Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)
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1 year later
Loki was anxious.
Not from one single thing, but a collection of different problems he had noticed going on around him. Frigga, for starters, was very guarded around him, and especially Althea. He was not sure what had caused her to be this way, and it wasn't often he didn't figure things out for himself. But his mother was a mystery he could not decipher this time.
He'd asked Althea if anything had happened when she'd met his mother for tea, as they now often did together. But she said all was normal and that her and Frigga got along very well, and he could tell by the interactions he himself witnessed between the two that they were becoming quite close indeed.
While it was not that big of a problem, the way his mother was acting, it was beginning to annoy him. It was like she was on guard around him at all times, hiding something from him.
Then secondly, was Odin. His father showed no sign of anger, no sign of punishing him and Althea for getting married against his will. And so long without a sign of anything happening was beginning to worry him. What if Odin had done something but Loki hadn't noticed? His father would not let something like that go, it had hurt his pride, Loki going against his wishes. But if so, then exactly what had he done?
But, thirdly, and by far the most importantly, was Althea being friends with Eirik Thvarison, the man whom Loki had broken his back with his magic. It was an accident, of course it was, but he'd been under the impression Eirik would never walk again unless enduring a rigorous and painful healing treatment. Which by the evidence of him walking around he'd gone through. But why return now, of all times? And why be friends with his wife?
Loki never told Althea whom Eirik really was, and how he was connected to Loki. And it seemed Eirik also never mentioned anything of the sort, as Althea never asked about it again from the night he'd confessed to her what had happened at the banquet so long ago. But it seemed he saw them together wherever he went. But he only ever saw Eirik with Althea, and never alone, or when Loki himself was with Althea, Eirik was nowhere to be seen.
And Loki was jealous of the friendship they shared, and had caught himself trailing after the pair a time or two. He couldn't help himself, a man who he'd hurt in the past was friends with his wife, and seemed to be one of her closest confidents besides Loki himself and that servant turned handmaiden at Althea's request: Etta.
He would never show it, that he felt jealous, of course not. That would be unbecoming, and give Eirik exactly what he wanted. Loki was not stupid, he saw the way Eirik looked at Althea, and either she pretended not to notice or was completely oblivious to his advances. Advances, which she never returned. And Loki trusted she never would, he knew he had her heart just as she had his. But the way Eirik looked at Althea was something Loki did not like, it was a look full of love and wonder, but also possessiveness - a possessiveness Loki himself felt for Althea. And he constantly had to remind himself that he was the one married to her, and Eirik could do nothing.
Loki wanted him gone, but he had nothing to make it happen, no reason to have him exiled, or to just kill him himself. He was just waiting for Eirik to try and kiss Althea, try anything, something, to give Loki the excuse he needed to get rid of him. But no, Eirik never pushed their relationship outside the bounds of friendship, yet Loki would not let his guard down for even a moment.
And he had also broken the man's back once before, and Loki did feel guilty about it. Even if Eirik had brought it on himself, Loki still dealt the blow that caused the injury. Wasn't that enough agony for one's life? A broken back that left him unable to walk for who knows how long? Loki was not so cruel to throw exile or even death upon the man without him earning the punishment.
But that didn't mean Loki would be any less quick about giving it to Eirik. It just meant Loki found reasons within himself to hold back from doing so, but those reasons were dwindling, and dwindling quickly. It was like an old thread, snapping, snapping, and soon it would break and Loki would do as he pleased. But one of the bigger ones holding the thread together still was Althea, and the fact that she cared for Eirik. He could never hurt something she cared about, it felt wrong of him to do so.
Still, Loki could sense something within Eirik growing stronger with each day he saw him. Something Loki did not like, and did not want to provoke unless he had to. But Loki knew something within him was also growing, something dark and sinister, something that had been growing since the day he could think for himself.
Just as Loki suspected, as he turned the corner through the palace halls, he saw Althea and Eirik walking side by side together looking to be in a deep conversation. And just as Althea smiled, Loki scoffed and turned the other way, annoyed.
Loki had come up with a plan, one that would interfere with whatever it was Eirik was doing with his Althea. And as he came across their rooms, and when he said rooms he meant more than one, so really it was their apartments, equipped with a study for himself, a bathing chamber, a bedroom, a sitting room, a reading room, a dressing room, it seemed his mother spared no expense in having it created for them.
And that was where Loki found Althea, in the reading room, reading a book of hers as her friend and head handmaiden, Etta stood behind her brushing out her beautiful golden locks. She was also the one Loki had masqueraded himself as when delivering the necklace Althea still wore to this day around her neck, and he'd never seen her without it, she even slept in it.
Loki cleared his throat, walking into the room with his hands behind his back, watching as Etta bowed her head but continued brushing out Althea's hair. And she was just the one he needed to speak with. Loki smiled at Althea before calling out, "Etta is it?" He asked and watched as the girl stilled in her ministrations with the brush to look up at him.
"Yes, my lord," She replied curtsying this time.
"Good, I would like for you, or one of your fellow handmaidens to follow Althea around wherever she goes, whenever she goes, unless I am with her," He said, in a voice that left no room for argument from Althea, who raised an eyebrow in question but said nothing.
"Of course, my lord," Etta replied. "I shall see it done," She replied.
"Good, now off you go," He said waving a hand towards the door.
Etta nodded, before taking the brush with her on her way out, bowing her head before Althea. "Farewell, my lady," She said before leaving the room.
As the door closed behind her, Althea stood up to face him. "You didn't have to be so rude," She said to him annoyed. "She's my friend," She told him.
"Yes, well she's not my friend is she?" He asked her playfully, walking over to her.
"Well she could be if you were nicer to her," Althea replied rolling her eyes with a humph. "Now why do I need someone to accompany me at all times?" She asked him suspiciously.
"There is unrest within the palace. I can feel it, I want you with someone at all times while away from me," Loki lied to her, but she needn't know that.
It was Eirik he was sensing the unrest was coming from, and he didn't want Althea alone with him any longer.
Althea sighed, before nodding. "Very well, but only until all is peaceful again. My handmaidens do have other duties besides following me around all day," She said with a shake of her head, returning to her book.
"Do they? I hadn't realized," Loki replied walking over to the sofa she was sitting on.
"Oh shush," She told him. "You're just lucky I'm not arguing. This is the first time I've heard of any unrest in the palace," She told him, looking up from her book.
"Then you don't have very good ears," Loki replied smirking at her.
Slowly, Althea sat up, creating a space beside her, which Loki promptly sunk into, before Althea rested her back against his side, opening up her book.
"What are you reading?" Loki asked her, watching as Althea closed her book so he could read the title. "Brunnhilda the Valkyrie," He read aloud. "Why are you reading this?" He asked her.
"Eirik recommended it for me... Said it could remind me of Sif, and he was right, Brunnhilda and Sif are very much the same," Althea replied smiling slightly at the book.
Loki felt jealousy flare up inside him at the name. "Oh he did, did he? When exactly am I to meet this Eirik?" He asked her stroking her arm with his hand.
Althea sighed. "I want the two of you to meet, but I think Eirik is intimidated by you," She confessed, and Loki couldn't help the satisfaction he felt. Yes, let that man be intimidated by him, it suited Loki just fine.
But Loki also knew this was not true. Eirik was just afraid to face Loki, was probably even afraid of him. And he should be, as no one took what was his.
"Would you read to me?" Loki whispered into Althea's ear, causing her to blush.
"Alright," She agreed smiling, before turning to the first page and begginign to read. "Brunnhilda's parentage was unknown, it was said she was not of only Asgardian parentage, but had lived longer than Asgard itself. She was selected by Odin to be the leader of the Valkyrior, the Choosers of the Slain, a group of warrior Goddesses who chose which of the fallen in battle would continue on the Valhalla…"
Eirik was angry.
Nothing was working. Nothing! Every time he tried subtlety planting doubts in his sweet Althea's head about her precious Loki she would find ways ot contradict him the next time they spoke! He had been unsuccessful for over a year to make Althea love him, instead of that, that evil God of Mischief!
So now he was on his way to see Fenrir. The man would know what to do. He'd have to give him some sort of guidance, he had no one else to turn to. No one else knew of his plans except Fenrir. He was his last hope.
As he banged on the door of Fenrir's home, quite harsly, he might add, but did not care, we was impatient for Fenrir to come.
And once he did, he did not even allow the man to speak before Eirik charged into the house. "Nothing is working!" He screamed into the house, so loud it seemed to shake.
Fenrir, calm as ever, closed the door and continued walking further into the house with Eirik following him to sit at Fenrir's dining table this time, the same place they had signed the marriage contract, which was now nonexistent thanks to that bastard of a prince. It seemed at every opportunity he ruined Eirik's life!
"I was afraid of this," Fenrir said, pouring two cups of ale for them, setting one in front of Eirik as he sat down.
"So what will it be old man? Do you have a plan?" Eirik asked him, taking the ale in his hands and drinking it down.
Fenrir looked deep in thought, and Eirik let him think, pouring himself another jug of ale. It seemed to help his pain, but also cuase him to be even more angry. Yet Eirik liked the feeling of power he got when angry, when the adrenaline pumped through his veins and he felt like he could take on anything and anyone; he felt invincible.
Why couldn't Althea see that he was the better choice? He was strong! He had good home, lots of coin for her to spend, he'd be a good father to all the children they would have! He deserved someone like her! And she deserved someone like him would care for her, much better than an idiot prince could!
But finally Fenrir spoke, seeming to come up with a plan. "Tell me, have you ever heard of Karnilla?" He asked him, and Eirik shook his head no, listening intently as Fenrir explained, a smile slowly creeping its way onto his face the more he listened.
A/N: This chapter was a bit of a filler, which is why it is shorter, but I needed it to set up some things! :) And there was some bit of happy/tender moment between Althea and Loki!
Some notes on reviews:
I debated about what I wanted to do with Odin's reaction, and the causing Althea to be barren seemed to just click. One reason he wouldn't want Loki and Althea to have a child would be because it would be half frost giant and it seems to me Odin doesn't want Loki to know who he truly is. A child would for sure complicate that for him. And he had to do something, to punish Loki for getting married to Althea against Odin's word. So Odin probably has some regret in what he chose to do and figured Loki and Althea didn't need anymore punishment (even if they don't know what happened)
It was hard for me to have this happen to Althea and Loki. It was really not an easy choice, I am not a mother, but one day I would like to be, and being told I can't have a child is one of my biggest fears! And yes, adoption is an option, but exactly for Loki and Althea that was what started this whole problem in the first place.
All that being said, Althea is the Goddess of life, so will this be a permanent thing...?
But to answer a question, yes Loki and Althea will be happy together without anyone interfering, at least for a time after all the drama settles down, but when will this happiness start is the other question...
And P.S: What is up with Eirik!?