Winter's Hearts

Chapter 25

Loki shot Thor a hopeful look. You tried to keep the same hopeful look off of your own face. You were so happy to be home, though, that you were sure you were failing. Thor glanced between the two of you and his blatantly hopeful mother. He couldn't resist three pair of puppy-dog eyes. "We can stay for one day," he emphasized that last part. "Our friends will already be missing us," he reminded you. "We did not tell them we were leaving." You weren't entirely convinced they would care that you and Loki weren't there.

"Fine," you and Loki both sighed while Frigga lit up in delight.

"Kyrie, darling. Your mother wished to see you in the practice courts this morning if you were staying for the day," Frigga told you, touching your arm to make sure she had your attention. You flinched and jerked back away from her automatically, panicked and terrified until you remembered where you were. Frigga looked so hurt and you felt terrible for it.

You flushed, embarrassed, wings fluttering in distress. Damn things always gave away your emotions. "Apologies, Queen Mother. My time on Midgard has made me a little jumpy..." That was true, but not really an explanation. She nodded, though gentle and kind as usual. You could see the concern she was trying to hide. "If you'll excuse me, I should see what my Lady Mother requires of me." Frigga nodded and you stood, trying to ignore the sorrowed expression in her eyes. You offered her a bow, nodded at Thor, and kissed Loki. "Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone. Call me if you need me,"

He rolled his eyes. "Kyrie, love, even I cannot get into mischief while I am spending the morning with my Lady Mother," he reminded you.

You grinned at him. "Which is the only reason I'm not putting another tracking glyph on you, your highness," you teased. He huffed and rolled his eyes even more dramatically. "It's no fair you get to have tea and chocolate cake with your Lady Mother and I have to have my a-" you changed your word quickly with a glance at Frigga "backside handed to me by mine," Loki was laughing as you used magic to change into your armor and headed to the practice courts.

"Was Midgard really so hard on her to make her that jumpy? She acted as though I would harm her," Frigga's voice asked her sons with sorrow in her tone.

"Because she is half-Jotun, she mortals cannot touch her skin without being severely frostbitten or worse. Until she found us again, no one had been table to touch her bare skin for 900 years without dying," Loki explained sadly. "She still jumps occasionally when I touch her without warning and gets that same panicked terrified look expecting that she has harmed me..."

"Poor dear," Frigga's reply sounded heartbroken.

You quickened your pace to the practice courts.

"Daughter!" your mother greeted you brightly as you stepped out to the Valkyrie's practice court. You smiled and went to her. "Was there trouble?" she asked, looking at your wings after you'd hugged her.

"Oh, one of the court ladies made a nuisance of herself and upset my charge. She's been dealt with," you flapped your wings once and vanished them. "And Loki likes the wings," you added sheepishly, which is why you tended to forget to vanish them when you didn't need them.

"Of course he does. Come, let's see what you still remember," your mother bid you with a mischievous smile. You sighed, steeled yourself, and stepped into the practice circle to get your ass handed to you.

*

You did better than you had expected. You'd kept up with training while you were exiled so your skills hadn't deteriorated. Your mother actually told you that she was proud of you and that you were fit to be the prince's Valkyrie. High praise indeed.