A/N: Hello my loves! It's me again. I've got something different for you this time, and an in a whole new fandom! (Or, well, two fandoms). This is the result of a conversation I had with one of my best friends. We both adore Regina and Loki separately and realized we would totally ship the hell out of them. Rather than what I usually do, I decided to do a collection of stories that explore Mischief Queen. This one heavily features Frigga because I love her and let's face it, Regina deserves a better mother-figure.
So, here we are. It's not a well-explored ship, but I love it and I can do a lot with it, so I decided to just post it and see what happens.
Some stories may have multiple chapters, others will just be one-shots!
A note on the timeline: This one is post-Daniel's death and Cora's banishment, but before Loki discovers he's a Frost Giant. Regina is still more innocent than Evil Queen, and Loki more typical trickster than fueled by anger and betrayal.
Summary: When Frigga visits Loki and Regina for the first time, she discovers some things that make her instantly protective of her son's lover.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from either universe! Oh, and credit for the title of the collection goes to my friend Devin, who incidentally was the other participant in the conversation that spawned this. (Yes Devin, I gave you title credit even though you said I didn't need to).
Enjoy!
You Are Worthy
The first time Regina laid eyes on Loki's mother, she'd been rendered speechless. The woman had practically glowed from the moment she appeared out of the bright light that brought her to the Enchanted Forest.
If she were being completely honest with herself, up until that moment there was a large part of Regina that still didn't want to believe Loki when he told her of his origins. The idea that he was a god, that he'd grown up in a land of gods, seemed too fantastical even to her. Although, she did smile and enjoy the fact that Loki called himself the God of Mischief and Lies; it just fit him too well.
Despite her doubts, she was both excited and nervous when Loki told her rather casually one day that his mother was coming to visit. She knew her sense of unease stemmed more from her own issues with mothers and the dread that she somehow wouldn't approve of her. It didn't occur to her at all that she'd be meeting the actual Queen of Asgard like Loki claimed.
Honestly, her first clue should have been the way she'd appeared. Loki called it the "Bifrost", and it was unlike any magic Regina had ever seen, and she knew quite a bit about magic. The moment the light disappeared and she saw the woman standing calmly in the middle of the circle now burnt into the earth, she had to fight to keep her mouth closed.
If Regina didn't believe in the "god" thing before, she certainly did when she looked at Frigga. She had gorgeous, shining blue eyes and curling golden hair at least as long as her own. She looked like the very personification of the word Goddess.
Loki saved her from an awkward moment of just staring at the woman in front of her by greeting her first, and her eyes sparkled with love and she smiled immediately upon looking at her son, the sight making Regina's heart both swell and clench in silent longing.
I'm such an idiot. Regina admonished herself for what had to be the hundredth time in the past hour.
It was true, really, because who else would be stupid enough to lose their balance and injure themselves on the stairs? Queen Frigga had been in the castle for no more than a few hours and she did this to herself. It hurt like hell to be honest, but luckily it wasn't broken so Regina made herself grin and bare it. She refused to be rude to Loki's mother and literal Queen of the Gods by not hosting her properly. The small, self-deprecating voice in her head bristled at the very idea, and it didn't help that the voice sounded too much like Cora.
She walked with Loki as they showed her around the castle, talking about the kingdom and the Enchanted Forest. Luckily Regina had her arm through Loki's most of the time, so it was easy enough to lean on him when necessary. As the day wore on the pain got worse, but Loki was so distracted catching up with his mother he didn't seem to notice when her slight limp got more pronounced, and Regina was grateful for that. She didn't want her idiotic behavior ruining Loki's time with his mother.
Frigga also made an effort to talk to her rather than just her son, which Regina appreciated because it gave her a distraction from the pain. It wasn't until after dinner that she was able to slip away from the two unnoticed, and Regina sighed in relief that she didn't have to hide for the moment.
She made it to the library painfully slowly; her initial intention was to get to her bedroom, but the more she walked the quicker she realized her ankle wouldn't let her go that far. She nearly collapsed on the couch with a hiss before she pulled up the skirts of her dress to see her injury.
"Shit." It was terribly swollen and discolored, and she knew immediately Loki would have a fit if he saw her like this.
Stupid girl, Cora's voice in her head yelled at her. Look at what you've done.
Regina shoved the voice away before she moved her foot closer to her. She'd never been very adept at healing magic, but she's got to at least try if she doesn't want to worry Loki and be even remotely useful for the remainder of Frigga's visit.
"Regina?"
The sudden voice startled her, and Regina gasped as she straightened up and pulled her skirts back down on instinct. She turned around to look at the doorway only to find Queen Frigga standing there. Regina couldn't read the expression on her face, but she did see her gaze flick down to her now-concealed foot.
Fuck.
"Oh, hello." Regina greeted her with a small smile, attempting to sound as casual as possible. "Is everything alright?"
Regina moved to stand instinctively, and succeeded only in gasping in pain and landing right back in her seat.
Frigga moved toward her immediately with a hand outstretched as if to tell her to stay put.
"Don't move, dear. Yes, everything is alright." She reassured her as she sat on the couch opposite Regina.
"Then…" Regina didn't really know what to say.
"I followed you when you left; don't worry, Loki isn't aware anything is amiss." Frigga told her quietly with a wink.
Regina smiled sheepishly at her. "But why did you…" The meaning of her words hit Regina like a ton of bricks before she even finished the question.
"Oh."
You can't even do this right, Regina. You're taking time away from a mother and son because you weren't paying attention.
The smile Frigga gave her was almost enough to chase Cora's voice away.
"I'm sorry," Regina told the Queen, even though she herself was unsure exactly what she was apologizing for. Injuring herself? Making her feel like she needed to follow her? Pulling her away from her son?
Frigga only continued to smile though as she shook her head. "Don't be silly." Her voice was kind as she leaned down to gently capture Regina's injured foot.
The action startled Regina, but she immediately shifted her position as Frigga moved her foot to rest on top of her lap.
"Oh, wait, you don't need to—"
Frigga paid no attention to the girl's protest. She pulled back the skirt of her dress and looked at her injury, but she said nothing of it as she turned it as gently as she could.
The Asgardian queen knew it wasn't broken, but it was obvious it was incredibly painful. Honestly, she was surprised and mildly impressed that Regina had been able to endure this all day. It wasn't often she encountered mortals with the level of pain tolerance this girl clearly had.
She hummed softly as she felt her magic start to react to her unspoken request. She put both hands over the injury and closed her eyes. She didn't see the golden light start to radiate from her palms, but she knew that it was even without the sound of Regina's gasp.
Regina knew she ought to attempt to say something to the woman that was studying her ankle, but she felt like a fool. Frigga was very kind not to tell her so, because she was sure her own mother would have told her repeatedly by now. She wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing either, so Regina couldn't help the noise of surprise that escaped her when she felt Frigga's magic wrapping itself around her.
Regina knew that Frigga could do magic of course—Loki had told her so himself. She was the one who taught him in the first place; but she never imagined she'd use it to heal her. She snapped her attention down to her foot and was struck by how beautiful Frigga's magic was. It was golden, and if Regina thought the goddess was glowing before, it looked more so now as she channeled her energy into Regina's ankle.
It was… calming. It was so different from what she was used to. The only magic she'd ever experienced was Cora's and Rumpstiltskin's, and that magic had always felt dark, abusive and cold, something she knew the two had relished.
Frigga's magic felt beautiful. Light. It filled her with warmth and a level of comfort Regina was embarrassingly unused to, despite the fact that she was learning it being with Loki. There was nothing dark or evil about the woman in front of her, and Regina relished in the feeling of how loving her magic felt as it healed her.
She was suddenly stuck with an overwhelming level of emotions, and the longing and ache she'd felt when she saw the way Frigga looked at Loki had returned ten-fold.
Selfish. Cora's voice hissed in her head at the thought.
Frigga continued her work on Regina's injury for a few more moments, completely unaware of the girl's inner struggle. When she finally opened her eyes she was pleased to see that Regina's ankle had now completely recovered, any trace of the damage from a few minutes ago was gone.
She raised her head to look at the young queen, but was met with a level of surprise she didn't expect to see. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears that Frigga wasn't even sure Regina was aware of, and it suddenly occurred to her that maybe she'd unintentionally frightened her.
"I apologize," Frigga told her immediately upon seeing her face.
Now Regina's face showed confusion, so Frigga continued, "I frightened you. I'm sorry, I should have asked your permission before—"
"No!" Regina almost squeaked, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if there were consequences for interrupting the Queen of the Gods, but Frigga didn't look offended.
"I mean… no, please you don't need to apologize. Thank you, it wasn't necessary for you to—"
"Nonsense," Frigga smiled at her. "You were in pain, and it would have only gotten worse. Loki adores you Regina, we don't need to worry him unnecessarily. Not when I can assist you, which I am happy to do."
Regina couldn't stop the blush that warmed her face at the mention of Loki. "Why?"
"You've made my son very happy Regina, and I am grateful for that. It is all I've ever wanted for him." She said simply.
"Thank you," She almost sighed, feeling instant relief. Any thoughts she might have had about Loki's mother not approving of her disappeared at that moment.
"How did you manage to injure yourself?"
Regina tensed. "Well I… I stumbled on the stairs, and I suppose I landed on it the wrong way. It was stupid of me."
Frigga studied the woman in front of her. She looked embarrassed mostly, but it was difficult for her to miss the hint of self-deprecation in her tone, and Frigga couldn't help but frown.
"It was only an accident Regina. It happens to everyone."
She smiled at her, and noticed that Regina looked a little surprised by how easily she'd brushed the incident aside without telling her how foolish she was.
A sudden thought occurred to Frigga, so she asked, "Why did you look so startled?"
Regina tensed again and hesitated. "Oh, it's just… I didn't expect it. It felt very different from the magic I've seen in the past."
"Oh?"
"Yes. It was beautiful, thank you for showing it to me."
Now Frigga was the one who was rendered speechless. Asgard was a realm of warriors, and its citizens did not often prize magic. No one had ever dared look down on their Queen, true, but Frigga was painfully aware of the taunts her son had endured over the years. No one had ever said anything so kind about her magic before.
"What did it feel like?" Frigga asked the question before she could stop herself. She was very curious. She'd assisted the healers on occasion, but no one had ever told her how it felt.
Regina didn't seem to find the question odd, and she tilted her head as she considered.
"Comforting. Warm, loving. Safe. My mother's magic was nothing like that."
The words Regina used to describe her magic were spoken with such reverence in her tone that Frigga was suddenly immensely proud. However, the mention of Regina's mother caused a new string of questions in her brain.
"What of your mother, Regina? I have yet to see her here."
Regina flinched. "She…"
She suddenly looked incredibly uneasy, but before Frigga had the chance to retract the question Regina opened her mouth again.
"She isn't here, I banished her years ago."
Frigga certainly hadn't been expecting that, but she tried to hide her shock behind a comforting expression.
"Regina…"
"Her name is Cora. She's alive, I promise." She said it quickly; suddenly afraid of what Frigga might think of her if she didn't at least attempt to explain herself.
"I think I would be able to feel it if she weren't. I only banished her to another realm, mostly by accident. I hadn't really intended to do it, but there was an enchanted mirror, and…" She trailed off, and although Frigga tried to catch her eye, Regina wouldn't look at her.
"I just needed her away. Honestly, I just couldn't take it any more."
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be bothering you with this—"
Frigga stopped her by putting her hand over Regina's, and Regina could feel the rest of her sentence die on her lips at the sight of her reassuring smile.
"It is alright, dear. If you do not wish to speak of it, you don't have to. But, I will listen if you wish to tell me. Do not be afraid."
Regina suddenly felt the urge to cry again, but she forced it down as she smiled back at her.
"The criticism. I couldn't take any more of it; nothing I did or said was good enough. I… I always needed to be better. I wasn't what she wanted me to be, and I never will be. I would need to be more like her for her to truly accept me, and I won't do that. It sounds terribly melodramatic now that I'm trying to explain it, but—"
"It doesn't." Frigga told her firmly. "What were you saying earlier about her magic?"
"Well, it… It's why I was so surprised by how yours felt; her magic was never so gentle."
Frigga immediately didn't like the implication behind those words, and she felt her expression harden just slightly.
"She used her magic on you?"
Regina was surprised by how easily she could read between the lines. The last thing she wanted was to make Loki's mother uncomfortable or feel like Regina was looking for attention or approval. She didn't want to make herself sound so over-emotional and weak, but the hard look in Frigga's eyes told her that she would not let the subject go until her questions were answered.
"Yes. More as I got older, as I became more defiant. She mostly used it for punishment, or to keep me from running away. I know others had it far worse than I did when they were unfortunate enough to cross her path; she was ruthless when she wished to be."
Punishment. The word stuck in Frigga's mind. She'd used her magic to hurt and restrain Regina. As Regina continued to tell her of her mother and her magic, Frigga's horror and fury only grew. How anyone could abuse this girl in such a way made her feel an unusual level of anger for someone she'd never met. Suddenly she understood that the self-deprecation she'd sensed in Regina earlier more than likely stemmed almost entirely from her mother's insistence that she was not worthy.
It wasn't until she heard Regina mention her first love Daniel that Frigga truly understood the level of pain Regina endured at the hands of Cora. She'd been horrified, of course, but not nearly as much as she was when Regina told her how the boy had died.
"She ripped out his heart and crushed it in front of me."
Frigga gasped, no longer able to hide her emotions. She'd never heard of anyone having such an ability, and for her mother to make her witness killing the man she loved...
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Regina said it quietly, and Frigga snapped her eyes up to look at her.
"No, I am sorry. You did not upset me, Regina. Your… that woman has upset me by having the audacity to make you suffer so for so long."
Regina couldn't help but stare at the woman. She looked terribly upset; her striking blue eyes had turned cold and steely, but she could also sense a simmering rage in her that Regina knew immediately wasn't directed at her. She'd only ever seen one person react in such a way in regards to Cora, and that had been Loki himself. Now she understood where it came from, but it still threw her off just as much as it had before.
"Thank you. I'm all right, though. She's gone now, and it's been years since Daniel. I will always miss him, but I have Loki now." Regina smiled now at the thought of him.
The mention of her son made Frigga relax as well, and Regina was grateful for that. The last thing she wanted was to scare Loki by returning his mother to him while she was still seething.
Regina smiled at her as she shifted to stand up. She was careful even though she was sure her ankle was fine, thanks to Frigga. She held a hand out to the woman, and Frigga took it as she stood too.
Regina bowed, "Thank you for your help, your Majesty."
Frigga pulled her back up almost immediately. "Let us return to Loki. We don't want him to become concerned, do we?"
She winked at Regina, but didn't let go of her hand as they walked together to rejoin the aforementioned God of Mischief.
Loki's mother stayed a few more days before she decided it was time to return to Asgard. Regina had no trouble admitting to herself that she would be sad to see her go. Frigga had acted like more of a mother to her in a few short days than Cora ever had.
Regina and Loki both escorted her to the spot she'd first appeared, but Frigga didn't call for Heimdall right away. Instead she turned to both of them, lingering on Regina before looking at her son.
"Loki dear, can you give Regina and I a moment, please?"
While both looked surprised by her request, Loki slowly nodded.
"Of course." He gave Regina a smile and kiss on her cheek before he stepped a few feet away to give them privacy.
Frigga smiled before looking at the mortal queen. She almost laughed at the nervous expression on her face.
"Do not worry. I only wished to give you a proper goodbye." She reached out to take both of the girl's hands, and Regina let her.
"I wish to thank you, Regina; for your hospitality and warmth, but also for loving him. He truly does love you, you know."
Regina smiled and blushed, "It has been my genuine pleasure, your Majesty. I… I do love your son very much."
Frigga beamed at her, "I know."
Regina suddenly looked incredibly insecure as she spoke again, quieter.
"I promise I will try to be worthy of him."
Frigga held her breath, having to fight to keep her sudden anger out of her face. The protective side of her immediately wanted to lash out in outrage at Regina's obvious belief that she wasn't good enough, unworthy of not just her son, but love in general. It was an insecurity that Frigga was certain had been beaten into her by her mother.
Regina's eyes had flicked down to the ground after the statement, so she did not see the way the Queen of Asgard tensed, nor the way her eyes hardened at the meaning behind her words. If she had looked up, Regina would have seen the protective, righteous anger she felt on her behalf.
No, instead all she felt was Frigga squeezing her hands, and by the time she looked up the goddess had once again controlled her emotions enough to smile sadly at her.
"Oh, Regina." She brought a hand to her cheek almost lovingly, and although the action astounded Regina, she let herself relish it.
"May I hug you?"
Regina's eyes widened, but she felt herself nod.
Without another word Frigga pulled Regina toward her and embraced her as tightly as she dared. Regina was tense at first, but Frigga smiled to herself when she felt her lean into it.
"Don't you know, my darling?" Frigga spoke quietly, choosing her next words carefully.
If Regina was confused by the question, it didn't last long when she heard Frigga's next statement.
"You are already worthy, Regina."
Frigga said it with such certainty, and the small sound that escaped Regina when she heard it was entirely involuntary. Frigga wasn't quite sure what it meant until she felt Regina lean into her even further and clutch her closer.
Frigga took a moment to run a hand through her hair to calm her before she pulled away. She saw tears in Regina's brown eyes, but now she was confident they were not from a place of fear or sadness.
"Thank you." Regina practically breathed. The sentiment suddenly seemed hilariously inadequate considering how much the words meant to her, but her heart and mind were racing and she couldn't think of anything better to say.
Frigga's smile was blinding, and once again Regina was left with nothing to do but stare at her in awe.
Frigga knew a single sentence couldn't undo the damage Cora had done over the years, but it was a start, and she was at least happy about that.
"I will return soon." Frigga assured her. "Take care of yourself."
Regina nodded, smiling before she released the Asgardian's hands so that she could walk to her son.
"Is everything alright?" Loki asked the moment Frigga stepped in front of him, glancing anxiously at Regina.
She smiled. "Of course, do not fret. Everything is fine."
Loki smiled back, visibly relaxing. "Good."
The God of Mischief studied his mother, who suddenly looked deep in thought.
"Mother?"
"Loki," She said, "I am going to ask something of you, and I need you to promise me you'll grant it."
He was surprised by the sudden determination in her voice, but he chuckled. "Of course. You are the Queen of Asgard, whatever you wish shall be done."
She smiled for a moment, wrinkling her nose playfully before looking at him seriously again.
"Regina's mother, Cora…"
Loki froze, confirming Frigga's assumption that Regina had also told him stories of the woman. The goddess watched as his expressive green eyes filtered through a number of different emotions at once, the most obvious being sadness and the same simmering rage Frigga felt a few days ago. She knew that, like her, it came from her son's desire to protect the ones he loved.
"What of her?" His voice came out harsh, but Frigga understood why so she did not comment on his tone.
"If she were to ever somehow return from her banishment," She saw Loki tense again, but she continued, "Call Heimdall and send for me at once."
Loki failed to keep the shock off of his face, but his expression soon turned hard, defensive despite his earlier promise.
"I can protect her, Mother." He insisted. "I will never again allow that woman—"
"Calm yourself, my love." She laid a hand on his cheek to make him relax before she spoke again in her most soothing voice.
"I do not doubt your ability to keep her safe, nor Regina's ability to protect herself." She reassured him.
"However," Like a switch had flipped, Frigga's expression became just as hard and dangerous as Loki's had been moments ago.
"You will call for me immediately, Loki." She said, and the sentence sounded more like a command than anything Loki had heard come out of the Queen's mouth in centuries.
"I will be having words with Regina's mother."
She practically hissed the title, and Loki swallowed. That statement alone was nearly enough to send a shiver up the god's spine. She looked every inch the fierce, ruthless warrior queen she'd trained to be. The power in her voice frightened Loki despite himself, and he was reminded instantly why no one had ever dared to question her. He knew it had nothing at all to do with the All-Father.
He could see the protective glint behind the fierceness, though, and it made him smile.
"Yes, Mother. You have my word." He swore, giving her a small bow.
Frigga's face instantly softened, back to the beautiful, gentle and loving woman Loki was used to.
"Excellent." She smiled before standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I am so happy for you, Loki." She whispered to him, and Loki brought his arm around her waist to return the embrace.
"Thank you, Mother."
When they broke apart, both mother and son turned simultaneously to look over at Regina. Her eyes were diverted away to give them privacy, but when she felt eyes on her she looked back up at them. The young queen was stunned to find them looking at her, but she smiled back at them genuinely.
"Well, I suppose I must return." Frigga said with a sigh as she turned back to Loki. He nodded his understanding.
"Goodbye, my love. I will return to visit you both soon." She took his chin gently in her hand. "Be happy, be safe, and take care of each other. I love you."
Loki smiled, "I love you too, Mother."
Frigga beamed at him before she finally walked into the middle of the circle the Bifrost had created.
"It's time, Heimdall." She didn't raise her voice, knowing the Gatekeeper would hear her.
As he obeyed and the light of the Bifrost encased her, she watched her son pull his mortal queen into a loving embrace and saw Regina return it just as tightly.
Frigga gave the pair a loving smile as she disappeared, though she knew they were far too busy to see it.
A/N: I like to imagine that Loki travelled to Midgard because he was bored, decided to cause mischief and ended up landing in the Enchanted Forest, where he met Queen Regina and well, the rest is history.
Let me know your thoughts! I have more ideas, so this will probably end up being a series of stories that I'll add to when I'm not working on other projects. Never fear, I am still working on Another World, Another War as well!
Thank you for reading and indulging my explanation! I love you all! Also, feel free to send me any ideas you might have and I'll see what I can do with them!
As always, please review!
Until next time...
~Neve