Lady Dahlia | Loki Odinson

Chapter 3 - Thor

"I never get used to seeing him like this." Loki whispers. Dahlia finds his hand and squeezes it. Frigga had asked her to sit with her at Odin's bedside, and she had moved to sit with Loki when he joined them.

"He's put it off for so long now, that I fear..." Frigga replies, reaching out and resting her hand on Odin's.

"How long will it last?" He asks.

"I don't know. This time it's different. We were unprepared." She explains. Dahlia squeezes his hand again, hoping to silently comfort him without interrupting their conversation.

"So why did he lie?" Loki questions.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are our son, Loki, and we, your family. We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And your brother." She answers.

"What hope is there for Thor?" He asks.

"There's always a purpose to everything your father does." Frigga tells him. He considers it for a moment before standing. He kisses the top of each of their heads before leaving the room. Once she's sure that he's gone, Frigga focuses on Dahlia. "You love my son." She says.

"Of course, I do. I love both your sons. They're my closest friends." Dahlia answers, laughing nervously. Frigga smiles.

"We both know that's not what I was referring to. I know Loki would never admit it, but he cares for you greatly, possibly even more than his own family." She replies, chuckling softly. Dahlia clears her throat, standing quickly.

"I should go see my father. I believe he wanted to speak with me." She lies, quickly moving towards the door. 

"I hope you'll make each other happy." Frigga calls as she opens the door. Dahlia pauses for a moment before leaving.

***

"He's unworthy." Heimdall says when Dahlia enters. 

"Who's unworthy?" She asks, moving towards his voice. He grabs her when she gets close enough, making sure she doesn't get too close to the edge.

"Thor. He reaches Mjolnir, but he was not worthy." He clarifies. She sighs and he wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side.

"He can still take his power back, can't he? Once he grows more as a person?" Dahlia asks. He squeezes her shoulder.

"I hope so, Lia." He replies. They stand in silence for a moment before Heimdall clears his throat. "I heard your conversation with the Queen." 

"Father! I've told you not to listen in!" She scolds, looking away, embarrassed.

"I was simply checking on the Allfather and it happened to be at the same time as your conversation." He replies. She groans and moves to the stairs, sitting and burying her face in her hands. "Do you love him?" He asks, moving to sit next to her.

"And if I did?" She asks. He sighs and wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side again.

"Well, I can't say that I approve of your choice, but if he makes you happy, then he's good enough." Heimdall tells her. She laughs and hugs him.

"Thank you, Father." She says. Someone behind them clears their throat and the two stand, turning to face them.

"Loki." He greets. 

"I should be getting back to Frigga!" Dahlia tells them before she practically runs from the room, hoping Loki hadn't heard her conversation with her father. The two men look at the guard who had come with Loki.

"Escort her to the Queen." Loki orders, watching Dahlia as she moves across the bridge.

***

Dahlia sits next to Frigga, trying to teach her the magic Loki had taught her to transform her staff into another weapon. 

"Stay back." Frigga tells her suddenly, getting up and grabbing the sword from Odin's bed. The door opens and she moves forward, swinging the sword at the first Frost Giant to enter the room. Before she can take out Laufey, he backhands her sending her flying across the room.

"Frigga!" Dahlia cries, hearing her hit the floor. She retrieves her staff from her back and focuses on listening, swinging it towards Laufey as he approaches. Before it can hit him, he grabs it and snaps it in two. Laufey grabs her by the throat and lifts her before throwing her against the opposite wall, knocking her unconscious.

Before Laufey can kill Odin, Loki enters and blasts him with Gungnir and kills him.

"Loki! You saved him!" Frigga says, rushing to him and hugging him. 

"I swear to you, Mother, that they will pay for what they've done today. To you and to Father." He tells her. 

"Dahlia!" She gasps, moving around him to kneel next to her. She rolls her onto her back and spots the burns around her neck from where Laufey grabbed her. Loki quickly moves to kneel beside her, brushing the hair from Dahlia's face.

"She'll be okay, won't she?" He asks worriedly. Frigga hovers her hands over Dahlia, using her magic to scan her for injuries.

"Yes, she's only unconscious, no other injuries besides the burn." She answers. He sighs, relieved, and takes Dahlia's hand in his own, stroking her knuckles.

"Loki." Thor calls as he stands in the doorway.

"Thor!" Frigga says as she rushes to him and hugs him. "I knew you'd return to us." Loki squeezes Dahlia's hand and kisses her forehead before standing and moving away from her.

"Why don't you tell her how you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends, to kill me?" Thor says.

"What?" She asks. She moves to stand in front of where Dahlia lays, sensing the building tension between the brothers.

"Why, it must have been enforcing Father's last command." Loki replies.

"You're a talented liar, Brother. Always have been." He says.

"It's good to have you back. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim." He tells Thor. He raises Gungnir and blasts him through the wall before leaving.

Frigga stares between the two places her sons disappeared before shaking her head and calling for guards to help her take Dahlia to the healing room.

I've decided to split up the updates, so I'll be posting the two chapters of Lady Dahlia today, then the updates for Pandora's Box tomorrow along with Aurora's Journey. The second chapter of Lady Dahlia likely won't be up until later today though.