Marvel Imagines - On Hiatus

Arranged - Loki Laufeyson

Warnings: none

Odin and your parents have agreed to an arranged marriage between you and Loki to try and unite the Nine Realms better.

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You had known this day was coming for ages, practically all of your hundreds of years of existence you knew.

The weeks leading up to it were terrifying; your gut was filled with an anxiety fuelled agony as the last few days of your true freedom slipped away to wedding clothes shopping and fussing over what cake was to be at the event.

You were going to be married to your childhood best friend - Loki, prince of Asgard and god of mischief.

The two of you had first met as children, five or six in Asgardian terms, or thereabouts. It had been when your parents, royalty of another one of the nine realms, had come to stay in Asgard for a visit. Later you would find out that was when your parents and Odin and Frigga had all decided that you and Loki were to be married, but at the time all you had known that day was that you had made a friend with the younger Asgardian prince.

Over the years, you two were the best of friends, always hanging around together, creating chaos and the like. However that all stopped after your arranged marriage was announced to the two of you once you were both teenagers and he no longer wanted anything to do with you. Before he had seen you as a way to be free and have fun, but you had become a symbol of his parents control over him as he would be forced to marry you.

Your parents told you of the fact that you had some Asgardian blood through your mother and her distant relative, Idun, goddess of spring and keeper of the Immortality Apples, which meant you were technically allowed to be an Asgardian royal through marriage, as to unite the realms better, and for the rest of your teenage years, it was all about making you a good royal for both your realm and Asgard.

And now it was finally the day. Your wedding, for the good of your family and the good of your realm. You had seen Loki only twice since he had cut you off.

The first time had been at a royal gathering, two years beforehand, in Thor's honour and he had given a small nod to you and no further acknowledgment. The second time was a week before your wedding. That had been a shock.

Loki had always been quite handsome, at least in your opinion. You had always considered him the more beautiful of the brothers. But all grown up, as a man -

He had looked like a god and a real prince. Perhaps even like king.

The mischievous grin upon his face as the two of you had locked eyes made you hope that the young boy you had been in love with was still in there.

And now, you were getting married to him. The ceremony was a blur, traditional and Asgardian, with Odin officiating, of course. You couldn't focus on the words he was saying, distracted as you kept catching Loki's eyes. Your hands were tied together as Odin pronounced you married and they stayed bound, with fingers interlocked as you ran down the aisle together while the guests - especially your parents - cheered.

While there was to be a wedding banquet, that was not until later on that night, leaving a few hours of you and Loki to get ready and talk over as a married couple now. It was sort of awkward as the two of you walked in silence, still holding hands, back to his chambers.

After he led you over to the sofa, you opened your mouth to say something to him and he held his hand up to you.
"I want to the first thing said between us to be my apology. I always regretted pushing you away, especially when it was because of something that will now require us to be so close. So I am so sorry, Y/N," Loki said, his green eyes fixed on your own eyes the whole time.

"It's OK. I understand it, it's weird to suddenly be told you have to marry this specific person and even if it is your best friend, you probably aren't going to be happy about the choice. So I understand."

"The thing, I was happy with the choice! I would've loved to marry you, sweep you off your feet, make you feel loved. But I wanted it on our terms not our parents. I've realised now though, we can make this on our terms. Be the chaotic royals like we were in our youth, and truly love one another despite being set up together. Because I loved you when we were young and I love you now."

He looked at you, not expectantly, but with almost a hope for understanding in his eyes.
"I loved and love you too. So let's make this ours. Show them we are a team, that they probably wouldn't have wanted to put together if they had known how we would turn out."

"I like your way of thinking, my dear." He paused, bringing your hand - still holding his - to his lips and planting a kiss on the back of it. "Now we will have an audience to attend to soon."

He winked and as you both started to leave the chamber to get ready, you whispered in his ear: "I've missed you, Loki, Prince of Asgard."

There was a grin on both your faces as you ran down the corridor together.