Bibbidi Bobbidi Asgard: A Cinderella AU (Loki x F!Reader)

Chapter 14: Into The Dragon's Lair

Warnings: threat, violence, mentions of death

Inga pulled you in for another hug, careful to avoid the bruises that covered your skin. It was a difficult task given just how badly injured you were but the pain hardly mattered. Not now that you knew your sister was safe. "Who's your friend?"

"Believe it or not, you've already met before. He introduced you to those wonderfully wealthy nobles on the night of the ball..."

"Are you insane?" Inga yelled. Lowering her voice so no one else could hear, the rest of her group having now climbed down from the higher ground and gathered in the narrow pass, she spared a stiff smile towards Loki and asked, "You dragged the prince along on this suicide mission with you? Y/N, how hard did they hit you?"

"Loki came willingly."

"Keep your voice down, Y/N!" Inga said, grabbing you arm and turning your back to the others. "These paths are being watched by Brynjar's men. They're everywhere and it's a miracle that you didn't bump into them earlier, especially after what you did in Aumrauth. Yes, I heard about that. Bad news travels quickly. I knew you were reckless but this? Really, Y/N?"

Tearing your arm free from your sister's grip, you just rolled your eyes at her worry. She seemed to be forgetting that you were a grown adult, capable of looking after yourself. If she only knew what you'd been through; the hardships that Cinderella had made you suffer, the dangers of sneaking around after her and having already been stabbed long before you'd realised exactly what you were involved in. With all of that in the past, of course you were going to have been confident that you could survive any further danger that life might throw your way.

You exasperatedly ran a hand through your hair, ending up with your fingers caught in the mess of tangles. Narrowing your eyes at Loki, who was stood a few foot behind Inga and watching your struggles with a smirk on his face, you said, "If you're done calling me out on this, we really do have somewhere else to be."

"We are not done with this conversation, Y/N!" Inga said in her most motherly voice. Under that level of disappointment, you suddenly wished that you were back at the palace being ripped to shreds by Cinderella. Surely that would have been kinder. "You dragged a prince into what is effectively a war zone without any weapons of your own or even a plan! Now you're walking around the forests in the open, dressed in clearly stolen uniforms and walk into possibly the easiest place in the kingdom for someone to have ambushed you!"

You opened your mouth to contest her points but she held up and finger and continued to hiss, "Did you not think about what could have happened if you'd been killed? What would happen to us? To Ander, Kol and Sigrid? They would never have been able to cope if you'd died on ridiculous mission in their name. What kind of mother do you think I am to even possibly leave them in harm's way? Honestly, I am offended that you would think for one moment that I wouldn't be capable of protecting them."

Again, you were cut off when she continued, "And as for the prince, what would have become of the kingdom if he had been harmed in any way? I'm surprised that Odin hasn't sent out a royal guard to try and find him yet. And just think what might have happened if he had! These paths would run with the blood of the brave soldiers only out here because you were stupid enough to bring Prince Loki with you."

"For goodness sake, Inga! Stop berating me like one of your children and let me speak!" Your sharp temper caught Inga by surprise and she bit her tongue long enough for you to explain, "As I have told you already, Loki came of his own accord. Thor is at the palace ensuring that no one asks of his location and everything is fine. Ask him yourself."