Chapter 24

They woke before dawn in Loki's bed, curled around each other with their legs intertwined. Eir brushed her cheek against Loki's chest and he pulled her closer, running his fingers through her hair. She'd said nothing then night before when he shed his shirt and invited her into his bed. He craved the feel of her skin against his, even if it was only her cheek and hands as she remained otherwise clothed. He doubted that she would be allowed to stay with him at night in his cell this time as he had no immediate medical need for her presence, and he dreaded the impending isolation. Of course they would be allowed to work together on the Bifrost, but he knew neither Thor nor Odin, if he had even awakened, would tolerate Eir staying in those dank dungeons with him.

His handwritten guide to the inhabitants of the Nine Realms and beyond lay finished on the desk in the corner, ready to be sent to SHIELD, and Eir's few possessions were packed with her healing case. Loki had no need to bring anything with him when he could use his magic and he wished to keep his new garments here at the Inn for his return. They both shared the fear that they would never see that day but they left it unsaid, as they had so many things in the last few weeks. He wanted to tell her how he felt even though the sentiment would not be returned, but he knew he had a great deal to prove to her before such a revelation would have a chance of finding a warm reception. As he learned many times in his life, only Thor got what he wanted with a direct frontal assault borne from a whim. Patience and meticulous planning were Loki's paths to victory.

Neither he nor Eir spoke of the giantess' prophesy, which honestly sounded like a load of bilgesnipe dung as far as he was concerned. Any shred of truth to it could take millennia to come to pass, but Loki knew Eir carried the weight of it like a smith's anvil around her neck. There was nothing he could say or do to lighten that burden since neither of them could foresee how or when these events would come to pass, so he focused on the one thing he could change. The one thing he had promised Eir that he would change. He would be the kind of man that others wanted to follow; not out of fear, but out of respect. It was the least he could do for her, and even if he had to lay that foundation through hundreds of years in prison, so be it.

Eir, on the other hand, felt the sands of time running out for her. Her decision would come soon and there would be no escape from it. After what Yggdrasil had revealed, Eir was certain that she missed some crucial detail that would allow her to make sense of the conflicting information that was her future. Odin was already married, and even if (fate forbid) that something should happen to Frigga, he would not survive more than a day or two. Clearly the Allfather would have to die or abdicate in order for another to ascend the throne. Baldur was long dead. Thor was the logical choice, of course, but if she were his Queen, surely he would be her husband. Perhaps it was meant to be metaphorical, in the sense that she would not be his wife in the biblical sense, yet they would be legally wed. Yet, why foretell a course of action she had accepted already? Loki… the problems there were numerous and well known to her. Was there anyone else? No one other than Sif and the Queen knew about Astrid, but with Loki's transgressions and lack of a typical royal upbringing, would anyone in Asgard even accept her? Moreover, there was no precedent for same-sex marriage in the Realm Eternal, and certainly not among the royal family.

Strong hands rubbed her back while Loki whispered into her ear, his warm breath sending involuntary shivers through her. "Relax, darling. It is not yet dawn. We have a little time left to us," he said, soothing her with his voice as much as his touch. She pulled back slightly so she could see his face in the bright moonlight, so pale and perfect, full of gentleness and consideration for her. This was the real Loki that she had caught only glimpses of all those years ago, the Loki that she'd missed desperately ever since. Her eyes fixated on his lips and before she could think, she closed the scant distance and kissed him, tentatively at first, then with more enthusiasm as he responded in kind.

He carefully avoided pushing her knowing how easily she spooked. This had to be at her pace, he knew, so he did his utmost to gently return her kiss, a long, low moan letting her know how much he enjoyed her. As if spurred on by her success, he felt the tip of her tongue slide over his lower lip while her breathing quickened. He reciprocated, tasting her sweetness, when his hips involuntarily pushed towards her. He'd been hard nearly all night, every night they had slept in the same bed and if Eir noticed, she did not comment on it, but with her so warm and willing in his arms his body could no longer deny the urge to claim her or at least have some modicum of friction to temporary quell his need. His hips bucked against her again and she stilled in his arms, slowly pulling away.

"I'm sorry, Loki. I should never have—"

"Yes," he interrupted her. "You should have. You can deny the attraction between us all you want," he said with a soft smile, "but we are both adults and hardly naïve. I am not sorry, not at all sorry that you kissed me. It may never happen again, my darling, Eir," he said, lightly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, "but you will always be welcome in my arms and in my bed, even if we are 'as chaste as siblings' as you like to say."

"But I…and you…"

Loki put his index finger lightly upon her lips to silence her since he could not quiet her inner turmoil. "Shhhh. You've done nothing wrong, Eir. I will always welcome your affections. Either way, I can't bear the thought of adding to your regrets. I've given you far too many of those already."

Eir nodded and slid back down to rest her head against his chest and listen to his heartbeat for just a little while longer, trying to push away the fear that she would never again have this unreserved intimacy with the man she loved. She nearly sobbed aloud when Loki pulled her closer and whispered reassurances into her ear until she fell asleep once more. Loki merely held her and savored his last hour in paradise.

Asgard had been his home for a millennium but it felt cold and foreign under his boots as they materialized in Frigga's personal study. Magic permitted him to change into soft leather breeches with matching boots and his formal dark green tunic trimmed with gold, hoping to preserve what shred of dignity he had left without giving the impression he was a threat, which is why he had avoided his armor. There was no returning home in triumph for him ever again, at least not to this home.

He hated saying goodbye to Astrid, especially since he didn't know if he would ever see her again. She'd hugged him tightly and tucked a small bag of cookies into his pocket while Aislinn and Niall stood a few feet away, holding hands. Niall shook Loki's hand with a glance at Astrid and a short nod that said he knew more than he was willing to speak aloud about the relationship between the two, so Loki inclined his head and said simply, "Thank you. For everything."

Now dressed in the white robes and veil that he saw her wear in the healing room in the dungeons, Eir led him over to the window seat and they waited.

"Heimdall knew we were coming. Why is there no one to meet us? No doubt they prepared my chains well in advance."

"Give me few moments to find out," Eir said, heading for the door.

"Wait, Eir," said Loki, moving to stand. She paused. "Shouldn't you… I don't know, immobilize me or replace the manacles that I wore when I left? Replace the Bracers? They will not take kindly to me being left unattended and unfettered."

Without turning around, she asked, "Why, Loki? Will you run if I do not?"

"No," he said simply.

"Good. Then there will be no need for such things. Just wait for me here."

He nodded and sat back down, feeling even more ill at ease. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. Finally, he forced himself to meditate and relax and he reached down the bond to Eir, attempting to get some idea of her emotional state, but she was locked down tight. He knew she couldn't be more than a five minute walk from him and given the direction, most likely in the throne room. He reminded himself that she would call out to him if she were in danger or if she needed him to come to her, so he forced himself to remain where he was. He then opened himself up to the new-found connection he had with Yggdrasil and having been with Eir when she wove her Realmwalk spell, he felt the residual magic still flowing along his skin. Having nothing else to do, he simply focused his mind on that delicate energy and waited, not expecting to accomplish any more than just becoming familiar with it before he would be expected to wield that power to create a new bridge between worlds. He found it both peaceful and vast in a way he hadn't expected, as if he could very nearly feel the presence of those other Realms brushing against the edge of his consciousness. Could Eir feel the same? Perhaps it was even stronger for her, he mused.

With no concept of how much time had passed, Loki opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening, and his mother, no, the Queen entered alone. Her eyes lit up and a wide smile graced her features as she opened her arms to him. He stood and prepared to greet her formally, but she simply enveloped him in her arms and hugged him tightly. Hesitating for only a second, he returned the gesture.

"I am alright, Mother." The word slipped from his mouth before he could think to stop it.

Frigga pulled back and held his face in her hands. "My darling boy, my Loki. Let me look at you." She searched his eyes first, then held his shoulders as she looked him over, much as she did whenever he came back from the practice arena or hunting with Thor, but her power licked over his skin, searching. He opened himself to it, having expected to have to prove his new-found independence from the Casket to more than a few. Apparently satisfied, she took his hand and pulled back towards the seat as she sat down next to him. "So tell me, how was your time on Midgard?" Oh, he knew that look, the one that said she already knew far too much but wanted to see what he would volunteer.

He smiled. "Knowing you, there's not a shred of information I could present to you which you do not already possess," he teased. "Where is Eir?"

"Talking to Thor. I'm certain she will be back as soon as they are finished." Frigga waited, measuring his response to the mention of his brother, but he just nodded and schooled his posture. "You formed a deep bond with her, Loki. It's normal to be apprehensive when she is not close to you." Loki just nodded uncomfortably. "Let me tell you a little bit about what you've gotten yourself into."

"The council wants us to marry sooner," Thor said, leading Eir by the hand to a more informal parlor off of the throne room where they could speak in private. As a courtesy, Eir raised her veil once they were alone. She already explained to Thor and Frigga what had happened with Loki on Midgard.

"How much sooner?" Eir asked nervously.

"Within the year," he said, setting Mjolnir down beside him. "The lack of an acceptable heir represents a threat to Asgard's survival." Thor didn't look much happier about it than Eir did.

"The situation has grown more complicated now that I have a lifebond with Loki, and while I have never met your Jane, I doubt that she would be amenable to her beloved marrying another while she still lives."

"No doubt, but you and I understand our duties to the Realm," he said with a twinge of regret in his voice.

Eir took a deep breath and let it out slowly to steady her nerves. "If we do proceed, there are ways to ensure that I can bear your child without you having to share my bed," she said, noting Thor's interest, "but it may not be enough to convince Jane to continue your… relationship with her." Eir explained the procedure in clinical terms.

Thor shook his head. "Such a thing would dishonor us both but against my better judgment I find myself considering it for Jane's sake as well as my own selfish needs." He caught Eir's downcast expression, her hands folded in her lap while her knuckles turned white. He leaned forward and covered her smaller hands with his own. "But if you think, even for a moment, that I would ever find such marital intimacies with you to be unpleasant, you are sorely mistaken." Brushing the pad of one finger under her chin, he lifted her face so she would look at him. "You are a beautiful woman, Eir. Do not let my brother or anyone else make you think otherwise. Any man would be lucky to have you as a wife, and when Jane's…" he shook his head slightly, "allotted time has passed, I would hope that you would welcome me into your bed."

Unable to stop herself, she flinched. "Do you find me so unappealing?" Thor asked sincerely. "I would never force myself upon you, Eir, but there are certain expectations within a royal union, at least until we have several children. And you should understand that I am asking for your hand in marriage, not demanding it." He sat back and tried to smile at her. "You will be a wise and fair Queen."

"I understand." She could hardly refuse to lie with him once they were married. If. If they were married, Eir reminded herself. This still felt wrong, and not only because Thor's heart rested with another. "You are quite handsome and I have no doubt that you would continue to treat me with respect in all things."

Thor sighed, feeling much the same trepidation, but mother had assured him that Eir was meant to be Queen of Asgard. "Yet you would knowingly permit me to disrespect you by having a mistress, even from the very start of our marriage?" Thor's guilt drew down the lines of his face at such a thought. It seemed more like they were negotiating a treaty than a marriage, yet most royal marriages were unions of convenience rather than love. "I am not ready to give her up, though it is becoming increasingly clear to me that I must if Father does not wake soon."

"I would expect you be discreet, of course, but I would not keep you from the woman that you love. It is a rare enough thing to find the one who completes your soul, rarer still for them to love you in return." Eir looked away so Thor would not see her own longing.

"Eir," he said slowly, taking her hand gently inside of his. "Did Loki… did he hurt you in some way? While you were on Midgard?"

She shook her head but kept silent.

"You can tell me, Eir. I can protect you from him."

Thor found her eyes had gone cold. "You really can't," she said quietly.

Someone outside the door cleared their throat and knocked. "What?" Thor nearly shouted, releasing Eir's hand as the door opened.

Eir lowered her veil just as Sif appeared in the doorway, the warrior maiden barely concealing her disquiet when she saw Thor touching another woman. Sif's eyes widened briefly before she recovered, clearly realizing that she could not admit to knowing Eir or her familiar disguise without betraying her secret to Thor.

Thor stood. "Lady Sif. My apologies. I did not mean to shout at you."

"No apology needed, my king. Your mother has requested that you and your…companion meet with her in her study." With Sif's single longing look at Thor, Eir's suspicion was confirmed.

When Sif came to Midgard for her pregnancy, she spoke very little and only once made mention of Thor, yet she did speak more openly of the Warriors Three and her other fighting companions. What small gossip from Asgard Margunn had accumulated said that neither Sif nor the Warriors Three had parted company with the prince, so his relative absence from her vocabulary did not escape Eir's notice. Now, that one small glance spoke volumes about Sif's feelings for the new king.

Thor turned to Eir as they stood and said, "With your permission, my lady, do you not think it is time to dispense with the disguise?" Eir hesitated, touching the bottom of the plain white veil. "I planned a banquet to formally welcome you this evening."

Eir noted he was careful not to welcome her "back" but this was not something she wanted. Once she revealed herself here, she could not simply slip back into anonymity on Midgard. Still, she reminded herself that she was no coward, and there was no escaping this fate, so she slowly raised her veil and settled the material around her shoulders. There was an awkward moment of silence as Sif stared at Eir, then at Thor.

"Sif, you may remember Lady Eir." Sif nodded curtly, not sure if she should feign distain, indifference, or something else entirely. "Her banishment has been rescinded and she is welcomed back to Asgard with the full rights and privileges of a princess of Vanaheim and the respect due to her for her not inconsiderable skill as a healer."

Sif raised her eyebrow to Thor.

"It has come to my attention that she was not, in any way, responsible for the apparent dishonor on her wedding night. My brother went to great lengths to make it appear that she had acted improperly when she most certainly had not, and when this information was made known to me, I asked her to return home." Thor's tone left no room for discussion on the matter.

"Welcome back, my lady," Sif said, formally saluting Eir. "Loki's treachery is well known."

"Thank you, Lady Sif," Eir said as neutrally as she could.

Thor and Sif passed most of the walk discussing the status of their army and how quickly they would be able to depart for Vanaheim once the Bifrost became functional. Eir walked behind them in silence, contemplating her future. She could not marry Thor, not with Sif's love for him and his obvious affection for her. They were clearly compatible and if truth be told, Thor was more likely to come to love Sif over time than he would Eir. Sif came from a royal bloodline, making her more than adequate to marry a King, and she had a regal bearing about her with an air of quiet authority that would serve her well as Queen.

As they walked the halls, there were far more guards than Eir expected and as they rounded the corner of the passage that led to Frigga's study, Eir counted no less than ten combat-ready sorcerers in place, all focused on their destination. Fearing the worst, Eir opened her shields to Loki and felt his palpable relief at her contact. He was just behind the door, anxious but not angry.

Eir tried to push past Thor and Sif to go to him, but Sif held out her arm to block the way. "The Queen requested that you wait outside until she and Thor have had a chance to speak."

"I really don't think that is a good idea," Eir said, trying again. "You know how dangerous Loki is when he feels threatened. All of this," Eir motioned to the guards, "could backfire." Sif did not look convinced. "He will be calmer if I am there. I can help him."

Thor put his hand on the door and turned back briefly to Eir. "Mother has a plan and we need to know if we can trust him when you are not there to reign him in. Stay here until you are summoned, Eir."

Eir knew a royal command where she heard one, and she bowed her head and stepped back. She tried to calm her emotions so that Loki would do the same.

"So you are staying then?" Sif asked carefully.

"Long enough to rebuild the Bifrost, then I hope to return to Midgard as quickly and as quietly as possible."

"Is that so?" Sif scoffed. "Did you know that Thor plans to gift you with one of his finest estates tonight at the feast? He bought you a very expensive and well-bred chestnut mare just a few days ago. The finest seamstresses in the Realm even now prepare an entire fleet of dresses for you and Frigga has selected jewels from the royal collection to bestow upon you. There is more to this than an apology and a welcome home."

"If there is, it was never at my urging," Eir said quietly.

"Please accept my apology," Sif said finally, her features softening. "It is not you who deserves my ire."

"I believe I understand the situation well enough. May I speak with you later tonight in private?"

"Of course, my lady."

Sif stepped away from Eir, who moved in front of the door, setting her hands against the doorframe. She focused on calming her mind and opening her link to Loki. She could feel his anxiety and impatience but surprisingly, he seemed to be holding himself together. Maybe there was hope for him yet.