"I'm so nervous," you brushed the white Asgardian silk as you studied yourself in the mirror. You wore a simple white trumpet style dress. The sleeves were sheer gold lace that conformed to the shape of your arms. Intricate beadwork of Celtic symbols and shapes wrapped around the fabric. You brushed the necklace Loki had given you and it vibrated slightly and warmed your fingers, letting you know that Loki was just as nervous. It had felt like years ago that you had reunited with him and yet it felt as though you were never apart.
"You look beautiful," Natasha reassured you. "Loki is going to die when he sees you."
"You think?" you asked as there was a knock at the door.
"Of course," Natasha went to answer the door. She peaked her head out briefly and opened the door to reveal the Einherjar standing in the doorframe.
"Sir," you stun to attention out of instinct and he walked inside, Natasha closing the door behind him. "Natasha this is the Einherjar, my mentor when I was training to be a guard."
"I've heard all good things about you," Natasha offered her hand and your mentor shook it.
"I came to see the bride," the Einherjar smiled, actually smiled, at you. "You are beautiful."
"Thank you sir," you bowed your head.
"If you don't mind," the Einherjar adjusted his suit. "It would be an honor to give you away."
"My parents aren't here are they," you asked, not particularly disappointed.
"We. . . did you want them here," the Einherjar hesitated, a hint of disappointment on his face.
"No," you said quickly. "They would cause a scene. Besides, I'd much rather you walk me down the isle."
The Einherjar's face seemed to light up, but quickly went back to stoic.
"I must apologize to you," the Einherjar began slowly. "Back when the prince was injured."
"What is there to apologize for," you asked. "You had important matters to attend to, especially considering I was thought to be a traitor."
"When you were arrested, we investigated your parents," the Einherjar guided you to one of the chairs. "We discovered that they were working with a group to try and stage a coup."
"Did my parents se-"
"Yes," the Einherjar nodded, your heart sinking into your stomach.
"Then I should have been executed," tears prickled your eyes and the Einherjar pulled a handkerchief from his ceremonial armor and started dabbing your cheeks.
"If you still communicated with them," the Einherjar nodded. "Or if Loki didn't declare you unrelated to them."
"What?" You stared at him with shock and racked your memories.
"Any declaration a member of royalty makes in front of a set of witnesses, becomes law," the Einherjar explains. "Unless the declaration has been overturned by the king."
"When Loki pretended to be you," the gears locked into place. "Sir."
"Even though he took my form, he is still a member of royalty," the Einherjar nodded. "And His Majesty felt it best for your training not to overturn his son's ruling."
"So that means. . ."
"I tried to have the charges dropped," the Einherjar continued. "But considering your blade was in the prince's body, I could only convince His Majesty was simply to exile you."
You kept quiet as you remembered the nights you stayed alone in the dungeons wishing your mentor came to you so you could explain. Instead he was fighting for you, behind the scenes.
"Thank you, sir," you finally said, tears overflowing as your mentor tried brushing them away. Natasha ended up taking the handkerchief, tilting your head back so she could fix your makeup.
"From the first day I watched you play with the two princes," the Einherjar took your hand and squeeze. "I've considered yourself like my daughter."
"Come on Y/N," Thor shouted from the ground of the garden. "That's not fair!"
"All is fair in love and war," you smiled wide, a couple teeth missing from your grin. "You have to be ready for anything on the battlefield."
"Mom," Thor shouted as his mother came into the garden, followed by the Einherjar.
"Your Majesty," you quickly dropped the stick you had to Thor's chest and flew back a couple paces. "I-I didn't mean-"
"It's alright Y/N," Queen Frigga raised a hand and silenced your ramblings. "I was just showing the Einherjar your skills."
"Hello sir," you gave a deep curtsy, nearly tripping over the frilly dress your parents forced you to wear.
"You can barely move in that dress," the Einherjar looked you up and down. "And yet you successfully incapacitated your opponent."
"Incapatit-huh?" Thor asked in confusion, sitting on the grass.
"Incapacitated," Loki spoke, not looking up from the book he was reading. He was seven and he was reading full adult books. Then again, you were five and beating Thor with a stick. "It means she kicked your butt."
"Did not," Thor stood up and scrambled for his stick.
"A warrior knows when to admit defeat," the Einherjar stopped Thor who tried to rush you. "There is no honor in attacked someone who has to defenseless."
"I'm not though," you smiled and waved your hand for the stick you left of the ground to fly to you. "See?"
"I believe you have your work cut our for you," Frigga laughed, looking at the Einherjar.
"I will go speak with her parents," the Einherjar nodded and you were scared that you were in trouble.
"I thought I was in so much trouble," you laughed, your tears drying. Pepper pulled out her press powder out of her makeup bag and handing it to Natasha. Pepper Pots had joined you and the most of the Avengers in Asgard, Clint and Tony elected to stay behind.
"I was not a man of many words back then," the Einherjar laughed with you and Natasha fixed your makeup
"You've been quite the father to me," you squeezed your mentor's hand and saw he was tearing up himself. "It would be an honor if you were to give me away at my wedding."
You readied the finishing touches of your dress, touching the necklace and letting warm your finger tips, and left with your bridal party. The Einherjar offered his arm to you and you took it, smiling as you walked down the halls toward the grand hall. Nerves pumped through your body, your grip tightening on you mentor's arm. The Einherjar patted your arm with his free hand and you stopped in front of the giants door to the hall.
A few seconds later, you could hear traditional Norse music playing on the other side of the doors as they swung open to see a large assembly of people. You took a step back in surprise and Einherjar, kept you from running.
"Never show weakness to your enemy," Einherjar reminded you and gently pulled you into the grand hall.
"Yes sir," you nodded, looking past the congregation to the end of the isle.
Loki stood in his green and black ceremonial armor, accents of gold decorating the Asgardian leather. He wore a crown similar to that in New York, the horns were much smaller and the metal had much more intricate designs that matched your dress. Your heart warmed see him smiling at you, you could see his eyes sparkle under the lights. Your mentor kept you from running to Loki as he guided you down the isle with the music, Pepper and Natasha walking in front of you.
You necklace warmed against your chest, and your fingers instinctually stroked the jewel. Steve, Bruce, and Sam, the new addition, stood behind Loki, Thor standing next as his best man. Thor whispered something to Loki that made him elbow his brother gently. Frigga, who stood as the officiate, glared at her sons and they settle down quietly. Odin was next to Frigga and the two gave you nods as you met them at the front, the music coming to an end.
"Who is giving Y/N away on this day," Frigga asked, smiling at you.
"I do," the Einherjar spoke up. "Congratulations." Your mentor kissed your cheek and gave the arm his was holding over to Loki. "Being Odin's son will not stop me if anything happens to her."
"Of course," Loki's face straightened at the Einherjar's threat. "I wouldn't never imagine hurting her."
"Good," the Einherjar clapped Loki on the back, making him falter, before leaving you to sit in the front row.
"You look beautiful," Loki brought you to stand in front of Frigga, his cheeks stained from tears.
"As do you," you smiled at him and turning as Odin began his speech.
"On this day," his voice echoed through the chamber. "We gather to celebrate not only this union but for another matter. Centuries ago, Y/N fought valiantly to protect my son against an assassination plot a group crafted. Unfortunately at the time, she was framed to have participated in the attempt. Now, new information has come to light proving it to be a simple misunderstanding. It is my honor to annul her banishment and be the first to welcome her home." From a white cushion on a podium, Odin picked up a circle crown of purple lilacs, carnations, and daisies wrapped around a yew branch with green, gold, and red ribbons woven into the crown with a small train.
"Please accept my apologizes, for the actions taken that day," Odin's voice was so soft you could barely hear it as he placed the wreath around your head.
"Of course, your majesty," you whispered back and his eye smiled at you before he step away, letting Frigga take over the ceremony.
"Loki Laufeyson," Frigga began. "Do you enter this union to Y/N of your own accord?"
"I do," Loki lifted your hand bringing it to his lips.
"Good," Frigga nodded and turned to you. "Y/N, do you enter this union to Loki Laufeyson of your own accord?"
"I do," you answered, kissing the knuckles of Loki's hand in return.
"Excellent," Frigga nodded and picked up a cord from the podium, it had ribbons matching what was in your crown woven into the braid. "Nothing in this universe happens without reason. This is especially true when it comes to love." Frigga lifted the cord for the crowd to see. "Green for prosperity and abundance in your union. Gold for everlasting health and understanding. Finally red, for strength, passion, and fertility."
"Though I hear the last one isn't needed," Frigga whispered the last part, your cheeks warming.
"May the words you have chosen to share today stay with you throughout your lives and stay true in the days to comes as you speak them today," Frigga's voice returned the it's previous volume as she lowered the cord in front of her. "Y/N?"
"Loki Laufeyson," you squeezed Loki's hands. "It was not a chance meeting when I entered your life when we were children. But the love I've felt for you was not and is not something that can be planned. When I was banished from your side, I believed I would never see you again, let alone stand by you as I do today. But the universe indeed had other plans. I knew I could never love anyone as much as I love you and thankfully, I don't have. I promise until my dying breath, and as long as you allow me, to remain by your side. Through every laugh shared, every tear shed, I vow to support you and be your strength when you need it. I love you more everyday. For eternity."
Loki freed a hand and wiped a tear that fell onto your cheek, staying a moment before returning to hold yours again.
"Loki Laufeyson," Frigga nodded to Loki.
"Y/N," Loki began, staring into your eyes, his mischievous smile filled with love. "A chance encounter, the universe's plan, a ploy for the throne brought you into my life. And with it came joy, strength, and love that I had lost when you were not with me. My life was a series of self pity, blaming the world for my misfortune. I didn't understand what I was missing until I met you again. Watching your passion and creativity in everything you do. Caring for others, even when they stabbed you in the back. Loving those who forget all about you. The humanity you gained during your time on Midgard, are all things that made me love you more. I vow to stay by your side, to be your strength when you are weak. To heal you when you are ill. To love you more everyday. I promise to make up for the time we lost together. Till the end of days and beyond."
"In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound. One to another," Frigga weaved a love knot into the cord and took your right and Loki's left hands, making you turn to face Frigga . "By this cord, you are thus bound to your vow. May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last. May this cord draw your hands together in love, never to be used in anger. May the vows you have spoken never grow bitter in your mouths."
A light emitted from the knot as Frigga spoke. "As any child discovers where they are learning to tie their own shoes, the first move is to cross the ends. As you hands are bound by this cord, so is your partnership held by the symbol of this knot."
Frigga began wrapping the cord around yours and Loki's hands and wrist, bringing the ends together tying them into a knot. "May it be granted that what is done before Odin be not undone by man. Two entwined in love, bound by commitment and fear, sadness and joy, by hardship and victory, anger and reconciliation, all of which brings strength to this union."
"Hold tight to one another through both good times and bad, and watch as your strength grows." Frigga pulled the knot taught and stepped back, the light from the knot shaped like a heart flashed once more and the cord tightened around yours hands. "Congratulations. I invite you to seal this union with a kiss."
Loki wasted no time in pulling you close and kissing you. His free hand wrapped around your waist, holding you closed. Your free hand wrapped around his shoulders doing the same. The cheers from the crowd brought you back to reality and Loki turned you both to face your future together.
~FIN~
Author's Note:
I thought about writing a epilogue, but considering the rest of the MCU, it would be too much to tell in a single chapter. Plus, sometimes it's more fun to let the audience determine what happens after the happily ever after.
Maybe I'll make a sequel in the future but for now, I hope you enjoyed the story.
