His Dove (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 125 (Let's Begin)

"How was the court meeting without me?" I asked Fjolnir when he came back to my room.

He sighed. "Not well, actually. They spent more time questioning your whereabouts than they did discussing anything of significance to the realm."

I feigned hurt, "I'd think my whereabouts is of significance!"

Fjolnir chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Yes, sweet, it is. Clearly."

"It's not my fault they like me more."

Fjolnir hummed at that thought, sitting on the bed. "They do, don't they?"

"Well, not all of them."

"No, but the majority." He sighed. "And all the commoners agree."

"Well, they find it easier to like me, is all." I responded. "I'm not the one making decisions about their taxes." I now teased to lighten the mood.

Fjolnir smirked at me, shaking his head. "No, you're just too damn lovable."

"It's my secret weapon." I said honestly in a hum.

"I believe that, certainly." Fjolnir cleared his throat.

It was then that the alarms began blaring from the city bells, and Fjolnir shot up from the bed. I shot up beside him, materializing the dagger in my grip.

"There's an attack. You stay he-" He stopped when he noticed my expression, the dagger in my hand.

But at the worst time, I hesitated.

"Dagny." He whispered.

"Say something." I didn't even realize I was talking until I heard myself, my voice hoarse. "Either something to make this easier or something to make me back out. Say something."

Fjolnir held out his hand, treating me as a wild animal preparing to pounce.

"The... They won't make it through the sell swords, princess. This won't-"

"Who do you think opened the gates?" I asked quietly. "They swore their loyalty to me."

"How long have you been planning this?!" Fjolnir's hurt expression, as well as the complete and utter betrayal in the room, only made me feel worse. "The entire time? Why?!"

"Why'd you kill them?"

Fjolnir froze, his mouth slacking as he now ignored the dagger in my hand. His hand lowered, along with his head.

"He told me I had to or he'd..." I only stared, and Fjolnir's clenched jaw seemed to have forced his next words out. "Or he'd disown both my mother and I. I'm unsure what you know of our customs, but queens have only ever been 'disowned' here... by beheading."

"But why?" I now asked. "I saw what happened. You told your men to grab the girl and kill anyone in the way. Why? Why did Freyr do this?"

He huffed as he stepped forward, moving to now sit on the bed.

"Fafnir was demanding a peace agreement for Vanaheim. All the other tribes were willing, under him. Father didn't think any peace agreement would last after he was gone, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless Fafnir's daughter became queen." He mumbled. "Fafnir had already boasted that his daughter was the next dragon, the first heiress of their entire family line. My father sent the peace agreement stipulating that, once you were of age, we would wed. Fafnir took it as a slight, demanded Freyr rewrite the peace agreement without the stipulation. The other tribes kneeled to him, it became war."