Loki watched as Thalia emerged from behind the great heavy door, she inspected him, obviously concerned that he had not moved from the hall since she entered Odin's chamber.
"King Loki, I am surprised to see you here." She claimed, forcing a warm smile on her lips, but Loki saw through her veil of joy.
"Congratulations, my lady," Loki said, realizing that this was a day of celebration for the princess, and his actions might have affected the girls good mood. But Thalia seemed only to care for the miserable king, not troubled by the possibility of a flawed wedding day.
"Thank you, I certainly hope you and dear Iona enjoyed the services," she peered around, expecting to see her friend wandering through the hall as well.
"She is with your husband," Loki explained, when Thalia's eye finally met his.
"My husband," she said curiously, "Yes, of course," Thalia smiled to herself, enchanted with thoughts of her recent marriage. Watching her reminisce caused a tight knot to form in Loki's stomach, and he was consumed again with lamenting thoughts of his own spouse. "Loki?" Thalia whispered, he realized she had been staring at him for some time and he had not acknowledged her. "Are you alright? You seem distressed."
"My father has left me in an unpleasant mood, is all, Princess, I'm quite fine." Loki flashed her a sideways smile.
Thalia let a shroud silence fall over them while they both thought on about the All-Father, a custom she had brought with her from Vanaheim. "Won't you walk with me? I'm not sure I'm quite ready to return to the celebration." She finally offered, not wanting to return to her new husband with such a heavy heart.
Without a word Loki waved for her to follow him down the hall farther, in the opposite direction from which they came.
"It appears we are in the same boat, as your wife says," Thalia quoted, matching Loki's stride.
"How so, princess?" Loki gazed down at the girl, frowning to himself.
"King Odin has us both in a fit of nerves," she laughed awkwardly, playing with a curl of her hair.
"You are correct of course, my lady," Loki felt himself smiling at her, thinking fondly of his wife and then desolately of their future together. Thor's words still rung in his ears, 'He is the greatest chance of keeping Iona by your side.'
Thalia frowned and said, "I know it may not be my place, your grace, but if you have concerns you wish to share, then know that my ears are open to you. And know that I too need a companion in this moment."
"You are truly too kind, princess, but I will not burden you with my worries," Loki responded cordially, but there was a look in her eyes that said she would find out about his troubles one way or another, no matter how he tried to hide them.
"Then perchance, may I burden you with mine?" she questioned, her eyes glued on the marble path ahead of her.
"It would be a pleasure to remove some weight from your shoulders, my lady. What troubles has my father laid at your feet?" he found himself saying. Conversation came seemingly easily with the soft-spoken goddess.
They walked together in silence for a moment before Thalia sighed quietly, "The king desires to grant me a wish, anything I would like it would seems. I have never received such a kindness before, and he refuses to retract his gift. I must have my wish by this time tomorrow."
Loki stifled a chuckle and forced himself to respond lightly, "Dear princess, please explain how this came to haunt you?"
"On my coming here, I have been given everything, things that I will never deserve. This gift is one I wish I did not have to accept. It wrecks my nerves to think on this so fervently…" Thalia explained, and when she saw the look on Loki's face she frowned and added, "Your Grace, I am not of Asgard, all the material possessions they rain down on me mean nothing truly. I knew they mean well and they want to show me their kindness, but…" she trailed off and turned to Loki, searching his face.
"Do you miss Vanaheim?"
"In every moment, yes, but I love Asgard and my husband, and my new friends with all of my heart," she said quickly.
"For a certainty," Loki nodded to himself, reasoning through her explanations.
"Would you consent to share with me your worries now?" she asked, stopping to sit on a bench and rest her legs.
"King Odin has refused me the one thing I asked of him upon my coming here. I know he owes me nothing and bares no love for me, but I thought that maybe he would be lost in the joy of this day and…I assumed he might allow me this one thing," Loki gushed, the words flooding from him before he could stop them.
"What did you ask of him?" Thalia wondered, concern drifting over her face. She gestured at the open seat beside her, inviting the king to sit.
"You may not understand, my lady, but you must attempt to see through my eyes," Loki claimed. "You must think as I might," he added.
Thalia nodded her understanding and urged him to continue. "I have thought of this since the day I married Iona, but your husband has forced me to face it. Though it is my wish, I will not be able to spend the rest of my life with her. Not the way things are as of now, at the least." Loki sighed, overwhelmed, "While she grows old, I will stay young for years and years to come…" He scanned her face to assess her understanding of his dismal situation. "I asked him if he might give her the life we have, but he refused me and sent me away."
Thalia was mortified, "But why? King Odin seemed so pleasant and generous…" she was distressed by the thought of being without her closest friend forever.
Loki shrugged his broad shoulders, defeated, in response.
"With…your permission, Loki," she began tentatively, "I believe I may be able to remove both our afflictions."
"I couldn't ask such a thing of you, Princess," Loki argued, shaking his head, "The gift is yours, I will find another way."
"You must understand, Iona is my closest friend, I care for her endlessly. This is my greatest wish as much as it is yours." Thalia clarified. "Will you go to King Odin with me tomorrow?"
"Yes, Princess, thank you, so much," Loki enthused, hope for the future suddenly alight in his eyes.
Music had begun filling the hall again when Loki emerged from behind Odin's massive throne with Thalia following him closely. They spotted Thor and Iona standing together in the center of the room, as if no time had passed at all since the pair had gone to speak with the All-Father. They each had a mug in one hand and spoke amiably with one another, so absorbed in their conversation they hadn't noticed Thalia and Loki staring, with matching smiles filled with love and relief that their spouses had found some way to make nice.
"Greetings, daughter," a man said behind Thalia, the sound of his voice made her stomach turn and sent shivers down her spine, despite the sweltering heat of the room.
Thalia leapt forward, and stumbled into Loki, who caught her arm before she could hit the ground, "Princess Thalia, are you alright?" Loki helped her regain her balance.
"Yes, thank you," she whispered, her voice shaking, not wanting to accept that her fairytale evening was about to end.
"I have been here only an hour and already you've proven yourself a burden and an annoyance," her father growled, he gazed with disgust at Loki's hand still wrapped around his daughter's arm.
"Yes father. I-I apologize, King Loki," she said pulling away from him.
"Hold your tongue, you were not asked to speak," her father spat, like she had spouted some foul curse rather than begged forgiveness.
Thalia flinched, but made no attempts to explain herself. Loki was horrified by her father's display, though when he saw Thor moving toward them with urgency, attracted by the commotion, he could only feel sorry for the man.
Thor wedged himself between his new bride and her father, "Welcome." He smiled, but Thor was bitter and furious beneath it, an expression Loki had learned to read very well. "Thalia and I are so pleased you could attend tonight, though you did miss the ceremony." He was explaining as Iona joined the group.
Her father was a tall man, but aging, and in front of the heavily muscled, powerful Thor, he looked like nothing more than a bent old ermite. He must have realized this the group noted, because his demeanor changed to something much more humble in the presence of the fabled god. "I must ask you to forgive me for that, my son's tutor made the trip with us, he cannot stand to travel at length."
"Afi's here?" Thalia questioned, the words escaping her lips before she could think to stop them, and even with her husband between father and daughter Thalia felt her father's gaze, burning and hateful.
"Hagen came for Prince Eirik not you, girl," The King said coldly.
"Can he talk to her like that?" Iona wondered only loud enough for Loki to hear, but her husband was as shocked as she, and Loki was certain he could not.
"I would suggest you watch your tone with Asgard's future queen, Your Grace," Thor smiled as if he was speaking affably with the man, but his words threatened action if they were not heeded.
"My daughter is nothing but a disobedient irritation, you will come to understand this soon, Prince Thor, she was the bane of my household and will be much the same in yours."
Fury burned through Thalia's companions as they listened to her father's speech, but Thalia only nodded, knowing better than to defend herself against the king's affronts.
"You're wrong." Iona proclaimed, she advanced towards him, but Loki caught her wrist before she could get too close to the now fuming king.
Before her father could retaliate Thalia spoke up, maneuvering around her seething husband. "Is my brother here?" her voice was barely audible above the roar of the crowd. The trio behind her looked in shock at her timid bravery. Her father sniffed, disguising his fear of her brigade with vexed superiority.
"Of course he is here, stupid girl; we were invited. He would not be so incompetent as you to turn it down."
"You're only half right, dear father," spoke a warm voice behind the group. The old king nearly jumped out of his skin as his treasured son made his way past Thalia. He set a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave a kind smile before returning his attention to his father with a scowl. "And I'd appreciate it greatly if you could compose yourself just once. No need to dampen the spirit of such a momentous occasion, yes?"
Thalia felt herself grin uncontrollably, for when she had left he was a helpless follower of their father's will. And now he had grown into a kingly figure, and had rendered the elder speechless, leaving him with blubbering lips and heated cheeks. She forced herself to swallow her giggles.
"I suppose you have a point Eirik," he scrambled to regain his footing in the conversation, "perhaps I will go find, um, I should make sure Hagen has not yet made a fool of us." And with that he withdrew, disappearing into the crowd with his head bowed. Thalia watched him go, almost pitying him now that her fear was banished.
"Wasn't that just grand!" crowed a voice that could only belong to Eirik. Thalia gawked as a second prince emerged from the masses and strolled up to the composed man beside her. "I don't know how in the Nine Realms you do it, but you've got me impressed!"
He jabbed at the first Eirik's chest, and slowly the illusion receded. Loki removed his hand from Thalia's shoulder politely, and nodded to the prince.
"That was you?" she murmured. Loki shrugged as Iona came up beside him and slipped her hand into his. "Thank you."
"After all the things you've done for me," Loki glanced lovingly at his wife, "it's the least I could do."
"Well I don't know what you've done, but please let me thank you for defending my sister. That old tyrant has never been good at biting his tongue," Eirik smirked as he wrapped an arm around Thalia's waist.
"I should have known it wasn't you; you've never been able to keep a straight face for that long," teased Thalia. Eirik mocked hurt with a hand over his heart.
"I'm shocked that you would say that, I've worked so hard to improve! As Hagen once said, a proper king must always compose himself in a noble manner for his subjects."
"You jest, but my lessons are the only reason you have not gotten yourself banished," the tutor smiled as he appeared with a glass in his hand. Thalia gasped and flung herself into his arms. the old man laughed and attempted to wrap an arm around his former student without spilling his drink.
"How are you, my dear?" he petted Thalia's hair softly. He leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Has Thor been treating you well?"
"Of course Afi," she assured, pulling away and resting her hands on his shoulders. "He's been so generous and kind, and I truly believe that I've come to love him." Hagen leaned to glance skeptically over Thalia's shoulder at the Asgardian prince.
All it took was a single look from his crinkled brown eyes and Thor was filled with fear.
"Come here, boy," Hagen ordered, not unkindly. The god felt as if he had been reduced to a child, and that he was now meeting Thalia's true father. He trudged over to the man and bowed his head.
"It is an honor to finally meet you, sir," he murmured.
"And the same to you, Your Grace," Hagen returned with all due respect. "Now tell me, what do you plan your union with this woman will be like?" Thor blushed and gagged on any words that he might have had.
"Afi, please!" Thalia scolded, covering her heated cheeks with her hands.
"Oh alright, my dear. But I trust you will hold her in the highest respect, yes young man?"
"Of course!" Thor said loudly. "Uh, yes, I will." Hagen nodded, satisfied.
"Good. Oh, and young Prince?" the old man turned to his student, who gulped loudly. "I expect you'll take my lessons into higher consideration in the future-"
As Hagen continued to scold the rascal of royalty, Iona sent Loki to do what he could to calm Thor's nerves, while she went to Thalia's side.
"He seems like such a great man," she commented with the slightest of smiles.
"He is," Thalia assured, remembering the warm afternoons in the palace library alongside him.
"But as for your father-" Iona began cautiously.
"Please don't," her companion snapped, catching the queen by surprise. "I wish only that the sour memory he has left does not diminish the value of the day." Iona nodded, and wove an arm through her friend's.
"I just want you to know that we're here for you," Iona said, looking forward. "Me, Thor, and now Hagen and Eirik. All of Asgard would fight for you. Don't let one solitary man lower you to anything less than what you want to be." She glanced down at the goddess and found her in quiet tears, clinging tightly to her arm.
Silently, to not draw any attention, Iona swept the damp streaks from her face and kissed her temple.
"He makes me feel like I will never belong anywhere," she whimpered, rubbing the last of the tears from her eyes. Iona pointed to Thor.
"You belong beside him, and on the throne of Asgard. I have never been so sure of anything else in my life." She gave one last tight embrace before leading the bride to her groom, and returning to her own husband with a prayer on her lips for her friend.