The Princess of Ice

Prologue

     A woman's scream filled the night air. In the large ruin's of the icy castle in Jotunheim was a woman who was in childbirth. Handmaidens and nurses ran around the castle, getting towels and bowls of water, preparing for the baby. A large giant ran down the hall and skidded around a corner. He almost hit a wall but narrowly dodged the collision. He continued running and weaved around the servants and nurses. He ran to a large set of double doors and busted it open and stepped in. He looked around the room until he saw his wife laying on the bed, in pain. He was quickly at her side and put a hand to her cheek. His wife's eyes looked at him and she softly smiled. "Laufey..." She whispered and he smiled back. "Yes my dear. I am here." He said back. She suddenly screamed out in pain and Laufey looked at the nurses who were immediately at the other end of the bed, waiting for the baby and coaching the wife through her birth.

     Laufey looked at his wife and stroked her hair with one hand while his other was holding his wife's. "There there Thyri, it will be over soon." He said but grunted when her hand suddenly squeezed his. He smiled gently then kissed his wife's cheek but quickly pulled away when she screamed out once again. After hours of screaming and squeezing hands and coaching, a babies cry filled the air. Laufey looked up and Thyri's head fell back on the pillow. "It is a girl!" One nurse cried out and the king smiled. Laufey watched the nurses wrap a bundle in towels and blankets. The nurses handed the king his newborn child and he gingerly took it. Laufey examined the small face before smiling. "Thyri, my love, we have a child!" He exclaimed then turned to his tired wife only to see her eyes closed. He smiled then stepped closer to her but noticed her chest wasn't rising. his face fell and a nurse's voice caught his attention. "She's losing a lot of blood!" Laufey quickly turned back to his wife and put a hand on his wife's cheek. "Thyri, stay with my love. Your child needs you. I need you. Jotunheim needs you." He said and Thyri looked at her husband. She put a weak hand on his cheek and smiled gently. "Take care of our child." Was all she said before her hand fell limp and the light in her eyes died away.

     Laufey starred in fear at his wife. 'No... She could not be gone...' He thought before he was pushed away by the nurses. Laufey held his child close to his chest as it started to cry of hunger. He looked down at his daughter and smiled softly then hid her from her lifeless mother. Laufey stepped outside of the room and held his daughter close to him. He tried to calm the crying child down but then soon figured out she was hungry. He walked away then ordered a servant to get him some milk for his new child. The servant nodded then scurried off, away from the large king. Laufey went to his throne room then sat down. He rocked the child as the servant returned with a bottle of milk. Laufey took the warm drink then fed it to his child and sang a lullaby as the child drifted off into sleep.

     Laufey smiled down at his child and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, Cassandra."