Loki: Storm of Swords

Chapter 29 - Family, Duty, Honor

Loki gathered his family into the solar they had in their Red Keep suite. Rhaenar and Ragna were wearing almost matching sleep shifts and Sansa was concealing her pale beauty beneath an emerald silk robe. Loki had stripped off his overcoat and his vest, leaving himself in his undershirt. He sat on a large window seat and pulled both Ragna and Rhaenar into his arms. Sansa sat next to him, her hand resting on his knee. "Her grace, the queen has requested that I travel to the Midlands with your Uncle Jon. There are dangerous men there she wants us to expose. I'll be gone for a little while. You behave for your mother and Ser Sandor and Lady Sif. Well, take the last person with a grain of salt," Loki told them and Sansa pinched his thigh. 

"You obey her too," Sansa warned.

"You don't have to tell me, Mother. I rather like the Lady Sif. At least, she hasn't made me an enemy yet," Ragna said and Rhaenar rolled his eyes.

"You still spend more time with Sandor anyway," Rhaenar commented, and his sister reached across to slap him.

"Hey! I'll have none of that!" Loki said, pulling them apart. He glared at each of them. "You two should be ashamed! Fighting over petty things! I won't have it!"

"Of course, that doesn't mean he expects you to never fight," Sansa immediately cut in and she and Loki shared a look. "Siblings will fight, but don't exchange cruel words or blows for pointless reasons." Sansa leaned back once she had finished talking, looking Loki in the eye and silently challenging him to countermand her declaration. But, he was not going to. He was too smart for that.

"Of course. I know that is impossible for you two to go through your lives without squabbling. I just don't want what happened to Thor and me to happen to you two," Loki admitted. He cuddled them close, pressing a kiss to their temples. Both children wrapped their arms around their father's torso and Sansa smiled. Loki glanced up at her and she knew what he wanted. She scooted closer and joined in the familial embrace. Her flaming red hair faded in with her daughter's, and she ruffled her son's ebony locks. Finally, mother and father kissed one another over their huddled children. "Now, off to bed with you. Know that I will visit you before I depart and kiss you farewell," Loki promised, putting them on the ground. Shae walked in and quickly escorted the children out of the solar. Loki leaned back on the window sill and his green eyes traveled over to his wife. 

 "You think loudly," the both said simultaneously and they both laughed. 

"We know each other too well, don't we?" Sansa asked as her husband took her hands in his. 

"Verily, we do," Loki answered. They matched their fingers before looking once more into each other's souls. 

"Loki, I have a premonition, much like yours before you were exposed by Baelish and wounded by the Mountain," Sansa admitted. Loki's lips twisted slightly.

"What premonition?" he asked, not happy at being reminded of that particular event.

"That some terrible secrets will be revealed. That something will threaten to tear us apart," Sansa said and Loki sighed. "You know Jon received a letter from Maester Aemon at the wall? He said that he had to open it in yours and Daenerys' presence. What could it mean? You said Maester Aemon made a prophecy of sorts about you." Loki snorted and stared out the window.

"He said I had fire and ice in my veins. Fire and ice. I'm a Frost Giant and a Master of Seidr. Of course I have both fire and ice," Loki countered.

"Samwell Tarly looked up Maester Aemon's family tree. He was the great-uncle of Daenerys," Sansa said. Loki nodded; he had read the message. He had been the second one Sam had shown it to. Daenerys had been first of course, and Jon had been third because he had known him. 

"And this new letter from Maester Aemon? What did it say?" Loki asked, as he had heard nothing more of it. 

"Jon still hasn't open it. Maester Aemon has passed on, and I think Jon is still in mourning for him," Sansa responded. She snuggled close to him and Loki put his arm around her. 

"So, Daenerys is the last true blood Targaryen. But, her children are legitimate in that they are not born of incest," Loki stated and Sansa hummed.

"Do you have to leave tomorrow? Can't Jon just go? Ygritte will go with him and they'll be fine," Sansa pleaded and Loki frowned.

"And trust Jon to be as cunning and ruthless as I? Absolutely not!" Loki insisted. Sansa pulled away from him and the expression on her face was one of extreme displeasure.

"Family, duty, honor," she said and Loki's own visage fell. 

"I think my mother-in-law just came for a visit," he commented dryly. Sansa huffed and kicked him. "Ow."

"Her family's motto means something! Family comes first, then duty, then honor," Sansa explained.

"Wow! I'm surprised honor was so far down on the list," Loki remarked sarcastically. Sansa glared, knowing he was hinting to the Stark's (in his mind) innate sense of honor. 

"Family, duty, honor. Your family should come first, Loki. I feel like your duty is frequently taking priority. And since your belief in honor is nonexistent, I won't even mention it," Sansa retorted.

"And what is our family motto, dearest? You remember the day I created it? What is it?" Loki asked. However, Sansa stoutly refused to say and instead, maintained her silence. "It is 'We were made to rule.' We were made to rule, Sansa. I am making sure that the rule I leave for our children is only the best. Daenerys is talking about making the position of the Hand hereditary." Sansa's eyes narrowed at this.  "That means either Rhaenar or Ragna, or any other children we have will be the next Hand."

"She wants her son to choose the next Hand from among our children?" she posed and Loki nodded. 

"She's going to present it to the council when this is over. She wants to make sure that the cunning and intelligence of our family is preserved and always serves the crown. As long as she remembers how she got there, I'm fine with it," Loki responded. 

"So, our children are to be offered like sacrificial lambs? What's next? You'll have Ragna betrothed to the new Crown Prince? Or Rhaenar to Princess Tyria?" Sansa asked.

"Don't think I'm like my father for one second! Because I'm not! I would never do that!" Loki had leapt to his feet and Sansa was genuinely surprised at how angry he was. It took her a second to realize why he was furious. It was his first statement that told her. Don't think I'm like my father for one second! 

"Loki! I'm not comparing you to Odin or Laufey. I simply want you to stop thinking as the Hand of the Queen, and to think as Loki, God of Mischief, and father of our children. Why can't you think like that anymore?!" Sansa was now just as mad. They were standing, facing each other. The blood was high in both their cheeks and their fists were clenched. Loki felt a sick feeling stirring in his stomach. There was the rational part of him that knew Sansa had not meant to say he was anything like his fathers: adoptive or birth. It was simply how he construed it. Sansa felt the flames burning in her veins and she wanted to both embrace and slap Loki. He could be so hot tempered sometimes, and she wondered where the fire came from. He was sometimes like a snake: sly and quiet. Other times, he would rage and spout like a dragon. He was such a contradiction in terms. "I'm going to retire," Sansa finally said and she started to walk away, leaving Loki standing by the windows. "Will you join me?" she asked without glancing over her shoulder.

"Not tonight. I'll say good bye before I leave in the morning," Loki answered he stalked off away from her. Sansa watched him vanish down one of the halls and sighed. A meow made her look down and she saw Alfie looking up at her.

"Sorry, my darling," she cooed, picking the cat up. Alfie nuzzled under her chin and Sansa smiled. "I can't stay here tonight. I'm going to go home for awhile," she told the cat as she walked to a closet door. The cat knew what she was talking about and simply yawned. Sansa closed her eyes, got the picture of where she wanted to go, and opened her eyes just as she opened the door. The sight that greeted her, made her smile. "My safe haven. My domus." She walked through and closed the door, shutting off the portis satis tuto from the rest of the world again.