Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 48 - Bases of Operation

Loki and Sansa did not anticipate the kind of welcome they received upon arriving in Japan. The Japanese government had the welcome mat (or the red carpet) rolled out for them, and people wearing traditional Japanese ceremonial costumes. When Loki landed on Rhaegal, with Sansa riding behind him, a band was playing music. "I wasn't expecting this," Sansa whispered as Loki dismounted ahead of her. 

"Neither was I," he responded as he held his hand out for her to take. As Sansa dismounted, the Prime Minister of Japan, Nobu Kozumi, stepped forward and bowed to them. 

"Go aisatsu, u~esuterosu no roki ōji. Redi sansa furosutobōn. Nihon e yōkoso! (Greetings, High Prince Loki of Westeros; and Lady Sansa Frostborn. Welcome to Japan!)" the Prime Minister said. He bowed to Loki and Sansa, traditional style.

"Kangei shite itadaki arigatōgozaimasu. Kore wa yosō-gaidesuga, gaikoku hito ni totte wa tanoshī kotodesu. (Thank you for the welcome. This is unexpected, but pleasant for us foreigners)" Loki said in response. 

"You speak our language?" Nobu Kozumi said in English. 

"I am a master of many languages. My wife is learning your language currently," Loki said and Nobu Kozumi looked at Sansa.

"That true, my lady?" the Prime Minister asked.

"I speak several Westerosi languages fluently like Valerian, Dothraki, Braavosi, Volantene, and Meereenese," Sansa answered. "Midgardian languages include: Mandarin Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and currently Japanese." Nobu Kozumi clapped his hands and looked pleased. Loki's eyebrow went up briefly before he schooled his face again. 

"Wonderful! You are truly talented people! Marvelous!" the man exclaimed. He became serious a second later and started leading them away from the platform. The couple of Westerosi that were with their Hand and his wife, followed behind them, silent and wary. "On a somber note, this threat that we face is unlike anything our world has ever seen before. My country has fought many terrible wars over the centuries, but we've never seen anything like this."

"Most worlds have never seen a war like this. I am very happy to be placed on this island so that I might run an experiment," Loki admitted and this made Sansa give him a sideways look. 

"Mad scientist much?" Sansa asked and Loki chuckled, kissing her forehead lightly. He glanced over his shoulder to see where Rhaegal was and was not surprised to see that the Japanese were eyeing the dragon suspiciously. Rhaegal must have sensed it because he sneered at them. Whatever creature was influenced by Loki seemed to inherit certain human-like faculties. Alfheim had not been the first. Speaking of the cat, Sansa suddenly stuck her arm out and the cat appeared out of nowhere. Several people were startled, but the Westerosi maintained their cool. Clearly, it was not something that surprised them.

"Our pets must be allowed to roam as they see fit. Rhaegal gets antsy if he's not allowed to fly at his leisure. Alfhiem, well... he just likes to stick his nose in other people's business," Loki said and Sansa elbowed him in the side. Alfheim also hissed at Loki, but that made Rhaegal snarl as well, startling several people. 

The Westerosi were setting up the main room out of which they would run the Asian operation. Once it was all set up, Loki would reach out to his children. Ragna would have hers in Bern, Switzerland, to centralize the distribution of her troops. Dhaerin would have his in Wakanda, since he was the Westerosi diplomat to that nation. Rhaenar's would be in Washington D.C. and Dagmar's was in Rio de Janero. The family had their centers, and would operate their armies accordingly. The Japanese were helping set up the technology involved in tracking the Wight Walker armies.In the room next to them, Loki and Sansa were passionately kissing each other and Loki's hand was under her dress. Sansa's own hands were roaming under his shirt and caressing his muscles. "You enjoyed the attention from the Japanese minister, didn't you?" Loki asked.

"Hey, it's nice when a foreign minister tries catering to you. I did rather revel in it," Sansa admitted. Loki growled and kissed her deeply, picking her up and putting her against the wall. Sansa gave him a look. "Not a good idea in an Asian building. All paper and wood. Not the stone we're used to," Sansa reminded.

"So, you're saying we can't do treetop?" Loki posed and Sansa gave him a look. She smacked him upside the head.

"No, you idiot. But that doesn't mean we can't make love," Sansa informed him. Loki hummed a response as he removed her from the wall. Her legs were wrapped around his hips and Loki laid her on the table. Sansa pushed his shirt up the rest of the way and groaned as he entered her. 

"My darling love. Stjernen min og sollyset (My star and sunlight)," Loki whispered as he gently rolled his hips. 

"Ah! My wolf of passion," Sansa hissed between clenched teeth as he hit her sweet spot.

Outside their room, the Japanese were trying not to blush at what they were hearing; while the Westerosi were trying not to make bawdy jokes at their expense. "He loves his wife and she loves him. I would expect another child to come from this war," one of the Westerosi captains stated.

"Another? Implying the others came from war?" one of the Japanese entourage asked.

"High Prince Rhaenar and High Princess Ragna were both conceived near the end of the War of Five Kings and the Targaryen Restoration. High Prince Dhaerin was created during the War of Fire and Ice. High Princess Dagmar was the only child made and born in peace time," the Westerosi answered. 

"Doesn't the Lady Frostborn also fight beside her husband? Being pregnant and in combat are not advisable," one of the Japanese men stated. The Westerosi just shrugged and that was when Loki and Sansa emerged from their room. Loki glanced around the room quickly before going to a desk set up at the front of the room. Sansa took up a table beside him and began to peruse through her papers as if nothing had ever happened. They still had to run their own country on top of managing the war. Sansa would be dealing with more domestic affairs; Loki would be handling the Midgardian affairs. That was when she passed a piece of paper across their desks into Loki's hands. Loki looked at it, before he raised his eyes and glanced at her. 

"Are they really asking for us to consider marriage proposals for our daughters at this time? Didn't they hear there's a f*cking war on?" Loki asked and Sansa snorted her water. Loki just watched as his wife cleared her throat and her airway. 

"Ragna is 26-years-old and Dagmar is eighteen. As far as Westeros is concerned, they are getting old," Sansa answered.

"Dagmar is eighteen! She's only just come of age!" Loki responded passionately.

"Ragna isn't. She's been of age for ten years. And many nobles are offended that we haven't at least worked harder to find her a spouse," Sansa said as she went back to her other letters. Loki's mouth became a thin line of disapproval. 

"We married for love," Loki said coldly. "I was not the premiere choice for you. Your mother would have sooner married you to Joffrey Baratheon (Lannister) than to me. I would never force Ragna to marry a man she is incapable of respecting and perfectly capable of killing." Sansa gave him a look and tapped her wrist like she was tapping an imaginary watch.

"The clock is ticking, and I don't mean a twenty-four hour clock," Sansa reminded.