Defense
You don’t know how long you had been in your room. You slept, you ate when you felt like it, and you went to the bathroom when absolutely necessary. You don’t know how they actually told time here on Asgard, but you knew your birthday was approaching, and you kept your blinds drawn and the garden absent of your presence.
Sif visited you often, and even Miss Frigga would grace your presence every once in a while, but the one who mattered the most?
He was nowhere to be found.
Your heart ached. You thought back to all of the scenarios you could have done differently: times you could have told him, moments where you could have given in to his needs…
You felt tears rumble down your already soaked cheeks as you hear a hearty knock at the door.
“Miss Y/N?”
Furrowing your brow at the voice, you get up and slowly make your way to the door, wiping your cheeks with your silkened robe before lugging the door open.
“My King,” you say, bowing lowly before he yanks you up by your arm.
“Don’t you dare,” he growls, his face stern but not angry.
“Come with me.”
Pulling you out in to the hallway, you cower away before he turns to you, his face soft and kind.
“It is not until tomorrow,” he beckons with his hand, “The sunlight shall not take you today.”
As your jaw quivers, you put your hand lightly in his, allowing him to escort you down the hallway.
As you round the corner in to the dining hall, you see the faces of all of those you have grown to care about: Sif, with her hand in Thor’s; Miss Frigga, with her back straight and her shoulders strong; Odin, with his hand still in yours; and your handmaiden, her eyes full of worry and her head bowed.
“I know who you are looking for,” Odin says as he breaks the silence, putting his hands on your shoulders and turning you to face him.
“He will come around,” he reassures you, squeezing your shoulders as you nod lightly in defeat.
“I have betrayed him, Allfather,” you choke out, trying to keep your tears at bay.
“No. No you have not, and don’t you dare allow this incident with him to make you feel otherwise. He is good at playing the victim,” Odin hisses under his breath.
“That is not the case!” you rumble, tossing Odin’s hands off of you as he stares at you with wild eyes.
“You lied to him from day one about who he was! Yes, he is technically your son. You raised him! But you allowed him to believe for years that he was your biological son, not telling him that his father was actually the one enemy you had squabbled with and squashed years before, and you allowed him to construct realities about his life around that lie. The only way he found out was that asinine trip to Jotunheim when Thor was still on a roid rage!”
As your eyes grow more wild, you see Sif slowly step away from Thor, her hand reaching for your arm as you continue to defend the only man you have truly come to respect.
“Yes, props to you for saving him from being killed, but that was your choice to take him in! He owes you no more than Thor does!” you yell, your spittle dripping down your chin as Thor steps in.
“I owe my father everything,” he says, his voice steady and calm while your body continues to shake with rage.
“If not for my father and his outrageous ways,” Thor eyes Odin curiously, “I would not be the well-mannered, level-headed soon-to-be King I am currently.”
Standing there, in the middle of the dining hall, trying to catch your breath as the world whirls around you, you find yourself completely out of control as your mouth begins to move, the words flying from your body before you can stop them.
“My Prince in the only person I have ever truly loved. He treated me with a kindness that he has yet to be shown by many of you standing in this very room. He never pushed me to do a single thing I did not want to cave to do of my own free will, and the only reason he is angry is because I did not show him the same kindness, compassion, and honesty that he showed me. He opened up himself to me…broke his sternum, reached in, and pulled out his heart…and wrapped it around my neck in the form of a shackle…”
Gripping your throat as you swallow hard, the tears barreling down your cheeks, you feel a light hand on your back.
“And I betrayed him…just as you had,” you say, pointing a finger into Odin’s chest.
“I told Sif, and I gave her permission to tell Thor. I never once caved and told Loki. I never once mentioned Michael to him…or bared him my scars…because I was more concerned with whether or not he would send me home rather than how he would feel once the truth was unleashed. I was selfish, and this is my punishment.”
Stumbling out of the room, you hear a voice rumble behind you.
“In 24 hours time, you will be the strongest and most powerful entity in this galaxy,” Odin bellows.
“Yeah, thanks for the reality check,” you murmur.
Like father, like son.
“And it is customary for a Guardian to have a home.”
Stopping mid-step, you turn slowly on your heel as your reddened eyes slowly meet Odin’s gaze.
“I, on behalf of this kingdom, offer you a home here with us.”
Feeling your legs begin to shake underneath you, you suck in a shallow breath as your heart begins to swell with emotion.
“If My Prince will have it,” you say, nodding lightly as you turn your body and exit the hall, slowly shuffling down the hallway as your bedroom door comes back in to view.
And as your back turns to the towering banister, Loki steps out from behind it, his invisible shield lowering…and as he watches your tired, haggard body walk away, he wipes the tears from his eyes as he shakes his head, leaning his body up against the banister as his gaze drifts to the outside, his heart swelling with pride at every word spoken in his defense against his father that you had uttered.
“She loves you, you know,” Thor says behind him, causing him to jump in his spot.
“I know,” he says lowly, his gaze unwavering.
“She belongs here,” Sif says, stepping up beside Thor.
“I know,” he whispers, his head lobbing off in the direction of your bedroom door, watching you slowly close your door behind you.
“Then let it be known, brother,” Thor says as he puts his hand on Loki’s shoulder.
“Let what be known?” he tiredly spits.
“That you love her the same,” Sif says gently as tears slowly rise in Loki’s eyes.