Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 67

Loki stood the moment you appeared back in the throne room. His expression had already been worried, anxious for your return, concern for his brother and your friends. He hadn't truly expected that you would be hurt. It was a possibility, it always was, but the team circled around the healer, they kept you safe since you could heal any of them in an instant, but couldn't heal yourself. Not that you needed their protections most of the time either, you were a perfectly capable fighter.

This time however.

This battle had really sucked.

Hell, Thor had nearly died.

Loki's face blanched when he saw the shields on your side, recognizing your emergency shield bandages for what they were, when he saw the blood, the gaping would in your side. The rest of the gathered Asgardians were just as shocked and horrified that their princess had been injured on a mission for the crown.

There was still duty to take care of.

Duty came first. As a princess of Asgard addressing her king, duty had to come first. So you stood tall, ignoring the wound in your side as any warrior did when giving their report. "Your brother is safe, my king," you told him clearly and heard the sighs of relief from the crowd.

With that one statement your mission was complete.

Loki threw off his shock and dropped the staff, running to your side. He caught you before your legs could collapse from under you and lowered you to the floor gently, kneeling beside you. He looked up and growled at the guards. "Get the healers here this instant," he paused for a moment, fighting the necessity of the order, but swallowed his emotions to add more carefully, more controlled. "Please ask my mother to come as well." He didn't want to interrupt Frigga's vigil, but he would for this. The guards ran off to do what they were told. Loki cradled you to him. "Stay with me, love," he bid you softly.

"I'm ok," you reassured him. It wasn't that bad since you'd mostly stopped the bleeding with your shields. Yes, it hurt, and yes, you'd like nothing more than to pass out and sleep until it was healed, but you'd be ok.

He glared at you, but softened his expression to loving exasperation. "Darling, kindly do not lie to the god of lies. It hurts my nose," he told you, keeping his voice light and caring, a gentle healer's croon. It made you laugh, but that only concerned him more when you winced at the pain of laughing with an open wound in your side.

You lost track of time, cradled safely in Loki's arms, even as your shields failed. He ripped off his own cape to hold against the wound in your side to staunch the bleeding.

"WHERE ARE THOSE HEALERS!?" he roared, magic and anger sparking around him. Even as king, there was only so much he could do. Though he'd tear the whole palace down stone by stone if that's what it took to save your life.

It only took a moment for the healers to come running into the room, Frigga in the lead of them. She really would leave Odin's bedside for this. You hadn't quite thought she would. Her love for Odin had kept her at his bedside for weeks already, and nothing but giants in the palace had even threatened that vigil. Yet, she had come for you.

Loki laid you down before the steps to the throne, still holding his cape to the wound in your side. Frigga knelt beside you and got to work immediately.

Time went wibbly-wobbly again, either from the healing magic or actually passing out. It was hard to tell.

The next thing you knew, you were in Loki's arms and he was carrying you back to his suite. "Loki?" you asked him softly.