Past Friends

Part 143: Asgard Wedding 1/5

The sun was barely above the horizon when the servants came in to wake you up, you had forgotten that the wedding started in the morning and lasted all throughout the day. The first thing you had to get done was some kind of bathing ceremony where they spent over two hours scrubbing your body and washing your hair with like a dozen different soaps. Seriously, lotions, potions, the whole nine yards, it took a while, extra-long as any time you'd get nervous the maids would have to rinse your hair again as your powers would make it dry. Your maids also had a hard time braiding your hair for the same reason, you would get nervous and you'd heat up, even burning them by accident and more than once. You healed their burns mere seconds after they occurred and apologize to each of them but still by the third burn, no maid wanted to touch you or your hair.

You told them just to tell you how it was supposed to look and they could guide you through it but before you picked up the comb to start you had a visitor. Queen Frigga came to see you, to check on things as knowing you, she was sure you would be really nervous, and like always, she was right. You were so happy to see her, quickly getting up from the vanity to greet and give her a hug as your maids bowed addressing the Queen of Asgard properly. Frigga dismissed the maids for now, as it was nearly time for the "talk" that is supposed to occur before the wedding between the bride and the elder female members of her family. But seeing as you didn't have any family Queen Frigga would be taking their place for this tradition and while talking she would do your hair.

You found yourself finally able to relax with Frigga which you were very happy about, as the last thing you wanted to do was burn your new mother. She told you not to worry, as, for the most part, all you would have to do is smile and wave, or give the occasional bow. You didn't have to talk to any of the guests if you didn't want to, only addressing them properly by rank and or title before politely excusing yourself. Frigga then told you about her wedding, how nervous she was, how honestly, the hardest part was just sitting still when she was supposed to, kneeling before Odin's father Bor, as he bound them together. As Frigga went on about it, you couldn't help but smile, becoming increasingly less anxious about it all, finding yourself feeling strangely confident at that moment.

Queen Frigga hummed sweetly as she continued to brush and do up your hair, telling you how much she wished to have been blessed with a daughter. The old you fulfilled that yearning to some degree, Frigga admitting to you how much she missed having you here, and how glad she was that you and Loki had found each other again. She explained how Loki felt like he stood out from the other children when he was young, always feeling a little different from the others, and how that riffed only grew once you were gone. You were his best friend and losing you left a hole in his heart nothing could fill, and although with time she knew that hole would shrink some, she worried his heart would never be whole again. He was always so different with you, both yous, and Frigga was "over the moon" as Midgardians say, to see her son happy again, the way he was when he was young.

Frigga soon finished up all of the braids, saying how well they suited you, getting up to summon the maids back to finish up as she needed to check on several other things before the wedding began. The maids came back in and brought with them the jewellery you were going to be wearing today, along with your wedding dress. Even though you were still a little nervous when the maids came back in you found yourself being able to calm down again, but only because of what Frigga said. For pretty much the rest of the time that the maids were here, doing your make-up, helping you get dressed, and the like, you were completely calm, to the obvious delight of the servant girls. 

You looked in the mirror at your reflection as the maids did the final adjustments while your nerves began to spike again, and you quickly told them to back away, for their own safety. Luckily, they had the foresight to make every piece of your wedding attire fire-proof, as you found yourself heating up to the point your hair lifted and caught fire, soon spreading to the edges of your dress. You were surprised as your dress seemed to almost adapt to your fire, flowing with it as it moved, creating a beautiful effect, and you wondered if it was planned. You gazed into the mirror again, you loved the way you looked and decided seeing as it didn't take too much energy to keep up, you'd walk in like this. Besides that, it didn't take long for the rumours of you being a goddess of fire to spread and you wouldn't want to disappoint them now, would you? 

Several well-dressed and armoured females came to escort you to the hall of Asgard, it was basically a giant throne room that opened up partly to the outside, it could hold hundreds upon hundreds of guests if not over a thousand. You soon arrived, waiting for the signal and music to start as you stood behind large banners, it was apparently an Asgardian custom for the bride to remain hidden from any and all males until the ceremony began. You were a little sad as it was meant to be the members of your family who were supposed to carry the banners, even the men of the bride's family could, seeing as they didn't count and could see you as you were related. Instead, it was a few of the noblewomen of Asgard who held the banners and as you didn't technically have a family or kingdom crest, with permission from Shou-Lao you used his. Your armour already bore his mark, and as his student, it was the closest thing to a family crest that you had, and Shou-Lao was honoured by the request so it's the one you went with.  

You tried to stay calm, but you could feel the presence of so many people, more than you ever had before, and it put you on edge, hearing so many whispering voices. But you stood tall, even if no one could see you currently, you took deep breaths, closing your eyes and picturing Loki, just Loki, as he was all that mattered right now. You found yourself smiling as you thought of him, and Loki who was currently standing in front of his father could tell, as he could feel the slight warm light from the necklace you gave him. You opened your eyes, you listened as the music began, and you could soon hear Odin introducing and welcoming you, while the banners pulled apart with you stepping out, so ready for what today would bring.