The King and The Lionheart (Loki fanfic V:1)

Part 7

I spend my time on earth with little news from Asgard other than they miss me and the adventures the warrior's three have gone one. I hear little form Loki other than the almost weekly "It's dull here without you." He doesn't express his emotions very well but I see he really means is "I miss you."

I don't go out much, I try to numb my mind by watching tv. I feel thankful to past me who bought this place in the middle of nowhere forever ago and keep it up with magic. I browse my books occasionally but keep coming across books which remind of Loki and the memories brought up make me wish I was stronger than I am.

If I were stronger I wouldn't feel the need to run from my problems, to try to separate myself from someone I've known for as long as I have memories. Only an idiot would have the mindset I had when I left, it's already been almost a month and I only miss them. Absence makes the heart grows the heart grow fonder and all that shit.

I decide to go back tomorrow. I've spent enough time hiding. I am bound by honor to do as my king commands and my personal wants are trivial. I need to remind myself of this. I spend to night bracing myself for seeing Loki again and reminding myself not to let my emotions cloud my judgement.

I travel back through the rainbow bridge feeling both anxious to get back and see everyone and wishing that I didn't have to face my problems. I still have three weeks to help prepare for the coronation. Everyone greets me with enthusiasm and welcomes me home asking how my vacation was. After being able to escape the people asking about me I find Frigga looking at me patiently waiting her turn to welcome me home.

"All-Mother," I say lovingly and extend my arms to take her hands.

"How are you, child," She asks motherly.

"Better than when I left... might I ask about-"

"He has missed you. He has been changed, almost lost, without you to be honest." She anticipates my concerns. "You will find him in the garden, but before you go. Please forgive my husband."

I'm taken off guard by this and am about to ask what she means hoping she doesn't know about Loki and I. "Dear one, it might not be obvious to those around you, but I am his mother and by now I know you better than your mother. I notice when the air around someone shifts into something more loving than before. I am truly sorry about my husband and wish you can find it in your heart to forgive him." She says and walks away.

I stare after her for a moment, thankful that the queen said nothing against what we feel for each other and I go to look for him. I found him in the gardens staring off at the rainbow bridge and my heart starts to strain at the sight of him "Loki," Before I even get his name completely out of my mouth he has gathered me into his arms into a tight embrace, resting his the side of his face against the top on my head.

"Amril." He breathed. "Why did you not tell me you were leaving?" He asked holding me at arm's length taking me in and looking for any possible damage to my person.

"I'm sorry I just needed time away from it all. I have missed you as well," I say holding his face in my hands. As he pushes his cheek into my hand I wish so badly that I had the ability to press my lips to his and hold him forever. I want it so badly I can feel my heart begin to break again. He takes my hands and kisses them.

I have to remind myself not to get to close and slowly take a step away from him, I can see the pain in his eyes shine immediately when I do this. "I'm sorry, Loki, but I am a subject of your father and I can't cause us even more pain by doing this." I think wishing I could say this out loud.

I know I need to start to help plan the coronation and wedding, but I don't want to leave, Loki. "I should probably go help plan things," I say and almost immediately regret as I see another small stab of pain in his eyes as he remembers that I have to plan the destruction of his happiness.

"Yes you do," he says coldly and furthers the distance between us. I regret I can't do anything to change this without committing treason, I love Asgard to much to be thrown out of it and away from those I love. I clench my jaw allowing him to walk away and I take a moment to compose myself, I make myself hold my head high as I walk back in the palace.

After finding the All-Father I ask to see what plans he has already made for the coronation. We speak about this and talk of decorations we think would be fitting and we place order for red tapestries to put around the columns in the throne room. All of Asgard would be invited but only the nobles and such would receive written invitations, which will be to be hand written probably by me and sealing with the king's ring.

After discussing and planning for a while it was time to join everyone and the dining hall and I excused myself. It is so packed with of warriors and nobles I had a hard time finding my friends and am cursing my shorter stature. On Midgard I would be considered tall for a woman standing at 5'8" according to their measuring system, but as everyone here is around 6' or more I find it hard to see over people. I suddenly get the feeling of being lifted and find myself on Volstagg's shoulders, cheering in victory as if they had been looking for me. At this height I can see I was on the opposite side to everyone.

I ride over to my friends and slip off of Volstagg thanking him for the ride to which he give an extravagant bow "Of course, my lady, Amril." The meal passes rather quickly and Loki is quieter than he usually is. I glance at him occasionally to see if he's alright, but he seems to be avoiding eye contact with everyone and keeps looking towards a window. After dinner I ask him if everything is fine, but he shrugs it off and effectively changes the topic.

Over the next few weeks I don't see much of him as I'm busy preparing for the coronation and trying to pin Thor down long enough to get him to help plan the wedding. One day I finally see him "Thor!" I call and he turns to look at me and once he sees it's me he starts to jog away. "You bastard! Stop running away from me!" I yell and start sprinting after him. I throw out a small burst of energy of my magic effectively knocking him flat on his ass.

"Ow," He groans. He raises his hands in mock surrender as I stand over him getting ready to lecture him. "You have won this battle, what can I do for you?"

"For one you can help me plan our wedding," I say and try to blow some hair out of my face however not succeeding. I help Thor to his feet "Trust me if there was any other way I would get out of this for both of us."

The silence that over takes us is uncomfortable and my eyes are taking turns at looking from my shoes to the nearby window, anywhere else but his face. "What if we could find a way out of it?"

I roll my eyes at him and cross my arms. "Yeah because Odin would let us do that. Think Thor if we try to get out of this he would make sure I never set one foot into Asgard again and you... you would never get the crown."

"Well" He drawls the word out for as long as he can until finally getting to his point. "What if I already had the crown when we decide not to marry?"

My arms grow limp and fall from their crossed state "If you already have the crown then I can stay, and we never have to... we don't have to" I try to say the word but I feel like fulfilling the statement will break the dream that I'm in right now.

"We won't have to get married Amril," Thor smiles.

"We can't tell anyone," I whisper yell at him. "If anyone knows, literally anyone, we could have this thing blow up in our faces." He nods with me a smile growing on his face. "You're a genius. That's something I have never said, and probably won't again, but you're a freakin' genius Thor." If I wasn't so emotional I might have figured this out, it's so simple this answer was probably staring at me in the face.