Chapter twenty-four: Jump, then fall

The guards opened the door and the first thing that greeted their ears was the sound of rose's mother screeching. "It was an offense, allfather! He took our daughter without our consent and disregarded the contract!"

Her father spoke up. "This contract was between you and I. Legally, he had no right to dissolve it and I demand that their marriage be dissolved as well!"

Rose gasped and covered her mouth in shock. They'd thought of displeasure, anger even, but not a demand that their marriage not stand.

"How would that even be possible?" Frigga inquired firmly, attempting to be the voice of reason. "They have been married for two months and-

"It matters not!" Her father declares. "That marriage should have never taken place! And, forgive me Allmother, but you yourself knew of the contract and still bore witness to their wedding."

Odin turned towards Frigga, disappointment on his face. "Is that true?"

Frigga didn't even flinch as she stated. "It is."

Odin exhales and turns back to her parents. It is in that moment he sees her, Loki and Thor standing there. He glowers at Loki before stating. "You three, come here." Loki takes ahold of her hand firmly as they took a few more steps forward. Odin studied Loki with an especially harsh gaze. "You have always been one for mischief making, but you went too far."

"Oh dear," Loki said sarcastically. "have I been a disappointment to you, again?"

"Loki," Frigga spoke. "patience."

Odin turns and looks at her. "And you?" He asks. "What form of magic did he use on you to get you to agree to this…marriage?"

"No magic, allfather," she said calmly. "I told you I would not marry Thor before you entered into the odinsleep."

"And I told you that it was not your place to decide who you did or did not marry!" Odin stated firmly, a glower on his face as he took another step towards her. "And then, you feel as if you can marry his brother, without your parents consent!" Loki stepped in front of her, a warning look on his face for Odin not to advance closer to her. Odin eyed him for a minute. "And then, we have you. Not only do you take your brother's betrothed, you drag your mother into your web of deceit!"

"Deceit?" Loki shakes his head with disdain as he lets out an exhale. "You're one to talk of deceit considering the lies you told and the truth you kept from me all those years!"

"Loki." Rose held up a hand, silencing Thor knowing that Odin and Loki still had more to say to each other.

Loki continued. "You're the allfather, you see everything. You heard Rose tell me that she loved me that day in the vaults." Rose flushes faintly as she remembers that moment. She'd blurted it out accidentally and he'd interpreted it as the love of a friend. "Did you honestly think that once you awoke that I'd have left her, unclaimed, awaiting for permission to marry her?"

"We'd have never granted it!" Her father sneered.

Rose glowered at him. "Which is why neither of us waited!" the words came pouring out of her. "You two knew that I loved Loki, yet the two of you conspired to deceive the allfather by lying to him!"

"Enough!" Her father snapped.

"I will not!" Rose shouted, causing her parents to jump in shock. Even Odin took a step back from her. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. "Both of you beat and threatened me to force me to going along with that marriage, but I am not going to allow you to be used."

"Enough!" Odin says sharply. "Loki may allow you such to behave in an unbecoming manner but I will not allow that in my presence."

"Have care," Loki warns. "that you will not instruct my wife as to how she should conduct herself. She is my wife and you have not the right to tell her what to do."

Odin studies them before stating. "For now."

Thor speaks. "What do you mean by that, father?"

Odin holds Rose and Loki's gaze as he addresses Thor. "Her parents have requested that this marriage be dissolved. So it will be done."

Loki didn't even give anyone a moment to object, for he spoke first. "No. No, it will not be done."

Odin's brow arched. "You dare to speak so to me!"

"I do." Loki stated firmly. "Your rule as king is to maintain order over the nine realms. Our marriage is not for you to rule and you will stay out of it! In addition, I passed a law that-

"A law!" Odin mocked.

"Yes! That all persons are allowed to marry of their own free will. Marriage contracts have been dissolved and people have had the freedom to love whom they wish." He holds Odin's glower. "You annul our marriage, it won't just be her and I that you hurt. It will be your people who've been allowed to marry freely."

"It will not be their marriage I will be dissolving," Odin stated. "it will only be yours."

"Odin," Frigga speaks firmly. "they have lived together for two months! There is no reason to dissolve this marriage and force Thor to take Rose!"

"He has no choice in this!" Odin states. "Any more than Rose does! She must marry Thor because Loki will not claim the throne of Asgard! His destiny is set on a vastly different route."

"Ah, yes, Jotunheim." Loki sneers. "You still expect me to go to Laufey with arms extended, don't you?"

"Laufey?" Thor frowns. "What has Laufey to do with this?"

"Oh, Laufey is my father!" Loki states harshly. "You see Thor, I am another one of his stolen relics. I was brought here to barter peace, but he would never allow a frost giant to sit on the throne of Asgard."

"Frost giant!" Her mother croaks in horror.

Her father demands. "Did you know of this Rose?"

She nods. "Yes, I knew!"

"You married a frost giant!?" He yelled. "He's the enemy of-

"He is my husband!" Rose shouted. "I married Loki because I love him and I'd have married him regardless of what appearance he takes! But yes, I've lain with him willingly." Her mother broke down sobbing. Rose knew it was because her parents viewed her as a disgrace. Willingly rejecting the crown prince, for a frost giant. She glanced at Loki and saw that in spite of his controlled appearance, she knew the words spoken today had hurt him. She inhaled and decided to confess. "As my parents said, my only reason for living was because I would bear the son of the king." She looked from Odin to Loki. "I can now say that came to pass." All eyes went to her. Loki stilled and looked down at her, cautious hope in his green eyes. "I am carrying the son of the king."

"My love?" Loki inquired as he placed his hands on her waist, staring at her in shocked adoration. "Are you-

She nods. "Yes. I am with child."

"Nooo!" Rose's mother let out a scream as she sank to the floor, crying hysterically. Her father stood there, not even consoling her mother. They were both too stunned.

Loki caressed her face tenderly, his eyes shining with love for her. "my love, are you sure?" she nods. "Norns…I find myself without words."

Frigga smiled knowingly at them. "Congratulations, both of you." with Rose being pregnant, dissolving the marriage would be much harder than Odin had participated. He'd have to draw the matter up before council and both sides would have to speak. Not to mention that the matter would be very public.

Loki pulled her close and kissed her, gently cupping her face in his hand. "Father," Thor spoke up. "Rose is to bear his child and I for one do not see the necessity in dissolving their marriage."

Odin glanced at him. "You're questioning me?"

"No," Thor said calmly. "I meant no disrespect. I just wondered the purpose of forcing Rose to come to me. I do not love her and I never did."

"Do you believe that love matters in a marriage?" Odin inquired. "Your mother and I didn't love each other, we grew to love each other."

Loki broke the kiss and pulled Rose into his side. "Rose and I have loved each other since we were children. Nothing you can devise will make us stop the way we feel about each other."

Odin looked to her, fury in his eye. "You wed him, knowing that he's a frost giant. You're aware of the risks, especially with giving birth to a giants offspring, which may very well kill you!"

Loki opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "There are no risks." She stated. "I have already discussed this and consulted with the best healers. Our child will be born healthy and they will be very loved by us." She held his gaze before stating. "He will love his children more than you could ever imagine. He will be a better father than you could ever be!"

In that moment, rose knew that she'd gone too far. Odin's eye flashed and drew himself up right. "Enough of this." He inhaled before stating. "I declare that the marriage between Loki Laufeyson," rose knew that Odin said Laufeyson to hurt Loki and he succeeded. His words cut deep. "and Rosalie Lahti is invalid."

Frigga stares at Odin in shock before demanding. "You are truly going to force them to give each other up, knowing she is with child?"

"This marriage, should have never taken place!" Odin states.

"It may not have, but it has!" Frigga snaps at him. "I was a witness! I gave them my blessing!"

"Which you should not have, as it is not your place!" Odin states harshly. "I am the king! That contract was one made and bargained by me. He had no right to break it!"

"My heart," Loki shouted. "gave me the right!"

"The heart!" Odin mocks. "You are weak, your mother has allowed this! You're too easily ruled by emotions, which is why you would never make a good king!"

"And you thought I was?" Thor states firmly, causing all eyes to go to him. "You saw what I was, yet you were still prepared to let me take the throne!"

"A king makes sacrifices!" Odin states. "I sacrificed you to live amongst Midgardians to make you into a better man! Both of you, will learn to sacrifice your love for the good of the kingdom!"

"Then if it is truly for the good of the kingdom." Thor shook his head. "I am willing to sacrifice my betrothal to Rose for the good of the kingdom." Everyone gasped. "Truly, once you dissolve this marriage, others will come to you and seek to dissolve them."

"They knew that you would never allow them to be together, which is why they went behind your back and married." Frigga stated. "I knew that you would object so I encouraged them to speak!"

"I grow weary of this." Loki whispered in her ear. "Shall we go?"

She nods and wraps her arms around his neck. "Yes."

Loki cleared his throat. "At this moment," all eyes go to them. "it doesn't matter. Settle this amongst yourselves, but this marriage will not be dissolved. Nor, will I allow anyone to claim my wife and raise our son."

"You and Rose will meet at the council tomorrow." Odin ordered. "You will return Gungnir to me and I will return Asgard to as it was before you took liberties with the order of things here."

"If it were only that easy. You see, a part of me always knew that I could never trust you, so I honed my magic and believe me….I am more powerful than you ever dreamed I was capable of becoming." She smirked as Loki tightened his grip on the staff. "If you want us to annul this marriage, then you'll have to catch us first." With that, she and Loki vanished in a swirl of green smoke. Moments later, they were in their chambers. Loki waved a hand, sending their prepacked bags into a safe location. He turned towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure of this, my love?"

"I want to spend my life with you." She assured him. "I will regret not watching the light come into your eyes when you behold me when we wake. I will regret never seeing you be a father to our children. It will always be you over the throne."

He nods as he wraps an arm around her waist. "Then, we shall leave Asgard right away." Again, they were surrounded by green mist and they appeared on the rainbow bridge. Heimdall was there, watching them with a suspicious glower. Loki strode towards him, his hand gripping hers firmly. "Heimdall, you will-

"The allfather is awake." He says bluntly. "You are no longer acting as a king of Asgard."

"That matters not." Loki states firmly. "You will open the bifrost and send us to vanaheim."

Heimdall doesn't blink. The disdain shown clearly in his golden eyes. Heimdall, was a mind of Sif and Hogun, he still didn't trust Loki.

Rose cleared her throat and spoke. "Heimdall, please." She begged. "I know you hold no love in your heart for my husband. But I am begging you, please, do not let my children never know their father."

Loki blinked. "Children?"

She exhaled before confessing. "Twins. I wished to surprise you tonight but circumstances keep forcing me to reveal this information to others before you privately." She turned back to Heimdall. "Please, I ask you to help up. I ask you for my sake and for the sake of my children. Please."

Heimdall is silent before stating. "Order me." Loki blinks. "I cannot refuse a direct order from the king."

Loki grins. "I order you to open the portal and send us to Vanir." He hands Heimdall the staff. "After we've arrived, return this to Odin." Heimdall appeared surprised, but he took the staff. "Tell him I want nothing more to do with him or Asgard."

Heimdall studies him. "You cannot run away from family."

"I am not." Loki wraps an arm around her waist. "My family is here and there is nothing I will not do to protect my wife and children. Now, open the bifrost."

Heimdall nods and does as Loki bids. Within moments, they're racing far away from Asgard approaching Vanaheim. The future was unclear before them, but for the love of his princess and their children, he was willing to do anything to keep them safe.