Born to be a King
Chapter 23
The little boy and the slightly taller man stared at one another. The little boy looked at the slightly taller man with apprehension and a bit of fear. The slightly taller man looked at the little boy with awe, uneasiness and curiosity. The large, muscular man standing behind the little boy looked on expectantly, waiting for the smaller man to say something.
Anything.
He knew this was the reaction he would get if he brought his nephew to him. But he had no choice.
The little boy looked up at his large, muscular uncle standing behind him and whispered: "Are you sure about this, uncle Thor?"
Thor looked down at the boy and nodded with a reassuring smile, then raised his eyes and looked at Tony Stark, signaling him to say something.
"I'm sorry" Tony blinked, snapping out of his stupor "so this is the kid that Kill Bill was rambling about?"
"Yes. This is Arik, Loki and Barbara's son. My nephew"
"Wow" was all Tony could say. He looked down at the small boy, and could see the striking resemblance to the madman who had terrorized the world just a few years prior. He had the same hair, the same eyes, the same facial features, but in his eyes shone the innocence and sweetness of childhood. Oh, the irony.
"I'm sorry Reindeer Games Junior" he said to Arik "forgive my lack of manners, but you see, the last time your father and I crossed paths, he was an egotistical, Earth-conquering maniac..."
"Stark" Thor warned.
"Tony!" Pepper chastised.
"Oh, alright, alright. I'll cut him some slack, but only because he's your kin" he got close to Thor so that only he could hear what he was about to ask next "he's not here because of marital issues, is he?"
"No. They're away on a mission and under my orders. But he and his parents are in grave danger. This is the safest place for him now"
"Ah. All-powerful, intergalactic demons and miscreants bent on universal destruction and death?"
"Something of the sort"
"Great" Tony said loudly "that settles it. He's staying here. Poor kid, God knows the shenanigans his daddy must be doing right about now. Pepper, please ensure that the grandest, most comfortable suite is available for our esteemed royal guest. I'm sure Reindeer Games Junior is only accustomed to the finest, therefore It is now my sworn duty to ensure that one day he looks back on his little vacation on Earth with the fondest of memories. Might even save us some trouble in the unforeseeable future"
"Don't worry Thor. He'll be fine here with us" Pepper reassured.
"Fine? Better than fine. We're going to have a jolly good time. Just wait till you meet the rest of the gang, little man. They're all going to love you. Especially Fury" he said to Arik, but looking at Thor with a blatant message in his yes. Fury is not going to like this.
Thor knelt in front of his nephew and straightened the little boy's coat, trying to find the words. "Your stay here will not be long, I promise. Have no fear little nephew, these are my friends and you can trust them. They'll make sure that you're safe until I return. Alright?"
Arik nodded, trying to appear as brave as he could. "Are father and mother in danger?" he asked.
"Yes. They need my help so I must go to them" Thor replied, realizing that he could not lie to his nephew "but I promise you that you will see them again very, very soon. They love you Arik, and they will stop at nothing until you are safe in their arms again. Remember that, and try to enjoy your stay here. I can assure you, Stark is of the most agreeable company"
"Oh, don't worry little man. You're not going to want to leave when your uncle comes back to get you. We're going to watch movies, play video games, eat pizza, vandalize the town, deface public property, get people to kneel..."
Thor and Arik looked at Tony with the oddest of looks.
"Well, with him being Rock of Ages' son, I figured that was his idea of fun" he shrugged, earning him a glare from both Pepper and Thor.
Thor hugged Arik tightly. He could feel his nephew tremble as he fought against the fear and the tears that stung his eyes.
"Please bring them back" Arik whispered. Tony and Pepper looked at one another knowingly.
"I shall" Thor said.
"Safe journey, uncle" Arik said when Thor stood and moved to leave.
"He cannot leave the tower under any circumstance and he cannot be seen by anyone" Thor said in a hushed tone to Tony.
"Don't worry, Pointbreak. None other than the gang will ever know he was even here"
"Thank you"
"My pleasure. Just tell Reindeer Games that he owes me big time" Tony said, patting Thor's shoulder before he walked over to Arik and took his hand.
"Arik, did you know that your daddy once threw me out that window right there?" he said, pointing to a large glass wall on the opposite side of the room.
"He did? Why would he do that?" Arik asked with astonishment.
"Well, you see, it was all in good fun. I offered him a drink, and we were chatting, and he thought it would be great fun to see if I really knew how to fly. Jarvis, do we still have the security feed from May 2012?"
"Indeed we do, sir" the artificial intelligence responded.
"Perfect. Please remind me to show our guest a little later. Now come, little man, let me show you to your room. Tonight you'll meet your uncle's friends. They all live here, and they'll be so delighted to meet you. We're called 'The Avengers', Earth's mightiest heroes type of thing..." Tony said as he led the small boy out of the penthouse and further into the Avengers Tower.
Arik looked back at his uncle one last time before he entered the large corridor. Thor nodded back in reassurance, and then, Arik was gone.
With newfound urgency, Thor rushed to the landing platform outside of Tony Stark's penthouse, and in a flash of rainbow lights, he disappeared.
A funeral and a coronation, both in the same day.
For the past five thousand years, Verdandi had not seen the like. Beyard, the last of the great, noble rules, was dead. The last protector's name was now carved into the Hall of Remembrance as no more than a memory. In the balance hung the fate of the last refuge in the universe, the last haven for those who lost their homes, their families, their lives. It was now the trophy of one who sought kingship only to satisfy his own vainglory.
Had the Fates erred?
The new day was now dawning. The palace gates had closed, the pyres had finally stopped burning, the last of the citizens from the other four kingdoms currently exited as the light of the Ether Road burst upwards for the last time that day. The halls of the palace were being emptied of servants. Throughout the large crystal structure, the constant merry twinkle of light bursting through the massive spectrums was now silent. Over the palace hung a shroud of silence that was unsettling and somber, much to Loki's dismay. The people had cheered and shouted, chanted his name and fallen to their knees as he was anointed Verdandi's rightful ruler. But behind the uproar of their voices, he could see the uneasiness, the fear, and the expectancy in their eyes. No grand feasts were ordered following his anointment, and Loki had opted for the quiet sanctuary of the throne room. From here, he had dictated his first mandates until well into the night. Vast numbers of Shadow Legions were ordered to make ready for war, and the Inkeri were appointed as Loki's personal guard. Now, as dawn slowly began to break on a new day, Loki still sat on the throne, voicing decree after decree.
He now looked down at Durrgo who was receiving his first mission from the king: To retrieve the Power Gem and the Reality Gem from their earthly confines deep in the jungles to the west of the city.
"You will find the Reality Gem hidden behind the waterfall. If the water nymphs resist, kill them all"
"But my liege, if I may, the Vatnhugr were protected under the rule of King Be..."
"I said, kill them all should they resist" Loki emphasized. Durrgo nodded in defeat and hid further into his cloak.
"Aye, my king. I will do as commanded"
"I pray you do, Durrgo. I would hate to see the commander of the biggest army in the universe fall simply because he failed to follow a simple order"
Next, it was Stingadr who knelt at the bottom of the dais.
"My king, the palace now houses all of the strongest, most able Inkeri warriors as you commanded. They've been appointed with the care of your majesty's person"
"Excellent. At least one commander knows the value of doing exactly as his king bids him" Loki said, giving Durrgo a threatening glare "ensure that the Inkeri are well provided for. I will have my personal entourage no less than fully content"
Loki raised an eyebrow when he noticed an old man enter the throne room. With his shoulders sagged, his face fallen, and sunken eyes, Diarmaid came to kneel at the bottom of the dais, next to Stingadr and Durrgo.
"Ah, the chief magician joins us at last" Loki quipped "I'm surprised you decided to set foot outside your abode, given your immeasurable grief"
"My grief is immeasurable indeed, milord" Diarmaid spoke "but alas, my loyalty is with the one whose place is where you sit. I've come to offer the same service and devotion I bestowed upon your father. They're now yours, should my king find it in his heart to accept them"
Loki studied the old sorcerer. He knew him to be astute, conniving, and resourceful. A man after his own heart, really. If there was anyone capable of rebellion and revolt, it was Diarmaid. Therefore, he would take him to his heart, and have him be the same loyal dog he was to Beyard. Loki smiled widely at the chief magician, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Your devotion and service shall serve as a balm to help lessen the grief we both share" he said with all the fondness he could muster "now pray tell Diarmaid. I inherit a throne burdened by war and coveted by a foreign intruder. What is your counsel?"
"Secure your claim upon the throne, my king" Diarmaid spoke "the people know you to be the Promised One, now you must show them that you are indeed the one they prayed for. Seal the terms of your succession, honor the conditions of the alliance. Take the princess as your bride and join Asgard and Verdandi as one"
"I am king of Asgard, and sole ruler of Verdandi. An alliance by marriage means nothing now" Loki replied with disgust "is this really your counsel, Diarmaid? A wedding? A spectacle to give the people a moment of merriment? You wish me to celebrate while there are threats standing at our very doors, and an armada hovering above our heads. You've gone senile, old man"
"With respect sire, the terms between Beyard and Odin for your succession were solely based on the prophecy that foretold your birth, the same prophecy which dictated that Princess Ireena was to be your queen. You have succeeded as the oracles foretold my king, now the people look to you to fulfill the rest. I also beseech you on behalf of the young maiden. She is burdened by grief and loses herself to mourning. The fulfillment of the marriage contract will surely give her the security she desperately needs and the balm of your affections will lessen her suffering"
Loki rolled his eyes at the mention of Ireena. The moment the coronation concluded, she had shut herself off in her chambers and wept like an orphaned bear cub. He scoffed. Women were atrociously burdened with sentimentality and overrun by petty melodrama. He would let her have her little moment of keening before he forced her to make true of her promise.
"What is this sudden concern for the princess, Diarmaid? Do you fancy her?"
"No my king, my concern for the princess' wellbeing stems from the same fatherly concern King Beyard had for the young maiden" Diarmaid said as he knelt lower.
"The princess was promised to me, and as such she is mine to do as I wish. You would be wise to put this concern from your mind, sorcerer"
At Loki's words, Stingadr almost visibly cringed and hid the look on dismay on his face by looking down at the floor. He fought against the sickening feel in his stomach, and the way his chest ached at the thought of the princess in the clutches of the madman who sat on the throne. What had Beyard and Diarmaid done to him? How had they managed to transform the misguided, arrogant and charming prince into a cold, stone-hearted and twisted tyrant? Oh, Ireena. His beautiful, innocent, precious Ireena. What she once longed for, she now dreaded. Stingadr could almost see her now: Locked in her chambers, trembling in fear like a frightened little fawn, waiting for the inevitable moment in which the ravenous wolf descended upon his prey.
"We're done" Loki declared, standing and slamming the base of the spear into the floor with finality.
Stingadr had never been happier to leave the throne room.
End of Chapter 23
Responses to reviews:
CLTex: Wow, you re-read Game of Shadows? That's great! I have yet to sit down and read any of the stories, maybe because I feel weird reading it knowing I'm the author lol. I don't know, it's a strange feeling, reading one's own work simply to be entertained. And yes, you're absolutely right. This spell that Loki and Barbara are under has made them totally unpredictable. They're both monster in their own unique way. Poor Ireena though, I feel bad for her. She has no idea what's coming to her. Maybe Barbara can give her a few pointers on how to handle a rapist Loki lol
LokiGrey: I thought of you when I wrote the scene in which they get a flashback of the past for just a few seconds. And well, on your deductions, you are SOMEWHAT right, I'll give you that one ;) You know, I worked part time during my first college bout. It was very stressful and my studies suffered a bit. I worked as a teacher's assistant for four hours a day and eight hours on my days off from school. It can be detrimental to your studies if you don't find a balance between work and study in which your schooling is the priority. Good luck this semester!
Guest: I'm glad you liked it! I wrote it in a way that read somewhat like a sex scene, thus making it enjoyable for the reader. Thank you! :)
Scarlet3102: Loki sass, indeed! That man exuberates finesse, arrogance and cheekiness lol. I'm worried as well for how Loki will handle when Thor gets to him, particularly since he will find him in a very compromising situation (hint, hint lol). Bear in mind that Loki's current mindset is the one he had at the end of Thor 2, in which he thinks that he is king of Asgard, which means he's in for a very rude awakening! Lol Thanks for your review and continued support, darling! :)
Anon fan: Oh no, someone call 911! Anon's fallen and she can't get up! Seriously girl, you're a mess LOL. I lost my shit at the guinea pig comment, and I got a visual of Loki and Barbara in a cage fucking like guinea pigs LOL. I just about died with laughter. Thanks for the love hun, as always. Holla back youngin'!
LisaF: Thank you so much for your sweet comments as always, Lisa!
Hiddles-Skittles: Hey Di! It's ok, I was very busy as well during the holidays. Now I'm working on losing the weight I gained during the season. I ate so much that you would think I was a she-bear about to go into hibernation lol. I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapters you missed! Talk to you soon! :)