Lower Your Eyes (A Loki Romance Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Promise, Once Given

A pause of silence. "And when did that happen?"

"The night I went down to the catacombs to tell you what I'd discovered about your parentage. That was the first time my mind was set loose to consider all the ways that I could have you in my life." Well, he'd certainly 'had' me one way that night. His voice quieted, "I believe your exact words to me were that I've 'watched you bleed, watched you starve, and watched others abuse you.'" Loki paused. "I hadn't seen anyone love you, though."

"That's not true," I answered. "Your mother is a remarkable woman. Mine had always told me to be afraid of you and the queen—I think she'd have a heart attack to know where I stand now."

"You don't think she would approve of me?" Loki said with a smirk. "Such standards for her little girl—"

I smacked him on the arm. "Her only priority was to keep me safe, always. That's why she started teaching me magic to begin with, so that I could have something on my side, when life had taken all other things."

"I will keep you safe, now," Loki said. "I swear it on my life—I will do everything in my power to protect you in her honor."

"I know," I said, smiling up at him. "I'm sure she knows, too."

"Are you ready, your highness?" The priest chimed in, coming back around from the altar.

"Yes," Loki said instantly, straightening up. "Let us begin."

The priest arranged himself between us, then had us both take one another's hands in silence. He recited the chants of matrimony in the language of the Old Gods, then glanced between the both of us. "Do you have vows prepared?"

"Not exactly," Loki said before I could protest. "But I have words to give."

"The stage is yours, your highness," the priest said. I bit my lip nervously, not having any vows—prepared or not—to offer in return.

"Aila," Loki began, squeezing both my hands, "We entered one another's lives through the most unfortunate of circumstances. Since then, you've made me see things in a way I never thought I would, and as a result, I've fallen horrendously, cataclysmically in love with you." My throat tightened. "All of Yggdrasil will know this soon enough, will witness our marriage, but tonight is for the two of us. We started this together, and now, we will start something new—as one."

I pressed my lips into a smile. "Loki," I said. "You once told me that in the eyes of Yggdrasil, I am your equal—but I won't see it that way. I will never see it that way." A flutter of confusion across his features. "You mean more to me than all the nine realms, more than any life I could have wished for. The balance between us is tipped in my heart, and when the time comes, I will do whatever is in my power to have you happy. Protected—loved." Loki seemed no less confused. I continued, "I do not see that making us equal...but I will spend the rest of my days seeing you loved."

There was silence for a moment, and Loki's face looked like I'd given him plenty to think about. If the priest was confused, he gave no sign of it as he said, "In the eyes of Yggdrasil, you are united as man and wife."

I looked at the priest. "That's it?"

He nodded. "That's it."

I turned back to Loki, loosening a sigh. "I suppose we're—"

He moved fast, pulling me to him, encasing me in his arms. Both our hoods were up, darkness enclosing our faces, save for where his hand cupped my face. His warm lips met mine, moving with a savage sensuality, one loose breath falling on my face after another.

A man—he was just a man. One in love.

I felt it more keenly in that moment than any other, with Loki's heart racing as his chest pressed against mine.

Mine. He was mine.

***

Darkness had fallen over the palace by the time Loki arrived back with Aila—his wife. Not that the whole of Asgard would know a thing about it for some time, but he was satisfied. His wife gripped his hand as he led them both up the hallways to his chamber doors, stopping when he felt her hesitate. When Loki looked back at her, stopping in the middle of a hallway stretching past open archways, she had a sharp look in her eye as she stared down one of the corridors. "What is it?" Loki said, then turned and looked in the same direction.

A shadow moved, and Loki instantly stood in front of Aila. "Stay behind me."

"No—" she shoved him aside. "Don't hurt him."

"Him?"

Aila strode out from behind him, stopping a few feet in front. "Come out," she said. "Davos."

Nothing happened for a moment, and then the shadow moved again. Out strode the slave Loki recognized from Aila's life down in the catacombs, his hair disheveled and eyes weary.

"What are you doing here?" Aila asked. "You shouldn't be up here after dark."

"I saw you earlier," he said. "In the library. You walked out looking like you'd been punched in the stomach." Loki blinked, recalling their conversation—how he'd walked out and left her there. "I wanted to make sure you were alright, but then I saw the two of you leaving the palace, so I followed you."

"You followed us?" Aila said. "Why?"

"The whole kingdom knows what's happening," Davos said. "I thought, if you had a way to escape Asgard, I might see it and come back for Dina and the others."

"The 'others?'"

"You think you're the only one who's trying to find ways out of this gods-forsaken life?" Davos said. "You're just the first to succeed."

"Davos, what are you talking about?"

"I saw you go into the cathedral," he said. "There's only one thing you could have done in there."

Loki's shoulders tensed, his chin dropping as he glared at the man. "Are you threatening my wife?"

Davos blinked, as though surprised to hear the confirmation, then turned on Loki with a wrathful look. "Do I sound like I'm threatening her?"

"If not, then what is the purpose of all this?"

The man hesitated, as though he wasn't entirely sure. "I...wanted to know."

"Know what?" Aila asked.

"If you really did it."

Silence passed through the arches, the cold of night settling between them. "Yes," she said. "I married him."

Davos looked away. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he muttered. "We all figured it would happen sooner later."

"I don't know what the 'others' are saying, but none of this will last," Aila said, and both Davos and Loki shot her confused glares. "You won't be slaves for long—not one of you. But you'll cause more trouble by telling everyone what you've seen tonight, so please don't."

"What are you talking about?" Davos asked.

"Yes, what are you talking about?" Loki added.

"Exactly what it seems like. I'm not going to let this continue—this life I've left you in," Aila said. "Go. Go with that knowledge and get some rest. If you've been following me all day and night, you must be tired."

"But—"

"Go, before the guards catch you up here."

Davos looked between them, then took a step back. "Fine," he said. "For what it's worth, I'm happy for you."

Loki couldn't see Aila's expression, but he saw the softening of her shoulders. "Thank you," she said, her voice terribly soft.

Once the man had disappeared around the corner, Loki strode forward to Aila's side. "What were you talking about, just then?"

Her eyes were swimming with thoughts—plans. "What did it sound like? I made my friend a promise."

"A promise you can't keep."

"You don't know that," Aila answered instantly. "If you don't believe me...I suppose there's room for one more person who doesn't. But you'll see." Her eyes sharpened—like chips of ice. "Everyone will see."