Hela-Loki's Daughter

Chapter Seventeen

LOKI'S POINT OF VIEW
I followed Thor out of my chambers, closing the doors behind us with a snap of my fingers. 

As the doors slammed shut, I began to relax. I hadn't anticipated being met with such an avalanche of grief upon returning home. With a deep breath, I shoved these feelings to the side. I could deal with it later.

"Hela's chamber is right here," Thor directed me as he opened a door directly adjacent to the one I had just closed, "Father thought it best to keep it in the same place as Sigyn had planned for her nursery to be."

"Good," I said nodding, trying to ignore his mention of Sigyn, "I'd like to keep her close to me, to keep her safe."

"I figured as much," he said, "You never got to use the nursery anyway with you being imprisoned and all so why not use it now?"

My brother was so incredibly blunt at times I wondered how he managed to survive all these years without someone putting an ax to his head after becoming offended at one of his comments. Sometimes I thought it was a wonder that I hadn't done it myself.

"Ha," I managed, "Why not?"

Thor chuckled, clapping me harshly on the back before opening up the large dark oak doors that lead into Hela's chamber.

"Before mom died, she had it all spruced up for Hela," he said, leading me inside, "She had hoped that Hela would eventually come back to Asgard, either with me or with you, so she made it all nice and not so much of a nursery."

There he went again, talking about someone who had died. I longed for him to shut up about my mother or my wife or my awful choices. I just wanted to get past it all, I wanted to focus on Hela.

I walked through the chamber, still holding Hela tightly in my arms.

The rooms certainly had my mother's touch. Light pooled in through sheer green tapestries that lead out to a large balcony. Every fixture was accented with shimmering gold. Despite the lavishness of it all, it managed to still feel warm and comforting. It was distinctly feminine and elegant yet fit for a small princess such as Hela. 

I gently placed Hela on the bed, being careful not to wake her as I took off her shoes and put the blankets over her. 

"Loki?" Thor said softly.

"Yes?" I said, looking over my shoulder as I sat at Hela's side. 

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Sorry?

"As much as I'd love to hear you grovel for my forgiveness," I said turning towards him, "I hardly know what this apology is for."

He paused. He seemed to struggle to figure out what to say and he certainly didn't look comfortable.

"I'm sorry that you weren't given the opportunity you deserved to be a father."

I continued to look at him with a quizzical expression. I wondered what caused him to feel this way. It was unlike my brother to apologize unless he absolutely had to. This was one of the few ways in which we were similar. 

"Thank you," I said simply, still somewhat unsure as to why he was apologizing. He wasn't the one guilty of ripping me from Fatherhood. Odin had been the one to imprison me and send Hela to Midgard. Thor had just been following orders as a good son should. Thor was innocent, right?

"Well," he said, straightening his posture, "I should go. Father's holding a feast tonight in Hela's honor, try to make an appearance?"

I nodded, "Of course."

With a fast swish of his cape, Thor was gone with the doors shut swiftly behind him.

Finally, I thought to myself. 

Once again, I was alone with just my daughter. Whilst she continued to sleep, I couldn't help but watch. She finally looked peaceful, even calm. 

When I had been her age, I was practically spoiled rotten. I had been showered with luxuries my entire childhood. Growing up in a palace such as this was such a privilege in itself but I had been afforded more than just that. Most importantly, my childhood had been effortless and peaceful.

I wondered as I watched her sleep if she had ever experienced luxury in her life as I had. Had that star-spangled freak allowed her to simply be a child? I know she had been tested on, Thor had admitted that to me. Had she been truly taken care of on Midgard? I had never dared to ask her of her feelings for Steve, much less had he been a good father to her. I realized just how little I knew of her life thus far. 

I shook these anxieties out of my head and got up. I couldn't allow myself to dwell. I had to make sure that Hela was taken care of. Thor said there was to be a feast, therefore I had to ensure that Hela was properly dressed and adorned. She was the sole heir to Asgard's throne and my daughter, I refused to allow her to show up to her first feast in jeans and converse. 

Out of the wardrobe in her room, I grabbed a simple frock undoubtedly left there by mother years prior. 

This shall do, I thought to myself. 

With. just a simple conjure and spell, I turned the plain white dress into a gown fitting for a young princess. It swiftly melted into a pale green dress, adorned by small golden vines. 

I smiled to myself, adding a few last touches before hanging it up for Hela.

Magic was incredibly useful at times.