Labyrinth

Chapter 1 ...And I am never broken.

"Hestia Goddess of Hearth and Home. I hereby sentence you and your children to death." Odin voice booms around the great golden throne room. I was 7 years old the first time I had ever seen or stepped foot in Odins Palace. I clutch the hem of my mother's dress as I watch this great god condemn my mother to death. I shiver as I look around the room and see my 4 brothers and 2 sisters chained at the neck, wrist, and ankles like they were animals.

My mother knew this was coming. My siblings were half Gods/Goddesses and Dragon. Their father was The Dragon King. My mother was forbidden by her family to marry him. she was to be the virgin goddess. But she fell in love. She was shunned from her home and for thousands of years she lived happily with her king and bore him 6 half goddess and half dragon children. Between them, they began to rule the fire and the sea becoming more and more powerful as the centuries went on.

Odin feared that power, even though they had no intention on ruling anyone but their own lands and their own people. Once Odin got word of how powerful our realms were getting, he set out to tear them down. he tried to create a divide between my mother and her king by feigning friendship. Odin reached out to my mother and told her how much he needed her help and how she was the only person who could do such a job. He sent my mother to Midgard to help the people with food and heat during a great blizzard. While there, she was drugged and raped by the local men of the town. It is known that the men had help from Odin to bring down and shame my mother with this act.

This plan was supposed to separate my mother and her dragon king, but Odin underestimated love he had for my mother. Even when she became pregnant with me, he didn't love her any less. He loved her more and became the father I never had. When this didn't deliver the results that Odin wished, he openly declared war on my mother and the dragon king to yield to him and his realm. 

The dragon king told him, he would not fight him, and he will not yield. He told him he has no desire to rule outside of his own realm and there was no reason for war. But Odin kept pushing. He wouldn't stop until my mother and the dragon king yielded to him and allowed him to rule over them or they would be killed.

Not wanting to risk a war with dragons that ruled over the sea and fire, Odin decided to have the dragon king assassinated. They came in the dead of night and while the dragon king was in human form, they cut off his head. they capture my siblings and put magical collars on them t keep them from shifting into their dragon form. Then he had them placed around the throne room so when they arrested my mother, the first thing she would see when she walked in was her children in chains.

I jump when Odin shouted from his throne, "Do you have any last words madam?"

Shaking from fear I held tighter to my mothers dress. I look around at my brothers and sisters, at theirs solemn and resolute faces. My oldest brother lifts his hand and gives me a small wave. Tears begin to stream down my face as realization hits me that this man is going to kill my entire family. I turn my head back towards Odin when I hear my mother say, "What would you like me to say? Nothing I say will change your mind. You've murdered my king, my husband, my love. And now you are going to murder my children. Why? because the Allfather must rule all."

Odin stands and glares at my mother and says, "It is my duty to protect the 9 realms..."

My mother shouts over him, "Who is going to protect them from you?!"

"Mind your tongue madam!!" Odin yells.

I look over at the woman to our left dressed in a beautiful white and gold gown with two boys by her side. She takes a step forward as Odin continues to shout out charges at my mother for why she must die. But she hesitates and looks over at me with sad eyes. I look from her to the blond boy who is watching his father, with his head held high. He looks proud of what he is seeing. Then I look at the dark haired boy. He isn't looking at Odin. He is looking at me. he looks sad and scared for me.

I turn back to a screaming Odin when I feel my mother grip my wrist. I hear Odin yell, "Guards!"

Fire rises from thin air and encircles me and my mother. There is a blast that sends the guards flying. They hit the wall and is knocked out. I try to see if the woman and her sons are okay, but I can't see anything but flames. My mother bends down in front of me. she hugs me tightly and whispers in my ear, "I love you my little daughter." She says a chant over me. then in an instant the flames are gone. my mother stands and turns back toward the throne only to find Odin standing directly in front of her. I flinch as I watch him behead my mother.

Her hand that was gripping mine loosen as her body fell to the floor. Odin calls for the guards to retrieve her head as my brothers and sisters rage. Their collars lighting up around their neck signifying their grief and trying to shift into their dragon form but unable to. Their screams and that day still haunts me till this day.

Too shocked to move, silent tears stream down my face. I look up into Odin face as they drag my mothers away. Odin call for the guards to remove my brothers and sisters and to have them killed down in the dungeons. He doesn't even look at me as he turns and walks back to his throne and sits.

Finally its just me, alone, with nothing left but the blood of my mothers at my feet and her whispers of love in my ear. Odin watches me for a long minute. before whispering an incantation into his staff and then waving it across the room. when nothing happens, he says, "She is mortal. Human. Put her in the dungeons..."

The woman steps forward and cuts him off. "She is but a child." She turns and glances over at me and then turns back to Odin. She walks up to the throne, and they speak quietly. They continue to go back and forth for several minutes, then I frown as I was Odin take the woman hand and kisses it and says, "You have a soft heart woman."

The woman walks back down to stand with her boys as Odin says, "You will stay here in the palace. You will attend lessons and you will assist the Queen with whatever she needs." He sits up and leans forward as he stares daggers at me with so much hatred. He warns me, "One toe out of line and it's the dungeons. Understand?"

I nod my head. not really understanding. I don't understand anything about what happened here today. my entire family is gone. I'm all alone. I begin to cry again, and Odin sighs and says, "get her out of my sight."

The woman walks over to me and says, "come let me show you to your room." she guides me out as I watch The two boys and Odin walk in the opposite direction. He takes on a more fatherly tone with them as he tells them a story.

The woman introduces herself to me as the Queen. But she ask that I call her Frigga. I tell her my name and she smiles down at me sweetly, like only a mother could do and says, "I know sweet child."

When we reach my new room, I begin to remember my old room in my old home. I am overwhelmed with sadness and how much I just want to go home. the queen tells me this room is temporary until they have one set up specifically for me. I don't say anything, I just look around the room and try not cry until I'm finally alone. The queen bends down in front of me and take my hands in hers. she moves my long hair off my shoulder and says, "You don't have to worry. I will take care of you. I cant replace your mother or your family, but I will do the best I can to protect you."

I don't react or give any indication that I heard her. I watch her until she finally releases my hands and walks to the door. just before exiting, she says, "when your feeling better, I will introduce you to my sons Thor and Loki. I know you three will be the best of friends."