Sorry for the long wait. This chapter is fairly short, more of a filler with some important parts that will show up in the next chapters.
On with the story!
Previously
The men absorb this, Æfhare in slight disbelief that his Midgardian-Elven sister, completely unprepared to take the throne, is proving to be far more intelligent than her gave her credit for. Perhaps she will make a fine queen... with much training.
Gylfi beams with pride that his heir contains a backbone and a crafty mind, which will be much needed if she plans to bring his brothers and sisters to heel after being so long remiss in their promises to maintain the Natural Order.
Kerwyn is proud of the strength and conviction the little girl he raised and took as his own still retains despite all that was done to her. He can't wait to see the kind of queen she will turn out to be: one who is compassionate but strict, intelligent but not arrogant, wise but not bitter.
Isabella looks at the men and feels that familiar fear rise and threaten to choke her. She shoves it down, determined to not be distracted from her goals and chicken out when she's given everything up for this moment.
It's time to take control of my fate and do what's needed. But they'll be done my way.
Chapter 25
The King, Royal Advisor and Head of the Guard begin to speak about the kind of training Isabella will undergo to prepare for her Coming-Of-Age Ball, as well as the best way to convey the return of their future queen the way she wants it.
Isabella turns to look at Loki, eyes apologetic but determined, reaching out for his hand.
Loki accepts it, sighing deeply, whispering, "I don't want to be parted from you for so long. Especially when it means that you are alone as you face the dangers of inter-galactic politics."
Isabella squeezes his hand, whispering back, "It won't be very long. We need to visit Asgard together, my father as the one who will talk to Odin about removing the price off your head, as well as free you from your... reputation. I'll be here learning about how to be the queen of Alfheim and awaiting my king. There will be no other than you, I promise."
Loki sighs, this time more in playful exasperation than discontent, bending to kiss her hand. "I believe you Isabella. There will be many who try, but please try and remember you were mine first."
Isabella huffs a laugh, rolling her eyes even as her cheeks flush prettily. "Like women aren't going to be throwing themselves at you, the fallen prince of Asgard turned hero of Midgard. You will wait for me or I shall have to find a way to make sure you do."
"Spoken like a true Queen already." Loki murmurs, grinning mischievously at her, "ordering her loyal subjects about and creating all kinds of turmoil for the rulers of the Worlds."
Isabella just raises her eyebrow at him, not hearing an agreement.
Loki grins, knowing what she's waiting for, and nods, agreeing, "I'll wait for you flora, from now until the end of time."
"I will do the same." The princess promises, patting her heart with her ringed hand.
The two sit back in their chairs, hands still held in the others' grasp, watching as the three men reach a satisfying agreement. Soon, it is time for them to retire to their rooms, Loki assigned to a guest room on the other side of the castle, Kerwyn assigning Æfhare to take him, smiling at his adopted daughter who smiles at back at him.
King Gylfi stays in the office, needing to iron out some details with the ceremony to resign his crown now that his last heir is here to take her place.
Isabella kisses Loki goodnight while still in the office, not wanting to cause any gossip. The kiss is chaste as she sees the warning looks from Kerwyn and Æfhare. Loki grins at the looks and kisses her deeper, laughing when she pushes him away with a light blush dusting her cheeks.
"Goodnight Laufeyson." Isabella rolls her eyes, pushing him in the direction of her... brother. Loki laughs and mock bows, leaving with Æfhare.
Kerwyn and Gylfi see the fondness in Isabella's eyes when she looks at Loki, the little twist of the ring on her finger, the dreamy smile.
"You really love him then? He is your choice?" Gylfi questions, voice soft and a bit wistful, remembering when he had his Queen before she passed fighting in one of the Great Wars.
"I do and he is." Isabella agrees, turning to face the man she has only recently recognized as her father. "He helped me recover from my fears of relationships, then made me fall in love with him. He left for a few years, and when he came back, he wasn't the same. I figured out what was wrong and we started anew, stronger than ever. He even agreed to bring me here, despite knowing he is branded as a traitor by the people he called family, the ones who betrayed him, and will be punished."
Isabella stops herself, taking a deep to calm down, feeling like her rising emotions will reflect in her magic.
Gylfi and Kerwyn nod and share a look, figuring that they can give this Loki a chance, but still try and push other men the princess's way. Gylfi stops and thinks for a second, asking, "How does your magic feel being here?"
"It is very close to the surface, pushing against my control. It can feel the magic surrounding me and I almost long to take it into myself and use it. I've never felt closer to it. It feels wonderful, if a bit disconcerting." Isabella says wistfully, a far-off look in her eye as she focuses on the little whispers of pure, bright, fleeting magic appearing and disappearing into the walls of the room.
"Not many of my children have felt the pull so strongly." Gylfi says with a beaming smile, gently grasping Isabella's arm and taking her over to the window, opening the glass and gesturing to the biggest tree in the middle of the city.
"That right there is our connection to the Yggdrasil. That is the uppermost of the nine branches, below only with a direct line into its trunk. We built around the tree, honoring its place in our lives and the continued prosperity of our realm. When we induct you formally as my heir and Princess, we will have the ceremony at the tree. This feeling of having your magic so close to the surface will pass as you become better acclimated to your home. We will teach you control and minimize the physical changes that will come with your acceptance of your heritage."
"Physical changes?" Isabella questions softly, a spike of anxiety and despair hitting her as she realizes that she won't even be able to keep her physical appearance as a reminder of her time spent on Midgard with her family, only her memories.
"Yes, you'll start to look more like us Arnbjörg." Gylfi says, gesturing to him, Kerwyn and the city outside the window, the twinkling lights of the fires almost mocking her for thinking she would be able to keep even the small comfort of her own face as she thrusts herself into this plan of hers.
Isabella nods, swallowing thickly as she looks out at the city, closing her eyes and taking this moment to grieve for the loss of "Isabella," drawing the stranger Arnbjörg in her mind's eye and standing with her face-to-face.
After this night, I'll no longer be Isabella, the owner of a small bakery in a small town with a family of misfits. I'll be Arnbjörg, Princess and future Queen of Alfheim, the Realm of the Light Elves. I will speak like them, walk like them, use magic like them, fight like them. I will soon be engaged to a Prince of Jotunheim, Loki Laufeyson, and begin to form relationships with the other 7 Realms through treaties, pacts or wars. I have brothers and sisters, subjects and servants, lords and ladies to attend to and ensure that they will serve me as faithfully as I serve them. And I only have 6 weeks to do it. Lovely.
Arnbjörg nods, whispering a final goodbye before opening her eyes, a new determination in her shoulders, turning to her father, the King, and her Papa, the advisor.
"When do we start?"
...
Loki follows Æfhare to his room, not bothering to draw the silently seething man in conversation or the two guards, thinking on the plan he and his flora had made when they were preparing to leave Midgard.
Flashback
Loki watches as Isabella paces in front of the fireplace of their new home, murmuring to herself and twisting the ring he finally put on her finger in agitated thought.
"Flora, sit down and let's talk this out."
"Loki, I can't just "sit down and talk it out." I'm about to sign my life away here and move to what amounts to another country with no plan besides marry you and force Thanos and Odin into submission." Isabella says, waving her hands but stopping heeads and noses are touching. "Calm down. You don't have to decide anything by yourself, martyr. Remember, you have every opportunity to stay here and live your life out with me, the Winchesters, Bobby, Samantha."
Isa sighs and nods tiredly, tucking herself under Loki's chin, "I know, but I can't just sit back and allow the Avengers to do anything. They barely managed to stop you."
"I'll have you know I am a formidable opponent." He replies mildly, running a hand up and down her tense spine.
Isabella snorts and shakes her head, burrowing deeper into his comforting embrace. "You are, but you were also high on power and controlled by a purple, power hungry weirdo."
"That's true, but it has nothing to do with why you're so upset and agitated." Loki says gently, leaning back and raising an expectant eyebrow at him.
She rolls her eyes, but sighs in defeat and grumbles, "I'm scared of meeting my father and him either thinking me inadequate or failing to be what they expect me to be as a Princess."
Loki nods and takes her to the couch, sitting next to her and taking one of her hands, the ringed one. "I would not agree to marry anyone who is inadequate in any way, shape or form. You've seen Sigyn; for all her faults, she is strong, independent and extremely capable of getting what she wants. You are even better and stronger and more capable. Should you decide to set your mind to being the best Queen of Alfheim, you will do so with your usual ease and grace."
Isabella, tears forming in her eyes during his speech, sniffles and wipes her face. "You're just saying that because you want to show up Odin."
"While that's very true, I won't lie to you. I may like the occasional turmoil and rush of being in control, but I won't ever lie to you." Loki assures, wiping away a tear in a rare sign of tenderness.
Isabella nods and take a deep, strengthening breath. "Alright, here's what we'll do..."
End Flashback
"So, you are the one who managed to win over Gylfi's last daughter?" Breaking Loki out of his reverie.
He turns to face Æfhare, stationed outside the room he'll be sleeping in before leaving with Gylfi and Kerwyn to Asgard in two days.
"Yes, I managed to meet Arnbjörg after she dreamt that I would be falling to her town after being thrown out of Asgard for joining Thor in a war expedition against them." He stops and touches his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. I suppose I'll have to apologize for that when I request to be reinstated as a lowly son. Talk about awkward."
Æfhare seethes more, growling out, "Do you not regret turning your back on your family in Asgard when you tried to assassinate their King?"
Loki looks at him and shrugs, sliding his hands in his signature green and black robes, "I suppose I would if I actually did try to assassinate him. Considering I didn't, I can't begin to know why you care."r pacing to glare at Loki, who's lounging loosely on the couch.
Loki sighs softly and gets up, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning down so their foreh
"I care because as head of the Royal Guard, I'll have to protect a weak and naive Princess who will ruin everything my Father has worked his life to maintain in some half-brained attempt to rise above her place as a lowly Midgardian baker." Æfhare sneers, his opinion of the half-elf clear.
Loki growls out, "If you do anything to harm her chances of reaching her full potential while I'm not here to keep my eye on you, I will make you regret it. You may have brawns, but something tells me you're lacking in the brain area. Unluckily for you, I have plenty of both."
Æfhare scoffs, turning to open the door to the room, "Everyone heard about your defeat at your ex-wife's hand. If you can't manage to contain your wife, what makes you think that you can control anything else?"
He opens the door calmly and bows mockingly, "Your room, Prince Odinson."
Loki scowls at him, returning the bow with the lowest form of curtesy before walking into his room, closing the door with a loud click.
Just you wait. I don't align myself with powerless people and while still young and not at her fullest potential, my flora will be one of the best Queens you've ever seen. Just wait.
...
That's the end of chapter 25!
Let me know what you think in your comments, what you want to see and how I can make this story better!
See you next time!
