Chapter 18
A/N: Thanks for your imputs, you guys were right, I was hoping we'd go along this way! As the saying goes, please review! Well, here it is... sorry for the cliff hanger! ehehe, no I'm not ;)
Recap: After dinner, Frigga, Odin, Thor, Jane, Darcy, and Loki go to the gardens. Sif gives Darcy an important warning about Loki- should she believe her?
It was as good as doomsday today- the frost giants were coming. Fast as a lightning bolt, our two weeks was up. The answer was the same as it always was a big no. I wouldn't leave Darcy for anything. If my father wanted me out, we'd just find another realm to hide in, or I could consider my other option.
Since the night of the frost giant's proposal, I've been attempting to master a spell that would successfully turn me mortal. I would no longer be a frost giant, or Asgardian I could be just a mere mortal like Darcy. Perhaps then we could stay together if things went wrong.
We had just finished dinner and now Darcy and I were in our room. I was hiding in the bathroom trying desperately to control my emotions and to get ready for the meeting. With less than half an hour to go, I came out-Darcy was reading a Migardian book about magic on her bed... She seemed really fond in it and I decided I'd read it eventually if I could.
"I have to go to another meeting with my father," I explained, approaching her bed.
"Okay," Darcy sighed.
"I do believe that I have a few minutes to spare," I said as I scooped her up and put her on my lap.
She put her book down on the bed besides me, and threw her legs to the right of me. Delicately, she put her arms around my neck and looked up at me, her eyes searching my face. Emotion was what she was looking for, but the only one she would find was the loving look in my eyes. I forced myself to swallow up all other emotions and to just focus on the beauty before me.
My eye lids shut by instinct when I leaned down to kiss her. When our lips met, my heart gave a satisfied jump before speeding rapidly. Darcy's hands went to my hair as she grabbed it and tried-feebly- to press our lips harder together. When we finished, the usual pink blush bathed her cheeks and I knew that there was one on mines as well.
"I should take my leave," I sighed.
"Fine, I'll await you in our chambers," Darcy smiled.
"Are you trying to sound Asgardian?" I asked.
"No… Why?" Darcy murmured.
"You're catching on," I grinned.
Darcy kissed me quickly before I left. In a hurry, I ran down the halls and reached the meeting room early. I took a deep breath, knowing that I'd have to fight hard for Darcy, and I walked inside.
Same as last time, the warriors three, elders, and other Asgardians were present. This time however, there was a small group of four Frost Giants sitting across from my father and I. Frigga and Thor were there too, but Jane was nowhere.
The meeting had not yet begun so the people talked amongst themselves. I walked over to my father and Thor, Thor looked very solemn.
"I will not let them take Darcy," Thor whispered in my ear as he pulled me in for an embrace.
"Where is Jane?" I asked him once he had let me go.
"Heimdall, he took her on a tour of the old bifrost. He's explaining to her why I never visited," Thor explained.
"Brilliant," I nodded.
My eyes drifted over to the blue frost giants. Terrifying as ever, they looked but one looked different. A paler blue, and slimmer and then I realized her shape- a frost giantess. She was several feet taller than me with midnight blue hair cut short to her shoulders. Her red eyes looked over at me-she smiled smugly as if she had already won.
Bells rang in the distance, the chatter grew quiet and I held my breath when Odin announced the beginning of our meeting. In unison, Odin, Thor, and I sat down-everyone else followed suit.
"Have you made your decision?" A frost giant asked in his low, bass, voice.
"We've come to decide that we must decline," Thor boomed.
"Why?" Asked another Frost Giant.
"He's engaged," Odin said.
"You lie," spat the third frost giant.
"We do not!" Thor roared.
"I can see how hard this must be- a young prince's love, or thousands of lives. You Asgardians are selfish, brought up that way and it is a shame that one of ours was brought up with that much hate," the female frost giantess spat.
"We love him," Frigga cried.
"Perhaps, but we know why you took him. To bring peace, quoted from Odin himself, and now the time has come for his purpose. Don't let his kidnapping go to waste," the female said.
I hated her. She was trying to be manipulative like me and perhaps it was working on Thor and Odin and maybe even Frigga, but I'm known for manipulating and lying! I glared at the table so I wouldn't have to glare at her and cause a dispute.
"I did not kidnap him, I saved him, and he was left to die!" Odin seethed.
"He was a runt, we thought he would have anyways," one of the frost giants said.
"Do not speak unless spoken to," the frost giantess snapped.
"Yes ma'am," the frost giant murmured.
"I strongly urge you to reconsider. We care about innocent lives being lost and we would love it if you would just cooperate-"
"You want me to marry you and sire a child!" I groaned.
"Yes, you already know our demands," the frost giantess glared.
"But I'm a runt! What if I give you a teeny tiny prince?" I hissed, "Will he be left to die as well? What if I can simply not produce a giant? What the ability was never mines or was taken when I took this form?"
I could not believe we were talking about that. Mentally, I praised myself for my ability to keep my emotions in tact because if not I'd be blushing heavily right now. Thankfully, the frost giants huddled together murmuring about my point.
"It would be a shame if that were to happen, but because I am large I think we might have a chance to create an amble-sized heir," the frost giantess said.
"Well, I'm engaged so if you wish to break this bond then you are the bad guys here," I said.
Not my best come back, but I was desperate.
"You're engaged are you? Have you thought of having children with her? A Migardian? And if you do, by chance, have the possibility of creating a giant then what? She'll die, Loki!" the frost giantess snapped.
"Prince Loki," I corrected.
After that, I remained quiet in thought. What if- I didn't even…? I hadn't even thought of having children… but maidenheads, we had talked about that… Did she want me to? Could I? I gulped; Darcy and I would have a lot to talk about.
"Thor, calm down," I heard Frigga whisper.
I turned to her- we were the only ones seeing this everyone else was having their own little conversations. Thor was holding onto his hammer tightly, he was angry.
"We shouldn't talk of Loki this way," Thor hissed.
"Mother, what are you planning to do?" I asked softly.
"I'm not sure… We can't let so many people die, however Darcy is already like my daughter," Frigga murmured.
A wave of remembrance brushed over me. Thor had already betrayed me to help save 'innocent lives' of the Joutenheim people. Would this be the same case? Would he be willing to throw me off the bifrost again, but this time to feed me to the Frost Giants?
"Thor, do not let the Frost Giants separate us again," I whispered to him, "I do not wish return to my former crazed self. I have Darcy now and I'm not sure I could be held responsible for my actions if I lose her."
Thor looked at me. He knew that I spoke the truth this time. Without Darcy I'd have no reason to stay in Asgard-he didn't know that part- but he knew the pain of living without the love you have already met.
"No, final answer. You may leave now in peace to formally declare war from Joutenheim, or you may declare it here and die," Thor said.
"Thor-"Odin hissed.
"Father, I will explain my actions to you later," Thor said.
"Thor, we can't just let all these people die," Lady Sif began.
"Are your feminine emotions making you forget your place?" I sneered to her.
Lady Sif glared at me. She hated it when people called her out on being a woman and thinking she's weaker than the rest of us. I knew everyone's weak points here, so with a wicked grin I reminded her that I held all the cards.
"Brother," Thor warned.
"We will leave to declare war from Joutenheim," the Frost Giantess said.
"Guards, escort them out," Odin ordered.
The Frost Giants and the guards walked silently out of the room. As the doors closed, the Frost Giantess turned to give me a cold smile. I glared at her so that I could swallow my fear.
"I'm going back with Darcy," I said standing up quickly.
"Wait, brother, we must discuss something," Thor said.
"Send guards to watch our chambers," I pleaded.
Thor barked the order and more guards left the room. Kindly, Thor asked everyone to leave except for Lady Sif, The Warriors Three, Mother, Odin, and I. When everyone had left we had our meeting in quiet.
"War, it is finally come," Odin said.
"They threatened before Loki left and it was my fault, do not blame this on my brother for it is also my fault," Thor said.
"It's neither of your faults. The Frost Giants have been seeking war since we took the tesseract. We are fortunate that they did not demand that as well," Frigga said.
"Why? Why are we fortunate? If it were up to you would you have declined them?" I asked.
"No, but if they had I'm sure they would have taken it," Frigga said.
"Or attempted to," Frandral said.
"You think they would try and steal their demands?" I asked.
"Of course they would. They would do anything to get what they want," Thor growled.
"Thor, Warriors, we need to check on Darcy," I said rising to my feet.
Thor's eyes widened and the warriors nodded as they saw the sense in my words. Painfully, my stomach fell, but I was the first to run out of the room in a mad dash to Darcy. I didn't stop running, I ran as if I was running for my own life which I kind of was. Darcy was my life I wouldn't lose her.
My heart stopped. In front of our room were two blue, frozen Asgardian guards. I touched the door that was frozen and would have given any normal Asgardian frost burn. I turned it without even thinking and looked around.
Darcy's book was thrown carelessly on the floor, no pages marked. The bathroom door was open and partially off its hinges-she had tried to hide in there.
"Darcy?" I called, terrified.
Slowly, I walked over to the bathroom. I didn't want to find her dead, frozen, and still in there, but I had to know if she was in there. I walked in, she wasn't there. When I turned I saw Thor and the warriors throwing open doors in the room to look for a hiding, terrified Darcy.
"She isn't here," Thor reported.
"Guards!" I screamed.
As I hollered for them, they entered. It was too soon for them to have arrived upon my call; they came to tell us something I realized.
"The guards assigned to lead the Frost Giants out, they're frozen! I saw them escape with Loki's mate," the guard panted.
The words brought tears to my eyes that I did not dare let out. My darling Darcy was stolen right from under my nose.