Above All Shadows [Loki Timetravel fic - Completed]

55. Epilogue

Loki fiddled with the hem of his right sleeve. No matter how he pulled at it, the sleeve was half an inch too short and the shirt itself, for what had to be the first time in his life, sat too tight around his shoulders. It was his fault. He had wanted to make a statement on this day, but had no idea what that statement was supposed to be.

He certainly had no intention of turning up in his familiar green and gold; today was supposed to be the start of a new era after all. Nor did he want armour. He wasn't a warrior and wasn't about to become one. Something red? That had been Thor's favoured colour. Blue - too evocative of his Jotunn heritage. Purple - he looked ludicrous in purple. In the end, he had decided on black. He was in mourning; there was nothing more appropriate.

The trouble was, by the time he had made up his mind, there had scarcely been any time left for the tailor and his assistants to do their work. They had laboured through the night and, well, the results were obvious.

'Loki?' came Fandral's voice from somewhere behind him. A few moments later, Loki heard the man's boots saunter across the parquet floor. 'Lo... your highness? Your -'

Loki spun about so sharply, Fandral jerked to a stop. After a momentary awkward silence, he cleared his throat and offered a courteous bow. Loki motioned for him to straighten up. He could have directed Fandral not to address him by his title either, but there seemed no purpose to it. The relations between them were about to change and Loki had to become accustomed to hearing his name less frequently. The idle ceremonials had irked his patience as a prince, there would be no chance of escaping them now.

'Your father bad me to tell you that everything is ready,' Fandral said. 'It is only you they await.'

Loki leaned until he had a good vantage of the crowd down in the Great Hall. He stood several floors above them, hidden from view by a gilded panel in-cut with semi-abstract flowers - an innocuous feature to help the ventilation in the palace, but also an excellent hiding spot. No one below could see who stood behind the panel, not that many people ever glanced up.

No one was looking up today either. The crowd, although as finely dressed as at the last coronation to take place on Asgard, was smaller and more sedate. Loki couldn't summon the energy to despise them for this lack of enthusiasm - he too wasn't in the mood for any sort of celebration.

'Shall I return with an indication of when you will be ready?' Fandral asked.

Loki shook his head, only now realising that he had failed to respond to Fandral's previous remark, then pulled down the shirt sleeves as far as they would go. 'No. We'd best start before anyone collapses from the fervour of their anticipation.'

Fandral's lips curled up momentarily, but then he seemed unable to decide whether Loki had been joking or not. Loki didn't see a reason to enlighten him. He moved past Fandral and headed towards the back stairs down to the Great Hall, trusting that Fandral would follow. Sure enough, the drum of Fandral's heeled boots soon matched his own footsteps.

'I don't think I ever thanked you for lending me the rapier,' Loki said as they trudged down the stairs. 'I would've returned it, but it snapped in half when I was up against Laufey.'

'Then the weapon served its purpose,' Fandral replied and flashed Loki that same smile that made all the young women in the palace swoon. When they reached the narrow ante-chamber at the bottom of the stairs, however, he schooled his expression once more. 'I'll tell your father you are ready. Best of luck, Loki.'

He ducked through the side door and would no doubt skirt the edge of the crowd in the Great Hall until he got to the dais. Loki, on the other hand, had to take the long way around and enter through the main entrance. Sneaking through the side door didn't befit a king. He trudged, pausing every few feet to acknowledge the palace guards standing watch, but eventually, he ran out of soldiers to divert his attention to and the doors waited before him.