The Runaway Mother

Confession

Loki ran through the crowd. "Sethyena!!!" He yelled. He was panicking terribly. His daughter was lost in this crowd and he couldn't bare to be apart form her. His mind raced as he searched. He had caught her looking at a picture of her mother, when he asked her what she was doing she had panicked and ran from him. Loki knew that she feared punishment, though Loki had no intention of punishing her for something as natural and innocent as being curious about her lost parent. "Sethyena!!! Darling where are you?!" Loki searched everywhere.

"Daddy!!" The little six year old ran towards him. She had been wandering the streets scared for her life. All the people were strange to her and she regretted leaving the palace. She had been crying and she was so terrified. When she heard her father's voice she scrambled to get to him.

"SETH!" He ran to her as she jumped into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Baby girl I thought I lost you." He kissed her head and rocked her gently. Sethyena was sniffling and her breathing was disrupted by stifled sobs.
"Sshhhh. It's alright little queen. Papa's got you."
He picked her up, still rubbing her back as he walked back to his horse. She was clearly exhausted, she had been lost for hours. Her little body shook and trembled in his arms and her face was red and raw from crying and rubbing her eyes so much. He lifted her onto the horse but she whimpered as he did, reaching out to him, not wanting to be apart from him.

"I'm coming up right after you." He assured.
He got up on his horse and leaned her back against his chest. He kicked the horse gently and headed them back to the palace.
Once they got there, he had a stable hand put his horse away. He cradled Sethyena in his arms. She buried her face in her father's shoulder, too scared to look about. She held fast to him with a tight grip. When they made it back to their chambers Loki tried to pull her away from him but she wouldn't budge.

"Come now Seth, I have to see that you are alright and then I will hold you again." Loki tried to sooth her with his hopeful words, he tried again to pull her away from his body but she whined and held tighter. He sighed, sympathetic to the child's fears. He took a seat and waited a moment. "Sethyena darling I need to make sure you aren't hurt my little love." He explained as he looked down at her. She hesitated but then let go of him. Loki carefully looked her over for cuts or bruises or scrapes, when he was satisfied his gaze rested in her eyes. "Sethyena why did you run like that?" He watched her.
The little girl pulled at her fingers nervously. "I was scared you would be mad with me." She confessed.
Loki shook his head. "Love why would I be angry with you?" He was sad that the girl felt strongly enough to run from the palace and from him all for the sake of avoiding a wrath he would never unleash upon her.
She looked at him. "You saw me try looking at the picture of mama...the one from your room. I wanted to see her but I know you don't like to talk about her." She explained. She looked down, in shame of what she had done.
Loki's heart fell. Seth's mother had left shortly after their daughter was born. She was sick of Loki's obsession with the throne and refused to live in the palace any longer. She was convinced her black haired blue eyed little daughter was poisoned seed and abandoned her to Loki, who was left with a bruised heart and a broken ego. He had halted his plans to let the giants in for the sake of his daughter, knowing that he needed to be a good man for her, a good father.
"I'm not angry with you Seth. I could never be angry with you." He smiled at the little girl. He sighed and with a fragile heart in his hands, he shared for the first time, the truth of how much he had loved her mother, and how lovely she was. He then confessed that it was his pride and hatred for his brother and lust for the throne and for power that drove her mother away, leaving Sethyena behind as well. "I'm sorry....my pride took your mother away. And that is no ones fault but mine...I took her from you and I don't deserve you." Loki confessed.
Sethyena was old enough to understand. And any other child would have held such selfish pride against him. He had hurt the person he cared most about, over nothing more than a title and a narcissistic ideology, but she knew also that he was a changed man now. For she had proof of his love and care for her, simply in how he had come searching so desperately for her today. "Papa..." She murmured softly. She looked up at him. When she saw tears glistening in his eyes she placed her delicate hands on his cheeks. "I forgive you." She whispered. She gently placed her thumbs at the corners of his mouth, making him smile. "And I'm happy you are my father."
Loki hugged her close. "I love you my little queen. Don't ever forget it."