Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 63

Loki went to Frigga and kissed her cheek. "Mother, I fear we cannot stay. Duty calls. If you have need of anything, send word," he told her warmly.

"I will keep watch. Your Father will wake again. Don't fear, my son," she told him kindly and reached up to touch his cheek.

You stepped over to join them. "I'm sure he will wake soon, Queen Mother," you told her kindly. She gave you a warm smile and nodded in agreement.

Loki kissed your cheek. "Come along, darling. We have work to do," he told you warmly and offered you his arm. You placed your hand lightly on his arm and noted that he carried the staff in his other hand.

"So, what's first?" you asked when you were safely out of the healing room.

He sighed. "First, we must tell the people what has happened," he told you, and you caught the edge of nerves in his tone. You squeezed his arm.

"You'll be fine, Loki. You've trained for this your entire life," you reminded him.

"Darling, I don't think think you quite appreciate just how poorly it went the last time I was on the throne," he told you dryly. Really, it had gone terribly.

You rolled your eyes. "I've heard the story, Lo. From you and Thor both. Things have changed. You've changed since then. And I'll be by your side. We'll do this together,"

He relaxed and kissed the top of your head. "I love you, my darling," he told you warmly.

You stood up on your toes to kiss him. "And I love you, my king. Now let's go tell the people what's going on." You used magic and donned court clothes, including your tiara. Loki did the same, donning his ceremonial clothes and helmet. The guards opened the double-doors to the throne room and you and Loki stepped through. Your hand remained on his arm as you walked together past the gathered. You felt the shock of the crowd as you walked up the steps toward the throne. Loki turned to you, kissed your cheek, and took the last steps up to the throne alone. You took your spot standing in Frigga's usual place, just below the throne. Stupid patriarchal society didn't have two thrones, or equality, but that was a problem for another day.

You saw Sif and the Warriors Three at the foot of the stairs to the throne itself, staring in shock and hoped that Thor's stupid warrior friends wouldn't do anything dumb today.

Loki stood in front of the throne and turned to the assembled court. He banged the staff once against the floor, the noise making a loud echoing noise through the giant chamber. "Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. We do not know when he will wake." He announced to the crowd. You knew that his use of the word 'father' here wasn't sentiment, but calculated to remind the court that his claim to the throne was legitimate. "In Thor's absence, the responsibility for Asgard and her people falls to me,"

The crowd was shocked and confused. So you helped them stop being stupid. You turned to Loki and dipped a low curtsy. Sif and the Warrior's followed your lead, dropping to one knee and bowing, their right fists over their hearts. You could have sighed in relief that they were being reasonable and doing the right thing. Even if they didn't trust Loki entirely, they trusted the crown as a whole and knew that Frigga and Thor wouldn't have agreed to this if it weren't the best course of action. The court feather-heads finally remembered what they were supposed to do at such announcements. They all bowed and curtsied and a chorus of 'my king' rang through the hall. You looked up and saw Loki's quick glance of gratitude.

Loki banged the staff again and the court rose and the long boring task of listening to petitions began. It was really long and really boring and you could see the dull questions grating on his temper. Around lunch, you had your chance and moved from your place and up to the throne and your Loki. He looked up at you with an indulgent smile as you leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Yes, my darling?" he asked you warmly.