Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 25

 Travelling by Bifrost was definitely an experience. You clutched tighter to Loki as the three of you flew up the rainbow bridge. He chuckled softly at your reaction as you watched the swirl of colors around you, unsettled by the feeling of flying. You appeared in a giant round room in front of a hulking man with golden eyes and a huge sword.

"Welcome to Asgard," the man said to the three of you with a hint of a smile on his stern face.

"Thank you, Heimdall," Thor replied. "We do not have a lot of time," he continued. You didn't know why there was a time limit. You were still dazed by the trip in the Bifrost and all of the news about your life you had just learned.

"I have done as you wished," Heimdall replied. You were suddenly grateful for your mythology paper. At least you knew who Heimdall was. You let go of Loki, looking around the strange room on the strange world in wonder.

A woman in armor with long brown hair entered the room, carrying a bundle of cloth. "Thor, I brought this like Heimdall asked. Are you trying to sneak your mortal into Asgard again?" she teased in a friendly familiar manner. Her eyes widened when she saw Loki. The next instant she was standing in front of him with either a very large dagger or a small sword held to his throat.

You moved in the next instant, shoving Loki a step back, putting yourself between him and his attacker as you deflected her dagger with one of your own. A bolt of magic was held ready in your other hand.

"Why is he here?" she demanded of Thor, allowing the stalemate between you, your daggers locked. "Thor, you know he is not to be in Asgard!"

"Circumstances have changed, Lady Sif," Thor replied calmly, stepping forward to try to diffuse the situation. Loki wrapped his arms around you from behind, pinning your arms to your sides as he stepped backwards, bringing you with him, away from his attacker. "I did not call you here to attack Loki or his lady. We need your help Sif,"

"It's good to see you too, Sif," Loki said dryly, holding you against his chest with one arm while he took your dagger from you and vanishing it before you could cause more trouble. "Witchling, please don't attack Sif on my account. Sif, kindly put the dagger away, you've riled up the healer enough," Loki said pleasantly. Sif hesitated. "Even I am not chaotic enough to do anything that would put my lady in danger, no matter how fun the action might seem,"

"She doesn't act like a healer," Sif commented as she put her dagger away. You could finally relax when she did.

"She acts as any Asgardian Lady when her beloved is threatened. On a normal day..." Loki shrugged. You looked up at him grumpily.

"I'm in the room and can hear you," you reminded him sourly. He chuckled.

"And so you will hear that on most days you are an incorrigible healer with no sense of self-preservation, my darling little witchling," he replied with a grin. You stuck your tongue out at him in reply.

"Loki. Y/N. Time is short. There is much to do before Father finds out we're here," Thor said, more exasperated than actually angry. Sif picked up the bundle of cloth she'd been carrying. She'd dropped it when she pulled the dagger on Loki. Loki looked upset the moment Thor mentioned Odin.

"Where are you sneaking this mortal to?" Sif asked Thor.

"To get her ready for court, so we can present her to Father. If Loki and I are correct, she is no mortal, Sif." Sif just stared at you then.

"If that is true, then you are right. Time is short." She pressed the bundle into your hands. "Put that on, so we can sneak you into the palace," she told you firmly. You unfolded the bundle of cloth and found it to be a hooded cloak. You slipped it on, pulling the hood up as well. You were surprised Loki hadn't helped, he was usually so courteous, but when you looked at him, there was an edge of hardness to his carefully controlled expression.

"Loki?" you asked him softly. Something was wrong. It was almost like being here had put him on edge, changed him somehow into someone he wasn't usually. He shook his head. You weren't going to get answers from him.

The four of you made your way from the room to find three horses waiting for you. You hesitated. "Y/N, do you know how to ride?" Thor asked when he saw your horrified expression.

You shook your head firmly. "I've never even been this close to a horse," you replied. Thor chuckled.

"You can ride with me," Loki said stiffly. You nodded, still worried over his sudden change in behavior. Thor looked worried too.

"Are you sure I can't just teleport there?" you asked, nearly whining, scared of the giant animals.

"That is not a good idea, Y/N," Thor said gently. "We do not want to announce our presence." You sighed and moved to one of the horses with Loki. He swung gracefully into the saddle. You glared at the horse, wondering how you'd managed to get yourself in this situation. Thor lifted you by the waist and passed you up to Loki, who settled you across his lap, cradled against him. At least he wasn't going to let you fall off the horse, even in whatever mood he was in. You couldn't actually ride the horse because you were in a dress. This was getting even better...

At least the trip to the palace wasn't long. The four of you snuck in with the help of Thor's other friends, the warriors three. They distracted everyone who might've seen you.

You spent some time in Sif's chambers with her. She might've been a warrior and wore armor nearly all of the time, but she was also a member of the court and knew everything about it. She did your hair and makeup while she explained the basics of the court and what you were getting yourself into. She hesitated when she saw your necklace. The damn thing was really not shy anymore now that Loki had seen it. "No wonder they're bent out of shape," she commented when she saw it.

"Yeah, apparently it's a big deal," you grumbled, just wanting to go home with Loki. You weren't even sure you cared about answers. You just wanted him back to normal and to go back to your life and family.

"Sif, we are out of time," Thor's voice came from outside of her chambers. They must've been spotted.

"Don't try to hide that," Sif told you before you could shove the necklace back under your dress.

You felt even less like yourself dressed in Asgardian clothes as the four of you walked up to the throne room. You were nervous to be presented to Odin and Frigga. Loki wouldn't even look at you and you felt so alone in this giant palace. You wished he would just tell you what was wrong. You caught up to him and touched his arm, concern and worry written all over your face. You saw the effort it took for him not to push you away, not to snap at you. The fact that that had been his instinct hurt, but you took your hand from his arm and took a step back, giving him the space he clearly wanted. You fought to hide your hurt from your expression. You fought harder to put a pleasant expression on your face. You couldn't be presented to the King and Queen of Asgard looking sad, nervous, and hurt.

You were so nervous and worried that you didn't notice that the throne room doors had opened before the three of you. Sif had separated, she wasn't part of this, she was going to enter the throne room through a side door to watch what happened.

Thor and Loki led the procession into the throne room. You were tempted to just vanish then, teleport back to the Bifrost, and go home, take Loki with you and get your boyfriend back, and not this distant stranger, but you couldn't. You needed answers and the only place to get them was in this room.

"Welcome home, my sons," Odin greeted Thor and Loki when they reached the steps before the throne. They bowed in acknowledgment and stepped aside to you were in view. You looked up nervously as Odin and Frigga both looked you over. The entire room gasped as Odin announced:

"Welcome back to Asgard, Lady Sigyn Freyadotir,"