His Property [English]

Chapter 11

Loki smiled when he awoke in the morning and felt Lauren still in his arms. Gently he kissed her shoulder and she began to stir. She rolled over and enjoyed his kisses. "Morning," she said softly, stroking through his black hair. He looked up and kissed her on the lips; she leaned further into the kiss, but then he stopped and made her sigh.
"What's wrong, Loki?" she asked worriedly, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.
"I have the meeting with the council today regarding my marriage to Sigyn," he said quietly and Lauren nodded slightly as she understood why he was more nervous than usual. She almost forgot about it herself even as she had been reveling in her happiness with Loki for the past two weeks after they confessed their feelings. She smiled reassuringly and leaned up to kiss him chastely.
"It's going to be okay," she said; Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He took her hand in his and kissed the back of her hand. "I don't know what else I would do," he said softly; Lauren raised her hand to gently caress his cheek.
"Look at me," she said, and he did as she asked. "Everything will be fine; I trust you."
Loki leaned down and kissed her gently as he smiled against her lips. "I love you," he whispered against her lips; his hand traveled down to her stomach and gently caressed it.
"I love you too," she said, laughing lightly as his hand tickled a little. "But we shouldn't keep the Council waiting, Loki."
He sighed, but finally nodded in agreement and got out of bed; Lauren followed him to the bathroom. They didn't have too much time, so they quickly showered together before getting dressed. Before they left his chambers, he stopped her and took her hand in his, kissing the backs of both hands.
"Before we go there, I have to tell you something..." he explained gently and she frowned a little, "You have always been my only friend and I know that what I did to you was unforgivable. I would have protected you from monsters, but in the end that was me for you-"
"Loki-," she began, but he interrupted her.
"Please let me finish speaking," he begged and Lauren nodded, "I know it's unforgivable, but if you'll let me, I want to make amends for the rest of my life." -She looked at him in confusion and became even more confused when he sat down on his knee- "Become my wife and queen."
"I had already agreed," she said softly.
Loki nodded and smiled. "I know, but you didn't get a proposal and I read that was a Midgarian custom," he explained before raising his hand and letting a ring with an emerald appear between his fingers, "So you will be my wife and my queen?"
Lauren nodded and he slid the ring onto her finger before standing up and kissing her gently. "We should get going," she said as she caressed his chest; Loki nodded and took her hand in his before they left the chamber together and walked to the council chamber. No one dared look at them, especially since the king himself was at their side. The hall was already full when they entered. All eyes automatically looked to him and seemed not to notice them at the first moment. Loki led them to the head of the table and had them sit next to him; Sigyn sat on the other side of Loki.
"Since when do servants sit at this table?" a man asked, and Loki looked at him fixedly, his jaw tightened.
"She is here because she is the reason we have come together," he explained to the council, folding his hands in front of him on the table, "And when I am addressed, it is by my title." The man swallowed visibly and nodded.
"So the rumors are true that your slave is carrying your bastard child?" asked an older man.
Lauren winced at the man's words and Loki saw it out of the corner of his eye. "Lauren is pregnant with my daughter," he corrected him sharply. Suddenly, murmurs began in the hall and grew louder. "Silence!" roared Loki loudly, and the room fell silent.
"I will not marry Princess Sigyn," he finally said.
"My lord, do you know that breaking the engagement could mean that we would lose one of our strongest allies-"
"I will still be an ally, though," Sigyn interrupted him, "Even if I don't marry the king."
"What would be the point, princess? You would have no advantage," someone asked.
"I think that's what I alone should worry about," she said firmly.
"And who would you marry instead, my king? Asgard needs a queen," one of the men said.
Loki looked to Lauren. "I will marry the mother of my child," he declared.
"And what will the nine realms think of us if you make a whore Asgard's queen? How will she be of use to our realm except to spread her legs?" a man said, laughing. Loki stood up and slapped the table, it made everyone cringe, including Lauren, though she knew he wasn't angry with her.
"I will not tolerate being spoken of like that," he declared coldly, looking to the Einherjer, "Remove him." The man was seized by his arms and escorted out. Lauren took a deep breath as she stroked her stomach.
"I mean no disrespect," another older man began, "But it is required that the king marry a woman of noble blood; not a Midgardian who merely lives for a hundred."
"I will give her an apple of Idunn," Loki said as he sat back down. Apple? Lauren wondered, how was an apple going to save her? She took a deep breath as she felt a slight tug in her stomach.
"Immortality for a slave?" asked a man. Loki looked to Lauren and ignored the man; his eyes traveled to her stomach and he saw that she was clutching the fabric of her dress. He looked to Sigyn and leaned toward her.
"Lauren doesn't seem well; please go out with her," Loki said quietly and the princess nodded before standing up and leaving the hall with Lauren.
"Will Loki be all right?" she asked quietly and Sigyn nodded.
"It will," Sigyn said, stroking her back reassuringly. Lauren nodded, but stopped suddenly when she felt a sharp pain and held onto a pillar, gasping as she felt everything beneath her get wet.
"I think my water broke," she said softly, looking wide-eyed at the princess....