A Royal Arrangement

Chapter 27

- Vesper's Pov -

The previous night had been a restless one for me, as I hadn't managed to get any significant amount of sleep. My appearance was a clear indication of my lack of rest, and I didn't need to see myself in a mirror to know that I looked terrible. At that moment, the thought of disappearing into a hole away from everyone crossed my mind, but I couldn't afford to do that. There was something important that needed to be done. I had to speak to him.

It wasn't because I wanted to convince him to change his mind, but because he had the right to know. I couldn't help being curious about what had caused him to change his mind, but that wasn't my primary motivation for wanting to speak to him.

After the incident, I was left with a cluster of thoughts that I couldn't make sense of. I kept questioning myself, trying to understand what went wrong. Did I take too much time to make a decision? Was I too stubborn and uncompromising? What could I have done differently to avoid the outcome that I didn't want? Regrettably, I couldn't find the answers to these questions. Looking back, I think I should have taken the initiative to clear things up with him. Perhaps, if I had sent him a message expressing my desire to have a conversation and resolve our differences, things would have turned out differently. I knew that I could rely on Heimdall's reliability to deliver the message to one of his siblings. But alas, I didn't take that step, and now I'm left with nothing but regret.

It appears that I missed my chance to talk to my partner as he has already sent me divorce papers. I regret not having had the opportunity to communicate my thoughts and feelings to him before it was too late. Despite the heartache I feel, I have decided not to contest the divorce. It's because I understand that when Loki makes up his mind, it's nearly impossible to change it.

The dissolution of our relationship was not as easy as we had hoped it would be. There was one particular issue that added complexity to our separation; I strongly suspected that I might be pregnant. I had been experiencing severe morning sickness, fatigue, and all the other classic signs of early pregnancy. Even though I hadn't made an appointment with my doctor yet, I was pretty certain that I was in the early stages of pregnancy. This made the separation harder as we had to consider the potential impact on the baby and what the future would look like for all of us.

As soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I had to make a tough decision about whether or not to tell my mother. She has a history of being... difficult to deal with, and I didn't want to add to my stress. However, when I shared the news with my father and siblings, they were thrilled and hoped that it would be a good reason to bring my mother and Loki back together. I was hesitant about this because I didn't want Loki to come back just for the sake of the child. I wanted him to come back because he wanted to be with me.

On the other hand, I knew that he needed to know about the pregnancy. It was a significant event in our lives, and I didn't want to keep it from him. I also didn't want to divorce him, despite our issues. However, my pride prevented me from doing so because I didn't want him to think that I was only staying with him because I was pregnant. It was a challenging situation, and I had to weigh my options carefully before making a decision.
The decision of whether to tell him the truth weighed heavily on my mind. I was uncertain and hesitant, but my father convinced me that he had the right to know. Finally, I sent him a note to inform him that I had returned and wanted to have a conversation with him.
An hour passed, and I anxiously waited for his response. When his note finally arrived, I felt a flutter of hope in my heart. But as I read the words, my hope was shattered, and my heart sank with disappointment.

I could not help but feel a sense of sadness and regret, wondering if I had made the wrong decision or if there was something else I could have done differently. My head hung low as I tried to process my emotions and come to terms with the reality of the situation.
"What did he put?" My father asked, placing a gentle hand on my back. I stared at the letter, not understanding its cruelty and carelessness.
"All communications ought to be through their respective lawyers and Loki has no desire nor intention to see me," I handed him the letter and hid my face in my hands.
"I should head over to him and knock ten bells into him," Father fumed. He stood up to walk away but I grabbed his hand.
"No father. Now is not the time to brash decisions," Father sat down.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. I don't think sending him a letter says 'Thanks for letting me we are divorcing me but I'm pregnant?' That would be inappropriate," I ran a hand down my face. Took a deep breath and folded the letter up "I have to go and see him, whether he opens the door or not. That is up to him," I stood up and walked out the door. Shouting for my carriage.

I nervously went inside our house. But Edward had informed me that Loki had gone to the palace for breakfast.
"Oh dear..." I wasn't exactly in the mood for a family reunion now. I could have waited until he came back but I needed to see him before I changed my mind.

As I approached the castle gates, my heart started racing. I had been waiting for this moment for weeks, and finally, the guards let me in. They greeted me warmly, and I could sense their respect for me. I made my way to the dining room.

I could hear the clinking of cutlery and the sound of chatter from behind the door. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I heard the Queen's voice call out.
"Come in." I pushed the door open, and there she was, sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by her council.

I walked towards her, and she stood up to greet me. We exchanged pleasantries, and she asked me to take a seat. Which I declined.
"I'm not staying long," All eyes seemed to be staring at me. So I awkwardly waved. The whole family was there and the conversation and noise were instantly brought to a halt. My eyes searched the table until they found him sitting at the head of the table, looking at me in bewilderment.
"Vesper..." he said. My name was spoken softly, vulnerable for a moment but soon after, his expression hardened.
"Can we have a word, Loki? I need to tell you something," I said in a pinched voice; trying my best not to burst into tears. He looked at her perplexed at first, but soon his expression hardened.
"I don't know why you're here because I told you I'd rather deal with the lawyers, but since you're here it would be impolite to send you away, I guess. So, if you have anything to share with me, you may," he stated somewhat bluntly.

- Loki's Pov -

If looks could kill, I would be dead because my father was looking at me with utter annoyance in his gaze.
"Excuse me, Loki?" he said in a sharp voice "What exactly do you mean? Why did you hire a lawyer?"
"I had not wanted to announce it like this," I said with a sigh "Vesper and I are getting a divorce. I have asked them to initiate the divorce proceedings," I stated. The sentence should have come out emotionless but at the end, my voice had faltered. Most of the family had gasped at the news and were staring at us in astonishment.
"And why exactly do you want to divorce her, Loki?" My sister asked.
"That is a private matter and between me and Vesper," I spoke in an annoyed manner.
"But why, Loki?" asked Vesper suddenly. My gaze softened as I looked at her.
"I am only giving you what you want. You were the one who wanted a divorce," I said. Damn, this was too hard to do. Was this worth it? She was here, wasn't she? I hadn't known where she'd been for a fortnight; had spent every night wondering if she was all right and where the hell she was "You shouldn't have left," I looked out the window.
"Yes. I know. And you shouldn't have gone to Sigyn," she retorted.
"For the last time... Nothing happened between me and Sigyn, but you wouldn't believe me," I shouted. We looked at each other briefly; until we both averted our gaze.
"I... I think it would be better if all of us left so you can continue-" Vidarr began but I interrupted him.
"No. You will all stay here," I ordered. It was a cowardly move. But I would not be able to hold back if I was alone with her.
"Vesper," said Hela "Do sit down and have something to eat,"
"No thank you, Hela. I just want to speak to your brother,"
"Well, go ahead then," I said bluntly "This is my family; we are not among strangers,"
"Loki... Wouldn't you rather be alone with her so you can discuss things," Thor suggested.
"No. NO ONE IS LEAVING. You all are staying put," I demanded before directing my attention back to my soon-to-be ex-wife "Are you going to tell me or not?" I demanded to know.
"Never mind, I suppose you're right. Perhaps it would be better if we used the lawyers to communicate via. I will inform my father so that we can," and she swallowed briefly "Set the procedure in motion as soon as possible. My apologies for disturbing you. Goodbye everyone," she said. As she looked at me, her gaze lingered a little longer than normal "Goodbye, Loki," and just at that moment, she was overcome by an attack of nausea which made her reach for her mouth in horror just to hold back.
"Are you okay?" said Sif and she stood up and walked towards Vesper, but she waved away her good intentions.
"I'm fine, Sif, thank you. Fine. We'll be fine," she said, completely unsuspecting of the last part of her sentence "I have to go now," and on that note she turned and walked away, closing the door behind her.

Countless eyes seemed to stare at me angrily. I pretended not to care. I had just sat when I felt a firm slap on the back of my head. I looked back at the culprit and saw Vali looking at me dead serious and not at all sorry for what he had done.
"What was that for? I'm going to-" I shot up and was going to do the same to him until I heard my mother yell.
"Loki Odinson. Don't you dare!" she warned me, much to my irritation.
"But mother he hit me!" I exclaimed. It was as if at that moment, I was a child again and they had been arguing about a toy or something.
"I'm not going to repeat myself," Mother said. I only looked at her resentfully and then down the table. I heard a chair move and looked up to see Father standing up.
"Vali, Thank you for that just now, if you hadn't smacked him, I would have," said Father. Vali made a smug face and a waving gesture with his hand that seemed to indicate 'it was nothing'.
"As would I have," said Hela as she slapped me. Her slap hurt more as she added a flick.
"Hela!" I yelled, ducking as Thor went to hit me "Will you all just stop it?!"
"Face it, brother, we all would have slapped you and enjoyed it too," Thor remarked.
"What the fuck, Loki? Explain yourself!" Baldur who had been silent until then wanted to know.
"Language," Mother reprimanded.
"Apologies, mother. I shall rephrase..." Baldur faced me "What the fuck, Loki. Please explain yourself," Baldur corrected himself. Mother covered her face. Vali chuckled a bit. He then saw Mother glaring at him, and he stopped.
"It is between mine and Vesper's lawyers," I spoke. Vali shook his head in disbelief.
"Loki, I have always looked up to you because, despite being an idiot. you always do the right thing, but I have never been so disappointed in you. Never," Vali said as he looked at me directly "The Loki I know wouldn't run away from his responsibilities and abandon his marriage and wife," I didn't respond; just gazed back at my younger sibling in silence. I could argue; I could tell them all about Dimitri's visits to Vesper but that wouldn't change much.
"Excuse me but I have miraculously lost my appetite," I said as I took the napkin off my lap and threw it on the plate. But then I felt a hand around my neck that threw me to the other side of the room, onto the sofa.

- Thor's Pov -

"SIT DOWN!" I shouted at my brother "We need to talk about what the hell just happened!" Loki rolled onto the floor. Flipping his hair while he climbed to his knees. He summoned his dagger and flew at me.
"Why did she say we?" asked Sif suddenly with a puzzled look on her face. Loki stopped mid-run and stared at Sif.
"What?" He asked.
"Vesper... She said 'We'll be fine' at the end; speaking in plural tense," Sif spoke.
"Oh... yes, she did say something like that now that you mention it," Hela frowned "Peculiar thing to say but maybe she meant herself and her family?"
"But that doesn't make sense, does it? The Hawthorne's are well off and not in fear of poverty. No, it seemed like she was talking about herself and another person because...." Vali's gaze dropped. His mouth fell open and his eyes grew large "Oh, shit,"
"What is it, Vali? Why are you looking like that?" Baldur tilted his head.
"Loki! That thing she wanted to tell you; her nearly throwing up just now. I think she is with child," Vali stated.
"Oh my Gods," he said, dropping his dagger. I quickly kicked it away before moving to the door and opening it "Oh Lord. I must... She... She is going to have a baby. My... baby..."
"Brother, breathe," Vidarr spoke up. Poking him in the arm. Loki then smiled at the thought but not for long his expression changed once more into a serious one for he had to talk to her now.
"I. I... have to," he repeated without explaining what he had to do.
"Then get going," said Mother, waving him away. He looked at the door to see I had already opened it. He tilted his head.
"I will return your dagger later. Get going," Loki nodded and then stormed out of the room, and ran downstairs. I watched as he nearly fell down the stairs "What are we going to do with him?" I leaned my arm on the door and shook my head.
"I could slap him again?" Vali offered as he raised his hand. Mother glared at him. Vali lowered it and hid behind Vidarr.
"I'm not helping you," Vidarr took a step to the left.
"Let us hope that Loki will do the right thing," Father spoke up as he sat back at the table "Now... eat the food is getting cold,"