Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 30 - The Westerosi Waiting Game

Sansa felt abandoned as she ran a brush through Fenris' fur as they stood together in the courtyard of the Red Keep. Her adopted son and the mount of her eldest daughter was very irritable and had been since Ragna left him behind. He huffed and nudged Sansa. Fenris could sense that she was distracted. "I'm sorry, Fenris. I was just thinking about my children off doing things I really don't want them to be doing. But then, my mother never wanted me to marry Loki, and yet here we are," Sansa told the wolf as she continued to brush him. Fenris snorted and shoved her with his head. "Oh, you!" Sansa scolded lightly as she threw the brush at him. Fenris batted it out of the air and crouched down, acting like a dog who wanted to play. Sansa stepped back and drew a little sliver of meat out of a pouch attached to her belt. Ever since Ragna left, she had taken it upon herself to tend to Fenris. The Hell Hound saw the meat and pounced, but Sansa threw the piece high in the air. Before Fenris could even grab it, a bolt of black went shooting by and got it first. Fenris growled at Alfheim, as the family cat munched on the meat that was meant for him. Sansa laughed as the cat darted about the courtyard with the wolf hot on his heels. 

"They at it again?" asked a voice and Sansa turned to see Loki walking towards her. He was wearing a sleeveless tunic and was barefoot, a sign that he had been meditating before.

"Alfheim likes annoying Fenris. He senses too much of you in him," Sansa answered and Loki shook his head.

"Indeed," was all the god said before he wrapped his arms around Sansa and pulled her in close. Sansa reached up and brushed a few strands of Loki's black hair out of his face and ran her thumbs along his cheekbones. 

"How was the transfer of the units to Midgard?" she queried.

"Went down without a hitch. I spoke briefly to Ragna and Rhaenar and they said that Midgard is reacting the way they expected. They're not very happy about me being involved in any way, shape or form, but they're biting the bullet as it were," Loki answered.

"Ragna's probably enjoying herself a little too much," Sansa said dourly and Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You don't like her enjoying herself?" he asked.

"Ragna is like you in that she enjoys being right, but she can be cruel by rubbing it in the face of her defeated enemy. I know our daughter, Loki. She views the mortals of Midgard as her enemies just as much as the Wight Walkers. She has to learn to differentiate between who her real foes are, and who is a friend," Sansa answered.

"Yes, but right now, nobody on Midgard is her friend. They hate her as much as they fear the Wight Walkers. Our daughter is responding accordingly," Loki defended and Sansa narrowed her eyes, pushing away from him. 

"Don't play favorites," she said and Loki stiffened. He let go of Sansa entirely and frowned.

"I have never played favorites with our children. They each had the opportunity to express themselves in the areas where they were good. They received an equal education and affection from us. I'm nothing like Odin and the way he raised Thor and me!" Loki hissed angrily. 

"Did I say anything about you being like Odin?! Why do you always equate everything I say about favoritism with Odin?!" Sansa hissed. Loki's jaw clenched and he turned his back on her. "Now you're behaving like Odin. Ignoring an issue instead of facing it head on." Loki's hand went out before he really even knew what was happening. However, Alfie was just as quick and Loki got scratched for his troubles. Loki drew his hand back and saw the deep cuts the feline had given him. Alfheim was now perched on Sansa's shoulder, baring his teeth at Loki. Fenris soon appeared behind Loki, growling at the cat. Loki simply put his hand out and Fenris licked the blood off it. Right before he disappeared in a puff of green mist. Sansa sighed and took Alfheim into her arms, nuzzling him between his ears. Fenris chuffed and walked away, no longer interested in the situation.

"Want my advice?" asked a voice and Sansa turned to see Daenerys approaching.

"What advice is that, sister?" Sansa queried as she stroked her cat.

"Loki feels the same pain you do when it comes to your children. Don't think that because he won't say anything to them that he doesn't care. Our children all disappoint us to some extent," Daenerys said as they started walking about.

"Your children disappoint you?" Sansa challenged and Daenerys gave her a sad smile.

"I was hoping that Tyria would become the Crown Princess, and that another queen would follow in my footsteps. Tyrion predicted that she wouldn't and he was right. Tyria likes freedom too much to want to be constricted by court etiquette. Draegon could sense his advantage and he took it. Now, he is the Crown Prince of Westeros in a cemented position. When he was born, it was a gift, now it is his right," Daenerys said as she put her hand on Sansa's arm. She smiled at Alfie and the cat licked his nose, just looking at her. 

"Ragna is different from Draegon. She's different from her brothers and sisters, and me. She's even different from Loki. That's why I'm afraid," Sansa admitted. Daenerys made a face and raised her eyebrow.

"What makes you say that? What are you afraid of? She's your progeny and has been taught by both you and Loki," Daenerys reminded.

"But she hasn't really. Loki taught me. He taught Arya. He taught you. Ragna made sure that anything she wanted to learn from Loki, she heard it second hand from someone else. It was as if she did not want to be influenced by him, but still wanted to learn his tactics. Not only that, she lacks almost any form of humanity!" Sansa broke down and started crying at this and Daenerys wrapped her in her arms. "And... I'm not... blaming Loki for that. I can't seem to get him to understand that it's nothing we did or did not do! I'm afraid that's because of decisions she consciously made. She chose to be this way." Sansa pulled away from Daenerys and wiped her eyes and laughed lightly when Alfie licked the tears off her face.

"I have a feeling if Loki wasn't here in Westeros and hadn't entered the war or our lives, we would have been very different as well. And maybe it would have been a result of the world's influence, or our own decisions to be so. How would you be if Loki was not here? Would you be married to some one else? Would I be married to someone else, or would I have remained single after Drogo's death?" Daenerys suggested.

"I can't even imagine a world without Loki in it. Without my children in it; it's unthinkable!" Sansa declared and Daenerys stroked her arm lightly. 

"There. That's all you have to think about. But don't hide things from Ragna. Talk to her! I sat both Tyria and Draegon down after it was officially declared that Draegon would be the next King of Westeros. I admitted to Tyria that I was mildly disappointed that she did not want to rule, but that since she was my daughter, I loved her regardless. Draegon asked me if I was proud of him for being my heir, and I said as long as he obeyed the laws of gods and men and was honorable, I would always be proud of him. Just sit and talk to her. I'm sure she'll listen to what you have to say," Daenerys encouraged. Sansa could not help the chortle that escaped her mouth and had a sheepish look on her face at the scowl Daenerys gave her.

"Ragna very much has a mind of her own. You can't tell her what to do unless she believes that you're going to have something very important and if it'll benefit her," Sansa explained. "She accepts 'constructive criticism', and I'm never the one who gives it to her. She accepts it from her father, from her Uncle Tyrion, from Oberyn Martell, and Sandor Clegane; before she would take it from me." Daenerys placed her hands on Sansa's shoulders, understanding her frustration if for no other reason than she was a mother as well.

"No one ever said being a mother was easy. The children have to learn when to take our advice and when to leave it. Just as we need to learn when to protect and when to let them go. It's not easy, but we will overcome it. And you will overcome this. You are Sansa Frostborn,the Woman of a Thousand Faces, the Mistress of Cats; I think you can handle this," Daenerys told her.