A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back with a very exciting chapter...there's plenty of drama and romance for you all to enjoy!
As usual, a HUGE hug and thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: K9Train, Angel of the Shining, Tiryn, Lexy Summers, xRDJ603, The Yoshinator, MayFairy, FallenStar92, FlamePumpkin32, CreggaFoeseeker, DGfleetfox, Epoch95, morbidly-funny, lostfeather1, SoraLearnedToFly, Fuchsia Grasshopper, emiichan, Spazoid L and three lovely Guests!
You guys are soooooo cool!
Also, this is the last bug jump in time there is so from here on it's pretty smooth (time-wise not drama wise!) Enjoy!
Chapter Ten – Between Servants and Royalty
Nearly two years later
Herja tapped her foot impatiently against the carriage door, making the others around her glare. She mouthed an apology and stopped, sighing.
She hated travelling in carriages but she had no choice. Earlier in the year, news had reached her that her mother had fallen ill and Herja knew that she would have to go to her immediately. Due to their move to their farm three years ago, Herja had to travel quite a distance to see her and she had requested Odin's permission to take as much time off as she needed. Thankfully, Odin had been very understanding. And after six months of helping her family, Herja saw her mother slowly improve. But while Herja was glad to help, she found herself longing to be back in the palace more than she thought she would. She missed the chaos, the drama and, most importantly, she missed the Odinsons.
There was suddenly a round of gasps from the other people in the shared carriage and Herja turned to look out of the hatch behind her. She couldn't stop herself beaming when she saw what they had all been so entranced by; the palace of Asgard.
After three years of feeling like she was staying in somebody else's house, Herja realised it had become her home. At last.
"Is that all, miss?" A male servant asked after he had placed her luggage in her room.
"Oh, could you inform the All-Father that I have returned? Thank you." She smiled and the man nodded, closing the door with a snap.
Herja gazed around her chambers, breathing in the air with a grin. She unpacked quickly, realising she hadn't taken much with her to begin with, and called for a bath to be brought to her room. She soaked for a good while, relishing the heat of the clean water on her skin but when she clambered out, she cursed how long it took for her to dry off; the feathers of her wings taking much longer to dry. Once she had pulled on a simple green dress, she pulled open the shutters and beamed at the glorious view from her small balcony. Yes, this really was home.
Knock, knock. "Miss?"
Herja jumped. "Yes?"
"Sorry to disturb you, miss." A male voice came from the other side of the door. "But our great All-Father has requested your presence in the Throne Hall."
The Throne Hall? Herja was surprised to say the least; the Throne Hall was usually only used by royalty and their most trusted servants. Herja was beginning to wonder which category she was meant to be fitting into.
"Thank you, I shall go immediately." She heard the sound of the messenger's footsteps retreating and seized a belt to fasten around her waist and a necklace to make her seem a little more like she belonged in a palace. Then, after a deep breath, she left her room; apprehensive about why the All-Father had called her and excited because she would surely be seeing Thor and Loki again after so much time apart.
She rushed down the stairs, dodging out of the way of the maids wandering in the opposite direction and hurried along three long corridors before coming to a halt outside a large door, a guard stood at either side. She waited for a beat before they both nodded at her and stepped aside, pushing the door open for her. She smiled and entered the Throne Hall, expecting to see a small family dinner taking place that she had been invited too for the night.
Instead of a happy family scene, all she saw was Odin slumped in his throne with Frigga sat next to him, their hands clasped together in silence.
Her footsteps faltered as she immediately felt like she shouldn't be there, like she was interrupting something but Frigga noticed her and pasted a smile onto a face that didn't look natural.
"Herja..." She greeted softly. "We are filled with joy knowing you have returned. What news from your family?"
"They are all well once more." Herja confirmed, finally reached the bottom on the steps that lead up to the throne. She glanced at Odin who still hadn't sat up straight but continued talking to his wife. "I hope you can say the same about your own family...?"
At this, Odin gave a growl. But it wasn't one of anger; it sounded more like the cry of a wounded animal. "I live in fear, Herja!" He cried suddenly seizing her hand bringing her closer to them.
"Fear of what, All-Father?" Herja asked, sharing a worried glance with Frigga.
"Fear that I have lost my sons forever." He responded, slumping once more and hanging his head.
Herja felt a knot of anguish begin to form in her stomach. "Lost them? How?"
When Odin made no response, his wife explained to Herja in his stead. "Thor, Loki, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three have journeyed to Svartalfheim to confront the recent disruptions that have been blighting the planet. My husband had thought that it would be a simple task but..." She trailed off.
"They have been absent days!" Odin cried again. "I fear I have sent them to their deaths!"
Herja felt the knot in her stomach twist painfully but she knew it would not do good to show her own anxiety; right now, she needed to help Frigga in calming Odin. She squeezed his hand tighter and forced a smile.
"I am sure you have not. Thor may not be the most logical and Loki may not be the strongest but Thor is strong and Loki is sensible. Together they will triumph over any obstacle that confronts them."
"Perhaps." He seemed to relax before bursting again, "But they have been from me so long!"
"How long?" Herja asked gently.
"This will be the seventh night."
Herja was silent for a moment, trying to keep a reign on her own feelings. Nearly seven nights? That was a long time, there was no denying. Herja had never known them to be gone any longer than two. While she was sympathetic to both Frigga and Odin's concerns, she couldn't help but feel that Odin was getting a little of what he deserved. While she knew he loved his sons dearly, she also knew that he often too them for granted, Loki in particular, and she hoped that (so long as they returned well) this could make him realise how lucky he was to have two sons like Thor and Loki.
"All-Father, your worry is most probably misplaced. They shall return tonight, I am sure." Herja smiled at them both again, stroking Odin's hand with her thumb calmly.
But they didn't return that night. Nor the one after.
Every day, Herja was called to the Throne Room to sit, talk and dine with Odin and Frigga. While she was baffled as to why they had chosen her to sit with them, she was grateful that they had as it let her know any news as soon as it came in. It also gave her the chance to get to know her friends' parents better. She and Odin talked easily and it seemed that her words usually calmed him when he was overcome with worry and Herja found that she enjoyed Frigga's company enormously. After she had been with them for two days, she realised that Frigga reminded her of her own mother; both had a sort of quiet strength that Herja found to be extremely compelling and demanded respect in a different way to the power her husband commanded.
It was the evening of the ninth day when news finally came.
Herja was sat at a small round table, eating quietly as she watched Frigga cut her food up into tiny pieces and Odin push his around his plate without eating any. Nervous were very filling, apparently. Just when Herja was beginning to feel like she couldn't be strong for them anymore, that she couldn't hold back her grief anymore when a guard came bursting into the Hall.
Odin stood immediately, sending his chair flying. "What is the news?"
The guard was breathless and red faced, as though he had just run a long distance. "They have returned, All-Father. They have returned!"
Frigga cried out with joy and embraced her husband, laughing. "Send them in! Send them in, I say!"
The door banged open and Thor and Loki strode in, both grinning as though they had shared a joke outside. Odin rushed towards them and pulled them into a tight embrace.
"My sons...my sons..." He said over and over. Over Odin's shoulders, Thor and Loki shared a look of bewilderment.
"Father?"
"Father what is all of this fuss?" Loki asked, smiling slightly.
Odin pulled away and placed a hand on both of their faces. "My boys...I thought I had lost you. I thought you were lost on Svartalfheim, never to return. But here you are." He beamed. "My sons have come back to me at last."
Thor laughed loudly. "Father, you worry too much! Loki and I are well, as you can see! We all are!"
Frigga sighed, exasperated by their confusion at their father's worry and joyous that they had returned. "You absence concerned us. We did not think that you would be gone for so long!"
"There were complications." Loki began, still grinning. "But they were all remedied before we returned. As far as Thor and I can tell, all is now well between Asgard and Svartalfheim."
Odin gave another cry of joy and clapped them both on the back. "You have both done me proud. Come, let us eat together!"
As they approached the table, Herja moved aside, feeling a little awkward. "I shall leave you all to reunite – "
"Nonsense!" Odin gestured for her to sit back down. "You have been tremendous to my lady and I and staying for dinner is the least I owe you."
"Herja!" Thor called upon noticing her. He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug until he finally letting her sit down again. He took the seat opposite her and she kicked him under the table in revenge. He grinned and spooned in a mouth full of potatoes. She noticed that he had several cuts over his arms and two on his face but he didn't seem bothered by them.
Loki pulled out the chair next to her and she turned her smile on him as he sat. "You have returned from tending to your mother...I hope she is well now?"
"She is thank you."
Loki also had several injuries but, like Thor, they didn't seem to be troubling him. Herja beamed and brushed her hand against Loki's under the table before turning her attention to Thor who had begun regaling them all with their tales of Svartalfheim.
It was much later when they all finally retired to their chambers, all of them weary from the excitement of the evening.
For the first time since she had returned to the palace, Herja felt like she was going to have a good night's sleep. Upon entering her room, she closed one of the shutters but left the other slightly ajar, enjoying the cool breeze the darkness had brought with it. She changed out of her clothes and into her nightdress, enjoying its lightness compared to the heavier fabrics of her day dress. She was just about to climb into bed when she spotted a bowl of water on her table. She had called for a bath earlier in the day and they had brought one bowl too many. She had been about to call someone to take it away when she had been summoned to dinner. She bit her lip, knowing what she wanted to do. After all, this was the perfect excuse to see him.
Unable to resist, she picked it up along with a piece of cloth she had not needed earlier, and crept out of her room and up the stairs. Arriving at the familiar door she knocked quietly enough that if he was asleep, it probably wouldn't wake him. After a beat, he answered the door.
"Thor, I told you I don't need your advice – " He stopped when he saw her stood there. "Oh, Herja. My apologies, I thought it was Thor returning to hound me."
Herja suddenly felt very hot as he opened the door wider and saw that he was only wearing his breeches, his shirt hanging over the back of the chair. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and she knew she must be blushing. "I – I am sorry, I did not know you were busy. If you want me to leave..."
"Do not be foolish...come in." He left the door opened for her and she stepped inside, her hands a little shaky. What was wrong with her? She had seen Thor without his shirt dozens of times and it had never had an effect on her, so why when it was Loki did she feel so dizzy?
She heard him close the door behind her and she placed the bowl on the desk gingerly, not wanting any of it to spill. Herja took a deep breath and told herself to get a grip; it was only Loki after all! Perhaps she could stop herself from blushing if she made sure she didn't look anywhere other than his face.
"I thought I would try and patch you up a little." She said, turning to face him and begging herself to not look anywhere other than his eyes.
He nodded, smiling. "Thank you. I was about to do that when I realised I had no means to do it with."
She soaked the fabric in the water and she felt him sit down in the chair behind her, his knee pushing against the back of her legs. She resisted the urge to shiver. She squeezed the excess water out and turned to face him.
"Where do you want me to start?" She asked.
He held out his left arm and she began dabbing at the cuts there, washing off the blood and cleaning the wounds. They stayed in silence for a while and Herja wondered if Loki felt as tense as she did. As she glanced up to see him lounging comfortably in the chair, watching her every move, she guessed he didn't. He smiled and she blushed again, turning her focus back on cleaning his wounds.
"It must have been difficult staying on Svartalfheim all that time." She said finally, feeling like she should break the silence.
"It was not too troublesome. The people are mostly welcoming; it was the revolutionaries that were the most difficult. But we managed to settle things."
"Good." Herja finished cleaning his arm and asked, "Is there anywhere else?"
"There is a nasty one on my chest." He studied her reaction. "If...you do not mind, of course."
"Of course not!" She said, overly jolly and overly high. She washed the cloth again and took a deep breath before turning and looking at the cut on his chest. Do not look anywhere else. Do not look anywhere else...
She gently brushed the cloth over the cut and she felt him wince. She apologised hurriedly and brushed it again, hoping he hadn't had the time to recover from the pain before. To her surprise, he placed his hand on hers, halting her in her progress. She met his gaze and he said,
"I am glad you were here when I returned. These months with you gone..." His words faded out like he had suddenly become scared of his own honesty. It was so hard to get Loki to talk about anything personal; she knew that from experience. Over the past two years, they had continued their lessons, and even shared the occasional chaste kiss, but he had never once confessed any sort of feelings towards her. While Herja understood that he could not be flippant about such things as a prince, it sometimes made her frustrated and left her confused about what he wanted from her. Was he only close to her while he was waiting for a noblewoman to take his fancy? Suddenly, his temporary honesty returned. "The palace has been dark without you."
Herja was speechless. This was the first time ever he had made any sort of confession to her and, while it may not be a profession of love, it was something. She felt his free arm snake around her waist and pull closer towards him so she ended up joining him on the chair, her knees either side of his. He brushed her hair out of her face before bringing her lips down to meet his. Herja let the cloth slip from her hands and fall to the floor, her knees feeling weak as he deepened the kiss and pulled her so close their bodies were pressed together. A whimper escaped her as her hands came to rest on his chest and her fingers stroked his bare, pale skin.
Her nightdress was so flimsy she could feel the trail of warmth he left as his hand snaked down from her waist, brushed over her backside and stroked her thigh slowly and deliberately. His other hand untangled from her hair, slid down her neck and found her shoulders. They broke apart then, their eyes meeting as though they were both trying to judge how far the other would go. Seeing that both pairs of eyes were almost black and they were both breathless, their lips met again and Loki slowly pushed down one of the straps of her nightdress. Herja was just wondering how far she was willing to go when she was saved the trouble.
Thud, thud! "Brother!"
They broke apart again quickly and Loki groaned. "I think I may have to kill him."
Herja found herself giggling as she clambered off his lap, pulling the strap back over her shoulder and standing by the bowl of water.
"Brother, are you awake?" Thor called through the door again.
Loki laughed loudly. "As though I could sleep through the noise you make! Of course I am awake!"
Thor burst in then, faltering only when he saw Herja in her nightdress and Loki pulling on a black shirt. "What is happening here?" He asked, his tone suspicious.
"I was cleaning Loki's wounds." Herja lied easily. "I was just about to do the same for you."
Oddly, Herja realised, cleaning Thor's wounds hadn't even occurred to her. She dropped the cloth into the bowl and Loki turned his attention to his brother, not looking at all flustered about nearly being caught.
"What is it, Thor?"
"Father has requested our presence in the Throne Hall once more. You are also commanded to attend, Herja."
"At this time?" Herja was confused; they had not long left there to all retire to their chambers. What was so desperate that it could not wait until morning?
Thor nodded. "He would not tell me what it was about, only that he needed all of us to be present."
When they entered the Throne Hall, Herja immediately became apprehensive and bizarre scenarios began running through her head. Had Odin somehow seen her and Loki kissing? Was he going to chastise them...in front of Thor for some reason? Or was it something about Herja's continued training in magic and combat? Had he found something out about that and was disapproving?
As the neared the throne and still hadn't noticed them, Herja caught a snippet of Frigga's words. "No, no!" She heard. "It is too soon. My love, I do not think this is wise, especially when – "
"Ah, here they are!" Odin cut across her smoothly, greeting his two sons and Herja. "My apologies for calling you back down here at this time but my issue...my words...cannot wait to be heard."
They all shared a look, equally in the dark, and Herja crossed her arms, feeling horribly exposed in her nightdress that had become a little damp from where she had been pressed against Loki...best not to think of that now.
"What is it Father?" Thor prompted.
"I have, for some time now, observed a relationship flowering before me. It began when you were merely children and I have watched, fascinated as your bond has become stronger and stronger and now, I feel that I can finally voice my feelings about it and, as I feel as though neither of you have yet summoned the courage to voice these feelings, I am prepared to take that task myself."
Herja suddenly felt overwhelmed. True, her bond with Loki was getting stronger but was she really ready for what Odin was so clearly suggesting? Was Loki ready? Could she be princess, a member of the royal family, a wife? And would that mean that she would have to say goodbye to her dreams of independence? Or would a royal marriage aid them instead? She glanced at Loki but he didn't meet her eyes; instead he was staring at the floor, his head bowed and his brow furrowed.
"Herja," Odin began to address her personally. "Through these days of worry, you have been a pillar of strength for both myself and my wife and we both agree that you would fit wonderfully into this family."
"Well, thank you All-Father but I am not sure that – "
"And I believe you would make a wonderful Queen."
Herja froze. At first she thought that Odin had made a mistake, a mere faux-pas. But when she waited for a correction, it didn't come. Her mind couldn't process what he must mean, which brother he must be referring to...
"Father?" Thor began hesitantly. "Are suggesting that Herja and I should be wed?"
"I am."
So the truth is out at last! There's MUCH more drama to come in the next one too.
What did you all think? Please leave me a review :)