A Child of Mischief (Loki/Avengers story)

23. Royal Argument

As Loki watches Peter round the corner away from the infirmary, the feeling of hope fills his mind. Looking at the infirmary door, a thought crosses his mind and he knocks on the door.

"Yes?" Dagny asks as she opens the door and a surprised look appears on her face as she see's who is on the other side of the door.

"I have an idea as to how her healing process could go faster." Loki says and takes a step toward the entrance of the infirmary.

"What is it?" Dagny says blocking Loki's way into the room.

"This." Loki says and pulls the amulet out of the hidden pocket of his jacket. Dagny eyes the amulet curiously as she takes it from Loki.

"How is this supposed to help her?" Dagny asks, eyeing the amulet.

"It acts as a form of protection and a way of healing for anyone that wears it. All you have to do is place it around her neck and the amulet will do the rest of the work." Loki says, looking at Dagny.

Clutching the amulet in her hand, Dagny looks at Loki and nods.

"Let's hope this helps her. Seeing her the way she is, reminds me of her mother, just after she was born." Dagny says, Loki looks down and shakes his head, to try and prevent the memories of that particular day from entering his mind.

"Do everything in your power to make sure she can be saved and not suffer the same fate as her mother did." Loki says, Dagny nods her head and walks back into the infirmary. Just before the door closes behind her, Loki catches a glimpse at Cora, the gold shield still remains around her, and her monitors beep at a steady normal rhythm. Loki looks to the ground once the door closes all the way.

Walking away from the infirmary, Loki heads for the throne room. Not bothering to knock, Loki pushes the doors open once he reaches the throne room. As expected, all of the adults are conversing in the room once Loki enters. Everyone looks at Loki with terror filled eyes as they think Loki is about to deliver bad news.

"What is it Loki?" Thor asks approaching Loki once he fully enters the room. Before answering his brother, he uses his telekinetic powers to close the throne room doors behind him.

"She's stable, and will be moved to her room soon. The spider boy is waiting by her room to keep watch over her once she is moved there." Loki says with relief coated with a hint of disgust, he looks between everyone in the room as he speaks.

"Well, that is good news then." Thor says before he turns away from Loki.

"Is it? Is it really good news, brother?" Loki snarls at Thor, who turns back to Loki.

"What are you talking about?" Thor asks, Loki let's out an annoyed chuckle.

"You haven't told any of them yet, have you?" Loki asks looking straight at Queen Frigga as he speaks, everyone in the room looks back and forth between Loki and Queen Frigga.

"Now is not the time, Loki." Queen Frigga nearly warns, everyone's eyes go wide as they hear the fierceness in Queen Frigga's voice.

"What are you getting at Loki?" Thor asks looking between his brother and his mother.

"She's decided on her own that Cora will be sent back to Earth once she is well enough to travel." Loki says keeping his eyes on his mother, watching her expression as he speaks.

"Mother is this true?" Thor asks and turns to his mother who is glaring angrily at Loki.

"Yes. She is in too much danger here, from the other children to the winged creatures. She won't be safe here." Queen Frigga says looking around at everyone in the room.

"That is not your decision to make mother, that decision falls on me." Thor says and everyone gasps.

"If it involves the safety of those that call Asgard home no matter for how long, then yes, it is my decision." Queen Frigga says staring down both Thor and Loki.

"What about the fact that this choice involves my daughter? Will you really have her sent away again? If so, I will go with her. I refuse to lose anymore time with her." Loki rants screaming some parts. Everyone's eyes go wide and some gasp as they hear Loki refer to Cora as his daughter.

"Daughter or not, her life is not safe here." Queen Frigga says, Loki stares at his mother and he can feel the anger slowly growing within him.

"Any of the children could have gotten hurt today. Would your decision be the same with them? Or would you want to see them continue on? I thought this whole thing was for Midguardian children to come and learn our ways. One little hitch should not determine whether or not one of them should be able to stay." Loki screams.

"Enough! We shall put this decision to a vote. Later at the evening feast, not only will we vote, but we shall involve the Midguardian children as well. Once the voting is done, whatever the outcome, is what the final decision will be." Odin proclaims, Loki's mouth drops open and his eyes go wide. Turning away from everyone, Loki begins to walk out to the throne room.

Using his telekinetic powers, he opens the doors and walks out. Just as he exits the room, Thor runs up close to the doors.

"Loki, wait." Thor says, but before Thor can say what he wants to say, Loki uses his powers to close the doors in Thor's face.

Once the doors close, Loki's shocked expression turns into a devious smile and he heads for Cora's room. As Loki rounds the corner, he see's Peter leaning against the wall closest to Cora's door with his arms crossed.

"I got them to agree to the vote." Loki says as he approaches Peter. Peter straightens up when Loki tells him this news.

"When will the vote be held?" Peter asks, just as he finishes asking the question, Dagny comes around the opposite corner that Loki had come from. Behind Dagny, a floating gurney carrying Cora follows her and Runa walks behind the gurney. Peter quickly opens Cora's door and steps aside as Dagny and Runa lead the floating gurney into the room.

"At tonight's feast." Loki says and watches as Dagny and Runa maneuver the gurney into Cora's room. Dagny looks at Loki and waves him forward, Loki walks into the room and stays close to the back wall. As the gurney gets situated next to Cora's bed, Runa quickly pulls back the covers on Cora's bed. Loki slowly lifts Cora off the gurney and places her into the bed with his powers. Once Cora is in her bed, Runa covers her up so that her head and tops of her shoulders are the only things that are not covered.

"So, they are having all of us vote and not just letting the royals decide?" Peter questions as he enters the room and sits down at the work desk in the corner across from the door.

"Yes, I made a great enough scene that Odin made the choice to have a vote cast to decide Cora's fate here." Loki says and nods to both Dagny and Runa as they move away from Cora's bed and exit the room.

"If anything changes with her, come and get us immediately." Dagny says and looks at Peter who nods his head.

"If we had votes to cast, we would vote for her to stay. She's strong, and would be able to handle more than the others are giving her credit for." Runa says just as she and Dagny are about to walk away from the doorway.

"They will have you come to the feast in order to cast your vote. So, be ready for when one of us comes to get you. My suggestion, do not try and argue or fight it when someone comes to escort you." Loki warns Peter as he walks out of the room. He takes one last look at Cora before he walks away from her room and closes the door with his powers.