The Midgard Woman

“How are you feeling this morning, Georgiana?” Laufey asked her at breakfast. “After last night?”

Georgiana smiled, radiantly. Loki admired her for being so brave throughout her ordeal. She had gone into more detail about what had passed between her and the Aesir who had taken her, and he had been more than just a little impressed by her defiance in the face of her “kidnappers,” regardless of whether that term could now be used loosely or not. At times like this, he was immensely proud to have her as his wife.

“Much better now, thank you,” she replied, politely. “Just glad to be home.” Her use of the word brought a smile to the Jotun King’s face. “I mean, it must seem like I’m making mountains out of molehills because it was a genuine accident,” Georgiana went on, devouring her spoonful of cremegekocht before going on, “but it’s not really what you expect on a normal night, to be woken up by someone destroying your home and then pulling you into another realm.”

Laufey nodded. “Well, thankfully, this won’t affect our relationship with the Aesir.” Georgiana smiled. Loki, however, avoided his Father’s gaze so that he wouldn’t know his son was still inwardly seething about all this. Before anyone could say anything else, the doors opened and in walked a Jotun dressed in similar clothing to the Jotun guards, but with the addition of a dark blue sash over worn from one shoulder across and down his chest, like a quiver, showing his higher status.

“Ah, Gunnarr,” Laufey addressed his Prime Minister, cordially. “Now, tell us the state of affairs since our last meeting.”

Gunnarr nodded politely to Loki and Georgiana and then took a deep breath before laying down the scroll he was holding in one hand. “Bad business amongst the people, I’m afraid, Your Majesty, terrible news. It’s Frost Famine, I’m afraid, and a worse case of it than the last time, I’m told.”

Laufey took the scroll and unrolled it. Loki and Georgiana got to their feet and stood over his shoulder to read it. It was a record of the agricultural state of Jotunheim, and even a fool could see that it did not contain good news. The list of produce for the people who grew it had diminished dramatically from the numbers it ought to have been showing. Frost Famine was an awful thing, because unlike an infestation of Black Locusts or an outbreak of Ground Blight, which killed the poisonous and non-digestible plants in the realm, the parasites of Frost Famine fed on the plants which the Jotuns themselves fed on, leaving only the poisonous and indigestible ones free of rot.

“It’s spreading very rapidly,” Georgiana pointed out, running her finger down the list to emphasise just how quickly the figures had gone down.

Gunnarr nodded. “And I’m told it has not yet hit the palace, Majesty, but it is on its way.”

Laufey also nodded. “Thank goodness someone informed us before it was too late this time. We need to break into the preservative stores and distribute enough for the people to live on until we can make the soil inhabitable for plants again.”

“Someone should inform Verdandi that we’re in urgent need of heirlinerde,” Loki added, referring to the resident potion maker and her special cure for infected soil in the same sentence.

“Yes,” Laufey agreed, “and copious amounts of it too. I trust I can leave you to do that?” he added, looking at his son.

Loki nodded. “I’ll go right now,” he said, pressing a quick, apologetic kiss to Georgiana’s hand before hurrying from the room.

“According to the records, those suffering the worst are out by the Eissee Plain,” Gunnarr began but Laufey straightened up and lay a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off before he could finish.

“Everywhere will be suffering because of this,” he said. “Let it be known that all who are severely affected by this must come to the palace for food rations right away, and must keep doing that until the soil is cleansed.”

“Right away, Sire,” Gunnarr agreed, bowing swiftly to them both before hurrying from the room.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Georgiana asked.

Laufey smiled at her. “I know you have an appointment with Urd now, but perhaps when you’re done you can come and help me distribute the rations?”

“Yes, of course,” Georgiana replied, willingly. “And the sooner I get to Urd, the sooner I can do that.”

“Very well,” Laufey replied. “When you’re done, I shall be in the East Wing, hopefully with Loki.”

Georgiana laughed, softly, and then hurried on her way to the South Chamber, which was dedicated to the resident Jotun healers. She, like Loki and Laufey, had her own personal healer, who was a woman by the name of Urd. Laufey had picker her out to be his future daughter-in-law’s personal healer the day before her marriage to Loki, and the two women got on well together. Urd was a handsome, strong, capable Jotun woman who knew exactly what she was doing when it came to both healing and advice, and quite often Georgiana would find herself going to visit her for both. On this occasion, however, she only had to see her for a physical check-up, which was something of an annual thing for her, especially in the light of her being a Midgardian living in Jotunheim, no one ever wanted her to take too many chances when she could easily be susceptible to illnesses or fevers that they themselves were immune to.

“How are you feeling this morning, my Lady?” Urd greeted her as she walked into the room.

Georgiana smiled. “Very well, thank you, Urd. Although I did slip and hurt my hand a few days ago, but it was only bruised.”

“I had better check just in case,” Urd replied in her low voice as Georgiana climbed up onto the medical table. She took the small white hand gently in her own two large blue ones and examined it, feeling gently along the bones and soft flesh for anything worse than bruising. “No, you haven’t broken anything. How did it happen?”

“I slipped on a stray patch of ice on the steps,” Georgiana explained. “It looked like someone had been cleaning them, or had an accident with some water and forgotten to clear it up.”

“Oh, dear, I imagine Prince Loki wasn’t happy about that,” Urd smiled, winking at her.

Georgiana laughed. “No, he did get quite cross. But only because he’s so protective of me.”

Urd nodded and then turned her back, pulling the curtain around the bed that would block her and her patient from view of anyone else who should happen to come in. That was one thing that Georgiana had been grateful for upon first arriving in Jotunheim, that Frost Giants had some concept of dignity. She quickly undressed herself and lay back on the fur-covered table, covered as such for her convenience, ready for Urd to prod her about a bit and carry out her full examination.

“When was the last time you were ill at all, my Lady?” Urd asked, checking her temperature.

Georgiana thought back. “Probably that time I had influenza about six months ago.”

“Ah, yes, of course it was,” Urd nodded, checking her medical records. “And you’ve not had anything like a cold or some other kind of sickness since?”

Georgiana bit back a laugh at the idea of catching a cold in a place like Jotunheim. So far, living in this place, it was one of the few illnesses she hadn’t had. “No, everything’s been healthy and normal as far as I can see.”

“Good, in that case, this shouldn’t take too long, then,” Urd replied, briskly as she pulled out her necessary equipment, already sterilised and ready to use. Georgiana remained quiet and still, trusting her completely, as she was once again put through the rigmarole of inspection followed by palpation, percussion and auscultation. Then came the intimate procedures of examining her breasts and genitalia and once again she thanked Laufey in her head for assigning her a female healer for such matters.

“There was something I wanted to ask,” she said, after Urd had declared her breasts perfectly healthy.

“Oh, yes?” Urd asked, kindly.

Georgiana took a deep breath, knowing that she was blushing as she asked “I just wanted to check, well, am I fertile?”

“Oh,” Urd smiled. “Well, I can certainly find out for you, that’s not a problem.”

“It’s just that Loki and I are trying,” Georgiana added, thoughtfully, “and I just wanted to make sure, well, that he’s not disappointed. I mean, you know, in case I can’t...”

“Bear children?” Urd smiled. “I’m sure he won’t love you any less if there is a problem with either one of you, but I can also check with Vidar if you want to-”

“Oh, I know that Loki’s fertile,” Georgiana smiled. “I asked him to take a test during his last appointment. I just thought it was best to wait for mine to ask you rather than disturb you when you might be busy.”

Urd smiled at her. She was very fond of the young Princess, her reason being the same as that of many of the other Frost Giants in Jotunheim; because she was very kind and considerate of others. She was the People’s Princess, and they loved her, and she loved them, always looking on them with a smile and a kind word. She busied herself with finishing Georgiana’s pelvic examination and then set about with her fertility test. Georgiana awaited for her to finish with bated breath. “The results will take a few minutes to come through,” Urd told her when she was finished, “so I suggest you get dressed again while we wait.”

“Thank you,” Georgiana replied, moving slowly off the table and pulling her clothes back on again. It was something of a relief to be dressed again, for if she was perfectly honest the only person she ever wanted to have to see her completely undressed was Loki. Of course, she knew that Urd was a healer and she had probably seen more than her fair share of naked bodies in her time as one, so there was no real reason for her to feel uncomfortable being so in her presence, but all the same she would rather be wearing her clothes to talk with her. If anything, it was harder to think about anything when bare, unless of course she was with Loki, and being undressed in front of someone other than him sometimes left her feeling somewhat vulnerable.

“Well, my Lady,” Urd smiled when she was dressed, “I can confirm that you are indeed fertile, and that there is no reason at all that you and your husband cannot have children.”

Georgiana felt a rush of relief and she squeezed the woman’s hands. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Part of my job,” Urd reminded her, lightly. “If it hasn’t happened for you two yet, it doesn’t mean that it never will. I’ve seen plenty of perfectly fertile women worry about this and then often bear more than one child at the same time.”

“Goodness!” Georgiana laughed. “Imagine giving birth to triplets or something!”

“I don’t need to imagine,” Urd replied with a proud smile. “I have done it myself.”

The women laughed together and then Georgiana gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Well, then, wish me luck,” she smiled. “King Laufey may yet hear the pitter-patter of little feet around the palace some time soon.”

Urd laughed. “Then I wish you all the best, my Lady.”

Georgiana smiled and left the room, hurrying as quickly as she could without slipping towards the East Wing. Laufey smiled at her as she entered the room, as did many of the Frost Giant farmers and workers who had already come to receive their rations from the stores. Georgiana smiled back and went to take her place beside Laufey as Gunnarr asked each Jotun “So, how many are in your family?” before distributing the food as necessary per number of people in each household.

Presently she encountered a few faces she knew well; Gitte, a widowed Jotun farmer and her only daughter Kjellfrid, who was only eight and a little taller than she was. She had met them both several times during her time in Jotunheim and she considered them both friends. Sympathy filled her heart as she remembered how they must be suffering since they lived in the Eissee Plain, where Gunnarr had said the worst sufferers lived, and she busied herself with sorting their rations for them, secretly sneaking a little extra in for them when no one else was looking.

“Gods bless you, my King,” Gitte said to Laufey, who smiled kindly at her, and then to Georgiana, “and you, my Lady, for your kindness.”

“Please, what kind of people would we be if we let others starve?” Georgiana asked, holding up the enormous sackful of food; well, it seemed enormous to her because of her size, but to a Frost Giant it was normal sized. Then, she smiled as Kjellfrid shyly held out a small bunch of Kaltetulpe flowers she had picked and took them from her. “Oh, why thank you, Kjellfrid, they’re lovely.”

Kjellfrid smiled back at her as her Mother led her away so that the next family could receive their rations.

“I saw that,” a voice whispered in her ear and she turned with a frown to Loki.

“I can’t think what you’re talking about,” she whispered back, thankful that Laufey’s attention was on the other workers and not the two of them.

“The extra rations,” Loki murmured and when she stiffened, he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, love, your secret’s safe with me. Besides we have plenty to spare.”

Georgiana relaxed. “I’m sorry, it’s just they’re my friends and-”

“I know, darling,” Loki interrupted, kissing her temple. “You don’t have to explain.” He chuckled at her slightly startled expression. “You really are the most kind-hearted woman in Jotunheim.”

Georgiana smiled in relief. “I have news for you, by the way. I had a fertility test with Urd just now.”

Loki’s eyes widened slightly, hopefully. “And?”

“And I’m perfectly fertile, so there’s no reason we can’t have children someday,” Georgiana replied, proudly.

Loki beamed at her as he kissed her. “I love you, Georgiana.”

“I love you too, Loki,” Georgiana smiled, before turning her attention back to the matter at hand.

“Ah, Loki,” Laufey said, finally noticing his presence. “How are we doing on the heirlinerde front?”

“It’s already being mixed as we speak,” Loki reported. “Verdandi thinks it should be ready in an hour or two.”

“Excellent,” Laufey approved, before turning back to Gunnarr. “Let it be known that further action is already being taken against this crisis.”

“Yes, Sire,” Gunnarr replied, summoning one of his servants and relaying the information to him. Only a few Frost Giant families in dire need now remained and once they were quickly dealt with, after which Laufey went to check on the state of affairs with Verdandi and Loki and Georgiana decided to do the same with the rest of the kingdom.

“This is terrible,” Georgiana sighed, pulling at a stray root in the ground blackened already by the parasites. “Look at it all.”

Loki gave her hand a squeeze. “Jotunheim’s come through worse than this before. It’s lucky that we were prepared this time.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Georgiana agreed, dropping the crumbling root and slipping her arm through his. “Still...I don’t know, I just don’t like seeing this place looking so forlorn.”

Loki was about to reply when the sound of the Bifrost being opened caused them both to whip around at once. Automatically, Georgiana gripped Loki’s arm a little tighter, and Loki readied himself to pull out a weapon just in case this was some kind of hostile attack. Both of them were rather surprised to see that it was Odin and a woman that neither of them recognised.

Odin bowed his head as they approached. “Prince Loki, Princess Georgiana,” he said, politely.

Loki relaxed when he was certain that Thor wasn’t about to arrive by Bifrost either. “King Odin,” he returned, “we’re not at war, are we?”

“No, no,” Odin smiled, “this is a social call. I suppose, well, I wanted to check that you weren’t too shaken up by what happened yesterday, Princess Georgiana. My wife was rather concerned.”

“Oh, how kind,” Georgiana smiled, nodding to the woman standing behind Odin. “Thank you.”

Loki nodded too, appreciatively. After all, Odin believed in the old hospitable ways of being neighbourly towards his fellow men, and it did show that what had happened had truly been a mistake.

“Well, we’ve not yet met and I’m sorry that it has to be under such circumstances,” the woman replied, holding out her hand and Georgiana grasped it. “I’m Frigga.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Queen Frigga,” Georgiana replied. “I’m Georgiana, Midgardian as I’m sure you’ve observed.”

Frigga smiled. “Yes, indeed, I’m afraid your clothes give it away.”

“Oh!” Georgiana laughed. “And here I was hoping to blend into the background!”

They all laughed, no feelings of hostility there at all. “I’m afraid you don’t come at a happy time,” Loki added when they had all sobered up. “We’re in the middle of a Frost Famine.”

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that,” Odin said, apologetically. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Thank you, Odin, but we have things well in hands,” came Laufey’s voice from behind them, and the four of them glanced around to see him coming towards them. He smiled calmly at the visiting Aesir, putting them at their ease. “But it is very good of you to offer.”

Odin smiled back at him. “Laufey, may I apologise again for-?”

“Water under the bridge now, Odin,” Laufey insisted. “Let us never speak of such things again.”

“As you wish,” Odin replied.

Hoping to ease the very slight tension that was lingering in the air between them, Georgiana smiled “Would you care to join us for lunch? And then perhaps I can show you both around this place, after all Odin, you barely got a chance to see any of it when you were last here.”

Loki gave her an admiring smile. “Well, if you’re sure that it’s not too much trouble, then by all means we would be honoured to stay,” Frigga replied and Odin nodded.

“Have I ever told you that you’re going to make a wonderful Queen someday?” Loki whispered to her as they led the way back to the palace.

“Oh, you’ve never needed to, I always assumed that it was a given,” Georgiana teased back, and then let out a soft gasp as Loki gave her a light, playful tap on the rear with the palm of his hand. “Oh, how dare you strike me, Loki Laufeyson?” she teased, swatting at him.

Loki laughed and ducked. “Am I in trouble?”

“Oh, yes,” Georgiana replied, smiling. “You just wait until we’re alone, my Prince. I am going to teach you a lesson you will never forget.”

“Not if I pin you down and ravish you first, my Princess,” Loki whispered, wickedly, in her ear.

“Well, you’ll have to catch me first,” Georgiana laughed, wriggling free of his grip and running into the palace, passing by a few Jotun guards armed with the special spraying equipment for dousing the soil with heirlinerde. Loki grinned and ran after her, their laughter carrying behind them for all to hear.

“Young love,” Laufey smiled, watching them.

“It never dies,” Odin agreed.

Georgiana ran into the library, laughing fit to burst by this time, and then a second later realised her mistake, because of course this was the first place Loki would expect her to run to and a second later, she almost cannoned into him. Straightening herself, she frowned. “How did you get here before me?”

Then, someone grabbed her from behind and she let out a squeal, which quickly turned into a fit of laughter as she realised it was the real Loki and the one she had almost run into was an illusion. “Well played, my love, but I think I win this round,” he murmured, kissing her neck.

“That wasn’t fair!” Georgiana protested. “You cheated!”

“Oh, I didn’t know we were playing fair, love,” Loki teased. “You should have told me.”

Georgiana let out an indignant laugh. “You cheat and then have the audacity to accuse me of not being clear?”

“Oh, I thought you knew what you were marrying into, Georgiana,” Loki murmured, tantalisingly kissing one of her sweet spots and she felt her knees buckle slightly.

“Yes, I did,” she breathed, wriggling slightly in his arms, trying to find an escape route. “But don’t go thinking that I’m going to accept defeat so easily, Loki. The second you let go of me-”

“Which I don’t plan on doing anytime soon,” Loki interrupted.

“Oh, don’t you? Ooh...” Georgiana closed her eyes and relaxed her body against his. “Oh, Loki, what are you doing? You know what that does to me.”

“Yes, I do, my love,” Loki breathed, his lips ghosting over her skin.

“Oh, Loki...” Georgiana allowed a small moan to slip from her mouth as she pressed her body closer against his, causing him to groan slightly as she pressed against his arousal. “Oh, do you have something there you need to take care of? Only I don’t think that here’s the best place for it when we have guests.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Loki agreed, loosening his grip on her and Georgiana saw her chance to duck out of his arms and hurry towards the door. Turning, she laughed at the stunned look on his face.

“On second thoughts, Loki, you can deal with it yourself,” she teased.

Loki smiled. “You dare to use my own tricks against me, Georgiana?”

“Are you impressed?” Georgiana laughed, before hurrying from the room and hurtling up the stairs towards their bedroom. Inside, she quickly hurried out of her tunic and hose, knowing that she had mere seconds before Loki would join her.

“The answer,” Loki said, wasting no time with more teasing as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bed, “is yes, I am very impressed, Georgiana, you are becoming as mischievous as me.”

“Mm, I’ll take that as a compliment, my love,” Georgiana teased, leaning up to kiss him.

Their love-making was very short, given that they had limited time in which to do it, but it was still passionate and Georgiana complimented herself afterwards on having done her hair in a style that wasn’t ruined completely by their quick round of being bedded and satisfied.

“Oh, and by the way,” she added, lightly smacking Loki on the rear in passing as he opened the door for her, “that is payback for doing that to me in public, Prince Loki.”

“Well, I’ve yet to see you teach me a lesson I’ll never forget,” Loki pointed out.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” Georgiana teased.

If their guests or anyone else had guessed what the young Prince and Princess had been up to during their absence, then naturally they were too polite to draw attention to it. The meal passed without any further awkwardness and by the time it was over, no one could have ever imagined that their political alliance had been in jeopardy only the night before. Afterwards, Frigga accepted Georgiana’s offer of a tour of the palace, whilst Odin allowed Laufey to show him the exact nature of the Frost Famine, and Loki decided to join them when Georgiana mouthed the words “Girls Only,” at him with an apologetic smile.

“So, how long have you two been married?” Frigga asked, politely.

“Just five years,” Georgiana replied, “but we’ve known each other since we were children. Loki used to come and visit me on Midgard whenever I was feeling down and, well, friendship turned to romance, you know.” She hesitated and then just decided to get it all out in the open. “I know that when you found out that Loki was married I probably wasn’t what you were expecting. It’s alright, though. I mean, not many people expect a Jotun to take a Midgardian wife. My Mother was certainly surprised by it.”

“I think,” Frigga replied, tactfully, “that most are just surprised that a Midgardian, or indeed anyone not Jotun by birth, can adapt to living in such conditions that are a far cry from those in your own realm.”

Georgiana smiled. “Well, I’ve always preferred the ice and snow anyway. And all the rooms in the palace are heated by those special wall stones that don’t melt the ice, and all my clothes are fur-lined, so adapting to life here was actually fairly easy. Laufey was very considerate in that department. I was actually surprised that he didn’t mind the idea of his son taking someone like me for a wife, but I’ve since learned that Frost Giants are more open-minded about other races than people think.”

Frigga smiled and clasped her hands in front of her dress. “It’s sad that some people are still so closed-minded about such a noble race.”

“Well, I suppose we can’t change the way people think,” Georgiana replied, wisely. “At any rate, it works for us, and we’re happy. I mean, I miss Mama when she’s not here, but I do visit her as often as possible, we all do. It’s just that her knees can’t cope with such icy conditions.”

“I’m surprised mine still can,” Frigga smiled and the two women laughed together. Georgiana found it hard to believe that this kind woman was the mother of the same thick-headed Prince who had accidently kidnapped her simply because he couldn’t see how any human in their right mind could fall in love with a Frost Giant.

Perhaps he was adopted, she reflected.

“Well, that went rather well, I think,” she said later, after the Aesir King and Queen had departed. Nothing more had been made of her accidental kidnapping by either party and she hoped that one day they could reach a point where they had all forgotten about it completely.

“Yes,” Loki agreed, “they seemed rather pleasant.”

Georgiana sensed something in his words and turned her head to face him. “Compared to..?” Loki swivelled his head in her direction and she smiled. “I know you by now, Loki; I know that you were about to say something else.”

Loki sighed and closed his eyes. “Compared to their son.”

“Oh, Loki,” Georgiana sighed, setting down the book she had been reading and rolling over in bed to lie beside him. “You can’t still be bitter about that? It was a mistake.”

“I know,” Loki answered, “but the fact of the matter is that you were still abducted, even if it was only for a matter of minutes, and I just can’t bring myself to forgive the man responsible for scaring us both like that.”

“That isn’t healthy, you know,” Georgiana sighed, snuggling up to him. She knew him well enough, though, to know that he would probably remain stubborn about this for a while yet. One way or another she would eventually talk him around, but not right now.

“Who cares?” Loki sighed. “You are my wife, I love you, and the thought of anyone taking you away from me makes my blood boil.”

Georgiana giggled. “That’s a bit ironic for a Jotun, isn’t it?”

Loki smiled and kissed her forehead. “Very witty, my love.”

Georgiana glanced up at him. “If I can forgive him, can’t you? I mean, can’t you at least try? For me?”

Loki sighed. “I can never deny you anything, can I?” She gave him a beseeching look and he nodded. “Alright, Georgiana. I’ll try. For you.”

Georgiana smiled and reached up to kiss him. “That’s my Prince.”