#frigga and loki watch thor's training together and loki plays at being thor while wielding imaginary weapons

[lokijiro]

Little Thor is learning to fight with weapons, and it's already clear that he's far better than all the other children his age.

Toddler Loki is all admiration and cannot wait to start his own training and become just like his big brother.

[justfandomwritings]

By The Norns (Part One - Soulmate!Loki)

Pairing: Loki x Reader, Soulmates AU

Word count: 2.1k

Warnings: Nobody was harmed in any way in the making of this story... but there was some arson.

Summary: She wasn’t a goddess. She wasn’t even an elf or a dwarf. She was a mortal, a Midgardian, a human. To Odin, she was a curse. To Loki, she was a second chance.

Notes: Don’t worry. Despite what the chapter and the description may make you think anyone whose read my stories before will know I am not a fan of soulmate aus that take away the character’s choice. This chapter is set up. Stick with me on this. I promise. Posted in honor of @muna1412​ being very excited at the prospect of another soulmate au.

This is not related to Loyalty in any way... I just have an unhealthy obsession with Soulmate aus. 

Fate was a funny, fickle thing. Loki knew that much. After all, he’d met her. 

Them, to be more precise. The Norns.

Urdr, Skuld, and Verdandi were their names: Past, Present, and Future, as they should be known.

It was they who watered the tree, and they who grew its leaves. The task fell to the Norns to write, shape, create, and control the fate of every being under the branches of Yggdrasil. 

A poor, dwarven craftsman working on the surface of Nidavellir, a beautiful, golden elf living on a hill in Alfheim, a meager, puny human scurrying around the surface of Midgard. It was they who made the dwarf rich, who killed the elf in his sleep, who let the human sow the land. They did not exchange the gold; they did not wield the dagger; they did not draw the plow. But it was by their hand, by their grace and mercy, that the worlds turned, that life waxed and waned, that the Realms drew breath. 

Every birth was through their will. Every death was by their hand, and everything in between was because they decided it would be so.

All fell under the gaze of the Norns. The kitchen cook, Andhrimnir, who served the Aesir’s table at night, owed everything to the Norns. They allowed his birth into Asgard. They raised him above the station of a lowly tavern boy. They gifted him the family he cradled so dearly to his chest.

Odin, King of the Nine Realms, Protector of Asgard, owed everything to the Norns. He was born by their choice. He survived a thousand battles because they said he would do so. He married Frigga because they put her on his path. His sons… 

Well, one of his sons.

Loki knew the exact moment Odin stopped looking at him as a son, the exact moment Odin chose Thor over him, the exact moment Odin turned his back on him, the exact moment his father marked him disappointment.

It was, like all things, the doing of the Fates. The Norns.

Fates were theirs to command from the highest branches of Yggdrasil down to its very roots. From king to beggar, slave to master, aristocrat to pauper, farmer to merchant, sailor to soldier. From Loki to her. She was their doing.

Love was an inevitable part of life. Not even the Norns, with all of the power of the gods and then some, could stop that. Humans, Aesir, Elves, Vanir, the sentient beings of the Nine Realms felt an overwhelming urge towards emotion, and one of the strongest, one of the most inevitable, was love.

They couldn’t stop it, but they could direct it.

It fell under the purview of Fate to decide who one loved. People, god and mortal alike, fell in and out of love all the time. 

Sometimes, though, every now and then, the Norns would reach down and touch two beings. The Norns would take two souls in two bodies and braid them together, weave them together, mold them together, as if they were one.

Those who knew magic well, those like Loki, could see them, watch them, doing this. 

They could see Urdr floating, invisible amongst them, deciding the pair. They could see Skuld, plucking up their souls. They could see Verdandi tying them together.

Loki watched them when they took his soul.

“Mother, Mother,” Loki tugged on his other’s silk skirts and pointed up into the rafters of the Grand Hall. “What’s that?”

Frigga followed her son’s gaze and gasped. Magic was not her proficiency, though what little she had she wielded well. She had enough to see the Norns, floating ghostlike in the air over her younger son. She had enough to see his soul in their hands, and another at their side. 

In the old days, before that fateful night, it was considered an honor to be chosen by the Norns. It was a guarantee of a great, powerful destiny in the future. It was a promise of passion, understanding, and respect on the horizon. It was the mark of one who would know true love. 

The Midgardians called them soulmates. The Aesir called them the destined. 

“The Norns have touched Loki,” Frigga whispered to Odin at her side. “They are gifting him a match.”

“With who?” Odin asked because he could not see them for himself.

Frigga squinted in the direction of the apparitions tying together Loki’s future. “I cannot tell. She appears to be…” Frigga’s eyes whipped around to Odin, “Midgardian.”

Odin turned up his nose and sniffed.

Midgard. The word, the world, that had sentenced Loki to a lifetime of second best. 

His ‘destined’, his ‘soulmate’, his curse.

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It was centuries before the soul tied to Loki’s found the body it would spend its own life in.

(Y/n), her parents named her. 

They weren’t sure why they named her that. When asked, they said they saw the name once in a book. Or was it on the tv? Or in a dream? 

Neither could really remember. All they knew was that, as she grew, the name suited her perfectly. Almost as if fate itself had chosen it for her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For centuries, millennia even, her soul had been lingering on the edges of reality, existing but not quite feeling. She floated through time and space, following the ties that bound her to existence, waiting.

By the time her soul entered her body on Earth, she had existed longer  than any other Midgardian ever had or would in all of history. She had lingered for years just out of reach of one of the most powerful beings on Asgard, her soulmate. Lifetimes had passed her by in the blink of an eye, and though she didn’t remember any of them, they remembered her.

Her soul hovered above its mate, basking in the magic that dissipated into the air around him like smoke. She breathed it in, soaked it in, drew it in.

In many ways, even subconsciously, she showed her age, her mate.

Even as a baby, she never woke her mother up screaming, to the jealousy of her mom’s friends. She was the model toddler, even through her terrible twos. She almost never cried and rarely threw temper tantrums. They called her a prodigy when she started speaking in full sentences before time doctors even expected her to be learning her first words, and they called her a genius when she learned to read full children’s books while other kids were still struggling through their first alphabet flashcards. Even though she ran around playing in the mud or splashing in puddles, somehow her clothes were always pristine. She taught herself faster than the teachers could and skipped two grades in elementary school alone. She was suspiciously charismatic for such a little girl and made, literally, hundreds of dollars off her lemonade stand. She listened to a family speaking another language in the store once and ran up to them to answer a question they had; when her parents asked her how she’d learned to understand or say that in another language, she had no idea what they were talking about and seemingly hadn’t even realized she’d done it. 

And yet there were other things, darker things. 

When she was born, the nurses didn’t question the little shock of static that jolted through them as they held her. No one commented how, in the right light, the baby’s eyes could look terrifyingly aware. She lied as easily as she breathed and almost never got caught. A girl made fun of her friend's hair once at school, and that night ended up being rushed to the hospital by her parents with all the signs of a heart attack in a five year old child. She liked having things her way, and even when her parents refused her, they always found themselves oddly compelled to do whatever it was anyways. She had an affinity for snakes that often found her letting them in the house. The pranks she pulled on her little brother sometimes got out of hand and often resulted in loud crashes and screams, though by the time any adult arrived nothing ever seemed broken. Her father used to joke that she must be some kind of shape shifter because he swore that, from day to day, her eye would change their color. Sometimes, when he looked in them, he swore they weren’t his daughters, but when he blinked and looked back they always returned to normal. 

Most of it was written off as the simple oddities of a child or exaggerations of first time parents. 

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Superheroes did not exist when (Y/n) was a child. 

It would be another decade before Tony Stark would stand on a stage and proclaim before the world, “I am Iron Man.” It would be even longer still before Peter Parker would put on a red and blue jumpsuit and call himself, ‘Spiderman’. Bruce Banner hadn’t even begun his research into the serum that would be his ultimate undoing. Dr. Stephen Strange was finishing up med school. Thor hadn’t made his presence known. Wanda had just been born. Hawkeye and Black Widow were still assassins working in the shadows. No one outside Wakanda had ever heard of the Black Panther. Vision hadn’t been built yet, and Captain America had been dead for decades. 

Even if they did exist, it wouldn’t have helped (Y/n). Most of them weren’t born super. Most of them became so by lab experiments or radioactive insects or training or technology. 

In the world (Y/n) grew up in, there were no superheroes. And if there were no superheroes... then what was she? 

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She was 12. 

It was her big day. 

Not her birthday, she didn’t particularly care about birthdays. Something about them just felt off to her. When she turned 11, she asked her mom if she could have two of those candles that were shaped like the actual numbers, and she’d put them pressed against each other on top of the cake. She ran around all day telling everyone she was 1,111. Some people laughed, but mostly to humor her.

That was why she hadn’t had a birthday party when she turned 12. She didn’t like people fake laughing. It felt like lying. She didn’t particularly mind lying herself, but she hated thinking that people were lying to her. Especially because she could always tell when they were. 

No, instead, she had this. The Science Fair.

She’d won first prize the night before. She knew she had because one of the judges had told her she’d won.

That morning, they would be handing out the awards, and she was so excited for everyone else to know the secret, to know that she was the best, even better than the older kids in her class.

The judges were walking up on stage, and any moment, once they got past the category winners they were going to call her name.

“In third place we have Jesse Martin with his project in the biology category!” 

A cheer went up that, judging by the pitch, absolutely must have been from Jesse’s mom. The other parents in the room clapped while Jesse ran towards the stage, turning red in the cheeks from his family’s overzealous encouragement. 

“Congratulations, son,” the Dean smiled as he bent down to shake the boy’s hand. The mike picked up a small bit of Jesse’s anxious thanks before he ran to join the line of winners.

“And in second place we have, (Y/n)! With her wonderful….” 

Second place. 

But Mr. Sellers, the science teacher had told her she won. 

Was he lying? Did he honestly think second place was winning? Was he just saying that to shut her up? Or was he being mean? Did he want to laugh at her when his real favorite won? 

The parents were cheering her, including her own. Her father was nudging her towards the stage, but she didn’t at all appreciate the gesture.

No. They told her she was going to win. 

Her face screwed up in pain, and she balled her hands into fists.

At the back of the room something exploded. 

A scream went out. 

“Fire!” Someone shouted. “Fire!”

The poster boards up and down the hall were catching fire. It jumped easily from paper to paper. It didn’t help that there was no smoke, for some odd reason. That the sprinklers, that the fire alarm, didn’t turn on.

Someone grabbed (Y/n) by the waist. Her father no doubt. 

(Y/n) barely noticed. She was still upset staring at the trophy on the stage over his shoulder. 

Slowly, before her eyes, it began to melt.

She smiled. Good. If she couldn’t have it, no one could.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“She caused the fire.” He whispered, staring down at the floor in front of him with glassy eyes. 

“Wayne, that’s crazy; you know it is.” 

“I saw it with my own eyes, Elle. She clenched her first and suddenly Christina Danvers poster exploded. She gets second, and the first place project explodes the moment she throws a fit?”

“Our daughter doesn’t throw fits.”

“Not normally, but she did today. She was about to, and then everything caught fire.”

“Wayne, you can’t be serious about this right now.”

“She was smiling.” He whispered. “When everything burned down, she was smiling.”

(Y/n) listened silently from the hallway as her parents talked.

She loved to eavesdrop on her parents late night. They never knew she was there. It was another one of those odd coincidences of her life that (Y/n) was the only person in the house who never made the steps creak when she walked up and down the stairs. 

She was old enough to know what they were saying, what they were implying. It should’ve bothered her more than it did.

(Y/n) walked back upstairs, silent as the grave, and opened her closet.

She needed the duffle bag her father kept tucked away in the top of her closet, but she was nowhere near tall enough to reach it. As the door slid open, the bag teetered on the edge of the wire shelf and fell to the floor. 

“How convenient,” (Y/n) mumbled to herself. 

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“Hey Kid,” The man shouted at her out the window of his semi-truck. “What’re you doin’ out here at night? It ain’t safe!” 

(Y/n) shrugged. “Not safe at home either.” 

The man gave her an understanding look. 

(Y/n) watched him carefully as he opened the door of his rig and offered her a hand. 

Her mother had always told her not to talk to strangers, but (Y/n) had found she could always tell what people wanted. Besides, she was pretty sure she was a greater danger to them than they were to her. 

“Where ya’ headed?” The man asked.

“West.”

“I can take ya’ as far as Texas.” He offered. 

(Y/n) hopped off the curb and grabbed the man’s offered hand, hauling herself up into the passenger seat. 

She didn’t know where she was going or why she was going there. But something inside of her told her she had somewhere to be.

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Next Time On.... Part Two

Thank you very much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed. I have just come back from a hiatus and a great deal of why I went on said hiatus was the stress of managing ‘added features’ for lack of a better expression. I like writing. I don’t like formatting or managing the blog side of things. 

As such, no taglists. Please don’t ask me to be on a taglist. Keeping track of it stresses me out too much. I don’t feel like doing it. I don’t appreciate being pressured into doing it. In the olden days of tumblr, people used to follow each other, and I promise you that feature still works. If you follow me you will see part two when it’s posted. 

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Jane Foster’s child

Jane Foster x child!reader

Thor Odinson x Foster!child!reader

warnings:

a/n: no not a foster child, jane foster’s child 😌 also im so super glad you liked those!!! hope these are just as good!!! and im genuinely so sorry these took so long

prompt: anonymous: “Hey! I just read the Tony Stark x Potts!child!reader HC and I loved it! Would you do the same but with Thor and Jane? ❤️”

no babysitter = go to work with mom

dr. selvig gave you a rubik’s cube to keep you entertained

“fuck that! here, y/n, you can play my DS” -darcy

“can you not swear in front of my child?” -jane

you thought tonight would be boring, but then your mom and darcy collectively hit a homeless guy with a car!

“holy crap, we’re all going to jail!” -you

“don’t say ‘crap,’ y/n! we need to get him to a hospital!” -jane

ngl this dude was kinda funky

darcy used her taser and your mom covered your eyes, but you still peaked ;)

ride to the hospital

“don’t touch him, y/n”

“sorry, doc”

and the very next day you guys stole him 💕

“mr. thor, where are you from?”

“i am from asgard! it is much different from this realm, but your’s is adequate, i suppose”

“thanks?”

you could see the way your mom looked at him, though

he ate all the pop tarts >:(

she gave thor her ex boyfriends clothes

“yeah, donald was a real ass—” -you

“don’t say ‘ass.’ darcy curses too much” -jane

“sorry, mom...anyways, donald forgot to pick me up from soccer practice like, a dozen times. he sucked” -you

“this ‘donald’ doesn’t seem like a very good man...also, what is ‘soccer?’” -thor

you grabbed a soccer ball and tried to show him how to play but there was some other stuff the *scientists* had to take care of

you were a regular at izzy’s diner (well, mom was) and they always made you cute pancakes in different shapes!!

“ah, it’s a smiley face! that’s adorable!” -thor

“yeah! they like to surprise me whenever i come in. they’re pretty awesome” -you

*your mom literally beaming at how good thor is with you already*

you and thor were drawing on paper placemats

and then he broke a glass and you started giggling hdhshshs

but he had to leave

“no, thor, please don’t go!”

“i hope to meet you again one day, little one. hopefully fate sees it through”

:((((

no time to be sad bc ur mom’s lab got hijacked by the government

“hey, no fair! that’s my diary!” -you

“sorry, kid. there are constellation drawings we have to observe” -coulson

“aw, you draw constellations? wait, not now. you can’t just take all our stuff. especially that! that belongs to a child!” -jane

“sic ‘em, y/n!” -darcy

“don’t listen to darcy, y/n” -selvig

chilling in the trailer and missing thor bc he was the most interesting thing to happen to you and your mom in a while

and you wanted her to be happy even tho he was kind of crazy

“hey, mom? do you want to watch the stars tonight like we used to do? we could make s’mores?”

“that sounds like a great idea, baby! i’ve gotta go take care of some science stuff, so i’ll pick up some s’mores stuff while i’m out. love you!”

yeah she went to go see thor and he kinda got arrested but your mom came back home so you could watch the stars!

“so, do you like thor?” -you

“what? what makes you say that?” -jane

“it’s cool if you do, i think he’s awesome. a little weird, but at least he’s nice”

then thor and selvig came home and selvig was drunk as a skunk

*poking him while he giggles and tells you about thor*

“i wish your grandfather could have met that guy! he would have loved him...i wish you met your grandfather, too” -selvig

thor inviting you back outside

“i’d like you to teach me more about this ‘soccer’”

by the time you guys were done, it was 3am and you were too pumped to go to sleep

so thor told you stories of his home and battle and family

you didn’t want him to stop, you were fascinated by it all

and uhhhh yeah then earth kinda had some vikings show up

they told you that you’d “make a fine warrior one day”

and then yall got attacked by a ????? a what??? a destroyer???????

“get y/n out of here now! they shouldn’t have to see this!” -thor

you were still nearby and saw thor become thor again

after he was done fighting the destroyer, you ran to give him a hug

“that was awesome! can i hold your hammer?”

“maybe someday, little one”

then you didn’t see him for 2 years

which upset your mom a good bit, you had to help her through that episode. lots of sitting on the couch and eating ice cream together talking about how he wasn’t worth her time even tho you missed him too

but he came back! and then your mom sent everything flying bc she had an “infinity stone” inside her and thor took you two to asgard

“y/n! you’ve grown so much, i almost didn’t recognize you!” -thor

tbh you really digged the outfit they gave you, but also you were on another planet? thor insisted on giving you a tour (by flying you around)

“i do hope you’re having fun, little one!”

worrying about your mom simultaneously bc you overheard she was sick

but asgard got attacked and you and jane were confined to a room in the palace, which sucked because you wanted to see it all

but thor sent guards to bring you anything to keep you entertained

“maybe we’ll skip the mace for now, thank you” -jane

after several events that count as child endangerment, this chapter came to an end and your mom and thor finally made it official

loki called you a rodent and then saved your life so you were kinda iffy about him

about a year or two later, your mom had to travel a great deal in order to get some work done, so you were left in the care of thor, who took you to avengers tower

“oh, my girlfriend’s child is an angel! and they’re so intelligent, just like their mother!” -thor gushing to other partygoers

“yeah, thor, your ‘angel’ is sneaking drinks from the elderly” -tony

*sipping his beer* “they’re a growing teenager”

you did have an amazing time interacting with the avengers

and once they tried grabbing the hammer, you knew you had to get in on it (but you failed like the rest)

“don’t worry, my y/n, you have to be eighteen years of age to be able to lift mjölnir!” -thor

“oh, that makes sense!” -you, while thor aggressively shakes his head at the other avengers. he just wanted to make sure you didn’t feel bad you weren’t worthy yet :(

more child endangerment but really what did you expect?

thor went off world and your mom split it off w him but you did have his email so you were still in contact with him

swearing you saw odin on the street once or twice (fast forward)

and then your mom dusted and thor found you as soon as he possibly could, it was so good to see him

he took you in since you were alone now, you moved to new asgard and became prince(ss) of the new land by relation?? makes sense right

basically you and valkyrie made all the calls while thor grieved for years

but he still took care of you

“y/n, would you like to play video games with me? i think it may be a good bonding experience, what do you say?” -thor

“duh!”

uncle korg made you help him with fortnite while thor was asleep

you wished to wield stormbreaker one day

showing thor earth media! his favorite star wars character is r2-d2 dont ask why

he taught you asgardian recipes and you taught him...earth recipes?

when he was drunk he’d ramble on about his childhood and battle and enemies and jane and loki and hela and frigga and literally anything that came to mind

“y/n, could you please get me a beer? and get one for yourself, too” -thor

valkyrie most definitely gave you some battle training so you you blow off some steam, you were glad she taught you how to fight like a true warrior

thor wanted to teach you battle tactics so you could fight alongside him, but he never got around to it

a raccoon and bruce banner visited later on, proposing a way to get your family back, thor was an emotional wreck

his debriefing on the reality stone was tense when he started crying about your mom and everyone stared at you

“hey, don’t look at me. i don’t control the god, i just keep him company”

ending up waiting 1 second for the avengers to come back from their mission, resulting in you being stuck in the middle of a very heavy battle

“y/n, get out of here!” -thor

“don’t worry, thor! valkyrie taught me a few moves!”

“you make me incredibly proud, little one!”

“i’m not so little anymore, am i?”

“you will always be my little one, y/n. blood or not, that will not change!”

victory, but at what cost? it was a rough ride, you needed to get patched up, but your mom was finally home and thor...he decided it was time to leave earth again

“don’t worry, my y/n. i will see you again.” *tearing up* “i’m so glad i got the pleasure of raising you these past few years. i love you dearly, now go be with your mother”

you straight up wanted to bawl your eyes out right there

“well, y/n, you’re next in line for the throne of new asgard. what is your first command?” -valkyrie

“actually, i think you’d make a much better ruler than me. i’ve got to spend some time with my mother now that she’s home”

“you’re so much like him, you know that?”

staying with your mother, who was diagnosed with cancer not long after returning from the soul stone (a/n: jane getting cancer is canon in the comics and confirmed for thor 4)

“i missed five years of your life and now i’m sick, that’s just our luck, isn’t it?” -jane

she was understandably upset, but she also felt guilty

“mom, don’t beat yourself up. everything is okay, we’re still together right now. i won’t be going anywhere, i promise”

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @lokihiddles // @frostedgiantfavs // @emygirl // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisbisexual // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica // @freya-xo // @ravenmoore14 // @purpleskiesstorm // @ofthedewthesunlight // @canarypoint // @zoeyserpentluck //

[pandawritesmanythings]

(A Medieval!AU Loki x Stark!Reader Story)

Chapter Summary: Where you meet you future groom. He doesn't seem too happy about you, though.

Word Count: 2,503

Warnings: Allutions to misogyny, an old man being sexist (Not Odin), Loki being Loki.

Masterlist

A/N: I am so excited about this story! Thank you guys again for your support, and please be patient with me, I'm still not super confident in my own writing but I'll keep trying my best!

"Absolutely lovely..." You sighed as you admired the room that would be your quarters in Asgard.

"I'm happy it accommodates you, Princess. Please, allow me to help to ready you for bed." The blonde girl asked as she moved to help you get out of your tight dress.

"Thank you, Sigyn." You smiled and raised your arms so she and Wanda could get to work.

They helped you out of the dress and Sigyn handed you a flowy nightgown that she explained was a gift from the queen herself to you.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly..." You hesitated as you touched the soft material of the dress.

"Please. It is a gift from the Queen. It is considered quite rude for someone to reject a gift from the nobility." She explained.

You looked into her brown eyes and nodded, accepting the gift. It was the softest fabric that you had ever touched and it made you feel weightless as it softly flowed with the salty wind that came from the open window.

"It's gorgeous." You said as you softly smiled down at the gift. "Please tell the queen that I am truly grateful for her gifts."

Sigyn nodded and after finishing helping you get ready she shuffled out of the room, head hung low.

"Sweet girl, isn't she?" Wanda asked as she brushed your hair.

"Shy, but very nice." You agreed.

"It is a beautiful garment, the one you've been gifted."

"I agree. Queen Frigga has impeccable taste."

Wanda also finished up and went to a side door that had a bed for her, a small closet, and a bathroom for herself. She bid you goodnight and disappeared.

Sleep hadn't come easy for you for almost a year now. Tossing and turning were oftentimes how you spent most nights, nightmares waking you when sleep finally overtook you. But for the first time in a very long time, sleep came fast and no nightmares were present. 

That of course meant that you were of very good humour when you presented yourself for breakfast that morning.

The king, Odin, was very pleasant if a little bit straightforward. But overall he did nothing to make you feel overly uncomfortable.

Frigga was a delight, words sweet as honeysuckle and ambrosia, smile kind, and open arms to receive you. 

Thor was as friendly as the night before and greeted you amiably.

But the other brother... To say that he wasn't exactly excited to see you was an understatement.

"My son, Loki." Odin presented you to him with a gruff voice.

You curtsied. "My prince, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Loki didn't respond, he gave his father a lopsided look. "Really? Her?"

Oh, lord no.

Odin paid him no mind and turned to you. "I hope you can forgive my son's indiscretion, it's truly a pleasure to have you here. If you'll follow me."

He led you away from the dark prince while he stared at you like he was plotting how to exactly make you disappear. So you shot him a look that told him that you reciprocated his feelings.

You paid him no mind the rest of the morning. He was awfully quiet, adding nothing to the conversation and you began to doubt this was the clever strategist that your father had talked to you about.

Well, he had called him some particular names that you kept out of your vocabulary, and slowly you saw the reason to use them.

"We're truly happy that you've decided to go through this alliance, my dear," Frigga commented at some point during the meal.

"I'm grateful that you even considered siding with us your majesties. It is truly an honor to have Asgard's favor."

"Speaking of. We'll finish our treaty after breakfast if that's alright with you." There was no room for discussion in Odin's tone.

"Of course, your majesty."

"And afterward, we shall feast!" Thor raised a glass in excitement.

"I would like nothing more, my prince." You smiled politely at his open display of joy.

"I must object in this alliance, of course."

"Loki," Frigga warned with her tone.

"I'm sorry, mother, but as a pawn, at play, I must get a say." He said, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

"Loki, please. Stop." Frigga warned him again.

"... No. I don't think I will." He said before pushing his chair and storming outside of the room.

It felt hard to breathe, it was definitely tense in the room, but Frigga tried to lighten it.

"Forgive him, please my dear. He hasn't taken the news very easily."

"I can see that." You looked after where he had left.

"He just needs some time to process it."

You smiled at her, calmly, trying to show her your understanding. "I believe you, your majesty. It's been something to assimilate for me too. So I don't fully fault him. I just hope that we can come past our differences someday."

This seemed to relax everyone in the room, even the servants who had tensed up when the prince left.

"Thank you, my dear."

-

The room was filled to the brim with unfamiliar faces. The only ones you recognized were Steve and Bucky who stood guard by your side, Odin who sat high on his throne, and his two sons who stood by their father.

Thor looked at you with a kind smile, Loki was basically sneering at you.

"We have gathered here today, to make an alliance with our brothers. An alliance with the people of Midgard. May their representative rise." Odin's voice boomed through the room and commanded everyone's attention.

You stood with your head held high, through your mind speeding all of your mother's lessons in etiquette and diplomacy.

"Great leaders of Asgard. I represent my people, so that we may yet achieve peace. We face a common enemy, and we know that together we may stand a chance if they ever were to strike upon any of us." You began your speech. "I recognize Asgardians' accomplishments. Your technology is without a doubt superior. Your armies are well prepared. And though it may seem unnecessary, something that Asgard lacks is something that Midgard thoroughly possesses.

"Our forefathers', those who rose from the ashes of the earth, gained something that the forefathers of Asgard lacked. You have never faced the enemy. We have managed to keep them at bay for a century. We understand how they think. What they do. Name something. Anything. I will be able to provide intel. And not only me. Ask two of my bravest soldiers and companions. Captain Steve Rogers and Lieutenant James Barnes." You pointed to the two men standing right behind you. 

"They have faced the enemy ever since they were young." You looked around the crowd, trying to find a face that looked incredulous, or bored. You expected Loki to not be paying attention, but you actually saw him fully invested in your speech. Eyebrow raised at your defiant look around the room.

You finally found an old man towards the front who looked unimpressed.

"Pardon me, sir. May I ask for your name?" You politely requested.

"Lord Finnean Kendrick" He answered with a bored look on his face.

"Lord Kendrick. Would you like to ask any of us a question?" You offered.

Everyone turned their attention to the man, now put in the spotlight. "O-Of course! After all, if it is knowledge you claim to have, you must prove that is trustworthy knowledge!"

"Go ahead then."

He took a second and readjusted in his seat. "Lieutenant Barnes. At what age do Jotun's begin training their children?"

Bucky stared at the man, that was obviously common knowledge. "As soon as they begin to walk."

He hummed in approval. But that was too easy. "Captain Rogers. Are women often found on the battlefield, or do they stay and raise the young?"

"They are commonly found in battle. Children are raised as a warring community."

That last bit wasn't exactly common knowledge, which raised whispers around the room.

The man gritted his teeth and then looked you right in the eyes. "Alright woman. Your turn."

Oh, how calling him colorful names would help me calm down right now.

"If there was one thing you could say will destroy a Jotun, what would it be?"

You glared at him. You didn't care if the whole Asgardian court was watching you. You were actively and shamelessly glaring at the old man.

"Well, Lord Kendrick. Besides obvious fatal wounds that come from stab wounds, internal bleeding, and getting their faces smashed in by our warriors wielding maces. The most devastating thing to a Jotun is their honor and loyalty."

The room was silent expecting you to elaborate, but you didn't.

"And of course I would say more, but I only could under the assumption that this alliance is still taking place."

Whispers began circling the room once more, and although pensive, Odin had a shadow of a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Spoken like a diplomat, princess. Very well. We look forward to hearing more information from you and your generals." He conceded.

"Thank you, your majesty. I will send for all of our records on Jotuns as soon as the treaty has been signed." You nodded.

"Good." Odin stood and approached you, standing towards the center of the room. "Now, I suspect that you would like to discuss the other side of the alliance?"

You braced yourself, this was the part you weren't prepared for. Looking over at Loki, any spark of curiosity towards you had been snuffed out. In its place, a look of disdain was all that remained. You weren't sure if it was directed at you, but it didn't really matter.

"Of course."

-

"Tell me Sigyn," You called to the maid who was fetching your dress. "What might I expect from tonight's... festivities?"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "Well, first there will be a feast of traditional foods and drinks."

She passed the green layered dress over your head before continuing. "Then there will be dancing. That's why you can take layers off the dress." She pointed to a series of secret zippers. "Some dances are freestyle, so you can shed layers until you are comfortable."

You nodded quietly and allowed her to continue.

"Afterwards there will be more singing, dancing and drinking. The festivities are pretty loose since after a couple of pints everyone is too drunk to follow or establish any tradition." She lightly giggled.

You chuckled. "Are you sure that's all there will be?"

"I believe so." She tightened your corset. "But if there is anything I left out I'll make sure to let you know. But decorum is long forgotten in Asgard after the third and last waltz."

Looking at yourself in the mirror, you frowned. "Sigyn. Pardon my question but... Why green?"

She looked as if scandalized. "Well, you are engaged to Prince Loki, are you not?"

"Yes. But-" You looked back at your reflection at a loss for words.

"Then you must wear his colors to formal events. It is scandalous to wear another man's colors to any public event." She continued when your words couldn't come out.

"I see..."

"Is this not a tradition in Midgard?" She asked as she worked on your hair.

"Not really. We haven't found the time to establish many traditions when it comes to parties and formal events."

That was true, the few parties that you had ever partaken in everyone dress up however they wished (following the dress code, of course) and it mostly consisted of choreographed numbers and fine dining. You had yet to see what an Asgardian feast looked like, but by what Sigyn had described it wouldn't be incredibly similar to your feasts back home.

And Sigyn was, in fact, correct. After a hearty dinner, accompanied by not only the royal family but lords and dukes, you all followed to the dance ball where couples were pairing to dance in unison.

You didn't know the dance, the culture of each realm were well-kept secrets. They barely spread, only enough to be polite, but dances and literature never reached beyond frontiers, unless they were prohibited books.

But after the first waltz, you seemed to catch the drift. It was actually very similar to some of the Midgardian waltzes.

You were unsure if to ask anyone to dance with you. At this point, you were still so oblivious to Asgardian etiquette that you feared doing something that might upset the king. Even if the alliance had already been signed and Bucky had gone to deliver the news and to bring some of the sages and historians to begin the exchange of information.

But it wasn't necessary to worry much since as soon as the music of the second waltz was finalizing, you heard someone clear their throat beside you. Glancing to your right you found prince Loki, your betrothed, standing awkwardly by your side.

He didn't look at you, he just extended his hand for you to take, and when you did he pulled you softly towards the dancing floor.

Soft and careful weren't words you expected to use while describing your interactions with the dark prince. But life had a way of surprising you.

"I must admit that I don't know the Asgardian waltzes." You tried to ease into a conversation.

He seemed to smirk but he didn't meet your eyes. "Just follow my lead, princess."

He led you through the whole thing and didn't make a single teasing comment, which was nice.

"Thank you, my prince."

"What for?" He yet hadn't met your gaze.

"For giving me a chance."

"It's not like I have much of a choice. We both know it's in both of our nation's best interests." He reluctantly conceded.

"It is. And I know that this arrangement is probably not what you wanted, but if we are to spend our lives together, may I offer a truce to get to know each other?"

He was pensive as you glided through the ballroom. "I cannot offer you love."

"And I am not asking for it. I need an ally. And I think that as underestimated you are, you are the best choice in the room."

That cracked a smile on his face and finally made him look at you as if searching if you were being honest. "Better than the mighty Thor?"

"What are brawns without a brain to control them? Flesh can only get you so far." You grinned but kept your head raised in solemnity.

Loki searched in your eyes, yes there was a level of teasing, but he knew you weren't lying. It had been a while since anyone had been truthful to him.

The music ended and everyone applauded towards the musicians. The men and women with their instruments bowed, but instead of beginning to file out, they sat again and prepared.

"I hope you're ready for the next round princess," Loki whispered to you.

(TAG LIST OPEN)

[loki-godofmischief-myking]

Worthy

Loki x Reader 

You were one of Odin’s bravest warriors descended from a proud and strong warrior family. He and your father would see you marry off only to someone who is worthy- all sights are on Thor except yours. You have an interest in another prince.

Warning: Mature Content (18+) / Smut

Odin gave a hearty laugh as his eye took in the scene in front of him. The children he hoped to find training into the late hours of the afternoon were already sprawled out on the ground. 

You head-butted Loki making him lose his footing. Taking advantage of the situation you lowered your stance and swiped your leg across his- hitting the back first. Loki fell forward with a groan but managed to catch himself, landing on his hands and knees rather than on his face. 

“Do you admit defeat?” You stood above him with your sword to his chin. 

Anger filled Loki as once again you had managed to make him kneel before you. He was no fool. If he continued to fight you he too would end up like the others. “I do,” he admitted with a clenched jaw.

A triumphant smile played upon your lips as you withdrew your sword from Loki letting your pride get to your head for a second.

A second was all it took for Thor’s brute strength to knock you off your feet. “Surely you have not forgotten about me Lady Y/N.” The boy was already showing signs of battle. His brow was covered in dirt, his hair stuck onto his glistening skin, and a small cut on his cheek gained focus.

Sif walked off carrying most of Volstagg’s weight on her shoulders. “Come on big guy, we’ll get you healed.” She herself had some visible cuts and scrapes on her knees. 

It was but a second that Odin acknowledged the greeting of the two young warriors in training as they walked past him. Surely she had taken the rest of the warriors three to the healers if they were nowhere to be seen.

“For Asgard!” you shouted in your girlish high-pitch voice pinning Thor to the ground with your shield wielding arm at his chest and dagger to his throat. All young girls seemed to sound the same before coming of age but your voice came from deep inside your diaphragm. It carried an air of authority to it and as unmenacing as it sounded, the power of the delivery was phenomenal. You were truly a proud warrior. It was only when you shouted your battle cry that people were reminded of your age. 

“Lady Y/N we are both of Asgard,” Thor reminded you. The fire in your eyes had convinced him you might actually think him to be the enemy.

Odin’s hearty chuckle caught the attention of all three of you. The princes casually acknowledged him while you took a knee and bowed your head in the way your father had taught you. “My King,” you so graciously spoke earning Loki’s scowl.

How easily you would kneel before his father but not him was a constant wonder to him. He too was royalty yet you never regarded him as such.

“My young valkyrie you may stand.”

“Father, did you see? Did you see Lady Y/N knock me to the ground?” Thor’s loud cheery voice seemed almost too happy for what he spoke of. But he was genuinely surprised. He had grown taller recently and hoped it would result in enhancing his chances of winning you. Clearly, it had not.

Odin nodded, “Our future enemies will not stand a chance against her.”

“You are too kind Allfather.” 

Sif came back, hands at her hips. “Any more young babes want to go to the healers, or are you boys men?” Despite her injuries, Sif chose to wear them proudly and let them heal on their own.

“I am a man!” Thor proudly bellowed.

Loki’s brow rose in challenge of the statement, “You are an oaf!” Had his brother been smart like he, his wounds would be lesser. Loki stood up showing no traces of battle. He dusted himself off and stood regally.

“What of you Loki?” Odin asked. “You hardly put up a fight.”

“I do not wish to waste my time.”

“You must train like the others,” Odin sternly reminded him. “Do you wish to remain weak your entire life?”

Loki’s hand clenched into fists.

You did not miss the inclination that Odin considered Loki to be weak. “Loki is anything but weak Allfather. He has exceptional mastery over magic compared to any of us. He is clever, sharp, and tactical. Those are all qualities of a great warrior.” You knew you might have overstepped your boundaries when Odin’s head tilted in question but it had to be said. Poor Loki was always being compared to Thor and you didn’t like it. It was similar to how your parents compared you to all the past valkyries in your family. “My father says those are the qualities of a great warrior.”

Loki softened as you stepped up for him.

“If he says it then it must be true. Your father is the greatest warrior Lady Y/N and I see he has taught you well.”

“Thank you, my King.”

“Let us go wait for the warriors return in the throne room.” Odin turned to leave having accomplished what he had set to do, fetch his sons so they may stand together to thank the warriors upon their return- as was custom.

Thor and Sif ran behind him leaving you and Loki behind.

“I will not thank you for speaking the truth,” Loki approached you with a furrowed brow. His eyes fixed on your unruly hair. He picked the greenery out of your disheveled braid before asking, “Would you like me to fix it?”

You instantly turned your back to him allowing him to work his magic. 

Literally. 

In a matter of seconds, wisps of gold cascaded around your head and a neat braid fell over your right shoulder. 

He walked in front of you admiring his work. “There you look much more presentable.” He knew how you loved to please your father. 

While he liked you to win battles and train hard he also wished for you to look the part of a Lady. This meant keeping a neat appearance even after training all day.

“Thank you, Prince Loki,” you smiled up at him. The two of you were very similar. Wanting more than anything to prove yourselves to your fathers. Even if he was cold at times you knew who he really was on the inside. 

In the throne room, Loki left your side to stand beside the throne with his family. You stood to the right at the foot of the stairs, alone, along with the rest of the high-class warrior families and nobles. 

When the doors opened your eyes instantly landed on your father. He leads the warriors sporting more scars than when he had left. Next, you looked for your mother who was just behind him along with her sisters. The four of them were the best Valkyries of all time. They easily surpassed their ancestors and you were expected to do the same to their accomplishments. 

You were truly burdened by glorious purpose. 

Row after row of warriors marched in, In each, you found another familiar of yours. It was quite intimidating when your family tree was laid out to view.

You zoned out during Odin’s speech although you were sure you knew what he had said. It was mostly the same speech time and time again. Congratulating them all on keeping the peace within the nine realms and returning to Asgard with the respect of all who inhabit it. 

"Let us feast!”

As the crowd dispersed you remained unmoved. Thor and Sif ran off ready to satisfy the appetites you had worked up for them. 

Your father was called up the stairs of the throne where he and Odin exchanged hearty laughs. They got along so well people joked they might have been brothers separated at birth. They were like two halves of a whole- both missing one eye. While King Odin’s left eye was once sacrificed, your father lost his right eye in battle, protecting him. The similarities did not end there.

Loki stood off to the side watching as your father beckoned you over. 

“I hope my daughter was not too much trouble my Queen.”

Queen Frigga dismissed the thought. “Y/N is quite the warrior but a lady nonetheless. She has attended all her lessons as well as her training.” 

Your mother stroked the top of your head causing your perfect braid to fray a bit at the crown. The only affection your father showed was a nod of approval. He expected nothing less of you so he would not praise the norm.

At that moment Loki saw the sadness that glazed over your once bright eyes.

King Odin was surprisingly supportive of you. He assured your father of your Valkyrie status.  “Won’t be too long before she joins you on the battlefield now. The young warrior has even managed to defeat prince Thor in training.”

A few of your teenage cousins gathered around you thinking it false. That is until Thor came at the mention of his name and proudly vouched for you. “Lady Y/N truly is the greatest warrior. She brought Loki to his knees, the warriors three to the healers, and Lady Sif was unconscious for a moment but she woke up fine minutes later.”

“It was only one minute!” Sif corrected.

“Norns little Valkyrie!” Your aunt knelt down beside you. “The prince of Asgard sings your praises.” It was their greatest wish for you to marry into the royal family and fulfill what none of them had been able to do. 

“Thank you, Prince Thor,” you thanked him. 

Loki cursed Thor’s perfect timing. Had he not stepped in to aid you then he would have been able to do so himself. 

While their attentions were on the blonde prince you looked over to the fairer raven-haired prince. You smiled when you caught his green eyes looking right back at you. There was definitely something pulling you towards Loki, a connection you could feel but never explain.

\\\

As the years passed your interactions with Thor and Loki dwindled. Before you would spend your days running about the palace causing mischief and havoc to the maids. Training with them was always fun but it was child’s play in comparison to what your family planned for you.

As you came of age your training intensified. You were still living at the palace but you trained from the break of dawn to nearly dusk. Your only breaks were for manners and etiquette with Queen Frigga. 

Loki had no choice but seek you out at the training field.

“Straighten your back.”

You did as you were told, holding in the pain that came from holding your own weight up.

“Down!” your father ordered before quickly calling you back up. It went on for a while with him circling around you and Lady Sif. She was the only other person able to keep up with your father’s training. 

You didn’t even realize Loki was there until you heard your father. “Prince Loki, have you come to train today? Your brother has been skipping out in favor of attending to the ladies of the court.”

Loki smirked loving the fact that even your father knew what a ladies man his brother had become over the years. “I assure you that I only have eyes for one woman in this lifetime.”

“Wha-” a sharp puff of air escaped you as you lost your balance and fell to the ground. All the air had been knocked out of you. 

It was no secret that Loki wished to court you. That silver-tongue of his had nearly gotten you in trouble many times. While both your father and Odin hoped Thor would be the one to court you, Loki was a good second. The only problem was your father’s standards. “You may have her Prince Loki...”

“Father!” you hated when he spoke of you like a good to be traded. Even if you too liked Loki. “I am not a slab of meat for you to barter.”

He simply held his hand out to stop you. “...You may have my daughter if you prove yourself worthy Prince Loki.” WIth the way Thor was acting it seemed perhaps it would easily be done.

“I assure you, one day I will make your daughter a Queen, my Queen.” Full of charm and charisma, Loki was always easily able to smooth talk your father into letting you join him for some leisurely activity in the meantime. “For now it would be my honor if you allow me a moment with her.”

Your father looked back at your hopeful gaze unable to resist allowing you the opportunity. “Go on then.” Before you could get too excited he chimed in with a bit of a warning. “Remember to be back for evening training with your mother.”

“Yes father,” you quickly jumped over Lady Sif who was still holding her weight up on her forearms. Any break was welcome but spending an afternoon with Loki was your ideal recreational activity. 

Loki did not have to offer his arm because you always took it upon yourself to take it. “Let’s go before anyone tries to stop us,” you muttered realizing how your cousins were fast approaching. They too wished to make sure whoever you marry was worthy of such a great warrior.

\\\

Then it happened. 

Loki faked his death and attacked Midgard.

You were front and center at the throne room awaiting his arrival when Thor brought him back to Asgard in chains. Your heart sank at the sight, you yearned to reach out to him and almost did if it wasn’t for your father who put his arm out in front of you.

When Loki’s eyes met yours he smirked. You were truly as lovely as ever with your near immaculate appearance say for a few loose tendrils of hair that had probably come loose after a training session. “Y/N,” he greeted you in such a familiar way that insight your father’s wrath.

“Loki-”

“Do not speak to her!” 

“Father,” you tried to stop him.

He walked up to Loki but the guards formed a barrier between the two. Their barrier was only a formality for they knew your father would easily break through if he truly wanted to. “You will never speak to her again!”

Odin slammed Gungnir to regain order. 

No words were needed your father obeyed Odin’s call and retreated. “Let’s go Y/N.” He forcefully guided you out of the throne room despite your protest, leaving you to wonder about Loki’s fate.

It wasn’t until hours later that Thor showed up at your home to inform you of Loki’s punishment. He called you outside where he explained what had happened after you left. “I’m sorry Lady Y/N but my brother must answer for what he has done.” 

You sighed knowing he spoke the truth. “I just wish I could see him again, to talk and understand why he did what he did. There must be a reason.”

Thor gave you an apologetic smile. “Lady Y/N I know you and my brother were very close.”

“I love him, Thor.” That was perhaps the first time you had let anyone know of your feelings for Loki. You didn’t exactly hide your infatuation but you never officially entered a courtship with him leaving room for people to wonder.

“I know.”

“Then will you help me?”

Thor took a step back knowing what you would ask. “I don’t think it will be possible Lady Y/N.”

You persisted near begging Thor to allow you the opportunity to see your once significant other. “All I ask is to see him.”

In his cell Loki paced. He was plagued by negative thoughts of you despising and abandoning him- thoughts he had harbored since the day he fell off the Bifrost or rather let go of Thor. Since then he thought he had lost you for sure and your father’s threats only reassured it.

However, the single moment he held your gaze seemed to bring hope that you might still feel for him. His thoughts were broken when Thor appeared before his cell. His guise fell when he saw you accompanied Thor.

Loki stepped closer to the edge to get a better look at you. 

“Stop,” Thor commanded. “Loki I warn you now do not attempt to escape or I’ll be forced to keep Lady Y/N from ever visiting again.”

You put your hand on Thor’s shoulder to ease him off. “He will not misbehave Thor, you have my word.”

He nodded trusting you but by now learned his lesson about Loki. 

Loki’s eyes narrowed at your hand on his brother’s shoulder. He did not say anything but followed Thor’s instructions to stand back while he disabled the magical barrier to allow you passage.

“Thank you Thor.”

“I’ll keep the guards distracted for a while.”

As soon as he left Loki walked up to you. “Misbehave, am I some sort of child?” He was not happy about you having to speak for him. In general, he was not fond of having you see him like this- powerless and vulnerable. 

You ignored his line of questioning and hugged him instead.

Loki was rigid and speechless at first but soon he was accepting of your actions. Slowly his arms circled your waist as he laid his head on your shoulder. He was taken aback by the sound of your muffled cry as you hid your face in his chest. “Why are you crying, my Love?”

“It’s really you,” you restrained yourself only long enough for those words to be heard. You were still coming to terms that the love of your life was not dead but standing right before you in your arms. 

Loki held you tighter, “In the flesh.”

You looked up at him with a content smile, tear-stained cheeks and all. “I love you Loki.”

His heart nearly skipped a beat at your sudden confession. “My- is my little warrior becoming vulnerable to my charms?” For all the time he had spent trying to get those words out of you he had only managed to do so after a great deal of effort. Now it seemed you were more than willing to bear your heart on your sleeve.

You giggled out of pure delight and held his face in your hands. “Shut up and kiss me.”

So he did.

Loki lightly sucked your bottom lip, pulled you in by the waist and soon began letting his tongue explore your mouth. His lips were not limited to yours. He began to fervently plant kisses along your jawline and down your neck. He began to unfasten the buckles and laces of your armor as his lips ventured lower.

You were taken by the heat of the moment. Similarly, your hands began to explore Loki’s body. From his chest down to the lean muscles of his abdomen. Your rationality was regained when your chest was exposed to the cold air of the dungeons.

“Loki someone will see-”

Immediately Loki cast an illusion on the cell giving you tow some semblance of privacy. “No one but me will ever see your beauty.” 

Everything happened so quickly.

Before you knew it you had stripped Loki and knelt before him. He held onto your loosely plaited hair as you elicited a chorus of groans from him. They were music to your ears, you became greedy wanting to hear more. You added more pressure with your tongue and quickened your pace until a final moan had you tasting the fruits of your labor.

Loki panted as he bent you over the bed.

You gasped at the sudden change of position. “Loki,” his name left your lips in a low breathy exhale as you felt his long cold fingers at your entrance.

He did the bare minimum to prepare you. “Sorry love but I can not hold back much longer after what you did to me.” He had already cum but an almost animalistic urge laid deep inside him to do so again, this time inside you.

Your knuckles turned white from how hard you held onto the bedsheets. Loki was thrusting deep inside you hitting all the right spots. It was near impossible to remain silent. When his thrusts became far more erratic you began to moan louder. 

“Loki I’m going to ah-” you arched your back as Loki gave one final deep thrust. You had both reached your breaking point with you falling onto the bed after exerting all your energy. 

Loki groaned at the loss of your warmth around him. 

You turned on your back to look up at him through half-lidded eyes. 

Loki closed his eyes feeling a wave of want. “Do not look at me like that or I’ll take you once more.”

“I’m all yours,” you reminded him lifting your arms so he would help you up.

He smirked pulling you up to stand flush against him. The softness of your skin against him would forever be embedded in his mind. “I am not worthy of you.”

“Only I get to decide who is worthy of me and I say you are.”

With Thor’s footsteps fast approaching Loki used his magic to make both of you presentable again. He was beyond words for you. All this time he worried you would despise him as much as everyone else did. He was happy to see he could still count on you.

In a blink of an eye, Loki slipped a ring on your finger.

“What’s this?” you happily asked. The ring was silver and had a lovely blue stone that seemed to glow. 

There was no time to explain or say much, “I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too.”

“I will get out of here and we will be together once more.”

-end-

A/N: Sorry I did not update the series this week but here’s this oneshot to satisfy your Loki needs ^^

[imagine-loki]

Lonely Endeavors

TITLE: Lonely Endeavors  CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 2 AUTHOR: written-loki-imagines ORIGINAL IMAGINE:Imagine Loki being a sickly child. You’re the child of a palace maid and ordinarily you keep your distance from the princes, but one day you find Loki in his room, gazing at Thor and the other children playing outside from his bed. You decide to keep him company, reading books with him and even sneaking pastries from the kitchens for him while no one is looking.  RATING:  T NOTES/WARNINGS: Loosely based on imagine and I suggest reading the first chapter for context. Sorry for all grammatical errors, i try my best to catch them but I miss things.

The dusty off-white rocking horse teetered in the slight light of the room coming from the window. The slivers of golden light held particles that danced their way down to what they were shining on. The air changed upon entering the room, smells attached with memories wafted towards you. Smells of finger paints and broken crayons, misused clay and small wooden swords. The smells of your childhood long forgotten until now as if the memories were waiting for you to return to them.

A lone finger swirled across the old oak of the window seat many stories came to life at. Returning back with a thin, almost invisible dust layer on your fingertip.

“I thought i’d find you here,” he spoke in a voice like that of a lover, almost silent and meant only for you to hear. 

“I didn’t see you come in,” You replied still being hit with calming waves of nostalgia.

Thor chuckled to himself slightly, making his way across the room over to you, toys littered the reflective floors giving him obstacles on his way to you. He took long strides confidently, shoulders back, face fixated on yours greeting you with a smile. 

His heavy metal armor clanked with each heavy footed step he took further into the room. Thor grew into his features over the long centuries you had known him. No longer was he a goofy looking kid with round rosy red cheeks and short messy blonde hair. His red cape swished around his ankles and onto the floor sweeping up the dirt and dust left from the years on no use.

“Sorry i missed training your mother was running allthe wedding plans she already choose and it’s to late to change them by me.” You swiped your hand across the window seat and wiped the now dusted hand off on the fabric of your leather pants. You pushed yourself up to sit  horizontally in the window and looked out at the others still training outside

“That explains why you missed training but not why you’re in here.” Thor managed to get to you, kneeling down and resting his head on his arms atop the window seat. He peered up at you while you actively tried to ignore the warmth of his gaze, choosing to blankly stare at the others outside enjoying the day.

“It’s okay to think about it (Name), I do as well,” Thor once again demanded your attention with full force and effort, his cool and weighted hand found yours that was resting in your lap. You could feel him staring holes into you even if you couldn’t bear to face it head on.

“We’re getting married Thor I doubt this is the best time to dwindle on the past,” Your voice may have been cold when you tugged back and freed your hand from his grasp. Even the light pouring into the room stilled upon the silence you had invoked. Thor sighed and stood once more, the shifting of his body could be heard quite clearly from under all the layers.

You and Thor had never talked about how either of you felt towards the fast approaching marriage. Once you both had become of age it was clear why Odin encouraged your friendship between the two princes. Even as a young and tattered orphan he saw you as an object to betroth his eldest to. Which he did the first chance he got, it ensured Asgard a princess and Thor a family for when he ascends to the throne. Even the pairing made sense, no longer were you that broken girl dependent on others for safety. No more were you afraid of monsters and the darkness that came as soon as the sun set, no, now you were a decorated warrior and general of the Asgardin army just like your parents would have wanted you to be. Strong, tactical and wise with a goal to irradiate the jotun as an entire race of monsters.

Still it all felt like anything other than reality, marrying your best friend who you were raised along side like siblings. It couldn’t have felt anymore confusing than it already did. Thor was your friend, your family, your equal and now he was to be your husband. His affection and attitude towards you had never changed after the engagement and even then it all felt much more different paired with the thought that you were to be wed before the night was over.

“Is there not a better time? You came here on your own accord for a reason (Name), tell me what that may be." 

You finally looked at him seeing much more concern than you would have liked to be across his features. You pulled your eyes up to meet his still and serene blue ones, a small smile pulled on the corners of your mouth but never spread across your face. Thor in all his gentle giant glory couldn’t help but worry about the thoughts you had on your mind. Forcing you to voice them regardless if he knew exactly what you were thinking about.

"Do you think he’ll come?” You spoke confidently as always, not bothering to whisper or hinder the words you had been wanting to ask for years.

Thor’s whole body went limp and his once strong and confidant stance faltered at your voice. His eyebrows brought themselves together leaving little lines of disapproval over his face.

“(Name),” Thor started, shoulders down and head tilted. You could already guess what he was going to say or tell you to think and yet even his slightly commanding and disappointed tone brought you satisfaction.

“If he were dead do you not think your mother would have the decency to tell us? Now more than ever?” You swung your legs and watched as Thor hardened bit by bit looking like his father did when he was confronted in a way he did not wish. If you were weaker and more vulnerable that would have frightened you but you hadn’t been that in a long time.

“We were kids.” Thor frowned with hardly any movement of his lips. The smells you once welcomed in the playroom turned sour all at once and left a vile taste in your mouth.

“We had feelings! I had feelings. He was here and then he wasn’t and I- we never got to say goodbye. I never got to see him before…” You felt your throat closing in on you and your elevated voice. Out talking and outshining Thor’s still calm tone with an agitated demeanor.

“Loki was sick, there was nothing that could have changed that. No actions could have prevented him from being transported to Alfheim for  care. If that were the case i would have never said and done what i did all those centuries ago but we were nothing but children (Name). You cannot blame yourself forever, what happened wasn’t your fault. It was’t either of our faults, that night in the library was-”

“That’s enough,” You mumbled reaching to grab the small sunflower pendant you wore around your neck. You couldn’t remember why you bought it from the village markets, you hated sunflowers and yet you were so drawn to it. It comforted you in a way for no explained reason at all. You stared blankly past Thor and found your eyes being drawn to the door on it was various lines and names Frigga had used to measure how much taller you all were growing up. Thor’s red line grew up with your (f/c) one while Loki’s green one stayed the same. He wasn’t there to be measured and left behind all those years ago, still what you would do to have those times back.

You never got to see Loki again after that night, you could never form the perfect words to say how much you missed him and needed him in your life. Not before he got sick and the queen prevented both you and Thor from seeing him in such a fragile state. The illness had gotten progressively worse because before you knew it he had been sent to Alfheim for their healers to help him. You never knew what happened to him after that, death was a thought you couldn’t handle anymore of it so you spun a narrative of him getting bigger and stronger like Thor. Going to school and perfecting his magic even reading all sorts of new stories so he could come back and tell them to you . A comfortable lie felt better than what the truth might be.  

Thor leaned his tall frame down to meet you as you sat. His hands cupped your face gently and he pulled you forward to rest his forehead against yours. There was nowhere to look but into his deep eyes. No place to retreat but into him and his touch. It could have been a more uncomfortable silence if you didn’t know Thor so well, even in his quietness you could tell what he wished to say. 

All at once a gush of rushed footsteps and frantic voices burst into the room snapping both you and Thor out of the peace and conversation you were previously having. Thor jolted up dropping his hands from your face and folding them behind his back as he whirled around to face the door. Sif stood fully dressed in armor and wielding her sword in one hand. Two soldiers stood besides her wearing what attire was required of them but oddly holding weapons as well instead of leaving them by their hips.

Sif looked between you and Thor clearing her throat and entering the room closing the gap between you both. Unlike Thor she had no regard for dodging the objects on the floor or even trying to avoid them instead she stomped crushing everything in her path.

“Thor, general…” She declared regarding you as formally as she possibly could. You knew she and Thor had a dalliance in their youth but you also knew she was strongly against the marriage of you both. The only reason she had anything to do with you was because she couldn’t not respect you as her superior and as a warrior.

“Our team of scouts were ambushed trying to transport goods to vanaheim.” Sif was usually grim but there was no remains of joy left on her face. The way she gripped her sword as if her life was depending on it you instantly knew how grave the situation. You stood quickly pushing Thor out of your way and getting closer to Sif in order to speak directly to her giving orders if needed.

“What of my soldiers?” You were already letting your illusion magic fall allowing the once casual clothing you were wearing to reveal fully fledged armor and weapon.

“They are presumed to be dead, the frost giants have reportedly planned a strike against us. They have been organized as an army lead by a monster we cannot identify.” Sif didn’t bat an eye at your sudden change in attire nor did she unhand the handle of her sword. She was looking for a fight and you were dead set of giving one to her.

“You and you,” you said pointing to the two soldiers standing in the doorway awaiting your orders. “Tell the crown there will be no wedding on this night and you,” your eyes fixated back on Sif who readily was preparing for your orders,“Prepare my soldiers for battle, no frost giant will slaughter my people and get away with it.”

-/-

Despair was around the frozen battlefield. You could smell the spilled blood in the ridged air that flooded your lungs. Grunts, screams, battle cries, it was all that echoed across the frozen waste land. You brought the back of your hand up to your face and smeared the blood leaking from your open wound. 

Adrenalin was high. Your heart pumped in your chest surging you with a vengeance and power you never got except for when you were on a battle field. Death gave you a thrill and here, right now. You were the hero of this story.

You were at a stand still as people fought around you. The hair that was ragged and resting on your shoulders lifted off of them and got swept where the wind pulled it. The burn the cold left on you allowed you to see your hot and scattered breaths. Even your hands were numb and wanting the feeling of flesh underneath them.

That’s when you saw him.

The Jotun king.

Single-handedly taking out five of your men at a time.

Spear in hand.

Wearing the most ornate jewels and loin cloth seen only worn by those of nobility. He was smaller, smaller than any frost giant you had ever seen. He was still tall by nature but far from the size of a giant more like the size of a mere man. There was a mass of long ebony hair flowing down his almost bare body, even then he looked the most primed and prepared for battle. 

His head hung forward over his latest victim, mouth hung open and animalistic growls came from him solely. His hand holding the spear tightly, periodically bursting with some sort of energy radiating from him.

Slowly his horned head lifted with a devilish grin reminding you monsters were real. He lifted his head to stare at you with red eyes more red than the blood you felt rushing through your veins. 

You watched each other.

Chaos swirling around you and with one move his head tilted leaving the most frightful of smiles on his face.

That was all it took.

The game was on.

You charged. 

He stood.

 Knowing you would come to him and challenge him the best you knew how. The motives you rushed to him with were unclear and muddled. You wanted him dead, you wanted to be the last thing he saw before those red eyes glazed over with death. That was enough. You were granted with a number of choices and abilities to attack him with. Judging from what you just saw he was skilled in seiðr arguably more skilled than you. His fighting style was unique, hand to hand combat all the while casting spells and twirling a staff. 

With a sword in your hand and a dagger hidden in your boot you confidently attacked. He was like a snake so wiry and slippery, wriggling his way out of your grasp with each beat. 

Annoyed grunts left your lips and he managed to throw you over his cold and lean shoulder, slamming you flat on your back on the wet snow. When he dropped you an earthquake erupted inside of you spreading quickly, you were dazed even if it was for a second every aching bone in your body begged you to stay still. He lifted the spear over his head intent on driving in through your rapidly beating heart and the will to live over took the will to lie dormant. You rolled out from under his path, still driving the strange object into the snow and beyond that.

Without missing a beat you managed to shove him hard enough that the spear still stuck in the snow slipped from his grasp leaving him one weapon down. You tried to knee him but he caught it yanking your body part closer to him and causing you slip once again landing on the ground. A sense of dread washed over you all at once, a blood thirsty Jotun wouldn’t wait to end your life but this one enjoyed the fire you brought. He enjoyed dragging it out and watching you retaliate.

 You obliged throwing the sword you didn’t want to use to the side leveling the playing field so the one person who deserved to live walked out of this alive.

You kicked him in the gut with enough force to shove him backwards releasing your skin. The fear you should have held was swallowed as you stood again on unreliable feet. You slumped forward pulling your hand up to wipe the blood dribbling from your busted lip taunting him to come closer.

He did allowing you enough time to reach down and grab the hidden dagger from your boot and freely slice upwards cutting him across the abdomen.

He hissed in pain, his hands flying to the open wound. If you were anything but numb the sight of him in such pain would had stopped you but it didn’t. Once a drop of his blood fell on the ground you knew you wanted more.

He looked at you evilly and annoyed, in one strange second you felt a familiarity towards him. The fear you didn’t have came unexplained at full force. This situation filled you with such dread and pain. He made you feel small and only one person before had done that before.

“Loki?” Your throat was on fire and you let your guard down for a mere second. He pulled your limp arm towards him twisting the arm that held the dagger so harshly behind your back you dropped it. You howled out in pain and felt his own breath on your neck, your body pressed against him almost waiting death by his hand.

His breath seemed colder than the air everywhere else but even the hand he was using to hinder you defenseless felt like a memory.

He brought your own dagger to your neck and you hitched your breath feeling the metal press into your skin. Hard enough that blood was becoming uncovered. He abandoned that pain only to snap the pendant you wore with the knife he held. Your chin was lifted and you wanted to look down with every bone in your body. 

To see it lying on the ground. If you were to die on foreign ground you needed the last comfort you had to welcome you home to Valhalla. 

The knife was back on your neck and your eyes fluttered closed hearing every sound near you. 

The howling of the wind.

The rage of his heart beat.

The breath in his chest and the sounds of a war you lead.

The only thing you couldn’t hear was his voice.

You wanted to hear it to know it was him, to know it was him killing you. To know it was his hand solely giving you the satisfaction you needed to welcome death.

Out of nowhere a battle cry belonging to no other than Thor erupted from the sky along with a flicker of lightning. He tackled the man removing him from you and filling air within your lungs. The knife was so sharp that there was a cut where Thor slid him from. Shallow enough that you were not choking on your own blood but deep enough to bleed.

You could hear Thor landing punches hard enough to crack the skulls of a hundred men. Each punch hit like and egg cracking on the ground with such ferocity he didn’t need his hammer.

You were still frozen in place, staring upwards as you placed one trembling hand on the wrist of your other. His touch lingered and you knew it better than any other, it had brought you spots of comfort even as he was threatening your life.

“Loki.”

-/-

[unofferable-fic]

UNOFFERABLE: 8 - DUTY AND WORTH

Summary: The unexpected arrival of an injured Midgardian child clinging to life causes a ruckus on Asgard. The princes, Thor and Loki, are somewhat intrigued by this unusual guest, unsure as to how and why she ended up in such a state. What they did not expect, however, was the turn of events her appearance would inevitably cause.

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Set Pre-Thor 1

Pairing: Loki x child OFC (platonic)

Inspired by this imagine

Warnings: Fighting, fluff.

Word Count: 3,219

Previous Chapter     Next Chapter

Playlist: “Santa Monica Dream” — Angus & Julia Stone, “Pools” — Glass Animals

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A/N: Also available on AO3  and FanFiction.net.

The princes’ visit to Alfheim ended up lasting for far longer than they had both hoped for. By the time Odin saw them fit to return, almost a year had passed by. They had missed many an occasion in Asgard as well as Ellie’s tenth nameday — something that Loki knew she wouldn’t be impressed about. Odin had lengthened their stay when Thor had created a ruckus in a local village by getting exceptionally inebriated and accepting a challenge from a surprisingly aggressive group of travellers.

��Thor, there is really no need for you to accept,” Loki had explained, trying to convince him to just let it go as the crowd from the tavern began to gather around them. They cheered loudly, slamming tankards down on tables in delight. Though more reserved than the Aesir, it seemed that the Light Elves were feeding off the buzz created by the lumbering travellers who had initiated the fight in the first place.

‘Come out’, Thor said! Loki thought to himself. ‘We can go and find ourselves some voluptuous maidens for tonight’! All I wanted was a decent fuck and now Thor has to prove just how powerful he is to some other imbecile out to do the same thing.

“Nah ah, Loki,” he drawled, pulling up the sleeves of his undershirt and pausing to hiccup. “This man wants a fight and a fight he shall have!”

“Thor—”

“Get a load of this, fellas!” Thor’s challenger, a burly brute who also hailed from Asgard, declared to his friends. “I am about to beat the God of Thunder at hand-to-hand!”

Thor bellowed in amusement at the comment. “You’re quite cocky for someone who has not felt the force of a strike in the jaw from said god!”

While Loki was also on the verge of being drunk, he was very close to sending the men away with some particularly chosen words that both stroked their ego and subdued his brother in his drunken mess, but it was a sudden lunging punch at Thor from one of the challenger’s friends that caused all the violence to erupt.

“Oh, bugger,” Loki sighed and watched as Thor tossed a body off of his and across the tavern. Chairs flew along with people, drinks splashed everywhere, people yelled and roared as fists met stomachs and boots met teeth. Loki managed to dodge most of the blows thrown his way, bar one that left him with a black eye he covered up with glamour.

“Thor!” he screamed as he reached his older brother. “We need to get out of here!”

“But the fun has only started!” was the delighted reply as Thor threw a man out of one of the windows. The glass smashed everywhere and before Loki could even reach his sibling, he had another man grasped in his huge hands. Even in his intoxicated state, he was still tossing punches left, right, and centre, and effectually subduing his attackers.

“We have to get back to the castle!” Loki insisted and grabbed Thor’s shoulder while the fight waged around them, bodies slamming together like a churning, sweaty sea. “Now!”

“They started it!” Thor scoffed and swung a table into a man charging him. “Who’s up next?”

Loki had had enough and shoved with all his might and with the assistance of seiðr. “Out! Now!”

Once outside in the formerly peaceful night, the battle refrained from spilling out with them. They were lucky that the drunken brawlers were in fact too drunk to notice the reason for their aggression had left. The cool and fresh night air was a welcome change to the sticky and hot feeling of inside the tavern. That and it was always nice not having to dodge numerous punches towards you.

“When Father hears about this,” Loki grumbled as they mounted their horses and began their escape. “He is going to wring our necks.”

“You worry too much, Loki,” Thor slurred with a dismissive wave of the hand while he struggled into his saddle. “We will be fine, you’ll see.”

Loki rolled his eyes and pushed some soaking hair from his face. “I should have gotten a bloody goat to distract them.”

“Oh, yes, brother!” Thor agreed and began to laugh uncontrollably. “The revellers do love it when you tug with the goat!”

Despite the rough night they had, the brothers looked at each other before sharing a laugh on the road back to the castle.

Thor’s confidence ended up being for nothing. While the berating Odin gave them was mild upon hearing about their antics, they were forbidden from returning to Asgard for another five months. Frigga sent a letter from home every now and then, asking for how they faired and telling them of whatever happenings occurred in their absence. Because of their galavanting about in what was formally a peaceful tavern, Frey ordered them to remain within the castle walls for the remainder of their stay, mostly due to Odin’s insistence, so the siblings were forced to obey. The five extra months they had to suffer through ended up being surprisingly quiet. It was hard to create a ruckus when they were confined to the palace. That and the endless mentoring and political meetings they had to attend left them drained.

If Odin’s goal as to leave them regretting their ‘unseemly’ behaviour, he had succeeded.

Loki usually relished in time away from Asgard to explore other realms, but he was genuinely happy to be home when their time was up. The embrace that his mother gave him was a comfort that he had surely missed.

Ellie was more than merry upon their return. She even let Thor pick her up and embrace her when she first saw him again. But Loki was not left out when they reunited — a firm hug around his waist was a surprise, but he didn’t push her away.

“You missed my tenth birthday,” she said dryly as they separated.

Loki rolled his eyes.“Namedays have less meaning to those who have roughly five thousand of them in their lifetime.”

Her eyes went wide. “You guys are so old!”

“I am only just passed my thousandth year, little one, so I am not that ancient yet.”

“But you’re a lot older than me. That makes you old.”

“It would seem that your logic is quite flawed.”

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best pout. “You’re just annoyed because I’m not scared of you!”

He shrugged dismissively. “I never claimed that I wanted you to be frightened of me. That you should recognise me as your God and that you are beneath me, maybe, but frightening you was not part of my intention.”

She let out a little laugh and grinned up at him since he first arrived. “You’re funny, Loki! I missed your jokes.”

“I did not make any jokes!”

No one had said that he was amusing before. It was not a common word people used to describe him, but if saying saucy remarks resulted in her laughter, he wouldn’t mind saying them more often. It was far better to see her laughing than cowering from him.

* * *

A few days later, Loki was strolling idly through the gardens of Asgard with Frigga. They had been in the yard together going through their combat training as usual. While she had taught him how to effectively wield daggers and to win a battle through tactical assault many years ago, she still insisted on refreshing his skills once a week. Two handmaidens followed them at a distance, bringing them cups of water or some fruit when asked.

“What is your opinion on Midgardians, Mother?” he asked her after a brief silence.

“Why do you ask?” was her curious reply.

“I have been thinking on what Father said about them during the banquet when he informed Thor and I that we would be sent to Alfheim. He said that they were of no importance, that their lives end so quickly they are a waste of our time as gods. Do you agree?”

As Frigga contemplated her answer, their footfalls began to sync up, their feet landing in step on the stone path below. “Not entirely, no.”

“No?”

“I do not agree that their mortality makes them unworthy of our time. Yes, we are gods and they are mortals with much shorter lives who, in some cases, worship us as being above them, but I would say that their mortality has an entirely different meaning.”

Loki furrowed his brow and turned his gaze on her pensive expression. “And what would you say it means?”

“Your father believes that a human’s mortality makes them unworthy, whereas I feel that their mortality makes their life precious.”

“Precious?” he scoffed. “Mother, I would agree that Father was harsh in what he said, but you cannot honestly tell me that you believe them to be cherished? Surely they are there to worship us and go about their human lives, while we prolong their existence by keeping peace within Yggdrasil?”

Frigga gently rubbed the arm that he had linked around her own. “My son, look at it this way for a moment. Their lives are short — far shorter than our own. That means that they have a lot to do is such a short amount of time. It also means that we will outlive them. Take little Ellie for example. She has now spent half of her own life here on Asgard with us. She looks up to you, likes playing with you and Thor, likes to read her stories and listen to her Midgardian musicians, but you will see her pass from this world before you do. It is an exceptionally harsh reality when you have bonded with a human, but their mortality will inevitably cause you pain. Yes, your position as royalty means that you are above her in status, but her human life does not make her unworthy of your time. If anything, it makes your time with her more precious. Do you understand?”

He paused and mulled it over. It made logical sense — the less time you had with someone, the more it should be cherished, but he knew his father was firm in his stance. As far as Odin was concerned, mortals were beneath the gods and that was that.

“I can understand your logic,” he eventually said, slowing as they walked around a well-decorated fountain. “After all, she is exceedingly less annoying that I thought she would be.”

“And she also seems to have taken after you in some regard,” Frigga laughed gently, giving his arm a little tug. “I have never seen Thor’s hair so well decorated with flowers before.”

“She may be mortal,” Loki murmured with an air of approval. “But I must admit she has a knack for little tricks.”

“It does not surprise me after all the time she has spent in your company.”

“The less she spends in Thor’s, the better.”

That earned him a mild scold, even if Frigga did recognised his playful tone.

* * *

Loki was in the library late one night when he had unexpected company. The large doors opened with a slight creak, and he looked up from his book to see Ellie potter in.

“It’s a little late for you to be wandering these halls, don’t you think?” he said loudly, causing the little one to jump.

“Loki!” she exclaimed before letting out a sigh and visibly relaxing. “I didn’t know it was you. I thought I was caught for a sec.”

Upon questioning her further, she revealed that she had forgotten to get one of her new Harry Potter books from the library earlier and managed to sneak from her shared quarters to come and get it. He remained in his chair, brushing over some seiðr notes his mother had given him as the girl went to fetch said book. Three years after his return from Alfheim, Ellie had reached the age of thirteen. Her interest in Midgard — which had just reached its two thousandth year — only grew stronger the more history and facts she learned. After his discussion with Frigga, Loki saw the importance in her words and refused to let Odin’s insistence prevent him from making Ellie’s life in a foreign realm a little easier. She had remained settled thankfully and continued to slowly adjust. The mental scarring from whatever befell her on Midgard remained, but physically she had looked less weedy of late. As a result, he and Thor settled into their old habit of seeing her when they could and the Allfather said nothing about it. As to whether that had anything to do with the Allmother, Loki did not know, but he still assumed as much. He was so transfixed by the sheets of paper, he barely noticed her return.

“Are you studying seiðr, Prince Loki?” she asked with the book tucked under her arm.

“Yes, little Ellie,” he replied, looking up briefly.

“Can’t sleep?”

“I have not yet attempted it.”

Ellie looked between the prince and the book in her hands. “I wish I could do magic.”

“Like your book?” he asked absentmindedly.

“Maybe… But more like your magic — seiðr.”

He scoffed. “It is not exactly a Midgardian practice. There are even few Asgardians who are very familiar with it. The Vanir would be considered the masters of it, even if they are ridiculously arrogant about the fact.”

“Hogun doesn’t seem that arrogant.”

“That is not exactly the word I would use to describe his personality…”

Perhaps the term pompous ass would better suit him?

“I know it’s not a very Midgardian thing,” Ellie continued on, seemingly unfazed by Loki’s words. “But I wish I was as good at it as you are.”

He looked up from his studies at her statement, lips pouted curiously. “You wish to learn seiðr?”

She shrugged. “If I could.”

Loki remained in his seat, tapping his fingers and watching the young mortal as she read the back of The Goblet of Fire. In his mind, he considered his options (mostly Odin’s disgruntled reaction to said options) before opening his mouth.

“You know,” he began casually. “There are certain Midgardians that are capable of learning the art of seiðr.”

His statement seemed to grab her immediate interest. “Really?”

“Indeed, little one. Certain individuals who trained hard enough and for a long enough time. They dedicated themselves to the art and became shamans with a connection to both good and evil spirits in the world.”

“Would they not practice for a super long time?”

“Well, you could put it that way, yes. It took a lot of practice, a lot of time, and a lot of patience. Much as it was when my mother taught me.”

“Have you ever taught anyone seiðr?”

He shook his head. “Not as of yet. Although I had yet to find someone I thought worthy of learning.”

“So,” she drawled out, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Does that mean you would teach someone? If you thought they were worth it? You would then?”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged slightly and gestured to the stack of tomes on the table. “If my student is willing to study as hard as I.”

“I’m willin’!” Ellie blurted out before he could explain any further.

He assessed her expression — a surprisingly earnest one — before he opened his mouth to answer. “Are you now, little Ellie?”

“Yeah, I am. I would love to learn how to do magic, my Lord, and you’re the best one to learn from, instead of maybe the Queen herself!”

“Oh my, you do flatter me.”

Standing abruptly from his chair, Loki strolled over to the section of the library dedicated to the practice of magic. Being so familiar with this section, he easily found one of the first books he read in relation to beginners seiðr and made his way back over to where Ellie was waiting. Upon his return, she straightened her posture and waited to be spoken to, a habit instilled in her by her handmaiden training.

“Relax yourself. There’s no need for formalities at this ungodly hour,” Loki grumbled and held out the book to her. “If you want me to teach you, then go and familiarise yourself with what you will be learning. Once you have completed your duties and lessons each day, read the history of seiðr, what it consists of, and how you can develop your skill over time. Read chapters one through ten and then come back to me when you have done so. After you have done that much, I can start the basics with you if you wish to continue.”

“My Prince—”

“Loki,” he corrected calmly.

“Prince Loki—”

He groaned loudly. “Just Loki is acceptable at this time of night. It’s a bit late for grand titles, wouldn’t you agree?”

“If you insist,” she said with a nod, and took the book he had offered. She gently traced the intricate design on the cover with a finger, wonderment clear in her expression. “Would you really do that? Would you teach me how to wild seiðr like you?”

He snorted slightly. “You have to understand, you will most certainly not be as skilled as I; I do have a thousand year advantage over you.”

 She frowned at the book, brows furrowed at his comments. “If I can’t practice for as long as you can, then why bother teachin’ me? I’ll probably suck at it.”

At first he thought her words were in jest, but it became increasingly clear to Loki as he studied her disheartened expression that she was being perfectly serious. If she could not study seiðr for thousands of years to master it, if she could never amount to the level of skill that he or other sorcerers possessed, then why bother at all?

… human life does not make her unworthy of your time. If anything, it makes your time with her more precious.

Without another thought, Loki placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Whether you can survive one hundred years or one thousand means little to me in terms of learning. After eight years in another realm, you have managed to continue your learnings of Midgardian English and Norse ruins, and have excelled in your responsibilities as a handmaiden. If you want to learn, then I will teach you as much as I can in the time we have. Do not think so little of yourself. You won’t get far with an attitude like that.”

“Sorry,” she replied sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

He waved his hand at her and took his seat once more. “Worry not. Now, get yourself to bed before the Einherjar find you sneaking about. I trust you to get back in one piece.”

“I won’t let you down,” she insisted, gesturing to the books in hand as she made her way to the massive library doors. She opened it, careful not to let it creak, hesitated, and then turned to face him again with a small smile. “Thanks for that. And for the books too.”

He gave her a nod and answered. “You’re welcome, little one.”

With that, Ellie turned on her heels and slipped out the door, leaving Loki alone once more, reading his notes in candle light.

[andinewton]

Second Chances - Avengers Redemption Series - Part One - Chapter 48

Characters:  Loki, Maia Tomson (OFC), Sigyn, pretty much everyone from the MCU appears at some point, including some special appearances by members of the X-Men!

Pairings: Loki x Maia Tomson, Loki x Sigyn,

Warnings:  Smut, so much smut, violence, swearing; listen, it’s NSFW and 18+, just bear that in mind!

Word Count: 179105

Summary: Loki has been handed over to The Avengers to pay penance for his past crimes, underpowered and underwhelmed by his post he is assigned a new ‘guide to Midgard’ by his superiors and is more than a little surprised when a petite freckled, redhead is waiting in the conference room, not at all like the previous handlers he has been assigned, who quit after a very short time with the snarky god. Maia Tomson is a trained literature teacher and counsellor, maybe not someone you would have picked out to be a guide to the God of Mischief but her mentor, Charles Xavier, knows she likes a challenge, and when The Avengers ask him to recommend someone she is top of his list. Surprised by the assignment, Maia takes it on, promising to do her best, but was not counting on a mutual attraction with her charge.

Join Loki on a journey to discover that his heart is not as frozen as he believes it to be, an adventure spanning almost a millennia of love gained and lost and rediscovered in the most unlikely of places…

Master List

Chapter 48

Summary: Professor Xavier arrives to delve into Maia's memories of Sigyn...

Okay, my friends, here is where things change slightly, or you get a little extra story, we are going to start exploring Loki and Sigyn's story in the form of various flashbacks! You will get Loki and Sigyn, and Loki and Maia interspersed, and I have to say I love how it turned out! I have enjoyed writing the flashbacks as much as the main story and I still might yet add some more flashbacks in the epilogue! It's given me so much scope for story and while I have stepped slightly sideways with the actual backstory all the players are there! So enjoy the ride!  Oh and this chapter is super long too!

Monday morning rolled around as it often did; far too quickly and far too early. Maia groaned when the alarm she had set on her new Stark Phone went off and she had to force herself from the bed. When she came back out of the bathroom Loki was laying on his side watching her, with enough flesh on show to make it distracting as she went about getting ready. ‘Come back to bed, buttercup.’ He patted the mattress. ‘It’s Monday.’ She reminded him as she took a white blouse out of the wardrobe to go with the black skirt suit she had already hung on the door. ‘We have nowhere to be.’ ‘We have Charles coming in a few hours and I thought you wanted us to try my power with yours in Bruce’s cell again today?’ ‘You are still depleted from yesterday.’ He argued as she tried to hide a yawn behind her hand. ‘Charles won’t be here until at least midday and we won’t be testing your magic until after that in case it effects you adversely. Bed, love. Rest.’ ‘I’m getting dressed, even if we don’t do anything immediately.’ She shook her head and turned back to her task.

Loki sighed and threw off the sheet, walking across the room silently before scooping her up in his arms. She made a small squeak of surprise, having not heard him, and he carried he back to bed, not putting her down until he had crawled onto the bed himself, laying her on her back and pressing his body alongside hers to keep her in place. ‘You need to learn to relax a little better, sweet one. It will do you no good in the long run.’ ‘I like getting up and being ready.’ ‘I will have to give you a more compelling like of staying in bed.’ He kissed her tenderly. ‘You’re already a compulsion on its own.’ She stroked his cheek. ‘Good.’ To her surprise all Loki wanted to do was just lay in the bed and talk, he really was intent on her resting and recovering some of the energy she had expended the previous day, with all they had been doing and the use of power she wasn’t used to. They went over various stories from their past, remembering together and also relating some of Maia’s memories that fit and she hadn’t realised how very similar they were. So much made sense for her now and Loki just enjoyed listening to her tell him stories from when she was a child and her time at X-Manor as both student and teacher. He watched her as she spoke, marvelling at every little mannerism, every little quirk in her voice when she spoke, or laughed, the way she touched him as though she couldn’t help herself. He had missed her so much he hadn’t realised how it had effected him every day. He finally let her back out of bed hours later, satisfied she was as rested as she could get for now, and they shared a leisurely breakfast before dressing, Maia in her suit as she planned, Loki in one of his black suits with black shirt and tie. Having seen his wardrobe Maia knew most of his clothes were black or green and while it suited him she wondered if she could tempt him into another colour. The champagne shirt had been nice but didn’t suit him as well as darker colours, which contrasted with his complexion. She remembered wearing a lot of blue as Sigyn, maybe it was her signature colour and she hadn’t yet remembered, but it had become more green/blue as she had gravitated towards Loki. It was an Asgardian thing, a way of showing unity and dedication. As Loki was a prince and therefore of higher social standing it was his colour that was integrated into her wardrobe. She felt the urge to do so again, but she wasn’t sure whether that was because of Maia, or Sigyn, or some combination of the two. Probably Sigyn and the Asgardian tradition but she put it out of her mind for now. FRIDAY informed them of Professor Xavier’s arrival and they met him in the foyer. Maia hugged him in greeting and they went through to a conference room for some privacy. ‘You are…different.’ Charles commented as soon as the door closed, looking Maia over as though it were something he could see. ‘I cannot specify how but definitely different.’ ‘I feel different.’ She agreed, moving a chair out from the table for Charles to fit his wheelchair under it. ‘Coffee, Charles?’ ‘Please. Would you both care to tell me what happened? From the beginning? Or would you rather I see what I can find first?’ ‘The latter I think, please.’ Maia asked as she used the coffee machine on the side table. ‘That way we know it’s impartial and uninfluenced.’ ‘Very good.’ He nodded before turning to Loki, speaking directly into his mind. ‘I do not need to tell you that, if for any reason, this is a trick we will have a very big problem.’ Loki’s lip twitched in a small smile and he nodded his head towards the man before him, who was obviously as protective of Maia as he was. ‘You have nothing to worry about, Professor.’ He said simply. Maia heard Loki’s half of the exchange going on behind her and rolled her eyes. She appreciated Charles being her surrogate father for so long but once he saw what was in her head he would, she hoped, have all his doubts allayed. She turned back to the table with a cup for each of them and put them in front of them more forcefully than she meant to. ‘Tea, coffee, sit down,’ she glared at Loki, ‘and let’s get on with it.’ ‘Of course, sweet.’ Loki held a chair for her, his face still one of barely contained amusement. ‘You know what I’m going to do, Maia.’ Charles reminded her this wasn’t her first time having her mind read and she nodded. ‘I do.’ He turned to Loki. ‘As do you. Do you mind if I combine you both to see if your memories of certain events match up?’ Loki and Maia shared a look and she shook her head. ‘I don’t mind. Loki?’ ‘Not at all.’ ‘Very well.’ Charles looked hard at Maia, his index and middle finger pressed to his temple as he accessed his powers. Maia knew how it felt and didn’t fight it, let Charles see what he wished to find and more, allowing him to see everything she remembered. He was meticulous, he always was, leaving no avenue unchecked, and she literally saw her life as Sigyn flash before her eyes, starting back to the earliest time she remembered meeting Loki, and Thor, they were all so young and innocent, children. How Frigga had welcomed her and suggested she study magic under her with Loki, sensing something in her that no one else had, the ability to wield sorcery. Playing in the gardens with the two princes, sticks as swords, and she held her own, until Thor went through his first growth spurt and he didn’t realise his own strength. The pain of the welts on her arms where he had caught her rougher than he meant to made her cringe at the memory, how Odin had demanded she stop roughhousing with them immediately, but they still managed to include her, teaching her swordsmanship as they learned themselves, too unladylike for her to be included in the actual lessons. Then the day, when she was barely twelve, that her father declared she would be sent away to learn to become a lady. She hadn’t wanted to go but she had no choice, and for six long years she studied how to be a lady of a court, worthy of her Asgardian heritage, her father a decorated war hero, one of Odin’s most trusted advisors and she had to act in a befitting manner. She kept up with her sorcery, learning what she could from books and scrolls, until finally she was permitted to return to Asgard. That first night back, she was presented to Odin, who apologised for the absence of his sons who were engrossed in their duties, and she had curtseyed politely, told him none were necessary and she was just glad to be home once more, but as she made to leave Loki entered the main doors, strolling confidently in his custom black armour, until he saw her. She knew she looked different; the hair she had always kept braided now reached beyond her waist in a beautiful natural auburn curl dressed with small flowers, her figure had filled out in all the right places and she had perfected the elegant walk of a lady. Her dress was the same blue as her eyes, the shoulders cut away revealing her freckled and milky skin, and around her upper arms and back a shawl she had embroidered herself as part of her schooling. She held her hands in front of her, clasped together as she tended to fidget despite all her training, and as his walk faltered, she bobbed her head to him politely, when what she wanted to do was run to him excitedly. It was the first time she called him “my prince” and his jaw had dropped as he watched the maiden greet him before leaving the hall without a second glance. She knew he had asked who she was, once he reached the throne, as when he found out he ran after her, catching her a little way down the golden hallway and asking her lady in waiting for a moment of her time. ‘Fair Lady Sigyn, I beg your forgiveness. I did not recognise you.’ She bobbed a curtsey, having had it drummed into her over the past few years that it did not matter how well you knew royalty, you curtseyed, you respected them and, most importantly, you were not overly familiar. ‘You do not need forgiveness, Your Highness. I am flattered you remember me at all.’ She smiled sweetly when it was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted to ask him how he was, what he had been doing all these years. He had grown so handsome, tall and lithe, his dark hair brushing his collar yet slicked back from his smooth jaw and cheekbones. ‘How could I forget my favourite playmate?’ He grinned and she saw a glimpse of the boy he had been. ‘I have missed your company greatly.’ He reached for her hand but that first touch was interrupted by a call from down the hallway. ‘Sigyn!’ They both turned to see Thor barrelling towards them. He had grown stocky, standing as tall as Loki but so much more brawny, his blond hair reaching his shoulders and the beginning of a beard on his face. He had no pretence of being a gentleman with her, she was an old friend and would be greeted as such. He swept her up in his arms and hugged her before swinging her around, laughing heartily as Loki watched with alarm. Their mother had always taught them to be respectful to ladies, to treat them well. Thor was manhandling Sigyn in a very ungentlemanly manner and he couldn’t help but notice her blush. ‘My little warrior, how are you?’ Thor asked as he put her on her feet again, further from Loki than she had been. ‘I am well, thank you, my prince.’ She started to curtsey again but he stopped her. ‘None of that. We are friends, are we not? We would not have you treat us any differently than you did when we were children. Would we, Loki?’ He looked back at his brother who approached with a soft sigh. ‘Indeed not, brother, however perhaps a little gentler. Lady Sigyn is just that now, a lady, and should be treated as such.’ ‘Nonsense!’ Thor clapped Sigyn’s shoulder and nearly knocked her over in the process. ‘She still has a fighter’s spirit, I’m sure.’ He turned back to her, having missed her stumble. ‘Will you come and see me battle in the tournament tomorrow? It would honour me to have you there.’ Loki held back a groan. Thor was trying to impress her, despite what he said about her being the same, and he hoped she was, but she was now breathtakingly beautiful, the freckles she had occasionally been ribbed over as a child making her all the more so, and her eyes, a blue so vibrant they were like the noonday sky. ‘It would please me greatly, Your Highness. I will ensure I have no prior engagements.’ ‘And as I am not participating tomorrow, perhaps you would allow me to escort you?’ Loki offered and Thor shot him a glare. Loki however ignored him, noticing her smile became more genuine at his offer. ‘I would be honoured, my prince.’ She bowed her head to him. She had always held a fondness for the younger brother, his gentle ways appealing to her more than the brashness of Thor. ‘I shall call upon you on the morrow.’ He bowed to her, taking her hand and kissing it softly. ‘Loki, you’re being ridiculous. This is Sigyn, not some maiden for you to fawn over.’ Thor laughed. ‘She is like a sister to us.’ And just like that she felt put in her place. ‘But she is not our sister, Thor. She is a friend returned, more beautiful than before.’ ‘You’re too kind.’ Her blush returned, but it was a fainter pink, a warming colour rather than the startled red Thor had caused. ‘I speak nothing but the truth.’ He assured her, making Thor laugh again. ‘Which is why father has declared you the God of Mischief and Lies, brother?’ Loki glared at him as Sigyn glanced at her hand, still in Loki’s, but if Thor told the truth could she believe his words? ‘You deny she is beautiful? Then you are as blind as you are strong.’ Loki stated. ‘Lady Sigyn?’ Her lady in waiting came towards them and she quickly took her hand back, stepping away from them both as the austere woman gave them a steely gaze. ‘I have to go. It is wonderful to see you both again. Good evening, Highnesses.’ She curtseyed to them both and hurried away, her lady giving the men one final stare of disapproval before putting her arm around Sigyn’s shoulders, making sure she left. ‘How went your meeting with The Allfather?’ Her own father asked as she returned to their rooms. ‘Well, thank you, Father.’ She replied, removing the shawl and folding it as she approached him where he sat by the fire. ‘I saw the two princes as I was leaving.’ ‘Fine boys.’ He nodded, not looking up from staring into the flames as he was. ‘Thor invited me to watch him in the tournament tomorrow.’ ‘That’s nice.’ ‘And Loki offered to escort me.’ ‘Good. Good.’ He nodded and she realised he wasn’t listening. ‘I told them I couldn’t attend as I was allowing the entirety of the King’s garrison to ravage me in the stables.’ ‘Very nice, my dear.’ She sighed. ‘Father, you’re not listening.’ He finally looked up at her. ‘Sorry, my child, I was elsewhere.’ ‘I noticed.’ She went and knelt beside him, resting her hand on his on the arm of the chair. ‘Thor invited me to attend the tournament tomorrow and Loki offered to escort me.’ He frowned at that, his red brows meeting. ‘Both princes seek your favour?’ ‘Both princes are being polite.’ She corrected him. ‘Thor made it quite clear I was always like a sister to them, and it would be rude to turn them down.’ He rested his other hand on top of hers. ‘You will have suitors soon enough, daughter. A good many, I don’t doubt.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I do not crave suitors. I wish to be useful, to my realm and my King.’ ‘And how do you plan on doing that?’ He smiled at her in amusement. ‘As yet, I am unsure.’ She got to her feet and kissed his cheek. ‘But I will be.’ Charles followed her memory to the next day. Loki arrived, dressed in green and black leather with gold trim, a small posey of flowers from his mother’s private garden in his hand. He had asked her permission, of course, saying he wished to give his childhood friend a welcome home gift. Frigga had smiled and asked that he bring Sigyn in time to see her before the tournament. She had missed the young woman. Loki spoke politely to her father, who was also attending the tournament, and he was allowed entry to their quarters. Sigyn knew he was here, but her lady in waiting stopped her from rushing out of her room to greet Loki, assuring her it was best to make him wait, even just a few minutes. Her father offered Loki a seat, the young prince accepting it graciously, his fingers fidgeting with the ribbon wrapped around the flowers. He shouldn’t have felt nervous, he had known Sigyn almost all his life, but he was. When she finally emerged she took his breath away, and he was on his feet without realising it. She wore a burgundy gown of simple design, wrapped around her upper body then falling away in layers to her ankles, a gold band on the top of each arm. She had her shawl again, the only thing she had successfully managed to embroider without it looking a mess despite extensive teachings. The front of her hair was caught back from her face in a bun, the rest falling away down her back. She looked quite lovely and speech failed him for a moment. ‘Good morning, Prince Loki.’ She curtseyed to him. ‘Lady Sigyn.’ He bowed to her and offered her the flowers. ‘For you.’ ‘They’re beautiful, thank you.’ She smelled them before the lady in waiting took them from her to put in water. ‘Shall we?’ He offered her his arm. She smiled warmly at him, looping her arm with his and allowing him to escort her from the room. They walked through the pillared hallway together in silence, neither one knowing how to start a conversation, and they were outside before Loki asked something. ‘I didn’t realise you were returning home.’ ‘I am officially a lady.’ She sighed. ‘There was nothing more to teach me that I could not bluff my way through.’ She realised her mistake as she looked up at him wide eyed. ‘I mean, my teachings were complete, and…’ He laughed. ‘I understand. Perhaps more than you realise. Being able to act a certain way in a certain situation is not something that changes you, just the way you approach things. Each social dynamic is different, and requires different behaviour. Being a prince is little different, my lady.’ ‘Please, just Sigyn.’ She asked quietly. ‘I detest being reminded I am expected to be a lady all the time.’ He stopped and turned to face her before they reached the carriages provided to the tournament. ‘Then please, I am still the boy you played with, still the boy you fought with,’ he leant in to her, ‘and still the boy you laughed with until you snorted milk, still Loki. Perhaps we can offer one another the consideration of first name terms in private?’ ‘I would appreciate it. Thank you.’ ‘None necessary, Sigyn. We have always been friends, and I would like it to continue that way.’ ‘As would I.’ On arrival to the arena Loki presented Sigyn to his parents. She curtseyed low to them but Frigga was off her throne and pulling her up for a tight hug before she began to rise. ‘My beautiful Sigyn, welcome home.’ She said warmly, stepping back but not letting her go. ‘Thank you, my Queen. It’s so good to be back.’ Sigyn had missed Frigga almost as much as she had missed her sons. ‘Please, sit beside me.’ She rubbed Sigyn’s arms with her hands. ‘And after the tournament would you spare me some time to tell me of your studies?’ ‘As Your Majesty wishes.’ ‘Dispense with my title, I would have you call me Frigga, as you did before.’ Sigyn smiled warmly, glad to feel so welcome. She had worried after so long she may not have been. Loki offered Sigyn his hand and escorted her to the chair beside Frigga, before taking the seat on her other side. With Thor competing he could have taken the seat by his father’s side but he had escorted Sigyn and would continue to act as such. Frigga spoke to them both as they awaited the start of the program of events, when it came the Allfather standing and announcing the commencement. Thor was announced to rapturous applause which he lapped up. Sigyn shook her head just slightly, he was still the cocky, arrogant boy she remembered and he didn’t seem to have gained any humility in the last six years. ‘He remains quite the show off.’ Loki leant into her and spoke quietly and she chuckled, biting her bottom lip to stop from laughing out loud. Loki smiled, knowing he had amused her. She had always been fun to spend time with and it didn’t seem time had changed that, but when Thor approached the royal box and held a flower towards Sigyn with a smile and a wink, Loki ground his teeth. Frigga patted Sigyn’s hand and nodded to suggest she take his favour and Sigyn got to her feet. Stepping forward and taking the offered bloom. ‘Thank you, my prince.’ She smiled as he took her hand and kissed it. ‘I shall win each bout for you as a welcome home gift.’ He grinned. ‘You favour me too much.’ She said simply before returning to her seat and Loki gave him a smug smile. The morning moved into the afternoon as the games began, with wrestling, swordsmanship, archery and quarterstaff. Thor excelled at each bout he participated in, and Loki pointed out several other warriors who would be new to her, including the most incredible, statuesque woman named Sif, who held her own against male warriors twice her size. Sigyn found her absolutely fascinating and when teamed with The Warriors Three, who Loki named individually and promised to introduce her to later, they were a force to be reckoned with. Finally all the bouts were through, Thor had done his father proud, and was happily gloating his wins amongst his fellow combatants. Frigga turned to Sigyn with a warm smile. ‘Dear, would you join us at our table for the feast tonight? I would love to hear your stories in a slightly less hostile environment.’ ‘I would love to, Queen Frigga, thank you.’ She had worn a smile since she arrived and it saw no sign of slipping. Loki again offered to escort her and they spent the evening reminiscing and catching up, Frigga noting how her son looked at his childhood friend. She was not blind, but she knew time would tell whether this was merely an infatuation. Several weeks later and the novelty of Sigyn’s return had waned slightly with all but Loki. Less well wishers called and there was less to attend on a regular basis, she was able to turn more things down without worrying about insults, and she had some free time, which she was currently taking advantage of. She had left the quarters early, dressing nondescriptly in leather pants and belted linen tunic, her hair braided and off her face, sneaking out of the palace and past the orchard into the woods nearby for seclusion and privacy. She found a small clearing easily and drew her short sword, swinging it gently at first, slowly warming up until she had a fast pace where her blade sliced the air, striking at nothing but low and high in a smooth arc, turning and swinging as she drew magic with her other hand, practicing both skills at once to the near perfection she had achieved in her spare time while away. Loki had seen Sigyn head off from the palace dressed unlike he had perhaps ever seen her, and decided to follow. When she stopped and drew a sword he watched in wonder from a distance as she showed skills with a blade and sorcery to rival even his abilities. It was like watching a dancer, she was elegant and quick, barely making a sound other than her blade slicing through the air, she was captivating. She finally broke her pace, her breathing heavy but not laboured and he dared to approach, but not wanting to startle her. He applauded quietly as he stepped through the trees and she spun on him, weapon raised. ‘Very impressive, Sig. You really are still our little warrior.’ ‘If you’re here to mock me, Loki, you can leave now.’ She wiped her sleeve across her brow as she lowered her blade. ‘Mock you? Never.’ He shook his head. ‘I am truly stunned by your skill. You could put many of our finest warriors to shame.’ ‘Because I would ever be allowed into battle beside them.’ She scoffed, backing up two steps as he continued to approach. ‘Lady Sif battles alongside Thor and I and The Warriors Three. Why not you too?’ ‘Because, people still look down upon the sorcerers, those who use magic and sword, let alone being female. If I suggested I wished to go into battle I would be laughed out of the city. Possibly the realm.’ ‘I would support your claim, if you made one.’ He manifested a dagger into his hand. ‘Spar with me.’ Her eyes went wide. ‘I…I can’t do that.’ She shook her head. ‘Of course you can. It will be good practice for us both. Or are you afraid you may get hurt?’ ‘You are baiting me?’ She half laughed. ‘If it will make you spar with me, certainly.’ He shrugged before taking a swing at her which she easily dodged. ‘I know you can do better than just move away.’ Sigyn shifted her grip on her sword and took up a defensive stance. ‘I know you can do better than that little swing.’ ‘Little?’ He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged. He swung at her faster this time, stepping into her and in moments they were meeting one another’s strokes with practiced hands, and it was some time before he finally bested her, and he suspected that was only because she was tiring from what she had already done. He caught her by surprise as she turned, one hand pinning her sword arm across her body while the other held the dagger close to but not against her throat and she froze, realising she had slipped up. ‘Very good.’ He murmured. ‘Not many can keep up with me.’ ‘I didn’t keep up, you bested me.’ ‘After quite some time.’ He pointed out, still not letting her go. ‘And I am sure you could find a way out of this.’ ‘I am sure I could.’ ‘So what are you waiting for?’ His breath ruffled her hair and she got a small tingle down her spine, but she ignored it and prepared herself. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’ ‘I don’t…’ He didn’t get to finish as she pressed her hand to his thigh and sent a jolt of power through it. A stabbing pain shot through him and his hands spasmed, causing him to drop the knife and let her go as his body twitched. She stepped away, turning as she did and kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground before straddling him with her sword at his throat, a small smile on her face. ‘That didn’t hurt, did it?’ ‘A mere discomfort.’ He grinned back before knocking her sideways and rolling on top of her, pinning her arms beside her head despite her efforts to get free. ‘You are quite the fighter, Sig. Did they teach you that while you were away?’ ‘They taught me nothing of use, besides holding my tongue.’ She said angrily. He smiled down at her. ‘I’m glad they didn’t extinguish your fire.’ He released her and slowly got to his feet, offering her a hand up. ‘It takes more than a few failed embroidery projects to do that.’ She took his hand but swung her foot up and planted it in his stomach at the same time, throwing him backwards over her head until he crashed to the ground behind her. Loki winced and when he opened his eyes again she was running back through the trees. He suspected he may have embarrassed her somehow, but that hadn’t been his intention. He was rather enjoying her company and finding she still kept up with her fighting and sorcery had only piqued his interest further. By the time he reached the edge of the orchard she was disappearing into a side door to the palace and he knew he had no hope of catching her before she reached her quarters, but he would speak to her, he would convince her to spar with him again. They were a good match, their skill set similar, and he hoped to explore her abilities further. Months later and their training sessions had become a regular thing, sneaking away from the palace together often to work through sword, hand to hand and sorcery together. Sometimes Thor joined them, but he was of a different class of fighting, much stronger, whereas they were fast and light-footed. He gave the occasional pointer but often just arranged for them to meet up later, sometimes just the three of them, sometimes with Sif and The Warriors Three, and almost half of those times no one else arrived, leaving just Loki and Sigyn alone. Sometimes they just met up in the library to discuss books they had read, or just to get some peace as it was always quiet. One evening, when the dining was done but the wining continued, they sat around a fire in the great hall, listening to one of Volstagg’s many stories. Sigyn felt quite tired, it was getting late, but she didn’t want to turn in yet, and excused herself to get some fresh air on the balcony. In the cool night air she was able to yawn freely and felt better just for that. ‘He has quite the soft spot for you, our young prince.’ Sif’s voice had her turn her head to see her coming towards her. ‘Loki?’ She frowned at her. ‘We’re friends, Sif, nothing more.’ ‘If you say so.’ Sif chuckled. ‘But I have seen how he looks at you, how he hangs on your every word and always ensures he is seated beside you. And I have seen you do the same.’ ‘I’m not, that is…’ she blushed as she sighed. ‘Am I that obvious?’ ‘You are only obvious to those who know what to look for. Thankfully the oafs we sup with are not that smart or observant. You should speak honestly with our young prince.’ ‘Oh, I couldn’t.’ She shook her head. ‘We’re friends, if I say something to ruin it, it ruins it for all of us, not just the two of us. And if you’re wrong, and he doesn’t reciprocate, then…’ ‘Sigyn, little sister, he spends his every waking moment speaking of you or seeking you out. Our trickster is smitten with you.’ She smiled knowingly. ‘The solstice feast is approaching. If he should invite you we shall ensure you impress upon him the import of not wasting time.’ ‘Sif, please, don’t say anything to him.’ She begged. ‘I cannot in good conscience hope for something he may not want.’ ‘Oh, he wants.’ She smiled. ‘And if he wants bad enough he will do something about it.’ She pushed away from the balcony, leaving Sigyn to consider what she had said.

Chapter 49

[ladyloki83]

Family Drama ( New Life)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Past:

It has been three months since Helga's birth and Loki is still stuck being in her female form so that she may feed her daughter.

"Mother, I don't see why I should stay in this form. I can go back and forth between them when the time calls for it."

"Loki, it's only until she is five years of age that I want you to stay this way. Then slowly you can change back to into my son. Don't confuse the child just yet."

~ But I know that my mother is a man. Helga says to them as she touches their skin so she can speak to them. She missed being able to speak to her mother this way.

Both Frigga and Loki gasp and look to Helga who had been sitting on the floor playing. For only being three months old she had been showing signs of developing faster than normal Asgardians.

"Loki, did you know that she could do that?"

"Yes and no." said Loki looking at her mother's face she continued. "I knew that she could talk to Sleipnir this way and sometimes to Thor. But I thought it was because she was using my powers to speak."

~It was that way until Sleipnir showed how to use it on my own. You needed your rest so sometimes he had me use your power. I never meant to harm you.

"You didn't harm me any way my dear. But your grandmother is right to have me stay in this form for you."

~But I know this form is not what you are used to.

"Dear child, you need not to worry of such matter." said Frigga.

Helga smiled and continued to play with the toys she had in front of her. Loki stay in his female form until his child was five years old. Helga began to speak real word at the age of three and began to learn how to control her magic at the age of four with the guidance of Loki and Frigga.

Helga showed no sign of disappointment of not seeing her mother's female form and always worked hard to make her family proud of her gifts. Things were almost back to normal as Loki got to spend time with his all his children and Helga loved them all until she noticed that her sister had a crush on her father. She noticed lots of things that her parents didn't noticed. But told them nothing until she was sure of what she saw. One day Helga could no longer keep her thoughts to herself at the age of one hundred

"Mother, how were my other siblings conceived? I mean Hel, Jormungand, and Fenrir. I know that you are not their mother like you are to me and Sleipnir."

"Why do you ask?"

"Mother, I may be young, but I believe that I am old enough to understand what happens between adults. Don't think I have not noticed you don't share a bed with my father."

Loki looked at his daughter with shock it was true that he and Thor haven't been sharing a bed in a while but it was because they kept fighting over little things. Sif being one of the many big issues lately. Loki was always with Helga training her magic and Thor was always out on the training grounds with the Warriors three and Sif.

In fact that was where Loki was taking her daughter since Thor asked for them to be there.

"What happens between your father and I is our own business. But yes I am their father and their mother is dead at the hands of Odin. Before you asked I was too young to know what love was and she was locked in the dungeons. I helped her escape and we left together and created your brothers and sister. After your sister was born she left to confront Odin and told him where to find us."

"So she is now with my sister?"

"Yes, her name was Angrboda."

"Mother, when we use to visit Hel I noticed that she very fond of father. I don't feel right with father going with us to see her."

"But you know that I cannot see my children without your father with us."

"I know and that is why I am saying that I don't wish for us to see her. It's not really her it's more of your ex that I don't want to be round."

"My ex... you mean you have sensed her mother around us when we visit. Oh Helga she has no power to use over us or Hel for that matter."

"Mother, you of all people know how to use words to manipulate people to do your bidding."

Loki rolled his eyes "Yes child, I do but nobody can lie to me because I am the God of Mischief for a reason. Now no more of this talk your father wants us at the training grounds to try and train you or for us to watch I truly don't remember for I was busy reading when your father spoke."

Helga smiled at the thought of being able to train with her father. She always wanted to wield a sword or something close to her father's hammer. When they arrived they saw that Sif was fighting Thor. Helga looked at her mother and saw her pain before it left his face at seeing Sif. Helga touch her mothers' arm to talk to her like the use too.

~Mother, if you like I can fight her. I believe I can take her on my own.

Loki looked at her with a smirk on her face and nodded in agreement. So Helga decided to taunt Sif to distract her.

"Come on, father show her exactly where her place is. If not allow me the chance please father."

Everyone but my mother looked at me surprised to hear me speak or to even be out of the palace.

"Loki, you brought her to train with me, thank you." said Thor.

Sif look even more unhappy at hearing my father speak about me. "Thor, only warriors are allowed to train here. Those with magic have their place inside the palace walls where they are safe."

Nobody spoke to as they were to shock, Loki stood up but paused as he saw her daughter whispering something. Thor was about to speak when saw his daughter walk past him and stood before Sif.

"Do you fear me, and my magic Sif?"

"No, Lady Helga."

"Then why deny me what I have asked for. I asked if you would battle with me. Or would you rather tell me my place considering you being a woman yourself or have you allowed yourself to believe that you are a man."

"Helga!" yelled Thor.

"No father, I will not stand for it. Just because I am like mother and Al-mother that I can't be like you it's not fair to not have a say in my life. She doesn't even deserve that title of Lady for speaking to me like that."

"Helga, she has years of training against you."

"More reason for her to not fear losing to me. Shall we start Sif?"

"This will be the last magic I use before we start." Helga says as she calls a sword to hand as her father does for his hammer. Everyone was smirking or shocked at how she showed how much of Thor she had in her.

They took their stand to begin the fight Sif believing that this would be over quickly as she knew that Lady Helga has never fought this way. Only to be surprised only seconds later when Helga sword had almost hit her shoulder if she had not stepped back and turned her body. Helga stepped forward and managed to get behind Sif and raising her sword to Sif's neck.

"Sif, where is the Maiden my parents told me about your making this too easy for me." Helga said before she kick Sif to the ground after Sif finally pushed Helga's sword away. Helga had her sword ready for a hit when Sif rolled over to her back. Helga with a smirk on her face said, "I think this match is over don't you think. Do you yield?"

Sif was very angry that a child without training was able to defeat her in minutes. "I yield." she growled.

Helga walked away from her and towards her parents and their friends. Only to stop short when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder she turned to see that there was a dagger stuck in her. She then looked over at Sif to see a surprised look on her face when she saw the looks she was getting from Thor and Loki.

"I didn't think she was real. I thought she lied about not using Magic."

Everyone ignored her and took Helga to the healing room. Lady Sif didn't know what came over her it was as if she had no control over her body. As she stood there watching everyone leave her behind to have the guards grabbed her and took her to stand before Odin.

"It would seems that your body was taken over again for a while. The head healer put a tracker on you to see if the person or persons that you have been controlling you would try again." said Odin looking at Sif as she keeled before him in chains. "This is hard for me to decide because you have betrayed us by harming royal blood when you should be protecting it. But you were not yourself, therefore it wasn't you that truly betrayed us. You will be placed on house arrest until the Healers can remove that magic from you."

The guards once again took her away and Odin left to check on his granddaughter. Odin walked quickly to the healing rooms to be sure that his family where not fighting. But he knew that they would be Loki never liked Lady Sif or how much she care for Thor.

"I want her locked away Thor." Said a female Voice.

"My love, please calm down we don't know what happened." replied Thor.

"Really Thor, you saw with your own eyes and you still want to protect her." Loki said walking back and forth.

Odin walk in to see both his children fighting with each other. "ENOUGH!"

Both Loki and Thor turned to look at him "Lady Sif is on house arrest, she is not allowed to be near anyone until the Healer is sent to remove the spell."

"See Loki it was the spell that caused this not her." said Thor and Odin winced knowing this wasn't going to end well.

Loki turned to Thor anger in her eyes at how he could still defend that poor excuse of a woman. "Thor! OUR DAUGHTER IS WITH HEALERS BECAUSE OF YOUR PRECIOUS LADY SIF."

"LOKI!" called Frigga as she entered the room that they were all waiting in. "I'm sure your daughter will be fine." As she stared at her children wondering why Loki was in female form. Then she saw Thor walk slowly with his hands up to Loki and pulled her to him and held her in his arms.

Loki let Thor hold her for now and she looked to her mother "I just wanted to check it the damn weapon that is still in her was poisoned. They won't let me help her." Thor continued to hold her and rub her back trying to calm her.

Frigga walked closer to her children and placed a hand on Loki "My child, you are not a healer. You are brilliant with magic but your healing spells need more work. Calm yourself the healer will let us know about her."

It took hours to hear anything about Helga because Loki was right to believe that there was poison on the dagger. Helga would never be the same again or at least until she came of age.

[imagine-loki]

Unofferable

TITLE: Unofferable

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 8, Duty and Worth AUTHOR: unofferable-fic ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Frigga bringing you to Asgard as a child after finding you abandoned and injured on Midgard. Uncertain as to what happened to you, Odin allows the healers save your life, and the Allmother makes it her duty to ensure your safety. 

RATING: M

NOTES/WARNINGS: Violence, language, fluff. Playlist: “Santa Monica Dream” — Angus & Julia Stone, “Pools” — Glass Animals

The princes’ visit to Alfheim ended up lasting for far longer than they had both hoped for. By the time Odin saw them fit to return, almost a year had passed by. They had missed many an occasion in Asgard as well as Ellie’s tenth nameday — something that Loki knew she wouldn’t be impressed about. Odin had lengthened their stay when Thor had created a ruckus in a local village by getting exceptionally inebriated and accepting a challenge from a surprisingly aggressive group of travellers. 

“Thor, there is really no need for you to accept,” Loki had explained, trying to convince him to just let it go as the crowd from the tavern began to gather around them. They cheered loudly, slamming tankards down on tables in delight. Though more reserved than the Aesir, it seemed that the Light Elves were feeding off the buzz created by the lumbering travellers who had initiated the fight in the first place.

‘Come out’, Thor said! Loki thought to himself. ‘We can go and find ourselves some voluptuous maidens for tonight’! All I wanted was a decent fuck and now Thor has to prove just how powerful he is to some other imbecile out to do the same thing.

“Nah ah, Loki,” he drawled, pulling up the sleeves of his undershirt and pausing to hiccup. “This man wants a fight and a fight he shall have!”

“Thor—”

“Get a load of this, fellas!” Thor’s challenger, a burly brute who also hailed from Asgard, declared to his friends. “I am about to beat the God of Thunder at hand-to-hand!”

Thor bellowed in amusement at the comment. “You’re quite cocky for someone who has not felt the force of a strike in the jaw from said god!”

While Loki was also on the verge of being drunk, he was very close to sending the men away with some particularly chosen words that both stroked their ego and subdued his brother in his drunken mess, but it was a sudden lunging punch at Thor from one of the challenger’s friends that caused all the violence to erupt.

“Oh, bugger,” Loki sighed and watched as Thor tossed a body off of his and across the tavern. Chairs flew along with people, drinks splashed everywhere, people yelled and roared as fists met stomachs and boots met teeth. Loki managed to dodge most of the blows thrown his way, bar one that left him with a black eye he covered up with glamour.

“Thor!” he screamed as he reached his older brother. “We need to get out of here!”

“But the fun has only started!” was the delighted reply as Thor threw a man out of one of the windows. The glass smashed everywhere and before Loki could even reach his sibling, he had another man grasped in his huge hands. Even in his intoxicated state, he was still tossing punches left, right, and centre, and effectually subduing his attackers.

“We have to get back to the castle!” Loki insisted and grabbed Thor’s shoulder while the fight waged around them, bodies slamming together like a churning, sweaty sea. “Now!”

“They started it!” Thor scoffed and swung a table into a man charging him. “Who’s up next?”

Loki had had enough and shoved with all his might and with the assistance of seiðr. “Out! Now!”

Once outside in the formerly peaceful night, the battle refrained from spilling out with them. They were lucky that the drunken brawlers were in fact too drunk to notice the reason for their aggression had left. The cool and fresh night air was a welcome change to the sticky and hot feeling of inside the tavern. That and it was always nice not having to dodge numerous punches towards you.

“When Father hears about this,” Loki grumbled as they mounted their horses and began their escape. “He is going to wring our necks.”

“You worry too much, Loki,” Thor slurred with a dismissive wave of the hand while he struggled into his saddle. “We will be fine, you’ll see.”

Loki rolled his eyes and pushed some soaking hair from his face. “I should have gotten a bloody goat to distract them.”

“Oh, yes, brother!” Thor agreed and began to laugh uncontrollably. “The revellers do love it when you tug with the goat!”

Despite the rough night they had, the brothers looked at each other before sharing a laugh on the road back to the castle.

Thor’s confidence ended up being for nothing. While the berating Odin gave them was mild upon hearing about their antics, they were forbidden from returning to Asgard for another five months. Frigga sent a letter from home every now and then, asking for how they faired and telling them of whatever happenings occurred in their absence. Because of their galavanting about in what was formally a peaceful tavern, Frey ordered them to remain within the castle walls for the remainder of their stay, mostly due to Odin’s insistence, so the siblings were forced to obey. The five extra months they had to suffer through ended up being surprisingly quiet. It was hard to create a ruckus when they were confined to the palace. That and the endless mentoring and political meetings they had to attend left them drained.

If Odin’s goal as to leave them regretting their ‘unseemly’ behaviour, he had succeeded.

Loki usually relished in time away from Asgard to explore other realms, but he was genuinely happy to be home when their time was up. The embrace that his mother gave him was a comfort that he had surely missed.

Ellie was more than merry upon their return. She even let Thor pick her up and embrace her when she first saw him again. But Loki was not left out when they reunited — a firm hug around his waist was a surprise, but he didn’t push her away.

“You missed my tenth birthday,” she said dryly as they separated. 

Loki rolled his eyes.“Namedays have less meaning to those who have roughly five thousand of them in their lifetime.”

Her eyes went wide. “You guys are so old!”

“I am only just passed my thousandth year, little one, so I am not that ancient yet.”

“But you’re a lot older than me. That makes you old.”

“It would seem that your logic is quite flawed.”

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best pout. “You’re just annoyed because I’m not scared of you!”

He shrugged dismissively. “I never claimed that I wanted you to be frightened of me. That you should recognise me as your God and that you are beneath me, maybe, but frightening you was not part of my intention.”

She let out a little laugh and grinned up at him since he first arrived. “You’re funny, Loki! I missed your jokes.”

“I did not make any jokes!” 

No one had said that he was amusing before. It was not a common word people used to describe him, but if saying saucy remarks resulted in her laughter, he wouldn’t mind saying them more often. It was far better to see her laughing than cowering from him.

* * *

A few days later, Loki was strolling idly through the gardens of Asgard with Frigga. They had been in the yard together going through their combat training as usual. While she had taught him how to effectively wield daggers and to win a battle through tactical assault many years ago, she still insisted on refreshing his skills once a week. Two handmaidens followed them at a distance, bringing them cups of water or some fruit when asked.

“What is your opinion on Midgardians, Mother?” he asked her after a brief silence.

“Why do you ask?” was her curious reply.

“I have been thinking on what Father said about them during the banquet when he informed Thor and I that we would be sent to Alfheim. He said that they were of no importance, that their lives end so quickly they are a waste of our time as gods. Do you agree?”

As Frigga contemplated her answer, their footfalls began to sync up, their feet landing in step on the stone path below. “Not entirely, no.”

“No?”

“I do not agree that their mortality makes them unworthy of our time. Yes, we are gods and they are mortals with much shorter lives who, in some cases, worship us as being above them, but I would say that their mortality has an entirely different meaning.”

Loki furrowed his brow and turned his gaze on her pensive expression. “And what would you say it means?”

“Your father believes that a human’s mortality makes them unworthy, whereas I feel that their mortality makes their life precious.”

“Precious?” he scoffed. “Mother, I would agree that Father was harsh in what he said, but you cannot honestly tell me that you believe them to be cherished? Surely they are there to worship us and go about their human lives, while we prolong their existence by keeping peace within Yggdrasil?”

Frigga gently rubbed the arm that he had linked around her own. “My son, look at it this way for a moment. Their lives are short — far shorter than our own. That means that they have a lot to do is such a short amount of time. It also means that we will outlive them. Take little Ellie for example. She has now spent half of her own life here on Asgard with us. She looks up to you, likes playing with you and Thor, likes to read her stories and listen to her Midgardian musicians, but you will see her pass from this world before you do. It is an exceptionally harsh reality when you have bonded with a human, but their mortality will inevitably cause you pain. Yes, your position as royalty means that you are above her in status, but her human life does not make her unworthy of your time. If anything, it makes your time with her more precious. Do you understand?”

He paused and mulled it over. It made logical sense — the less time you had with someone, the more it should be cherished, but he knew his father was firm in his stance. As far as Odin was concerned, mortals were beneath the gods and that was that.

“I can understand your logic,” he eventually said, slowing as they walked around a well-decorated fountain. “After all, she is exceedingly less annoying that I thought she would be.”

“And she also seems to have taken after you in some regard,” Frigga laughed gently, giving his arm a little tug. “I have never seen Thor’s hair so well decorated with flowers before.”

“She may be mortal,” Loki murmured with an air of approval. “But I must admit she has a knack for little tricks.”

“It does not surprise me after all the time she has spent in your company.”

“The less she spends in Thor’s, the better.”

That earned him a mild scold, even if Frigga did recognised his playful tone. 

* * *

Loki was in the library late one night when he had unexpected company. The large doors opened with a slight creak, and he looked up from his book to see Ellie potter in.

“It’s a little late for you to be wandering these halls, don’t you think?” he said loudly, causing the little one to jump.

“Loki!” she exclaimed before letting out a sigh and visibly relaxing. “I didn’t know it was you. I thought I was caught for a sec.”

Upon questioning her further, she revealed that she had forgotten to get one of her new Harry Potter books from the library earlier and managed to sneak from her shared quarters to come and get it. He remained in his chair, brushing over some seiðr notes his mother had given him as the girl went to fetch said book. Three years after his return from Alfheim, Ellie had reached the age of thirteen. Her interest in Midgard — which had just reached its two thousandth year — only grew stronger the more history and facts she learned. After his discussion with Frigga, Loki saw the importance in her words and refused to let Odin’s insistence prevent him from making Ellie’s life in a foreign realm a little easier. She had remained settled thankfully and continued to slowly adjust. The mental scarring from whatever befell her on Midgard remained, but physically she had looked less weedy of late. As a result, he and Thor settled into their old habit of seeing her when they could and the Allfather said nothing about it. As to whether that had anything to do with the Allmother, Loki did not know, but he still assumed as much. He was so transfixed by the sheets of paper, he barely noticed her return.

“Are you studying seiðr, Prince Loki?” she asked with the book tucked under her arm.

“Yes, little Ellie,” he replied, looking up briefly.

“Can’t sleep?”

“I have not yet attempted it.”

Ellie looked between the prince and the book in her hands. “I wish I could do magic.”

“Like your book?” he asked absentmindedly.

“Maybe… But more like your magic — seiðr.”

He scoffed. “It is not exactly a Midgardian practice. There are even few Asgardians who are very familiar with it. The Vanir would be considered the masters of it, even if they are ridiculously arrogant about the fact.”

“Hogun doesn’t seem that arrogant.”

“That is not exactly the word I would use to describe his personality…”

Perhaps the term pompous ass would better suit him?

“I know it’s not a very Midgardian thing,” Ellie continued on, seemingly unfazed by Loki’s words. “But I wish I was as good at it as you are.”

He looked up from his studies at her statement, lips pouted curiously. “You wish to learn seiðr?”

She shrugged. “If I could.”

Loki remained in his seat, tapping his fingers and watching the young mortal as she read the back of The Goblet of Fire. In his mind, he considered his options (mostly Odin’s disgruntled reaction to said options) before opening his mouth.

“You know,” he began casually. “There are certain Midgardians that are capable of learning the art of seiðr.”

His statement seemed to grab her immediate interest. “Really?”

“Indeed, little one. Certain individuals who trained hard enough and for a long enough time. They dedicated themselves to the art and became shamans with a connection to both good and evil spirits in the world.”

“Would they not practice for a super long time?”

“Well, you could put it that way, yes. It took a lot of practice, a lot of time, and a lot of patience. Much as it was when my mother taught me.”

“Have you ever taught anyone seiðr?”

He shook his head. “Not as of yet. Although I had yet to find someone I thought worthy of learning.”

“So,” she drawled out, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Does that mean you would teach someone? If you thought they were worth it? You would then?”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged slightly and gestured to the stack of tomes on the table. “If my student is willing to study as hard as I.”

“I’m willin’!” Ellie blurted out before he could explain any further.

He assessed her expression — a surprisingly earnest one — before he opened his mouth to answer. “Are you now, little Ellie?”

“Yeah, I am. I would love to learn how to do magic, my Lord, and you’re the best one to learn from, instead of maybe the Queen herself!”

“Oh my, you do flatter me.” 

Standing abruptly from his chair, Loki strolled over to the section of the library dedicated to the practice of magic. Being so familiar with this section, he easily found one of the first books he read in relation to beginners seiðr and made his way back over to where Ellie was waiting. Upon his return, she straightened her posture and waited to be spoken to, a habit instilled in her by her handmaiden training.

“Relax yourself. There’s no need for formalities at this ungodly hour,” Loki grumbled and held out the book to her. “If you want me to teach you, then go and familiarise yourself with what you will be learning. Once you have completed your duties and lessons each day, read the history of seiðr, what it consists of, and how you can develop your skill over time. Read chapters one through ten and then come back to me when you have done so. After you have done that much, I can start the basics with you if you wish to continue.”

“My Prince—”

“Loki,” he corrected calmly.

“Prince Loki—”

He groaned loudly. “Just Loki is acceptable at this time of night. It’s a bit late for grand titles, wouldn’t you agree?”

“If you insist,” she said with a nod, and took the book he had offered. She gently traced the intricate design on the cover with a finger, wonderment clear in her expression. “Would you really do that? Would you teach me how to wild seiðr like you?”

He snorted slightly. “You have to understand, you will most certainly not be as skilled as I; I do have a thousand year advantage over you.”

  She frowned at the book, brows furrowed at his comments. “If I can’t practice for as long as you can, then why bother teachin’ me? I’ll probably suck at it.” 

At first he thought her words were in jest, but it became increasingly clear to Loki as he studied her disheartened expression that she was being perfectly serious. If she could not study seiðr for thousands of years to master it, if she could never amount to the level of skill that he or other sorcerers possessed, then why bother at all?

… human life does not make her unworthy of your time. If anything, it makes your time with her more precious.

Without another thought, Loki placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Whether you can survive one hundred years or one thousand means little to me in terms of learning. After eight years in another realm, you have managed to continue your learnings of Midgardian English and Norse ruins, and have excelled in your responsibilities as a handmaiden. If you want to learn, then I will teach you as much as I can in the time we have. Do not think so little of yourself. You won’t get far with an attitude like that.”

“Sorry,” she replied sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

He waved his hand at her and took his seat once more. “Worry not. Now, get yourself to bed before the Einherjar find you sneaking about. I trust you to get back in one piece.”

“I won’t let you down,” she insisted, gesturing to the books in hand as she made her way to the massive library doors. She opened it, careful not to let it creak, hesitated, and then turned to face him again with a small smile. “Thanks for that. And for the books too.”

He gave her a nod and answered. “You’re welcome, little one.”

With that, Ellie turned on her heels and slipped out the door, leaving Loki alone once more, reading his notes in candle light.