There was a formal reception at the palace and no room at the high table for Loki. He'd been evicted and replaced by that…that…
"Loki you're glaring at her." Fandral said.
"How can I not?!" Loki barely kept his voice in check. Everyone in the hall was either looking at Loki, looking at Thor, or looking at the princess who was as lovely as a songbird in spring. How could he ever compete with the likes of her?
"Do you not have any faith in Thor at all?" Sif asked.
"I have faith that Thor will do what is best for his people. He is a King first and always." Loki said. None of Loki's friends knew how to respond to that. There were musicians in the hall tonight, and some of the elf delegation had taken the opportunity to intermingle with the Asgardians via a waltz. Loki decided it was time to remind Thor of what he stood to lose.
"Where are you going?" Fandral asked.
"I'm going to be sociable." Loki said and turned on his heel. He heard Fandral call after him but did not respond. Loki spotted a rather handsome looking elf and approached him. He saw Frigga out of the corner of his eye at the high table frown and give a subtle shake of her head in warning, but Loki ignored her. He looked the man up and down, smiling coyly at him. The elf smiled politely and offered up his hand.
"Would you join me in a dance?" He asked Loki.
"I'd be delighted." Loki replied. They swept across the dance floor together. They were the same height and both were lithe with dark hair. They could almost be twins, and yet Loki commanded more attention. His movements drew the eye as his dark green cape whirl around his black leather pant legs. Loki had a special skill for making the tiniest of movements seductive and tantalizing. His dance partner was becoming quickly enamored. Overhead, the thunder rolled. When the set ended Loki bowed to his partner graciously and then returned to his seat. Not once did he spare Thor a glance.
Thor was seething with alpha rage. He wanted to walk up to Loki, bite him on the neck and then bend him over the table and fuck him in front of everyone, just to make sure Loki and everyone else knew who he belonged to. He didn't do a very good job of hiding his thoughts either.
"Thor my son, you are ignoring your guests." Frigga muttered in a level tone.
"Your omega looks to be moving on to greener pastures." King Elwin said. Thor snapped. He rose up from his seat and marched towards Loki with anger. Loki rose from his seat and bowed to his King.
"What is it you think you are doing?" Thor growled.
"Being sociable." Loki said.
"You were baiting me and you know it!"
"Did you expect me to stand idly by and let you replace me?"
"I expect you to have faith and be faithful."
"How can I when I am so close to losing you? That little dance was nothing. It was just a reminder of what you stand to lose. How will you feel when you hear my moans of pleasure as some other alpha mates me? Will your love still be as ardent? Or will you be too busy plowing your princess?"
"Return to your room and wait for me there. We will finish this discussion in private."
"Thor you cannot…"
"I am your King and you will obey or I'll have you tied to the post and lashed, now go!" Thor said, letting the rage boil over. He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. Loki's eyes took on a glossy sheen as tears formed in them.
"Yes…You're Majesty." Loki said in an overformal and distant tone. He turned and left the hall, feeling his heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
XxXxXxXxXx
Loki collapsed onto his bed in a fit of tears. He was deep into a fit of self-pity when Sif and the Warriors Three barged into his room.
"What are you doing here?! You're not my friends, you're his friends. Go away!" Loki sobbed and buried his head back into his pillow.
"Oh no you don't! You don't get to just take this lying down! Get up, we're going on a quest." Sif said.
"A quest? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"To Alfheim. Our men have been unable to locate the origin here in Asgard where these thieves are holed up, so we go to Alfheim to intercept them. We capture them and we question them until we get answers." Fandral said.
"I fail to see how that will help my situation. My absence would only provide the elves the opening they need to replace me."
"Loki, something about this doesn't smell right. These thieves, the magic involved, it all feels like this situation was manufactured for this very purpose."
"What purpose? Bring our nations to war?"
"No, forcing them to unionize through marriage. Loki, I do not believe the target of the attacks is Alfheim, but you." Hogun said.
"Loki, we've spoken with Heimdall and we share the same opinion that you have. Someone here in Asgard is orchestrating these attacks, not for financial gain, but for a political one." Sif said.
"If we capture the thieves and prove the connection, this whole deal with the elves will fall apart. King Elwin might even be in on the attacks. He seems far more enthusiastic about marrying his daughter to Thor than she is."
"Do you think it is one of the deposed noblemen behind this?" Loki asked.
"Aye we do lad, and King Elwin is working in tandem with them for his own purposes, placing you and the people of Alfheim in the crosshairs."
"If that is true we will never prove it in time." Loki said.
"Of course we will, this is the stuff that the great love stories of legend are made! Are you not willing to fight for your love at all cost?"
"You know I am." Loki said, wiping the tears away from his face. Yes, a quest was far better than crying like a jilted bride. At least he could say he did everything he could to keep Thor. "We'll all need disguises. It has taken me a couple of years but I have mastered the art of casting illusions. I can make all of us look like elves. How are we getting to Alfheim?" Loki asked.
"Heimdall has taken a rare break away from the gatehouse this evening. He left his sword in the lock, the silly goose." Sif said.
"And we have about twenty minutes to get there and disappear." Fandral said.
"That's not a lot of time." Loki hopped off the bed, grabbing his daggers before striding towards the stables. They loaded up their horses and made for the bridge with lightning speed. They reached the gatehouse which was vacant, save for the golden sword standing in position at the helm.
"Are we sure we should be doing this?" Loki asked.
"No. It would be the first foolish thing I've ever done." Fandral said.
"Here's to being fools in love!" Volstagg said as he plugged the sword down to open up the Bifrost. The band of friends stepped towards the opening and in a blast of light they were gone.