Endlessly

The Dawn of a New Era

"Indeed." Aster gestures toward the table, asking the two of you to take a seat. "Bragi, would you mind fetching some wine-"

"You really don't need to do that-" You interrupt.

"It's best that I do it- won't alert anyone's attention." He disappears into the kitchen.

"Please- take a seat." Aster gestures at the chairs closest to him as he sits back down. You take the seat closest to him and look up to find him with his elbows resting on the table, his hands loosely crossed at the level of his chest, supporting his chin. He grins at you like a proud little boy who's about to show you the sandcastle he's just made. "I'd like you to be a member of my council."

"Me? Why?" You cough the words out before you can choke on the absurdity of them.

"Because I trust you, Gersemi. More than most people I know."

"I highly doubt your councilmen will be accepting of a woman, once your fiancée, revealed to be pregnant with another man's child, out of-"

"There is no one to be unaccepting. I've relieved them all of their duties."

"Aster!"

"Two of those men served my great grandfather. How can we expect anything to change when my councilmen are as old as Yggdrasil itself?"

You laugh. "You've gone mad."

"Perhaps a little." He smirks.

You can't help but grin in return. You and Aster, especially with the support of Loki and Bragi, could bring so much good to the realms. "When do we start?"

That depends- as far as the matter of our wedding, I told you it would still be on the table when you returned, and I'm keeping my word. If you'd prefer to go through with it-" Loki stiffens beside you- Aster notices.

"I certainly don't think we should, now should we?" You wink.

Aster lets out a sigh of relief." Good- I mean, now that that's settled-"

Bragi reenters the room with decanters of wine and water; placing a glass in front of each of you, he steps to the side to begin serving.

"Stop that." Aster scowls.

Bragi raises a single bewildered brow.

"Set that down and-" The prince stops mid-sentence, examining the three glasses on the table with a frown. Without another word he rises to his feet and exits toward the kitchens. He returns a short moment later with a fourth glass and sets it down in front of the empty seat to his right. "Sit. Have some wine, please- please just be with us."

"Aster, I-"

"Please, Bragi." Unshed tears sparkle in the prince's sapphire eyes, the sight making your stomach twist into a knot.

"Yes- sure, of course. I'd love to join." The majordomo clears his throat in an attempt at disguising its emotional tone.

Aster grabs the decanter of water and pours you a glass. "I take it you agree to join my council?" He grins, reaches for the wine and serves Loki.

"I would be honored." You beam. "Loki and I were just in Utgard, and we learned that their council is made up entirely of women. I actually think-"

"Good gods, why were you on Jotunheim?" Aster nearly spills the wine as he pours Bragi a glass.

"It's a bit of a long story." You swallow.

Aster and Bragi blink back at you in silence.

"Well, Loki recently discovered he was sort of adopted."

"Sort of?" Aster muses.

"During the Aesir-Jotun war, The Allfather stole the giant's powersource, leaving Jotunheim a desolate wasteland where nothing grows and very few can even survive. Out of desperation, my birth mother left me, newly born, in a place she knew Odin would find me with the hope he'd take pity on me. He took me from my home realm that day, certainly not out of the goodness of his heart, but for some type of political purpose. My entire life has been a lie." Seemingly void of all emotion, Loki rises to his feet, wine glass in hand, and begins to stroll around the room, viewing the various ornate decor.

"That's... certainly a complicated family history." Aster takes a hefty swig of his wine.

"It's been a stressful few days." You confess. "The fact that my baby is half frost giant is causing some unique difficulties for me. For now, what matters is that Loki needs to stay near me."

"Why?"

"It's... complicated."

Bragi nods, his eyes aimed at you, but not truly looking at you. "I see."

"You can?" Heat rises in your cheeks.

"I can see through the illusion you've placed over her, but not through the one you're using on yourself." Bragi scowls as he moves toward Loki, his curiosity palpable.

"That's because I'm not using an illusion- I've shape shifted entirely. I truly am what you're seeing at this instant." Your heart flutters at Loki's tone. He doesn't sound the slightest bit smug; he's not using the situation to boast or brag- he's explaining himself, using his abilities as a teaching moment for Bragi.

In a brief shimmer of green, Loki returns to the form you know and love.

"How in the nine..." Bragi circles Loki as though he's inspecting an expensive new racehorse he's considering purchasing.

"I'd- heh." He chuckles at Bragi's childlike sense of wonder. "I'd be happy to teach you. Gersemi tells me you can already illusion project."

"A bit, yes." Bragi's ears turn bright pink.

"Well, duplication casting is certainly more complex, but uses many of the same elements. I'm sure you could pick it up."

Aster smiles so wide he exposes a set of dimples you'd never noticed before. "It seems that all four of us have important tasks to promptly take on."