Fidelity

A New King

            A few days later, Loki was crowned king. With his “father” in the Odinsleep, and Thor banished to Midgard, Loki was the only possibility of a king at the moment. I knew how happy it would make him, but given recent events, I worried that he would take his newfound authority too far. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how right I was until it was too late.

            It only lasted three hours before my new king was at my door, two guards at his sides. My father had opened the door, immediately stepping aside and bowing to Loki. “Your majesty,” he breathed, sounding frightened by the sudden appearance of the king on our doorstep. Loki nodded to him, then looked to where I stood in the kitchen. I had been in the middle of washing dishes, be I quickly set them down and knelt before my king. However, Loki only seemed amused by this as he strode across the room and gently took my arm, pulling me up. I looked up at him in warning, knowing that if my father knew of our relationship, were as good as over. Nevertheless, Loki pulled me close to him and planted a soft, chaste kiss to my lips. I could hear my father gasp from behind Loki.

            Loki turned to smirk at him proudly, taking my hand in his. “I hope you don’t mind making a small sacrifice to the throne of Asgard,” he sneered, tauntingly, “But a great King requires a beautiful Queen, does he not?”

            My father looked at me, and I tried my best to tell him with my eyes that it was okay, yet he did not understand. “You wish to marry my daughter?” he asked, incredulous.

            Loki smiled and looked to me, less greedily now and more caring. “Yes. I’ve wished to make her my wife for some time now, but…the past circumstances made that quite impossible.”

            “But you are a prince…mustn’t you marry a princess, my liege?”

            “I am a King,” Loki snapped, squeezing my hand suddenly. I looked up at him, but he seemed to only have eyes for my father at the moment. “I am free to marry whoever I chose, and I am choosing Sigyn. She would choose me as well, correct?” He suddenly looked down at me, his eyebrows coming together and his eyes widening the slightest bit. I stared at him for a moment, losing myself in the bright green eyes, and I realized that he really was on a power trip. As much as he loved me, as much as he cared for our relationship, this was only a demonstration of his power. Nervously, I nodded and quickly looked down at our hands. His grip slackened, and he looked back at my father. “It is settled then. We are to be wed, and you will give her to me. Yes?”

            Hesitantly, my father nodded, looking at me as if to apologize. I shook my head, trying to show him that I would be alright. I only needed to get out of this house so that I might have a moment alone in which I might speak to Loki. We couldn’t get married like this.

            Without another word, Loki led me to the door, and his guards helped me onto his horse. A moment later, Loki climbed up behind me, and we were off, headed back towards the castle. Loki didn’t say a word for most of the ride, until I glanced back at him with a frown. His brow wrinkled and he slowed the horse down, looking at me with worry. “Is something wrong, darling?”

            “You,” I replied, “You’re acting very strangely, Loki. And you treated my father like nothing more than a common peasant. You acted like you own me!”

            Loki sighed and pulled me closer against his chest. “I had to, Sigyn. I need him and the rest of the kingdom to respect me as they once respected Thor. I cannot be the second-rate, weakling of the House of Odin any longer. They must understand that I am their king.” I sighed and turned back around. So that’s what this was: an identity crisis.