I need to make it clear that this story is not compatible with Thor 2. Just like the original 'Appeal to My Humanity', this story line only follows the events after Thor 1 and The Avengers - nothing later. So anything we've learned about any of the characters in Thor 2 will not apply in this sequel. I wanted to let you guys know before there is any confusion.
Unbeta'd.
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"So... this has taken a lot longer than a few days. Its been a month now, guys," Nick Fury said as he entered the lab, staring at the trio's backs. Neither Tony, Bruce, or Jane so much as glanced up at the director; they were all looking at the same computer screen, studying a model of the portal generator.
"Tell me about it," said Jane.
"The energy flow regulator is what's holding it up, Director Fury," said Bruce as he turned around to face the director. "Each one we try doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold onto the power of the current. The problem with that is that when we test them they burn out-"
"-or explode," said Tony.
"-or explode," agreed Bruce. "Working on the problem as fast as we can."
"I'm certain you are. Keep me updated," said Fury. His scrutinizing eye swept around the room for a moment before he turned and as he exited the lab.
Jane sighed. "If I get to Asgard and that Bifrost is already fixed, I'm going to kill Thor."
Bruce and Tony glanced at one another over Jane's head but said nothing. Instead the trio continued to work into the night just as they had for weeks.
x
X
x
Darcy noticed a shift in Loki's demeanor all evening but could not tell what had changed. Was he happy? Upset? He sat rigidly next to her at dinner, more silent than usual, but she paid him no mind. Reformed or not he could be one of the most moody, brooding people she had ever met and she wasn't about to set a habit of her putting up with his bullshit.
"I hear that you will be joining Lady Sif on the training grounds tomorrow," Thor said. Every Asgardian within earshot was suddenly listening, which was practically the entire dining hall considering Thor's boisterously loud voice carried well.
"Yep," said Darcy, her eyes glanced to Loki quickly and then immediately back to Thor, "She gave you a run for your money back in the forest today. I would love to see what she can teach me.
Fandral raised a glass towards Darcy. "A toast to our new princess, who is braver than us all," he said with a flashing grin.
"Hear, hear," Volstagg said and the two drank from their tankards deeply. Darcy laughed.
"I'm starting to think I bit off more than I can chew," Darcy said, taking a small sip of her own Asgardian Ale.
"You will have if you do not show up on time tomorrow morning, Lady Darcy. Princess or no you shall be treated like any new recruit," Sif warned her.
"Awesome," said Darcy, "I wouldn't want you to take it easy on me."
"She would do well to take it easy on you, darling, if she knows what is good for her," Loki said, and Darcy dropped her fork on her plate with a loud clatter. The noise in their immediate vicinity ceased. Darcy did not utter a word as she stared at him, her anger apparent.
"What?" he asked.
She said nothing as she rose from her chair and left the dining hall. Loki and the rest of those present watched her exit and Loki turned to Thor.
"What? What did I say?"
"I am not certain," Thor said.
"You insulted her," Sif told him.
"I did not."
"You did," said Hogun. "You questioned her ability publicly."
Loki rose immediately and marched after her. As he exited the dining all he could hear shouts of laughter follow him- "He's in for it now!" called some unknown Asgardian and Loki sneered no one in particular.
Loki found Darcy in her chambers standing on the balcony and staring out at the night sky. Her face was flushed but she did not appear to have been crying, much to his relief.
"Darcy?"
She instantly tensed and turned away slightly from him, remaining silent.
"Darcy, I apologize," Loki started, "I did not realize-"
"Loki, do you have any idea how hard it is for me here?"
Loki was frozen in place for a moment, his mind blank rather than actually thinking about how he would reply. He regained his composure quickly.
"Yes, I imagine it must be awful having to be waited on hand and foot after a lifetime of doing things for yourself," Loki sneered, instantly defensive. Darcy whirled around to face him.
"That's not what I meant at all, you jerk. That part can be pretty rad sometimes, but I'm talking about you protecting me constantly. It's sweet, it really is, and I get where you're coming from, I really do, but it's getting to be too much. We all went to the forest today and it was the first time I'd been outside of these walls in a month. Nothing happened! Nothing! I'm still alive, dammit!" Darcy's volume rose, "Have you ever considered that me just being here in Asgard has been a bit of culture shock to me? I'm still getting used to things and people are are just starting to really accept me. Do you really think Sif is going to break bones or accidentally kill me if she sneezes too hard?"
"Yes," Loki answered simply.
"Yes," Darcy repeated, rolling the word around on her tongue with distaste.
"Lady Sif is a fierce woman and can lose herself in the heat of battle. I cannot think of a time when she ever fought a mortal, let alone a female mortal. Her judgment of what your body can safely withstand is what I have called into question, not your ability to withstand it," said Loki.
"That's not what it sounded like to me," Darcy said, and she crossed her arms and leaned against the heavy stone railing of the balcony, looking away from him into the night sky.
"I apologize again," Loki said and he wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest but her arms remained crossed. "I believe I understand better than anyone the 'culture shock' you're going through, darling. You have integrated beautifully and with more grace than anyone could have wished. You are to be their princess and you will make a fine one. I just worry about you. You're... fragile."
"I'm still pissed at you."
"Of course you are, love. I promise to attempt to stop myself from telling you what to do as long as you promise to be careful," Loki smiled and Darcy draped her arms around his waist.
"Like you could tell me what to do," she teased.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
One moment Darcy was standing with Loki's arms wrapped around her, the next moment she found herself lifted into the air over his shoulder and she let out a surprised squeal of surprised delight. Loki tossed her unceremoniously to the bed and landed atop her, kissing and nipping at her neck and collar bones. Darcy let out a small moan.
"I'm still pissed at you."
Loki moved one strong hand down her body, caressing her legs and bringing it back up to tease her inner thighs. His kisses never ceased.
"We will have to amend that," he breathed and slipped his hand up her skirt.
Darcy closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair, her heat rising. Loki continued to work her neck until she not-so-gently guided his head up to hers and allowed him to claim her mouth. She moved her fingers to start working through the many layers of leather he wore and she felt his fingers reach her panties, playing at their hem. She worked faster, knowing that she would be all but useless once he began to work his magic on her heat.
Loki shifted his weight, moving to crouch on his knees to get a better angle and never once broke their kiss. He hovered above her and let his wandering hand linger, only for a moment, before allowing them to delve into her slick folds. Darcy shuddered at his touch that had become so attuned to her body – Loki knew exactly what she wanted and what she did not want and knew precisely how long to tease her.
Darcy could tell by his maddening pace that there was going to a lot of teasing this evening.
She tried to concentrate on working past the numerous buckles and straps that adorned his ensemble but found that she simply could not. Instead she lay back and moaned into his ear, letting him pleasure her.
"Keep working," Loki ordered, his voice thick with his own need. But he would not go easy on his mortal love this night.
Darcy opened her eyes, her pupils dilated, and did not try to argue. One strap was undone – Loki worked his fingers faster. One more buckle came loose – Loki responded but plunging two long fingers into her, eliciting an involuntary gasp from her. She froze only momentarily before her mind snapped back to the task at hand- removing all that damn leather. He let out a a deep, throaty chuckle at her plight as she rocked herself into his fingers. She was finally able to remove his leather duster and tunic; she immediately began working at his trousers, noting with satisfaction the bulge awaiting her.
Loki worked her faster, increasing the rhythm and intentionally attempting to distract her from her work. She spread her legs wantonly and finally freed him from his trousers, running one hand up and down his length. She brought her other hand to his face and pulled him down for another crushing kiss, feeling him moan into her mouth. Her breathing came faster and faster and Loki without warning withdrew himself from her.
"More," Darcy breathed, frustrated that he would bring her so close to the brink and leave her stranded.
"No," Loki said, his teasing, hungry eyes belying his need.
"More," Darcy demanded again and she wiggled out from underneath him, pulling off her panties in a rush but leaving on her white chiffon dress. She pushed him down onto the pillows as she took in the sight of him – his white tunic splayed out beneath him and his length bulging out of his undone trousers, longing to be freed, awaiting her. It was the most erotic sight Darcy had seen in a long time and she pounced immediately. She climbed atop him without hesitation, rocking her clit back and forth against his shaft and pulling a moan from his lips. By teasing him she was driving herself mad and after only a few moments she could wait no longer. She plunged downward on his length in one smooth motion. In unison their heads rolled back in pleasure and Darcy began to work him. She built a steady pace until she felt Loki put two firm hands on either sides of her hips and forced her rhythm to slow, pulling her from the brink once more.
"Aaaargh!" Darcy cried out in desperation and Loki, grinning, shifted his weight in one fluid motion, positioning Darcy on her knees in front of him while he entered her from behind. She cried out in pleasure and he rode her without mercy, bringing her to her climax and allowing her to peak. Her walls clenched around his length as she came, but Loki did not allow himself to follow her over the edge. Instead he rolled her onto her back once more, positioning himself between her legs.
"Have you any idea the lengths I would go to to keep you here?" Loki breathed, his deep eyes boring into her own.
Ah, Needy Loki. Sometimes she liked Needy Loki.
"Mmmm," she replied, her eyes heavy-lidded with passion.
"Any last requests?" he asked, positioning himself at her entrance.
"Just one," she said, and motioned for him to bring his face closer to hers. She whispered in his ear and he froze, his member throbbing with need, waiting to dive into her heat. He knew better than to ask if she was certain.
"As you wish," he said.
She watched in pleasure as a blue tinge crawled across his skin, leaving those darker blue swirled ridges in its wake. His red eyes looked down into her brown ones and he watched her grin with unhinged delight, so surprised was he at her pleasure. He ripped off the last remaining shreds of his clothing while Darcy slipped her dress easily over her head and deposited it unceremoniously on the floor.
The moment Darcy was ready Loki sheathed himself within her once more. She gasped at the cool, not cold, feeling and found it to be refreshing and pleasant. He allowed her a few precious seconds to adjust to his cooler temperature before he worked his hips into her slowly, drawing out her raw, ragged breaths. She ran her fingers up his arms, circling the ridges in his skin and bracing herself against his thrusts.
Loki positioned her legs straight to the heavens and held her ankles together, pumping faster and faster. Darcy gripped his arms for leverage and threw her head back, letting herself feel her heat build. They reached their climaxes together and Loki let out an animalistic roar of unbridled pleasure; Darcy shuddered around him and when he was certain that she had been satisfied fully he collapsed atop her.
The lovers held each other for several minutes and Loki remained in his Jotun form for her, allowing her to continue tracing he ridges in his skin.
"Your blue is pretty," she told him sleepily, laying her hot face on his cool chest.
"Mmmm," was all she heard. They drifted off the sleep in Darcy's chambers, their quarrel forgotten.
x
X
x
"Darcy, you should awaken if you do not wish for Lady Sif to beat you black and blue on your first day."
"Hrmph," was the response Loki received. A wave of his hand lit the sconces in the room, casting a delicate glow about the room and he leaned over her sleeping form, gently pulling away the coverlets from her face.
"Darling, right now you have time for a bath and breakfast. If you are to sleep longer you will hardly have time to get dressed," Loki informed her. He kissed her cheek and trailed butterfly kisses along her jawbone that ended at her shoulder. Darcy stirred.
"Well when you put it like that," she sighed and forced herself to sit upright, her eyes still closed, her hair tumbling in a haphazard mass to her waist. She allowed herself a moment to adjust to the cool air of the room before leaving the cocoon of warmth that was her bed. Loki lay there, watching her.
As Darcy drew her bath she blinked several times, trying in vain to remember the entire dream she had had the night before. All she could recall was that she and Loki were in the very room in which she found herself standing- her chambers. Dream-Loki had been sleeping soundly in their own bed and Dream-Darcy watched him in between instances in which she decided to start flying around the room. It had felt odd, almost like an un-dream, like it was so real and so surreal all at once that it stuck out in her mind.
Darcy shook away the dream the moment her bath was drawn. A half-hour into her morning routine she was awake and dressed, as was Loki, and she threw her hair hair into a quick ponytail before Inga would have any time to reach her chambers and change her simple hairstyle into an ornate Asgardian one.
They walked in silence in the darkened caste, catching muffled bits and pieces of the quiet goings-on in various rooms behind their closed doors. The soft sounds of their footfall seemed almost preciously fleeting, as though they would never see the palace this silent again.
It was no surprise when they discovered that the dining hall was empty save for the one servant in a corner awaiting breakfast orders. Darcy took Loki's advice and opted for an extra portion of protein in addition to her light fruit and grain and the pair ate silently, each of them lost in thought as they swept the final cobwebs of sleepiness from their minds. Darcy grew more awake and excited with each bite and when she finished her meal she practically bubbled with anticipation at training with Sif that morning.
Loki finished his own breakfast and escorted her to the training grounds to find Sif already awaiting them, which caused an involutnary thrill of panic to shoot through Darcy – were they late? But the look on Sif's face told her that they were not. Darcy noticed that armor Loki made for her just before their battle with Thanos was laid out and waiting for her. Loki bade Darcy good luck with a quick kiss and a worried look which was immediately followed by a deadly warning look shot directly at Sif before turning and leaving.
"Armor on," Sif said and Darcy moved. Darcy had never had to physically put on her own armor before (Loki had magicked it onto her body the one and only time she had worn it) which slowed her significantly, but Sif shows no signs of irritation and waited patiently. Darcy finally was able to tie on her final piece of armor and without wasting another moment Sif handed Darcy her sword.
"You must consider the length of your weapon in comparison to your opponent," Sif started, "You, Lady Darcy, require a shorter sword than most any warrior in all of Asgard. They will not laugh at you in your presence. Of course not, for you are to be their princess; they wouldn't dare. No, they shall laugh in the night, in the taverns, after the royalty has gone to rest their weary heads on their soft pillows. When I am finished with you, Lady Darcy, they will not dare," Sif said, narrowing her eyes. She circled around Darcy, examining her armor and her natural standing position.
"Range of your blade does not betray the outcome of any duel. The advantages of your short sword are that it is quick, precise, and you can more easily return to a ready stance. The disadvantage is that it will not deal as heavy a blow to your opponent, so you must keep your wits about you. You will learn to be quick, cutting your enemy in the correct places and waiting them out while they bleed, weakening them. Now armor off," Sif ordered.
Darcy gave her a quizzical look but got to work after only a fleeting moment and took several minutes to remove the armor as she was instructed. Sif studied her as she shed the metal pieces. She noted that although it seemed that the seconds dragged while she was being examined, the armor still took her far less time to take off than it did to put on, her fingers already remembering the patterns of the straps.
"Good," said Sif when Darcy finally removed her last leg plate. Darcy stood at attention, awaiting further instruction and she noticed that a couple of aesir warriors had stopped their morning warm-ups to watch the women train and Darcy was becoming increasingly self-conscious about it.
"You there! Gawkers!" yelled Sif as she pointed at the bystanders, "You will clean the stables this morning! Move!" The men hurried along, grumbling to one another. She turned to Darcy.
"And that takes care of them," said Sif. "Armor on."
Darcy once again fumbled through putting on her full set of armor. Sif again ordered it off and Darcy complied without complaint. It went like this, armor on, armor off, for hours when Sif announced that they were finished, much to Darcy's great relief. The sun was reaching its peak and Darcy felt every beat of its harsh rays. She was dripping with sweat, already sore, and pretty sure her fingers would have blisters from working the many straps. She trudged back up to the castle with Sif.
"You did well today, Lady Darcy," Sif said.
Darcy moaned a tired sound of thanks and paused for a moment.
"You can call me Darcy, Sif," she told the warrior.
Sif granted her a smile and bowed her head in acknowledgment.
Darcy ran her fingers through her sweaty, unruly hair that had cemented itself to her skin while simultaneously working around the winding dirt path back up to the palace. When she finally did reach it, each step she took up the large stone stairs made her aching muscles cry in pain.
Pain that she would not let show to anyone on the outside. Sif was right. Darcy was going to be a figurehead in Asgard, a human one at that. She needed to earn the common Asgardian's respect.
"It is a warrior's ache, Darcy. Good pain," Sif commented as she eyed Darcy's gait, "You will want your betrothed to make you a balm for your muscles. I will see you again on the morrow," Sif told her, taking her leave as the two parted ways at the top of the steps.
In what seemed like a tired, delirious blur Darcy made her way to Loki's chambers, letting herself through the huge double doors and collapsing onto his bed. She drifted to sleep and awoke to the sensation of cool, wonderful hands running themselves over her body. She cracked open two sleepy eyes to see Loki rubbing a delicious-smelling, minty-feeling balm over her bare legs and arms. It took all the energy she could muster for her to shrug off most of her clothing, allowing him access to almost every inch of her body. Her eyes fluttered closed when he began to work her back, kneading her aching muscles with lithe, knowing fingers, conjuring moans from her that were almost erotic.
"You need to awaken, love," Loki told her, interrupting her almost-departure from the conscious world, "Mother has more decorations for you to look through."
Darcy groaned and forced her eyes wide open, trying in vain to ignore the heavenly feeling of her suddenly relaxed limbs.
"That's it, we're eloping," she informed him. Loki's face fleetingly looked as though the idea thoroughly appealed to him, but Darcy continued before he could comment. "Fine, fine, I'm up."
She spent the rest of her afternoon picking out table runner fabric and ceiling décor with Queen Frigga who continued to be beside herself with excitement.
"Why, we have not had the pleasure of a royal wedding since Odin and I were wed," she reminisced.
"How long ago was that?" Darcy asked while she ran delicate fingers over a lavender fabric that was as soft as a rose petal.
"Several millenia," Frigga replied, her eyes never leaving the gigantic ceiling bauble she was fussing with. She had said it so nonchalantly, as though she was talking about the weather.
Darcy's hands stopped running over the lavender fabric.
"How do you make it work?" Darcy blurted out.
The queen paused and smiled her kind, wise smile.
"One day at a time."
Darcy thought about that answer for several moments and decided that she didn't like it. "But there has to be more to it than that."
Frigga turned from the ceiling bauble and faced Darcy. The years of experience shined from Frigga without making her look weathered. Frigga thought for only a moment and explained: "There are your day-to-day lives. Your duties to the kingdom, your duties to one another, your duties to your children and your duties to yourselves. You must both be strong but not forceful, clever but not petty, and sympathetic but not irresolute. Go to bed angry and you will find that your disputes shall have resolved themselves by the morning. But above all things you must never lose sight of why you chose one another, for it shall be the light that guides you in your darkest hour," said the queen as she took Darcy's hands into her own. "I believe I know my son better than anyone else, Lady Darcy. I have seen him lash out in furious anger and I have witnessed his fall from this realm eternal. And through all this, I rest assured in your love for one another. Why, your devotion is written all over both of your faces."
Darcy was stunned. She held back tears but did not hold back a fierce hug which was returned by Frigga.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Think nothing of it at all. Now I believe we are finished with this décor for the day; you run along, child."
x
X
x
Each following day passed very much like Darcy's first training day. She awoke early, trained until midday, appeased the queen by giving her input on wedding details and fell into bed with Loki at night. Occasionally Darcy would be taught courtyard propriety one day and the finer points of how, exactly, to address an Elvish envoy the next, but otherwise Darcy began to grow accustomed to the bustle of palace life.
Darcy was finding the sameness that occurred day-in and day-out was becoming monotonous, a sort of white noise that she felt she couldn't escape. Finally, she turned to her husband-to-be during breakfast one morning, eying him carefully and deciding that he was in good enough mood to press the subject.
"I have the day off. Let's go on an adventure."
Loki shot her an uncertain look. "Another ride to the Flagsylph Forest?"
"Actually, you'll be happy to know that for once I want to stay inside," she told him with a grin. He did not contain his look of surprise.
"Is that so? To where shall we find ourselves adventuring?"
Darcy's eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice conspiratorily. "The library."
Loki smiled involuntarily. "A love for books to which I can relate. Yes, this one will make a fine wife."
She rolled her eyes and they rose from the table together, exiting the dining hall hand-in-hand. Loki led Darcy through the halls of the palace past statues and tapestries to a wing she had never been to before, all marble-looking walls that led to a set of pearly double doors. When Darcy passed through them she gasped.
The walls of the grand library were lined with hundreds of shelves of books of every shape, size, and apparent age. The entire vault of books was empty save for one lone crone who sat behind an ancient desk, thumbing through a large volume and writing on a scroll every so often. Darcy took in the smell of the immense room and realized that even on an alien planet the distinct scent of a library was the same as it was on Earth.
It was only now that Darcy realized that Loki was studying her.
"What?" she asked.
"It is a rare sight indeed to see one so enchanted with all this," he said, motioning to the shelves.
"Are you kidding? This rocks!" she said and made her way to the nearest shelf. She ran her fingers along the old, withered titles and pulled one of the texts off of the shelf.
"The Complete History of Asgard," she read aloud and flipped through its pages. She looked up at Loki, puzzled. "Half of this book is empty!"
"Of course it is. It is the complete history of Asgard. It is still being written," Loki said simply, as though it made all the sense in the world. "Our battle with Thanos should be in there already, and our engagement as well."
"Ooh, it is! I'm in a book," Darcy said with a smile, which quickly turned to a frown as she surveyed the other books on the shelves. "And right next to it is The Encyclopedia of the Nine Realms, and next to that is Midgardian Tales of Asgardian Events. Does this library not organize books by subject?"
"There is no need," Loki told her and guided her to the wizened old woman sitting behind the desk.
"Brunhilde?" he said, and the woman raised her head from her work.
"Prince Loki," the woman greeted him, "and this must be your betrothed. Tiny thing, are you not?"
Darcy did not know if she should agree with the woman or laugh, but thankfully Loki answered.
"Brunhilde, please show me where I will find Essential Spells for the Apprenticing Sorcerer."
The old woman nodded once and hovered a hand over the scroll in which she had previously been writing. It glowed blue and Darcy saw that one of the many rows of books that stretched down a long hallway began to glow blue in turn. Loki saw the light as well and thanked Brunhilde, heading toward the light as Darcy followed after him. They rounded the corner of a shelf and Loki plucked the glowing blue tome from its shelf, giving Darcy a smug smile.
"That's it? The book you're looking for sparkles like a World of Warcraft quest item?"
"Well it is quite a fast way of finding them," Loki said simply.
"You people need computers," Darcy remarked before she allowed herself to be immersed in the titles. Through the jumble of off subjects she was able to find another couple of books on sorcery, so she gathered a few of them from the shelves and sat down at a nearby table to flip through their dusty pages. Loki remained standing, scrutinizing Essential Spells for the Apprenticing Sorcerer.
"These spells are not essential," he muttered aloud, "It has been so long since I've read this that I hadn't realized the drivel contained within."
"These ones are pretty rad, actually," Darcy called over her shoulder without taking her eyes off of the page, "I mean, I can't read any of this but there are a ton of pictures. Check it out, this dude's on fire, but look, it's not so bad because he's happy," she said, pointing to a page in the text with a picture of a grinning man engulfed in bright green flames. Loki leaned in for a closer look.
"It is a warming spell. It will keep your body within an acceptable temperature range even during the coldest of winters," Loki explained.
"And they show that by drawing a guy on fire?"
"Of course. How else would you depict a body being warmed by magic?"
"Right," Darcy said, closing her book and moving on to the next one.
"Your mortal life force is too weak to handle magic in your current state, but when you partake in one of Idun's apples I can teach you these spells if you like," he said, looking up from his reading.
Darcy blinked. "What?"
"I can teach you to work magic once we are married," Loki repeated.
"Are you kidding me? All right, we need to get a move on with this wedding thing. I'll sit through a hundred dress fittings if I have to," she told him. He laughed and smiled down at her.
"Is betrothal to me not enough? I must bribe the lady with power as well?"
"You got it."
"That's my girl."
The two put away their tomes and headed for the exit together.
"I'm serious about you people needing computers, though," Darcy commented as they left, her voice trailing off down the hallway.
x
X
x
Thor was unusually quiet at dinner later that evening. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes staring off into nothing and focused on something that no one could see. Darcy shot a quizzical look at Loki and her eyes darted toward the god of thunder, but Loki gave her a shrug.
"What's up with you?" Darcy asked. When Thor did not answer, Darcy asked again, waving a hand to capture his attention. Thor's faced snapped to Darcy and he smiled, abashed that he had been so deeply engrossed in thought.
"Lady Darcy, my apologies. A king's worries have occupied my attentions this night. I shall deign to be more present," Thor said. Loki let out an involuntary snort at 'a king's worries' but no one commented.
"Anything I can help with?" Darcy asked and Thor began to wave his hand in dismissal, but stopped mid-wave.
"Perhaps not something that requires your assistance, but your betrothed may hold the answer to my plight," Thor said with a grin and Loki stopped chewing, a careful look of guarded caution crossing his features.
"Yes?" Loki asked.
"I received word that the North Palace of Alfheim is still rebuilding after Thanos's attack. They have not the manpower needed to make the palace whole before their frost season begins. I have my days filled with my duties here and moreover, I am no diplomat. I may inadvertently offend the elves' delicate sensibilities. But you, brother; you have the gift of the tongue, you speak the very language of diplomacy. Will you go in my stead and represent Asgard properly?" Thor asked. Darcy kept her smile to herself; it sounded like Thor knew exactly how to ask for a favor from his brother. Compliments will get you far.
Loki thought over the request for a moment. On one hand his idiot brother might cause inter-realm war with his brutish mannerisms. On the other, he hated doing royal work and having to maintain careful face around foreign leaders. But the third option was appealing – win points with the fiancee by taking her on a whirlwind trip to another realm. Something to make up for their Stockholm holiday that had been cut bitingly short.
"I shall do as you ask, Thor, on one condition. Darcy must accompany me."
Darcy gave out an almost-inaudible squeal of delight and she clapped her hands together, eliciting an amused look from Volstagg.
"Of course! Lady Darcy should see Alfheim and become familiar with their leaders as well," Thor agreed.
"Ooh, when are we going?" Darcy asked.
"On the morrow," Thor replied.
"Oh my god, I have zero time to pack!" Darcy started, but Loki and Thor laughed.
"There is no need," Loki said, "Our servants shall have our travel chests ready for us in the morning."
Darcy laughed. "I swear if someone took away all your servants you two wouldn't be able to function. What would you guys do if you didn't have servants around to tell you which spoon is for broth and which is for soup?"
The entire table burst into laughter save for the Odinsons who were boh thoroughly unamused.
"But while I have them at my disposal I guess I'll just get more sleep," Darcy surmised. It was her turn to be laughed at.
"It is my solemn duty to tell you that no, you will not, Lady, Darcy," said Thor, "You shall awaken before the sun and you shall be off before it breaks the horizon."
"And before we can go you need to bathe and dress. Inga will style your hair, we shall have breakfast," Loki ticked off each item on his fingers.
"Well in that case I'm going to bed now. Catch y'all on the flip side," she told her dinner mates and left the hall for the evening. Loki stared after her, lost in thought of his own.
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