Monster (Loki story)

Chapter 5

"My boys, you are back!" Odin greeted with a smile. Thor nodded and walked over toward his parents.
"Yes, we have returned, and we have brought a friend." Odin looked down to see a small fire creature at Thor's feet. With a raised eyebrow, Odin's eyes go back to his eldest son.
"So you have." Odin almost missed Loki as he walked out of the throne room with a look of annoyance across his face.
"What has Loki so troubled?" Frigga asked with a frown.
Thor looked after Loki and then to the floor, unsure how to explain Loki's attitude.
"Prince Loki is in love with Princess Talia!" Novu shouted.
Frigga and Odin's eyes widened slightly.
"What is he talking about Thor?" Frigga asked looking to her eldest son. Had Loki really fallen for someone?
Thor looked uncomfortable talking about Loki and his feeling toward Talia.
"It...may be true. Loki and Talia had gotten rather fond of one another. They did not part on good terms."
"Thor what happened? How did they not part on good terms?"
Thor wished he could answer.
"I know not."
"I do!" Novu spoke again, looking between them.
"Speak then, little one." Frigga said softly.
Novu nodded.
"Well, you see it all started when we got to the castle and saved Princess Talia..."
"Skip ahead Novu." Thor said knowingly.
"Oh..right. Princess Talia is cursed....she turns into a frost giant after the sun goes down, that why she made us stop all the time, so we wouldnt know. I wanted to talk to her last night and found her like that."
Odin looked at Frigga who brought her hand to her cheek.
"Oh the poor girl."
"Talia's curse can only be broken with true loves kiss, so she was convinced she needed to marry Vali. Maybe thats why Loki was mad...Talia doesnt think Loki could be her true love because he doesnt like being a frost giant and she is a frost giant...or at least she would be if she married Loki."
Thor looked at Novu with confusion.
"But, you said true love breaks the spell, why would she still be a frost giant?"
"I dont know, thats just the way the rhyme goes that she told me....I dont really remember all the words, but I do remember true loves kiss  takes true loves form."
"Loki's true form is that of the frost giant, thus as Talia's true love so would her's be." Frigga finished.
"Well he did the right thing." Odin spoke with a nod.
"What?" Novu asked.
Odin looked down at the small creature with a stance of Kingly wisdom.
"The princess's marriage to Vali is what restored peace between this realm. Loki acting on his possible feelings for her would have jeopardized that."
Frigga frowned at her husband. "Odin..."
"Father, perhaps there is another way." Thor tried to suggest, but Odin would not have it.
"No, I wish that it were different, but this is what is best for everyone."
"Its not whats best for Loki." Frigga argued.
"He will get over it, just as he has everything else."
"Father-"
"Enough! I will hear no more of it. Thor, you more than anyone should understand that sometimes we have to let go of what we want and embrace what we need to do."
Thor frowned, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Jane.
"Sometimes we need to do things we'd rather not do, in order to get the peace that we need; to look after our own and to return to a healthy state. Decisions we may make may hurt others at times. Sometimes it hurts us too. I have found myself in such a situations before. It a hard choice. But truly, there are times that we have to think of whats best first. Sometimes there are no good choices, just painful ones... Sometimes that's just how real life is."
Thor looked between him mother and father. He knows exactly what his father was saying but that was what was making him lean towards another path. Loki has been through many disappointments in his life time. Nothing really ever worked out for him. Thor, being the heir for the Throne, could not be with his love. He let his father reasoning be the reason he has stayed away as long as he has, but he would be damned if Loki had to face the same fate. There had to be another way.

Talia sighed looking at herself in the mirror. She looked beautiful in her wedding dress, her hair in neat curls against her back. She was a vision on the outside, but inside, she was falling apart. Without even giving her a chance Loki had rejected her, called her a monster. She wanted to call him a hypocrite, seeing as they were the same. If she was a monster so was he, but Loki...he already knew that. Its why he hides it. Talia supposed she didn't blame him really. When we dont know who to hate, we hate ourselves. Still, it didn't make the fact any less painful.
"Princess." A hand maiden called out. "Its almost time."
Talia nodded and took another deep breath.
"Soon, it wouldnt matter anyway."