Growing Pains

Seventeen

There was a whole debate about whether Loki would be allowed to attend Frigga's funeral. Helena wasn't a part of the majority of it, but once she found out Odin was considering leaving Loki in the dungeons while his mother's funeral took place, she quickly made her opinion known.

Truthfully, Odin was still concerned about Helena. She still needed help mastering her powers, but without Frigga there was really only one person left for the job. A person that could easily wreak havoc onto Asgard if not kept in check. Odin knew Loki was Helena's best chance at ever being able to return to Midgard and see her sister again, but what if letting him out of the dungeons was going to be a mistake? What if this led to Helena somehow starting Ragnarok?

In the end, Odin made the decision to let Loki out of the dungeons with several precautions in place. He would stay in his old room, but it would be locked up every night. He would wear magic restricting cuffs on his wrists at all times, and the entrance his room was to be monitored by guards. Thor convinced Odin that Loki being tailed by guards during every lesson with Helena would be too distracting. Though he didn't know why, Thor had definitely picked up on Helena's reluctance to be around the palace guards.

Now there was only the matter of getting Loki to agree. Unlike Frigga, Odin had no idea Helena had been visiting Loki in secret, and getting help with her magic during secret sessions in the dungeons. Thor was the one sent to talk to him. When Thor saw Loki at first, he had an illusion up.

"And what brings you here after so long, brother?" Loki asked coldly, knowing he was there because of what happened to Frigga.

"Enough illusions." Thor dismissed.

Loki waved his wand and his real image was revealed. He had destroyed most of the objectives in ten room and looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"Come to mourn?" Loki tried to provoke.

"Her funeral will be held tonight." Thor said.

Loki grew silent at that statement. Thor hesitated before bringing up the next subject. He didn't want any harm to come to his niece, and Loki could definitely cause harm.

"There is something else. You can leave the dungeons and return to your old room, if you do something in exchange." Thor said.

"And what's that?" Loki narrowed his eyes.

"There is a young Midgardian girl that just arrived here with abilities she gained from your scepter. She needs help with training her abilities."

Loki could feel the lid within Thor's words, but decided to remain silent until he could find the truth.

"And if I help this girl, I leave the dungeons?"

"You will have to wear the cuffs." Thor warned.

"I will do it."

"And if any harm comes to the girl, I will make you regret it." Thor threatened.

"Why is a Midgardian here at all? And why do you care for her so much?" Loki questioned.

"It's your fault she has these powers, helping her is the least we could do."

"Very well." Loki replied, growing slightly impatient at the lack of answers before remembering that leaving the dungeons would give him much more information.

Thor nodded and the guards came to put on Loki's wrist cuffs and let him out of the cell. Thor led him back to the room he used to sleep in every night. Loki stated around his room as nostalgia flooded him.

"You will not harm her in any way." Thor suddenly spoke.

Loki looked back and nodded swiftly. He would uncover why his so called brother was so defensive over a random Midgardian girl soon enough.

Hela was dressed for the funeral, but not ready in any other way. She was not prepared to say goodbye to the grandmother she was just now starting to know. There was a knock at her door and Helena opened it. Thor noticed the blue ribbon Helena had torrid to the doorknob and gave her a sad smile.

"You ready?" He asked her.

"Not really." Helena replied somberly.

"Take my hand, I'll watch over you." Thor promised, and Helena did as he asked. They began walking down the hallway to the outdoor garden where the ceremony would take place.

"One more thing, Helena." Thor said, "Loki will be at the ceremony."

Helena startled a bit and looked up at Thor, a bit fearfully.

"He- he will?" She asked.

"You do not have to speak to him." Thor said, but that didn't put her at ease. He explained the situation he had arranged with Loki taking over to teach Helena magic.

If Loki was out of the dungeons, he could reveal to anyone that she had already spoken to him. Helena stopped walking, causing Thor to do the same.

"What's wrong? If you truly don't want to get to know him, you don't have-"

"I already met him." Helena blurted out.

Thor looked surprised.

"I didn't mean to find the dungeons, but I was running from the guards because they don't like me, and he talked to me, and I only meant to go once, but then I just wanted to get to know him, a bit, cause you know, and I'm really really sorry, Thor, I-"

Thor waved her off.

"It's alright Helena." He said, "I cannot blame you for wanting to meet your father. I should have know fate would bring you two together eventually... does he know...?"

"No." Helena said, shaking her head.

"Well, I think that's best for now. He is still not to be trusted."

She agreed and they began to walk through the doors to the outside. Odin had instructed everyone to keep Helena's relations to the royal family a secret. Once entering the group of people there to grieve, Thor and Helena parted and Helena watches from the side as Frigga was offered up into the stars.

Tears were flowing down her face so hard, she couldn't see, and she began to tremble as she sat down. The loss of both Frigga and Pietro weighed heavily on her and she hung her head low. Everyone kept clear of the young weeping girl, and Thor, Odin, Sif and the Warriors Three were too preoccupied to notice her at that moment. Helena spotted a pair of boots at her side and looked up through her tears.

"You knew her?" Loki asked.

Helena nodded faintly, and looked back down. Loki found the extreme sadness and grief radiating off of her to be even more perplexing. Who was this little Midgardian girl with such potent magic who wept for a queen she couldn't have known very well? He didn't know, but he knew he would find out.