Tiwaz greeted us all with noisy chirps when we finally arrived back home two days later, just after moonrise. He curled his fluffy tail around Loki's leg and whined, clearly dissatisfied with whatever meals Grid provided while we were away. He carried on as if he'd never been fed a day in his life.
"I'll return the horses," Loki said after piling a load of our belongings by the fireplace.
Vali lit up. "Can we can keep one, Father? Please?"
I snickered under my breath. "How about you go with him and ask for lessons on how to ride first, hmm?"
Narvi kicked his shoes off and hopped into the rocking chair, settling in without a word. Like me, he had no interest in the horses.
"Oh, no. Don't think you're getting out of helping me unpack, little one."
"Aww." Narvi groaned and folded his arms tightly.
Loki rubbed Vali's head. "Your mother has a point. Take them home with me. And, since you're so eager, I'll lead them and you can ride one alone on the way."
He bounced a few times before bolting outside, yelling behind him, "Come on!"
"You know you're just delaying the inevitable," I said.
"Truth be told, if we didn't have other plans, I might've asked to keep one, too." Loki pecked me on the cheek and addressed Narvi, "The sooner you help put things away, the sooner you'll be able to relax."
"Okay, Father." Narvi slid off the seat of the rocking chair, dramatically splaying on the floor.
"I thought I was keeping the easy one," I said to Loki as he went to calm Vali's frantic demands outside.
Once I was certain they were gone, I sat next to Narvi on the floor and pulled my pack over. "Would you like to help me with something?"
"What is it?"
"I have a gift for your father, but it's not complete yet. I need your artistic eye."
Narvi sat up and sidled against me. "Aye. Let me see."
*.*.*
Vali returned atop Loki's shoulders, laughing at a game they'd been playing on the return to our house. Supper was nearly finished, and Narvi and I put away the last of the travel items, buzzing with excitement for our small surprise.
"It's almost like we never left," Loki said, putting Vali on the ground and kicking off his shoes.
"I had help." I pointed to Narvi, who humbly sat in the rocking chair with a small book.
"Don't lose that habit," Loki said and patted Narvi's head, moving on to Vali. "You could stand to learn some manners, too."
"I have manners," Vali whined, huffing toward the kitchen. He stopped and gasped once he saw the black box on the main table. "What's that?"
"A gift for your father," I said, nodding to it.
Loki pointed at his own chest and came forward. "For me?"
"Of course. The least I could to for the King of Vanaheim." I smiled with closed lips and made eyes at Narvi that it was time for him to come watch his father open it.
Loki smiled widely in genuine interest, feeling its weight and finding the opening. He slowly revealed the treasure within, teasing the boys as well as teasing me by taking too much time.
"What is it?" Vali nagged, pulling on Loki's tunic.
"I'm not sure," he said, finally opening the lid fully. "Oh, Gin." Gently as if it would disintegrate if he wasn't careful, Loki lifted the golden crown from the box and admired it from all angles, shining green sprites all over the room from the light refracting through the jeweled facets.
"Wow," the boys said in unison.
"It's truly a beauty. Put it on," I said.
Loki took a few steps toward the door to look in our mirror and placed the crown, which matched his eyes and was more regal that the giant horns he wore on Asgard. This understated piece was more appropriate for his age and his status—after all, if he was to be a man of peace, he needed to appear more like one of the people he served.
Narvi and I glanced at one another and approached him. Vali followed along, not sure what else to do. "Close your eyes for me."
He sighed with contentment and did as I asked, facing me before he did. "And?"
"And let's see if I still have the talent I once did." I took a breath and concentrated on Loki's form, then focused on my hands, which were both stretched in front of me. After a few scrawling motions, I quickly spread them apart and had to squint not to be blinded by the bright green of my middling magic.
As I quested, light peeled back over Loki to reveal a golden breastplate, laced with a snake on either side and winding leaves like the ones in the crown. Vambraces appeared on his forearms, and a thick green cape—deeper than the one he once wore—now tickled the floor. His boots were black and tall, not too unlike the ones he preferred every day, though they had gold buckles that matched the rest of the ensemble.
Vali cooed with awe, but Narvi beamed, grinning widely and nodding at me in approval.
Loki held his arms out at his sides and took everything in, occasionally looking in the mirror to take stock of what he couldn't readily see. He held up the vambraces and tipped his face. "Their names," he whispered, twisting the right arm which bore Vali's name, then the left with Narvi's.
He met my gaze with slight pink around his eyes. "Ginny, it's beautiful."
"Thank your son for some of that." I looked to Narvi. "It was his idea to add the names at all."
"Thank you, my son. I want to carry you with me everywhere, for all time." Loki lightly touched Narvi's cheek, then did the same to Vali. He stood again and looked in the mirror once more. "Though I have to say...one is missing."
"Oh?"
He turned toward me. "Should this armor be made, it would need your name here." Loki pointed to the center of his chest, just above the reversed crescent embossment that used to decorate all his armor. "Forever over my heart."
I blushed and let the wings in my belly fly freely without trying to suppress them. "Well, I'm glad you like it."
"I do. Truly. Thank you." He pecked my cheek, then looked between our boys. "What do you say, children—does the King of Vanaheim deserve a wife to match?"
"Aye!" they screamed, hopping in place.
I cocked a brow at him. "What are you up to?"
"Stay still." Loki held up his hands in the same way I did and asked the boys to count to three. Once they were finished, he pulled his arms apart as a wave of light shone over me.
When I opened my eyes again, the boys gave no reaction. Loki, however, smugly grinned and invited me to look in the mirror at his side.
I was perplexed at first. My frock—still brown. My hair—half-tied. No jewelry or armor covered me the way his did, and my face was just as creased and bare as it had ever been.
"What changed?" I asked, tugging at my clothes in case he placed something beneath them.
Loki took my hands. "Nothing. You are already my perfect queen, just as you are."
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END OF BOOK 3
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THANK YOU! Your readership and comments mean so much to me and have made this a pleasure project to complete. I am in the works to self-publish one of my other books in 2024, and I hope I can count on you when that comes!
I will begin Book 4 in the next week. In this installment, we get more POVs (Narvi and Vali) and things take a big turn. The mood of book 4 is more akin to 1 and 2. I hope I don't lose you along the way, but if I do, I hope you enjoy the other installments enough to read them again and again.
Cheers! - Jo Morgan Sloan