Loki's Bride

V

That was the best part of the day. The rest was hell, for it consisted of having to go out in the city and find whatever and whoever survived. Don't misunderstand, most all civilians did survive, and weren't touched by the battle.

Most.

The first people I went to look for was my parents. Loki and I stuck together throughout the searches. If I was to find anything...unpleasant, I wanted him to be there with me.

Frigga was out and about, too, and she had a much different method with the people than Loki, Thor, and I had. We would talk to the people, calm them down. But she would walk right past them as if they were all below her, which, truly they were. She would only stop if she came across a dead body, and she would bless it. We three wouldn't do that...

Unless it were someone we knew.

Loki's face was blank, but alert as we walked through the damage. He wasn't disgusted, nor terrified by these sights. Thor was opposite. In fact, he looked more outraged than anyone. This was his future kingdom after all. I bet he's terrified, what if he has to eventually have this battle passed down to him? It is far from over.

As I walk, I see the streets start to get cleaner. The stone behind me is burnt black now. But I look ahead, and I see the area of the city that wasn't harmed.

But, the sight I see, right on the line that separates the brokenness from the uncut...there lay two bodies.

My mother and father.

I have no true reaction. I just stand there, staring at them, forgetting to breathe. I feel my knees lock up, and I start swaying. I am shocked, outraged, and sorrowful all at the same moment. But I'm not sure which to feel at the second. No tears come...

I suppose it feels too surreal for now. Soon it will hit me, I know it. But, for now, I'm in denial.

Those aren't my parents. My parents were supposed to be in the palace. They were standing right behind Loki and I during the announcement.....

Weren't they?

I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder, and I don't spin around to see who it is, I know it's only Loki. He puts his other hand on my other shoulder and starts pulling me back. But I'm so stiff, I stumble as I try to comply.

I fall, but he catches me. I'm now facing him, and I look up into his eyes. He looks worried, sorrowful as well.

It just hit me.

"They're dead." I say in disbelief, and I look straight ahead, behind him. I'm glad I'm not facing my parents anymore, but I watch as some guards drag some bodies away to a cart of corpses, and it hits me just as hard.

I feel my lip quiver, and a tear falls down my cheek. My breathing becomes uneven. Loki stands me upright, still holding my shoulders firmly and tries to calm me down.

He's talking, but I can't hear. He stares at my eyes, but I can't look away from the bodies piled on that cart.

I can't cry here. I shouldn't. I just breathe heavily, gasping for air, even when my lungs cannot hold anymore. I just try not to show more fear and shock than I already have. I'm frozen. If I move, I'll break.

Loki sees this, and he picks me up, carrying me back to the entrance of the palace. He sets me on my feet, but I fall. I keep staring ahead as he crouched beside me, holding me so I won't fall over. He places his hand on the side of my neck, trying to make me look at him. But I can't look from the outside.

"Serena," he says softly, at first. "Look at me." I don't. I keep gasping for air, holding back my tears. "Look at me!" He demands this time, and I have to comply. His tone softens again. "It's alright," he tells me, "You can cry. It's alright."

I shake my head, as I try to speak. But my voice quavers so much, I can't get my entire sentence out. "Strong." I manage to say. "Strong..." And I look back outside. He forcefully turns my head again. "No, Serena, let go." He tells me.

I know what he means. He wants me to let go of my pride, he wants me to cry, to mourn. But why? Where's the strength there, in crying?

I can't help but let the tears fall as another wave of sadness crashes over me again, but I don't let up. "Let go." Loki whispers again, and I unclench my jaw. He lets me look outside now, and I let the air release my lungs in a sob. I cover my face and look down as I cry, but Loki picks me up again and carries me away.

***

He stayed with me the entire time I cried. He's probably going to get in trouble for not being out there to help, both of us are. But, nonetheless, he risked that for me.

He said nothing as I cried, though he held me tight. I didn't have the strength to speak up and say how that really helped.

I'm not certain of how much time passed before I started calming down. Now I could really tell where we were. His chambers again, obviously, and we were just laying down. I wasn't facing him, but outside. I could see of the terrace. Part of me wonders if he planned that or not. I was silent as I stared out. I must have been crying a long time, because most of the mess looks mostly cleaned up and back to normal.

But I still didn't want to go out and face the world, not today...

Not today.