The Winter's Sun (Bucky Soulmate Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Golden Child

The door to Odin's Vault opened with a creak and three small children cautiously made their way inside. Their eyes sparkled in awe as they looked around at the various objects that had been placed upon individual pedestals in the entrance of the large room.

The artifacts in the room meant something different for each child.

For Thor this entire room was a demonstration of how brave and fearless his father was. To be able to defeat and conquer this many enemies only further cemented his desire to be just like him. One day he would be the mightiest king that Asgard had ever seen.

Loki looked around the room and saw a glimpse of a future he desperately longed for. He could see himself fighting alongside Thor and bringing tokens back home as a reminder of the adventures they had been on.

Their thoughts were halted when a voice rung out through the room.

"Thor we're not supposed to be in here, we should leave before someone discovers us."

Thor resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he turned around to stare at the little girl that clung onto Loki's arm behind him. He had wanted to explore his father's treasure room, like any young boy would, but he couldn't help but think that it would have been easier for him to do if he had left his sister behind.

"Elysia you worry yourself too much" he said addressing the younger girl. "What father doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides it's not like we're going to touch anything, we're just going to look. There's no harm in looking at things."

Elysia huffed and a pout worked its way onto her face. She'd admit that at first she too had been eager to see what lied beyond the vast doors that they had never been allowed past, but doubt had quickly taken root in her heart once they actually managed to sneak inside. What if someone caught them? She did not want to have to look Frigga in the eyes and see disappointment flashing back at her.

Elysia found herself in a difficult position. Odin and Frigga had been kind enough to take her in and raise her when her parents had passed and she did not want to cause them to regret their decision. On the other hand she also didn't want to risk agitating her brothers with continued cries of protest.

She spared a brief glance at Loki's face, taking in his look of wonder and decided that it wouldn't hurt if they stayed for a few more minutes. So she shut her mouth and clutched onto Loki's arm harder as she was led deeper into the room.

Upon seeing her acquiesce Thor smiled brightly and moved to continue looking at all the various treasures his father had obtained over the centuries. However Loki was more sensitive to his sister's feelings and tried to take her mind off of the possibility that they would be caught by one of their father's guards.

"So have you chosen a title for the naming ceremony yet?"

Loki's efforts backfired when a dark look passed across her face. Soon her eyes became glossy and Loki quickly scrambled to figure out the cause of her distress. "Hey now, what's the reason for these tears?"

Elysia looked up to see concern etched across his face and the sight only made her want to cry more. "It's just..." She looked for the words to explain, "It's just that I can't find a name. The ceremony is coming up and I can't find one worthy enough of a princess." Tears finally made their way down her cheeks as she finished voicing her plight.

By this point even Thor had made his way back to them and both brothers shared a look of complete loss. For them coming up with their own titles had been easy, in fact they had made a game of it.

As if on cue both boys turned to each other, eyes wide. "Aye Elysia, what if we play a game to help you pick one? That's the way Loki and I found ours" Thor said placing a hand on her shoulder. He couldn't stand it when one of them cried. As the eldest brother it was his job to make sure they were content at all times.