Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 43

Loki made it to open ground where he could call to Heimdall. He removed all the spells cloaking him and hiding him from the guardian's view. It had been the only way to keep Heimdall from dragging him home at his mother's request. He'd learned over the centuries how to hide from Heimdall with magic. The second his spells were ended, the Bifrost opened around him to bring him home. Even before he called to Heimdall.

That was why he'd hidden under such spells in the first place.

He barely had time to brace himself before the Bifrost swept him up and brought him home. Home. He was finally going home. It eased his soul to know that he was finally going home and he could properly consider Asgard his home again.

He stepped out into the Bifrost chamber and came face to face with the guardian and his giant sword. He was never afraid of Heimdall, though he'd often feared getting caught by the golden-eyed man who saw everything. Heimdall looked to him and though his expression didn't change, Loki saw the approval in his eyes. "Welcome home, your highness," he greeted Loki, as he always did. There was no judgment in his voice, for which Loki was grateful.

Loki inclined his head. "Heimdall," he replied before he teleported to the palace. He wanted nothing more than to be in his mother's arms. He'd been so stupid and he missed her so much. He used his magic to pinpoint her location before he teleported and appeared outside her suite.

He politely knocked on the door and one of her maids opened it. "Prince," she greeted him, looking concerned and upset. That didn't bode well. She stepped out of Loki's way so he could enter the suite. He was always welcome in Frigga's suite whether she was there or not.

His guard was up when he entered the suite. The maid had put him on edge. He found his beloved mama in her sitting room. She was fast asleep in a chair front of the big freestanding scrying mirror. It was only the middle of the afternoon. She shouldn't be asleep like that. He had never seen her take a nap in all of his centuries.

Loki moved swiftly to her and knelt in front of her chair. He would never kneel to anyone usually. He was too proud, too stubborn after all he'd been through, but he would do anything for his beloved mama, including kneel before her. He reached up to cup her cheek, to gently wake her. His brows were furrowed with worry, his mother shouldn't be in this state. "Mother?" He asked her gently, softly. He didn't want to startle her.

Despite his care, she jolted awake at his touch, looking shocked. He saw the moment of disbelief in her eyes, the hope and the pain. For a moment, she couldn't believe he was home, that he was really there. He waited with baited breath for her to believe. Then waited for her to reject him, to be angry at him for being away, to see her pain at how terribly he'd treated the person who had unconditionally loved him his entire life.

Instead, she moved forward before he could do anything and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. There was relief and joy in her eyes and he saw it in the moment before she nearly strangled him in her efforts to hug her son. "Darling, you're home!" She exclaimed as she held him.

His expression softened, relieved that she accepted him with such unconditional love, just as she always had. He wrapped his arms around her, supporting her as she was half out of the chair to hug him. "It's so good to see you, Mother," he said gently.

"And you, my son. We were so worried," she replied, her grip on him tight as she held him, stroking his hair gently. He sagged into her arms, they sagged into each other, so happy that he was home with her again. "I missed you so much, Mother. So very much," Loki told her, then paused before he began the difficult part of this, but his apologies had to start here. Had to start with his mother. "I should never have cut myself off from you. I should never have left. I was so very wrong and I'm so sorry,"

Her grip on him didn't loosen. "I missed you as well, my son," she told him as she held him in her arms and stroked his hair. "And of course you're forgiven," she reassured him before he could fret. Relief flooded through him as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, tears falling. "Shh, my darling. Everything is alright, my love," she soothed, shifting to comfort and hold him.

Neither of them kept track of how long his tears fell until his heartbreak eased. He eventually ran out of tears and pulled away to look up at her. "I'm home now. I won't cut myself off from you again," he promised. It was a promise he felt good making as he knew he would never break it.

Frigga brushed the tears from his cheeks, ever a doting mother to him. "I'm so glad you're home and safe, my darling," she told him warmly and he couldn't help leaning into her touch as she moved to press a kiss to his forehead.

It was a couple minutes later before he spoke again, content to hold his mother for awhile. "Do you want to know where I was or did Heimdall already inform you?" He asked softly.

"Heimdall and I finally found you," Frigga told him, indicating the scrying mirror. Loki's guilt increased. Of course his mama hand't given up on finding him and had searched with all of her skills and abilities to find her missing son. She would never give up on him, no matter what he'd done.

"How long were you sitting here scrying for me?" He asked softly, horrified when he realized the implications of how much magic and time she'd spent trying to find him.

"However long you've been missing," she replied as if that were obvious. She'd started looking the second Thor had told her there was trouble and had spent every waking moment since trying to find him.

Loki's heart sank. "Oh, Mother. You shouldn't have exhausted yourself," he said gently, worried over her and how much magic she'd spent on him.

"I'm your mother. You surely did not expect me not to worry over you," she replied warmly, cupping his cheek.

Loki smiled warmly, but got that stern overprotective look in his eyes. He'd mastered that look at the age of ten when he thought his beloved mama was working too hard. He stood in one smooth movement and offered her his hand. "Come. Let's get you to bed. You need to rest," he told her warmly, his voice full of love and care.

"Darling," she started to protest, but just gave him a warm, fond, smile, as her hand was suddenly in his, she was on her feet a moment later, with his arm around her as he steered her to bed. Some things never changed, including her son. He had been just as insistent as a child. So she relaxed and allowed him to dote on her. He led her to her bedroom and to her bed. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Rest, Mother. I'm home now. I won't vanish on you again," he promised as he took a seat nearby, summoning a book to pass the time. He'd spent a lot of time in that particular chair over the centuries, being read to, learning from her, or just relaxing when he needed a quiet moment.

Unfortunately for them both, Frigga's nap was interrupted by a raven landing on her bedside table, squawking loudly in alarm, there with an urgent message. Loki noted the untidy scrawl on the letter was Thor's terrible handwriting. The only reason for Thor to be writing was trouble on Midgard.

Morgan?

Was Morgan alright?