Betrothed - Thor Odinson x Reader

Chapter 7: Promises.

The next morning, you were woken up by the sunlight invading your bedroom. The days were getting warmer and you could feel the warmth spread in your chest. As you remembered the day before, you smiled so hard your cheeks hurt. When Hilde came in to help you get dressed she offered you a knowing smile and stayed silent, allowing you to relive the feeling of giddiness that took over you while with Thor. It felt like you were floating through the hallways, your body moving while your mind was entirely occupied. 

On your way to the dining hall, you were stopped abruptly by a guard you recognised as the one that had escorted you there on your first night at the castle. "Your highness, I regret to inform you that the king and his sons are occupied with urgent matters, so the queen will be having breakfast in her chambers and wishes for you to join her. Will you follow me?" he asked. "With pleasure, sir." you said, smiling kindly. The queen seemed to have taken a liking to you. She had been polite while having tea with you the day before, but you didn't have a chance to go beyond formalities as she was called for a meeting. "There is no need to refer to me as that, I am no sir." he said while leading you up the stairs. "Then you shall not use any formalities with me, either." you responded, smiling at his blush. "I could never not, my lady." he answered. "What is your name then?" you asked. "It's Ulf." he said, taking a left turn. "I am Y/n. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ulf." you replied, offering him your hand. He shook his head in disbelief and chuckled, but he took it anyway.

"Oh, dear, I was just looking for you. I thought Ulf had taken you hostage." Frigga joked, wrapping her arms around you in greeting. "I am afraid quite the opposite happened." you returned her embrace, while Ulf laughed. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I shall take my leave." he bowed his head and retreated. "I quite like this one." the queen said, leading you into her room and offering you to sit at the table in her sitting room. "I do too. Your chambers are beautiful!" you exclaimed, looking at your surroundings. The room was similar to yours, only larger and filled to the brim with art. The walls were decorated by paintings, depicting landscapes and members of the family. Opposite of a window was a portrait of her holding a baby, presumably Loki, and her husband, whose hands sat on the shoulders of a young Thor, his chest puffed out in a regal pose. Still, you noticed his expression was bored, and imagined the boy was impatient to abandon his pose and run off to meet his friends. The scene you pictured brought a smile to your face. "He was quite a wild one." Frigga said softly, following your gaze to the portrait with a nostalgic smile, "Even in the womb, he would not stop kicking." 

"That was actually what I wanted to talk to you about." she continued. Suddenly, your eyes widened. Were you expected to carry Thor's heir soon? Were the wedding preparations already in motion? "Do not fret, my dear, my intention is not to pressure you, just to prepare you for your future, one queen to another." she explained, sitting in front of you and taking a bite out of her plate. "I understand, I should not be surprised. It all just seems so sudden." you sighed. "The role placed upon you is not an easy one. I was once in your position, I felt so out of place here. How are you adjusting to court?" she asked, placing a hand on yours. You took a bite and chewed ad you thought about it. "It hasn't been easy, but it is more simple as time passes. Loki has helped me, I am truly grateful. You raised a wonderful man." you responded. Frigga smiled, pleased by the knowledge that she had been right in her assumption that you and her son would get along well. "I truly did. I hope you feel the same about my other son." she grinned. You coughed, choking on the water you were sipping. "Of course, Thor is... a good man." you blushed. "I am glad you feel that way." she said, looking down at her lap. "Is everything alright?" you asked. "Your father informed us of some tension near the borders of Vaneheim. He asked to deliver you this." she said, fetching a letter from a desk near her and handing it to you. You immediately open the envelope, not caring about how impolite it may look. This was the first time you heard from your father since your arrival. The letter read:

"My dear crow,

I miss you terribly. I sincerely hope you are well. The messengers king Odin has sent told me you were in good health, but I can't help but wonder if you are happy. Still, I have no doubt you will find your place at court. You are as smart as your mother was, perhaps even more, and your heart is just as kind. You must be wondering why I have not written to you sooner. I have been occupied in leading our army in battle at our borders. The Dark Elves seem impatient to invade our realm. I was forced to ask Odin to postpone your wedding, as I will need the assistance of his army and his best leaders, his sons. This will be a chance to get to know the man you will marry better, but it will also mean I won't be visiting you for a long time. I wish I could be by your side each day, my darling girl, and only find peace in knowing you are taken good care of by the queen and Hilde. Bjorn sends you his regards. I pray to the Gods each day for you and I hope you'll do the same for us. We are in dire need of it. I love you more than I could ever say."

Frigga placed a hand on your shoulder and simply held you once she noticed the tears in your eyes as you read the end of the letter. "My husband and children are preparing to leave at noon. While they'll be gone, I want you to promise me that we will share this burden. You won't be alone." she whispered. "I promise."

At noon, you and Frigga stood at the gates of the castle, watching as the three men approached you. While Frigga spoke to her husband, you walk towards Loki. "If your Seiðr allows it, you must send me a sign everything is well." you pleaded. "I would never dream of leaving a dear friend in despair." he said, wrapping his arms around you for a moment. Once he let you go, you turned to Thor, who looked at you with a sad smile. "I wish I could spend this time getting to know you, but I will fight to come back as soon as possible." he said, taking your hands in his. You nodded, looking down at the ground. You would have to wait for him, but you had no doubt he would keeps his word. "I will be waiting." you whispered, "You still need to teach me how to wield a sword." His smile grew wider. "I will, but I asked Sif to assist you while I'm gone." he said. "Will she not join you?" you asked nervously.  You despised the idea of having Sif teach you, simply because you were sure she would take the chance to humiliate you constantly, but knowing Thor had been so kind as to think about your wish to train was enough to relieve you. "She will lead the castle guards." he answered, and you nodded. After a moment of silence, he pulled you closer to him and pressed a long kiss to your forehead. "Keep me in your thoughts as I'll keep you in mine," he whispered once he pulled away, looking into your eyes. "There is no way I could avoid that." you responded.