#readerxloki

“The people of Midgard have lost faith!” exclaims Odin who stares into the void from the balcony.

“My dear, it’s not their lack of faith… They just have misplaced it and can you blame them, once we lived amongst them, we were a part of their lives, but not anymore,” the All-Mother said, “The Midgardian life is so short, if we lose focus for just a moment, many generations of them have been born, lived and died. We have been away for too long.”

Odin remains silent.

“This cannot continue. The Nine Realms must be united,” he said after a while, “Thor will take his rightful place on the throne soon, he will need a queen by his side.”

“Are you saying you want him to be wed to a Midgardian?” Frigga, Goddess of Marriage, didn’t like the idea of political marriages being in one herself, but he did understand the reasoning behind it.

“No, Thor will be married to someone influential, someone who can rule by his side with confidence and whose people are stronger and more important. Midgard has nothing to offer, not really, the people are weak and unruly, selfish and foolish. Loki will be burdened with that honor.”

Frigga looked at his husband, unhappy, but chose not to argue.

“You are right about Midgardians being unruly and difficult, the bride will need to be chosen carefully,” the All-Mother said.

“Not chosen, but taught. They are expendable, we’ll send staff to find someone suitable and teach the girl everything she’ll need to know,” Odin’s tone was cold.

“If you don’t mind, let me do it. Let me find a suitable bride from Midgard,” Frigga stopped when Odin looked at her, “It is a great responsibility that I don’t trust to servants.”

The All-Father seemed to agree with that argument, Frigga didn’t tell him that the true reason was Loki – she loved him like her own flesh and blood, if he had to marry because the command of Odin, he deserves to have someone kind and gentle by his side.

“So be it,”

1925, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Frigga walked into the yellow house. A sign on the wall read “Sunset Orphanage”.

“Hello, ma’am, can I help you?” a kind woman walked up to her.

“Yes, I’m hoping to adopt,” Frigga said.

The young woman looked past Frigga, “Do you have a husband with you?”

“My husband… he couldn’t make it today, he is a very busy man,” Frigga lied.

“Oh, I understand,” the woman nodded, “So, who are you looking for? A baby or someone older maybe? We have many fine children here.”

“I’ve always dreamed of a baby daughter,” the All-Mother said.

“Let us go to the nursery then,”

Arriving in a big white room, Frigga saw many little cribs two nurses where feeding babies and the room was filled with cries.

“We are terribly understaffed at the moment, but we do have a very sweet newborn baby with rosy cheeks just waiting to go home with you,” the nurse said and led Frigga to a crib that was empty. The nurse looked around and saw the child in the arms of a little girl.

“She was bored from looking at the ceiling so I helped her, nurse May, she isn’t hungry, but might need to have her diaper changed,” the girl said, she talked like an adult, but couldn’t be older than five.

“Thank you, can I have her now?” the nurse asked.

“Here you go!” the nurse took the baby and handed it to Frigga. “Oh, nurse May, James and Scott had a fight in the yard again! James took Scott’s toy away, but I gave him mine!”

Frigga listened to the girl whilst looking at the baby.

“You’re an angel, now off you go!” the nurse smiled as the little girl ran off.

“Who is she?” Frigga asked looking at the door where the girl had disappeared into.

“Y/n, she is a very sweet and kind girl, she has been adopted twice before, but… she can be difficult on parents, she talks a lot, she always wants to help and she is very curious, she is very special, I do hope she’ll get a forever home someday,” the nurse looked sad.

1943, outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

“Mother…” you look out the window.

“Yes, Y/n?” your mother, Maria, asked from the other side of the dining table.

“I wish your stories were true… The ones you’ve always told me… The ones about the mighty Gods…”

“What makes you think they aren’t?” Frigga asks.

“If they were true… why would the gods let people shed so much blood for no reason? Why would they be so indifferent?” you look at a young man, younger than you saying goodbye to his old mother, a military car waiting to pick him up.

“The Gods aren’t indifferent, they gave humans free will and freedom,” Frigga said, but she knew that wasn’t quite right.

“Free will… Is that what this is? Young men sent to die on foreign soil, to fight a war they didn’t start…” your heart hurt for the men and their wives, mothers…

Frigga looked at you and saw a true queen, someone fair and compassionate. She knew at that moment that you were ready to find out the truth.

“Heimdall, bring us home!” Frigga said out loud and you turned to face her with confusion.

To be continued…

Part 2

“That was different, I was mad at you and I had a reason to want to burn that sour look off your face.” You said as you began to reminisce on the fond memory of Loki falling flat on his face.

“Right, well since that will never happen again,” Loki said, shuttering at the memory, “we have to try a different method.” He moved to stand behind you and your heartbeat instantly picked up.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You asked cautiously and knowing who you were with set you on edge sometimes, despite Thor’s many reassurances.

“Think about how you felt that night, what triggered those emotions and let the feeling come back to you.” Still standing behind you, he gently lifted your hand up so your palm was facing outward and parallel to the targets as you did what he instructed. “Bring it all back, but don’t let it consume you like it did that night.”

The same warmth from before was culminating in your hand, but you noticed it was spreading to the rest of your body. That didn’t normally happen, but you let it seep into you while controlling your emotions. A ball of light emerged from your hand, getting brighter and brighter as you could feel the energy making it glow.

“That’s it, now think about where you want it to go,” Loki said in a low voice and you pictured the ball of light hitting the target that was about fifty feet out, “and release it.”

Taking his words to heart, you released the light from the palm of your hand as if you had opened a high pressure hose. A beam of light lit up the field in the dying sunset in a brief flash before it made contact. It disappeared in a flash to reveal that you got a direct hit. Words couldn't express how happy you were in that moment and out of instinct you turned around and trapped Loki in a bone crushing hug.

“I did it!” You exclaimed and there was a moment of hesitation before he hugged you back. “I’ve never done that before!”

“That was...incredible.” Loki said in a hushed voice as you let go and pulled away, a blush forming on your face.

“I-I couldn’t have done it without you so thank you, Loki.” You looked back at what you accomplished and turned back to Loki. “How did you know that would work?” “Well, that’s the approach my mother used when I was having a hard time so I figured I could give it a try with you.” He looked almost self conscious as he spoke and he coughed nervously to regain some of his composure.

“I bet she was a great teacher.” You said gently, sitting down on the soft grass and patting the spot next to you for him to do the same.

“She really was-I mean she taught me everything I know.” The setting sun shone in your eyes, but it didn’t bother you, all you could focus on at the moment was Loki and the way he talked about Frigga. “She was always so patient and she never got angry if I didn’t get it right away.”

“I would have liked to meet her.” You sighed as the sun fell farther behind the hills, “You know, Thor once told me that you reminded him of her so much that he missed her less when you were around.”

“Sometimes I worry I’ve ruined everything she taught me.” Loki cast his gaze downward, hiding the bit of vulnerability that had begun to show.

“I don’t know about that, but I think you’re doing a great job with me.” You said and he looked up to meet your eyes.

“Really?” He asked. “I’m actually pleasantly surprised you haven’t gone back to Earth yet, especially after what happened the other night.”

“Are you kidding? This is the most progress I’ve ever made!” You gestured out to the still smouldering target you blew up. “Wait, did you say you were ‘pleasantly’ surprised that I was still here?” You asked, a smug look on your face as Loki tried, and failed, to backtrack.

“To be fair, I thought my brother had put me to babysit some spoiled brat from Earth, not you who genuinely wants to learn and hone her abilities.” Loki looked over at you, a smile of fondness had formed on his face and you noted how nice it was to see him smile at you. “Like I said before, you surprised me.”

“Pleasantly surprised.” You corrected, letting out a small laugh as you bumped his shoulder with yours. “I really do like being here, ya know. Sometimes I wonder what I’ll do when I go back.”

“Well I’m not done with you yet so I wouldn’t worry about going home quite yet.” Loki quickly stood up and dusted himself off. You sort of wished he hadn’t, that he had sat with you a little longer, but you still took his hand when he offered it to you. “I think we can call it a day. Could I walk you back?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Your hand lingered before letting go of his and you walked in a comfortable silence until you reached the palace. All the while, the same light as before lit you up from the inside and you let its warmth glow inside you.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Loki asked when it was time to part ways for the evening.

“I didn’t think we had any training set for tomorrow?” You responded, worried that you had mixed up your days again.

“No, but I’d still like to see you nonetheless, if that’s alright with you.” Loki looked sheepish, as though he was worried you might say no.

“That would be really nice.” You couldn’t stop the giddy smile that took over your face. “So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” You turned and walked back to your room with that stupid smile still plastered on your face the whole time.

In your room, you laid out on your bed and replayed the day’s events. You came back feeling different about Loki and about yourself. It turns out you really could be different, but for the first time, you thought Loki could be different too. So much had changed with him since you got here that he didn’t even seem like the same person after today. There’s a good chance that you would have laid there all night thinking about what was said had it not been for the knock on your door.

“Oh hey, Thor.” You opened the door and were a little let down when you saw who it was. “Is everything alright?” “What-oh yeah everything is perfectly alright.” Thor stepped nervously from foot to foot and you noted that he looked a bit flustered. “I was hoping you would be back by now so I could stop by and maybe ask you something.”

“Of course, go for it.” You stepped out of your room so you were alone in the massive hall with him.

“I know that your training has kept you busy, but I was hoping I could steal you away for an afternoon, maybe tomorrow.” Thor looked hopeful at you and you realized how much you missed your best friend. Training with Loki had monopolized your time, not that you were complaining, but an afternoon with Thor could be a good idea.

“Yes, that would be so much fun-I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” Seeing more of Asgard with Thor would help some of the home sickness that had begun to settle in the last few days.

“Me too so I’ll see you tomorrow, it’s a date.” Thor said and he planted a swift kiss on your cheek. “Good night, Y/N.” He walked away before you had a chance to say anything or even react.

You stood there dumbly for a minute before you scurried back into your room. Thor, who had been like a brother to you, had asked you on a date and you inadvertently said yes. Apparently, he was different too, but he was the only thing you wanted to stay the same.

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Just For This Fic:

“He will come,” Thor says, “Loki is a good warrior, nothing bad has happened, I’m sure he is just out to clear his head.”

You pace back and forth in the golden room, nervous and almost scared.

“Something’s happening, I can feel it!” you feel your throat tighten, “He hasn’t been himself lately. He hasn’t been himself for years.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Thor looks genuinely confused.

“How can you be so arrogant and blind?” you look at him with surprise, “He is your brother! How can you not see? After you were announced as the heir he never was the same and time has only made it worse. And now that your coronation is just a fortnight away... he wants to be happy for you, I know he does, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was lied to.”

“He’s just envious, he should have known, I am older,” Thor’s expression hasn’t changed.

“This isn’t envy,” you sigh, “This is disappointment. He is still hurt. Whether you are older on not, it doesn’t matter. From your early childhood, you both were raised to be kings, the throne was promised to both of you. You were equals. After our engagement was announced he took it as conformation that he will be heir, that I was to be his queen.”

“To be fair, sister, I thought so too,” the man looks onto the kingdom from the window.

“And now you are treated as king while he is just a prince, nothing compared to you. I’m afraid for him,” you start pacing again, “I’m afraid he will do something foolish.”

You don’t tell Thor what Loki thinks, you wouldn’t betray either of them this way. Thor has to be able to trust his brother and you can’t reveal something Loki had told you in private as a sign of his trust. And after all, Thor is to be king, you can’t tell him something like this even if he sees you as a sister.

“Thor, we must do something,” you feel lightheaded, “No one has seen him since morning. He looked... determined. I asked him, but he brushed it off like it was nothing. He disappeared after that, I thought he was with you or training, but after I didn’t see him at dinner... Something’s wrong!”

You hear the heavy door open behind you and you turn around and see Loki coming towards you.

“My love,” he smiles at you and nods at Thor, “Brother.”

You run to him an almost throw yourself at him, but you feel him keeping something of a distance and you release him and take a step back.

“Where were you? What’s wrong?” you ask him, concerned.

“Nothing, love, I’m fine, everything is fine,” he kissed you on your forehead, “I just felt like clearing my head, being alone, there’s nothing to worry about, I didn’t want to bother you.”

“See, Y/n? Told you everything is all right!” Thor laughs and walks past the two of you. He playfully slaps Loki on his shoulder and leaves through the door.

You wait and listen for Thor’s footsteps to fade in the distance before looking Loki in the eyes.

“Why did you lie to me?” you ask him with a hint of anger, but mostly concern. He has never lied to you before, not that you know at least.

“I would never lie to you, love. Lies are the poison of life,” he echoes your words and you almost believe him as he puts an arm around you.

You stand behind the heavy door, your hand raised to announce your coming, but you freeze. You need advice, you need to talk, but is it right? There is only one person who could possibly help you, who you could burden with your problems, but you’re not sure if she exists anymore. You decide to live on with your worries. You turn around, but just as you’re about to leave, the door opens behind you.

“Y/n?” the gentle voice asks and you turn around to face Frigga.

“All-Mother,” you courtesy.

“Please, there is no need,” she cups your cheek, “You are my daughter. You’ve never had to bow to me and you never will.”

You look at her. It has been many decades since you last truly spoke to her. 

“Can I talk to you?” you ask as you gently take her hand.

“Always, my child, come in,” she leads you into the room and sits you down on one of the cushioned benches, “What troubles you?”

“I...” you aren’t sure where to start, “I need... advice. I know I only just came back from Midgard, but I also have to go back soon, but I don’t know what to do. I’ve been trying so hard to fulfill my oath to protect them and show them that there is more to this universe and how close it really is, but there is only so much I can do. I want to make them see it for themselves, I use the powers I’ve been granted to do good. I have healed people who would have died otherwise with my magic, but even if they believe, others still call me a fraud, a charlatan, they don’t want to believe in us or other worlds. For them, all this is nothing but a legend, stories the vikings used to believe in. How? How can I make them see?.”

You don’t know that you’ve got company. Loki stands behind the door just like you had and listens. 

“How can I keep my oath?” you look at the queen, ”I can’t make them believe and I can’t protect them, not from themselves. They are bloodthirsty and stubborn, they grave violence and they look for war. How could I possibly protect them from themselves? Please, tell me what I have to do.”

“My dear Y/n, I can’t help you,” she takes your hand, “Midgard isn’t like the other realms. Midgardias are, as you said, stubborn. That is why we chose you. When I went into the orphanage, do you know why I took you? Because you were so kind and so fair. You did everything you could for the peace and the happiness of others. I knew that if anyone could bring peace to Midgard, it would be this little girl. If I knew how to help you, I would do anything, but the only person who could possibly know the answer to your question is you.”

“Mother,” you stop, “All-Mother, I don’t think there is a gentle way to do this. I’m starting to think they wouldn’t even believe if the truth would stare them into the eyes.”

Loki is still listening behind the door, a little hurt that you didn’t come to him for advice, not that he really could’ve given you any good one. He decides to help you in the only way he could - show the people of Midgard the truth in a way that you can’t. He can take the blame and you can do good by the people. Maybe he can make you queen after all. He turns around and leaves, determined to do whatever he can to make your task as guardian easier.

“There is something else,” you revert your eyes, “I’m concerned for Loki. He hasn’t been the same.Thor doesn’t think it is reason to be concerned, but... I know him as do you.”

“Loki has always been different from his brother and I know how much we’ve hurt him. And I too have noticed how he has been acting lately. He thinks he can deceive everyone, but the truth is that the people closest to him still see, but this is the way it is meant to be, the decision has been made and I can only hope things will return back to the closest thing to normal as it was in the past after the coronation. He has you to fight for.”

“Mean to be? When was this decision made?” you look at her.

“Thor is the eldest, and in history it has always been this way, the eldest child will be heir. They were both raised to be kings, just as I raised you to be a princess.”

“So it’s true what he told me, he was raised on lies. Why is it so hard to tell the truth? What is it with you and lies? You lied to him just as you lied to me,” you jump up, upset, “You know, I forgave you, no matter the lies and deception, the illusion of freedom. I forgave you, because you were my mother, you gave me a home when nobody else did. Thanks to you I got to be with the love of my life, my long Asgardian life that I too got thanks to you. I forgave you.”

“And I’m thankful,” she follows you, “I never wanted to lie, I never wanted to hurt you or him. But you must understand. I wanted you to have a childhood, I didn’t want you to feel different. Just as I didn’t want him to feel different. We wanted him to be an equal to Thor. We just wanted the best, but we didn’t really lie to him. He could still be king just not in this realm.”

“Noble, but that is not a good reason,” you feel sad.

“One day you will have children of your own. Beautiful and sweet children and then you will know how hard it is to make decisions like these. You too will have to make decisions that will seem impossible to make, but you will do what is best for them.”

“One day maybe,” you sigh before leaving, more conflicted then you were before coming here.

To be continued…

Part 11

Masterlist

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You stand on the balcony of your room. It’s the morning after the wedding. The golden light shines on the blooming trees and the people are still celebrating on the golden streets. They sing and dance, they wave white and golden ribbons. Sweet music has taken over the kingdom.

You hear Loki coming behind you. He wraps his arms around you and warms up your slightly shivering body. The spring winds are still chilly. He holds you close to his body, you can feel him breathe. 

“Good morning, wife,” he says as he bows closer to your ear.

“Good morning, husband,” you laugh.

“You’re up early,” he kisses you lightly on the cheek.

“I guess I am,” you stroke his bare arms, “I was just thinking, watching the people celebrate. They are so happy, peaceful.”

“They adore you. They are celebrating your happiness and they get to eat as much as they can, not to mention the finest drinks that have aged for many hundreds of years deep within the mountains.”

“Yes, but...” you look for words, “I gave an oath I don’t know how to fulfill. I promised to protect Midgard and its people. I promised to make them part of the larger universe, but how? Humans kill each other just because someone else tells them to. There are so many Gods and they tend to deny all but their own. How can I tell them about the other worlds when they can’t handle their own?”

“Little by little. You’ll have thousands of years to do so,” he tightens his grip, “And I will be by your side every step of the way.”

You smile, but don’t say anything.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Even if I have thousands of years, I can’t do it from here, not from the comfort of a golden palace,” you finally say, “When I left, the world was at war, again. A year has passed and I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if the war has ended or are they still battling. Who won? At what cost? It haunts me, not knowing and I feel guilty that I don’t know after giving an oath of protecting my world,” you pause, “What I’m saying is that I have to go back, I don’t mean always, I mean periodically, I have to be there, live with the people I need to help.”

“You want to leave?” Loki asks and you can’t read his emotions.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not I want to go back, I need to. I love it here, I love the people, I love the life I have here, but I’m afraid I would forget what it means to be human. I want to help my kind, but I can’t do it from here.”

“What about me?”

“I can’t ask you to leave your home, your kingdom,” you turn around, “I want to, but I can’t.”

“I wouldn’t be leaving anything truly important behind,” he says, “All I need is with you. Surely, if I’m to be king, I can’t be away for long. I have obligations as prince and warrior, but I’ll figure something, I’m not letting you go without me.”

He’s smiling a mischievous smile. He bows closer to kiss you.

“I’m never letting you go,” he whispers through the kiss. You feel him taking the belt of your long black lace and silk dressing gown and gently pulling till the tie came loose.

“There is nothing in this universe you’ll ever have to do alone again,” you hear Loki say as his hands wander and his lips leave burning kisses on your neck. 

You’ve been sitting in the bath for the best part of an hour, the door between the rooms is open and you watch Loki getting dressed. He is very precise and careful with every layer, every buckle and clasp. Every now and then he looks at you and gives you a smile.

As Loki’s ready to leave he comes to you. You look up from the tub.

“I’ll go join the festivities, I hope you’ll join me soon,” he takes your hand and bows down to place a kiss on the back of it.

“I will, no worries,” you say and stand up from the water. Still dripping wet you step out of the tub. The man is till holding onto you, giving you support. Taking the towel that has been waiting for you, you wrap it around your body and give Loki a kiss.

“I’ll be right with you, go ahead,” you smile at him.

“Yes, my lady,” he bows before leaving the room.

You walk up to the little dressing table by the golden mirror. You run your fingers over the marble tabletop. There lie different air brushes and decorated containers, some you know, some you don’t. A rectangular dark wooden box with golden ornaments catches your eye and you can’t help but open it. You see a straight razor on red satin. The metal has swirls of different grays on it and you reach out your hand towards it. You want to run your fingers over the blade itself to see if it is as smooth as it looks. You can barely touch the sharp edge of the razor when you have to pull your hand away as it has already cut you. You hold your injured hand in front of your face and see the straight bleeding line across your fingers, but the pain quickly fades. You take a closer look and see the blood disappearing back into the wound before it would close. Baffled by what you just saw you pick up the straight razor by its handle and carefully run it over the palm of your hand. It leaves a dark red line behind. You can barely lift up the blade when you see the injury already healing. Amazed, you put down the straight razor and take a step back from the table. 

Almost running you go to the bedroom and dry yourself off and get dressed. You get ready as fast as you can. Wearing a beige dress with a golden armored corset embroidered with pearls and the golden cloak you were given at the wedding you walk out into the big hallway. You have to really hold yourself back so you wouldn’t be running. Two guards escort you as you made your way into the great hall where people were still feasting and celebrating. 

You spot Loki on the other side of the room and you walk up to him.

“Come with me,” you say urgently.

“Why? Is something wrong?” he tries to read your expression.

You don’t say anything, but take his hand and almost drag him with you. Passing the set table you take one of the knives without anyone noticing. You hide it in the silks of your dress. You reach the hallways again and the guards start to follow.

“No, stay here,” you say almost commanding. You are impatient. Loki is a little surprised and very curious.

You get to a quiet branch of the hallway, you are alone. As you let go of the man’s hand you take out the knife.

“Have I displeased you somehow?” Loki asks jokingly, but you don’t answer. Instead you stretch out your arm and before he could stop you, you cut your forearm. You grit your teeth as the knife severs your skin, but the pain is quickly gone. Loki hits the knife out of your hand and grabs your injured arm.

“What are you doing?” he asks shocked and concerned. His eyes are fixed in yours.

“Look!” you nod towards the injury as it starts to grow back together. Loki’s eyes widen and he runs his fingers across the healed skin.

“The Tablet, it deemed you worthy,” Loki looks at you with amazement, “It gave you powers.”

He strokes your arm again and his face turns back to concern.

“But please, next time just tell me, don’t try to cut your hand off,” his smile is almost sorrowful and you wrap your arms around him.

To be continued…

Part 9

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“This must be a dream,” you said as you walked to the balcony, Asgardian silks silently gliding over the floor behind you, “But it feels so real.”

“My dear, this isn’t a dream, all the stories you grew up on are true. The ones about the mighty Thor and handsome Loki, the battles of Odin… they are all true,” Frigga stood in the middle of the room, “I raised you to be an Asgardian princess so that you could help bring peace to Midgard and its people, to unite it with the other eight realms.”

“No, no, no, let me wake up,” you wrap your hands around yourself.

“I can imagine what it’s like for you. It must be a lot at once, but I do hope that you’ll start believing soon so that I can show you everything the Nine Realms have to offer and that I can introduce you to the princes, especially Loki who you’re meant to be betrothed to soon.”

“Loki?” you turn around in shock, finally realizing what was going on, “All these years you have fed me lies, you raised me like a pig to be married to someone who has lived for millennia before I was born. Viking knew him as a God! I am lucky to live to see 70, I’d die before he learns my name. And… what gives anyone the right to decide for me… what if I want to go back… if I want none of it…”

“Please, dear, be calm. Sometimes you are too hasty. No one can make you do anything, you are too stubborn for that and this is good. If you want to I’ll send you back right now, I’ll take all unwanted memories away and you can live a regular life,” Frigga comes closer, “But I hope you’ll stay, even if just for a little bit longer.”

“Thank you… All-Mother,” you say without looking at her, you are in pain, “Could I be alone?”

Frigga nodded to herself and silently left.

It was dark, but you saw the city in lights, the streets were almost empty and complete silence surrounded you. It was late and you knew you should go to sleep. You looked at the big bed, but it wasn’t inviting, instead you decided to go for a walk and clear your head. Walking through the big halls you were left alone, the guards in shiny armor ignored your presence and soon you managed to find your way outside, instead of the city streets you found yourself in front of a grand garden.

Walking through the fantastic garden, you see curious flowers and sculptures you could’ve never imagined. You got lost into your own amazement and were startled by a voice coming from behind you.

“Fair maiden, it’s not safe to be alone and in utter darkness outside of the palace,” the mesmerizing male voice said. You turned around to see a dark figure. Starlight bounced off the golden decorations on his garment, “Please, let me accompany you.”

“It would be very kind of you, sir,” you smiled lightly.

“I’m Loki, son of Odin,” the figure said.

“I’m very sorry, your highness, I meant no disrespect!” you said and bowed.

“There is no need, Lady Y/n,” you could see him smile, “It would be my pleasure.”

With that you walked in the garden and on the city streets for hours. He talked in a low, hushed voice so the two of you wouldn’t disturb the peace of the night. He showed you many wonderful buildings and statues, he told you stories you had never heard before.

You walked along the golden road, you were gently holding the snow white flower the man had plucked for you. The night was warm, but you had gone far from the palace and the winds that made waves appear on the waters surrounding the city were now playing with the silks of your dress. A shiver ran through you and it didn’t go unnoticed to the prince.

“How inconsiderate of me, I’m so sorry, you must be freezing,” he said with concern.

He took off the metal and leather overgarment he was wearing and put it over your shoulders without waiting for your answer. The leather was warm and smelled strongly and pleasantly of something that you couldn’t even describe.

“Thank you,”

“Shall we go back to the palace now?” he smiled.

“Not yet, please, tell me more,”

With that you walked along, he was fascinating and you even forgot that he was the high and mighty prince of Asgard, the God of Mischief.

“I remember my time on Midgard many hundred years ago. Your people are fierce and strong, but what I’ve heard they have quite the fantasy.” he said, amused.

“Do you mean to tell me that you do not have many children, including a wolf, a huge snake and an eight-legged horse?” you ask him teasingly.

“I can’t say that I do. There are many exaggerations in their stories.”

“Well, maybe you Gods shouldn’t have been away for so long then,” you look at him, the humor in your tone gone.

“You’re probably right, Lady Y/n,” he nods, “But that is a mistake we will fix over time. For now, pick your steed from the stables.”

You hadn’t realized that he had brought you to the stables where many horses stood silently, eating. You stepped in, they looked just like horses from the pasture near your house on Earth, but you felt them to be different.

“They are Asgardian horses,” Loki said as if he had read your mind, “They were breed to be warhorses, they would be quiet as the shadows, strong and fast, but never to tire.”

You locked eyes with a wonderful white stallion that towered over you as you got closer. Loki stepped past you and opened the fence gate and led the horse out.

“But I can’t ride,” you say as you stroke the animal’s neck.

“Don’t worry, he will do all the work for you,” the man said and saddled the white stallion and a black one from the other side of the stable.

When he was ready he stepped behind you and placed his hand gently on either side of your waist and lifted you up effortlessly to help you get into the saddle.

The two of you rode around the outskirts of the city where the buildings bet the forests, following a river you finally made it back to the palace garden. Once he helped you back onto solid ground you felt as if you were flying, you were so tired and all the troubled thoughts you had had were gone.

Loki helped you find your room in the maze of halls and stopped by the door.

“Thank you, your highness, I had a wonderful time,” you said with a smile.

“The pleasure was all mine, my lady,” he bowed and kissed your hand, “Good night.”

“Good night,” you said with the slightest hint of a blush. You closed the door between the two of you.

Loki’s smile disappeared as soon as you closed the door. He walked back the way you had come and soon saw Frigga standing by a window.

“I wonder why all the lights were out today in the garden,” Frigga said with a smile.

“I figured it would be best to get into it as soon as possible,” Loki said and stood next to her.

“I’m very proud of you, my son,” Frigga took his hands into hers, “You are dutiful and I know you will try to make her happy, but please, tell me, would you be happy with her by your side?”

“Can anyone be truly happy if they are forced to do something?” Loki’s eyes were sorrowful.

“I’m very sorry,” Frigga hated to see her son like this.

“Good night, mother,” he said and placed a kiss on her forehead before slipping past her into a dark hall.

To be continued...

Part 3