Daughter of Darkness

Princess of Asgard

I stare with my mouth hanging open. Wanda was pregnant with a child? "Good for her. Who's the father?" I try to sound happy instead of disappointed that she might've moved on while I was gone. I didn't mean to be away for so long, but any time I tried to leave, my mother or Thor would stop me, saying that six months of presence didn't make up for six years of absences.

Pietro laughs and looks at me. "You. She's been complaining about it since we found out. She said that she won't kill the child, but she's giving it up for adoption as soon as the baby's born."

"The hell she is!" I yell as I open the door. Wanda looks at me, her face turning red when she sees my expression. "Was your brother telling the truth?" I point at Pietro. Her eyes go wide and she swallows hard.

"Y-yes," she stutters. She clears her throat. "It's true. I am pregnant with our daughter-"

"But you don't want her." I finish harshly and scoff. "Why? Occasionally, a few humans your age have a child. And the child would hold immense power. Plus if she has your beauty and my wit, she'd get whole realms to fall at her feet." I chuckle at imagining it. A child with our combined strengths would be a force to be reckoned with.

"That's what scares me, Loki," Wanda says as she brushes her fingers through her hair. She takes another breath and I wait for her explanation. "I've had time to learn about my magic, but a child like this will be dangerous. I mean, imagine the kind of things she could do with our power combined. And if she's anything like you, then she'll destroy worlds."

"Anything like me?" I repeat in confusion. I scoff and lose any sort of jokiness to my expression. "You mean like mischievous? Cruel? Evil?"

"Yes!" She erupts. "You were hiding from your brother because you tried to kill him. You hate your father because he gave Thor the throne. All of your magic comes from anger and hate. If you had a child and she was anything like that, then that kid would be the most dangerous thing alive."

"Which is why we'd raise her to not be," I argue loudly. "I grew into that, we can teach her to not."

"I don't want to, Loki. I don't want to, and will not raise this child. When she is born, I'm putting her up for adoption."

"Then, I'm pre-adopting her." I blurt without thinking. "Hang-on, is that a thing? Do humans do that?" She looks so annoyed with my sudden mood change. Wanda throws her hands into the air and sighs. She sits back on her bed.

"The point of giving her to someone else is so that we wouldn't have a connection to her."

"But I want a connection to her. If you don't fine, but she's my kid too."

"Exactly my point!" She yells at me. The same argument repeats again for roughly an hour. She doesn't want to be responsible for a little child, all she wants is to focus on avenging her home and family, but she doesn't want me to have a part to play in the kid's life either. But I want to, so it creates a big deal.

When I get tired of arguing with her, I walk out and go to a spare room, making an astral projection to Thor on Asgard.

"So she doesn't want to be a parent, but you do," Thor asks when I'm done explaining. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. "That sounds complicated."

"Wow, thanks for the advice, brother." I say sarcastically. "I don't know what to do."

"Take the child. If you're serious about raising this kid, if you're willing to do everything you'd need to in order to keep her safe and have a good life, then take the child when she is born." He advises. I nod.

And that's what I do. I spend the days helping Wanda out and being there for her, but I go away occasionally to try to make allies out of my old enemies. I've made quite a lot and the last thing I want is for them to hurt my daughter. And I already have a name picked out.

The moment she's born, I can't stop smiling as I hold her in my arms. I actually start crying. "Wanda, she's beautiful." I say softly. She's tiny with black hair and bright blue eyes. I look at Wanda, who's squeezing her eyes shut.

"Go, Loki." She orders.

"What? Don't you want to even know her name?" I ask incredulously.

"No! I don't want to know anything about her." She says harshly. I stare at her in surprise.

"Wanda-"

"Go Loki! Just leave!" She yells. I sigh and wrap my precious girl in a blanket. If that's what she wants, then that's what I'll do.

"Everyone, there's someone Id like you to meet," I announces when we arrive at the palace and go into the dining room where everyone's sitting. Thor smiles brightly at me as he rushes over to his brother.

"Aw, look at her. She looks like an angel. Obviously more like her mother." Thor jokes as he holds his niece and I laugh.

"True, but she does have that wicked spark in her eye."

"Obviously her father," Frigga chimes and holds her arms out. Thor hands the child to her and Frigga coos as she bounces the child. "What's her name?"

"Doesn't matter," Odin says suddenly. Everyone looks at him. He sits at the table, drinking from his golden chalice, not even looking at us. "That child is not staying in this palace."

"Yes, she is," Thor argues, standing up for his brother and niece. "She's living here with us."

"No, she is leaving. That child is too dangerous to be left alive." Odin argues. "With the amount of power she has and with Loki as her father, she'll kill everyone she meets."

"No, she won't. She'll be better than me."  I snap fiercely. "I ended up this way because mischief was the only way to get your attention. That's not going to happen to her. Vladislava will get attention for good behavior, not bad." Odin scoffs.

"You can't change who you are, Loki!" He yells as he stands up. "You can only pass it on." He walks out of the room. I take a deep, shaky breath. I wipe my eyes and then Frigga hands me back my child who had started crying when Odin yelled.

"Sh, it's okay, Princess," I assure my baby girl softly and kisses her forehead. She keeps crying and I soothe her as best I can. Frigga squeezes my shoulder. 

I'm worried. If Odin truly believes that, then he might to harm Vladislava. He could try to hurt my child. And what if Thor ends up agreeing with him? Where would we go? Not earth. And I'd have trouble seeking sanctuary anywhere other than Asgard. Someone might come for her and I might not be strong enough to protect her. Or what if Odin's right about me?

I don't want my daughter to live the life I had. I want her to live better. I want to give her a better one. But if Thor agrees with Odin, then I might have to raise her myself, and I'm not sure how good of a father I can be on my own. What if I'm not a good one at all? It's not like I had an example.

Despite my panic, Thor pats my back. "You two won't be kicked out, brother, I promise." Thor assures me. "I have a niece, I want to get to know her." We smile and agree. "You'll always be welcome on Asgard and in this palace. She is now a princess of Asgard, she has my protection, I assure you. I am king now, so I can promise you that Father will not harm her."

"Yes," Sif says as she makes her presence known. "I will protect this little one as if she were my own."

I nod to her. "Thank you, Lady Sif," I bow my head in respect.

"So, you named her Vladislava," Frigga asks. I chuckle.

"It means 'Precious Gem.'" I inform them. "Something she is." I thought very carefully about what name I wanted to give her. Something special and unique. Just like her. I felt like that name suited her best.

"I love it." My mom chimes as she pulls the blanket back some and Vladislava grabs her finger.

Maybe I don't have to worry. But at the same time, if the three surrounding me are the only ones who are willing to defend her-besides me-then I might have to worry a lot. Especially if the most dangerous one is set on seeing her destroyed.