Chapter 10

They announced their betrothal to Odin and Frigga later that day. Frigga was overjoyed that one of her sons was finally settling down and to
the woman he loved above all else. Odin, on the other hand, was still not liking the idea but had come to accept it. He may have given his permission for Loki to court Miss Lewis but it still irked him that both his son's had choosen women from Midgard.

"Loki, there is something I can now reveal to you that I have been keeping secret for the past month," Odin began and Loki got a feeling he was not
going to like what his adopted father was going to say.

"I am naming you my heir. You will be the next king of Asgard."

Loki has floored by the announcement. He had thought it was going to be another bombshell but this was not what he had been expecting and
wondered briefly if Darcy would renounce their betrothal when she heard the announcement. His worries though were only in vain for she leaned
closer to him and gave his hand that she was holding a light squeeze.

"Why?" was the only thing he could find to say.

"Because you have what it takes to be a great king, Loki. You have proved that on more than one occasion that you could rule wisely. I have no doubt
that with your chosen mate by your side that you could be a great king."

"Loki, after I banished Thor to Midgard and fell into the Odinsleep you were the one to take up the kingship and you proved that you could handle it. Though trying to kill your brother wasn't very kingly, I now understand why you did it. Trying to conquer Midgard wasn't a wise decision either but you did prove that a king is to be respected, if not feared. In other words, my son, you had the makings of a good king but you lacked the guiding, gentle, hand of your chosen mate. Now that you have found her, I have no doubt I am leaving Asgard in good hands."

Darcy was surprised by this turn of events. She had come to Asgard because she didn't want to be separated from Loki and now, not only were they
going to be married, but he was going to be king. A thought struck that left her breathless. If he was going to be king then that would make her, as his soon to be wife, queen. She was going to be queen of an entire realm! She almost laughed when she thought about the similarities to Loki's explanation of why he had chosen her. He had said that he wanted her as his queen and he was getting his wish.

"Your Majesty. When exactly is he going to become king?" she asked.

"As soon as it can be prepared, though it would be better if we could just have two ceremonies in one."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked confused.

"I think they are trying to tell us that they would like the wedding and the coronation to be on the same day, my love," Loki whispered into her ear.

"Oh," was all she said.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to get married on the same day as his coronation. It seemed wrong to mix the two days. He needed to have a day that
belonged solely to him and then a day for the two of them.

"I don't mean to sound rude your Majesties, but I think that the two days should be separate."

Odin looked at the young woman before him and just smiled. He hated to admit it but the Midgardian was quite feisty and outspoken and it was
exactly what the Aseir needed.

"And why is that, Miss Lewis?"

"Because a king's coronation is a special day that needs nothing else marring it. Not that having a wedding would mar it but what I am trying to say is
it should not be mixed with any other ceremony."

"Oh, but Miss Lewis it isn't that we want to have the two ceremonies together it's because you too will be involved in the coronation. It isn't just his
day, but yours as well. You, my dear, are going to be the next queen and so you too will share in the coronation."

Darcy was taken back slightly by this information. She knew that when she married Loki and he was named king she would be queen but she didn't realize that she was going to have to go through with a coronation as well.

"I am going to…be…queen?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, my dear."

"But I have no title, no credentials, nothing that would recommend me to the position of queen!" she stated.

"My dear, you have everything you will ever need to know. You have compassion and understanding. You have a kind heart. But above all you love
him. You love him like no other creature in all the nine realms has ever loved him. You have accepted his nature, you have accepted him. Besides
once you eat of the apple your other worry that you haven't voiced will manifest itself. You will become one of us. You will become a goddess,"
Frigga told her gently. Surprising Darcy completely.

"So you are saying that we have to get married first then the coronation will take place and after I eat the apple I will become a goddess?" she asked
then said, "I still say that it should be on two separate occasions but I understand if it can't be."

"Darcy, sweetheart, it's all right. I do not mind having the two together, in fact I would prefer it, but I understand that women on Midgard want their
own special day so if you want we can do it that way," Loki said softly.

Darcy looked at each person in the room and then came to a decision. "No, Loki. If I am to help you rule Asgard then I need to start acting Asgardian.
I cannot start my life here avoiding your traditions. I have to accept them as they stand. So if we must get married before the coronation then so be
it. Either way I still get to marry you," Darcy said with as much gumption as she could muster.

Odin, Frigga and Loki stared at her for all of one minute before each smiled brightly at her declaration.

"Will a week be long enough to get everything in order?" Frigga asked to no one in particular.

At everyone's collective nod a missive went out to all the nine realms that Odin had named his heir and that he, the heir, would be marrying on the
day of the coronation.