The Ice Princess

"First, we must find a way to get past Heimdall," Thor said as we walked out to our waiting horses.

"That will be no easy task," Volstagg shook his head. "It's said the Gate Keeper can see a single drop of dew fall from a blade of grass a thousand words away." I looked at my sister who rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and he can hear a cricket passing gas Nifelhime," Fandral chuckled nudging Aden who laughed.

"Jest not!" Volstagg gasped. "He hears all!"

"Please! Getting past him should be simple enough now. Since he seems to be letting Frost Giants sneek by under his nose," Fandral smiled broadly as he jumped on his horse.

"Oh, forgive him," Volstagg said under his breath. "He means no offence."

I laughed and looked to my side to find Loki gone. I looked behind me, touching my horses neck to see Loki talking quickly with one of the guards. I raised an eyebrow as he came over and adjusted his horse's saddle.

"What?" he asked me, still smiling.

"What did you speak to him about?" I asked, weary of Loki.

"I simply asked him to send a maid to my room, I fear I may have left a candle burning, Cora." He then got on his horse. And I frowned getting on my own. I truly wondered what Loki had said, seeing through his lie. A lie to me.

******

Once we reached the Bifrost we dismounted our horses and walked towards Heimdall.

"Leave this to me," Loki smiled to Thor and we stopped and Loki stepped up to Heimdall. "Good Heimdall..."

"You're not dressed warmly enough," Heimdall said, staring forward.

"I'm sorry?" Loki's face fell.

"Do you think that you can deceive me?" Heimdall asked shifting his gaze to Loki.

Loki laughed nervously, "You must he mistaken we were..."

"Enough!" Thor snapped and Loki went quiet. Thor stepped in front of Loki to Heimdall. "Heimdall, may we pass?"

"Never has an enemy slipped my watch, until this day. I wish to know how that happened."

"Then tell no one of where we have gone until we've returned. Understand?" Thor walks past Heimdall and into the Bifrost, Hogan, Sif, and Aden right behind him.

"What happened? Silver tongue turn to lead?" Volstagg and Fandral laughed walking past Loki.

He glared after them and I gently touched his arm, "Pay no mind. They are only jealous of you, my Prince." Loki gave me a smirk and we walked into the Bifrost together.

"Be warned," Heimdall spoke as the Bifrost began to turn. "I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as it's Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you and you'll be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunheim."

"Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?" Volstagg asked nervously.

"To leave the bridge open would unlease the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it."

"I have no plans to die today," Thor said confidently.

"None do." And then we were whisked away into the Bifrost to Jotunheim. I could never describe the way the Bifrost felt when you were traveling. Flying possibly, but too fast to see anything but strange colors around you. And when you landed it wasn't soft it was a hard drop onto your wobbly legs. And the icy lands of Jotunheim made the drop harder.

"We shouldn't be here," Hogan spoke.

"Let's move," Thor said stepping further into Jotunheim. I looked at Loki before following after the older Prince.

We walked in silence, slightly afraid that if we spoke the Frost Giants would ambush us. I watched the others pull their coats or breath into their hands to keep warm. I gave a small smile, completely comfortable with the cold. But it also bothered me that I could be content in living it a place such as this.

"Cold, Sister?" I teased.

She gave me a glare, pulling her cape closer. "I can't wait till we visit one of my planets. Watch you sweat like a pig under the burning, comfortable heat. Pay back for your cold planet-"

"This isn't my planet," I hiss. "I do not associate with Jotuns!"

"That's enough," Loki hissed between the two of us. "We don't want to draw attention do we?"

"I am no Jotun," I mumbled as Loki tugged me away from my sister.

"I know," he sighed. "We all do. You never let us think otherwise."

I hit him, "Shut up." He smirked.

"Where are they?" inquired Sif.

"Hiding, as cowards always do," Thor chuckled.

I looked up at the large glacier carved to look like a castle. A small chill ran down my back, not from the cold but from the fear I suddenly felt.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardian's," I looked up to see Laufey, "And you, Daughters of Alfheim." I kept eye contact with him for a moment before he looked back at Thor, who spoke.

"I am Thor Odinson!" Thor shouted.

"We know who you are," Laufey growled.

"How did your people get into Asgard?" Thor asked.

"The House of Odin is full of traitors," Laufey smirked.

"Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!" Thor shouted.

Laufey stands abruptly, "Your father is a murder and a thief! And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You crave it. You're nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man."

"Well, this boy has grown tired of your mockery," Thor growled. I looked around and watched as Frost Giants began to surround us.

Loki walked up behind his brother, "Thor, stop and think. Look around you, we're outnumbered."

"Know your place, Brother," Thor hissed.

"You know not what your actions would unleash," threatened Laufey. "I do. Go now, while I still allow it."

Thor remained silent, so Loki spoke up. "We will accept your most gracious offer." Loki turned away and gently took my arm for me to fallow. "Come on, Brother," he hissed at Thor.

Thor turned with us, but stopped when another Frost Giant spoke up. "Run back home, little princess."

Loki's eyes closed, "Damn."

Thor threw Mjolnir into the Frost Giant, sending him back and cracking against the ice. "Next?" he smirked and all the Frost Giants began to attack.

I drew my sword and began to defend myself, keeping close between Aden and Loki. I watched Aden use her powers against the Frost Giants and I frowned slightly, knowing my powers were useless here. Everything already was ice. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a Frost Giant yell and run at Loki. I went to help when the Frost Giant ran right through him and fell of the edge of the cliff. Loki then disappeared and the real one stepped out from behind a rock. I threw a piece of ice at him and he looked at me like I was nuts.

"Don't scare me like that," I said as he jogged over to me, helping me take down another Frost Giant.

"Don't let them touch you!" Volstagg shouted some ways away.

I spun and just about got my head cut off by a Jotun I ducked and Loki reached over me and hit the Frost Giant in the chest with his magic. The Frost Giant grabbed his arm and my eyes widened as Loki's amour on his arm fell away and his arm turned blue. Loki and the Frost Giant looked at each other before Loki finished him off. I sat on the ice and watched Loki's arm turn back to normal. Loki gave me his other arm and helped me up.

"What-" I began.

"I don't know," he said looking at me.

"Well-"

"Not now," he hissed. A scream made us both turn to see Fandral stabbed by the ice.

"Fandral!" I gasped running over to him as Loki killed the Frost Giant controlling the ice.

"Thor!" Sif shouted as Volstagg and Hogan pulled Fandral from the ice.

"We must go!" Loki shouted at him. I grabbed Aden's arm and began to fallow Sif, Hogan, and Volstagg who was carrying Fandral.

"Then go!" Thor shouted back.

Loki caught up with us and we stopped when the ground began to shake we looked up and saw one of the beasts of Jotunheim being released.

"Run!" Volstagg shouted and we all began to run back to where we had landed.

"Thor!" Loki shouted as we ran, but Thor didn't follow. Loki stopped but I grabbed his arms.

"No! He will come or die, it's his choice. Don't be as foolish as him," I shouted pulling Loki with me.

As we ran the ground began to shake and I looked back to see Thor has summoned lightening and now the ice was breaking. We ran faster as the beast ran after us. We reached the edge and I noticed the beast was gone, must've fallen through the ice.

"Hiemdall!" Volstagg shouted, Fandral around his shoulders. "Open the bridge!"

Nothing happened and then the beast climbed up the cliff in front of us. It sat up on its haunches and roared and Thor went right through its mouth and out the back of its head. I flinched and Thor landed in front of us, causing the dead beast to fall of the edge. But now we were surrounded by the Jotuns. They came charging at us but stopped as a bright light came and Odin appeared from the Bifrost.

"Father!" Thor shouted happily. "We'll finish them together!"

"Silence!" he hissed at Thor and Thor's face fell.

Laufey got closer to Odin using the ice to make him the same height as Odin was on his horse. "Allfather. You look weary."

"Laufey, end this now."

"Your boy sought this out."

"You're right," Odin nodded. "And these are the actions of a boy, treat them as such. You and I can end this here and now, before there is further bloodshed."

"We are beyond diplomacy now, Allfather. He'll get what he came for. War and death."

"So be it," Odin nodded.

Laufey went to attack but Odin shielded him away and took us back through the Bifrost.

"Why did you bring us back?" demanded Thor.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?" growled Odin.

"I was protecting my home," Thor shot back.

"You cannot even protect your friends!" Odin shouted. "How can you hope to protect a kingdom?" Odin removed Heimdall's sword and tossed it to him. "Get him to the healing room! Now!" He then shouted at the warriors three and Sif. I stood next to Aden my eyes avoiding my fathers as he stood at the base of the platform of the bifrost.

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act," Thor shouted at his father. "The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you."

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership," Odin shook his head. "You've forgotten everything I taught you about a warrior's patience."

"While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us! The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls."

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin snapped.

"And you are an old man and a fool!" Thor snapped back.

Odin looked down and nodded, "Yes. I was a fool to think you were ready."

"Father...," Loki said stepping up.

Odin threw a finger and shouted for him to stay silent. Loki stepped back. "Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!" Odin placed his staff into the key of the bifrost, bringing it back to life. Odin the steps down to Thor, "You are unworthy of these realms!" I gasped, my hand clapping over my mouth as Odin began to tear apart Thor's armor. "You're unworthy of your title! You're unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed." Odin returns to the platform. "I now take from you, your power!" Mjolnir flew from Thor's side and into Odin's hand. "In the name of my father," the sleeves of Thor's armor fell away, "and his father before, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!" Thor was then pushed back into the bifrost, being sent away to who knows where.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, my hand still clamped over my mouth, and turned to Aden. Her face was stone, looking to the bifrost.

"Cora." I looked up to my father who had stepped in front of Aden and I. "I would have expected more from you, Cora," my father hissed. "I thought you would make a fine queen," he paused, "but now I see you aren't ready."

"Father she didn't do anything. She only went to keep me safe." Aden pleaded her eyes taring away from where Thor had disappeared.

"Yes and now our whole realm is in danger." He turned to me. "You aren't worthy to return. Or to even stay here. You're not worth of your armor," my armor fell away, leaving me in my white dress I kept underneath. "You're not worthy to be queen. You're not worthy of your powers." He stopped. "You are exiled from both Alfhiem and Asgard." He gave me a good shove into the bifrost, "You will join Thor in exile." And then all I heard was the rushing wind from the bifrost.