Servant of Jotunheim

Asgard

I dare not question where we are going today, as I will only receive yet another beating from the soldiers. I know they cannot wait to be rid of me.

Soldier: "Hurry up runt, it is time!" one of the Jotun soldiers yells at me.

I am not as physically able as the other palace servants who effortlessly tower above me, and that means I have always had to work twice as hard as them to prove myself.

My father is temporarily ruling in place of King Laufey since his murder until his only heir Helbindi comes of age, so my father will be the one escorting me today.

He never looks at me even once while we are being escorted to the other realm by men wearing golden armour. I keep my head down as per tradition.

Once we arrive there, I never once look up at my current surroundings to avoid angering my father, yet I cannot help but be in awe of the path we are taking.

The bridge beneath my bare feet has such wonderful colours that I have never seen before. It is all so overwhelming to me, but I still have no idea where they have brought us.

Voices fall silent as we walk through the kingdom, but I am fully aware that this is due to the fact that frost giants are considered to be monsters in many of the other realms.

We approach what I can tell is the palace and are taken inside. While my father is distracted, I take a second to quickly glance in front of me. There are so many guards here.

Father: "Keep up runt or I will put a leash around your neck!" he snaps at me when he notices I struggle to match his pace.

We enter a large throne room, but my eyes stay firmly fixed on the ground not wishing to anger my father any further.

Guard: "My King, Lord Surt of Jotunheim".

In my peripheral vision, I vaguely see a set of gleaming golden steps leading up to a large throne with a man sat upon it.

Loki: "Lord Surt, to what do I owe the displeasure of your presence?"

Father: "I come to offer you a gift, a peace offering if you will from my people to yours".

Loki: "And what might that be?"

My father grabs me by the hair, pushing me forwards so I land painfully with a loud thud at the bottom of the golden steps.

Father: "I offer you a servant".

Loki: "We already have plenty of capable servants here on Asgard, so why would I want that thing here?"

Father: "She is more than capable of doing the work of ten servants, Allfather".

Loki: "What is she exactly?"

Father: "A half breed runt".

Loki: "A runt you say?" he almost sounds angered by my father's remark.

Father: "She is now of breeding age, but no self respecting frost giant would desire to mate with her".

Loki: "So you brought her here as an offering to me? Why?"

Father: "This girl also happens to be my bastard".

Loki: "How interesting. Let me look at her".

Two guards pull me back up onto my feet while the King walks down the steps. I am absolutely terrified as I hear his footsteps approaching me.

His hand grips my face, pulling my head up to look at him, but I close my eyes tightly fearing that this is some sort of test. Servants are never permitted to look their masters in the eye.

Loki: "I will take her. My guards will escort you back to the Bifrost".

The guards release my arms to take my father away and I kneel down instinctively while the King returns to his throne.

My father did not even attempt to sell me to this King, he simply gave me away thus confirming my worth in his eyes, nothing.