Asgard." He complained.

"One could argue that this event is important to our realm. Without a queen, you would not be eligable to become king. And where would you be without your precious future crown, my dear." I hissed with a smirk on my face. As the words left my mouth, the fire suddenly fizzled out. I glanced at the embers but they were covered in a tiny layer of frost. My mother must have heard something she did not like.

"Oh but my dear, without you in the picture I could marry any woman in the realm." He chuckled. "And what maiden would not wish to marry the future king? Especially when the future king is I."

"You are entirely too conceited, Thor."

"Is it really considered to be conceited when the things I say are true?" He laughed and kissed my lips softly as his mother looked up.



"No, Edony! Use your feet more." My father shouted. "Use the footwork we've practiced."

"I am trying, Father." I said, breathing heavily. I allowed my feet to become light and swift as I lunged towards my sparring partner.

I swung Ridill in a downward motion- swiftly hitting my partner in the shoulder. He hissed and grabbed at the open wound and fell to his knees.

"Oh, it's simply a flesh wound." I laughed and extended my arm to assist my partner. "The healers with have you patched up in mere moments."

"Oh really?" He chuckled and swung his weapon at my ankles- knocking me off my feet. In no time- he was above me, sword pointed at my throat.

"Enough." My father groaned. Leor outstretched his arm to help me up. I did not take it- I was independent enough to get up on my own.

"I need not your help!" I barked at my partner.

"Leor- you are excused for the day. Be sure to stop by the healing room for that wound." My father stated. Leor nodded in his direction and bowed his head as blood dripped from his shoulder. We had not been wearing real armor because my father believed it to inhibit the fear experienced in battle- so something like that.

"Yes, sir." He answered. "I shall see you tomorrow, Edony."

I nodded in his direction before he turned to collect his sword and other belongings before walking out of the sparring room. My father rose from his seated position on the floor and sighed loudly.

"What did I tell you? You must keep your feet swift."

"Yes, but Father-" I started.

"No 'buts', Edony. If you are to be a successful warrior you must be quicker." He interjected.

"But Leor feigned and injury- it was not a fair battle!" I complained.

"Well what else have I taught you?" He shouted. "Do you really expect beings like Frost Giants to engage you in a fair battle in a time of war? No! They most definitely will not. You must never let your guard down."

I clenched my jaw angrily. Fighting with the God of War- would only have a poor ending. I picked up Ridill from the ground where it had fell. I knew my father would lecture me about letting go of my weapon. Then, of course, he would ramble on about how if this had been a real battle- I would have been dead by now.

"Father," I sighed, wiping off the splotches of blood on Ridill off on my loose pant leg. "Why must we still train this often? I have a wedding to plan and an appearance around the palace to maintain."

"Edony, a wedding and one's place in royalty should not effect your training. I am your father- you are a warrior. A real warrior's training does not cease because as something as trivial as wedding plans." He replied.

The corners of his slightly cracked lips tugged into a smile. The muscles of his face tugged on the light golden hair of his short beard. The wrinkles of his face contorted faintly and his green eyes seemed to sparkle. I always thought that did not look like his title. He looked genuinely happy all of the time- yet he is the god of such a dismal thing. He approached the sparring area and held his arms out. I walked into his open arms and embraced him.

"I am proud of you, my daughter." He sighed. "Never think differently."

I smiled softly into my father's chest as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"Now go change- I'm sure you have things to do." His arms fell from around me before he smiled and started to walk off.

"Did you see that? He cheated in a fight." I said to the open room when my father was gone.

"How did you know I was here?" A voice asked.

"There is a feeling in my heart whenever you are near." I smiled. "Please make yourself visible, my love."

Loki walked out from the darkness of the corner with a smile on his face.

"Anyways, my love- your father was right about the Frost Giants." He admitted as he walked closer.

I raised Ridill out in front of me- pointing at Loki.

"Oh really?" I threatened.

"Yes, really." He laughed. "Put your weapon aside."

"And why should I, Loki?" I giggled.

"Because if you keep your sword armed- I will not be able to embrace you. And I very much want to do that." Loki chuckled. I dropped my sword to my side and holstered in the belt around my waist. Loki approached me quickly and enveloped me in his arms and brushed his lips over mine.

The night when Thor left for another realm was as intimate as Loki and I have been. Over the few months since our love was admitted to each other- we hardly have had any time to see one another. I would like nothing more then to make my love for him expressed physically- but I was constantly with Thor. But, Loki and I were entranced with each other enough to simply thrive on the occasional kiss or the delicate brush of fingers on skin.

As our lips moved together tenderly- neither of us noticing the frost that grew on the windows.