Pranks, Kisses, Marriage

Part 1 - Green

I sat at my dressing table, staring at myself in the mirror. My nose crumpled up in a look of disgust as I eyed up my reflection. I wasn't like all the other Asgardian women. Instead of fair or blonde hair, my hair was a deep ebony; instead of lovely blue eyes, mine were green and plain. Even my skin was the wrong bloody colour. I concluded that I couldn't get anything right. Even to my family, I was an "oddball", as they called it. My mother desperately wanted me to be a girl who wore pretty dresses and who was actually interested in men, rather than one who laughed at them. Instead, she had been lumbered with a trouser-wearing tomboy who would rather roll around in the mud fighting than roll around with men.

But, unfortunately, the reason why I was sat in front of a dressing table, looking at my hideous reflected, was because Odin had arranged a "ball" of sorts. Of course, my mother had jumped at the chance to try and turn me into a "proper" woman and I was forced to wear a dress. As always, she dictated what I wore. She stood over me now, fixing my hair into a tight bun while her handmaid scraped pins along my scalp to keep it in place.

She had chosen a long, deep-green, dress with a very low back. I had to admit - the colour was lovely. I glanced up at my reflected once more and suddenly noticed a faint, red mark, that would no doubt form into a spot, just on the side of my nose. I sighed.

"You look beautiful, darling." My mother's reflection smiled at me in the mirror. I grimaced back at her while the maid tried to reassure me by beaming cheerfully back. She knew how much I hated dresses. And I think she thought that I was worried about the dress being too revealing. My mother, on the other hand, probably thought I was worried that it wasn't revealing enough.

"The green really brings out your eyes." She grinned again, showing her perfectly white teeth as she deftly caught a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind my ear. I knew that she desperately wanted me to be enthusiastic about this damn ball. But I was everything my mother didn't want, and didn't I know it. I knew that I probably disappointed her every day by choosing to go to sword practice rather than etiquette lessons...

"Thanks." I mumbled, fingering the silk material of the dress nervously.

"Just think, maybe tonight you'll get proposed to." The maid gently tucked another lock of my hair behind my ear, pinning it in place as gently as she could. I nodded slowly, not really paying attention... Not really wanting to believe in the truth that she had just uttered.

"Ooh, yes." My mother nudged me, digging her elbow into my side. "You might even become Mrs Thor!" She cackled zealously at her joke. A look of horror flashed across my face before I hurriedly corrected myself. Marry Thor? I thought. Oh dear Gods, I hope not.

I began reassuring myself in my head that no man would propose to me anyway, let alone Thor. Therefore, I was safe. But what if Odin wan--- No. I would never be 'involved' with any man. Ever. No other men and no Thor. I would just be a spinster for the rest of my life. Fine. Good.

The maid patted me on the shoulder and, to my relief, announced that she would be leaving with my mother to help her pick out a dress. I heard them muttering and whispering about baby names as they went. Babies? What...

Once they had left, I dropped my act and shuddered, before miming being sick very loudly. I stood up from the dressing table and reached a hand up to my hair. It was pinned into position by a set of vicious pins. I had always hated wearing my hair up, ever since I was a child. I'd always thought it a better idea to just let it fall down my back. But, as she always did, my mother disagreed. And so I wore my hair tied up.

There was a knock at the door.

"Sigyn?" A voice called. I recognised the voice immediately and pulled the heels off my feet, running to hide behind the door before calling out a cheery 'come in!'.