Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 26

  "So it is true, then?" Loki asked, finally speaking. Odin and Frigga both nodded.

"How-?" Thor started, but quickly answered his own question. "You saw the future, both of you." Odin had supposedly traded his eye for the chance to see the future. You weren't entirely sure which myths were true and which weren't, but it seemed that he had seen at least this much of the future.

Odin inclined his head. "It is true. We have both seen these events. This maiden is the lost daughter of Freya, and the betrothed of Loki your prince," Odin's voice was loud, announcing the news to the crowd. You felt the shock around you and felt it yourself. Your entire world had been turned upside down in the matter of a few hours. It was too much to take in.

*

Somehow after that bombshell, the next event was a feast in your honor. You felt stupid at it. You knew nothing of their ways and culture and had to sit awkwardly next to Loki, who was sullen, distracted, and still hostile, though his court face was firmly in place so the strangers wouldn't notice. You, Thor, and Frigga noticed, though he still wasn't speaking to you either.

While the feast was degrading into dancing and drinking, Loki stood to talk with Frigga nearby. You could only hear part of their conversation, though.

"This is just another manipulation in my entire life of manipulations at the All-Father's hands," Loki snarled, his voice a hurt, angry sound. You wanted to go to him, but you knew you weren't welcome. You didn't know why, but he was upset with you too. "You knew, didn't you Mother," he made the word into a curse. She inclined her head.

"We knew. Loki, it was the way things were meant to play out. I saw a thousand futures, but this was the only path. I did not see that Freya would die. We still feel her loss. All I saw was that you would find your love again on Midgard,"

"You knew where she was, that she was alive, this entire time?" he demanded. "You let me mourn? Let her grow up among those horrible humans who abused her?" Frigga looked horrified at that and glanced toward where you were pretending to be interested in the mug of mead in front of you. "Why didn't you TELL ME?" he demanded, so lost and hurt. You jumped to your feet then and went to him, no longer caring that he didn't want your comfort or company. He was hurting. You couldn't just sit by and let him be hurting.

"It was the only way you would be happy, darling," Frigga said softly.

You touched Loki's arm and he whirled on you. "You knew. You were in on this too, weren't you, just another trick, another lie of my life? Like someone could love me. No wonder you attached yourself to me the second I moved into the tower." He snarled, harsh, angry. You could see him fighting for control of his magic. He was so hurt and angry he wasn't thinking clearly. At all.

"Of course not!" you replied, hurt that he would even suggest such a thing. "I had no idea until a few hours ago," you protested, but you saw the disbelief in his eyes.

"I am through being manipulated," he snarled at you and Frigga and stormed from the room. You started to go after him, but Thor grabbed your arm.

"Get off me, Thor," you told him firmly, trying to pull your arm from his grip.

"Loki is not safe in this mood,"

"I can take care of myself," you snarled at him. You had to go after Loki before he thought to teleport out of the palace. If he did, you'd never find him.

"Y/N," he protested.

"Thor, don't make me hurt you too. Let me go knock some sense into him if that's what it takes. If he teleports, we'll never find him again," Thor let your arm go.