Winter's Hearts

Chapter 22

You stared horrified at the words on the page, not quite comprehending how Odin could be so much of an ass. Loki's secret wasn't even in danger anymore, it was already exposed. Your brain whirled, trying to find a way around the orders. Not all orders were binding. Normal everyday conversations, comments that could be taken as orders, things like that could be ignored. It was direct orders, stated as an order that were binding. And a direct order from the king? There was no getting around that, no matter how much it would kill you to obey, no matter how much it would devastate his son.

"Thank the Norns I was here and saw that letter," Loki said softly as his arms wrapped around you, holding you against his chest with your arms pinned to your sides before you could protest or be forced to obey the orders. "Odin would have had you break my heart so I believed the lie and run so we'd never see each other again," he said sadly, horrified and heartbroken that Odin would stoop to being that mean for no good reason. He worked a few quick pieces of magic, a shield around your little piece of the courtyard, a shield around the letter before it could self-destruct, and an illusion to go do....something.

"Loki, I have to. I cant-" you protested, struggling against him even as you fought the compulsions to do as you were told. You both knew that you couldn't fight the compulsions long. He also knew that if he kept a grip on you that you couldn't teleport away without him.

"No," he told you firmly. "Listen to me, Kyrie. Y/N, listen. I'm not going to let Odin get away with this. But you're going to have to help me," he told you, trying to make you understand before you could panic too much about disobeying orders about not obeying instantly like you were ordered.

"I have to. I have to!" you wailed, panicked already, though you tried to fight. It hurt. You couldn't help panicking. There were orders that needed obeying and he wasn't letting you. Your wrist burned, the tattoo and sigil burning in reminder that you were shirking your duty, and your body shuddered, torn between the orders you weren't obeying and hurting your charge. You couldn't hurt your charge. But you had to obey the king whether you wanted to or not. "Loki," you whimpered, shuddering and sobbing from physical pain, grief, heartache.

"I'm sorry, darling. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I am not letting Odin do this to us, not again," Loki told you firmly. You looked up at him with tears spilling from your eyes. "Lady Valkyrie. You are sword to my service. Obey me now. You will not be obeying Odin's orders." That wasn't enough even for him to override the king. It would take a lot more than that. Orders from even the queen, Loki could just override, but not orders from Odin, not like this. "If either of us wanted this courtship to end, I would let you go in a heartbeat, but neither of us want that. Correct?" he asked gently. You nodded. It wasn't enough to calm your panic, to stop the effects on your body and mind from not following Odin's orders. "Put away your wings, darling," he told you. He had to act quickly. You couldn't fight against Odin's orders for long. Normally you could have ignored a casual order like the one Loki'd given, but you were already a mess from not obeying Odin that you did so automatically, just do to something of your duties. Your wings faded away. Loki's grip on you tightened and he hauled you onto his lap to hold you more securely against him.

"It hurts," you wept, sobbing into his shoulder. Your body shook from the effort at fighting the orders, fought against hurting Loki so you could obey. You couldn't hurt your Loki.

"I know, love. I know," he whispered, not daring to loosen his grip around you in case your fragile control broke. You were stronger than he was and you both knew it, but he would keep you with him as long as he could. "Forgive me, my love, but I will keep you safe and with us," he added softly, heartbreak in his voice. "You can hate me for this, as long as you're safe." You looked up at him, confused. He was in danger. He was hurting. Your charge was hurting, but Odin demanded you obey. It was tearing you apart. Loki would do everything in his power to save you both from Odin's orders. You both would. There wasn't much you could do, but you were trying. "I'm sorry love. It's only until we can break those orders properly, I give you my word," he insisted. He waved his hand and you felt cold metal around your neck in the same instant your powers were gone. You felt the metal shimmer, changing shape to look like a necklace instead of the restraining collar it was. Even through all of this, Loki was trying to spare your dignity, pride, spare you from embarrassment. Still, it bound your powers.