Winter's Hearts

Chapter 31

You spread your wings as you walked through the gates into Valkyria proper. Besides the servants, everyone here was a Valkyrie or a Valkyrie in training and they all wore their wings all the time.

"This way, we need to tell the Matron we're here before anything else," you told Loki. He nodded and let you take the lead. Of course you were taking the lead. You had spent a year of your life here and it had been a year of hell.

You remembered the first time you were here, the day after you turned 100. You were nervous at being here, nervous at the start of the trial, and nervous at being away from your family at court for the first time ever. Your mother was there for the year, but she couldn't aid you during the trials. You had to face them alone.

You shook off the memory of being a teen in this place and strode confidently in the front doors. "Lady Valkyrie," the servants at the doors greeted you as you passed. You nodded to them in reply. They looked at Loki, who followed a step behind you and looked like they wanted to argue with him being here, but they knew, the entire kingdom knew you were married. "Lord Consort," they finally greeted him, admitting him past them without you having to kick their asses for it. Loki had a right to be here.

You turned and smirked at his indignant expression once you were inside the castle and away from those particular servants. "They called me 'lord consort'," he spluttered, whining indignantly.

You laughed. "What'd you expect, Lohk?" you teased.

He glared at your teasing. "My usual title?" he suggested. "My name perhaps? It's not like they don't know who I am," he grumbled, just making you laugh harder.

"Loki, it's tradition," you told him. He huffed, but waited for you to continue. "The Valkyrie rule Valkyria, even your father has no power here. He's not even allowed to step foot through the gates and he rules the entire realm. You're only allowed because you're married to me," you reminded him.

"So it's tradition that I lose my title?" he grumbled.

You laughed. "No, it's tradition that your only status here is as my husband. That's why your title here is Lord Consort. They're actually being respectful calling you 'lord', the only other husbands I've seen here have only been addressed as 'husband' or 'consort'," you explained to him.

He sighed. "Your people are strange," he finally told you, but seemed to have gotten over being upset at his lack of station here. "I dislike you outranking me," he teased.

You laughed and took his hand. "Now you know how I've felt my entire life, husband," you teased him. He kissed your cheek with a grin.

"Mmm, 'husband', I do so enjoy hearing that," he told you with a warm purr and stole a kiss. You smiled warmly at him and kissed him back.

You smiled and squeezed his hand. "C'mon, Lohk, let me show you the castle," you told him and led him through the stone halls of the giant castle. It reminded you of Hogwarts in a way, at least every time you read Harry Potter you imagined the castle of Valkyria as Hogwarts.

"I've been wanting to see this place since I learned about the trials and how you would have to face them alone," Loki confessed. You nodded.

"I know. I researched with you while we were children to find out what the trials entailed," you reminded him. Neither of you could find out any more than that the trials were a year, and you would have to leave your best friend for an entire year with little chance to communicate with him. "You can know about them now," you reminded him with a grin. You could see how much the additional delay was killing him, but he wanted to see this place too.