Midgardian princess

Chapter 5

You were right about getting to really know each other. You've learned all his little peculiarities, you can read his face like a book, you truly feel like you know him and you're glad. He makes you happy in a way you haven't felt before, he makes you feel alive. You are good friends and deep down you know very well that you want it to be something truly more. You have fallen for his quirks, but what does he think about it? The truth is that for the first time in his life he is happy to be proven wrong. What he had said to Frigga the first night he had met you, turned out to be wrong. He could be truly happy with you as long as you are, but are you happy? He became anxious, nervous that all this could fall to pieces.

You have been getting closer with Thor as well. He is complicated in a sense that you have trouble seeing things the way he does, but you get along nonetheless, he has even started to call you "sister" and it warms your heart every time he does so.

You find yourself often in the room with the fire pit. You love to sit there; sometimes you have a book with you that you have borrowed from the library or Loki's own collection. Loki is often there too, sometimes there is silence between the two of you, sometimes chatter. Either way, you are happy to be around each other, but neither of you is sure about the other. Usually you keep a little distance, sometimes you tease him and fool around, sometimes he would very politely offer you his arm when heading off for dinner or walking around the castle and garden, but you are unsure what it means and afraid to make it awkward, so you don't say anything.

Once again you sit by the fire, your shoes on the floor, your bare feet pulled onto the seat. You admire the heavy book on your lap, this is one of Loki's. You cannot read it as the symbols in it are foreign to you, but you look at the artwork and the care that has been but into this. You look up and see Loki standing by the pillars, looking over the city into the sunset that painis the sky in purple and orange colors.

You put aside the book and stand up not bothering to put on your shoes. Barefoot you walk up to him, silks sweeping over the floor. You stand beside him.

"One day all this is going to be ours. The people of Asgard and from all the other realms will look up to you, they will admire your strength, your courage, your wisdom and fairness the same way I do now," Loki says and turns towards you, "You will give them hope and make them stronger just as you do with me."

"And you'll be their king, their protector, you will make them feel safe, just as you do with me," you say, surprised with his confession.

"You deserve everything the Nine Realms have to offer, and I want to give it all to you," he places his hands on your cheeks, gently tracing his thumb over your lips, "I want you to be happy, nothing else in this universe matter more than that anymore."

"I am happy," you out your hand over his heart, "As long as you are with me."

He comes closer and leans his forehead against yours before kissing you as the last light of the sun disappears behind the horizon.

***

The All-Father has summoned you and Loki to the throne hall. You walk there arm in arm. Once you get to the great big hall, you see that all of the royal family is there. Frigga standing on the right of Odin, just a step lower and Thor is next to her. This is a more official gathering than you had realized.

"My son, Lady Y/n," Odin says as you walk closer, "I'm pleased to see that you've grown close in the past months."

You and Loki exchange a pleased look as you stop in front of the stairs leading up to the throne.

"I believe it would be a fitting time to start talking about the ceremony," the All-Father started, "The Nine Realms have grown restless and we believe that giving them something to celebrate would benefit everyone. We have decided that the royal wedding will come with the arrival of spring. The preparations will start immediately."

You are filled with joy by the prospect of marrying Loki this soon, but also a little frightened.

"But there is something else," Odin stands up, "Asgarians are not immortal, we are born, we live and we will die, but our lives are considerably longer than one of a mortal from Midgard."

You have been wondering about this for a while, how could you possibly be the wife of a god whose lifespan is so much longer than you could ever hope yours to be. Odin walks down the stairs, Thor and Frigga behind him.

"Follow me," Odin goes first escorted my two guards, you and Loki follow, Frigga and Thor close behind, "My forefathers collected many great artifacts in their lifetimes and so have I. They are stored in the vault under this very palace. One item I came across many centuries ago was The Tablet of Life and Time. Many have tried to unlock its secrets, but only a few have succeeded. The tablet presents a biochemical formula for a serum, called the Lifeline Formula. It has many powers, one of them is granting someone immortality or the lifespan of another."

Odin guides you to the vault and other guards open the heavy doors and reveal a long hallway. You go down the stairs and the All-Father stops in front of a big stone slab witch had runes carved into it.

"This is not something used often as it can have many terrible effects in the wrong hands and it takes ingredients that aren't easily available as immortality comes at a great price. And not only that," Odin turns to look at you, "Shall you be worthy, the formula will grant you the full potential of your kind and in some cases even powers of your own."

You don't know what to say so you just stand there, speechless. You feel Loki gently squeezing your arm as a sign of support.

"As you will be the wife of my son, I shall grant you a long life beside him, the one thing I need from you is an object of your choosing to tie your life force to. The ceremony shall take place at the wedding, make your choice by then."