For Better or For Worse (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Sixteen

I apologize for the wait, but thanks for being so patient. I'm going to see Far From Home today, and I can't say I'm ready. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Drop a comment or a vote and let me know what you think!

"Loki, where are we going?" I asked as we traveled on a worn and beaten path. There were ruts and dips every few feet, so bad that we were actually riding to the right of the path. The man riding next to me only put a finger to his lips as I sign to be silent. There was a smirk on his lips and a glint in his eyes, something I had grown used to over the past months. I sighed but obeyed nonetheless.

We had been traveling for a few hours now, Loki telling me he had a surprise for me. We were half way into a our trip, and it had already been filled to the brim with surprises. He had taken me swimming in a lake, to see waterfalls taller than I had ever seen before, and so much more. It was hard to believe that we were only a week into our trip. And now to tell me that he had more in store. What could be better than what he had already given me.

For the next few minutes, we rode in silence. There was a new tang of something in the air I had never smelled before I'm my life. The farther we went, the more pungent the smell became. Large, white birds began to make an appearance as they soared above us. The were a species I had never seen before. I looked over at my husband in question. There was a smile on his face as he looked ahead of us, but he didn't speak. I rolled my eyes at his coy nature before looking ahead once again.

Over the rise, I could see wooden building start to form. The calls of unknown birds blew on the wind. I licked my lips to discover a salty taste. I frowned and reached up to touch my lips but felt nothing. I threw a glance over at the dark haired man in confusion. He glance over at me but refused to speak. The once calm breeze grew to a gale, blowing my loose hair all over the place. I immediately pulled it back, tying it in a messy knot, the loose baby hairs still flying in front of my vision. The wind brought the shouts of men and women from the town ahead of us.

Suddenly, over the top of the wooden buildings, I saw an expanse of dark blue. It appeared endless, stretching out all the way to the horizon, possibly even farther. I whipped around to look at Loki, wanting an explanation. "What is that?" I asked over the sound of birds and men shouting floating on the wind.

"That, my dear (Y/N), is the ocean," Loki explained, his green eyes shinning. He liked to travel in his normal form, only shifting when we entered a new town or village. I stood up in my saddle, wanting to drink everything in all at once. I had only ever read about the ocean, only ever seen drawing in old books, books I had smuggled to my room. The captain of the guard in Alfheim had not only taught me combat,  it he had also brought me books form his travels. My father did not let books from any of the other nine realms enter our kingdom.

"You're must be joking," I breathed, looking over at my husband. There was a wide smile on his face as he looked at me. He bore such a beautiful smile. I had grown to love it the week we had been out traveling the vast lands of Asgard. "It looks nothing like the pictures," I told him, returning to sit on the saddle but still craning  my neck to see the ocean.

"I don't think pictures ever capture the true essence of anything," Loki said. "It never looks quite right unless you see it in person." I nodded as he spoke, agreeing with him now that I saw the ocean for myself. This was so much more than the pictures I had send in those books.

Everything seemed to rush by in a blur as we entered the port city named Sandvik. The port city was bustling, merchants and shoppers rushing all over the street, calling out the different names of goods and the prices or deals on each of them. Just about every town or village we had visited had been like this, but this was a different level of bustling. You could easily be swept away in the busy streets of the city. Colorful banners hung from balconies and clothes hung out out to dry were strung between houses on clothes lines.