There was a small part of him that hoped Hel would just turn him away. It was a very small part, but it was the part that was terrified to be there. But his brother needed him and his mother was counting on him. There was no way he would let either of them down. That didn’t stop him from jumping a little when the door was opened to him.
Hermod straightened his shoulders and walked into Hel’s hall. He was a prince of Asgard and needed to act like it in front of the Queen of Niflheim. As he followed the attendant to what he supposed was Hel’s throne room, he tried to remember everything his parents had taught him about protocol. If he was going to convince Hel to return Baldr, then he better make certain that he didn’t insult her in any way.
He waited for the attendant to announce him, and then he went before Hel. He tried to keep his eyes on Hel as he approached, but then he saw that his brother was sitting next to her. Baldr looked the same, except maybe a little paler than he remembered. Baldr smiled at him and nodded his head in Hel’s direction. Oh right. Hermod quickly shifted his eyes back to the queen. He hoped that he hadn’t made her mad.
The messenger stopped a respectable distance from Hel and bowed, dropping to one knee. “Dread Queen, I bring you greetings from the Aesir and Asgard. I come to you with my mother’s words, one queen to another. May I speak to you on her behalf?”
He stayed kneeling where he was. He hoped she would listen. He thought that mentioning that he had come from Frigg would help. He thought that Hel might not hold many fond memories of his father.