Winter's Hearts

Chapter 23

 You stepped into the suite, not quite believing that you were here and home. The suite was dusty, musty. It obviously hadn't been cleaned in awhile, but it was just the way you'd left it all those years ago, including the text you and Loki had been translating still on the desk in your sitting room. You wandered the suite, Loki stood just inside the doorway, watching, but not interfering. This moment was for you.

"You can't be in here!" A woman's voice came from the door to the hall, hot with anger. Loki turned calmly, ready to diffuse the situation, you whirled to that voice you would never forget. Ever. "These rooms are off-limits... Your highness, my apologies," she backtracked quickly when she recognized Loki. "Your Lady Mother-" she stopped when you stepped back into the sitting room from your bed chamber.

"Mother," you greeted her, trying for decorum for about three whole seconds before you ran to her and hugged her as tight as you could. Loki stepped back smoothly to keep from getting trampled. "Mama!" 900 years had passed since you saw her, and the second you did again, you couldn't help reverting to a five year old and hugging her as tight as you could.

"Y/N?" she held you just as tightly, her little raven-haired girl who fit in with almost no one in Asgard besides your Loki. "Odin sent you away- how?" You finally took a step back to look at her properly. She'd aged some in the 900 years since you saw her, but still had the same golden coloring as the most of the Asgardians, the same warmth to her she always had, but also the same hardness of most of the Valkyrie. Especially dressed as she was in the black everyday uniform/armor of the Valkyrie. Her mouth dropped open and she stared uncomprehending.

"A lot has changed in the last few months. The Allfather rescinded my exile. I'm allowed home," you told her with tears in your eyes. You hadn't thought you'd ever see her again either.

"It sounds like there is much to catch up on," she told you warmly. You glanced over at Loki. Your duty was still to him, even above family. You caught your mom's approving look out of the corner of your eye. She also glanced at your wrist, caught that the sigil of Loki's name was still there, and catch the flash of your engagement ring as well. There was definitely a lot to catch her up on.

Loki smiled warmly and stepped up to you. He kissed your cheek. "Catch up with your Mother, darling. I am going to enjoy a nice quiet evening reading in my chambers. I will have the maids air out your chambers for you. If they are not finished by the time you return, you are welcome to spend the evening with me." You'd be welcome either way, but he wasn't going to say that in front of your mother. Even what he said would have been borderline too forward, except that he lifted your left hand to kiss your engagement ring, making sure to draw your mother's attention to it. It was rude to announce and make a spectacle of sleeping (however innocently) with your intended, but it was expected, plus no one cared on Asgard. Except that you mother didn't want to know about it. Mothers were the same no matter the realm.

"If you're sure?" you had to make sure he didn't need you this evening before you could have a clear conscious leaving him.

"Very sure, Kyrie-love. I will see you later," he told you warmly and kissed you. It was a chaste kiss in front of your mother, but he kissed you in front of her nonetheless. You broke the kiss and ran your thumb over the back of his hand, smirking at him when you left a small blue glyph there. He looked at it and raised his eyebrow.

"In case your brother and his warrior friends decide you need to not spend a nice quiet evening with your books and need to go play with them instead. It's such trouble to track you down when they try to hide you away." You learned that trick years ago. It usually annoyed Loki when you put tracking glyphs on him, but you weren't taking chances when you'd just found him again so recently. Thor's warrior friends also really liked trying to hide Loki away somewhere to get him drunk. You liked to be able to find him quickly before things blew up. Literally.