"Hello there, my sweet dear child," Loki whispered to a small, cold bundle in his arms, he was rocking the baby gently in his arms, careful to not squeeze her too tight, but not hold her loose enough to let her go, "You are Hel Lokidottir of Asgard, you will grow to be a great mage and warrior, but also a goddess with a good, untarnished heart."

The small bundle wrapped in green slowly blinked open her eyes, they were bright and thoughtful for someone born only hours ago, "Ah, I see you have your mother's beauty and my delicacy and colouring," Loki said with a soft tone, looking at his daughter. The baby had skin the colour of Joutnheim's snow, hair darker than the depths of Niflheim, and eyes a pale green with a slight hint of blue, just as her father's, with a cunning glimmer that had no business being there at her age.

She looked up into her father's eyes, "Your eyes show no fear of the things surrounding you and your aura and magic are strong for such a young babe, you will be one of the most powerful creatures in the nine realms," Loki muttered, gently setting the bundle with her mother and leaving the room, face turned cold. He could feel the presence of the All-Father watching them, watching his child.

Odin had let Angrboda give birth to Hel, a child of an Asgardian prince, within the walls of the palace this time, but, since Angrboda came from Jotunheim, she would have to return there after Hel was deemed healthy. Of course, Loki knew this and was not fazed, he and Angrboda did not share a strong bond of love, just many dalliances, but his love for Hel was stronger than he could fathom.

Loki briskly walked away from his daughter, he could still feel her aura though, it was powerful for a baby, perhaps even more powerful than... "Mother! Whatever on Asgard are you standing there for?" Loki asked, running into his mother outside of the room.

Frigga cast an unnoticed spell over her and Loki, not breaking eye contact with her son."She is powerful isn't she?" Frigga asked, picking at her left hand, a habit she had which she transferred to her son, who had started to pick at his own hand.

"Yes, yes she is," Loki replied, suspicious of Frigga's intentions, he knew his mother always meant well and would do all she could for him, but those cunning eyes of a sorceress raised by witches still held something powerful behind them. "Why would you ask this?" he inquired, curious.

"Your father, he felt her birth, her power is exceedingly strong, you will have to protect her Loki," Frigga said, eyes sweeping the halls, "I know you feel his presence."

If Loki did feel the All-Father's presence any more than when he was in the birth room, he did not show it. "Yes I know," he said, his eyebrows crinkling, Frigga was only stating the obvious truth.

"Let us take this to my private chambers shall we?" Frigga asked, eyeing Loki intensely and linking her arm with Loki's. Mother and son walked down the golden halls and seemed to float by to another wing.

...

"Why are we in your private chambers?" Loki asked, sitting down on a cushioned chair, folding his legs like the lady he might've wanted to be if he chose to. "I should be spending time with my dear Hel."

Before Frigga answered, or acknowledged anything Loki had said, she made sure the drapes were closed, the doors locked, and made sure to cast a silencing spell around the place. "Yes, I know you should be with your darling baby, but she is in danger. The danger of being taken away by your father, I know what he is thinking, and what he wants to do," Frigga said, worried etched onto her face, wringing her hands together.

"No," Loki whispered standing up from his cushioned chair, pacing back and forth on the cool marble floor, "He cannot, Hel is my fourth child."

"But he will Loki, you not only must protect her from the world but your father, and you must mask her magic as well," Frigga said, her eyebrows creasing in fear for her youngest granddaughter as of the moment. Her hair seemed to turn greyer as she spoke.

"He has already banished Fenris on that rock, just waiting for Ragnorok, my poor baby wolf, and he banished Jormungandr to be a giant snake and wrap Midgard, and Sleipnir is his steed, he has even shackled my baby's legs to one another because he is different, my poor children, how much more does he despise me?" Loki said, pacing more seemingly wearing away at the marble, this has happened before, he had feared to have another child because of it, sure he had killed a few gods, and caused some mischief, but what did they expect? He was the god of mischief, at least torture him and not his children! But even Loki knew the fastest way to get to a being's heart was not liquor or gold, but by the ones who already occupy a spot in their hearts, and though Hel was a mere few hours old, she already had a special place in Loki's heart. Whether they liked it or not, they could be used against each other.

"I'm so sorry Loki, you know there is very little I can do. I may be only Queen, but I will try for Hel all I can, she is my only daughter in any way, I will make sure she at least sees what Odin has become," Frigga whispered, coming over to embrace her son, stopping him from wearing the marble floor any more. He had already been through so much, and he had repented most, if not all, of his sins, how much more did Odin want to torture his adopted son?

"Thank you mother, I will forever be in your debt," Loki whispered, accepting Frigga's affection, perhaps there was more than one spot in his heart for love and comfort, "But I must go and check upon Hel and Angrboda, to see if they are healthy."

"Of course," Frigga said, as she let go of Loki and watched him leave the room, "Oh and Loki?" Loki turned his head around with a swift, clean gesture just as he got to the door, "Yes mother?"

Pale green eyes met vibrant blue ones, "You will always be my son, never forget."

Loki smiled, he would never be Farbauti's son or ever Odin's son, but he will always be Frigga's son and he will make sure on his life that he gives the same affection for Hel the way Frigga had done for him all these years, "Of course Mother, I would never forget, ever. I swear it by Hel's name."

Frigga smiled softly at her son's retreating figure, she swore to the witches who raised her that she will do everything in her power to keep Hel safe, no matter the cost. The old sorceress knew the potential Hel had, the potential for good or for evil, but as most always said, there was never "good and evil" but only power.

Loki walked back to the birth room until he got tired of walking and decided to teleport to the birth room, with a snap of his fingers, he appeared right by the cradle Hel was in, "Hello there my darling," he said, his cold face melting into a warmer one.

"I'm going now," a voice said from behind him.

"Of course Angrboda, I assume you have gathered your things and strength, I can transport you with a snap of my fingers or you may do it the hard way, by crossing the Bifrost on a horse yourself, the choice is yours," Loki said, picking up Hel and cradling her close to his chest.

"I shall go the natural way, but let me hold Hel one last time," Angrboda said, taking the small bundle from Loki and rocking her as to let her breath, but not drop her, "I presume the maids know how to take care of a child so here she is, I'll be off," with that, Angrboda left the birth room with her things, leaving Loki alone with a few maids.

...

"Why would Odin want to harm her?" Loki thought three days later. Hel hadn't grown much in the three days, her eyes were still a cool shade of blue-green and still shone with the twinkle of a trickster. Her hair had not grown, still a small silky bush of black atop her head, her nose was sharp, her mouth pink and lovely, Loki decided she was the most beautiful being on Asgard, even now, her beauty could rival Lady Freyja's.

"I will not let a single being harm you, I swear to do everything in my godly power to protect you Hel," Loki whispered, placing a small charm on her, masking most of her magic. Hel fidgeted in Loki's arms, feeling the charm coat her like a wool blanket, suffocating her for a moment before the feeling went away leaving her in bliss.

Loki sighed, he couldn't imagine what monster would possibly want to harm a child, that is, besides the monster his father was, or brother, or maybe even uncle. No one truly knew the family tree of the royal family, or any family in the nine realms for that matter, for all Loki knew, Hel could be his niece, or aunt, or even some type of step-grandmother.

Hel whined softly, her face screwing up, eyebrows scrunched together like small caterpillars and her mouth stretching. "Shhhhhh, Hel, my precious baby, please do not cry," Loki whispered, gently bouncing Hel in his arms, "I'll give you to your handmaidens yes? I assume you need to be fed, I will come back do not worry."

Hel looked into Loki's eyes, her own clouding over in anger of not being fed, Loki was positive she could care less about being abandoned as long as she was fed within the next five minutes. Loki called for the handmaidens, handing Hel to one of them. The girl who received Hel could be no older than fifteen, a trainee Loki presumed, but her face lit up with a bright glow when she was handed Hel. The small Jotun-Asgardian baby would be well-loved when she was older.

One of the handmaidens cleared her throat suggestively. "Yes?" Loki asked, clearly the woman had something to say.

"Queen Frigga requires your presence in her tea chambers, your highness," the woman said, bowing. "There's no need for that, I shall go straight away," Loki said, "And what is your name ma'am?" The woman looked shocked that Loki would even ask such a question, "A-Amme," she stuttered. Loki smiled brightly, his hair matching his enthusiasm, turning bright orange as his eyes turned firewood brown, "Then thank you Amme for giving me this information, you may be dismissed."

The woman scuttled off with the other handmaidens as Loki exited the room with a swish of his robes.

...

"Mother? You wished to speak with me?" Loki asked, entering Frigga's chambers.

Frigga looked up from where she was setting a table for tea and smiled when she saw Loki, "Yes my dear, come sit."

Loki went over to sit across from Frigga and studied the table with an artist's, or tricker's, eye, "Lovely setting mother, the gold really does bring a lustrous shine to it," he said sarcastically. Most of the decorations in the Asgardian Palace were made of gold, so much so that Loki called the the "Golden Palace," he was still fond of the place though, he lived there after all.

"Yes Loki, but I assume you know I haven't just called you here for tea," Frigga said, lacing the walls of the room with enchantments. With a snap of her fingers, the curtains were closed and the doors were locked, she sat down in her chair with the grace of a swan, careful to not wrinkle her dress.

Loki watched Frigga with awe in his eyes, Laufey never served much as a mother to him, but Frigga always took care of him when he was young. The amount of power and authority Frigga held was outstanding and a remarkable thing in Loki eyes. "Yes, I know you haven't just called for tea, whatever is the matter mother? I believe it is safe to assume you do not bear good news?"

Frigga's dark frown and creased eyebrows told Loki all he needed to know about the news, "It is about Hel is it not? I shall not let the Allfather harm a single molecule of her body as long I as I still am breathing," he growled, clutching the gold-tinted porcelain teacup Frigga had given him.

"Yes it is, but the news is not good or bad, it is merely news," Frigga said, holding her teacup in a more formal, gentle matter. "Just tell me what it is, mother."

"The Allfather does not wish to harm Hel."

Loki breathed a sigh of relief, but he saw Frigga lift her index finger and his breath hitched again, "But, the only reason for this is because he had a visit from the Norns long, long ago."

Loki nodded, giving Frigga a sign that he must hear more, his hair turned a dark black again, and his eyes a pale green, mimicking his daughter, which was the only thing occupying his mind at the moment. "The Norns three told him that the trickster god Loki shall sire a babe, a girl, and she would either bring the worlds to ruin or save them from their horrible fate."

Loki stared at Frigga dumbstruck, surely Hel could not possibly stop Ragnarok, the fall of the worlds to a new world, "It's impossible!" he yelled, teacup smashed to minuscule pieces on the marble floor.

"But it is," Frigga whispered in a tone only a mother had, " That is the reason Odin has not locked Hel away or banished her yet, she is too valuable."

Loki's eyes burned with hate, his mouth curled into a snarl, " Yet my other children were not so-called 'valuable' did their lives hold no meaning," he flipped the chair over with aloud clank and started pacing the room, "I think Hel lucky that she is not locked some barren world, doomed to walk in it for eternity until she is 'needed' to stop Ragnarok," he hissed, "For goodness sakes just let Ragnarok happen! As long as Hel isn't treated like some 'priceless' weapon made at the forge!"

Frigga looked at Loki with the sadness a mother has in her eyes when her child is going through turmoil, it was not Loki's fault that his children were intended to start or prevent Ragnarok, and it wasn't his fault that he was deemed "evil" for being good at being who he is: a trickster. "Loki, please, protect her, I agree that she is not some weapon, relic, or item of no price, but Odin sees her that way. I know in my heart that she will choose her own, right path."

Loki looked at Frigga straight in her eyes, pale green eyes full of hate and sadness meeting soft blue eyes filled with love and heartbreak. "Oh I know she will choose her own path, I will not interfere with it. I shall teach her all I know and perhaps war, and if she starts Ragnarok so be it, she is my daughter and I will love her forevermore."

Frigga nodded sadly, "Yes, I know my son, and I would do the same for you, you may go, I see you need time to think."

Loki rushed out of the room, not bothering to look back at Frigga, he would apologize later at dinner. He briskly went past servants and went to the Asgardian Library, one of the only places he felt he belonged. With a flick of his wrist the carvings on the golden doors filled with a smokey green substance, and the door was opened quickly and silently.

Of course, Loki could have opened the doors manually, but the particular spell opened the doors to the library to the exact spot he needed, a little quirk he had learned and could teach Hel when she was old enough to try to master it.

He grabbed a book without a moment's hesitation and briskly flipped to a page that he had memorized.

"Loki's Children"

So far, the book only had Sleipnir, Fenris, and Jomungandr, but Loki saw the words appear on the page as he was reading it. The book was infused with magic, it would write down the happenings of the world, this was the only way Loki could check up on his banished, locked, or tortured children. He read the pages in seconds, coming to the last page, which now had the word, "Hel" across it.

"No no no no no," Loki muttered, reading the page, "Hel, the only daughter of the Trickster God Loki, shall ether bring Ragnarok, or save us all," his eyes filled with tears of fury, so what his mother had said was true, and she was not just trying to give Loki motivation to protect Hel. Loki tried to think of a way to make sure Hel would never know this, the first step was to cloak these pages of the book so Hel would never use them unless she was purposefully looking for them.

Loki enchanted the pages so it would do just that so that if anyone were looking at the pages, they would be blank, but if they were explicitly looking for Hel's name, they would see it. Loki grinned down at his handiwork, his hair turning bright orange and his eyes firewood brown, he tucked the book away in its spot and went out of the library, hoping Hel felt safer already. There was no doubt Loki loved Hel, he just wished that Hel would be able to see it.