His Dove (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 25 (The Consort Suite)

Walking to the wing was hard enough, each step feeling as though I carried several bricks with me.

"You're doing great, Elle, but are you sure you wouldn't prefer to be carried?" Thor questioned from beside me as we walked.

"Quite sure you've carried me enough in the last week. Thank you." I said with an eye roll as the family's wing came into view. The palace was truly mesmerizing, the golden accents and pillars glowing in the sunlight as it broke through. I couldn't help but look around as I walked.

"Mine is the one to the left." Loki whispered just loud enough for me to hear, his hand lightly caressing my lower back. I knew why he was telling me, a silent demand that I choose it over Thor's lingering beyond his words.

"Alright, you have your choice of these two, as long as Loki is alright with that." Thor said as he pointed to the sides of him, but looked to his brother, who nodded a single time in acceptance. "This one is mine." He opened the door to a bright room with red drapes and gold embellishments. A single bookshelf was in the room along with the bed, a couple nightstands, and the double doors of a balcony in plain view from the doorway. It was quite beautiful, but nonetheless he shut the door and walked directly across from it, before opening another door and waving me over. "Or there's this one."

It was a stark contrast from Thor's. The room was dark, the walls a dark golden color and the room full of black furniture. Green drapes hung alongside the balcony doors in direct symmetry with the 4 poster bed. The room had several bookshelves completely full of books, as well as a desk centered across from the bed. I smiled, "This one is amazing." I said with a smile at Thor, who seemed almost surprised at my choice. "You know I can't pass down good reading material."

Thor laughed a bit, nodding. "I will grab your bags from my chambers, Stark packed you some things before I took you."

I nodded, "Is there some way we can tell him I'm okay?" I questioned softly, realizing he was probably worried sick.

Thor smiled, "I'll go to Midgard tomorrow evening to inform him, if you'd like. Perhaps you should write him a note for me to bring; he was rather dissatisfied he couldn't come with you."

With that Thor walked away, and Loki guided me into the suit. "My room is next door, but the closet has a door to each room within it." He said quietly, opening the walk-in closet door just for another door, directly across, to come into view. "The guards patrol the wing's halls throughout the night, but if you need anything it'll be easy to get to me."

I raised an eyebrow at the door, making Loki laugh as he explained it.

"A very long time ago, when my mother and Odin were in the first parts of their courtship, my mother was almost kidnapped from her room. From there it was decided there needed to be passage between the main suites and their consort suites for emergencies."

"Oh."

"Don't fret, dove, that's far less of a worry anymore. The doors simply stayed because it was convenient to leave them such a way." Loki remarked, rolling his eyes as he guided me to the bed. I sat down with a huff and Loki's hand lingered on my cheek.

"This is ridiculous. I feel pathetic." I groaned, trying to ease the pain in my head by squinting my eyes closed.

"Darling, you're not being pathetic. Asgardians are not meant to have their power bound for long, let alone for the entirety of their lives. Even in our dungeons the prisoners are allotted to keep their powers within their cells. It's quite literally torture to do otherwise."

I furrowed my eyebrows, but didn't respond. I wondered silently if Tony had even considered what the long-term effects of blocking my powers were, or if he had considered that there may be any at all.

"Alright, Elle, here's your bags." Thor said with a smile, tossing down a backpack and a small duffel. "I'll have the maids put some clothes in your closet; we'd all feel better if you blend in."

I raised my eyebrows. "How long am I expected to stay, exactly?"

Thor simply shrugged in response, grinning. "As long as it takes you to show you all the beauties of Asgard." His posture changed as he faced the door once more. "I'll send the maids soon, I would be very happy if you came to dinner this evening."

I nodded a bit, before Thor strode out the door and shut it behind him. Loki sat down beside me on the bed, his arms coming around me as he kissed the top of my head over my hair.

"Would you like me to get you more tea, dove?"

"So I can sleep for another decade?" I asked with a slight laugh, making Loki smile.

"I'm sure I can prepare you a weaker version, if you desired."

I bit my cheek, contemplating a nod, but Loki took it all the same. "I'll be back, stay here." He said quietly before standing, exiting the room the same way Thor had.

Only seconds later the same young girl from the healing room knocked on my door, several garments in her hands.

"Lady Eirdottir, Prince Thor has requested I brin-"

"Come inside, Ingrid." I said with a smile as I opened the door wider, ushering her in. "And, please, my name is Danielle. You may call me Dani, as my friends do." I tried to comfort the girl by saying.

She paused for a moment, mouth slightly agape, before nodding. "Yes, whatever you would prefer... Dani."

I quickly picked a couple of the garments off of her arms. "Let me help you with these." I said, laughing a bit at the absurd amount of room each dress took. I opened the closet and hung them on the rack as the girl watched.

"Really, this is my dut-"

"We could all use a helping hand occasionally." I responded softly, a comfortable smile finding its way to my lips as I ignored my headache. "I'm sure you do quite well at your job. I would be far more pleased if I made it easier on you."

"Thank you." She said with a soft smile. "You're.. Of Midgard?" I could feel her confidence growing as she pushed her own pleased feelings around the room.

"I grew up there."

"If I may ask... What is it like? Are you royalty there?"

"Where I'm from, there's... Families that are similar to royalty in status and power, but there is no king or queen." I laughed a bit. "I suppose I would be considered part of a rather privileged house, but it doesn't mean as much there." I thought of how to word it, luckily for me after years explaining things to Thor, I had picked up quite the knack for it. "I was educated alongside children of all backgrounds and after that I became a fighter alongside Thor during his time there."

"You're one of the Avengers?"

I smiled brightly at the girl, but as I went to answer my door opened once again. "D-" Loki stopped when he saw the girl standing in front of me as I sat on the bed. She quickly curtsied, clearly flustered by his presence.

"Apologies, my prince."

"You're dismissed." The girl ushered out without another word, and Loki didn't even wait for the door to finish closing as he spoke to me. "Was she bothering you?"

"She was fine, Lo." I said with a smile. "She seems sweet. I just didn't like that she felt so nervous, so I thought taking a moment to talk would ease her nerves."

Loki smirked a bit at me, but held out a teacup. "You're too kind for your own good, my dove."

I took a drink and rolled my eyes, "Whatever you say, mischief." The headache nearly instantly began to fade, making me sigh in relief as I took another.

"You seem to be feeling better." He said softly as he sat beside me, "That's good."

I nodded. "Other than the headache, I feel fine."

"Good. No... Voices, yes?"

"None." I assured him. "Though I'd really like to know what you're thinking right now about that?" Did he think I was nuts? I would surely think I was nuts if I had been told of "voices" and "whispers" inside one's head. It sounded an unsettling amount like schizophrenia.

"Well." He huffed, staring at me for a moment before speaking again, laying back on the pillows as he pulled me down to him, forcing us both into a lying position. "I suppose I could... Give you some insight."