AN: I know I promised you an update on Daddy Loki, and I will provide. It will be posted next weekend. Life's been hectic and this story takes precedence so I was unable to finish the update on that mini fic. But don't worry, the wait will be worth it. There's nothing better than seeing a first time father wrangle his first bath time. Cough cough... lol
Born to be a King
Chapter 7
Dawn was slowly ebbing into morning. Emerging from a thick cloud of steam, Thor exited his cavernous washroom and entered the wardrobe closet. Peeking into his chambers, he smiled upon seeing his Jane still asleep and tangled up in the bedding, her long brown hair splayed out behind her like a veil. He wished for nothing more than to stay and welcome the day wrapped up in her warmth, but alas the demands of the burden he carried as protector of the Nine Realms forced him to leave the haven of his bed. He clasped the bindings of his breeches and reached for a tunic, when he suddenly stood rigid, his peripheral vision having caught the faint trace of a silhouette hidden in the mist that still engulfed the washroom. With the slightest turn of his neck he saw it fully, right as it dissipated into the steam.
Instinctively, he looked into his chambers at Jane, but she still remained lost to slumber on the bed. His eyes settled on Mjolnir which was resting on its stand, then he burst into the washroom, ready to face any foe. There was no one. His keen eye scanned every corner of it, every wall, every place where the thick fog might hide an intruder. Finding it to be completely empty, he almost chuckled at himself for falling for a mere trick of steam and shadow play. Walking to the large columns, he peeked out at the city, when suddenly from behind a pillar, a figure charged him and a wrestling match of limbs began. The struggled ended only a few seconds later when the intruder's back came into full contact with the column, a forearm was perfectly placed at his throat, and Thor' s face came only a mere two inches from Loki's.
"How long have you been here?" Thor growled.
"I arrived just as your perfectly plump, royal ass emerged from the tub" Loki teased, then flinched in pain when Thor jammed the arm deeper into his throat "of course not, you idiot! I only just arrived" he finally confessed "we need to talk"
"What could be so imperative to drive you to break into my chambers in the wee hours of the night?" Thor asked, almost exasperated. Loki's tendency for theatrics when he wished to get his way would certainly explain his current presence there, but there was something else hidden deep in his wild eyes. There was urgency, and beneath that something Thor never expected to see:
Fear.
"Something that I cannot risk falling into underserving ears" he said, and pushed Thor's arm away. Thor watched him, trying to catch any hint of malice or falsehood, but he only registered Loki's sagged shoulders and the dark circles that were forming around his eyes. It was obvious he had not slept all night.
"Speak" Thor finally said, looking cautiously into his wardrobe closet as if fearful that the hushed conversation he was about to have with his brother would stir Jane.
"There is something you must do as soon as Barbara and I depart. See it as one final condition to my total compliance"
"That's what you said when you insisted that Barbara go with you. Loki, I will not fall for this again..."
This time, it was Thor's back that met the column, and Loki's arm was jammed against his throat. "I make no jest, and you will do this, or I will not go anywhere and you can be left to your devices to deal with whatever comes out of that wretched sinkhole"
"What do you want, Loki?"
Loki stepped back and looked away as if suddenly struck with the magnitude of what he was about to ask. When he looked back at Thor, the look in his eyes was not one of caprice, but of determination that almost bordered on desperation.
"You will keep my son at Idunn's temple for the length of time Barbara and I are gone"
Thor's frown indicated his confusion. He searched Loki's eyes, then he nodded in understanding.
"Barbara went to see the Norns yesterday"
Loki scoffed. Of course Thor knew.
"What did they tell her?"
Loki did not reply, instead he shook his head and turned to the columns, looking out at the length of the Rainbow Bridge and the roaring waves of the ocean beneath it.
"By the raging swells come the hounds of Hel, and there where the once king befell..."
"Loki, I can't help you if you keep me..."
"Hela is coming" Loki blurted out before Thor could finish "not for Barbara and I, but for our son. She comes for Arik"
Thor was stunned, rendered speechless as the words poured from his brother's lips. He felt a chill of horror course through his veins. It was impossible.
"Are you certain? Loki, Hela has not waged war in a hundred thousand years. Surely she will not unleash her legions in vengeance against two people, and certainly not a child..."
"Don't you see, Thor? If Barbara returned from the dead twice, then so can many more. By my doing, a breach was opened in the laws of life and death and now Hela will seek to amend that breach. She comes to reclaim my son's life in exchange for Barbara's"
"Then you must not go"
"We must. Just as I did with Barbara when she was on Midgard, I will keep Arik shrouded from view, save for those who know of our plans. Barbara and I will go on this quest, and by doing so, we will draw Hela away from Asgard. When she comes, we will be far away"
"Loki, you can't fight this battle alone. Hela will realize that you've deceived her and will take you both..."
"What other choice do I have?"
"What of Barbara?"
"She thinks the oracle foretells that Hela comes for us. I will have her believe it"
Thor sighed. "You're keeping secrets from her again"
"It is for the best. I can't afford to have her emotionally compromised when the time comes to face the foe"
"Have you thought of the danger you will place these realms in if you draw Hela to you? We do not even know what you'll find there, and you remember the stories mother told us as children of what Hela does when she goes to war. She leaves nothing in her wake"
Loki began to pace. This was where his plan became complicated. As he spoke and laid it out, he watched Thor's expression go from troubled to shocked, to furious.
"No" he stated blatantly, his hands balling into fists.
"Would you rather see Asgard reduced to dust? Let my lying tongue do its grand work Thor, I am the enemy after all. Allow me to live up to my name, let me prove my reputation. Let them all believe that the villain is once again running rampant and free. Leave me to do what I do best, and in the end, let my redemption be the life of my son, and the insurance that he will spend his days in the realm he calls home"
For a long time Thor and Loki stood silent. They stared at each other, brothers in bond but not in blood. They stood on different ground, high on different pedestals.
Hero and villain.
If saving what they each held dear meant that they would play the roles appointed to them by the harsh reality of life, then so be it. Finally, it was Thor who broke the silence.
"Very well. I will do as you ask, but you must first promise me one thing..." with a sigh, he unclasped the two invisible wristbands that bound Loki's magic and will, then he placed a hand around Loki's neck, a familiar gesture of fraternity and love for his younger sibling. He had promised to himself that he would never again let harm come to him, and it was a promise he would keep.
"...when the day dawns when you and Barbara reunite with your son, it will be to never leave again"
Loki smiled within but his features remained strained. That day would come, and yes, it would be to never leave again. He looked deep into Thor's eyes, and without hesitation, nodded in agreement.
"Father, tell me again the story of Jormungandr" A sleepy Arik asked Loki. It had been an unforgettable day, spent exclusively in the company of his parents. Rubbing his droopy eyelids, he settled in on the plush pillows and snuggled up to Barbara as Loki came to sit on the edge of the bed, pushing Fenrir out of the way. The wolf pup grunted in disapproval at being moved from his usual place at Arik's side, and decided to settle instead at the child's feet.
"Again? Have I not told you that story enough?" Loki laughed.
"I like how you tell it" Arik answered.
"Very well" his father relented, and began the tale. "Many ages ago, there was a giantess in the realm of Jotunheim called Angrboưa who birthed a serpent she named Jormungandr..."
"Who was the father?" Arik asked excitedly.
"No one knows" Loki answered, then he heard the chuckle that Barbara was trying so hard to suppress. He knew the myths that humans had concocted about his past, and their belief that he had fathered three monsters and birthed Sleipnir himself.
"Easy" he warned, which only caused her to giggle louder. He shook his head in utter disbelief and continued with the tale. "What no one knew, was that the serpent was growing to such proportions it posed a threat to any living creature. His mother tried to keep him hidden in her lair, knowing that the gods would one day come for him, but soon Jormungandr could not be contained. He broke free, and instilled terror into the hearts of all who saw him, destroying cities and laying waste to entire populations. He made his home in the waters of the ocean, which at that time covered most of the Asgardian mainland. It grew even larger, and soon, tales of its immense size and might became known throughout the universe. It was not until the gods laid the foundation of Asgard when the serpent was finally apprehended at the bay of Vlidmir. Some say it was thrown into the ocean at Midgard, where it bites its tail until Ragnarok begins. Others say it was destroyed"
"And what do you believe, father?" Arik yawned.
Loki chuckled. "I believe myths are nothing more than just that: Myths. Now, no more stories. There is something you mother and I need to tell you"
Curious, Arik looked up at Barbara. Her eyes shined with tears that threatened to pool within, but she managed to prevent them from forming. She cleared her throat, and smoothed his raven black hair. His vibrant blue-green eyes shone with the glint of infantile carelessness, as if expecting to hear the news of a great surprise, or a present he was about to receive.
"Arik, your father and I must be away for some time. We promise, it won't be long, but you will remain here and you will stay in the tower we visited yesterday. Remember Heira, the priestess? She and grandmother Frigga will care for you until we return"
"For how long?" he asked, his face falling with sadness. Barbara looked at Loki, unable to answer. He drew in a breath and quickly looked away to gather his bearings.
"Not long" he managed to say nonchalantly "you see, Ragnar found out that there are people on another realm that have magic that is very powerful. Your uncle Thor doesn't know how to use magic, and he is sending your mother and I to find out what sort of power they're hiding"
"It's an adventure with magic! I want to come!" Arik exclaimed with excitement, sitting up "I can be of help, father. I know lots of magic now because I've grown, and grandmother says I'm going to be a master of magic one day, just like you!"
Loki laughed, long and loud. "I wish you could, but unfortunately you can't. Uncle Thor only allowed one person to come with me, and he said it was to be your mother. But I wish I could have taken you. I would have definitely needed your talents"
"Oh father, please bring me something from there. A charm, one I can use to channel fire. Grandmother has been teaching me to create fire. How about a dragon? Can I have a dragon? A baby one"
"A dragon?!" both Loki and Barbara exclaimed, looking at each other. Just how wild was this boy's imagination?
"Your father might as well bring you Jormungandr itself" Barbara laughed "you have enough with Fenrir"
At the mention of the wolf, Loki took the pup and settled him on Arik's lap. Subtly, he ran his hand over Arik's, placing upon him a sleep spell. Arik wrapped his arms around the wolf pup, and gently drifted off to sleep. The last things he registered were his father's voice and his mother's kiss upon his forehead:
"Sleep well, my son. Until we meet again"
It was now midnight. The time had finally come.
With a heavy heart, Barbara fought tears as Loki took a sleeping Arik from her arms. Heira led the way into the innermost secret chamber in Idunn's temple. Behind her, Loki carried Arik and Frigga followed with her handmaidens. Barbara remained behind with Thor standing next to her.
"It will feel as nothing more than a day" Thor reassured "a fortnight will pass before you know it"
"You were there the first time I was separated from him" she answered "you know what it did to me"
Thor laughed. "Well, this time, there is no husband that is worlds away"
"No" Barbara laughed in return "this time, both husband and I will be worlds away"
"And you will both return" Thor said, looking at Barbara.
"We will both return" she echoed, looking back at Thor.
It was a promise.
Barbara sucked in a breath as Fulla tightened the straps of her bodice. With dexterity, the strings were tied and the straps were fastened. Fulla was about to reach for the tunic of her armor when Loki's voice spoke from the door.
"That will not be needed"
Barbara and Fulla turned with surprise and confusion. With a sly smile, he entered Barbara's chamber and waved Fulla away. Barbara raised an eyebrow at him.
"Loki, now is not the ti..."
In an instant, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him. "And what of it? I can and will have you whenever, wherever I please. They can wait"
She laughed in both amusement and thrill when his lips ran down her throat. He spoke against her skin, creating a vibrato that made her tingle.
"Besides, you will not leave this chamber wearing that"
"It's the only armor I have, will you have me go naked?" she teased.
"Hmm" he said, looking up at the walls in contemplation of her words "an agreeable notion if I had no objection to anyone feasting their eyes upon what's only mine to see"
"You're incorrigible!" she laughed, hitting his arm "so what will you have me wear? Somehow a dress doesn't sound too practical for this journey"
"I have a gift for you" he said, all traces of jest gone from his voice "give me your hand"
Delighted, she obliged, and the moment he took her hand, it glowed. The shimmer travelled up her arm and down the length of her body, all the way to her feet. When it was over, Loki quickly turned her to face to full length mirror and Barbara gasped at the marvel she beheld.
"A wife wears her husband's colors. I don't see why that rule should not also apply to battle" he whispered in her ear.
She was clothed in the most magnificent armor she had ever seen: Emerald silk, leather and metal embraced her from shoulder to toe. Her high boots ended at her knees, and her legs were covered by skin-tight leather leggings. A short skirt made out of pleats of leather and green silk reached her upper thighs, and a bodice fitted with pieces of shining gold was molded perfectly to her body. The folds, straps and pleats of it were as intricate as Loki's, and a plunging neckline opened up to the golden shoulder plates that held her garment together. Her otherwise exposed chest was protected by a layer of gold chainmail, and both her upper arms and wrists were covered by shiny vambraces lined with emerald green silk.
She was gawking at herself in the mirror while Loki took her katana swords from their stand and strapped them to her back. Those swords were the only memento she kept from times past.
"Loki..." she breathed when she finally found her voice "it's... it's amazing!"
"I'm glad it merits your approval" he said against her neck, inhaling the sweet perfume of her hair.
She took his hands and wrapped his arms around her, pulling him closer. "Please promise me one thing"
"Anything"
"When we go to battle, and there will be many, I will stand nowhere else but at your side"
He let out a breath and closed his eyes, kissing the exposed skin of her shoulder.
"I promise"
Dawn broke as the small party consisting of Thor, Jane, Sif and Volstagg assembled in the Observatory to bid the two travelers goodbye. At the portal stood Loki and Barbara, who received final instructions from Ragnar.
"You will land on a wide open plain. As soon as you make landfall, seek high ground. That is where you will be safe, and it is also where you will find the greatest sources of water. The city seems to be located on the East, so trek following the larger of the two suns. I will be watching day and night, and should you encounter any danger that you cannot overcome, you will be immediately brought back. King Thor will not risk your lives on this mission" Ragnar said, reaching out to take their hands and placing upon them the spell that would keep them veiled and under his control.
Loki helped Barbara mount Twilight, then he mounted his own stallion. Thor was instantly at his side, pretending to check on his reins.
"He will be safe" he whispered to Loki, just loud enough for him to hear, then patted his horse and spoke for all to hear.
"Safe travels. Volstagg was right, we will hold a great feast in your honor when you return"
Ragnar sheathed his sword into the platform, and the gears whirred into life. The portal opened, and in a flash of multicolor lights, Loki and Barbara were gone.
End of Chapter 7
