AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope your holidays are filled with love, warmth, joy, and lots of delicious food! (what are the holidays without food? lol) I also hope that the new year brings you all the love, joy and happiness that you desire! As this year closes, I am thankful for every single one of you, my readers. I love you all! (yes, even you, those who read the story in silence, I love you too ;-) ) I hope everyone had a most happy Christmas! (I know I did!) You guys want to know what I realized as I worked to upload this new chapter? The last time I posted a new chapter during Christmas time it was during Game of Shadows, and it was the chapter featuring Loki and Barbara's wedding. Oh, the memories of those days! Such happy times! Oftentimes I wish I could go back to the days when I was writing Game of Shadows when I was so happy, but anyway, I digress. The past should only serve to help you look ahead to the bright future that awaits you.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year, everyone!

Born to be a King

Chapter 21

Thor sat with his mother and nephew in the deepest chambers beneath the Tower of Idunn. He comforted the young boy, informing him that his father and mother had reached an alliance with the king and were aiding him in protecting ancient sources of power, and when they were done, they would return to him. Because they were on such an important mission, they needed to protect him in case one of the enemies they were fighting decided to come for him. Though it appeased to boy, it did little to comfort him. Thor noticed that his parents' absence was difficult for the child to bear, even though he tried his best to keep up his spirits.

"He is growing restless" Frigga said to her eldest once Arik had fallen asleep.

"Loki and Barbara have just fought their first battle, mother" Thor replied as he stroked Arik's hair lovingly "they've only been gone for five days. Their return is not yet for many weeks"

"How is he?" she asked.

"Ragnar informs me that he relinquished the stone into the hands of the king once he retrieved it"

She sighed in relief. "Do you think...?"

"I do not know, mother. You know Loki, he is very unpredictable. He may relinquish the stone today, then move in and betray the king tomorrow. But then again, he may not. One never knows with him"

He observed his mother. She was pacing the small chamber slowly, lost deep in thought. Just the night prior, while Loki and Barbara were locked in combat on Angharad, another small battle had raged under the temple. Thor had confronted his mother, demanding answers on Loki's true purpose. She had broken down, telling him everything. She knew of it and never even breathed a word. Thor had been shocked and appalled. If Frigga knew that Loki was indeed meant to inherit a throne, why did she not guide him when he began to harbor hatred towards him for his succession, and later on upon his return to Asgard from Earth? Why did she allow Loki to sit on Odin's throne, knowing that he was in no position nor was it his birthright to rule Asgard?

"I had no choice" she had explained "your father made me swear on my life that I would never tell Loki the truth. There's always a purpose to everything your father did, and he knew that Loki would find his way with time. It wasn't up to me to set him upon it"

"Father waged war on Jotunheim for the sole purpose of rescuing and retrieving Loki" Thor had realized "that's why he was always so hard on him"

"Both of you were born to be kings" his mother had replied "you were born to inherit Asgard and protect the Nine Realms, Loki was destined to inherit Verdandi and safeguard the universe beyond ours. 'Tis a great burden to bear for both of you. Loki's predestined fate is just more complicated than yours"

"He always understood kingship better than I ever did" Thor admitted "for all his troubles, misguided ideals and grave imbalances, he does make a very fine king"

"He does, and he will once again. Verdandi will come out of obscurity when Loki takes the throne, and when that happens, you and Loki must join forces. Finally, the two of you will stand as equals"

Thor now sighed as he returned to the present. Would Loki truly fulfill his destiny and serve as protector of the distant universe, or would he take the resources at his disposal to bring chaos to it?

Just then, the answer came.

Heira, the High Priestess, came rushing into the room. On her face was an expression of sheer, utter terror.

"My king, you must see this" she gasped "the dawn... dawn is upon us"

Thor raced up the winding staircase to the main sanctuary. Then he ran to the gates, and gazed upon the inconceivable.

"But it is only midnight" he breathed, looking up at the sky that was lighting up with hues of red and orange as the sun rose above the ocean.

"King Thor" Ragnar's voice spoke from within the temple. Thor whipped about and saw Ragnar's holographic double standing inside the sanctuary.

"Hela has found the boy" the gatekeeper's voice was strained as he delivered the grave news "there was a Death Howl, emitted from somewhere up in the mountains. A Hel hound was hidden among us, my lord, shrouded from my view, as are now Prince Loki and Lady Barbara. I ask your forgiveness for my failure"

Thor's eyes widened and his blood ran icy cold. "What say you?" he demanded.

"When the Death Howl occurred, Prince Loki and Lady Barbara were sitting at a feast with the king, then I lost sight of them. Now I see only shadows. Something dark and evil surrounds them which veils them from my view. I barely catch glimpses of Lady Barbara, but she is obscure and far away from the capitol city. Prince Loki remains there, but seems to be held captive. I fear they are betrayed"

"By the king?"

"Aye, my lord"

"I must go to Verdandi immediately after I return from Earth. How long until Hela is able to cross her borders?"

"The alignment reaches its peak in five days" Heira explained "this is only the beginning. The sun will set at the time of dawn and will not rise again until she claims the life she sets out to retrieve. Asgard will be plunged into eternal darkness if she does not succeed in claiming Prince Loki's son"

"She is not taking my nephew!" Thor roared "make ready, priestess. We take Arik off world immediately"

"Where will you hide him, my king?" Heira asked.

"Midgard. It's the only other place where he can be safe. Priestess, you will shroud him from the view of all, save for mine and Ragnar's. Now go!"

Thor moved back toward the entrance to the catacombs when Ragnar's voice stopped him a second time.

"King Thor, I believe Lady Barbara has been delivered to the human"

Thor looked at Ragnar in shock, and his memory replayed the words Victor von Doom had said to Loki on the day that Thanos fell.

"Will you risk losing her to a petty, boyish fit of jealousy? You're just angry because you know you don't deserve her. She wasn't meant to be yours, but mine. You know it don't you...?"

"Of course" Thor realized, then turned back to Ragnar "keep your eye on Verdandi and monitor all travel in and out of Midgard until I return. If what you say is true, then the Verdandinian king will try to slink back into shadow and the human will return to Earth. Now I must go and help my brother settle an unfinished score. Return to your post, gatekeeper, and keep a sharp eye, for the next few days will be turbulent indeed"

The massive spaceship floated in the vastness of space, hovering above the nebulas that shielded Verdandi from view. In its mid and lower levels, an entire fleet of doombots prepared for the next assault. In a private chamber near the control counsel, two individuals were wrapped in each other's embrace. Victor von Doom placed a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses down Barbara's neck while his hands roamed freely over her naked body.

"Ohhh" Barbara moaned when he reached her chest and placed a gentle love bite right above her breast "Victor, we must go"

"No" he groaned, his hands squeezing her hips and pushing her hard against him "I must have you now"

"Now? How demanding" she chuckled in between moans as he ran his tongue down her middle toward her abdomen "why the urgency?"

He rose and took her face in his hands, looking deep into her eyes. "I saw you lying there, bleeding from one side while that bastard laughed standing over you. I felt so helpless trying to reach you as fast as I could, thinking that at any second he was going to kill you. I almost lost you in that battle Barbara. Let me find my relief and bask in the certainty that you're still here with me"

She sighed and nodded, allowing him to kiss her hungrily as he gently pushed her back until she lay on the bed. Her hands roamed under his shirt and over his toned muscles, feeling them ripple under her touch as he grinded against her. With urgency, she tore the shirt, then made quick work of his belt buckle. His slacks were yanked down, and as she worked her hand into his boxers, there was a sudden beeping that alerted them to someone standing on the other side of the door.

"Sir, the forces you requested are ready. We have received intelligence that the Asgardian is currently incapacitated and the stone still vulnerable" a doombot spoke from the intercom.

Victor groaned in displeasure while Barbara looked at him surprised.

"He's wounded?!"

"So I heard"

"Then this is the time to attack!" she exclaimed, crawling from underneath him. She hopped from the bed butt naked and rushed for her garb which hung on the small wardrobe built into the wall. She quickly stepped into the skintight bodysuit, then adjusted her vambraces and shin guards, strapped on the harness that held her firearms and the sheaths to her swords on her back, and put on her boots. Doom watched her dress, admiring how she did it as if she had already donned the getup a thousand times. It fit her perfectly. The bodysuit was made from self-generating unstable molecules that conformed perfectly to her body and adapted to her body temperature.

"Are you going to stand there watching me or are you going to get ready? You'll miss the fun" she said to his reflection in the mirror.

"It never gets old" he lied, then moved to don his own getup. She retrieved his signature cloak and clasped the two disks on his chest, then helped him with his metal gloves. Before the mask went on, she placed a hand on his neck and pulled him toward her, kissing him fiercely. It left him both breathless and burning with need.

"I will not rest until he's dead, the stones are yours, and Verdandi lies in ashes. I hope you're ready for when that happens because I'm going to devour you like never before"

"Then allow me to make haste" he teased, putting his mask on and hitting a button on the control panel. The door opened and he extended his hand out, allowing her to exit first. She walked out with purpose and they headed for the flight deck.

Loki and Ireena walked into the Strategy Hall where Beyard, Diarmaid, Stingadr, Zelius and Duurgo were already discussing the next battle to take place at the kingdom of Marr. Upon their arrival, everyone looked at Loki apprehensively but then the biggest smile graced Beyard's features.

"Loki! My son!" he exclaimed, leaving the table and walking towards him. He embraced him tightly and then took hold of his shoulders, looking at him content. "I hope you're well rested and healed"

"I am" Loki replied "the treatment was unnecessary but the rest was quite welcome. Not to mention the company" he added, looking at Ireena with a twinkle in his eye that made her blush.

Beyard's smile only got bigger at Loki's gesture toward his daughter. "Dragon fire on your body's constitution can be quite detrimental, I was not going to take any chances. Still, seeing you awake and back to being yourself is cause for great joy. Now come, join us. We've been waiting for you"

"What have we here?" Loki asked as he approached the table and looked over the holographic detailing of a rocky shore.

"This is the kingdom of Marr, most specifically what is known as the Southern Cove" Diarmaid explained "this is where the Soul Gem is hidden. There is a system of caves beneath the cliff. It is in one of these caverns where the stone is housed"

"Hmm. What creatures should we watch out for this time? Not dragons I hope"

The entire table laughed, save for one. Stingadr watched how Ireena and Loki were standing next to each other, so close that they touched. More than once, Loki stood behind her and placed his hands over hers to modify the image to what he wished to see. Stingadr registered the way her eyes lit up in a way he had never seen before and how her cheeks glowed with a flushed, rosy hue at his proximity. She held her breath whenever there was skin contact, and he looked down at her with the lecherous leer of a ravenous wolf. He wondered if he had already taken her innocence when he had awoken and found her sitting at his bedside. Was his beautiful, precious Ireena already another's? Stingadr looked at Beyard, who observed their blatant coquetry with the greatest satisfaction. Could he not see that Loki looked at his daughter not with the gaze of a man who loved, but with one of a predator?

"Well, sounds easy enough. If we can point Jormungandr in the direction of the hum..." Loki was interrupted when the palace suddenly shook to its foundations. The holographic image on the table became distorted and the intelligence malfunctioned as the walls of the Strategy Hall began to spark with static bursts. Then explosions began to boom in the distance as some wings of the palace came crashing down.

"He's here" Loki whispered.

"He comes for the stone" Diarmaid said to Beyard with grave alarm, but his eyes carried a different message: He did not leave as agreed.

Loki looked at the king, who quickly nodded in consent.

"To battle stations!" Loki ordered. Beyard, Diarmaid, Duurgo, Zelius and Stingadr filed out of the hall. When they were all gone, Loki placed an arm around Ireena and pulled her towards him.

"Did you mean what you said? Will you give yourself to me once our enemies have been defeated?" he asked as his hand caressed the hollow of her back and traveled further down.

"I will be all yours" she replied breathless.

"Then mark my words, you will be mine tonight" he whispered as his hand cupped her rear and pushed her hard against him. He registered the way her breath caught in her throat and a moan nearly escaped her lips. He ran his thumb across her lips, then the Merciless Spear materialized in his other hand and he walked out, leaving her standing alone in the Strategy Hall.

Once outside, he effortlessly fought his way through the hordes of doombots that were overrunning the palace. Dozens upon dozens fell on his spear, landing in pieces on the floor. The palace continued to shake and columns were shattering with the force of the electric energy surging through the structure. After he emptied a corridor of Doom's cyborgs, he rushed to the staircase that led to the main level, then he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he sensed the presence behind him standing at the end of the coridor. The most wicked smiled played on his lips as he registered the pulsing energy that radiated from the entity. He turned...

... And there, holding a sword in each hand, was Barbara.

End of Chapter 21

Responses to reviews:

CLTex: Oh yes, Loki has really reversed to where he was at the end of The Avengers. You are absolutely right, Beyard will realize what he's done but by then it will be too late. Just wait, things are really picking up now! ;-) Thanks Christi! Hope you had a most wonderful Christmas!

LokiGrey: Aww, don't' cry darling! I know it's very hard for you reading this but for me it's actually a lot of fun! Just think of what may happen when Loki and Barbara come back! ;) I'm very happy to hear the news on your scholarship! Take full advantage of it, because college loans are a major pain in the ass. I've been paying for mine for the past 7 years and I'm still not done! Isn't it amazing how we go to college to get an education that will give us a job so we can pay back the education we received? Pffft... what's the point of it anyways if we're just going to be in debt for the rest of our lives. So consider yourself blessed that you're able to go to school debt-free! I share your happiness and wish you the best! :)

FIRE ELF MAIDEN: Thank you so much darling! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! :)

Scarlet3102: Hello Scarlet! Allow me to welcome to the Lokara journey! I am so happy that you've enjoyed my writing. Wow, that is very sweet of you to say! Thank you so much! But I think Marvel will think of my plot ideas as too melodramatic and too dark for PG-13 rated films lol. By the way, I absolutely love your name! Scarlett has always been my favorite name (thanks to Scarlett O'Hara, my favorite female character of all time). If I could change my name I would definitely change it to that. I hope to read your comments on future chapters, so don't be a stranger! :)

HarryPotterFreakie: Hey girl, how are you! Haven't heard from you in a while, I hope you're doing great! Happy to hear from you again! And you're right, the Verdandi fucked up big time and have no idea what's coming. Thanks for your review and keep in touch! :)

Anon fan: Just get it out of your system girl lol. It's ok, you can rave and scream all you want lol. Sorry to say that no, it's not going to get any better any time soon. I'm going to keep this shit going lol. It's ok tho, you'll enjoy it ;)

Hiddles-Skittles: Ha ha, I was hoping someone would say that! Trust me, I wanted to make the surprise in this story bigger than Mayhem's and it took a lot of brain-rattling and lots of scotch to finally come up with it! I hope it was satisfactory, even though it is sad... for now ehehehehe. Thanks Di!

westernfemme: Thank you so much, darling! And I'm really glad that you like it but hate it at the same time, that's exactly the type of reaction I was going for. It's also great to see that you and other readers' maternal instinct is coming out with Arik being in grave danger. How is everything going? I hope you had a great Christmas with your babies! :)

jjocasta: Hello darling! Thank you so much for the holiday wishes! As we say in my country: Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo! ;) That was so sweet of you to remember me on Christmas. It made my day! I hope you had a great time at Oxford! (and I hope to hear all about it hehehe) Enjoy your well-deserved vacation and take the time to relax and unwind! I also hope 2015 will bring a plethora of rich blessings and all the happiness you desire! :) xx