[Jotunheim]
Eternal darkness loomed over the icy realm. It was the price that they were forced to pay when the Casket of Ancient Winters was taken during the old war. Left in ruins by their oppressors, nothing but fumes of smothering smoke existed amongst their kind as it shrouded the very ground they walked upon.
Yet, tonight was different. Filled with nothing but gratitude, she couldn’t help but let her brewing smirk linger as she gazed across the frozen fields where her kin lay still. Mesmeric, she thought gleefully as blood trickled down her cheek.
A civil war wasn’t unheard of, but even she couldn’t envision this. A chuckle escaped between her gritted teeth as she faced the darkened skies. “A magnificent day… truly.”
“Mother,” her son said from behind. She didn’t need to turn, to know that it was her eldest, Byleistr.
“I thought I said no survivors,” she answered as she turned around. Her eyes rolled to the floor where she saw a Jotun in chains. “Hingr,” she noted venomously.
“Wh… why?” he croaked weakly as blood swarmed between each word. “I don’t understand,” he continued, “we… we just lost the king… your husband… and this… the bloodshed.”
Callous by nature, inconsiderate by nurture. It was survival of the fittest and she refused to pity the fallen Jotun as she eyed her son. “Where is your brother?” she asked.
“Helblindi is busy decapitating the dead carcasses,” Byleistr said with a shrug.
Her eyebrows were raised as she ignored Hingr’s bland expression of shock. “Oh?” she queried.
“One of them… may have muttered a few words… that hurt Helblindi’s pride,” Byleistr said sheepishly as he turned away.
“He’s taken this war in stride… it seems,” she commented in retort. That’s good, she mused as she turned her attention to Hingr’s fallen form.
She couldn’t help but smile as she watched his pain and suffering. Something about seeing her victims gasping for the faintest breath sent shivers down her spine. It was addictive and she wanted more. “You asked why? Why does there have to be a reason?” she asked with a smirk.
“Then you would kill out of joy?” Roared Hingr.
“Or is it because a coup was set in motion to usurp the throne from my sons, seven moons from now?” asked Farbauti.
Filled with shock, Hingr could do nothing but switch his gaze between Farbauti and Byleistr. “Lies,” he croaked venomously. “Lies I tell you… your majesty.”
Her lip curled upward as she and Byleistr shared a quick look. “Once a liar… always a liar, is that not the statement?”
“I don’t… I don’t understand,” croaked Hingr.
“That my firstborn had perished?” she asked melancholically.
He stuttered and murmured a weak growl. “N... no, H…how?” he croaked and gulped. His eyes erratically moved from side to side as fear crept up his spine.
“A chance encounter… the most beautiful encounter,” she mulled grimly as memories of her meeting her firstborn flourished into existence.
[Flashback Begins]
There were days when she wanted absolute silence. Thus, she would venture into the mountains where she could find solace within the icy realm. Somewhere discreet and afar from civilisation. She was a Queen, but without rights or merits and thus, found herself bored and out of place.
Today should have been no different as darkness hovered across Jotunheim. Yet, it was different. Something was afoot as she could hear little murmurs that did not represent the cries of a Jotun. Upon walking closer to the clearing, she noticed it was a babe.
He was but a wee boy with piercing green eyes. His smile captivated her. Asgardian, she noted immediately.
Royal tunic… impossible, she ushered as she crept closer.
A son of Odin, she realised.
Second born, she concluded as she remembered hearing the coronation of the firstborn being older.
Memories of her father’s and Laufey’s teaching plagued her mind. Success was nigh and she verily knew it. A son of Odin was the perfect bargaining chip, and she knew that such an act would warrant respect from Laufey and the other Jotuns on Jotunheim.
Carefully, she unsheathed her spear from her back and aimed. She was a skilled warrior and hunter. She expected the wind to pay homage, yet it did not.
She realised that the gods had answered her plights as there was nothing stopping her from maiming her target. She propelled her arm back before thrusting the throwing arm forward.
Victory was in sight. But the spear never left her arm. Instead, it was tightly fastened within her fist. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever clenched an item ever so tightly.
It was only for a split second, but she saw enough to know the truth.
One moment he was an Asgardian, but then he was a Jotun with runes that represented the markings of Laufey, and then he was gone.
She thought she was going mad as she stepped forward into the little clearing where the boy was, but as she edged closer, she could see the boy’s footsteps on the shrouded mountains. “No,” she whispered as a lie was turned into nothing short of horror and fury.
[Flashback Ends]
The hate and pain she suffered of knowing that she had lost her son, morphed into a dark grin as she allowed her gaze to fall upon the broken Jotun. “Funny… how the world works,” she commented as she stepped forward gruesomely. “You… Laufey and the others tried so hard… yet, it seems the truth will always come out.”
“Please,” Hingr started as he attempted to crawl backwards. Yet, halted by the rugged chains he realised that he couldn’t move more than a few yards.
“Do you remember… what you and Laufey told me that night?” she asked venomously as she unsheathed a dagger from her side. Letting it rise, she allowed the blade to run against the tip of her tongue.
“Farbauti,” he begged and pleaded.
“Queen Farbauti,” roared Byleistr as he tugged the chain back aggressively. “Even in death… you will face your penance with absolute respect,” he continued as his large hand held the helm of Hingr’s head firmly in place. “Or did you forget Laufey’s teaching?”
She smiled at her son. “Thank you, dear,” she said sheepishly as her focus shifted back to Hingr. “You told me… that he had died through the night,” she commented darkly. “That… because he was so small and frail… that it was nigh impossible for him to survive through the night. You told me… that my hatred should be targeted at Asgard… that if we had the Casket of Ancient Winters…. We could have saved him. It was all a lie.”
“It was Laufey,” Hingr desperately pleaded. “He planned it all. He didn’t want a runt of a Frost Giant sitting on the throne.”
“For someone who pleads innocence… you use the word runt with little to no care,” she noted. “For someone who pleads innocence… the word does roll off your tongue… does it not?”
“I… pl,” Hingr implored.
“Besides… Laufey is dead,” she said grimly. “But you’re not,” she said with a devilish smile. “Let’s not forget the part where you were planning to usurp the throne from my sons… the rightful heirs to the throne,” she continued soothingly. “Rest assured… your death will be sweet, and you will be reunited with Laufey,” she continued.
“P- Please,” he stuttered in response as fear crept into his voice.
Lowering her voice, she said, “I will tell you a secret Hingr… Laufey’s death… it wasn’t by Asgard’s doing.”
“What?” he croaked in confusion. Yet, as he stared into Farbauti’s eyes he couldn’t help but feel the darkened aura that seemed to captivate her. She had changed from her usual weakened feeble state. And suddenly, it made sense. “It... it was you?”
She began pacing back and forth as her gaze flickered across the frozen plain. “Many moons ago… I watched how the second prince of Asgard showed several Jotuns the dark paths. I knew then and there that I had to act,” she said as her gaze fell upon Hingr. “Yes… the second prince who came to meet Laufey that night… offering him passage to kill Odin… that was my firstborn,” she said solemnly. “And I readily gave him the necessary push…. Tragic, don’t you think? Father killed by son?”
Impossible, Hingr thought. Yet, as his eyes flickered between the queen and prince, he noted that there was no lie. Even Byleistr didn’t react. “It was your doing,” he concluded, “you’re the reason the king is dead,” he roared. “How could you do that to your husband? The King of Jotunheim!”
She rolled her eyes in retort. “Are you listening to yourself?” she scowled as she leaned forward with her towering body. She watched with great delight as the fallen Jotun recoiled in fear as he began to shuffle backwards. “You act… like I have done wrong…when you not only lied to me about my firstborn being killed… but you were planning on usurping the throne anyway,” she continued with a roar.
“Only because you had our king killed,” he cackled against the chain that held him planted. He could tell that there was no way out. He knew that he was knocking on death’s door as he venomously lashed out. “I told Laufey… that after he sired his successor… that he should have whored you out to the army,” he added venomously.
He expected her to recoil. But even he couldn’t predict Farbauti’s lip curling upward. She laughed in an evil, eerie manner that unsettled Hingr greatly. “So far, I have only gone after the men and sons. I haven’t touched the women or daughters,” she said with a darkening grin.
“No,” Hingr quivered weakly as he churned against the wretched chains.
“I guess… there are some things in life… that are better than death,” she said grimly as she eyed the fallen Jotun. “A cattle breeder… to my heart’s content,” she continued.
“Please …Far,” he tried.
“Queen…. I am a queen Hingr… and you should be proud. Proud, that in your dying moments, you have saved your wife and daughter from death. To a life of breeding… they have a purpose now,” she said as she nodded in Byleistr’s direction.
“Please… Far-” he started only to be cut short as a sword parried against his neck.
A gush of blue sprinkled across the icy realm as Farbauti smiled. “Sorry… you were saying?” she asked with a chuckle before picking the hems of her dress. “Come Byleistr,” she said as she faced her eldest, “let us find your brother and go home… the soldiers can deal with these traitors.”
He nodded grimly as he took a moment to stare at the man he once respected. Once, he mused venomously as he sheathed his bloodied sword. “Did you mean it?” he asked curiously as he matched his mother’s stride.
“Oh?” she queried as she turned her head towards him while walking forward. “No,” she said with a short smile. “It was a lie,” she continued with her lips curled upward, “what better death is there than knowing in your last moments that your wife and daughter are confined to be treated like cattle?”
Byleistr scowled in acknowledgement. He knew his mother’s pain well. As the second born and arguably the eldest, he was more in tune with his surroundings compared to his younger brother. “Indeed,” he remarked equivocally. Yet, in the back of his head, he couldn’t help but wonder about the impossible.
He didn’t realise that he had slowed down to a halt. His thoughts were conflicted as he pondered the future of Jotunheim. In a short number of days, significant changes have occurred. Good changes, but changes nevertheless, he thought.
Then there was the dark horse in the matter of things. Loki, he mused. Not just a brother, but an elder brother. He might be frail and short, but he was older and wise enough to see Laufey killed. A feat that he couldn’t accomplish.
“Byleistr,” Farbauti commented as she turned to face her son. “Is everything okay?” she queried.
He nodded. Such matters can be dealt with tomorrow, he mused as began walking towards his mother. Yet, even against his shrouded mood, he knew his mother well. With little, she could assume much.
“You’re thinking about Loki,” she noted sternly as she allowed her gaze to flicker across the night sky.
“Yes,” Byleistr responded.
She smiled. A smile that Byleistr rarely saw. He could see the growing innocence expelled on her iris. Yet, it was shrouded by a fire of passion that he could not fathom. “Did you know,” she started as she turned to face Byleistr, “that Loki means one who could bring about evil and mischief?’”
Conking his head to the side, Byleistr nodded.
“Yet… when he was born, I wanted to call him Logi,” remarked Farbauti with a deepening smile.
“A deity of fire,” Byleistr commented as his lingering gaze matched his mother’s persona. He watched as Farbauti daintily nodded.
“Fire cannot rule Jotunheim,” she responded in short.
His eyes were ever so wide as he realised what his mother insinuated. Unanswered questions were answered as he slightly opened his mouth to respond. Only to find that he could not.
“Do not take me as a bad mother. If things came to pass, I would have cared for him as much as I care for you and Helblindi. But… being a king of Jotunheim is more than just being the firstborn. Not only do you have to play the part… but you have to be the part,” Farbauti continued.
Byleistr nodded. While his mother didn’t explicitly say it, he understood that she was referring to Loki’s size.
“They will come?” he asked.
She smiled at his question. “Sooner than you think, my son. Asgard is known for brutality, but many do not talk of their humble nature. Not when… their loss is great,” she continued with a loose smile.
“But we know otherwise,” Byleistr stated.
She turned to face him. “The little frost beast must be guarded at all times. Tethered at birth, without the other, neither can survive.”
Byleistr nodded. “It’s a good thing that Laufey’s lineage is not well known.”
“He was a fool,” Farbauti snarled. “A good fool in the end… he didn’t trust his scrawny followers enough to tell them… but then again, Laufey was paranoid. Imagine if it were common knowledge that every marking of Laufey born would result in a Frost Beast being born as well? It wouldn’t take much effort to piece the two together.”
“Hmm,” nodded Byleistr.
“I hear your brother,” she said as she turned to face the stampeding Frost Beast. “Times are changing, Byleistr. We must be prepared for what is next,” she noted as she walked away from him.
Byleistr stood quietly as he watched his mother embracing Helblindi. His gaze flickered to the stars as he ignored the two around him. We will meet soon… brother, he mused.