This is a story from a long, long time ago.

In the realm of Asgard there was a child born to Odin, chief of the gods, and his wife Frigg. The boy was named Baldr and was the most cherished and loved child in all of Asgard. Named at the god of light and beauty he was in fact very beautiful, kind and sweet. Baldr was a joy for anyone to be around and was loved by all through out all his years of childhood and adulthood.

Yet not all was well in the life of the young god. As he grew, dreams began to plague him of his own death. Unable to shake the nightly horrors, he eventually went to his mother and told her of his woes.

Concerned for her son, Frigg traveled over the entire cosmos, gaining unbreakable oaths from every single thing to never harm her son. Rocks, weapons, birds, beasts, and everyone promised not to harm the god, for they loved him so and could not stand the thought of harm coming to him.

Once finished in her quest, she returned to Baldr and shared the good news with him and the rest of the gods. Everything, even enemies of Asgard, had done as she asked. There was no need to fear for Baldr'slife any longer. Many gods partied that the news that Baldr could not be harmed, even hurling dangerous weapons at them and laughing when they bounced off harmlessly.

Unfortunately, Badlr's dreams did not end. Even in the festivities he could feel the doom at hand.

To distract himself from the fear, Baldr took to traveling amongst humans in Midgard. It was there he met the woman Nanna, a female of grace and beauty and daughter to a king. Baldr became entranced by her, and yet she did not love him in the same way.

In her heart there was no room for him, for she had already given her heart to another man, Hodur.

“Dear Baldr, while I love you as all others do, please know it is no more than any mortal would love a god. It is not romance. Please, you must leave me be,” she said whenever he came to call on her.

Despite many gifts and shows of affection, Nanna would not be swayed. She picked Hodur as she said she would, and on their wedding day, Baldr wept bitterly.

“How can she not love me?” he asked the sky in his torment. “All love me. Am I not good enough for her heart?”

With a sickness of misery growing in his heart, Baldr returned to Asgard. Seeing the change in the god troubled his kinsmen deeply, but nothing they could say or do would change his opinions. He had lost his love and no counsel or party would help him. His misery and nightmares grew all the more horrible.

And Baldr died of a broken heart. Frigga had thought to ask all to spare her son harm, save for her son himself and in the end it was his own heart that killed him.

The shock and horror of the death of the god quickly spread, and in Asgard the gods quickly scrambled to find a way to bring him back. It was decided he must be brought back and that the keeper of the dead, Hel, must be bargained with in order to retrieve the god of light.

During this time, Baldr had already come to the realm. It was cold and dark on the outside, but amongstthe snow and ice there was a great hall, and in the entrance, a woman stood. Black with the light

against her back, she beconned for him to come to her.

“Come closer, Baldr. Son of Odin and the holder of the beauty and light of the world. Come to me, and be glad.”

“Glad?” he asked. “What have I to be glad for? I am trapped here.”

“My realm will heal you of all woes and pain, beautiful Baldr,” she assured him and stepped out so he could see her. Though she was slim and sick looking in apperance, she stood strong and proud looking, and there was a smile on her face. She held out a hand to him, and after hesitation she took it.

“All love you Baldr,” she said, carressing his cheek softly. “All, including me. I will care for you here. You will be safe, and your heart will not ache if you allow me to heal it for you.”

Baldr was hesitant, but decided to trust in her words and went with her to his new home. She treated him kindly and with honor, and as she promised he soon forgot about his pain and fear caused by Nanna.

It was shortly after this that Hermod, another son of Odin, came to the gates of Hel on the back of Sleipnir with pleas to have Baldr back.

“We mourn for him as we've mourned no other,” he imformed Hel. “We bring gifts to you so that you may consider his release.”

“I will not release him, for he is not imprisonned,” she retorted coldly. “Odin himself gave me this position and duty to care for the dead. I will not turn my back on it to indulge him now. Baldr is fine with me.”

“Baldr needs to be alive. We love him.”

“As do I. I will not let him go.”

“Is your love for him more important than the world's love?” Hermod asked, hoping to make her see reason. “We are diminished by the loss of him, as is everyone. All that is living long for his return.”

This made Hel pause. Such a thing had never been said to her before, and she was not so foolish as to give it no creed.

“Very well,” she said after some time. “If all things, alive and dead, weep for Baldr then you may have him back. All the realms must cry for him, or what you say is not true and therefor is of no consequence. Rest here for the night and then return to Odin with my offer.”

Despite her words, Hel was greatly saddened by her deal. She loved Baldr, as all did, but she felt her love was greater. She cared for him deeply, but no matter how true her love was, it could not be considered more important than the rest of the realms. She would keep her promise, and she would steel herself for the loss of her love, for who would not cry for Baldr?

Yet there was one, a giantess in a cave who cared nothing for Baldr. She refused to weep for him, even as the gods came to her and begged her to do so.

“What has Baldr ever done for me?” she asked them with a sneer. “Nothing. I know him not and I do not care. Let him stay in Hel. Let him rot. I will not cry at the news.”

Dejected, the gods left and Baldr was to remain in Hel, and yet it was not alone or in pain.

For Baldr had come to see Hel as no one had seen her before, loyal and kind, much like him. He knew she would have let him go even if it meant pain in her own heart. She had housed him, clothed him and loved him as Nanna never had. Even as he received the news, he could not find it in himself to feel burdened by the news.

“Come closer, Hel. Daughter of Loki and the caretaker of the sick and troubled in this world. Come to me, and be glad.”

“Glad?” she asked. “What have I to be glad for? I have trapped you here.”

“My heart will heal you of all woes and pain, beautiful Hel,” he whispered before he kissed her. “I havethe love of all the world, but I cherish your's above all else.”

Hel was gladdened by the news, and her heart opened even further for him. While the gods mourned their most cherished friend, he was still content and happy where he was. For he loved Hel, and Hel loved him. For the two, it was more than enough.

They wed and awaited the day of Ragnarok, where all fighting would end, and all citizens of Hel wouldrise to live again on the new world, where they would rule with the remaining gods, in peace forever.