Providence Of Divinity || Loki X Reader

Chapter 16

A stranger, a potential killer and the father of Irina the King of Jotunheim may have been, but he had offered food, and you were hungry.

"Yes," you replied immediately.

"No!" Loki exclaimed, shocked by you and your trust of this frost giant.

Valgard crossed his impressive arms over his chest and regarded Loki. "This one's had a troubling few days, hasn't he?"

You nodded, stepping out from behind Loki's protective shielding.  "He was impaled."

"A good thing he has you looking out for him then, eh?"

You smiled, patting Loki's shoulder. "How do you know who we are?" You asked as Loki angrily brushed you off. 

The king sighed. "I felt your arrival three days prior. I knew then that what my foolish daughter is attempting is stupid, but if the Divine herself has seen fit to send The Soulbound, it must be worse than I fear."

"How did you know we're--"

The king pointed to Loki's bare left hand, where the mark of providence was evident. Loki promptly balled the hand into a fist, and looked as if he would very much like to plant that fist in the Jotun king's face. But he did at last condescend to drop his magic, and the cloaking spell dissipated. 

Valgard un-squinted his eyes. "Ah, much better. Won't the two of you continue this discussion with me in my dining hall? My Lady Fulfiller is from Midgard, no? You must be cold."

"And you must be mad," Loki said with coldness that made the frozen wastes seem a summer hot-spot, "to think we would entrap ourselves willingly."

"Loki," you said in what you hoped was a calm tone, "I am cold and hungry and exhausted. This kindly king has made no move to hurt us. He is clearly no supporter of Irina, and if I need to point this out, he knows shit. Can we at least consider the fact that if we don't go with him, we are stuck in the middle of nowhere with nearly a day's walk back to the city. If he wanted to imprison us, why wouldn't he just do so?"

Loki didn't have any arguments to counter yours with. Only unfathomable inclination to not go with this king. He was Jotun. Loki hated them. Feared them. Perhaps your lack of biases allowed you to see more clearly than he, but still. . . 

"Fine," he spat, not sheathing his knife. 

You sighed, giving Valgard an apologetic look. 

"What of your guards?" Loki demanded. "Are we to approach openly, as an Asgardian and a Midgardian?"

Valgard's eyes took on a look of deep, comprehending sympathy. "You've done a lot of lying and hiding in your life, haven't you? You hide even now, don't you, boy?"

Loki, who did not enjoy being picked apart, being emotionally exposed, or being called 'boy' was appalled to speechlessness (a rare enough state for that individual).

"He has, in fact, done a lot of hiding and lying," you answered helpfully, taking the dazed young prince's arm and pulling him along as you stepped back onto the road.

"You have nothing to fear from my guards. Not all Jotuns are racist supremacists. I expect this is shocking to hear, and likely hard to believe, but it is the truth," The king informed. You walked beside him down the path, Loki next to you, tense and poised to assault at the first sign of danger. "My Irina," Valgard continued, sorrowful. "She. . . she was not always as she is now. Her hunger for power has consumed her."

"What power is she after?" You asked carefully. 

Valgard looked down at you, surprised. "You don't know the ancient myths? Or, what we thought to be myths. Until recently."