This is set before the first Thor movie.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All Characters go to their respective owners, the chapter and fic title to Nightwish.

Story title: From Astral Romance - Nightwish

Chapter Title: From Astral Romance (First Version) - Nightwish

Chapter Eight: Caressed by the sharpest knife I asked you to be my wife

When Loki woke up, she was gone. He was naked under the sheets, his clothes neatly folded on a table close to the bed. He sighed deeply and got out of the comforting embrace of the sheets to get dressed. His body hurt all over. He looked at his bruised wrists when Sigurd had held him down. He could make them heal in an instant, but decided against it; he did not know whether he would need his strength. The bruises did not bother him much, but the pain in his abdomen did. From where Gunnar had sad on him, had pushed into him. He was actually a bit surprised he could still feel that, seeing as he was back in his own body, the body of the man. But if anything, the pain he experienced only made clear to him that he had done the right thing. And that he would in fact do it over and over again if it made sure his beloved was safe. Wherever she was now. Probably out to see to the damage. He did not worry. She had her guards with them, and, the most important thing, she was still as strong as she had been, and that was something Sigurd, Gunnar and Hogni ignored. This time, nothing could happen.

However, he left the chambers and strolled through the castle. The guardians greeted him with a bow, making him think that Brynhild had at least partially told them what Loki had done.

He addressed the first one, "My lady, where can I find the Queen?"

"She is in the great hall, giving instructions, my lord." The woman answered.

Loki thanked her and made his way to the hall. He passed by the chambers of Gunnar and his men. The door to Gunnar's room was shut. Loki suddenly felt his body aching harder. This man… he had done the most terrible deed that could be done to a woman. Had Loki not been there, he would have forced Brynhild to be his wife in the worst way possible.

Loki was not an angry man. Generally. But as his hand reached for the door, he felt anger in every fibre of his being. He would make this man pay for what he had trying to do. If necessary he would eradicate all three of them. But Gunnar deserved special attention.

So he opened the door.

And started laughing.

Gunnar, hands tied behind his back, feet tied to his hands, was hanging from the ceiling. The skin that was visible was painted in bright red, most probably from Brynhild's punches. One side of his face was swollen.

Loki closed the door behind himself again, "I see you met the Queen already?" Gunnar decided not to answer. "Did she cut your tongue? I would have. Your tongue, and some other things." He brought out his dagger, "I might do it now, what do you think?"

"Don't! Don't touch me!" Gunnar struggled in his binds, causing him to swing back and forth. "Get me down. Sigurd!" he called.

"Oh, yes please. Call him. I cannot wait to teach him a lesson as well." Loki hissed as he walked towards Gunnar. "But I will not. Because the Queen ordered that no blood be shed in these halls. You shed blood yesterday, in the most despicable way. Now, I do not know what Hogni has planned, but I want to let you know, for the sake of your kingdom, that it will not work. The Queen is still strong. Stronger than before I daresay, because she is fuelled with the fury about what you did last night. You would do better if you just left. But worry not, for I will make sure that the Skalds will know about this. I will tell them the story of what happened here, of what I see now, in so many details that their words will paint pictures in the brightest colours."

Gunnar seemed to hate the thought of this, "I will be ridiculed."

"You deserve it." was Loki's answer. "You would deserve so much more for this act of atrocity."

Gunnar suddenly laughed, "Go ahead, Trickster. I have Volker of Alzey. He will paint pictures just as bright about the God of Mischief who let his concubine be taken by Gunnar of Burgundy without even trying to defend her."

"Did I not?" Loki moved up to him and held his bruised before the bound king's eyes. "I think I did well. Do you really want Volker of Alzey to use his skilled tongue to tell the Midgardians this story? Because, really, I would surely not mind, for it paints me a devoted hero and you…" He chuckled. Gunnar looked at the bruises with terror. "Yeah, I thought so. Well, I have to take my future queen to Asgard now. Tell Hogni and Sigurd to be very quiet about all this." Gunnar only nodded. "Good. Farewell, Gunnar." He left the chambers. Outside, he turned to the door again and flicked his hand. A thick layer of ice immediately covered it. Just prolong the terror until Sigurd and Hogni could get him out.

In the hall, Brynhild had just finished giving instructions to her guardians when Loki entered. She smiled when she saw him, "Are you well rested?"

"I am. The bath really helped soothing my aches." Loki answered, returning the smile. "So, I see you paid the King of Burgundy a visit."

She grinned, "I found that he needed a lesson. That he cannot treat women like this. Hopefully this will make life bearable for his future wife."

"You are wise, dear Brynhild." Loki agreed as he took her hand in his. . "I see you are no longer wearing Andvaranaut."

She looked at him, frowning, "Sigurd took it from you before he left yesterday. When Gunnar came to kick me. Do you not remember that? He broke your finger."

Loki looked at his finger. Indeed, it was swollen and bruised, "I do not remember. Not that I would even have paid attention to this cursed relic." He had been so focused on what Gunnar would do to Brynhild that Sigurd or the bloody ring had really been the last thing on his mind. "It is a good riddance."

"It is." She agreed. "I should have taken it off a long time ago. Now it can curse someone else."

"Probably fair Gudrun…" Loki mused. "So, is your decision still to come to Asgard with me?"

"It is." She answered. "Although I am… fearful. To meet your father again."

He laid a hand on her shoulder, "I promise you, he will not hurt you. If he tries, I will not hesitate to get in his way."

She raised her hand to put it on his, "I never doubted that."

"Good. Are you ready then?" His hand moved down so he could lay his arm around her waist. "Hold on to me. I sincerely hope Heimdall will open the bridge for us, because otherwise I will have to turn you into a nut as well."

"I could imagine worse. A worm, maybe." She looked up at him nervously.

"A butterfly then rather…" he responded before raising his head, "Heimdall, will you please open the bridge?"

Of course Heimdall did. The gatekeeper greeted the Valkyrie as she and Loki landed, "Lady Brynhild, it has been a while."

"Heimdall." She replied. Loki was not sure, but it looked like she was, in fact, scared. It was… alien, he felt. The Valkyrie scared. He took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. She caressed the back of his hand with her thumb . "It has been a while indeed. I am glad to see that you are well."

"So am I, Lady Brynhild. Not that I doubted your abilities to defend yourself. If it is of any interest to you, Sigurd and Hogni are still trying to break through the ice on the door of the king's chamber."

Brynhild looked at Loki who just shrugged with a smirk, "It is indeed."

Heimdall did not smile, "The king is awaiting you." His eyes rested on Loki. "He is not happy."

Now it was Loki who felt nervous; his father's wrath was legendary. And it was what had gotten them into this situation in the first place. But then he felt Brynhild squeeze his hand. "I am sure he will understand my reasons for leaving if I tell him what happened." He pulled Brynhild gently with him.

Just before they got to the great hall, she said, "It was not my intention to cause you trouble. I thought your father knew…"

"He would not have allowed it." Loki answered. "But my trouble is not for you to worry about, my dearest." He leaned in and kissed her, "Ready now?"

She nodded, "Thank you, Loki. Without having seen who is in there, I know you are the greatest man under this roof."

His heart warmed at those words. She knew Thor was in there. Thor, in whose shadow Loki had grown up. She did not care. "You flatter me. That is my job. Now come. And do not worry. I will stand between him and you." He kissed her again and then opened the door.

The moment his eyes met Odin's eye, he had to swallow. Oh, the Allfather was angry. Loki might have been a God, but he was still, in moments like these, just the little boy who wanted nothing more than his beloved father's approval.

But all he got was a cold that probably not even Jotunheim had ever known.

But, and for once Loki was grateful, the Thunderer broke the ice. Thor stomped towards both of them, arms wide open, "Dear friend! You know not how it warms my heart to see you are faring well!" He pushed Loki out of the way and enveloped the Valkyrie in a crushing embrace. "I knew these mortals were no match for the greatest of the Valkyries." Then he turned to Loki, "And brother! You brought her home."

"Enough now!" Odin's voice echoed. "Thor, let your brother and the Valkyrie come to me."

Loki patted Thor's shoulder, but then walked towards the throne. There, he went down on his knee, "Allfather. I apologize for my actions; I know I was not supposed to leave for Iceland without your consent. But as I am sure you have witnessed, or have heard from Heimdall, I did not do it to spite you. I did it because my heart aches to be with this woman. I have begged you before to let me marry her. I beg you again, father, here, on my knees before you again. I love her. Please, let me be with her. Please." He had his head lowered. He knew his father would not waver in his decision, but, for as long as he did not look into Odin's face, he could saviour those sweet seconds of denial.

Odin did not even react properly to him. His eye was on Brynhild, but he said nothing. She looked up at him and whispered, "Please, Allfather. I know I have defied you in the past. But here I am asking for your forgiveness. It is not much that I can offer. I have been punished, and I have done as you wished for ages, slaying good men and sending them to Valhalla, making your army of Einherjar strong. Please, Allfather, do not force me to kill Loki. I want to be with him."

Odin said nothing, but Frigga stepped down the few stairs that led to Odin's throne and walked until she stood before the Valkyrie. For a long time, she only watched her face before she turned her head to look at Loki, who was still kneeling, jaw clenched, eyes shut. Never had she seen such devotion on his features.

Then Frigga walked back to Odin, "Give your approval, Odin. The two are in love."

Odin in the meantime had gotten up and had raised Gungir so that the hall (Loki did not even know who was there to witness this act of self-humiliation, and he was glad he didn't) who had started whispering was immediately silent again.

Then he spoke, "Loki, you have defied my orders. Not for the first time. I can however see the noble intention behind it." Then he turned to Brynhild. "You have done as I wished, that much is true. And I can see just as clear as my dear Frigga does that you love Loki. I will however not lift your curse from you. You will have to fight…"

"No." she said immediately, shaking her head for emphasis and dropping the sword she had gripped when Odin had raised the spear. "I will not kill Loki."

"Odin, please." Frigga chided. "You know he cannot win."

Odin looked at Frigga, but then sighed, "Here is what I propose. As you all know, Loki cannot get married before Thor. As Thor has showed no intention of marrying anybody, I will propose the following; if the Valkyrie can beat Thor, she will have to kill him, and then she may marry Loki. If he beats her, however, she will become his wife. If she then refuses to marry Thor, she goes back to infinite sleep. This is my last word."

Frigga yelped, and Loki could feel every fibre of his being freeze as he heard that. No. No. She could not ever beat Thor. Thor would win. Thor would marry her. Odin would give the only thing Loki had ever wanted to his brother. Or, she would refuse and be sentenced to eternal sleep, the only thing she truly feared. No.

Thor seemed just as revolted, "Father, she has made clear that she does not want me…"

"My last word." Odin repeated.

Thor and Brynhild locked eyes, and then Thor stepped forward. There would be a way out of this, Thor thought as he reached out for the Valkyrie's hand with a comforting smile. Loki would think of something. The Trickster always knew what to do.

And Loki did. Before Brynhild's and Thor's fingers touched, he had jumped in between, grabbed Brynhild's hand tightly and said loud and clear for everyone to hear, "I hereby ask you, Brynhild, to be my wife."

The golden light shone around their hands.