It had been a cold night in Asgard the night Skadi Ullrdottir was born. Her mother, Beira, the Winter Goddess and one of the longest living Horae, birthed her in the late hours of the night, her powers so haywire with each burst of pain, that Asgard experienced a terrible winter. All trace of winter was gone by morning and it seemed to stop snowing the moment Beira was handed her newborn daughter. She was beautiful, so beautiful that even Beira's husband, Ullr, the God of Archery, shed many tears as he looked upon his daughter that evening. And Beira knew that her husband wasn't usually a man that shed tears very often.

Beira swore that she had never seen a more breathtaking life form in her entire existence. Her daughter had tufts of platinum hair that covered her scalp like peach fuzz and bright, azure eyes that resembled a marvelous, warm summer sky on a bright, sunny day. She was so small, and barely cried all night as she laid within Beira's arms, the woman refusing to ever part from her little girl, even when a maiden hand offered to clean her up so that she could get some rest.

As the years passed by, Beira watched her daughter grow up and couldn't be more proud of the person that she became. Skadi was like her in many ways; so compassionate and empathetic, precious and intelligent, gifted and beautiful. She was Beira's entire world, even down to her final moments where Beira knew nothing but pain and the comfort of her bed.

For all the time that she has been alive, Beira never thought that she would die so soon. The woman always thought that she would at least get to watch her daughter marry someone ─ more specifically, Loki, as she was no fool to the attachment the pair had to one another ─ and hold her grandchildren before death took her in his grasp but, alas, she was wrong.

There was no denying the inevitable.

An illness had crept up on her, tangling itself around her bones and squeezing at her organs so painfully that Beira often found herself tearing up at sudden movements. In result, her skin had became a nasty shade of milky white and her face had sunken in, revealing the structure of her skull. Her eyes were a dull shade of blue and barely held any life within them anymore. Even though she was sleeping longer these days from exhaustion, her eyes still carried deep purple bags beneath them, and her lips had drained of colour, becoming a dull shade of faded pink. Even if her family told her that she was as beautiful as ever, Shiva knew that she looked terrible on her deathbed.

She tried her best to stay strong for her family whenever she is awake and she finds them at her bedside. She forces smiles and holds back her coughs, raspy breaths and pained grunts, just so she can reassure them that she isn't in pain ─ when in reality, she was.

Beira didn't want them to feel sad and for them to fall into a darkness that they wouldn't be able to climb out of again after she was gone. She wanted them to be able to smile and see the light after she was laid to rest, but she was afraid they wouldn't. Afraid that her endearing husband would push their daughter away because his broken heart would make it too hard to even look upon their daughter that just looked too much like her. Scared to leave her fellow Horae goddesses that, over time, had become like her own kin, as she knew they would be lost without her by their side. But most off all, she was scared that her daughter wasn't ready to take on all the responsibility that comes with her death.

As a Horae, Beira has only one job: to keep winter at a perfect balance in all the nine realms. She brings the season when it's her time to step forward and Emblr's ─ the Goddess of Autumn ─ time to take a step back for the year. And so, when she passes, her daughter will have to step up and take her place as the Goddess of Winter, just like Beira had done for her mother, and her mother before her. It had been a gift stowed upon them by their creator, Beira's bloodline gaining the extraordinary high honour of winter.

Beira wasn't sure if her daughter was ready to take her place in the Horae. She can remember how scary it was to take on such a responsibility after her mother, Khione, had passed on. It was difficult and scary and time-consuming for a series of months, but over time Beira adjusted and grew accustomed to her duties.

Of course, she missed her mother, but she dearly loved serving in her place and hoped that Skadi would feel like the same way. After all, it isn't like Skadi really has choice in the matter anyway. She is the only one next in line to harness such powers. If not, the powers would simply fade out into existence and the season of winter would no longer exist in any realm. And thus, the end of the Horae and the natural balance of nature. Without a winter goddess, the remaining three Horae wouldn't be as strong, as the power of four was a main core to their power structure.

Beira was broken from her consuming thoughts by a soft rapping against her chambers door. She turned away from the open window of the balcony, and a small smile curved onto her face when she found her daughter standing in the doorway. "Shadi, my love, I hadn't heard you enter. Come, sit with me."

Skadi nodded and turned to close the chambers door before entering any further. She crossed the room and lifted her blue skirt up some to sit on the bed. She reached a hand forward to squeeze her mother's. "How are you feeling today?"

Beira found herself smiling weakly at this. Her daughter was beyond worried ─ and she honestly hated that. As a mother, your job is to ensure that your children only ever feel happiness, and yet she was the cause of all this emotional pain for her sweet daughter. "There's no need to fret over me, dear," Beira spoke, sounding incredibly weak.

Skadi gave her mother a look. "I'll always worry for you, Mother, and you know this." She brought her mother's hand up to her lips and kissed it softly, causing a smile to softly curve on the dying woman's face. "When is your next visit with the healer? Have you taken any of your herbs this morn?"

Beira chuckled softly, yet nodded in response. "Sometimes I wonder who is the mother and who is the daughter. But yes, my sweet, I have taken my fixture of herbs this morn. Your father made sure of it."

Skadi nodded. "Good. Can I get you anything to make you comfortable?"

"Thank you, but no. I am perfectly comfortable as I am."

It was silent for a few moments after Skadi's question. Beira simply stared up at her little girl, where it suddenly hit her. This once tiny life that she could rest against her chest wasn't her baby girl anymore. She was a grown woman now and has been for some time, but a dying woman's thoughts seem to always wander over the past and how beautiful a time it once was.

Tears found Beira's eyes rather quickly and she reached a hand up to touch her daughter's cheek. "How did I get so lucky to have a daughter like you?"

Skadi smiled softly. "Your words flatter me, but it is I that is the lucky one here. You have given me so much in life, and for that I could not be more grateful."

Beira only smiled and dropped her hand from Skadi's cheek to grasp her hand instead. "Tell me, how are your friends doing?"

"They are well and miss you terribly. Sif, I believe, mentioned something about stopping by for a visit this evening."

"That would be lovely. It's been a while since I've heard Sif's sarcasm. I could use a good laugh. And Loki, how is he?" Beira inquired suggestively. At the mention of the obsidian-haired prince, her daughter blushed a shade of pink.

"Loki is well," Skadi responded, trying her best to stop the grin crawling onto her face at the mention of her closest friend. "He asked of me to tell how sorry he is about your predicament. He means to visit soon, but Odin has been keeping him and Thor rather busy these days."

Beira smiled. Over the years, she has noticed how Loki cares for his daughter so much that often a times the prince will go completely out of his way just to spend time with her. It reminded her of how she was with her own husband, Ullr when they were young and in love. The moment that Beira had spotted him in the training yard while he was teaching Asgardian soldiers the basics of archery, she became intrigued by his mere presence and found any chance she could just to run into him so they could speak.

"That is to be expected. After all, Thor will be appointed king and Loki to his council as of soon," Beira replied.

When the elder woman yawned, her eyes beginning to droop, her daughter smiled softly. "Shall I leave so that you may rest?"

If Beira was being honest, she didn't want her little girl to leave her bedside, as she knew that one of these times when she closes her eyes she would never wake again. She wanted to spend every possible moment with her, but couldn't very well do that if her eyes were beginning to droop. So the mother frowned and shook her head stubbornly. "I can rest later, my sweet daughter. I would much rather spend time with you."

Skadi chuckled softly and rose up from the bed. "You are incredibly stubborn, Mother. If you mean to get well, you must first get rest. I'll visit later." As she leaned down to kiss her mother's forehead, she found the woman's eyes barely even open anymore, only further proving her point. "I love you."

Barely audible, Beira said back with closed eyes, "I love you."

Skadi smiled and decided to pull the covers up her mother's sickly white frame in case she caught a cold spell during her rest. She brushed her mother's hair back, tucking it behind her ears, then reluctantly left her parents chamber to wander the halls.

Eventually, she found herself in her favourite garden. She crossed the perfectly green grass to sit upon the edge of the fountain, where she leaned down over the edge to submerge her fingers in the cool water. She often came to this fountain as a small child. Her mother would amuse her by using her winter powers to freeze the water as it spilled from the fountain faucets, which would cause her laughter to ring like bells through all of Asgard. The memories brought tears to her eyes. Tears that didn't go unnoticed by the approaching figure that reached a hand out to touch Skadi's shoulder.

The platinum-blond jumped in fright, having not heard someone approaching her. But she soon relaxed once she noticed it was only Loki. "You frightened me," she breathed out, clutching a hand to her chest where her heart was suddenly racing.

"My apologises." Loki smiled, though it soon vanished when he spotted a tear slip from her blue eye. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Loki," Skadi confessed, her voice barely audible as she stared down at the water her fingertips were dancing in.

"Of what?" He watched her cautiously, taking in every detail of her face, searching for the reason himself.

"Of my mother's fate." Skadi's blue eyes snapped up to meet his own, her fingertips slowly parting from the water as she spoke. "I fear that she isn't going to get well."

Loki found himself sighing at this. "You mustn't think such things, Skadi. Your mother is one of the strongest people that I know. She'll get through this."

"No," Skadi cried, shaking her heard as her sudden tears fell rapidly. Loki found his chest aching at the sight of her pained expression. He moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her in and allowing her to collapse against his chest. "I know her better than anyone, Loki. She denies the pain that she is in, but I can see it as clearly as I see you now. No matter what herbs the healers give her, there is no denying the inevitable."

"Hush now," Loki whispered soothingly, running his hand up and down her spine. "Everything will be alright in the end, you mustn't give up hope so soon."

Skadi remained silent and fisted his tunic in her right hand as she cried her broken-hearted tears into his chest. She was grateful for Loki in moments like these, as he was the only person she ever allowed to see her weak, besides her parents of course. She always felt that she had to be strong in the presence of Thor, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun, yet with Loki it was an entirely different story. She could just be herself when she was with him. She could break down in tears or let her anger out in long rants, and he would just simply hold her or listen to her every word and still want to be in her life at the end of the day.

Eventually, Skadi lifted her head from his chest with a sniffle. As she erased the stained tears on her cheeks, Loki reached a hand out to brush back strands of platinum blond that had abandoned her side braid. "Thank you, Loki," she spoke, flicking her gaze up to meet his.

Placing a kiss to her temple, wishing so desperately it could be her lips instead, he told her, "I'll always be here for you, Skadi. Until the sun grows cold..."

"...and the stars grows old," Skadi said with him, a smile on her face.

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a/n: It's finally here! I hope that you guys enjoyed the first chapter and are as excited as me to begin this story!