Son of Mischief (Loki/Asgard Fanfiction - Selig's Story)

Chapter Forty-Four

Sketchbooks littered the table in McKenna Odinson's chambers and Celia tried not to roll her eyes as she stood perfectly still. She felt ridiculous in the flowing white gown, with its tiers of lace and taffeta. "I don't think this is the one."

"You look like Little Bo Peep," Aislinn said, not even bothering to hide her chuckles. "I don't think that's the one, either, Mom."

McKenna shook her head. "No. It's not. Okay, Sigyn, what's next?"

Celia tried to hold back her sigh but truth be told, she was sick of trying on dresses. She liked the first one she'd donned just fine, but both McKenna and Sigyn insisted she try others on before making her final decision.

"I still like the first one best."

Sigyn nodded. "It did look the nicest."

And with a wave of Sigyn's hand, Celia found herself smiling at her reflection. This was the most beautiful wedding dress she'd ever seen. It was a simple white dress, floor-length and sleeveless, with delicate crystal beading on the bodice. A cathedral-length train swept down from her waist, inlaid with antique lace and crystals and as Sigyn waved her hand again, a delicate veil dotted with crystal fluttered before Celia's eyes, attached to the sparkling silver and gold tiara McKenna had given her on her first visit to Asgard.

Tears clouded her eyes. She wasn't at all certain McKenna would offer it again, seeing as how this was technically the second time she and Selig were engaged. "Thank you," she managed to whisper.

McKenna hugged her tight. "I know you and Selig have been through an awful lot to find each other and I know his telling you why Loki banished him wasn't easy to hear. But I am so very happy that you've forgiven him, Celia. He has loved you since you were children and no one else would ever have been right for him."

Celia swallowed hard, blinking hot tears back. "I didn't forgive him, McKenna. There was nothing to forgive. He did nothing wrong to me."

"But he did."

"What else did he do?" Aislinn asked.

"Don't you worry about it, Al," McKenna told her softly. "It's between Celia and Selig."

Aislinn let out a hard sigh. "No one ever tells me anything."

"What's going on... oh, wow... Ce, you look gorgeous." Kyra came around to stand with her mother and her sister. "Selig is going to flip when he sees you in that. Remember how he stared at her on her prom night?"

McKenna chuckled. "I do. I'm surprised your dress didn't melt from the weight of that stare."

Celia looked from Kyra to McKenna and back. "What're you talking about?"

Aislinn laughed, wiggling her hands to make a dark red leather-bound photo album appear in her hands. "We're talking about this, Ce."

She flipped open the photo album and thumbed through the pictures until she reached the page she sought, then turned the album. The pictures were all from prom night, her and Selig all over the Odinson's yard. She'd forgotten just how many pictures McKenna insisted on taking until just then, and now smiled, remembering how annoyed Selig got with each successive shot.

Then she saw what Kyra meant. In several of the pictures, Celia smiled at the camera, but Selig was looking at her. No, looking wasn't the right word. He gazed at her with a look of wonder that she wouldn't see until much later in the evening. It was the same look he gave her right before he kissed her on the beach.

Her eyes stung again as she took the album from Aislinn and let her fingers trace gently over Selig's image. His hair was shorter in the photo than it was now, and his face was a bit more angular now, but other than that, he really hadn't changed much since that night. At least, not physically. He'd matured into a more serious man, of course, but still had the same playful nature as always.