An audience with Odin

A/N Hello again! Thanks for reading, please review I love to hear what you think :-)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Marvel

Loki walks confidently up the gates of the largest building Lena has ever seen. It is so bright and golden, it almost blinds her for a second. Even in her first few minutes in Asgard, however, she's learned to not be shocked by anything.

That's mainly because right now, she's walking across a rainbow bridge, having just flown into the sky,

The bridge glimmers beneath her, and she tests her weight on it, wondering what it is made of. Its certainly not a substance that can be found on Earth, and this intrigues her. What other wonders does Asgard have to offer?

This question is quickly answered, several times.

The first is when she steps inside what she assumes is a palace, and is greeted by several men and women in almost medieval dress, who all seem to know her by name. Or a fancy version of her name, anyway. The hallway they are now standing in is just as beautiful as he rest of the small glimpse of Asgard Lenah as recently received. Long windows throw tall beams of light and sunshine around the room, turned purple, blue and gold by the painted frames of glass. Lena smiles. Regal colours. This Odin person seems to really like showing off his wealth.

"Lady Eleanor." A tall, bearded man bows. "Long have we expected your visit." He stands up, his eyes gleaming.

Lena shoots a sidewise glance at Loki. Had he told them she was coming? The man laughs when he sees her gaze. "No, my Lady. Heimdall, who you will have met, can see all."

This doesn't really make sense to Lena, but she decides to accept it. She nods awkwardly, then lifts her gaze slightly to the intricately carved ceiling.

The breath is knocked out of her as she takes in the beauty before her. A word does on her lips, and she just stands there, her mouth in an 'o' of wonder.

Loki grins, and pulls on her elbow. Lena looks down again, and blushes.

A portly, cheerful looking lady comes towards her, and takes her arm.

"Come, my Lady. Before you meet the King you must be suitably dressed."

Lena's head snaps up at these words. The King? Of Asgard? Blimey. She looks at Loki, worried.

He gives her a reassuring smile, but lets her be lead away nonetheless.

The lady introduces herself as Gaiathryn, or Gaia. Lena likes the way a smile is never far from her lips, and the way Gaia bustles about, and the way she makes Lena feels important, but is still friendly.

Lena smiles as Gaia clucks her tongue impatiently at the battered trainers Lena is wearing.

Gaia opens a large, carved wooden door, and Lena's eyes widen at the large array of dresses, from simple to extravagant, that are hanging the space. Gaia takes no notice of this, and rifles through the dresses cheerfully, whistling.

Lena sits on the edge of the bed in the room, nervously, taking a deep breath in anytime that Gaia's fingers rest on a pink dress. She lets a large breath out, one she had no idea she was holding, when Gaia emerges triumphantly, holding a simple, deep purple dress.

When Lena puts it on, she sighs sadly. The dress is far too big. The sleeves reach right past her hands, and the bottom gathers at the floor, pooling like a lake of purple water.

Gaia stands in front of her, her face clouded in thought. Then she takes out a few pins, and scissors, and begins to cut carefully at the dress.

In a matter of minutes, the dress fits. Lena watches in wonder as the hem of the dress sews itself instantly as Gaia cuts. Gaia stands up, and smiles at the look of wonder that Lena feels will be constantly plastered on her face during her stay here. However long that may be.

"How did you do that?" Lena asks, looking up at the kindly woman. Gaia shakes her head, laughing.

"I am the head seamstress here. I have my ways." She taps her nose knowingly, and Lena laughs.

"So it's a secret?"

"I'm afraid so, my lady. Now, what are we going to do with your hair?" She asks her herself, as she pulls the elbow length waves out of the bobolink that held them up. They fall around Len's face, sticking out at all angles.

Gaia clucks her tongue.

" Lucky I have hair styling skills as well."

Gaia smiles as she braids Lena's hair over her shoulder, but leaves a few wispy bits framing her face.

"There, my Lady. Fit for a court of Asgard." She nods approvingly.

Lena just smiles. She's not so sure.

There's a knock on the door, and they both look up. Not waiting for an answer, Loki enters, and grins when he sees Lena. He is wearing clothes similar to what he usually wears, only gold clips attach a deep green Cape, which makes Lena giggle slightly, and gold thread trims the edge of the material, defining from it the usual green and black get up.

Gaia winks, and walks towards the door.

"You are expected in court in ten minutes, Sir." She nods to Loki as she leaves. Lena watches the door close behind Gaia, then turns to Loki.

She voices her biggest worry first.

"Loki, what if he doesn't like me?" Loki sighs, although not sadly, and sits down next to her.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I.. I don't understand this place. Maybe he won't like that."

"If not understanding is a crime, then I will be banished too. Because I wouldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like you." Loki smiles. Lena blushes, and looks down her hands, which are clasped in the folds of her knee length dress.

She doesn't tell Loki the main reason why she's worried. It's not that she thinks Odin won't like her. She knows Odin won't like her. She knows this because of what happened to Thor and Jane.

Thor, after confessing his love to Jane, took her to Asgard to ask Odin for his blessing to marry Jane. Odin refused, on account of Jane being mortal.

Thor hadn't told Lena, or anyone for that matter, this, but being telepath means Lena knows everything, even if she doesn't want to.

Still, Odin might make an exception. Even as she thinks this though, Lena knows it's unlikely.

Loki looks at the clock on the wall, and raises, offering his arm. Lena stands, taking it, and swallows she walks with Loki.

They stop outside the biggest pair of doors Lena has ever seen, which are painted and carved to show what she assumes is a large battle.

On one door, blue monsters hold clubs, ice firing out their fingers. On the right, the victorious golden armies of Asgard charge. Loki winces when he sees the painting, just like every time.

Then the doors swing open, and a large voice proclaims,

"Loki of Jotenheim and Eleanor of Midgard." Lena hears a few sniggers at 'Midgard', and once again gets the impression that humans are inferior here. This, of course, does nothing to calm her nerves, and she feels a spike of terror.

She feels eyes burning into her like lasers. She doesn't dare look, but she knows many are watching her, judging her and assessing her. Lena takes deep breaths, and focuses on smiling.

Loki walks quickly and calmly down the long hall, and then pauses before a large chair. He bows, and Lena curtsies, not daring to rise, or look up, until she hears a voice.

"Rise." The voice sounds slightly bored. Had she been anywhere else, Lena would have rolled her eyes. Great start, she thinks.

Loki smiles at the man sitting in the throne. Lena's heart stops in her chest when she lifts her head slightly higher, high enough the behold the man. Her smile vanishes.

Odin is old, but not in a weak way. Odin, it appears, is one of those older men that seem to hold power over anything, those wizened by age, that you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. Everything about him is regal an powerful, from the sneer on his face and the way he holds himself.

Lena feels disappointment surging inside her. There's no chance that she will persuade this man that she is anything more than a mortal pansy.

"Father, I would like to you to meet my.." Loki hesitates slightly. He looks at Lena, who smiles shyly. "Betrothed, Eleanor Richards." Lena coughs, more out of shock than anything else.

Loki shoots her a glance, questioning her, as if to say, that okay? Lena grins at him, her stomach doing flips, and her heart beating at a million miles an hour.

Subtle, she mouths. Loki smiles back at her, relived, before turning his head back to his father.

Odin raises his eyebrows and looks between the two people standing before him.

"Betrothed, you say?" Every word is laced with power, and a threatening hint. Loki nods.

"Tell me girl, where did you meet my son?" Odin turns his head slightly to look at Lena, and she gulps under his iron glare.

Keep strong, Lena. She takes a deep breath.

"I am, I mean, I was, a member of the Avengers that Loki was staying with." She blushes. "Sir." She adds hastily.

Odin seems amused by this.

"An Avenger you say?" He smiles slightly. Lena gets the eerie feeling that this isn't really a question. She keeps quiet, bowing her head slightly.

Odin snorts softly, and looks around the hall. The courtiers sneer in response, looking down at the small girl who believes she is mighty enough to become a lady of Asgard. Odin seems pleased by the reaction of his courtiers, and turns back to the pair with a smug smile on his face.

"Since when did the collaboration of Earth's mightiest heroes accept such small, weedy girls?" Every time he speaks, the words are laced with more and more poison, with more and more power. Lena hates it.

Lena blushes furiously, and lifts her hands. Odin stares her down, daring her to do something. She does, and sets her hands on fire, smiling slightly to herself at the hushed gasps that echo from some standing around the hall.

Odin tries not to look impressed.

"Is that all?"

Loki watches this happen sadly, feeling the hope slip out his hands like sand. He masks his emotions though, keeping his face blank of all emotion, and he takes deep breaths to steady his shaking hands.

Loki snaps, and steps forward.

"I'm sick of playing games, father. Do you give your blessing or not?" He says. He knows what the answer will most likely be, now that he's seen his fathers reaction, but he won't accept it until it slaps him right in the face.

Which it does.

"No." Odin replies cooly. "This girl is impressive, but still a mortal, and has no place here in Asgard. However, I grant her free to stay here as long as you wish, under the condition that you do not marry her." Loki feels a little balloon of hope grow.

Odin turns to Gaia. "Gaiathryn Pearl, I assign to you the task of looking after Lady Eleanor during her stay here." Lena turns her head towards Gaia, who smiles reassuringly at her.

"You are dismissed."

Then he turns back to the courtier standing nearest him. Loki takes Lena's arm and leads her out the hall, anger wrestling with peace within him. What is he going to do now? Is he can't have Lena, he doesn't have anything. He glances at her, and knows she feels the same.