At an hour so early the following morning that it could only be termed unholy, Loki and Aemilia shared a small breakfast in his chambers. Wordlessly, Aemilia slowly sipped from a cup of juice, never taking her eyes off of the Prince seated opposite her. She set it down somewhat noisily on the small table between them, watching him read through a letter as he fed himself breakfast in his usual elegant, royally-befitting manner. As his eyes scanned over the paper, hers stayed firmly fixed on him, silence filling the space between as she tried to reach a logical conclusion for the events of the night prior.
She hadn't slept much. She wanted to crawl back into bed, but in a matter of hours, Thor would be King, and both she and Loki had an incredibly early morning to set out on. Not that the day's events weighed very heavily on her mind at the moment. She was too busy trying to decode her odd memories.
She remembered returning to the palace from Vanaheim the night before. She remembered falling asleep in her bed alone, after Loki had been summoned by Odin. She also remembered a very vivid dream. That was where things became odd.
It was far from the first deliciously explicit dream she'd ever had. She recalled every image, every detail of it, and she especially remembered the raw sense of longing that had come with it. She had felt every imagined touch, felt it as if it were real. Too real. So real that she had awakened in the midst of a very real, realm-shaking release - one that she was quite sure no dream could bring about. Not considering how powerful it had been.
Which was where things became even stranger. As she had laid there in confusion and bewilderment, trying to recover, she could have sworn that she'd felt lips travel softly from her neck to her ear. And there could be no mistaking the voice that she'd heard whisper into her ear after, nor the words.
Her stomach flipped as she swallowed a piece of fruit, still staring at Loki as he sat there completely nonchalant, now sipping his drink and leaning back in his seat. She could hear his voice even now whispering those words, I love you, and it almost made her eyes tear up all over again.
Had she just imagined it all? Been so caught up in the dream that it took a few extra moments for her to fully re-enter reality?
Instinctually, she knew the answer was no. The most vivid of dreams couldn't cause what she'd experienced.
Her thoughts drifted back to a day that felt as if it had occurred ages ago, the day of the opera opening. Loki had been in her bed when her mother had burst into the room, and he had made himself invisible in a flash. She could still feel him, still hear him, but to the eye, he had ceased to exist.
Logically, she knew he would have come to check on her last night once he had finished with Odin. She imagined him stepping into her room, finding her sleeping, wearing only that negligible piece of silk that she called a slip, in the midst of her dream. She didn't think that she was one to talk or make noise in her sleep, but what if this dream had been different? What if he had been able to tell what was happening inside of her head? What would he have done?
"Did you sleep well, darling?"
The sound of his voice made her blink and refocus her eyes, pulling her out of her thoughts. He sipped his cup and waited for her answer.
"I slept well. You?"
"Same," he replied.
She nodded. "I did dream quite a lot."
He raised an eyebrow in concern, the very picture of innocence. "I hope no nightmares."
She shook her head with a ghost of a chuckle. "No... definitely nothing of that sort."
"Pleasant, then?"
She paused. Maybe he was playing with her. "Quite... pleasurable, actually."
His look of concern melted into a smirk and a slight knowing look in his eye. "Ah. Care to share details?"
"I'm sure you can imagine," she shrugged.
"I can, but I would much rather hear it from you."
She sighed and smiled at him, pretending to shy away from the topic as she looked away towards the floor.
Loki leaned forward, leaning his chin on a fist as he grinned widely. "Really. Tell me about this dream. Did it make you come?"
Her eyes snapped back to his, and she feigned shock at his words. "Oh my - that is a very... blunt question to ask a lady at the breakfast table."
"Well, seeing as I've had the lady on this very table at least..." he looked up towards the ceiling for a few seconds, "three times - I think a bit of blunt talk is within the confines of propriety. Now, answer my question."
Despite this command, he reached to her plate and plucked a loose grape from it, then brought it to her lips. His eyes were fixed on her lips as she opened her mouth and accepted the fruit, grazing his fingers deliberately as she pulled away. After she swallowed, his eyes rose to hers and she replied, "The dream did not, no. You did."
His face was unreadable for a few fleeting moments, before his grin returned. "Did I? Well, then... it pleases me to know that in my absence, your body enjoys my talents even in dreams."
She grinned back at him. Clearly, he wasn't about to admit to anything. If there was anything to even admit to...
But she knew there was. There had to be.
She was contemplating this when Loki rose from his chair, taking a few steps to her and bending down to kiss her lips. "I must dress now. Incredibly busy day ahead, as you know."
She nodded, bringing her hand to his cheek to pull him down for another kiss. He tasted sweet, like the juice he'd been sipping, and he hummed in his throat to appreciate the brush of her tongue against his.
After she pulled away, she smiled gently at him as he grinned back. For a brief moment, he opened his mouth slightly and appeared to be on the verge of speaking. But he soon pressed his lips into a line, kissed Aemilia's hand and then headed off.
She released a breath that she hadn't known she was holding, listening to his footsteps lose volume and staring at her now-empty plate. She closed her eyes, and she could almost feel him again... his lips, his touch, everything that she'd denied herself for too long. Whatever last night was - and she had a feeling that if Loki had played a part as she suspected, he'd never own up to it - it had served as an awakening. Both literally and figuratively.
Her guilt wouldn't fade overnight, of course. But she was quite sick of letting it dictate her choices.
Opening her eyes, she drew in a breath and made her decision. She stood quietly from her chair, and noiselessly walked her way towards Loki's closets.
The sky was still darkened at this hour, and a softly glowing fire at the hearth near his bed was her only illumination as she walked. Dressing was something he took more seriously than she would have expected - he never just threw on his clothes and left, and especially not on a day where he'd be decked out in his full armor. When not dressing with the help of magic, he took his time with each piece of fabric and strap and belt and plate, taking more care of it than Aemilia did of her dresses. She found it endearing, and in this case, it allowed her the rare chance to sneak up on him.
He was in front of his mirror, shirtless with his back to her, slipping his arms into a thin green tunic he'd wear under his armor. She reached him before he could pull it over his head, and she stilled his movements with one soft kiss between his shoulder blades. He froze immediately, and she felt his sharp intake of breath as she slid her hands around his sides, over his stomach and up to his chest.
She kissed the same spot again, then rested her cheek against his back.
"... Aemilia."
She felt his voice vibrating through his skin, and it was low, soothing, familiar, enticing. He let his tunic slip from his arms and hit the floor before his palms covered her hands, and his posture relaxed softly as she sighed against him.
It was early - horridly early - and if they managed their time right, they could spare these moments for each other.
"Aemilia," he repeated, grasping her hands and turning to face her. Rather than meet his gaze, she closed her eyes and kissed the center of his collarbone. His hands let go of hers, and she placed them on his shoulders as her lips kissed up his neck. Fingers slid into her hair as she stood on the tips of her toes to reach his jaw, and then he gripped and pulled her far away enough from him to look her in the eye.
They were both breathing slightly heavy through parted lips, and Aemilia finally brought her eyes up to his as they stood there, so close and yet still not closing the unseeable distance between them. She kept her gaze locked with his as she pulled her hands from his shoulders and reached them behind her back, untying the laces that held her dress together. She watched Loki's eyes eyes narrow and jaw slacken as she let the dress slip to the floor around her feet, leaving her only in her slip.
"Aemilia, for mercy's sake, don't -"
She silenced him by bringing her hands to his face and swiftly pulling him down for an urgent kiss, pressing her body against his and making her intent clear. His hands grabbed her hips but seemed to immediately fall still, and he was reluctant in his returning of her kiss. She broke away with a huff and stared deep into his eyes as they panted together.
"I'm ready," she stated simply, imploring him to believe her. His eyes were doubtful but she could feel him holding back, feel the tension in his hands as they still held her hips.
She sighed and hurriedly moved his hands away, then reached down to grip the hem of her slip as she asked in slight exasperation, "What do I have to do to convince you?" Then she pulled her slip over her head and let it fall to the floor on top of her dress. She placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him, trying not to smile at the way he gazed at her form with brazen lust. "Well?"
His gaze met hers. "You're sure?"
"I think I've made us both wait long enough, don't you?"
His lips quirked as a grin spread slowly on his face, and his eyes dropped from hers to roam appreciatively over her form as he finally moved closer to her.
"Perhaps," he said, his voice low as he surprised her by dropping down to one knee as soon as he'd reached her. He closed his eyes as he kissed her stomach, his hands back on her hips for only a moment before they moved softy downward, as did his mouth. She stared down at him as he looked up at her and murmured just below her navel, "But I assure you of one thing..."
His hands smoothed down over her legs as his head dropped lower, and she closed her eyes in anticipation only to literally feel the floor fall out from beneath her as he suddenly grasped her ankles and yanked them forward. She squealed as she fell backwards, then gasped in relief when two strong arms caught her.
He grinned down at her and gently placed her on the floor, kneeling over her as he finished his thought. "... You are absolutely worth waiting for."
"Of all..." Loki groaned softly, kissing her neck, "the days..." he nipped just above her pulse and made her giggle, "you could have chosen..." he licked up to her ear and made her shudder, "why did it have to be today, woman?"
He tugged at her earlobe with his teeth and she squirmed in his arms, laughing softy as they lay tangled in his sheets. He hadn't been expecting his morning to go quite like this, and he was overjoyed that his impromptu strategy from the night before had seemingly worked. He suspected that she had deduced what had happened, and that it had been no mere dream. His whispered confession after had left little room for doubt there.
Turning in his arms to face him, she smiled and touched his cheek as she replied, "Must you always find something to complain about?"
"Yes," he smiled back, shifting to press a kiss to her fingertips, "because I now have absolutely no desire to do anything but spend the day ravishing you, and doing so is impossible."
"Oh, I do apologize for causing you such turmoil," she jested, rolling away from him when he reached for her. He watched as she tossed the sheets aside and sat up, swinging her legs over the bed and stretching her arms into the air as she hummed casually, "I'll just be on my way then, lest I continue to vex the Prince of -"
He cut her off with a low growl as he reached out and snatched her back into his arms, pulling her back into his mess of a bed as she laughed. "The Prince hasn't dismissed you yet, has he?"
She giggled and shook her head as she maneuvered herself atop him, kissing him with swollen lips and pressing herself flat against him. He held her hair back with one hand and let the other roam down her back, moaning low into her mouth and vaguely wondering if he could get away with sending a double to Thor's coronation.
"I've missed this," she whispered against his lips, and he opened his eyes to find hers gazing at him softy.
He swallowed and smiled gently at her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I am proud of you."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Proud of me? Why?"
"You don't even realize how strong you are, do you?" he asked, watching her eyes search his. "But you truly are. You remind me of my mother."
Her eyes were soft and he could tell that his words had touched her. Then she smiled and said, "It's only a little bit odd to hear that I remind you of your mother when we are... in this position."
"What position could you possibly be referring to?" he asked innocently, even as he let his hips grind upwards into hers. She smiled and he tossed her on her back, reversing their positions and bringing his lips to her neck. "I mean it, though," he murmured as he kissed his way to her jaw.
"Thank you," she smiled as he pulled away by just enough to look down at her. He touched her lips with the tips of two of his fingers, and traced the shape of them as he shifted and laid at her side.
She turned on her own side to face him, and he stared at her lips as his fingers continued their dance on them. "You truly have the loveliest mouth I've ever seen."
She smiled, catching his wrist in her hand as his index finger played with her bottom lip. "And you have the most beautiful hands I've seen on any man."
"Oh?"
He watched as she nodded and slid her palm over the back of his hand, grasping it and pulling it from her lips to inspect it. She traced the length of each finger with the tip of her own, signing as she remarked, "Equal in both beauty and talent."
"Hmm. Same as yourself, then," he smirked, and she only glanced at him before she started pressing kisses to his fingertips. He watched her move from finger to finger with a light grin, then hissed a little when she lightly bit down on the tip of his index finger. She raised her eyes back to his as she kissed where she'd bitten, then parted her lips and gently sucked his finger into her mouth.
He bit his lip and groaned. "This... is not helping my lack of motivation to leave this bed."
She smiled as she dragged her lips up his finger, swirling her tongue along the tip and making him almost gasp at the sheer filth of it. Then she released his finger and murmured, "It's not my intention to help." Then she began again, this time taking his middle finger as well.
He groaned and gasped a little, every passing second leaving him with less and less will to get on with the day. He really needed to - he had places to be, details to see to, and a brother to speak with before the coronation began, but it was all seeming increasingly trivial the longer this woman sucked indecently at his fingers. She seemed rather taken with her task, only once opening her eyes to gaze up at him with an expression that was somehow innocent and devilish at once. It was then that he growled and ripped his hand away, swiftly pushing her to her back and climbing atop her once more, grabbing her wrists and pinning them by her head in the process.
She grinned widely up at him. "I wasn't done yet."
"I thought of a few better uses for that lovely mouth of yours," he purred before capturing her lips with his.
He was on the cusp of losing his head completely when she broke the kiss to arch up and attack his neck. He angled his head to give her better access and then cracked his eye open and noticed the clock on the opposite wall. His eyes widened and he cursed under his breath as he pried them apart.
"We cannot," he muttered breathlessly, disentangling himself from her before his body could betray his will. He sighed as he moved to the edge of the bed, letting his feet hit the cool floor as he closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down.
Later... you'll have all the time in the world with her later...
He opened his eyes when he felt her arms enclose around him from behind. She dropped a kiss to his cheek and said quietly, "I want you to know that I am proud of you, too."
He turned his head and gave her an amused look. "And why is that?"
"I was afraid that you would be... bitter when this day came, or troubled. But you are not. I know you say you don't want the throne, but still... I don't imagine that it's easy to see it handed to your brother."
It was the first time that day that guilt prickled at him from inside. There was a reason why he was handling it all so well, and he couldn't tell her what it was.
Or could he?
He genuinely wondered on it for a moment. Would she understand if he told her what he had done, and why? She'd seen Thor's arrogance and immaturity firsthand - surely she would agree that he was not ready to rule.
But would she agree with his methods? Doubtful.
And so, he continued to lie by omission, and say nothing as he accepted praise that he knew he didn't deserve.
"I also want to thank you for being so... understanding and patient with me these last weeks. I know it hasn't been easy. And... I also must thank you for helping me through what happened. I couldn't have made it through without you."
He smiled and laid a kiss to her cheek. "You are very welcome, darling. But you could have. I really didn't do very much."
"You were there," she smiled, voice quiet. "Through everything. And that meant everything to me."
He stared at her, warmth replacing his momentary guilt as he nodded his understanding. He felt a familiar pull, the urge to vocalize what he felt for her, and after his spur of the moment blurting of it the night prior, he found it much more difficult to say when he wasn't hovering invisibly above her.
Out with it... she deserves to hear it... properly, he told himself. But the words stayed on the tip of his tongue.
She ran her tongue over her lips and appeared to be on the verge of saying something herself. A timid knocking at his door broke the moment and made him groan in frustration.
"A moment," he called before glancing at Aemilia as she looked away, looking a bit crestfallen. "Servants."
She nodded. "I should go. I've kept you too long already."
"Nonsense," Loki grinned, intently watching her scramble off the bed and start to gather up her discarded clothes from the floor. "I may not see you until after the ceremony has concluded later on."
She nodded, sliding the dress over her head. "I assumed as much."
"Then we can sit back and watch as Thor singlehandedly exhausts the realm's supply of ale and makes a bigger fool of himself than he possibly ever has before," Loki grinned, keeping to himself that Thor would most likely be drowning his sorrows rather than celebrating.
Aemilia chuckled and stepped to him, standing between his legs and leaning down to kiss his lips. "Yes. And then we can come back here and... not sleep tonight."
He purred a little bit and nipped playfully at her lower lip. "You are killing me, woman."
"Good," she smiled before kissing him once more and dashing from his arms. "Until later, my Prince."
He only smirked in response, not bothering to cover himself as he watched her leave and allow a maidservant to enter his chambers. He ignored the woman, sighing and summoning his first layer of clothes on with a blink of his eyes.
In five minutes' time, the servant had tidied his rooms without a word as he'd dressed in equal silence. His mind pored over the day's future events as he assembled his armor on, staring in his full-length mirror and pausing when he realized how widely he was smirking. Then the smirk became a frown when his eyes focused on his hair. Aemilia always seemed to literally make it curl, leaving him with an unruly mess to tame into submission once she was done with him.
He was scowling and somewhat angrily finger-combing the rebellious strands when his mother'a voice stilled his movements.
"I should have expected you to rise before your brother, even on the day of his coronation."
He glanced up in the mirror and gave Frigga a small smile as she came into view behind him. She was already fully dressed and ready for the ceremony, dressed elegantly in a breathtaking gown of gold shimmer and sparkle, with her hair immaculately curled and set atop her head. "You know Thor. Late to bed, late to rise, most likely even late to his own coronation."
She chuckled as he turned to her, her hands clasped behind her back. "He inherited that from your father, believe it or not. But you've always taken after me. In many more ways than that."
"Which, incidentally, is why I'm the far more attractive son," Loki jested, making Frigga chuckle again. "You look magnificent, by the way."
"Oh, your flattery," she rolled her eyes with a twinkle. "But I return the sentiment. Though I must ask... what is happening to your hair?"
He batted her hand away as it poked at his stupidly-curling hair and started compulsively smoothing it again. "It is misbehaving. Leave it."
"Oh, Valhalla forbid it," she smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back. A moment of silence passed and Frigga said with a sigh, "It was important to me that I saw you first today."
Loki's expression became more serious as she took a step forward and took his hands into hers. She continued, "You may be second in line for the throne, but you have never been and never will be second to me. I want you to know that, Loki, unequivocally."
He nodded and blinked slowly, giving her a right smile. "I've never doubted that, Mother."
"Good. But it bears repeating, especially on a day like this."
He nodded again. "Thank you."
She smiled and then sighed as she pulled him into an embrace. He returned her affection, and somewhat surprised her by softly saying, "I love you, Mother."
She pulled away, cupping his face as she had when he was a child, smiling warmly as she replied, "Oh, and I love you too, Loki." She then narrowed her eyes and asked, "Have you spoken those words to your lady yet?"
His serene expression became a bit of a grimace. "... Yes and no."
She raised an eyebrow, letting her hands fall from his face. "I am choosing not to ask for elaboration."
"I appreciate it," he smiled.
She sighed, bringing a hand to his cheek. "Considering what you gave me to keep for you in my chambers, I do believe it's high time you took that leap. Properly."
"Hm. And I do believe you have a future King to check on, do you not?"
She rolled her eyes and patted his cheek. "Always so eager to deflect."
"Just trying to keep the schedule intact," he grinned, walking her to his open door. "After all, I must still have an audience with Thor before the ceremony begins."
She raised an eyebrow to him. "No mischief, Loki. Not today."
His eyes widened in mock hurt. "Me? Mischief? You wound me, Mother."
"I mean it," she said, smiling despite herself as they reached the doorway. "Today is his day. You know how he will act if he feels anything is compromising that."
A sudden swell of inner glee left Loki struggling not to start laughing. "I do indeed. Do not worry yourself."
"I am not," she replied, giving him a small smile. "I will see you soon, my son."
He nodded, smiling back as she turned and left. It always felt like coming home to lie, to deceive and watch his tricks wreak havoc, and now was no different. He'd had his share of mild bouts of guilt since putting his plan into motion, but, now that the day was finally here at last...
He was going to enjoy it. He closed his doors with a grin, setting his mind back to the more pressing task of straightening his hair.
Aemilia was making the trek back to her room when she caught sight of a flourish of a red cape in the distance. She hurried along down the mostly-empty corridor, and after rounding a corner, caught another glimpse of the fabric as it disappeared into a room.
When she came upon the room, she found it to be a large, open space that appeared as if it connected to several other different rooms. Torches were lit along the walls and the future King of Asgard appeared to be pacing the floor, clutching a goblet in his hand as his brows knit tightly together and his jaw tightened with each movement.
He was nervous. Aemilia smiled and knocked softly on the doorway to alert him to her presence, as he was mid-gulp from the goblet. "It's a bit early for that, don't you think?"
He smiled brightly, schooling his features to be free of their previous tension. "Aemilia! What a surprise!"
She smiled and entered the room, hands folded in front of her as she replied, "I didn't expect to find you up and roaming the palace this early. Alone. With wine."
He glanced at the cup in his hand and shrugged. "It's never too early to begin celebrating."
"There's also no shame in being nervous," she said knowingly, coming to stand beside him.
"Nervous?" he repeated, eyeing her haughtily. "A warrior is never nervous."
"But perhaps, at times, a King is."
Thor smiled at her wryly from the corner of his eye. "Are you ever short of clever words, Aemilia?"
"When I am sleeping, perhaps," she replied, and Thor laughed. She smiled, glad that they'd reached a point in recent weeks where formalities had been dropped and she felt fully comfortable in the older brother's presence.
"Is my brother near?"
She shook her head, though she could tell from his tone that Thor wished it was so. "I believe he is still in the midst of his morning primping."
Thor nodded, smiling down at the remnants of his wine as he absently swirled it around the cup. Then he tossed it back, and threw the cup hard enough for it to shatter on the ground as he called for another.
Aemilia raised an eyebrow to him, and he glanced back with a grin. "I am not nervous."
She smiled. "You are supposed to be nervous. Taking the throne of the most powerful realm in all the universe... it's a heavy burden you take today."
"Clever and wise," Thor mused. "Perhaps you should have a seat on my council."
She laughed at that. "I would respectfully decline that particular offer. Though, do keep me in mind when you need our anthem sung in the future."
He smiled. "Absolutely."
A moment or two passed before Aemilia sighed and said, "I shall take my leave now. I wish you the best of luck with the ceremony - I shall be there cheering with the rest of Asgard."
He smiled warmly in response. She turned to leave, only to be stopped by him quietly calling her. "Aemilia?"
She turned and smiled. "Yes?"
A servant shuffled into the room just then, bearing a new cup of wine for the Prince. He took it and winked at Aemilia. "I truly am not nervous."
"Not a bit," she chuckled, shaking her head slightly and smiling as she turned once more and left.
The rest of the morning passed uneventfully for Aemilia as Gunnvarr helped her prepare and dress. The hardest part was choosing between which of two very different dresses to wear.
Gunnvarr had laid them both out on her bed, and Aemilia had stared at them thoughtfully as she stood in her robe and looked them over. The first dress was a long-sleeved, high-necked affair, slim fitting and made of the softest, shimmery fabric, which happened to be colored scarlet with accents of silver throughout. It was gorgeous, and it would be a fitting nod to the man taking the throne that day.
But, she knew the entire realm would be awash in Thor's colors. Children would line the streets dressed as him, clutching toy hammers and wearing flimsy feathery play helmets, and nearly all of the cheering citizens would be draped in red clothing in tribute. She decided she would rather be the one citizen to remember the other Prince on this day, and chose the second dress.
It was made of pure, luxurious emerald green silk, and it left her arms and neckline bare where the other didn't. It draped effortlessly over her body and trailed the floor behind her, though when she walked, a glimpse of gold heels could be seen peeking out from under the hem. She wore her golden-horned armband from Loki and the gold head chain that Frigga had gifted her with some time ago. A dark fur shrug completed the look, and with her hair curled and left to cascade down over her shoulders in a way that she suspected would make Loki literally ache to pull it, she left her chambers and began to walk towards the throne room.
The palace was positively abuzz with activity, from excitedly chatting courtiers to rushing but also excited servants, and Aemilia could almost feel the nervous energy pulsing through the walls. It was such a rare day in the life of the Asgardians, bidding farewell to a beloved King and gaining a new one - it was truly an event that was worth every bit of the fuss surrounding it.
She was rounding a corner when the sound of a burst of giggles made her eyes narrow. Her feet slowed before they came to a standstill, and then she heard more giggles, from several different female voices, followed by loudly whispered words that made her eyes widen to comedic proportions.
"Oh my - it's so big!"
"Can I touch it?"
"No, I get to touch it first!"
"Give it to me, I'll know how to do it best!"
Just as her jaw dropped, she heard a familiar male voice laugh jovially. "Now, now, ladies, you'll all get a turn, I assure you."
Unsure of what she'd see but taking the risk anyway, Aemilia turned the corner and was immediately relieved to find Fandral leaning against the wall in a very innocent position, with his sword in hand while four ladies fawned and fought for attention and apparently the honor of polishing his sword. Aemilia rolled her eyes at him as soon as his gaze met hers, and he smiled brightly as soon as recognition dawned on him.
"Lady Aemilia!" He handed his sword of to one of the ladies without looking at her and stepped away from them. "My, how utterly entrancing you look today!"
She raised an eyebrow to him as he gave her hand a friendly kiss. "Thank you. I will not say what I feared I would see when I turned the corner."
He laughed wholeheartedly at that, even throwing his head back a little in the process. "Oh, I can imagine." He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "You know how these ladies can get. One sword can only keep them satisfied for so long."
She grimaced a little and replied, "If there is a double meaning there, please do not tell me."
He laughed again, and this time she laughed with him. "Oh, if only all ladies had your wit. Say, where is your escort?"
"Escorting the Queen, of course," she smiled. "I have no escort today."
Fandral frowned theatrically. "Well that simply won't do. May I offer my services? The others will be along momentarily. You can stand on our side of the hall during the ceremony and make goo-goo eyes at your dark prince."
"Goo-goo eyes?" she laughed, unaware of the way the sword-polishing ladies were glowering at her for taking Fandral's attention from them.
"Yes, goo-goo eyes! Allow me to demonstrate," Fandral replied before widening his eyes and casting the back of his hand over his forehead and launching into a high-pitched voice. "Oh, Loki, your manly beauty is beyond compare, and those enormous horns sitting atop your head may be compensating for something but I do not care, for your eyes are greener than the brightest forest in Vanaheim -"
Her laughter inspired his own, and they laughed loudly together for a moment before Aemilia protested, "I do not do that! And I would never accuse him of compensating with his helmet when I know firsthand that he is not."
"Oh dear - my poor, virginal ears can no longer handle this conversation," he jested. "You must take care how you speak to innocent creatures like myself, we are very delicate."
"Oh yes, so delicate that you need four women to 'polish your sword'," Aemilia remarked.
"It's critical to keep one's sword in optimum condition!" he argued playfully. "What good is a warrior without a shining, gleaming, reliable, sturdy sword?"
Aemilia had opened her mouth to retort when Volstagg's voice sounded behind her. "And what good is a coronation without food? Where in the name of Odin is all the food?!"
As Volstagg, Sif and Hogun joined them, greetings were exchanged and a bit more small talk was had, until Fandral retrieved his sword from his adoring fans, sheathed it, and offered his arm to Aemilia. "Shall we?"
She took his arm with a wide smile. "Why thank you, my lord."
Sif eyed them as she walked beside them and joked, "Oh, dear - nobody tell Loki that his lady is being escorted by another, lest the green-eyed monster make an appearance."
"I would appreciate if the buffet tables made an appearance," Volstagg grumbled.
"Loki has nothing to be jealous of," Fandral pointed out. "Five minutes in my company and the lady had already belittled me multiple times and even boasted of Loki's... attributes."
"Attributes?" Sif repeated curiously. "What sort?"
Aemilia drew a breath to answer, but Fandral cut her off with a waggle of his eyebrows to Sif. "Attributes."
"Oh, for Valhalla's sake," Sif muttered, "it is far too early for such talk. I only just ate."
"Ate?" Volstagg repeated, wide-eyed. "Ate what? Where?"
"Now, now," Fandral shrugged as they neared the throne room, ignoring Volstagg and still addressing Sif, "if the lady wishes to boast of her good fortune -"
"I really don't!" Aemilia laughed. "It's entirely your fault that I had to say anything on the subject at all!"
"Don't let him bait you," Sif smiled, looking past Fandral to Aemilia as they walked. "Fandral is nearly as talented as Loki himself is in drawing one inadvertently into horrifyingly inappropriate conversations."
Fandral smiled broadly and winked at Aemilia. "I am a man of many talents."
"And keeping your mouth shut isn't one of them," Sif remarked, and Aemilia chuckled in response.
"Well, what good is a shut mouth? No offense, Hogun," Fandral said, flashing a smile to their sometimes-silent friend. The more time Aemilia spent around this group, the more she saw why Loki got on with Fandral better than any of them.
They were rounding a corner, still chatting merrily down the corridor when a servant passing them in the opposite direction dropped a basket full of apples and sent them scattering across the floor. The rather large globes of fruit were on a swift trajectory towards Aemilia's and Fandral's feet, and before the servant had the chance to chase after them, Aemilia had given a slight wave of her hand and vanished all of the apples back to their basket. The servant gave her wide-eyed thanks and bustled off, and when Aemilia glanced up at Fandral and the others, they were all staring at her with jaws partially dropped.
She blinked. "What?"
"You do magic?" Sif asked, looking slightly flabbergasted.
"Well, yes," she replied. "Loki taught me."
Sif's eyes grew large and even Hogun appeared rather shocked. "Loki taught you magic?"
Aemilia fidgeted slightly, glancing at Fandral and readjusting her hold on his arm, finding this standing around and being gaped at slightly uncomfortable. "Yes."
"I don't believe it," Fandral smiled, glancing at Sif and the others. "Remember all the times the Queen attempted to persuade him to take an apprentice?"
"The one time he finally gave in and took one, the poor girl that the Queen had chosen ran away crying and said no magic was worth having to endure Loki's cruelty," Sif replied.
"Can we possibly get moving once more before I starve and wither away?" Volstagg interrupted, prompting the group of five to start walking again.
"It's true," Fandral said to Aemilia, confirming Sif's story. "In fact, I took it upon myself to comfort the girl."
Sif groaned a little and pointedly looked past Fandral to Aemilia. "The point is - the fact that Loki taught you this is nothing short of extraordinary."
Aemilia shrugged a little and answered, "I asked him to teach me some months ago, and he agreed. He's never once acted cruel about it."
"That is shocking, indeed," Sif mused.
Aemilia paused before speaking again. "Perhaps there is much that would shock you about him if you took the time to notice."
Sif looked as if she may have been a bit annoyed by the comment, but Fandral merely smiled and said, "Indeed! So tell me, my lady, what more can you do?"
The conversation continued until the group reached the throne room, which was when Aemilia caught a glimpse of the staggering amount of people lining the walls to watch Thor take his throne. High nobles mostly filled the actual throne room but countess average citizens filled the rest of the hall, spilling outside and meeting the rest of the populace, the entirety of which was watching this day.
Aemilia felt a similar lingering sense of disbelief as Sif and the Warriors Three took their places on the steps leading up to the throne, feeling almost out of place but not quite as Fandral walked her through the room. She'd felt like this once before, some weeks ago, when Loki had escorted her and Odin introduced her to sing before the entire realm. Eyes weren't trained on her now as intensely as they had been then, but the nobles and citizens still stared in curiosity.
Fandral left her at the very front of the line of observers, not far from the throne's steps, and she gave him a grateful bow as he smiled at her. Then he took his place on the right side stairs, between Hogun and Volstagg, while Sif stood on the left.
Only moments later, Aemilia smiled as Frigga and Loki came into view. They were both utterly beautiful, Loki holding his mother's hand delicately in his as they walked towards the throne. Aemilia could see where Loki's grace had been inherited from, and the affectionate way he looked at Frigga brought a smile on Aemilia's own face.
She didn't catch Loki's notice until they'd nearly reached the steps. When he did see her, his eyes quickly swept over her dress and the colors she was wearing, and he grinned at her in a way that was both appreciative and warm.
As the Queen took her place at the top of the steps and Loki stood between Asgard's two most powerful women, Aemilia glanced up to Fandral and stifled a laugh when he raised an eyebrow and mouthed the words goo goo eyes to her.
She turned her eyes back to Loki and and bit her lip when she saw that he was looking her up and down, barely attempting subtlety, and she shot him a warning glare when he pointedly licked his lips. His expression then became innocently confused, and she barely contained her giggle when he pouted at her.
Then, there was a sudden, deafening roar of thunderous cheering and applause, and all attention fell to the newly appeared Thor.
The elder Prince's arrival was exactly as she had expected it would be. He laughed, he literally tossed his hammer around, he urged the crowd to cheer louder, and he looked as if he'd never been happier before that moment. Aemilia smiled and shook her head, glancing up to find Sif and Frigga both watching in eye-rolling amusement, and where she expected a similar expression on Loki's face, she found a rather solemn look that was almost... sad?
He seemed to feel her eyes on him, and his odd expression broke as he glanced to her and gave her a much more familiar smirk. She smiled back and then refocused on Thor as the applause and cheers died down at last, as he knelt before the throne and removed his helmet.
She watched as Thor winked at Sif and shared a smile with Fandral, then smiled back in surprise when he shot a grin her way. His joy, just like everything else about him, was utterly infectious.
The sound of Gungnir hitting the golden floor silenced the entire realm. Aemilia looked up to the King as he stood and prepared to give his throne to his son.
The next few moments passed swiftly as Thor's growing excitement filled the air like an aura, each word spoken by Odin taking him one step closer to victory. Each vow the Prince took, his voice rose higher, stronger, until the moment had arrived, and all that was left was for Odin to proclaim him King.
But he didn't. And the very moment that two simple words, Frost Giants, left the King's lips and his scepter awakened the Destroyer, all erupted into chaos.
As every single citizen gasped and wailed in panic around her, Aemilia felt the natural and reflexive grip of fear from within, but she kept silent as her eyes immediately shot to Loki. He gave her a serious but steadying look before he waved his hand and silenced the room with magic, allowing Odin's voice to be heard as he addressed the people.
"The Destroyer has done its work, and the intruders are dead. All is well. Return to your homes. Thor, Loki, follow me."
With that, Loki ended the silencing spell, and the panicked sounds gave way to whispers and words of confusion as the King whispered to the Queen, then disappeared with the two Princes trailing behind. Before she had a moment to even process what had just happened, Aemilia felt her hand being taken by a warm, delicate one, and she looked up in surprise to find the Queen standing before her.
"Follow me, dear," Frigga said, quickly pulling Aemilia along and giving her no say in the matter.
"Where are we going?"
"Odin prefers that I am within the shelter of my chambers as a precaution, in events such as these. I would see the same measure of security afforded to you."
"I'm confused - not two minutes after the King spoke of Frost Giants did he say that we were safe," Aemilia said as they hurried along through a network of hidden, more secure corridors. "How could he know so quickly?"
"I know not more than you do, my dear," Frigga admitted. "But have faith that if the King says that all is well, all truly is well."
Frigga conjured a ball of light to illuminate their path as they neared her rooms, and Aemilia's mind continued to face. "And what of Thor? Will he still be King this day?"
"I presume that Odin will not wish to have Thor's ascension marred by a Jotun attack," Frigga replied. "You are rather full of questions."
"I'm sorry. I am only trying to understand," Aemilia said as they reached the Queen's chambers at last.
"Questions are always welcomed, Aemilia," Frigga smiled as they walked through what seemed to be a secret compartment next to one of her many bookcases. "Never apologize for asking them."
Aemilia nodded and drew a deep breath, still trying to get a handle on it all when Frigga's voice caught her by surprise.
"Have you any defense training, Aemilia?"
"Oh, no," Aemilia shook her head. "Aside from just a few archery lessons I had as a child, but I was never particularly gifted with it."
Frigga nodded and then gracefully took a seat in her study, beckoning for Aemilia to do the same. "You ought to be trained, now that you no longer live a simple life on the countryside. Being as close as you now are to this family, you have to take these matters into account."
Aemilia had never thought about that before. The palace had always seemed so impenetrable before this day, but perhaps she had been lulled into a false sense of security. "Oh. I see."
"You do not have to become the next Lady Sif," Frigga assured her. "But you need to be able to defend yourself in the event of an unanticipated attack. And there's no shortage of those willing to teach you. In fact, I would be happy to do so myself."
"That would be wonderful!" Aemilia smiled.
"We'll set a date to begin, then. For now," Frigga sighed, "I suppose you shall keep me company until the men have seen to the danger."
Aemilia nodded, a pit of unease still quite present in her belly. She'd feel better once Loki was done with Odin and Thor, able to tell her himself that all was well.
But that moment never quite came.
The following hours were ones of frustration and one new fear after another. When a guard came to inform Frigga that all was indeed well and that she need no longer remain in her chambers, Aemilia quickly set off to find Loki. She wasn't sure where to look, so she checked his rooms first before setting out through the rest of the palace.
When she happened upon the Great Hall, she found upturned tables and food littering the ground, but no sign of Loki, Thor, or anyone other than the servants cleaning up the inexplicable mess. She sighed and tracked down a guard to ask if he had seen the younger Prince, and the guard told her that both Princes had just made for the courtyard. She thanked him and headed that way.
But, to her dismay, she found no sign of them outside. Growing more frustrated, she turned and then was startled to see a guard rushing off towards the palace, telling another that he had "urgent news from the Prince" to impart to Odin. The way that the man said it brought a resurgence of fear inside that she couldn't quite explain, and since she had no better leads, she quietly followed him back to the palace.
She never heard what the guard had to say, at least not from the man's own lips. He had told the All-Father his message as he sat once more in the throne room, and from Aemilia's place lurking around the corner in the hallway, she couldn't hear a word. She did, however, almost squeak in surprise when Odin suddenly burst forth from the throne room with all of the strength and purpose of a much younger man, not even glancing her way as he made for the palace exit, barking orders to have Sleipnir readied at once.
She was so surprised that she then jumped when Frigga appeared at her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Oh! My Queen, I'm sorry, I wasn't -"
Frigga shook her head. "It is quite all right."
"What's happening?" Aemilia asked a bit desperately.
"They've gone to Jotunheim," Frigga said heavily. "The All-Father is leaving to retrieve them."
Aemilia's jaw dropped. "Jotunheim? But - why?!"
"If I know my sons," Frigga sighed, "I have no doubt that it was Thor who convinced Loki and the warriors to go with him."
Aemilia looked around slightly wide-eyed, finding the terror she'd felt earlier positively minuscule compared to what she was experiencing now. Just the thought of Loki on that icy planet, surrounding by enormous Frost Giants that would vastly outnumber him - what sort of idiotic idea had led him there?
"Do not panic," Frigga told Aemilia, slightly squeezing her shoulder. "The All-Father will bring them back. This is hardly the first time something like this has happened."
Aemilia nodded, though she could hear the hidden anxiety in the Queen's own voice. "... May I wait with you? Again?"
"Of course," Frigga smiled. "Thank you for doing so."
And so, the two women waited. Minutes that felt like hours passed as they waited near the main entrance of the palace, mostly in silence, anxiety growing with each moment that passed.
Then, at last, the sound of hooves and voices filled the outside air. Aemilia gasped and covered her mouth when Hogun and Volstagg stumbled into the palace, carrying a bleeding and struggling Fandral. Sif walked next to them, and quickly put the Queen at ease. "Thor and Loki are both safe, my Queen."
Just as a weight left Aemilia's heart at those words, another arrived to replace it as the sound of Fandral's gasps barely faded as the other two warriors dragged him down the corridors towards the healing room. "Sif," Aemilia asked a bit desperately, "what happened? Will Fandral be all right?"
"He was impaled," Sif replied. "He has survived worse, but -"
Frigga read the again-panicked look in Aemilia's eyes, and she again placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Go. Loki will be along."
Aemilia blinked in confusion. "But -"
"You are worried for your friend - go and see that he is all right. Loki will not be far behind."
Reluctantly, Aemilia nodded and set off down the corridor, thanking the fates that at least Loki had made it back well.
By the time she reached the healing room, her fears were put to immediate rest. Fandral would be perfectly fine, with not even a scar left to speak of the day's injuries. Despite this, the healers still shooed her from the room almost immediately, claiming she had no real business there and was only taking up room unnecessarily. Rather than become irritated, she was simply grateful that Fandral was well, and she took the opportunity to go try to find Loki once again.
And just like earlier, she could not find him.
Unbeknownst to Aemilia, they kept missing each other by mere seconds. He was en route to the healing room as she was leaving it from a different direction. Then, he was leaving the warriors, on his way to the weapons vault as she rounded a corner a few minutes too soon and missed him halfway through his journey.
As she wandered about, debating on whether to try his chambers, Aemilia began hearing odd whispers from passing servants. The third time she heard the word "banishment" in conjunction with Thor's name, she began to worry all over again.
What in Valhalla's name had happened that she did not know of?
After more fruitless wandering, Aemilia gave up her search and decided to head to Loki's chambers. If he wasn't there now, he would be there eventually, and her legs ached from pacing so much of the palace over the course of the day.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she found in Loki's room.
She did not know, but the King now slept under a magical veil in his chambers as his Queen fretted at his side. The eldest Prince, meanwhile, laid unconscious in an alien realm, while she sought out the younger one, thinking that the whispers she was hearing in the hallways couldn't possibly be true.
When she reached Loki's chamber doors, she did not knock or hesitate before grasping the golden handle and pushing. When she met resistance, she frowned and pushed again. The door was not locked, but something inside was holding it closed.
She frowned and put her weight into her next push. With a small magical burst aiding her, she finally got the door open. Her relief at doing so faded as soon as she looked inside the room and saw the state that it was in.
Furniture laid broken, in jagged pieces that littered the usually-spotless floor. Broken glass sat among the wood, upturned and waiting to cut an unsuspecting foot, partially covered by torn pieces of what had once been books. A golden horned helmet lay carelessly discarded amid the rubble, and Aemilia's heart lurched when she saw it.
She was now more terrified than she had been at any prior point that day.
"Loki?" she called tentatively, stepping carefully through the mess and scanning the room for any sign of where he was. She passed what had once been the desk he wrote at, stepped over a particularly large chunk of glass, and approached the edge of his empty bed, moving towards his washroom.
She heard what sounded like a quiet cross of a sob and a choke, and she found him.
"Loki," she breathed, her heart almost surely stopping at the sight of the proud, arrogant Prince she loved so much, sitting on the floor next to his bed in tattered clothing, back to the wall, knees drawn up almost to his chest and fingers digging into his hair, visibly pulling at it.
He didn't look up when she said his name, so she said it again and took a step forward. Her limbs were trembling and her heart raced faster with each moment he didn't seem to hear her. Something was clearly, horribly, terribly wrong.
"Loki," she said again, kneeling down in front of him as he continued to clutch at his hair and make faint sobbing sounds that she'd never heard from him before. Cautiously, she reached out both of her hands, and slowly brought them to Loki's as they clenched on top of his head.
"Look at me," she said softly, pulling at his hands and finding no resistance. She brought them down and held them in front of her, holding her breath as Loki finally began to raise his head.
Her heart broke when their eyes met. His vibrant green eyes were dull, reddened, and puffy with the evidence of the river of tears that had left wide, wet tracks on his cheeks. His skin was almost ashen, his lips quivering with the threat of more tears, and though he was looking directly at her, Aemilia couldn't help but suspect that he wasn't really seeing her at all.
"Tell me, Loki," she whispered, gently bringing a hand to his cheek. "Please... tell me what's happened."
He continued to stare at her - through her - and her fear began to rise. His eyes became a bit glassy, and the more she spoke his name, the less he seemed to hear it.
"Loki!" In desperation, she finally grabbed his face with both hands and half-yelled right into it. She realized her mistake immediately when his eyes flashed, but not with recognition. They flashed with anger and that same far-away, half-mad look at the same moment his hand shot out and curled around her throat.
She yelped in shock, but quickly forced herself to still when she realized he wasn't squeezing or putting any real pressure in the hold. She grasped at his wrist with her hand and stared at him pleadingly for what felt like hours, waiting for realization to dawn on his face.
When it finally happened, he blinked several times and then looked down at his grip on her throat. His eyes widened in horror and he let go as if burned, instantly curling back in on himself and sobbing once more as he half-wailed, half-mumbled to himself.
She watched in bewilderment, only able to discern a single word from his cries: monster.
A/N: OMG AHHHHHHH I FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THE FIRST MOVIE. IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING. AND IT ONLY TOOK ME 19 CHAPTERS. YAY.
Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way... Seriously though. I'm excited. I've loved writing all this pre-Thor stuff and getting our girl established in the story, but I feel like it's all been leading up to this, the point of finally reaching canon events. The same goes for Loki's character, too. I've loved writing pre-insanity, mischievous, only somewhat-dark Loki, but I've also been bouncing on my heels giggling all deranged at the thought of writing psycho!Loki. It's as daunting as it is exciting, because I really REALLY don't want to screw him up and make him too sane or too crazy, but it's still exciting. :D
A few things: First, I saw that not everybody was happy with the final scene of the last chapter. In hindsight, I think maybe I should have posted a warning for dubcon, but I didn't think of it at the time of posting for a few reasons; first, almost any decent Loki fic is gonna have at least a degree of dubcon at some point. I mean, Loki's no boy scout, and the lines can get pretty blurred pretty easily in these stories. I guess I found it surprising because I've had him do worse things in previous chapters (some outright violent and rather dickish), and nobody objected. So I didn't expect anyone to have much of an issue about Loki performing a selfless act on his semi-conscious (but pretty clearly consenting) woman. I still love the scene and ADORE midnightwings96 for writing it and I 100% stand by it, and I think it was a hugely important turning point in the story for Loki, as it pushed him to voice his feelings at last and also illustrated a rare act of selflessness on his part. But, I suppose those kinds of scenes aren't everyone's cup of tea, and I get that. I also welcome any and all comments and feedback, negative or positive. But I think we should all keep in mind here that this is a Loki-based story, and where Loki is involved, there's gonna be some gray areas and questionable things. That's kind of the fun of him. I mean, the moment that sparked my eternal, ridiculous, raging attraction to the character was when he told Black Widow how he was going to have Clint brutally murder her and then kill him afterwards. Seriously, that was the defining moment that turned me into what I am today (and began the systematic ruining of my life at the rather beautiful hands of Tom Hiddleston) So... it's probably safe to say that there's gonna be more instances of dubious things and questionable behavior in the future. I'll just try to post warnings beforehand from now on, I suppose :p
Aaaaaand I'm rambling again. ANYWAY. A big, big THANK YOU to midnightwings96 for her help and encouragement in getting this chapter done. I've been busy and writing this took forever, and it would have taken longer without her help. Also, my ever-heartfelt and gushy thanks to all of you wonderful reviewers, readers, new and old followers, lurkers - I love you ALL, and I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me. It only gets better from here :D (well, depending on your definition of better :p) I know some of you have asked if I'm going to stick to canon or go a bit AU with the story, but I sort of don't want to say for sure either way. What I will say is, the story is definitely nowhere near even half over, and it will cover up to and beyond TDW. In fact, the part I'm looking most forward to will happen after the timeline of TDW. So sit right and keep reading, guys :D see you all next time!