A/N: Hi all! Thanks for all the reviews/favorites/follows, I hope this really long chapter satisfies for a while. :) Enjoy!
There was an awkward moment of silence after Thor introduced Susan to his parents. They took a few seconds to fully register the name he'd given, and when they did Frigga and Odin exchanged worried glances. For a moment the queen stared right at Susan and the girl felt the urge to run away and hide, but then Frigga's glare turned on her dark haired son.
"Who is her mother?" She snapped.
Susan raised her hand timidly. "Hello, uh, my mom's name is Amy Mort, she's from Earth, uh, Midgard, and yeah… that's who my mom is." She finished lamely.
"Loki?" Odin turned to his adopted son with one raised eyebrow.
"I assume you recall that time, fifteen years ago, when I took a trip to Midgard and told you I'd fallen in love and wished to stay there forever? Well…" He gestured to Susan.
Frigga gasped. "I assumed that was just a silly crush you had! By Odin's beard, Loki!"
"My beard!" Odin agreed.
"If you had let me stay on Midgard back then this whole situation could have been avoided! Who knows, Thor might have never become unworthy even! I might have never known my true heritage and we could have been one big happy family!" Loki said sarcastically, "Truly brilliant parenting on your part."
"Hold your tongue, boy!" Odin snapped, "We must discuss what is to be done about the girl! We can't send her back to Midgard, after all."
"Why not?" Susan asked, "Send me back and all of your problems will be solved! Forget I ever existed! Wouldn't that be much more convenient for everyone?" She knew it was a long shot, considering as soon as she got to earth Nick Fury would either try and send her back or lock her up.
"Hush girl!" Frigga snapped, "Enough of your silly prattle! Thor, why have you brought this girl here? Did the Midgardian's not protest? What of the child's mother?"
"The director of SHIELD thought it would be best if she was sent off of Earth, all things considered. The the mother was greatly distressed of course, but I'm sure she is nothing to worry about."
"Thor! Do not speak like that! A mother worries the most and therefore should be worried about! Have you no common sense?" Frigga asked, "That poor woman, ripped away from her child!"
"And her fiance…" Loki muttered.
"You are her fiance?!" Odin asked.
"No, Amy was engaged to a human named Mack Quizzly, or something of the sort, and he got in the way of my attack. He's dead."
Susan punched her father in the arm. "His name is Max Quigley and he did not get in the way of your attack! You just flat out slit his throat!"
"Loki!" Frigga began to fan herself off, "How could you? I thought we raised you better than this! My word, I think I need to sit down."
A servant rushed out and set a chair down for the queen, which she gladly collapsed on. Loki rolled his eyes and Susan shot him a glare. Thor and Odin stood around rather awkwardly.
"Everyone calm down!" Odin finally said, "We need to decide what to do with the girl. Who shall care for her? Obviously her own father is incapable of such an action."
"I'd make a better father than you ever did." Loki snapped.
"This isn't about you, Loki, this is about what is best for your child, the poor thing." Frigga chided. She beckoned Susan closer and she obliged, "Dear, don't worry about anything, we will get this nasty business all sorted out."
"Mother, Father, why don't you raise her, here in the palace? I can think of no one better to care for her until she reaches adulthood." Thor suggested.
"Debatable." Loki whispered.
Odin and Frigga looked at each other and began whispering. Their hushed tones were so quiet Susan couldn't make out a word of what they were saying. Thor and Loki waited patiently, as if this was something they were used to, and Susan played with the fraying hem of her T-shirt. The king and queen glanced at her a few times and when that would happed their whispering would get a bit louder and angrier sounding. After a few minutes Odin straightened and looked Susan in the eye. She tried to look as friendly as possible and gave him a weak smile.
"We've reached a decision," He announced, "Sigrid Lokidaughter will, from this point forward, be raised as a ward of the royal family. Any who disagree with this decree may take it up with me, Odin the Allfather, King of Asgard, and Protector of the Nine Realms."
"You're sure you can't just send me back to Earth?" Susan sighed.
"No dear," Frigga smiled, "You'll be raised properly from this point forward."
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Allfather, might I make one request before I am sent off to the dungeons or wherever I end up?" Loki asked.
"What is it?"
"Allow me a moment with my daughter alone?"
"One minute." Odin agreed.
The royal family left Susan alone with Loki and one guard to watch him. Susan scooched a bit away from him. It was unnerving being left alone with him.
"Sigrid," Loki said slowly, "I know that you would rather be back on Midgard with your mother and your old life…"
Susan sniffled a little bit. "I've been trying not to think about it, but thank you so much for bringing it up again." She swiped at another irritating tear.
"But I believe this is where you belong." Loki finished.
"I'm as out of place as a pig at a posh party!" Susan scoffed, "You heard what that guard said back on the bridge, they don't want me here."
"Who cares what one guard says? You are going to grow up with the privileges of a princess. Forget that guard."
"Apparently you care a great deal about what that guard said because you just about killed him! You're being hypocritical, Loki."
"That is unimportant. Right now I need to say goodbye to you for a while. For a time I probably will not be allowed any visitors. If there is ever an emergency talk to my mother. She will get word to me." Loki stepped toward her and Susan stiffly patted his shoulder.
"See ya around, I guess." She said.
"Promise me that as soon as Odin allows it you'll visit me."
"Yeah, sure." She shrugged.
"Until next time." He smiled as Odin, Frigga, and Thor reentered the room. The guards lead Loki away and Susan wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. Frigga alighted on Susan and began pulling her away.
"My dear, we must find you a place to sleep. I know the perfect chamber, it overlooks the gardens. I'm sure you can borrow a gown from one of the ladies around here until something more suitable can be made," Frigga sighed, "You know, it is every mother's dream to have a daughter someday and now I have you."
Odin and Thor watched the two women go and then went off to discuss Loki's fate.
Susan was lead to a grand bedroom. The walls were gold and the bed was huge. Sunlight streamed through the windows and shimmered everywhere. Susan set her little suitcase down on the giant mattress. Frigga regarded the little bag of luggage curiously.
"What is that?"
"Somethings from home." Susan opened the bag and took out her clothing. She approached the wardrobe and placed her clothes inside.
Frigga wrinkled her nose. "Midgardian's have such dull clothing," She commented, "Perhaps it would be better to just burn these things."
"No!" Susan snapped, "Uh, no ma'am. Please, those are some the last connections I have to Earth."
Frigga smiled warmly. "Of course, dear, I'm sorry for suggesting it," She looked at the clothes once more, "But please don't wear them around the palace - I will find you something more suited of your position."
"Yes ma'am."
"Call me Grandmother."
"Yes Grandmother." Susan smiled a little. Her maternal grandmother had died long before she was born so she had never called another that before. Her maternal grandfather only visited every once in a while so she didn't know him very well either.
"Tell me a bit about yourself, dear." Frigga sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her. Susan sat down.
"What would you like to know?"
"Before you met your father, what did you know about him?"
"A basic physical description. When I was little I imagined all kinds of things about what my father might be like. I thought he might be a secret agent, or a farmer, or a businessman, or something else. I must say that I'm a bit shocked with what he turned out to be."
"An Asgardian?"
"A monster." Susan said bitterly.
"Sigrid, he is not a monster. Some of his actions may seem monstrous, but he is just a man."
Susan winced. "Why do you all call me Sigrid? My name is Susan."
"Not in Asgard. Here you are to be known as Sigrid Lokidaughter."
"Ugh, do I really have to associate myself with him so closely?"
"It is the custom to have such surnames," Frigga snapped, "I know he has done some terrible things, but he is still my son and I will not hear you speak ill of him. You should feel privileged to be offered such an opportunity as this. You will live in a palace and be treated like royalty. What else could you ask for?"
"My mother." Susan said, growing impatient.
"It is terrible that you had to be separated from her, yes, but I believe it will all work out for the greater good. You are where you belong."
"How could you say that?" Susan asked incredulously. She shook her head and stood up, "This is the last place I would ever want to be!" She ran, without thinking, out the door and down the hall. Not knowing where she was going, Susan soon got lost. She finally leaned against a wall and sank to the floor, covering her face with her hands.
"You there!" Someone called, "What are you doing in the palace?"
Susan looked up to see a man in a guard's uniform. He glared down at her. She brushed back her hair and stared up at him. "Um, I'm a little lost."
"What are you doing in the palace in the first place? Are you a thief? A beggar? How did you get in?" The guard pryed.
"I'm not a beggar! And I'm certainly not a thief! I got into the palace because Thor brought me here." Susan responded angrily.
"Ha! The prince? What would he want with a filthy little thing like you?" The guard roughly grabbed her arm and hoisted her up onto her feet.
"I'm his niece! Just ask him and he'll tell you! I promise."
"Wouldn't want to bother His Highness on a day like today. He had to arrest his own brother. No, I will not be bothering the royal family with the likes of you, little tramp," He began harshly pulling her through the halls. He came to a set of stairs off in a discreet corner of the palace, "Until we get you sorted you'll have to stay down there. Oi, Ballard, one coming down!" The guard yelled down the stairs. Before Susan could fully comprehend what was happening he had shoved her down the stairs and she tumbled to the bottom. Another guard, Ballard, clamped her wrists in handcuffs and poked her with a spear.
"Ow hey! What was that for?" Susan hissed.
"Let's find you a cage, m'kay peachy?" Ballard nodded his head in agreement with himself, "This way, and no funny business." He poked her again with the spear and she got up. With a few more pokes she understood that she was supposed to go wherever Ballard directed her with the stick. They walked through a heavy set of doors and into a corridor lined with shimmering gold cells. From inside the cells Susan could see all kinds of scary looking creatures staring at her.
Ballard poked her past one cage, but slowed down a little to look into it. Susan didn't really want to see another weird alien so she kept her gaze lowered. Ballard the guard whistled.
"So it's true, they keepin' the ole prince o' tricks down here!"
"Go away." Loki's voice ordered calmly.
Susan snapped to attention. "Loki?"
"Sigrid?" Loki rose from the bench in his cell and put his hands on the shimmering gold wall, "What are you doing down here? In handcuffs? What's going on?"
"This little peachy here was loitering-nating around the palace and my buddy, Arno, picked her up to put down 'ere for a bit." Ballard answered, tugging at Susan's hair.
"Get your grubby hands off of her!" Loki snapped and for once Susan was glad of his presence, "Sigrid, how did you get in trouble so quickly?"
"I, uh…" She paused and retraced her steps mentally, "Well, I was talking with Frig- Grandmother and I got kind of angry. So I ran off and got a little lost. Then that guard yanked me down here. I don't know why he threw me down here though. I didn't do anything wrong."
"You," Loki said to Ballard the guard, "Why is this young lady down in the dungeons?"
"You'd 'ave to ask Arno 'bout it," Ballard said, "Now, this peachy needs to go in a cage," He scanned the area, "Hmm, no empty ones. You'll have to share, peachy."
"She can share with me," Loki suggested quickly, "Until you get everything sorted out."
"Nope. Allfather says you don't get a cellmate and you don't get visitors. Not fer a long time. But, I can put little peachy in the cage across from you." Ballard opened the golden wall in the cell across from Loki's just enough to push Susan through. The guard didn't even bother to take her shackles off, he just walked away whistling. Susan got onto her feet and stared wide-eyed at her cellmate. It was a large man with greasy red hair and beady yellow eyes. He eyed the girl before him suspiciously. Susan waved a little and then turned away from him to see Loki staring at her incredulously.
"Hey, what's up?" She said sheepishly.
"How could you get yourself locked in the dungeon?!"
"I told you how." Susan said.
Loki rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Your first day in Asgard and you are already locked up. We must get word to Thor somehow so that you can get out of there! Or Mother, or anyone! How could you be so stupid?"
"I was just minding my own business when that Arno character dragged me down here!" Susan put her shackled hands up in protest, "He thought I was a thief or something."
"Well dressed like that anyone could mistake you for a common criminal! You're an absolute mess. Until people know who you are I insist that you stay with my mother, or Thor, or Odin, or someone else who can vouch for you so that this won't happen again."
"And here I thought you wanted me to come visit you." Susan teased.
"But must you really have gotten yourself locked up to do it?"
Susan shrugged nonchalantly. "I wasn't trying to come see you, I was just minding my own business. The guards here sure are touchy."
Loki was about to respond with a scolding, but he noticed that his daughter's cellmate was taking a few steps in her direction. The filthy man shoved her against the clear-gold wall and Loki shouted angrily.
"Stop that!"
"Ow, hey!" Susan grumbled, "What do you want?"
"Got any money, little girl?" The man hissed at her, pinning her arm behind her back.
"Let her go!" Loki yelled, feeling helpless.
"Why would you want money?" Susan snorted, "It's not like you can use it from in here."
"Got my reasons, now gimme your money!" He tightened the hold on her wrist and Susan winced. She and her mother had once taken a self-defense class together, but pinned up against the wall she was having a hard time remembering what to do.
"I don't have any money," Susan answered calmly, thinking he might leave her alone, "Even if I did it would be Midgardian money, so pretty much useless to you."
The man loosened his grip a little and back up. "You're Midgardian?"
"Well, technically I'm half frost giant," She gestured with her chin to Loki, "Or whatever the heck he is, but I'm from Earth, born and raised."
The man dropped her quickly and backed off as if she had some sort of disease. "Part Jotun and part Midgardian? Disgusting!"
Loki worriedly met her eyes and she winked, giving no relief whatsoever. "Yeah, I know. I'm infectious too. You see, two months ago I had the Pox of Chickens…" She lowered her voice threateningly, "And I heard it's very contagious."
"Pox of Chickens? What does that do?"
"If you don't have a very specific type of DNA it'll turn you into chicken, why else would we call it such a silly name?"
"What kinda DNA do you need to survive?" Her cellmate asked suspiciously.
"Why, Jotun DNA of course!" Susan raised her eyebrows, "I thought that much was obvious. That's why my father over their hasn't been chicken-ified yet. But you should have seen those Chitauri go! Bock, bock bock!" Susan mimicked a chicken noise and tucked her hands into her armpits like wings, "Just like that! You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because once a frost giant gets the Pox of Chickens they have the power to turn anyone they touch into a chicken - poof! Kentucky Fried Asgardian!" She examined her fingers carefully, "Now you seem like a decent enough fellow, if in need of a bath, I wouldn't want anything un-clucky to happen to you."
Loki suppressed a chuckle as he watched her step closer to the other prisoner, extending her finger slightly. Her cellmate backed away and put his hands up in a peaceable manner.
"Sorry, sorry! I won't ever go near ya again, I promise!"
Susan retracted her hand and gave him a dastardly smirk. "Good, otherwise you might find yourself in the awkward position of being the main course at the next royal banquet."
The man sat down on his bench and turned away from her, trying to pretend like she'd never been tossed into his cell. Loki crossed his arms in amusement as she turned to face him.
"What are you laughing at buster?" She asked, "You wanna be a chicken?"
"I thought Jotun could not become chickens." Loki commented.
"Okay, but I never told you about that time I got Swine Flu. It turns everyone but Midgardians into pigs," She raised an eyebrow, "How'd you like to spend the rest of your life oinking?"
"Point taken," Loki smiled wryly, "Your biological warfare has me beaten."
"That's what I thought." Susan smiled and sat down on the floor of the cell.
The pair smiled at each other for a moment, but Loki stopped and sighed heavily.
"Sigrid, how are we going to get you out of here? Who knows when anyone with any power will visit? You could be down here for days! Weeks even!"
"We can't just ask to speak with Thor?"
"I could try, but I would assume he won't be speaking with me for sometime," Loki ran a hand through his hair, "And no one down here knows who you are so they won't do anything if you ask."
"Prison break?" Susan asked sarcastically.
"Not yet…" Loki smirked, "Not until the perfect moment."
Susan's eyes widened. "You're planning…"
"Perhaps, perhaps not," He shrugged, "Anyway, we need to find a way to let the guards know that you are the Allfather's ward. They will release you if they know that."
"They won't believe me, to them I'm just a ratty beggar," Susan humphed, "And you are the 'fallen son of Asgard'."
"This is true, but perhaps my word will carry some weight. I was once a prince, and perhaps not all opinions of me have been soiled by my actions on Midgard." As Loki said this a guard, though not Ballard, passed by the cells.
"Quiet in here! The only noise I should be hearing is your cry of anguish," The guard snapped at no one in particular. He glanced at Susan, sitting in the large cage and scowled, "What crime did a little girl commit to get locked in the high security dungeon?"
"I've been told the only one who knows the answer to that is a guy named Arno," Susan answered and then winced, "Oh, sorry, I forgot you only want to hear cries of anguish," She cleared her throat and moaned, "Woe is me!"
"Arno locked you up in here, child?"
"No, he threw me down the stairs, Ballard locked me up."
"Guard," Loki called, "Might I provide some insightful information?"
The guard gave Loki the dirtiest look Susan had ever seen. "Spit it out, Trickster."
"If you're going to be rude…" Loki mocked, turning away slightly.
"Tell me or I'll convince Odin the best thing to rehabilitate his treacherous son is a hundred floggings."
"This girl here," Loki gestured to Susan, "Was lost in the palace when a guard arrested her. He had no cause for such an action."
"What was such a filthy little girl be doing in the palace?"
"Believe it or not, she is the ward of the king." Loki sniffed arrogantly.
"Her? This beat up little scrap? Ward of the king?" The guard gave a hollow laugh, "What happened Laufeyson? Did you lose all of your trickery on Midgard? That is the most pathetic lie I've ever heard."
Susan jumped in. "It's true! I just wandered away and got lost and then I got jailed."
"The king doesn't have a ward."
"He does as of earlier today," Susan declared, "I came from Midgard with my uncle, Thor, and Odin said that I was to be raised as his ward."
"Thor's niece? Oh this tale just keeps getting better and better! Say," The guard's eyes lit up like he had thought of a particularly humorous joke, "That would make this would-be-king your father, would it not?"
"Well, yeah, that's kind of how this kind of thing works." Susan said.
"Then I think you have found your way to the right place after all. If Loki did have a child this would be the perfect place to keep it." The guard told her, walking off.
"That could have gone better." Susan noted.
"Immensely." Loki grumbled.
"I guess we better start brainstorming some other ideas to get me out of here, huh?" Susan groaned, "I have spent far too much time around prison cells this week. First on the Helicarrier, then in Stark Tower, and now here! People sure like putting you in cages."
"They only cage what they can't control."
Susan wrinkled her nose. "And apparently you only brainwash what you can't control."
Loki smirked. "No, that was just the easiest option at the time. I had perfect control over you before I used the scepter."
"Oh really? Because I recall that I was about to leave the building."
"You would have never made it out the front doors. I had men stationed everywhere and with one message over the radio you would have been captured."
Susan adopted a snobbish voice in attempt to mimic her father. "Ah, then what would you have done? Put me in a cage? For as you so eloquently stated: they only cage what they can't control. Thus proving my point that you had no control over my actions."
"You sound ridiculous."
"I know," Susan grinned, "Anyway, back to our planning. Thoughts?"
Loki didn't get the chance to answer because they heard a loud commotion from the end of the hall. The guard who had just spoken to them marched in front of Susan's cell and raised an eyebrow at her. He glanced behind him hesitantly and snapped his fingers. Loki was surprised to see the guard use magic. Odin never allowed for any magician to hold such a low position. Magicians and sorcerers worked to help people or they were nobles. To see such a lowly worker with magical abilities was unheard of. Yet when this guard snapped his fingers Susan was glamoured to look like another criminal. Her hair became short, bright red, and spiky and she shrank a little, her eyes became a burning crimson and her skin became a little darker colored.
"What are you doing?" Loki asked suspiciously.
"Keep your mouth shut, Trickster," The guard ordered, "Or you'll get the flogging of your life."
"Eilif!" Someone shouted and the guard grimaced, "Where are you?"
"Over here Your Highness," The guard, Eilif, answered, "In front of the fallen prince's cell."
Thor rounded the corner and avoided meeting Loki's eyes. "Captain Eilif, we must discuss a matter of great import."
"Yes?" Eilif glanced at Susan in her disguise. She glared back at him. She'd realized that he'd covered her up with magic so that Thor wouldn't recognize her. Loki was coming to realize the same thing and he narrowed his eyes in anger.
Thor glanced at Loki. "The king's ward has vanished." Thor was expecting his brother to lash out angrily, but Loki did no such thing.
"The king's ward?" Eilif asked.
"Lady Sigrid Lokidaughter," Thor affirmed, "She ran off a little while back and we can't seem to find her. The Allfather instructed me to search every inch of the palace - including the dungeons."
"Physical appearance?"
"Tall, redish-brown hair, blue eyes… Looks a bit like her father. She is wearing Midgardian clothing." Thor answered.
"I shall keep my eyes peeled, milord." Eilif answered smoothly and Loki felt like strangling him.
"Thor!" Loki called.
"Loki, I promise no harm will come to Sigrid, do not grow panicked." Thor assured.
"I know that no harm will come to her for I am looking right at her." Loki answered simply, not caring that Captain Eilif was glaring at him.
"What?" Thor turned to look at the cell across from Loki's and saw a woman who looked nothing like Susan. This woman had obviously been an assassin of some sort, or something else terrible.
"Hey Thor!" The woman said, sounding nothing like Susan, "I might look kinda funny, but I promise that…"
"What kind of trick is this?" Thor asked, looking to Loki, "Where is Sigrid?"
"That guard captain used magic to glamour her," Loki answered, "If you let me out of this cage I could take the glamour off and you'd see."
"You are not coming out of the cage. Guards cannot perform magic, Loki. I am surprised you would be lying about such a serious matter. Your daughter is missing."
"No Thor, she is right in front of you!" Loki attempted to use his magic through the cage wall to uncover Susan, but the anti-magic walls were too strong. Her guise flickered for only a moment, but Thor wasn't looking.
"I don't know what kind of lunacy this is, Loki, but I must return to my search." Thor turned to go, but Susan banged her fist on the cell.
"Wait, Thor get me out of here! Come on, I know Loki lies a lot, but this time he's telling the truth!" She yelled after the retreating figure of the prince. Once he was gone she angrily kicked the wall, "Why did you do that?!" She asked Eilif.
"So you weren't lying," The guard smirked, "Go figure."
"If you want to keep your life I suggest you retrieve Thor and unglamour my daughter." Loki hissed.
"And admit that I was purposefully hiding the king's ward? That through my error she ended up in the dungeons? I don't think so," Eilif opened the cage Susan was in and let her out, removing the disguise. She attempted to hit him, but he caught her shackled hands, "Naughty, naughty! That's no way to treat a person."
"Let me go! You can't keep me down here forever! Thor will figure it out eventually."
"Will he?" Eilif asked, "Our crown prince isn't exactly known for his brain power."
Loki, though he agreed with this statement, pounded his cage wall angrily. "Release her!"
"Oh, I will… eventually," Eilif smirked, "When the royal family starts to get really worried I'll come to the rescue with their missing little girl. I assume you've realised what I'm getting after here."
"You want a reward of some sort." Loki growled.
"But I'll tell them what you did!" Susan pointed out, "You'd better just let me go now and maybe they'll be more forgiving toward you."
"Oh I have it all planned out, don't worry your pretty little head about it. In the meantime I think it would be best if you were farther away from your dear papa. I wouldn't want you planning anything together." With that Eilif dragged Susan down to a dark, empty cell at the very end of the hall. There she would await her fate.