Winter's Hearts

Chapter 51

Red Skull turned and glared at you. "Nastrond? What the Hell is Nastrond? You were supposed to take me back to Valhalla, you stupid bitch!" he snarled at you. He didn't realize he had no power here. He didn't realize the power of the valkyrie, or that he was standing in front of the goddess of death and her giant wolf.

You rolled your eyes while Fenris stood and growled at Red Skull, baring his fangs. You weren't surprised to see Red Skull cower at the sight of the wolf angry with him. Anyone with a lick of sense or self-preservation was terrified when Fenris was angry

"Watch your tone, shade," Hela growled at him. "And watch your words," she added. "I am the goddess of death," she informed him while he finally realized that he was in proper trouble. "I control the afterlives of all those who die. My valkyrie bring those who die a warrior's death to Odin's hall in Valhalla. You should never have been admitted, but that is neither here nor there. You had died bravely enough the first time. I shall see your deeds since you were reborn for myself," she told him, her voice as cold as ice as she glared down at him from her throne. She gestured in quite a similar manner as Loki did and suddenly Red Skull's memories were on display for you all to see. You saw his plans to take over the world, saw what he was willing to do to complete those plans. You saw his followers plotting against you and Loki, saw the past of how he'd been tortured, you'd lost your memories.

"Enough," Hela said as her spell ended. "You are unworthy of Valhalla for you are not a brave warrior. You have died an unworthy death. Your soul will be sent to Nastrond for eternal suffering," Hela informed him coldly.

"No!" Red Skull yelled. Hela snapped and a pair of dead soldiers came to retrieve his soul and drag him to his punishment.

You bowed to Hela when he was gone. "Thank you, Queen Hela,"

"I will see he is properly punished. Now return to my little brothers before your husband gets worried," she bid you warmly. Hela really did like the valkyrie under her care, no matter what lies Odin spun about his eldest child.

"When are you going to tell them who you are?" you asked her, curious as to why she hadn't bothered already. You knew she was forbidden to return to Asgard, but the boys weren't currently on Asgard.

She sighed. "The Allfather would not be pleased were I to tell them. Not that I mind, per se, but I am bound to this realm. I will not be opposed were you to tell them, little Valkyrie. They should know the truth that Odin has tried to hide from them, from the realms. Tell them my true story, little Valkyrie," she bid you.

You bowed to her again. "I will, my Queen." Asgard was your first duty, your first love and your home, but you were also bound to Helheim and lived in both realms. Or at least a traditional valkyrie did. You were a bit of an exception being bound to personal service to one of the princes.

With that, you left her palace before you returned to your body on Midgard.

You'd been in Helheim for awhile, so it was hard to wake. Coming back to your body after visiting the realm of the dead was always difficult.

"Easy, love, easy. We're back at the tower," Loki told you gently as he helped you sit up. You were lying on your couch in the common room and the entire team was watching you and fretting. "I know it's more disorienting to wake somewhere other than where you fell asleep..." he added sheepishly. That was true. It wasn't safe to move a valkyrie when her soul was in Helheim. She could get lost and not be able to find her way back. Loki knew you were strong enough to find your way back to your body. On top of that, your bond to him would always lead you home.

"I'm alright," you tried to reassure him as you sat up on your own.

Loki kissed you softly. "I told them it was dangerous to move you, but we had to get out of there for Shield to clean up..."

You reached up to cup his cheek, stroking it with your thumb. "I'm alright, Lohk. I won't get lost in Helheim. My bond to you won't allow it,"

Loki pulled you close and kissed your forehead. "I know that logically. I still worry about you in Helheim, darling. Especially now that I know how dangerous it really is for you there." He'd learned about the trials from your journals in Valkyria. He knew about the wraiths who fed on souls and unwary valkyrie.

You sighed and looked to him and Thor. "I gave his soul to the queen of Helheim, the goddess of death. She's making sure he spends eternity in Nastrond," you told them, then with a glance to the others clarified: "The part of Helheim for eternal punishment and torture." Cap didn't like the word torture, but he would allow it for Red Skull. Thor and Loki both nodded their approval. You saw in their eyes that they didn't know. You looked between them again, keeping their attention.

"There's something else. I should have told you ages ago, but it's been forbidden, but with the trials coming up, it's time you knew..." you paused, trying to find the right words.

"Time we knew what, Kyrie-love?"

You swallowed and decided to just be blunt and tell them. "Hela, the queen of Helheim, goddess of death. She's Asgardian. More, she's Odin's firstborn. She's your sister,"