Asgard's New Princess

Chapter 18-Eren's Uncle

Chapter 18

I woke up to laughing.

"It seems she does not desire to return!"

"What's going on?" I tried to move and found that I was cocooned in stone.

Loki was beside himself. "Thor found you here, and the moment he tried to lift you, you trapped yourself and him in the stone!"

I melted it away and Thor hastily retrieved his hands. "Eren, you should be in bed."

"I was doing just fine right here." I smiled and stood up. "Now, I'm going to eat breakfast. Bye, Loki!"

He was too busy laughing to reply, and as soon as Thor and I were out of sight, Thor began to speak to me. "What did you say to him? He was hardly that jovial yesterday when I spoke to him."

I shrugged. "Dunno. I guess I never showed an aversion to his being a Frost Giant, and he thinks everyone else has, including you."

"But I did nothing of the sort! He is delusional to think-"

I answered harshly, "It doesn't matter if you did or not. Loki thinks you did, which is all that matters."

He paused. "You are right. I apologize for making you angry."

I grabbed the front of his armor, and he caught my elbows, probably thinking I was dizzy. "Thor, tell me you understand how important family is, especially to Loki."

"My brother cares not for me or our father or mother."

I sighed in exasperation. "Listen to me. These wars he's been starting, look at what happened right before each one of them. He found out who his father really was, and Odin wasn't too kind about it, was he? And now, with New York..."

"Father and I were none too kind to him upon the end of the war with Jotenheim."

"He was upset, then tortured for months. Understand, Thor, family and acceptance are more important to him than they are to almost anyone else. Imagine being disowned, rejected, and told you were never meant for anything by the one person you most wanted to please." I blinked down, remembering my own childhood.

He took my hands and pulled me off. "I cannot. But I do understand. However, if Loki has already decided that I am not his brother, then you are the only one left that he trusts."

"I just said; family is important to him, Thor. You need to show him that you are still worthy of his trust. I can't help you there."

I walked to breakfast, shivering not against cold but against cold thoughts and memories.

I was eleven. Loki had gone back to Asgard just two hours previous. My uncle was home for once, instead of out gambling or drinking.

"Eren!" he exclaimed, and I slid down the rail for the stairs. "Where are you?"

"Right here!" I smiled. "Loki and I had a great time today! You should see-"

"Stop talking about him. You're eleven years old; it's time you quit talking to imaginary friends and started focusing on real people, real problems. When I was your age I was earning half of my family's income. Go make something of your life."

I bit my lip. "Uncle, I'm only eleven. I can't get a job or drive or anything yet. I would if I could-I promise! I'm just too small."

"Then go cook something; that's what women are for anyway."

"I can't!" I wailed for the twelfth time that month. "I can't reach the microwave or the stove, and I-I'm scared of the oven! Mom burned herself on it!"

"Then you're worthless, and you're no niece of mine. My family are all hard workers, good people. My sister died because she married too good a man, and you can't even cook for an old man."

An old drunk, I thought with a snort as I walked into the dining hall. My uncle had said many things like that to me, to the point where I hardly considered him an uncle, but just someone I had to live with until I could be on my own. That's why I left when I was sixteen. After burning him, I had to go. With his tendencies he might've spit at me if I stayed much longer, or else thrown me out, and I wanted to leave with dignity.

Frigga jumped to her feet when she saw me. "Eren! Oh! I'm so glad you're safe!" She pulled me into a fight embrace and said quietly, "Both my sons helped rescue you, didn't they?"

"They were most brave," I answered with a smile before sitting down opposite Thor.

The food tasted amazing; I'd never had any fruit so succulent, or any meat so tender. I downed as much as a regular Asgardian, whose metabolisms were three times as fast as a human's, and my water cup was filled several times.

There was little talking; Odin's presence created a rift, where we could not talk of my absence without talking about Loki, and we didn't want to bring up Loki in front of Odin. I didn't mind not talking in front of him. I'd never liked him, and how he had treated Loki the night before imprisoning him was unforgivable. 

"Lady Eren," said a servant near the end of the meal, "Lady Sif wishes you to meet with her in two hours on the training grounds."

"Thank you." I stood up, preparing to get washed up and put on a new dress, but not any battle armor. I wasn't quite up for that yet.

Sif. She'd been a good friend in my younger years, but I didn't know what to think of her now. She had both insulted Loki and assisted me in going to see him. I prepared for the worst.