A Gods Favor

If Only

Elora had asked a servant to take her medical trunk to Himinbjorg when she'd returned to her room. At first light, she'd grab her last bag and head straight to Heimdall. She'd said her goodbyes to Yrsa as they'd left Odin's chambers and asked that her friend apologize to the queen for her swift departure.

Now she stood on the balcony of her room, staring out at the gardens as evening crept over Asgard, her mother's blanket held tightly to her chest.

"That's held up well over the centuries." Her head snapped back to the open archway into her rooms.

"My king," she hurriedly tucked the small cloth into her dress pocket and curtsied. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize for my shortness earlier," he slowly crossed the balcony towards her and her eyes flicked past him as if she was planning to run. He couldn't entirely blame her, he'd been cold and dismissive earlier making it clear he'd wanted her gone. In her shoes he wouldn't stand around waiting for another blow.

"There's no need, your highness. I know things are uneasy right now." Her back hit the banister as the god of mischief closed in on her.

"There is a need, El," he came to a stop inches from her and Elora had to lift her chin to meet his intense gaze. "The other night, when you pushed me away, I was hurt."

"Loki," she started to interrupt and he took that last small step, pressing against her and cupping her face.

"Please, let me finish." She nodded softly and he continued. "I was hurt and took it personally and walked away. Then tomorrow I was going to let you walk away, fortunately my mother saw I was being daft and told me not to let you. That you wanted to stay?"

Elora swallowed hard. Her heart fluttered to have him so near again but her stomach roiled with nerves, not forgetting that he may have been the one who started the recent chain of disasters. She chose her words carefully. "Yes, but with everything that's happened I'm not sure I can stay anymore."

"Of course you can, everything you and mother talked about I can make it happen."

She reached up and pulled his hands down as her gaze dropped. "It's more complicated than that now, Loki, and even though I don't want to, I think it would be best if I left."

"Explain to me then, why you think it's complicated because from where I'm standing it makes more sense for you to stay here with me where you are wanted and needed and where I can make it so that you have the best of both worlds." He'd stepped back and his chest was heaving with an angry hurt as he surveyed her. "Well?" He barked when she had gone several moments without speaking. "Do you have a reason or are you just lying about wanting to stay?"

She raised her chin, meeting his cold glare with her own saddened one. "Did you lead the Jotuns in during the coronation?"

Loki went very still as he glared at Elora. He knew, he knew that she knew from the look in her eyes and she was only asking because she wanted to be wrong, wanted to give him the chance to tell her he hadn't but his silver tongue had turned to lead and he couldn't make the lie move past his lips.

Elora's shoulders fell as she let out a deep sigh and began pacing the balcony. "Loki, why? Why would you do such a thing, what were you thinking?"

"They were never meant to get that far," his words were soft, her disappointment instead of anger a mortal wound and he was suddenly desperate to try and stop the bleeding. "It was a jest, a poorly thought out prank to put a taint on Thor's day."

"A prank?" Her voice was shrill as she ran her hands through her hair. "This was no prank and you know it. Leading them into Asgard was reckless and dangerous and look at all the trouble it has caused!"

"I know, I let my anger cloud my judgment, but I am King of Asgard now and I can fix it." He took a step towards her, hands raised in placation, trying to stop her frantic pacing. "I can fix everything, I can give you what you want, more even! If you stay I could make you my queen and we could end the threat of Jotunheim together. Re-establish peace in the realms, set up your school. You and Yrsa would be home, mother would be ecstatic. Just imagine it, El. I could make everything better and we could live out our days on the throne together if you just give me a chance."

"And what happens when Odin wakes?" She stopped pacing to look at him waiting for an answer she knew he didn't have. When he remained silent she continued. "I'll tell you exactly what will happen. Someone else will likely figure out you were involved and when Odin wakes they will turn you in and you will end up in the dungeons for treason! And if Odin never wakes Sif and the others want Thor back and are likely to go to any lengths to get him home, do you think he will react calmly to learning of your actions?" Likely, Sif and the others were telling Yrsa of their suspicions at that very moment. She could tell Loki, she wanted to tell Loki, wanted to let him be ready, wanted to protect him but she also wanted to protect her friends from the wrath of Asgards new king. If she let him know she had no doubt he'd take action and she had no desire to be in the middle of all this. It was too much and her head hurt and now more than ever she wanted to run to Heimdall and have him send her off. "You cannot fix what you have done without putting your life in jeopardy and I cannot stay with things as they are."

"Elora."

"You made this mess, Loki. You have made it you against them and I cannot pick a side."

"So your solution is to run?"

"I don't see what other choice I have." Silver lined her eyes as she stepped up to him and took his hands. "I cannot stand and watch your demise but nor will I stay and pretend you have done nothing wrong so I leave at first light."

Loki closed his eyes as Elora raised onto her tiptoes and clenched his jaw as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Goodbye, your Highness." She whispered before slipping past him and into her rooms where she grabbed her bag before continuing out into the palace halls.

Loki stood frustrated and unmoving on the balcony looking out over Asgard for a long time trying to think his way out of the obvious conundrum that Elora had pointed out. If Odin wakes up, if Odin wakes up, if Odin wakes up...what if Odin woke up to find Loki had saved them all from Jotunheim. A plan forming in his mind he turned and began to cross the balcony when his foot got caught up in something. He looked down to see a small green scrap of cloth on the ground.