Loki held Jane gently yet tightly against him as they lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking. He had never considered being Jotun a blessing. In fact, he distinctly remembered asking Odin if he was cursed.
Loki began to remember the stories Odin had told he and Thor as they visited the vault, the childhood visit, the first time he saw the Casket of Ancient Winters. He believed the Jotuns monsters, bloodthirsty conquerors who Odin had heroically driven back and stomped underfoot.
Now, however, everything had changed. This belonging he'd spent his life silently yearning for was only possible due to his Jotun lineage and his part-Jotun bride. Was it possible there could be more to discover about Jotunheim and his true lineage to the throne? Odin had lied to him for his entire life, right unto his death. It was almost certain that most everything he "knew" of Jotunheim was a lie.
Jane raised herself slightly, eyes closed, not responding to his thoughts so much as listening until she could no longer contain her own curiosity, "What is Jotunheim really like?"
"It's cold."
"Really?" Jane blurted her question as she sat up while rolling her eyes, "I don't think I could have possibly guessed that one."
"You asked," He nonchalantly ran his fingertips along the markings of her spine.
She turned and gave him a flirtatious wink over her shoulder, "I should have known better." Her thoughts finished the rest, "Now tell me what it's really like. Not the stories. Not the monsters. Tell me your observations of Jotunheim."
"Observations? For your scientific curiosity only?" His thoughts held a seductive note to which she was not immune.
"Stop it," She boldly stated, ignoring her body's responses while spinning to face him, "You're right. Everything that Odin told you about Jotunheim is probably a lie. What do you know for a fact?"
"It's dark mostly. Barren except for snow covered rock and ice towers that reach for the sky."
"And the people?"
"Fierce Warriors. Distrustful of Asgardians."
"Gee, can't imagine why," Jane sighed heavily, "Do you think we could possibly try to uncover the truth of Jotunheim? Of the war? Of your birth and subsequent kidnapping? Maybe about my own lineage?"
"Before this moment, I can honestly say," Loki spoke while momentarily sensing Jane's feelings of irony about the H word. He tugged her to him and fell back into the pillows, "I've never wanted to think of Jotunheim ever again after learning of my birth. I wanted to destroy the monsters as Odin called them. I only wanted to make him proud of me. To be worthy."
"You are worthy," Jane stated firmly as she met his red eyes. She caressed his cheek before placing gentle kisses upon his forehead markings, "You felt your life was a lie. You took it to an extreme. A very very dark extreme," She frowned as all Loki's memories of Jotunheim and his course of self destruction flooded her senses.
"No one regrets that extreme more than I," Loki grimaced as the thought came unbidden.
Jane's frown became a slow smile, "There's hope for you yet, My Love."
Loki quickly rolled her to her back which garnered a gentle laugh from her, "Enough with psychological analysis based upon your tedious science."
"Magic is just science we don't understand yet," She argued with a challenging grin.
"Clarke was very wise," He acknowledged with humor as she had a memory of Thor's drawing of Yggdrasil. Loki chuckled as he met her equally red eyes, "Thor excelled in a few subjects, but art and craftwork were never his strong suits."
She rolled her eyes at his jab at his brother before he continued.
"I will show you all the beauty of Yggdrasil. You can see and feel my memories, but you simply must experience all the worlds for yourself," He recalled trips to Vanaheim with his mother, attending classes on Alfheim, saving Thor's hide on Nornheim, the heat and volcanic activity of Muspelheim, and the snowy peaks of Jotunheim.
"Yes!" Jane squealed happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I want to see it all."
"Jane?!" Loki squeaked out a laugh as her new Jotun strength was unexpectedly demonstrated.
"Sorry. Oh god, Loki, I'm so sorry," She stammered quickly as she released her overly tightened grip and began checking his neck for marks.
He chuckled as he eased away from her only slightly, "Your strength has certainly grown."
She mentally agreed, examining her pale blue hands, "Will I stay this way?"
"I assume the same magic which allows my appearance to remain hidden is bound to you as well," He took one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together, "Close your eyes, Love."
Jane followed his instructions as she closed her eyes. She felt his lips tenderly kissing her fingers.
"Focus on what you want your appearance to be. Your hair, eyes, nose, lips, skin. Will your appearance to be what you want it to be."
Loki focused his own thoughts, commanding the magic to transform his Jotun form to his Aesir visage.
Jane followed his lead, focusing on each part of her appearance. She willed the magic forward, feeling an unfamiliar yet enticing warmth spark to life within her.
When she opened her eyes, she witnessed the last of Loki's Jotun blue fade beneath pale white skin. He smiled at her as her own pale blue skin became a creamy white and the Jotun red of her eyes became dark brown.
"Love, you missed a spot," He lifted a tress of her hair showing her the still jet black tips.
"I actually kind of like that," She shrugged in a sheepish kind of way, "Being an academic, I was always too afraid to try anything too wild with my hair colors or styles. This, though, feels right."
"You look beautiful," He assured her verbally while his thoughts continued, "I never thought I could say that to any Jotun and truly mean it from the depths of my soul."
"And here you and I are."
"Here we are," Loki's thoughts laughed at the irony with her.
"Speaking of where we are, how are getting out of here?"
"By paying for passage off this planet."
"With what?" She asked as she remembered Tamina's lament about passage home being expensive.
"Okay, so theft may possibly be involved," He added the thought quickly and laughed gently when she frowned, "I am the God of Mischief, Love."
"The frown was because I found that theft thing kind of sexy."
Loki's smile was genuine, "And so, you may turn out to be my perfect match indeed."
"I work very hard to do the right thing. Thank you very much," She declared boldly before laughing, "But I think a lot of stuff that some might call evil."
"Your thoughts are chaotic neutral at best," He paused as the explanation baffled him momentarily before he met her eyes, "You have to explain this game of Dungeons and Dragons to me. Sounds like a bit of fun really. With maybe a bit of authentic magic thrown in for good measure."
Jane burst into giggles, "If we ever get back to Earth, we will play with Darcy and Ian."
Loki found memories of the couple she spoke of and grinned, "Another match made via Malekith?"
"In a very odd way, yes," She agreed before she spotted the first rays of sunlight beginning to trickle through the windows, "Wait. Why am I not sleepy? Or at least tired?"
"You've been reborn, Jane. You are one of the long lived. Your body will not require sleep as you once did."
Jane internally squealed in delight, "Do you have any idea how much work I can get done now?!"
"If you think for one moment that I will allow you to exhaust yourself, think again, Love."
"Loki?"
"Yes?"
"I'm still going to be able to get so much done!" She squealed in her thoughts just to annoy him.
Which seemed to mildly amuse him also. He surmised it was most likely because he would have done the exact same thing.
"Perfect match," Jane spoke happily as she drew his lips to hers for a loving kiss, "Do you think we could skip brunch?"
"Doubtful," Loki sighed before speaking aloud, "Let's get dressed before I allow your thoughts to cause us to be late."
Jane giggled as he rose from the bed, pulling her to her feet along with him. Loki drew from his magic, clothing himself quickly in his blue leathers.
"What am I going to wear?" Jane asked as she adored her husband's frame wrapped in leather.
"Anything you like," He added, "You need to focus or we will be late. Can you imagine what The Grandmaster would imagine as a fitting punishment for tardiness?"
"I'd really rather not," She grimaced before taking a deep breath and attempted to focus before she was distracted again, "What did you wear when you were female?"
"Nothing you would find appealing," He replied while giving her brief glimpses of his past attire, "Now, focus."
"Okay, fine," She grumbled softly before closing her eyes, "Focus."
"Focus on what you want to wear, and then shape the magic to your will," Loki instructed in her mind.
Jane remembered the blue dress she'd worn on Asgard and focused to make it manifest around her body. She opened her eyes and giggled as she bounced happily, "I did it."
"Just one thing," He smiled as the dress turned to a fetching shade of green, "There. That's better."
She crossed her arms and set her jaw while raising an eyebrow as his memory flashed before her. He'd changed the color of her dress from the Dark World to match his colors, "Really? Even in your play?"
His smile grew more seductive as his eyes traveled her body, "You are ravishing. We are most certainly going to be late to brunch."
"Stop that," Jane demanded in her mind while stepping past her husband. She added with a laugh, "You can't have your cake and eat it too," She pauses momentarily, "At least not right now."
"I'll hold you to that," Loki murmured while turning to join her, "Shall we?"
She took his outstretched hand, "Let's get this over with. Besides, I'm starving."
The newlyweds exited their suite and began the walk towards the Grandmaster's banquet hall. The normally bustling corridors were sparse this morning, only a servant or two making their way about their daily chores.
"Where is everyone?" Jane thought to herself as they continued through the desolate corridors.
"That's a very good question," Loki answered as they arrived in the banquet hall. An empty banquet hall.
"I'm afraid the Grandmaster exhausted himself after the wedding festivities last night," Scrapper 142 appeared from an alternate doorway, "Orgies on Sakaar last until the last person drops."
"That's too bad," Jane spoke with just the proper amount of regret in her tone.
"Mmm," The dark skinned warrior approached them, holding her tattooed arm on display for both of them to see.
"You're a Valkyrie," Loki spoke the words in surprise, "I thought all the Valkyrie had died gruesome deaths."
"Friend or foe?" Jane questioned Loki in her mind.
"Yet to be determined. Until now, they were merely legend written upon a dusty page," Loki replied in his thoughts before focusing on the Valkyrie.
"Not all," She replied, "Some of us were simply watching and waiting for Hela's return."
"Foe then," Jane answered in her thoughts.
"Why?" Loki questioned the Valkyrie, "Why reveal yourself now?"
"Because Hela has returned. All the remaining Valkyrie knew the instant she was released from her prison," The Valkyrie turned to the banquet tables. She sought out a bottle of alcohol before continuing, "When I found your brother, I thought it was just another Asgardian exiled by Odin. It wouldn't be the first time. However, your wedding made it clear. You're the One I've been waiting for."
"Explain," Loki eyed the female warrior cautiously.
"I am sworn to protect you, to see that you take your rightful place," The Valkyrie popped the top of the bottle of alcohol and took a long drink. She placed the bottle back upon the table, "And to ensure your mother never receives her throne."
"My mother?" Loki questioned as thoughts of Frigga lingered.
"Yes," The Valkyrie turned to face Loki.
He snorted, "I was a stolen child of Jotunheim."
"Are you not the son of Laufey?"
"I am," Loki's suspicions caused the hairs to raise on the back of Jane's neck.
The Valkyrie announced with a dry smile, "Then, you are also the son of Hela and heir to the thrones of both Jotunheim and Asgard."