The Myriad Misadventures of a Midgardian Queen-In-Training || Loki x Reader

Chapter 52

(TW: attempted assault/choking; I have a chapter summary in the end notes on AO3 if people want to skip this chapter)

******************************************

He doesn't kiss the way you'd expect him to. Then again, you've never been kissed before, so what would you know? Still, you're surprised by how gentle he is. How warm. And you're surprised by all the things you notice while his lips are pressed against yours, things you've never noticed before. The tickle of his hair against your cheek. His scent, clean and spicy, like late autumn.

You both pull away at the same time, oddly enough, but not completely, just enough so that your noses and foreheads still touch. It hits you again how green his eyes are. One iris is a slightly deeper shade than the other, and both are flecked with hints of blue and gold, but they are still undeniably green , so green it almost hurts to look at him, but it's the good kind of hurt.

The kind of hurt that leaves you wanting more when, at last, he blinks and looks away.

You swallow, nervous. "Well, then."

"Well, then," he responds. When he looks back at you, his eyes are still twinkling, and you smile in kind.

"I—" You catch a glimpse of the watch on his wrist, and realize the time. "Oh, I should definitely head in." You look up, desperate to make sure you haven't given him the wrong impression. "I—that is, we should definitely...tomorrow...I just—

"I understand." He chuckles. "Can't miss out on your, er, beauty sleep, hm?"

"Listen, we can't all be supernatural entities. Some of us need a solid eight hours a night. And besides, Lady Amara wouldn't stand for it." Truly, if you show up to breakfast tomorrow with even the hint of dark circles, you'd never hear the end of it.

"Well, far be it from me to stand in the way of Lady Amara's teachings." He rises, offering a hand to help you from your seat. "It's just as well, then. I have some, er, business matters to attend to, myself. I'll have somebody escort you to your room." He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to the back of your hand. The resulting butterflies are almost enough to keep you from processing what he says next. "I believe Head Guard Walden is stationed nearby..."

Walden . With all of the recent time away from the palace, you haven't seen the Head Guard in weeks. Still, the sound of his name causes something to twist low in your belly, sour and uneasy. "I can find my own way back."

"It's late, and dark. I would feel much more comfortable if a guard were to accompany you."

You're about to protest, but the intimacy of a few moments ago is gone. This Loki is all business, cold and unfeeling. "Of course...Your Majesty." You feel a hollow pang in your chest when he doesn't bother correcting you, followed by a shot of fear as you see Walden approach, wearing that ungodly smirk, and nope not doing this. You turn to plead with Loki, but he's.. .gone?

"Lady (Y/N)."

Swallowing, you pull yourself together enough to offer Walden a cordial smile. "Thank you. For, um, being willing to take me back to my room."

He doesn't respond, but you let it go. You'll be back in your room soon enough, no need to start up any unnecessary conflicts. You walk slightly behind him, following him as he leads you down a new path, into a section of the garden, of whose existence you were previously unaware. "I don't think this is the right way - "

"Shortcut," he interrupts gruffly.

The path seems narrower than before, the hedges higher. This must be the maze, you realize, with no small amount of unease. You shake it off. Just a little further, just a little fur -

You're ripped from your thoughts as you find yourself being slammed into a wall of leaves. Your face is against the hedge, so you can't speak, but you try to scream. It's hard to, though, when, a second later, an arm presses against your throat, effectively choking you.

You hear a low, growly laugh. "There's no one to hear you, sweetheart." He loosens his grip on your throat for a moment, but not enough for you to be able to make any real noise. "No need to make a fuss. Young, pretty thing like you, they'll never suspect anything happened, so long as no one tells 'em."

You feel him fumbling with the ties of your dress, but with your knees against the wall, there isn't much you can do but attempt to launch yourself backwards. This man has clearly been training for a while, though - he doesn't budge.

Still, you'll be damned if you go down without a fight.

When his hand moves from your throat to cover your mouth, you bite him, hard enough to draw blood. He pulls back with a cry, and you don't bother catching your breath, you don't have time for that now, instead choosing to run back the way you think you came, but his other hand is still gripping your skirt, and you fall. Another chuckle reaches your ears. "Not so innocent now. You're just asking for some kind of punishment, aren't you?" He keeps taunting you, even as you struggle to stand up, or even crawl away.

"No, but I believe you are."

He freezes, and you realize that the two of you have been joined by a third party. You take advantage of Walden's momentary confusion to get in one last kick - you're not exactly sure what part of him your foot connects with, but it feels soft and fleshy and apparently hurts enough for him to let go of you completely. You scramble to stand, trying to make sense of your surroundings - which way is out? - and you're about to give up and just run, because being lost in the maze would be better than being here right now, but then an arm snakes around your waist, and now you're screaming again, you -

"(Y/N)! (Y/N), it's all right." You calm down, recognizing the voice. At your feet, Walden groans, clutching his eye, and you stiffen slightly. Loki looks down at him with an expression of absolute disgust. "Absidor Walden, as of this moment you are relieved of both your title and your duties as head guard. You will be extradited back to your home country immediately to be tried and punished for your crimes." Your breathing hitches as Walden disappears. Here one minute, gone the next.

"What did you do with him?" You sound more than a little hysterical.

"Exactly as I said. He is on his way to his homeland to await trial." For the first time since the kiss before, you make eye contact. "Are you all right?"

You nod, trying to put on a brave face. "You didn't need to rescue me, you know. I was doing just fine on my own."

He raises an eyebrow. "It didn't appear that way."

He saw the whole thing?

You feel so naked, suddenly. Hearing your name called on Good Evening, America, being poked and prodded at by stylists and maids and makeup artists, seeing the way people sneered as you entered the masquerade - even after all of that, you've never felt so exposed as you do now, knowing that he saw that . Saw Walden's hands on you. If it had just been you, you could have pretended it never happened, but now he'd been there, he'd seen it all, and you - you -

You step away from him then, turning to face him. Your throat is still swollen with unreleased sobs, but you somehow manage to speak. "So what, I was - I was your bait ?"

"What? No, (Y/N)—"

"No, no, I understand, you just thought - don't touch me!" you spit at him, pulling your wrist out of his grasp. "Thank you for your assistance, oh great and noble leader, but I think I'll be just fine from here on out."

He reaches towards you, but comes just shy of making actual physical contact, his hand hovering by your shoulder. "You'll get lost trying to find your way out."

"I don't care."

He grabs your wrist again and yanks you forward, pulling you into his chest with his other arm before you have a chance to object. There's a flash of brilliant green light, and after blinking a few times, you realize you're back in your room.

Alone.

You bite your tongue as you check the door and windows - all locked - and draw the curtains. It's not until you've made it into the shower, the water scalding you even through the heavy silk of the dress, that you allow yourself to cry.