The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 28

"We're home, love. Are you awake?" Loki asked you awhile later.

"I'm awake," you replied softly as you opened your eyes and sat up properly. You were riding into the palace stables as you spoke.

Loki looked you over as the hostlers came to take his horse, evaluating whether he thought you could stand on your own until he could dismount. You rolled your eyes. You were fine after a little rest. "Hand her down," a voice said from beside Loki's horse. Fandral was standing there, holding his arms up for you. Loki stiffened, but before he could protest or come up with a better plan, Fandral's hands were on your waist and he was lifting you down from the horse as if you weighed nothing. Damn Asgardians were all stupidly strong. Fandral set you carefully on your feet with a bright flirtacious smile, but didn't push farther than was polite. Loki dismounted quickly and wrapped a possessive arm around you.

"Y/N!" Thor called from his horse. He seemed to have dropped the 'lady' of his usual address. No formalities today, which was nice and seemed to have meant something coming from him. He seemed to have adopted you more as a little sister since you'd started dating Loki. At least he approved of you...

You stood on your own, pushing against Loki's chest from where he had you leaning on him, and kissed Loki's cheek before you went to see what Thor wanted. At least you walking on your own seemed to prove to the boys that you were ok. Thor handed the sleeping Sera down to you. You smiled up at him as you took the cat-dragon. "Thanks for watching out for her," you told him, stepping back so he could dismount, cradling Sera safely to your chest as you did.

"It was the least I could do," Thor replied warmly and kissed the top of your head to the growls of Loki. Yes. You'd definitely been atoped as a litle sister. Thor went to Odin's horse and took Frigga from his father. You rushed over, back in healer mode, to check on your charge. Loki caught up with you and stood just behind you.

"She has not yet woken," Odin said, his voice concerned.

You nodded. "That is my doing. There was no need for her to have to suffer a long journey home." You looked her over as you spoke to see how she was doing, focused on your tasks as healer and forgetting that you were literally surrounded by the entire royal family of the realm you were on. "Thor, let's get her to her bed. I'll lift my magic there. It would just distress her to witness having the people see her injured." You started directing the boys automatically, used to acting as head or sole healer. You were about to give orders to Loki too, when you remembered you weren't in charge here. You were a little Earth girl with no standing here. It was one thing to do it on the battlefield in a life or death situation, but this wasn't life or death anymore. You blanched and turned to Odin, to try to backpeddle quickly before you got beheaded or something. "My apologies, your Majestly," you spoke quickly, really not wanting to get smited by Odin for offending him and giving him orders. "That was simply my recommendation as healer. If you-"

Odin waved a hand to cut you off. You gulped, terrified you'd overstepped, insulted, were about to be beheaded, or smited, or otherwise dead. Loki's arm tightened around your shoulders. He didn't trust Odin either. "I do not claim to understand the healer's craft. All of the palace healers are attending the villagers and soldiers. You have proven yourself capable in this area." Oh, good, it sounded like you weren't being killed today. It sounded like his next words pained him. "I leave my wife's care to you, Healer. My sons, see that she has anything she requires for this task," Odin told Thor and Loki firmly. Loki still looked shocked to be included in 'my sons'.

"Yes, Father," both boys replied, though Loki stumbled over the words.

Thor carried Frigga adn led the way to her chambers while you and Loki followed behind and Odin went to go attend to his own duties. He couldn't focus on family, even when Frigga was injured, not when his people needed his attention. "Did I somehow get upgraded from worthless Midgardian he only let stay here because Thor begged, to royal healer?" you asked Loki while you were walking, really confused about how that had happened and slightly less confused as to why you weren't currently a pile of ash for issuing orders to the royal family in front of people.