V.
The throne room where Odin proudly sat with his wife, Frigga, standing behind him was void of the usual court that cluttered the space. Only Thor stood off to the side, his hands behind his back, waiting with a smile. Today was the day, Loki had decided, that he would present Eris to his family. He had sent her to be dressed then gone to meet his parents.
Now he waited anxiously for her to arrive. The memories of their relationship since their night of intimacy were nothing but perfect, and when he remembered their passion, a great warmth filled his cold body. There was some small part of him that wanted to thank his brother, Thor, for giving him the idea… perhaps, even, the courage to present her to father. He hadn't even considered things could become so real until his brother had planted the idea in his head.
The doors opened suddenly and Loki turned to watch her enter. Like a goddess born from light, her visage became apparent. The ivory gown she wore was tied to her with golden cords, and her thick, red hair was bound with tiny white flowers and silk rope. Those silver eyes sparkled when she met his gaze, and he thought his heart might stop.
Smiling, Loki went to her side, took her hand, and led her up to the throne. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that she was without shoes. He almost laughed out loud.
"Father, this is Eris," Loki announced.
Eris kneeled and bowed her head respectfully until she was commanded to rise. She lifted her head courageously in the following silence as she was appraised. Loki studied his father's expression but there was nothing to glimpse in his unreadable countenance. His mother was beaming happily, and she transferred her feelings to him with a simple nod of approval. Loki finally looked at Thor, and found his brother smiling.
As they traded gazes, he felt a sense of respect emanating from his brother. His eyes almost seemed to say, 'Well done, brother. You have chosen well.'
Finally, Odin spoke.
"You do not fear me, girl," he declared angrily. Loki frowned, suddenly worried by the shift in the atmosphere.
"I fear only Loki's absence," she replied confidently.
Loki was truly touched. Her use of the word absence had a profound meaning; essentially, the only thing she claimed to fear was his death. He wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her, hold her close, but knew doing such at that time would be inappropriate.
Suddenly, Odin laughed and held out his hand.
"You are a unique woman, Eris," he chuckled.
Thor snorted. "I told you, you wouldn't get much out of this one. She sees only Loki."
"Fit for a bride, no?" Odin asked merrily. "I welcome you into my house, girl. Loki's bride…" He grumbled thoughtfully as though testing the words on his tongue, still smiling and studying her. He then looked at Loki. "Has it come to this already? You've become a wise boy to have chosen so well."
Loki bowed his head in thanks. Then, he reached out and took her hand, tugging her as close to him as she could get. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and how lovely she was. Even his family's jests and quips about how taken he was with her did not bother him. The rumors, for once, were true.
VI.
In spite of their previous relationship, Loki had been socially required to court Eris before they could be married. So she had been moved into the castle, in her own private chambers, and they had maintained a very proper public relationship. Of course, after having spent a night of passion together once already, it became impossible to hold back. So he had used his growing powers to conceal his presence, and he would often go to her.
That evening was one of those moments. The sun was setting and he had found her lounging on the balcony. The orange light mingled with her red hair, causing it to glow. There was a tangle of small flowers binding the silken strands, but flyaway threads graced her face. He chuckled quietly to himself. She hated how the servants constantly bound flowers in her hair. He had agreed it was unnecessary, if only to pacify her; truly, he thought it was cute, both the flowers and how she protested them.
Loki's green gaze started at her bare feet and climbed her legs, traced the shape of her thighs and her curvy waist beneath her dress. He admired the rise and fall of her ample breast and her elegant throat. Her face still took his breath away.
He dipped back into shadow and suddenly appeared beside her, stroking her arm and nuzzling his nose into her hair. She jumped at his touch and tilted her head back to look at him. He smiled.
"After all this time, I still surprise you?" he asked quietly, amused.
"You stopped surprising me a long time ago, Loki," she murmured. "But you still excite me…"
He sat down on the daybed and gently held her hands. They stared appreciatively at one another for a long while before he smiled again and kissed her knuckles.
"How did it go?" she finally asked. He chuckled.
"The guest list is astounding for the crowning of our new king," he told her. "Father couldn't be happier."
"How are you feeling about it?"
"You know how I feel… Thor is self-absorbed and arrogant." He frowned. "I fear what will happen to Asgard when he takes the throne."
"I have no doubt that he will one day make a good king," Eris said thoughtfully, "but you are right, tomorrow is not that day."
"Which is exactly why I've taken measures to prevent that from happening." He smiled coyly. "A bit of fun…"
"You're up to no good again, aren't you?" she asked with a smile. He returned it.
"Do you object?"
"Loki," she sighed, lifting his hand to her lips; she kissed his fingertips. "I always enjoy your fun."
"Then look forward to tomorrow, my lady." He glided his thumb across her lower lip.
"And Thor? Is he looking forward to tomorrow?"
"Thor," he scoffed, crawling on top of her. "You should see him, whipping his hammer about, flexing his muscles at every mirror and passerby."
"And your hammer," she whispered, and he felt her fingers glide over his groin; he shivered excitedly. "You aren't swinging it around prematurely, are you?"
"My lady, it's very inappropriate to handle my equipment while we're still courting…" he teased.
"I was only inspecting your weapon sets, to make sure you're ready for battle. Allfather knows Thor shines Mjolnir often enough."
"Mm," he grunted as he leaned in to kiss her. He stopped just before he made contact, lips hovering over hers. "And are you going to shine my hammer for me?"
"Isn't that the duty of every good wife?" she countered. "I need all the practice I can get."
"You need no practice," he whispered with a grin. "You have never left me unsatisfied." He gently kissed her. "For you, my lady, I'll always be 'ready for battle'. Thor can do whatever he wants with his hammer, and I will do you with mine."
Eris leaned up, her lips brushing along his cheek, and whispered in his ear.
"You shouldn't be too hard on your brother… After all, he could never beat you in that contest."
Loki felt the heat rush into his cheeks as she grinned and laid back down.
"Listen to you," he murmured, still embarrassed but his ego was swelling. "That shameless talk…"
Loki gripped her waist and reversed their positions so that she straddled his hips. Her laughter was like music. The setting sun was almost below the farthest peaks, casting her in burnt orange shadow. Oh, how he admired her beauty, her exoticism. He created several globes of light that hovered around them, casting her in all sorts of shades of orange and yellow—a trick to preserve this moment as the sun set beyond the ridges and the sky darkened almost completely.
Eris smiled and held out her hand. Suddenly, there was a globe of light in her palm. He frowned, sat up, and gently cupped her hand with his.
"You can do magic…" he breathed, surprised.
"Only a few tricks," she told him.
"When?"
"A few months ago. I don't know why, but one day… it just happened. I felt the energy in my fingertips. And I was able to do this."
Loki reached out and placed his palm on her cheek, studying her silver eyes and looking beyond them, into her, into the fabric of her being. He could see the change.
"What is it?' she asked, reading his expression.
"Somehow, my lasting magic on you has given you part of my gift." He reached up to stroke her hair. "Amazing…"
"I did ask you to make me like you."
"You did, but…" he held her waist tightly and pulled her down to his lips, "I like you the way you are."
As they kissed and disrobed, Loki masked their presence from any watchful eyes. The next day, Thor's reign would be delayed, and following that, Eris and he would be married. Eris had always said that if Thor met a woman, he might grow up. Or, if he had a responsibility greater than himself—say that of a child—he would mature. The child, he had come to realize, would be his and Eris' child; and once he got the idea in his head, it was difficult to get it out.
Loki held her tight as they made love and, in the back of his mind, longed for the day when she would bear him a son. Two sons, he decided. Two sons, like he and Thor. Brothers that would love each other, support each other, fight back-to-back, and live side-by-side. And he would love them equally… He would show his father what it meant to love one's sons equally.
He would be a good father. And they would have a wonderful family.
"I love you," he murmured between kisses, breathless with pleasure.
"I love you, too," she whispered back, "more than anything… I love you."
VII.
"Loki!" Eris screamed and ran towards him.
He held up his hand to stop her and she did, but the pleading in her expression called out to him. He cast his gaze away, afraid to look at her, afraid to face her. What would he say? His 'fun' to delay his brother's rule had incited Thor's arrogance, put him and his friends in mortal danger, and then gotten him banished.
Through it all, he had learned the truth about his heritage, about his father's nepotism. In the throes of anguish, his father had collapsed, stealing any relief he might have heard from his father's tongue. It was as if everything he ever believed in was crumbling, everything he wanted in life was racing beyond his grasp.
"Loki," she begged, "what's wrong? What's happened?"
"I don't want to tell you," he whispered, still unable to meet her eyes. "You will despise me."
"Never," she hissed. "I would never. I could never." She started to come closer.
"No, don't," he barked, but this time she did not listen.
And so out of desperation, he bound her. Magical cords wrapped around her wrists and ankles, stopping her in her tracks.
"Loki!"
"Don't, Eris. I don't want to lose you, too."
"I swear, that will never happen. Tell me, Loki." There were tears in her eyes. "I love you. I would never leave you."
"You love me?" he echoed hoarsely. "I know why father favored Thor all this time. I know why I never measured up. After his victory in the Jotunheim, he stole an infant frost giant and made it his own. He thought to raise it as a son then use it as a political pawn. Not Odinson… I am Loki Laufeyson." He felt the tears gathering again, saw the realization on her face. "Do you love me now?" he screamed.
"Yes!" she cried. "I don't care who you are—Odinson, Laufeyson—so long as you are Loki!"
His magic binding her failed and she came racing toward him. He nearly staggered backward when she collided with him and threw her arms around him. Hot tears slipped down his cold cheeks and he laid his head in her hair, reached up to stroke it. He noticed how the red had become much darker than it was before.
"I was just a project…" he told her quietly, "and now that we're at war, I've lost my purpose."
"I do not think that is true." She looked up into his eyes. "The love is genuine. Thor's love, my love. Even your mother and father; they knew what you were and embraced you when they could have easily ignored you."
"Why would they lie to me?" he mumbled numbly then hugged her tightly. "I must go to father. He's gone into the Odinsleep."
He tried to walk away but she reached out and clung to his sleeve.
"Please don't leave me," she whispered. "I'm afraid."
"Of what?' he asked, and then frowned. "Of me? Are you afraid of me, of what I'll do?"
"No," she assured him, tugging him closer. "I'm afraid I'll lose you. Please…"
He came to her and held her tightly. He buried his face in her hair and clutched fistfuls of the clothes on her back.
"I promise you," he began, "I won't let them take our dream away." He lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. "Even if it means causing more trouble, I won't let them take our life away. We will be married. And we will have a family. And I will love my sons!"
Eris pushed up on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back in desperation, and it flooded out of him and into her.
"Please don't let this destroy you," she whimpered.
"Do you trust me?"
"With all of my heart."
"Then believe in me."
"I believe in you."
He managed a small smile.
"Good…"
Loki kissed her again.
VIII.
He had been crowned king—something he hadn't been prepared for. But Loki was a master of maneuvering. He could utilize any situation, even as it changed so quickly. And he couldn't have asked for a better opportunity—to protect his dreams and to weed out the false friends who had always claimed to love him. Sif and the Warriors Three were the first to turn on him. Had they ever really been his friends or had they merely tolerated his presence for Thor's sake?
It all became clear. Thor had to remain banished. And he would have to prove to his father that he was just as capable as Thor. He had to prove to his father that he really was an Odinson, and that if given the throne, he would rule as a just Asgardian king.
And that meant that he had to end this war. No, more than end it… He had to dispatch of Laufey and all of the frost giants who dared threaten his realm—no, his entire existence.
His plans had left him a busy man. So many whispers to listen in on, deceptions to plan. And between that work, he had happened upon a desperate attempt by Thor's friends to end their heroic prince's banishment. They had cornered Eris and begged her to see reason, to convince Loki to bring Thor back and to step down to the rightful king.
No matter how they surrounded her, Eris stood bravely. She never flinched, never showed an ounce of fear at their bombardment. And she remained silent.
"Will you say nothing?" Sif cried.
And then suddenly the ground beneath Eris' feet turned black and the starry universe could be seen below her feet. The ground melted away in a circle, spreading out and causing the four friends to leap back in horror.
"You're just like him!" Volstagg exclaimed.
"Build your castles on sand, if it pleases you," Eris snapped, "and you can be king of a white beach for a day! Build it on rock, if you ever have the wit, but I build mine in shadow, and no matter how hard the eye spies, it will never be found or breached!" She clenched her jaw. "Or understood…"
"You're just as mad as Loki," Hogun hissed.
Her dark red hair—darker than before—danced around her shoulders as the black hole beneath her feet spread even wider, forcing the warriors further from her until they scattered and left her alone. Eris wrapped her arms around herself, and he admired her strength and devotion.
Loki came to her side, put his arm across her shoulders. She looked up at him with love in her eyes, but a hard determination for the coming storm; that silver gaze had paled.
"I am sorry," he murmured tenderly. "I never wanted this burden, or the trouble it would cause."
"Neither did I," she replied. "But where you go, my king, is where I follow."
IX.
Thor knew the look in his brother's eye the moment the thought registered in Loki's mind. He was going to let go.
"No!" he screamed, but it was already too late.
Loki let go, and he watched him fall into the great expanse and disappear in the bright universe. He wasn't sure how long he hung there, screaming after his brother, but when next he realized what was happening around him, he had been pulled up onto the remnants of the bifrost and was kneeling next to his father.
That's when he noticed Eris standing at the edge of the bridge, staring hollowly into the abyss. Her silver eyes were white with fear and sorrow. Her once vibrant, red hair was now as black as the expanse below her.
"Eris!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry! There was nothing I could do!"
"No?" she hollered back, never looking at him. Her voice was utterly void of emotion. "Maybe not. But there was plenty he could have done!" The anger that suddenly welled up inside of her was jarring. She glared at his father standing beside him. "You failed him his entire life! You failed to be honest with him, you failed to assure him when he discovered the truth, and you failed to save him now! You abandoned him every time he needed you! And who did you wake up for, Odin? Your son—the one and only son!"
He watched her look back into the abyss and knew that she, too, would cast herself into the blackness. She had only ever loved his brother. She was fearless, except for this: his death.
"Eris, don't!" he cried, racing to her.
But it was a day for too late's. Before he could get close, she delicately stepped off of the bridge and fell into the universe.
If she could not live with Loki, she would not live at all.
