She was grateful for the spells he'd taught her once the Bifrost had left them in the middle of a barren surface, at least it would have been had it not been for the welcoming committee already standing there. She hoped they weren't late, though there wasn't much that could be done about it now. She shivered and pressed two fingers to the runes that Loki had showed her and felt her blood heat up, felt the cold diminishing to little more than a minor irritant, one that quickly disappeared as Laufey stepped closer-Norns, she'd forgotten how tall he really was-and wrapped a white fur cloak around her shoulders.
"I bring you, Natasha of Asgard and once Midgard, under the protection of myself, King Laufey, as well as my people." He said, Loki having told her of the ceremonial words that would ensure that they would have the highest security available while staying. Laufey was not keen to make enemies with Asgard, no matter what the past might have suggested, as he was ever the pragmatic and knew that no matter how down and out they might've been, there would be a day when he would regret making enemies of them. Odin had taught him that once, and it was not a lesson he was keen to learn again.
Natasha thanked him for his hospitality and after he'd done the same to Loki, who embraced his father as best he could, the two being of such different statures, Laufey led them towards the palace. Where Asgard's citadels had far more ground room, the houses of the Jotunar crawled up to the very edges of the palace, and the people, the towering, blue-skinned giants numbering in far more than Natasha had ever thought, came to watch them proceed towards the center of the city. She had to crane her neck to try and meet the red eyes of the surrounding inhabitants, certain she'd be asking Loki for a neck massage as soon as they were in the privacy of their own room. Though no heads were bowed, as was a custom of the Aesir to greet their royalty, hands big as Natasha's face reached out to slap them on the back, lips forming shouted greetings. Children nearly as big as Natasha herself ran alongside them, grinning brightly, their red eyes vivid and alive as they laughed and motioned to Natasha's furious red hair and the white cloak that Laufey had draped around her. She was grateful for it. While the wind might not have bothered any of the Jotuns it certainly would've been the devil for her.
"Your hair is good luck to them," Loki murmured in her ear as he took her hand in his and squeezed. At least he felt warm, and she was grateful for the way his fingers twined with her own chilled ones.
"What?" She asked, unsure she'd heard him correctly.
"Red hair. It's very uncommon here, and it's a sign of good luck," he laughed. "Most Jotuns, when they grow fully, lose their hair actually," he pointed out, and indeed as they passed it certainly made it easier to tell the men from the women. Well, aside from the physically obvious aspects, of course, though even their women were far more muscular and menacing than half of the men Natasha knew. Interesting. She hoped, then, that it would bode well for their alliance if she was considered lucky to have on their side.
As they moved it was all she could do not to gawk. Laufey strode ahead of them, and she was thankful that he didn't get to see the way her mouth dropped an inch or so as she stared at the houses that towered over them, slabs of ice crafted into walls thicker than her thighs, high steepled rooftops to keep the snow from piling on it, and even as the dreary, mostly cloud covered sun hung in the deep azure sky every so often the beams of light would hit the ice just so, and she would swallow her tongue as she watched the ice burst into color, so much more than just frozen water particles placed carefully together.
The castle had very much the same quality, she noticed, as they stepped inside the doors at least three times her height, these made out of thick wood she recognized as belonging to Asgard. Good, they'd done at least some trade with their realm, and she hoped it would continue as their bonds strengthened. "Your palace, and your realm as a whole, is gorgeous, Laufey king," she complimented once the heavy door had shut behind them, closing the welcoming party, her husband, and herself, inside the enormous building. The ceilings arched far above her, thickening as they reached further up, likely to prevent the ceiling from caving in should the snows get too heavy. The flooring was made of the same wood as the doors, she was pleased to see, grateful that she wouldn't be slipping and sliding all over the place, and the heels of her boots left the softest tapping as she followed Laufey down towards where she assumed her and Loki's room would be. Laufey thanked her for the compliment, showing her the dining hall where supper would be served once she and Loki recovered from their journey, as well as where the throne room was just beside it. They would make their plans there the next day, after everyone had gotten a good nights rest from celebrating the converging of the two realms. She tried not to let her stomach flip too much at that, hoping it would all go well and according to plan. Judging by how Helbindi's face contorted at the idea, however, she wasn't so certain it would go as smoothly as she was hoping.
Loki's hand tightened on hers. They could do this.
There were two darker skinned women, her and Loki's size, waiting for the couple when Laufey finally stopped them in front of their room. It was far more lavish than she'd envisioned, the feather bed enormous and strewn with thick animal pelts, not all of which she could identify, and the eyes of the two women raised only when Laufey addressed them. The white-black reversal of their eyes made her breath catch. Dark elves. As though the white hair and pointed ears wouldn't have given it away, she supposed.
"Draw a bath for my son and his wife, I am certain they are exhausted and in need of relaxing before tonight's festivities," the king ordered, and before Natasha could find the kindest words she could think of to tell him it really wasn't necessary, they would be fine, the two women were already off and Laufey was excusing himself to allow them time to rest.
The door shutting behind them, the heavy, final sounding thud, resounded through her bones, and she and Loki were entirely alone.
On either side of the bed were two windows carved into the ice of the walls, the ice that made up the window panes thin enough to let them see outside, and that was where Natasha slowly edged as Loki slipped the trunks of theirs that the others had brought to the side. Below the people seemed to be celebrating. Though they weren't lighting fires there were sounds of cheers coming from below, parties being assembled for hunts for the feast, peddlers bringing out their wares to be sold for the day. Children ran through the streets with multi-colored fabrics trailing behind them and Natasha couldn't help but smile. Really they weren't so different than the rest of everyone, were they?
"I confess, it's not near as bad as I expected," Loki hummed softly in her ear, and she felt him behind her before anything else, leaning against his body only to find that he'd, oddly enough, adopted his Jotun form, blue arms encircling her. She smiled, tipping her head up to nuzzle against his neck and feeling his heart speed up from the attention.
"Always the pessimist," she couldn't help but tease, earning her a deep rumble of a laugh that hurt her heart. She'd not heard him so, well, light sounding in some time, and it was good for both of them that they'd come here as requested of them.
"I can't remember the last time I had you all to myself," he admitted, thin lips finding her cheek and kissing it gently, slipping lower as she moved her head to the side, offering him further access.
"You had me not that long ago," she reminded him with a playful nudge to the ribs. He dragged the fabric of her skirt upwards, grinning.
"No. I mean entirely alone. Without the worries of Thor stepping in unannounced."
Mm, yes it had been some time. "We do have servants to worry about. And what would your father say if we already raised a scandal by annoying them with your screaming?" She asked.
He snorted. "My screaming?"
"I can make you be vocal if I wish you to be."
"Perhaps you ought to show me."
She could feel him hard against her backside and the pressure made her suck in a quick breath, surprised at how easy it had been to get him going. Perhaps it had been too long since they'd just had time to themselves, without worrying about Thor. She'd rectify it, but not then. Not standing in front of a window for all of Jotunheim to see. She pulled away and kissed him instead. "Tonight," she promised. "We have a whole week ahead of us, love. Give me a few hours to adjust." She asked quietly, stroking the side of his face and smiling up at him. As though he'd refuse her that, she thought, as his face softened and he kissed her gently as well.
The servants came back shortly after, informing the pair that the requested bath was ready. Nat's mind flew to when she'd thought she saw the skrull leering down at her the last time, and shuddered. No, she wouldn't have a repeat of that, not with Loki with her at least. She hoped. They were all so prone to their own nightmares and flashbacks it was truly a miracle none of them had stabbed another as a result, and for that she was grateful.
She'd become so lost in her head that she hardly noticed Loki's nervous, unsure gaze as he stared at her and tried to get her attention, the pressure of his hand on hers tightening slightly.
"What? Sorry," she apologized, voice soft as she felt her cheeks grow warm. Whoops.
"I asked if you were ready. You went cold as the palace," he murmured, taking both of her hands in his. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, smiling when she pulled away. Even if it wasn't her usual glow of a smile it would have to do. She wasn't certain if she could muster up another. "I got a little lost in my head for a moment, darling." She assured him. "But I'm all better now. Are you ready?"
They slipped into the water, Loki followed by Natasha, who took a seat on his lap as the heat made her lips part in a moan. It was borderline uncomfortable, in comparison to the chill she was so used to, but Loki's hands were even better than the warmth. He massaged the floral oil left out by the servants and hummed to keep both of their minds occupied, rather than allowing her to simply drift off into a stupor. It wouldn't end well for either of them, and just because Nat had left a knife beneath the claw-footed tub out of habit didn't mean Loki wanted to give her an excuse to use it.
"Do you think things will ever go back to how they were?" Loki asked, voice quiet as his fingertips probed her scalp, rubbing at the soft spot just an inch up from her temples on either side.
How could they, she wondered, when so much had happened to ensure that their life had been turned upside down? The nine realms were no longer intact, and though things might have been at a lull for the moment she very much doubted it would last very long. That they'd gone on for the duration so far was nothing short of a miracle, but how much longer could it go on for?
And how would this lull come back to haunt them when Thanos was ready for them?
They met with Laufey over dinner as planned, Natasha taking her place beside Loki on the king's right side, and did everything she could to try and keep herself calm as they went over the plans for the future and the peace between the two realms. It was a long time coming, that was certain. Her foot tapped nervously beneath the table even though Laufey remained as cordial and welcoming as ever. Whatever Natasha had been expecting it hadn't been that, or any of his welcoming gestures. It was a relief to be proven wrong for once.
"The Bifrost technicians will be brought in as soon as they are able," Loki was assuring Laufey when the doors of the great hall opened. The chill that followed crept through Natasha's spell, sinking into every fiber of her body until she was certain she'd freeze from the inside out before ever knowing warmth again. Something was flung into the hall just as Laufey rose to his feet, red eyes slimming as the blue head rolled to a stop just inches from the table, the tongue cut from the mouth and eyes gouged out. Everything went silent. From the opened door stepped a shrouded figure, draped in a cloak, his face covered by a metal plate. Loki stood as well as a volley of other heads soon followed.
"Perhaps you were enjoying yourselves too loudly, or do idiotic, nonsensical talks of peace deafen you to the cries of your own people?" The figure asked, voice like glass cracking.
The spell of silence was broken. Shrieks and screams echoed amongst snarls and animalistic grunts. Laufey, incensed, threw a dagger at the man's chest. The attacker backhanded it off course as a flurry of new attackers stormed the hall and the Jotuns, who'd previously been enjoying their food and drink, launched into action. Natasha and Loki were among them, Nat never leaving her room without at least a few weapons on her person as Loki summoned his staff. Their foes were tall, almost insect in nature how they scuttled and pointed their long, jagged spears at the oncoming Jotuns. Their chattering and screeches between one another made Natasha long to carve off her ears, yet the choking noise they made as she ripped through their throats, or else buried her knife into where she thought the heart must be, was nearly worse. Loki fought on the other side of the hall, having gone blue to unleash his own formidable power. Natasha caught a flash of fang, heard his familiar bellow of bloodlust and took heart. She pressed further, harder. Each dig of the blade was a murdered ally avenged, and so she made many. She recognized the man's voice as she heard him goad Laufey into further action and renewed her efforts to get nearer to the king and Thanos' lackey. They'd spoken of Earth's destruction, yet she wouldn't let him leave with his limbs attacked if she was able. She could only sneak glances of the jotun king, and his far shorter foe fighting, watched claw sink into bone and blade rend blue flesh from limb in equal measure. Loki and Helbindi were far too busy to take notice, each taking on the numbers that poured in from the opened doors. The feast table had been overturned, and Natasha's own adversary stumbled as his long legs hit the back of it, spitting in her face when she drew close enough to wedge her knife into its throat and pull sharply to the right, slicing through muscle and thick tissue, black gobs of blood staining her hands from the close proximity. She used the back of her other hand to clean off her face where the saliva had begun to sting like acid.
Only then did she realize Laufey was nowhere to be seen. Strange for such a tall man to go missing. Stranger, still, that the Other's forces-the Chitauri she heard him calling them-had begun to retreat. They'd been holding their own well enough, yet Natasha was one of the many who chased them out of the city, into the ruin of houses and buildings she'd walked through hours prior. Had it really only been hours ago? They'd landed crafts large enough to fit legions not far from the edges of the houses, yet without the advanced guns of the Aesir they could not fire or attack the forces.
She cursed. The first day and this happened, it figured It was as bad of fortune as she could imagine. As she cleaned the blade of her knife on her dress, feeling more worn down from that skirmish than she had in some time, her mind struggled to put it all together. What could they have possibly gained, besides demonstrating what might befall those who allied with the Aesir. They might've known that the Asgardians needed as many allies as possible, though they'd still taken an enormous risk to prove such a point. As she stepped through the broken city, heard the wailing of the injured mix with the emotional ache of the living, she felt guilt rear its ugly head once again. How much of this was her fault for destroying the spell during the Convergence? How many widows, widowers, and orphans were left because of her?
The Jotuns had gathered in the hall around something. Many had fallen to their knees, clasped their heads in their hands, or else beat their fists against their chests. From the center there came a loud howl of anguish. Her heart stopped. She didn't see Loki.
No. No it couldn't be.
Tears scorched her cheeks as she stumbled forward, shoving through the amassed bodies and sliding on blue blood until she caught a glimpse of her husband kneeling beside another figure. Laufey.
The king's heart had been torn from his chest and Helbindi cradled his head in his lap as he screamed with the agony of the loss. Natasha nearly joined them on the floor, her knees growing weak. He'd smiled and inquired about grandchildren, about the future, not an hour ago. His eyes had been bright with a familiar, similar mischief as Loki's when he'd taunted them about Thor. Now they stared at the ceiling. Blank.
A cool hand took hers and squeezed, led her away from the scene and to the room she'd occupied centuries ago. At least that was how it felt.
"What does this mean?" She found herself asking as she was sat down on the bed, looking up at Loki with disbelief. Loki was stiff in front of her, unable to meet her gaze.
"Loki. Don't do this," she said. "I need you to talk to me. Don't shut me out." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "The truce, your brother? What does it mean?"
"It will hold."
"How can you be so sure?" She asked, amazed. He still didn't look at her.
"Because I say it will. I am the king now."
A/N: Sorry for how long it took between updates, but I hope this chapter was worth it! Thanks for reading!