Luke took a few steps back as he tried to dust the flour from his pants. Man, this Loki guy must have been like…Luke's identical twin or something.
Luke smiled. "Oh…no, I'm sorry ma'am. My name's Luke." He wanted to hold out his hand and give a firm handshake, but his hands were too dirty from preparing the meal, so he hoped a warm smile would suffice.
"Loki, you have returned!" The woman moved closer and flung her arms around Luke's neck. Her shoulders heaved up and down, and her body began to shake. Was she crying? "My son, my sweet son. You have returned."
Luke didn't know what to do. He slowly moved from the woman's grasp, and tried his best to explain the situation. Whoever this woman was, she clearly cared very deeply for Thor's missing brother…Luke almost didn't have the heart to tell her. A part of him just wanted to say "Yes…I am Loki", just to see this woman's face light up like an oven on a winter's night. What harm could it do? But then he quickly shook the thought away. A lie would only make things worse when she discovered the truth. He was not Loki, he was not the person she wanted to see and embrace. He was Luke, and that was who he was proud to be…
"Ma'am, I am so sorry. But you have me confused with someone else." He spoke slowly, and clearly, trying to soften the blow as much as possible. "I'm Thor's friend…he brought me from Earth to see if he couldn't heal my burns," Luke lifted his arms to show her, "And now I'm trying to find him and see if he can send me home…I feel like I've been enough of a bother, and I think my friends are getting worried about me." Luke placed his arms down…and waited for a response.
The woman squinted, tilted her head to the side as if she did not know what to make of this young man in front of her.
"You say your name is Luke?" She asked.
He nodded.
"And you are from Midgard?"
He nodded again.
Her arms fell to her side. "Come with me." She said as she walked from her door. Without thinking Luke followed her. They passed pictures and hallways and sculptures. Was she upset at him? Should he say something? Had he even asked for this woman's name? Should he ask now? Luke didn't really know what the protocol for introductions were in Asgard…
"Ma'am?" He asked, "Where are we going?"
She didn't answer and Luke took that as his cue not to talk…at least until he found Thor. They walked on until they stopped at a giant portrait. She pointed and said, "Look there."
Upon the wall sat a young man, tall in size with skin as pale as ivory and green eyes that seemed to pierce through the paint.
"Do you know this person?" She asked.
Luke shook his head. He had only been in Asgard for a few hours, how could he possibly know anyone that well? Aside from Thor of course.
"Who is he?" Luke asked.
The woman only looked at Luke…her eyes turning red. "You truly do not recognize this figure?" She asked again.
Luke shook his head…and with each negative answer he gave her he felt worse and worse.
The woman walked into the hallway where a nearby servant was standing.
"Bring me Thor." She said, her lips ragged and dry.
The servant bowed and hurried away. Luke couldn't shake the feeling that he was in deep, deep trouble.
Thor raced through the halls towards his mother's chambers. He knew that there could be trouble if Luke were found, but he never thought…of all the people he'd run into…it would their own mother. In no time at all, he reached the hall where his mother, and Luke stood, waiting for him.
"Mother," Thor said.
She only looked towards Thor, his face hard and her eyes red.
"Thor, why was I not informed of your…" she glanced to Luke, "…guest."
He knew what his mother truly wanted to say. Why was I not informed my son was alive? Why does he not recognize his own home or his mother?
"Mother, I this is Luke." Thor said, pointing to his guest. "He bears a striking resemblance to Loki…does he not?" Thor tried to smile.
"We must have words my son." Frigga turned to Luke and smiled. "My child, you must be starving. I'll have one of the servants accompany you to the dining hall. You will be staying for dinner, yes?"
Luke felt his face turn red. He didn't know if he should. It was getting late, but he didn't want to appear rude to his very kind host, and after all this was Thor's mother, a queen.
"Y-yes ma'am." Without even thinking Luke bowed, and then he felt gentle hands (the hands of a nearby servant) tug at his sleeve and lead him down the hall, leaving Frigga and her son alone.
She turned back to Thor. "What is wrong with your brother?"
Thor told Frigga of Loki's "vacation", he told her of how he abdicated his duties, how he stole his own life away, of his reincarnation, of his talks with Thor, of his amnesia, his complete unwillingness to learn of his past, his-
"Stop."
Thor felt his words crawl back into his throat.
"Why was I not informed?"
"I-I was unaware that father did not…I though he kept you in…I'm sorry."
She shook her head. It mattered not. She turned back to the halls. It was time for the feast…and she would get all the answers she needed from her husband, whether he wanted to give them or not.
The servant was kind enough to lead Luke all the way to the dining hall. Luke thanked him, and searched his pockets…he wanted to give the guy something for his trouble…he pulled out a stick of gum and handed it to him.
"Here, thank you so much for showing me the way."
The servant looked over his hand.
"What is this good sir?"
"Oh, it's gum. It's the only thing I have at the moment. Here." He placed the stick in the man's hand and smiled. "It's really great."
The man bowed. "Thank you." And walked away.
Luke looked at the table, spread out on top of was food for days. Golden rolls, peaches, turkeys, roasted boar, stew, wine, and things that Luke had never seen before in his life. Was this what he and the other chefs had been toiling away on? It looked wonderful!
"Oh…look, it is Thor's guest." The Warriors Three came up from behind. Fandrall, Hogun and Volstagg looked as if they had just finished a war. "So, the uh…mortal, will dine with us?" Fandrall asked.
"It would appear so." Hogun said.
"Hey again," Luke said, "I'm really sorry I missed your training, I wish I could have been there."
The Warriors Three looked to each other, unsure of what to make of this…boy.
"Yes…well, come lads, we shall feast!" The warriors breezed past Luke and found their seats. Luke spotted an empty chair on the far side of the table, next to what looked like a roasted boar. He figured he'd stay out of everyone's way, maybe have a little dinner and ask Thor to take him home. Not a problem at all.
He made his way to his seat and waited patiently, for what, he was not sure, but he knew he didn't want to be the first to start eating…it seemed a little rude. Soon others filled the dining hall. Aristocrats, royals, and people who looked like they had high stature within Asgard.
At the very front of the large dining hall sat a man with all the regal and stature of a king. His long white beard fell to his chest and his left eye was covered by a black eye patch. Luke couldn't be sure…but something told him this guy was staring at him.
Luke just placed his head down and tried not to think about it. Even though he was so excited to be here, he still felt very uneasy.
Thor and the queen soon entered from the main entrance and glided across the floors to the head of the table, Luke laughed, it figures that's where they'd go. Thor looked around and spotted Luke at the far end.
"Friend Luke," he yelled, the entire dining hall became quiet. "Come, join us."
And every started to stare at Luke...great.
Slowly, Luke pulled himself out of his seat, and took the long walk to the head of the dining hall. Everyone…and he meant everyone, stared at him. He heard whispers, he heard scoffs, he even heard some people chuckling a little.
"Who is that?"
"A mortal…is this another one of Thor's jests?"
"What gives him the right to sit with the prince and the All-father."
Thor placed his arm around Luke and the two sat down, Luke's heart felt like it was going to pop out of his ears and run out of the room. In no time at all the feast began. There was music and dancing and jugglers, and people breathing fire, Luke hoped all this entertainment would be enough to get everyone's mind off of Thor's little announcement, but it didn't seem to take. From what he could hear, Luke was still the main topic of conversation.
"Where did he come from?"
"He looks like a lost lamb."
"What are those garbs he dresses himself in?"
Luke tried to put them all out of his mind and just focus on what was right in front of him.
"Is that really all you're going to have?"
Luke looked over as Frigga…sorry, Queen Frigga stared down at his bowl, a small amount of stew bubbling on its surface.
"Uhm, I'm not very hungry your majesty." Even if he were it's not as if Luke would be able to keep any of his food down…his stomach was too agitated.
"Luke…was it?" The man with the eye patch asked, it almost looked like he chuckled at the sound of Luke's name, "From where do you hail?"
"I'm not really sure, sire. I kind of have this memory problem as of late."
"I miss your meaning." He said.
Thor stepped in, "He has amnesia All-Father. Luke has no memory of his past."
The king's lips curved into a smile. "Is that so? Well, it must be such a terrible ordeal for you, is it not?"
Luke smiled, "Not at all your majesty. In fact, it's been pretty great."
Frigga looked shocked. "What do you mean 'great'? Do you not miss your family? Do you not question who you once were?"
Luke only shook his head, "Not at all. To be honest I'm not really concerned about any of that. I'm just taking each day as it comes." He looked back down to his stew and stirred his spoon all through the broth; he felt the king's one eye burning a hole in his back. He took a deep breath and tried to change to subject.
"Uh…your majesty? Who was that guy in the portrait you showed me earlier? Is he someone famous?"
The queen looked to the ceiling. "He was Loki, my son and Thor's brother."
That was Loki? He looked so…different than what Luke had imagined. Where Luke had though he'd be gruff, Loki was groomed, where Luke had thought Loki would be large he was tall and thin. Looking out across the room (with these aristocrats and warriors who looked like they could be their own football team) he noticed that Loki didn't really seem to…fit in.
"What was he like?" Luke found himself asking.
"He was very intelligent" Frigga said.
"He was a cowardly snake." He heard the king say.
The queen glared towards her husband as he took another bite of his turkey leg.
Luke felt bad for bringing up a sensitive topic. Luke knew that Thor missed his brother a lot, but he didn't know that Loki was such a controversial topic amongst the family. The cooks came up and refilled their cups, replaced silverware, whatever they needed to keep the guests happy. Luke caught the eye of one of the cooks.
"Oh, hello Midgardian, thanks for your aid in the kitchens this evening."
Luke smiled. "Not at all, thank you for allowing me."
Thor, Frigga, and Odin all stared. What was he talking about?
"Cook," Thor said, "What do you mean?"
The cook bowed. "Your guest donated his services to preparing the feast you see before you."
Odin turned to Luke, his one eye looking up and down the young man's body, as if trying to make some kind of sense out of what he saw before him. Frigga just looked…shocked.
"Luke," he heard Odin say finally. "You will stay with us for a while, yes?"
Luke felt his face turn red again. "Sire, I would love to but I do need to return home…my friends are probably worried about me and I have work in the morning an-"
"My boy you simply must stay with us a little while longer. I feel there is much we need to, discuss."
Frigga turned to her husband. "Yes, my husband, and there is much both you and I need to discuss as well." Her voice as sharp as a dagger. Frigga turned back to Luke, "Still, the day has been long and the journey back to Midgard can wait until the morning, can it not? Please do us the honor of staying at least one night."
How exactly could he argue with that?
"A-alright, ma'am…your majesty." Luke turned back to his stew.
Great…well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If he stayed a little longer he might be able to see The Warriors Three train, and he could see a little more of Asgard. Matt wouldn't miss him too much, right? It would just be for one more day. Just one more.
What could go wrong?