The Heat of the Snow // A Loki Fanfiction

Chapter 22

The next morning, the walk back to the palace is completely different to how you'd both left. Your hand in Loki's...him gently squeezing it...your eyes meeting at times and a blush rising to your cheeks. The circumstances are suddenly completely different. You're his fiancé. His betrothed. It barely seems real.

The gardens are quiet at this time of the morning—the majority of Thor's guests still sleeping off their mead-induced hangovers. But there will be games today. More festivities to celebrate Loki's brother's existence rather than any real achievement. Loki could only imagine that it'd get worse once Thor was King of Asgard. The lavish parties, the silly excuses for award ceremonies—and most of them still for Thor. I don't think I will even be able to stand it.

Despite all these years, Loki still didn't fit in. There was no getting around that.

"What do we do now?" you ask softly, looking up at him.

His stomach clenches ever so slightly. "I inform Father of our intention to marry."

"And...how do you expect that will go?"

Loki smiles, but you quickly notice it doesn't meet his eyes. "It'll be fine, Y/N. Mother already likes you."

But Frigga's previous words ring like an alarm in his head. "You are a Prince of Asgard. She is a mortal woman. The fact that she's here in this hall right now is a blessing. You know it's not our way of doing things."

They aren't going to take it well.

****

You and Loki step into Odin's throne room, the guards on either side of the hall eyeing you both carefully but ultimately letting you pass. And you find yourself squeezing Loki's hand tighter—the impending sense of dread only intensifying when you find yourself surrounded by so much gold. You don't belong here. You know that. But it's even more impossible to ignore when in a great room such as this.

Thankfully, it's only Odin, Frigga and a few guards, but your heart pounds all the same. And you glance up at Loki, wondering whether he's feeling the same, but his face is suddenly one of such serpentine indifference that you have no idea what he's thinking.

"Mother...Father..." he says as a means of greeting. And despite only standing a few metres away from the King and Queen of Asgard, you can't feel more distant from them.

"Loki," Odin booms, getting to his feet. His beady blue eyes dart to your face. "Where have you been?"

"With Y/N," Loki answers simply. "We have reconciled our disagreement."

Both Odin and Frigga look at you then, assessing you as if that might possibly be the worst news they'd heard in a while. "Is that so?" Odin answers softly. And Loki picks up the threat in the tone immediately. "Then why are you both here? Is it to ask for my blessing?"

Loki bristles, trying to keep his cool. The last thing he fucking wanted was his father's blessing. He couldn't give a shit what he thought. But if Odin were to oppose the joining, he could make things pretty hard.

The God of Mischief smiles instead, a warm beaming smile which you immediately realise is not genuine. But what you can't work out is why. "Your and mother's favour is desired, yes."

Frigga glances at Odin, unable to mask her worry. She doesn't mind what Loki does...or whom he chooses to do it with, but she knows Odin won't take kindly to his son building a life with a mortal woman. Despite him not having as much responsibility as Thor, Loki would still have to toe the line...extend their family's reach...marry an Asgardian woman and put a child in her belly. Loki knows all of this.

"You expect my blessing for you to bed a mortal woman?" Odin asks curtly.

Adrenaline spears your heart. "Excuse—?"