Unexpected

Doubts and Secrets

The heaviness of my doubt fell upon my shoulders again at his statement. How could he seem so sure about all of this? How could he be so sure of me? I certainly wasn't. I'd just been trying to hold myself together since this morning when Loki'd appeared out of nowhere and turned my entire life upside down through one simple question. I sighed, shaking my head almost in disbelief at him, murmuring, "You're so confident about it all."

His lips formed a small frown as he looked at me questioningly, a hint of worry in his tone, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that... me? A lady? I know you told me of this part of your plan, but now that it is official... it's too much..." I explained, my eyes dropping down towards my toes. Loki had such faith in me. He seemed to truly believe that the people would like me and that I'd be able to do something of value here, but I was just me! I was just Penny! The overwhelming weight of the day and all that had happened weighed on my chest, threatening to crush me from the inside.

"You doubt your worth?" Loki asked, his voice soft and measuring.

I shrugged, "It's clear that I don't belong here. What do I have to offer Asgard?"

Loki was silent for a few heartbeats. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him even as he spoke up, his tone firm, "You have everything to offer because you're you, Penelope. That's all you have to be. You're the light that brought me from my own twisted darkness. You bring out what is best and good from those around you through your genuine care! You may not have royal or noble blood, or the training in etiquette and the duties of a member of the court, but you have a heart, and that's what Asgard needs now as it rebuilds. It's lost its heart in its pull towards war and ruling the realms instead of merely protecting them! You are a woman of wisdom, valor, honor, and kindness, and I believe you will be a great influence on Asgard and its people." he insisted, his hands grabbing my shoulders before slowly moving up and down my upper arms, like he was trying to sooth the whirlwind in my head and heart through the comforting touch.

I sighed deeply, letting myself be comforted, my heart feeling filled by his words. I still doubted that I would be able to bring much to the table here in a role in Asgard's court, but it was hard to face down the confidence that Loki had in me and in his plan and the Asgardian people.

After a second his smug smile came back as he tilted my face back up to see his as his other hand slid down to caress my fingers, including my bejeweled ring finger, "Besides that, you are my betrothed are you not? The betrothed of a prince, even a disgraced dark hero as the people seem to see me in their renditions of my memorials, automatically is due a position in the court considering you are legally part of the royal family through our engagement to be married."

I couldn't hide the small smile and blush that rose on my face, "Yes... engaged."

I loved the sound of that. Engaged. Loki, the Norse god of Mischief, the raven-haired, silver-tongued, clever man that I had fallen in love with loved me back, and he loved me enough to want to marry me! He'd expressed his love to me, vowed that his heart belonged only to me, and asked me to marry him... to spend the rest of my life with him! It was more than I could've ever asked for!

Oh, how long ago this morning seemed now, like a lifetime had passed since his proposal as the sun had risen over the Lincoln Memorial and now... now here I was, standing in Asgard's golden throne room under the light of a completely different sun, engaged to none other than Loki and the date for my becoming a lady of the Asgardian court having been made. It was so much, so fast, leaving my poor mind and heart in a swirling mess and yet I was so happy. How many emotions could one person feel before they exploded?