Forthright (Sequel of Silenced)

Chapter 25

Leidi

Thor convinced us to stay a few more days in Midgard. If I could, I would hit him over the head with a hammer. Kalea ran off with either Tony or Pietro to indulge in Midgardian games. I gave up chasing her around after a while.

Loki and Clint are still in thin ice with each other. But they're warming up. Thor made Tony buy him more poptarts to bring back to Asgard. Then Tony showed me how to use a "credit card" which I still don't understand nor do I think I need to.

But the Avengers are good friends. Finally we were able to go home, for which I rejoiced.

I stare at the ceiling and smile. Loki dozed off a while ago. I pull the sheets up to cover my bare chest. Loki has one leg outside of the cover. He seems to have found comfort that way. I roll into my side, my muscles deliciously sore.

I smile to myself. I can't believe it. It's only been a decade since Loki and I met. Now we're to be married in two days. We have a daughter Loki accepts as his own. And yet, I won't say it's perfect. Because the minute I do, something will go horribly wrong.

I curl up next to Loki and shut my eyes. I drift into a dreamless sleep.

____________________________________

Loki

I don't understand how she could possibly love a monster like me. She curled up under the sheets, covering her small frame. When her breaths fall even, I roll out of bed and pull on a pair of pants and a loose shirt.

She mumbles in her sleep and rolls over. I realize she might realize that I'm gone. I pick up a cushion from the couch and put it next to her. She wraps her bare arms around it. She's asleep so she can't tell the difference anyway.

I wince at the faint click as I unlock the door and slip out. I stuff my hands in my pockets and walk down the hall and stand in front of Kalea's room. I nod at the guard before entering. Kalea is sitting up in bed, reading a book. She hears the click of the door and dives under the covers, thinking or hoping I didn't see her.

"I saw that Kalea," I say. She peeks her head from under the sheets. I smile and sit on the edge of her bed, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I wanted to read a story," she holds the book out to me, "But I can't see the words clearly." "Well, the first problem is that you have the lights off," I say flicking her bedside lamp on.

"Now let's see what book you're reading," my eyes widen when I see the cover. There, written in bold letters, is the name I've grown to hate. The name Kalea should never know. Baldr. It's a tale of his life.

"Where did you get this?" I asked her. "The library. Is it a bad book, daddy?" She looks at me innocently. "Yes sweetheart. This is a very bad book," I say. She sits up and peeks at the cover, "Baldr. Who's Baldr, daddy?"

"A very bad man," I say. "Is he gonna come get me?" She looks suddenly afraid. "Oh, goodness, no," I say, "Not while your daddy is here. Now how about I tell you a different story?"

Her fear disappears and she nods happily. She lays her head on my chest and I stroke her hair softly before beginning my story. I recite one from memory, from a book of tales I stole from Jane's home.

"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, lived a handsome prince. He lived alone, ruling over the land in his own. Until one stormy night, an old hag had come to his door, asking for shelter,"

"She had nothing to offer him in return, but a rose. But the prince was arrogant, and turned her down. And as he told her to leave, the woman transformed into a witch. An enchantress, no less."

"She revealed that she was testing him. To see the kindness in his heart. Her test proved that he had none," as I told the story, Kalea's expression changed with the mood.

I read in different voices for different character. For the beast, I used a deep voice. For the witch I spoke as a goat would if it could speak. For the maiden, I spoke in a high pitched, girly voice. Kalea laughed at all of the funny voices, and by the time I finished, Kalea was already asleep. I smiled and lifted her off of me and laid her head on the pillow and kissed her head.

I slowly shut the door behind me not waking her. Leidi stood outside in her nightgown, arms folded. She smiled brightly at me. She takes my face in her hands, "Do you remember the day we met. You thought of yourself a beast?"

I smile, "yes. And you were the beauty who set me straight." She laughs, "When I cut the strings binding your lips together, I had an ulterior motive for it."

"Oh? And what is that?" I smirk. "So I can do this," she closes the gap between our mouths. I wrap an arm around her waist as she runs her hands through my hair. I slide an arm down to her long bare leg and she wraps them around my waist.

I don't know how long we stood there, but I knew one thing. That I never wanted to let her go. And I never will.