Hardest of Hearts (Thor/Avengers: Loki/OC )

Chapter 4

Inside Althea’s chambers she tossed and turned on her bed, the room completely dark besides the fire that was burning out into embers in the pit.

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A much younger Althea, around the age of 80, along with her sister Sif, lay on either side of their father as he read to them before sleep.

"And so the flower grew again-" Their father read aloud, but was interrupted by Sif.

“Father, this is boring! Please tell us a more interesting story!” Sif pleaded with him gripping his arm.

“Yes father, I agree with Sif, this story about the flower that never died is boring!” Althea agreed nodding her small head up and down.

Fenrir sighed before closing the book and looking down at them, “Very well, what story would you like to hear?” He asked them.

“Oh! Could you please tell us of the war in Jotunheim?” Sif asked looking up at him.

“Again? You’ve both heard that story over a hundred times now!” Fenrir replied looking down at them, but being attacked on both sides with pouted lips and pleading eyes.

He sighed, “Very well,” And started the story.

“Once, many, many years ago, when I was much younger, before I had even met your departed mother, I went to Midgard along side the All-Father. You see, the two of us had trained together in our younger years and became good friends, and still are to this very day, though we don’t see each other as much as we once did. Mankind had accepted that they were not alone, they believed our world to be home to their Gods. But from the realm of cold and darkness, the frost giants came to Midgard, destroying all that was in their path; destroying it with the casket.

However, the All-Father lead the Asgairdan armies to Midgard to put a stop to the frost giant's destruction. A fierce battle was fought and we chased the frost giants back to their home in Jotunheim. Lives were lost, on both sides, but in the end, their king fell before the All-Father and I myself had grabbed the casket from its place and brought it back to Asgard where it was placed in the weapons vault, and still stands there today. An uneasy peace was made, but the war ended and the evil frost giants of Jotenheim learned never to attack Midgard, as it was indeed protected,” Fenrir finished his story, and saw that his daughter’s faces looked up at him in awe, eyes wide and staring at him like he was the All-Father himself, just like every other time when he finished the story. 

“Alright, that’s enough for tonight, you must sleep now. I will see you in the morning before your lessons!” He said standing up from the chair they were all on, first tucking Sif in her bed, and then Althea.

Just as he was about to turn away from her, she tugged on his arms, “Father? What happens if the frost giants come to Asgard?” She asked him worriedly.

“They won’t,” he replied with conviction, but he could tell she didn’t seem convinced, “But if they did, have no fear, they would be defeated, and the gatekeeper Heimdall would see them before they even came close to entering,” He explained before standing up, blowing out the candle and then leaving their shared chambers and the two girls alone.

Althea rolled onto her side to sleep, but before she could, her sister spoke, “Don’t worry sister, if the frost giants ever did come I would protect you. I plan on being the fiercest female warrior that ever lived,” Sif whispered her dream over to her, “Those frost giants wouldn’t know what had destroyed them until it was too late.”

“Well,” Althea replied sleepily, “You aren’t a warrior yet Sif, but once you are, I will be in the healing wards ready to patch you up every time you’re injured.”

“I knew there was a reason I had a twin,” Sif replied before giggling as Althea threw one of her pillows across the room and onto Sif’s bed.

“Goodnight Sif,” Althea said about to fall asleep.

“Goodnight, Althea. Pleasant dreams,” Sif replied before the two young girls fell asleep, dreaming of fighting in fierce battles, and healing the wounded.

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Althea woke with a jolt to the sound of hundreds of galloping horses entering the city. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the fogginess. She’d had a dream that was really a memory of her father and Sif when they were much younger. She didn’t realize how much she truly missed her father.

Throwing the blankets back, she set her feet on the bedroom floor, ignoring the cold that shot through her and quickly stood up before opening the doors to her wardrobe and grasping a random dress. She quickly put it on over her night shift, slipped on a pair of shoes, then ran over to the door, throwing it open and almost running into Sif.

“Father’s party has returned!” They both said to the other, before nodding and taking off through the halls of their home, running down the steps to the doorway and out into the street. They continued to run into the citadel where hundreds of men were dismounting their horses, helping the injured and taking them to the healing halls, or reuniting with other family members who had come to see the returning soldiers.

“Do you see him?” Althea asked Sif as they looked around for their father in the citadel, illuminated by the lanterns all around them.

“No,” Sif replied as they continued looking.

Althea turned around in a circle, before seeing a familiar chestnut mare, and their father atop her, “Over there!” Althea called grabbing Sif’s hand and taking off.

“Father!” They both shouted before running over to him, then capturing him in a hug as he dismounted.

He grunted with the force of their hug, but wrapped his arms around them in return, “My girls! I have missed you both very much,” He told them pulling back slightly to look upon their smiling faces.

“We missed you as well father! We were so worried for you!” Sif told him, “You have missed so much!”

Althea felt something wet soak through her dress and onto her stomach. She brought her fingers forward and touched it before pulling it back and looking at the wetness with the light from the lanterns surrounding them, seeing a red and sticky substance on her fingers: blood.

She was in a state of shock for a moment, wondering how she had gotten hurt, but then realized she did not feel any injury on her person. Then realized she had just hugged her father, and he was bound to be covered in blood from the other men he battled, but this blood was fresh.

“Father?” She questioned him in a whisper looking up at him, to see him swaying slightly.

“I should say,” Fenrir replied looking at Sif, “I don’t remember your hair being black.. the last I… saw you,” He trailed off before collapsing, Althea and Sif catching him as he fell.

“Help! Help!” They both called to the soldiers around them.

“Captain!” One soldier called running over and taking the weight of their father from them.

“He needs a healer!” Althea told him as another man came and took their fathers other arm, holding him up and taking him to the healers, with Sif and Althea right behind them.

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They’d been made to sit outside the healing halls while their father was tended to, and that had been over five hours ago. Althea didn’t know about Sif, but she had blindly watched soldiers and other people come and go from the halls the entire time, but all she felt was numbness. The image of her mother dead was also constantly plaguing her, she only hoped their father was not going to join her in Valhalla yet.

It may seem selfish; why wouldn’t she want the two lovers reunited? But she and her sister needed their father, the one constant in their life that they could always rely on besides each other.

“Althea,” Sif’s voice called, but it seemed so far away, “Althea!” She said again, this time accompanied by a nudge or two, which caught her attention.

She blinked a few times before looking up at a standing Sif, who pulled her up from the floor, holding her up until she got her legs under her again, “They say we can see him now,” Sif explained to her, gesturing to one of the healers who was waiting by the door.

Althea nodded, happy he was alive, but she wouldn’t smile until she knew he was back to full health. Slowly they followed the healer to the back of the healing halls, passing beds of sick and injured. Even when worrying for her father, all Althea wanted was to stop and ease their pain, to heal them and give them words of comfort, even when she didn’t know them. But she didn’t have the training, at least not yet. She decided she would start to learn, focusing on the healing arts of magic before anything else.

“He was gravely injured, and lost much blood from his body. We spent our time aiding his body by healing the wound. But even our healing magic is not great enough to completely heal him, but just enough to save his life,” The healer explained to them as they came upon their father’s bed, where he lay looking pale and weary, the rise and fall of his chest shallow. But he still lived and breathed.

“He needs rest now, but you may wait by his side until he awakens,” The healer said gesturing to the two chairs beside the bed, before leaving, closing a curtain around them and their father, casting it in silence, blocking the outside noise.

Slowly, Althea took one of the chairs and pulled it right up to the bed, grabbed his hand and held it with her own, Sif doing the same with the other.

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Loki waited in the library for Althea to join him at their usual table, and after she was over ten minutes late, he realized she must have gotten lost again, but knew she would find her way. He waited, and waited, and waited. Three hours passed and he began to worry for her. She wouldn’t just forget the place they met for over 3 weeks now. Not after they had just started to become friends and even before the friendship was given a title, Loki had enjoyed her presence.

It was soft, and light, so different from anyone else he had ever known. But as their friendship grew, he realized she was much more out spoken and out going than he’d first realized. It seemed she had been shy and timid around him when they’d first met, when she still called him everything but his name.

And so Loki found himself missing her presence in the library, finding himself much lonelier than he was before she ever came into his life. They had finally mastered the illusion spells, but he was planning on going into more advanced studies of illusions than Althea wanted. He next planned to create a copy of himself, and teach Althea an invisibility spell that he had mastered before any other spell he’d taught himself.

He mostly did it out of spite; he felt invisible already, so why not make himself truly invisible to the eye? He wanted to see how long it would take people to notice his absence. Thor had taken a day, his mother only five hours, and Odin didn’t notice at all.

But then Loki’s thoughts turned darker, like the most often did when he didn’t have his way. What if Althea decided she didn’t want to be his friend anymore, what if she thought she learned enough from him and would go on by herself without him? How could she take for granted the time he put into teaching her magic? Did she not understand the patience he needed for the job? Days and days of no results from her, yet he did not give up!
Loki pushed his chair back and stood up, blocking out those dark thoughts. He shouldn’t make assumptions. He would go and find Althea, see what was keeping her delayed. So with that in mind Loki left the library and started walking through the palace halls to go to her home.

“Brother!” Thor’s voice called out behind him.

Loki couldn’t help but feel annoyed, of all times, Thor had to show up now? 

Nevertheless, Loki plastered a smile on his face and turned around, “Thor, how are you this day, brother?” He asked him.

“Well, brother! But I am on my way to see the lady Sif, she is quite upset today,” Thor replied and Loki was confused, what was Sif upset about now, “And how is Althea fairing? I know you two have been spending time together these past few weeks,” Thor asked him.

“Even though it is not of your concern brother, Althea and I have been spending time together,” Loki agreed before asking him, “I haven’t seen her this day, why is Sif upset? And why would Althea also be?” Loki asked him.

“I see you’ve had your head in a book again brother,” Thor replied smirking before growing serious again. “It seems Sif and Althea’s father returned last night, a long with his party. Many were injured including their father, he is in the healing halls,” Thor explained to him.

“And how do you know this?” Loki asked him tilting his head.

“I escorted Sif home only a short time ago, she told me of her father, and that Althea has not left his side since they were given permission to see him. I would have stayed with Sif longer, but father had called for me so I had to leave. I am on my way back to her now,” Thor continued on but Loki tuned him out.

This explained why she had not shown up, and he felt slightly guilty for the dark thoughts he’d had when wondering where she’d been.

“I will speak with you later, Thor, I must go now,” Loki said goodbye to his brother, interrupting his talking before turning around the way he’d come and going straight to the healing halls.

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After arriving in the healing halls, he’d asked a healer where he could find Fenrir Ulfrson, and she had pointed out a bed covered in thick white curtains. He nodded to her and walked over to it, before slowly opening the curtains and stepping inside.

The only light sorce was a small candle flame, but he could see Althea sitting there completely still with watery eyes. She didn’t even seem to sense his entrance, staying completely still as he walked around the bed and sat in the empty chair beside her.

As he looked over at her, he saw her to be covered in dried blood, a sight he never wanted to see again. He didn’t know why, but the thought of Althea and blood together did not sit well with him. He supposed it was because she was his friend and he cared about her a great deal more than he wanted.

Slowly he put a hand on her shoulder, finding her to be cold to the touch. Why hadn’t the healers brought her a blanket? He’d be angry later, but right now he had a hurting friend to see to, “Althea?” He called out gently, but still she did not stir.

“Althea?” He called again, and still he got no response, “Althea?” He said this time more forcefully, as well as turning her body so she faced him.

He stared into her unseeing eyes, waiting for some recognition to be shown, and after waiting a few moments the focus returned to her eyes, “Loki?” She questioned in a whisper.

“Hello,” He replied looking at her, glad he had finally gotten a response.

“Loki… “ She trailed off before seeming to realize something, “Oh! I.. I should have met you, or sent word, but my father, he was injured, dying, but they saved him, but he is still-" A mess of words left her in a rush, and Loki had a hard time keeping track but he put a finger on her lips to sush her.

“It’s of no importance now, you needed to be with your father,” Loki told her, removing his finger.

She nodded, before her eyes started to fill with tears, “I thought he was dead,” She told him. “When they didn’t come and get Sif and I for so long, I thought he was gone, just like mother, just like Stígandr,” She said, though he wasn’t sure who Stigandr was, but it didn’t seem important at the moment as Althea’s chest shook with the force of her sobs.

Loki wasn’t sure what had possessed him to do it, but he had pulled Althea into his arms to comfort her. Her arms went around him, and her face tucked into the space between his neck and shoulder, her tears dripping onto his clothing. But Loki found he didn’t really care, and instead slowly ran his hands through her long golden hair to sooth her, and it seemed to work as soon her sobs died down, but she didn’t move, and he wasn’t going to make her let go anytime soon.

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