Hey guys! Just to let you know, this story is a prequel to my other story, The Whited Sepulcher, though you don't necessarily have to read that one to understand this. But I encourage it! Another thing, this story will be written in memories. Each chapter is one of Loki's childhood memories so it doesn't flow through time like a normal story does. So I hope you enjoy it! His memories may start out a little slow, since he's just a child, but things get juicy along the way! Enjoy! :)
Her name was Laralei, and she was different. At least that was Loki's initial thoughts of her as he stood in front of her for the first time. Odin stood next to her with a hand on her shoulder, explaining to him and his brother Thor, that she would be staying with them now. Of course Thor was exuberant in his response, introducing himself and rambling on about how she could be the princess he always wanted to save in his childish boy games. Loki however stayed completely silent, evaluating her with his deep emerald eyes.
"I want you two boys to treat her with the outmost respect, and be gentle with her Thor, she is not your new play toy," Odin advised, pointing a finger at him.
And gentle they should be with her, Loki thought. She was so small and frail. Her head barely came up to Odin's hip and her skin was so pale it was practically translucent. He could see her veins twisting and turning and connecting beneath the light layer of flesh. You would barely have to bump her and she would bruise or bleed.
Her hair however, was long and beautiful and pitch black, just like Loki's, which of course made Loki's judgements about her a bit less harsh. She didn't look like the rest of the blonde-haired Asgardians that left Loki the only odd one out.
And then there were her eyes, deep, blue, and soft, like the ocean after a fierce storm. It was her eyes that hooked him in the first place. They seemed to tell so many stories in one glance, yet he couldn't read her thoughts like he so easily could Thor's. She was a mystery that Loki couldn't just look up in a book and search for, this was something he would have to figure out himself by talking to her and getting to know her.
But he didn't want to.
"Lara, this is my other son, Loki. I think you two are the same age and I'm sure you will both get along very well," Odin says to her, holding out his hand towards Loki.
Loki stiffens instantly, trying to force down the grimace on his face.
"He will warm up to you eventually."
Lara steps forward slowly, reaching out her closed hands towards him, her eyes boring into his. Hesitantly he puts his hand forward to accept whatever is in her hand. She opens her palm and it's empty, so she places her hand on top of his and smiles, squeezing it gently.
Odin laughs as Loki scowls.
"She just wants you to kiss her hand, Loki," Thor teases, laughing as well.
Angrily, Loki turns away and runs down the hallway, disappearing around the corner and sprinting as fast as he can to his room. He slams the door behind him and jumps on his bed, burying his face in his pillows.
Only a few seconds later there's a light tapping on the door and it irritates Loki.
"Go away!" he calls out, his voice muffled from the pillow.
"Prince Loki, I would like to speak with you. It's rather important," a male voice says from outside the door.
The small boy sits up and hops down from his bed before smoothing down his ruffled shirt and hair and answering the door.
A tall, broad shouldered man stands at the door, his rosy cheeks and blonde hair identifying him as a typical Asgardian. Loki recognized him immediately as one of the members of the diplomatic council.
He crouches down so he's eye level with Loki. "Hello, my name is Raimundus, you may know me as Rai, I'm the Midgardian diplomat for your father's council."
"I know who you are."
He smiles a warm smile. "Good. I don't know if you know this but my daughter is Laralei. You were supposed to meet her... have you?"
Loki nods.
"Very good. Now Loki I want you to understand that she's going to be staying with you and your family for a while here in Asgard until I get some things cleared up in Midgard. Wars have started breaking out all across the land and it's not safe for Lara to stay there right now."
Loki listens intently, his boyish face pulled into a serious, mature expression.
Raimundus gently grabs him by his shoulders. "I know you've seen my daughter, you know how weak she is. Loki she is not well all the time, and she's very fragile. I'm telling you this because there's something I want you to do for me."
Loki nods slowly.
"Loki I want you to watch over her while I am gone. She has maids that will help her, but I want someone else, someone I trust more than the maids. I need someone who I know will protect her and keep her safe no matter what."
Loki's face twists into confusion. "Why me?"
He chuckles quietly, his eyes sparkling. "I've watched you since you were just a baby. You were always so intelligent, and cautious, and very protective of the things you cared about. I need that kind of person to take care of my little girl."
Raimundus lets go of his shoulders and holds out his hand for Loki to shake.
"Promise me you'll watch over her while I'm gone? No matter the circumstances?"
Loki stares at his hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it in agreement. Smiling, Rai stands up and puts his hand on Loki's shoulder.
"You're a good boy, Loki. You're someone who I'd follow one day. I think you'd make a great king."
And with that, Rai walks away, leaving Loki standing in his doorway, watching as the nice man with rosy cheeks leaves.
Running back into his room, Loki grabs his formal attire and throws it on himself, struggling to tie the strings on his jacket fast enough. His small hands grab his sword belt with his miniature wooden sword sitting snuggly in it's sheath.
He sprints out of his room and runs down the hallway, almost bumping into three servants and guards on the way. He finally reaches the small balcony overlooking the courtyard and searches the crowd of horses and people for Raimundus.
He spots him, crouching down in front of his horse.
"Daddy!" a girl's voice rings out across the courtyard.
His head turns as the small girl runs towards him, her head bobbing and her black hair bouncing.
He laughs and opens his arms as she jumps inside them, hugging him tightly. Loki listens and watches intensely.
Rai pulls her back and smoothes her hair away from her face.
"Lara darling, I don't want you to be afraid, alright? Daddy may not always be with you physically but he'll always be right here, in your heart," he says as he places a finger on her small chest.
"Daddy loves you, Lara. He's only going to be gone for a while. Allfather Odin and Queen Frigga are going to take care of you now, alright? You be good. Make your father proud honey," he says softly to her as he hugs her tightly against him, burying his face in her hair.
"I love you Daddy," she murmurs back to him before he pulls away and climbs onto his horse.
One of the maids grabs her by the arm and pulls her back away from the horses. Several other men mount horses as the large kingdom gates open up to the village.
Odin's eyes and Raimundus' eyes make contact for a moment before the men ride off on their horses, never looking back.
Loki's eyes flicker down to the small girl that walks slowly beside the maid that leads her away, her face turned back to the gates as she longingly stares out into the distance where her father rides away.
He suddenly feels a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and he looks up to see his mother, smiling down at him. He smiles back at her, then gazes back to the setting sky where Raimundus travels in the distance.
Loki leaves the balcony before he can see the needle begin to spin, the bridge opening up to allow the men transportation into Midgard.
But it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, he was a silent protector now, and he had a promise to keep.
