The Fallen Prince - Loki fanfiction ✓

27. Sunflowers

Loki strolled through the gardens at a slow pace, his thumb softly stroking the back of Mirilya's hand. They'd picked up the habit of taking a stroll after dinner, just the two of them. It was a nice opportunity to catch up, as Loki was often too busy during the day and Mirilya couldn't stay up late anymore. She needed all the rest she could get, it was getting harder and harder for her to keep up the facade that she was ok. She was far from that, a short walk through the gardens was all she could muster some days. But she insisted on going with him, saying she loved it too much to let it go.

Mirilya was cheerfully chatting about her day. Just like most days, Lady Loriana had visited her for a while to keep her company. "She wants to stay until after the baby is born, is that ok?"

"Sure," Loki answered, "why not? She's your friend, she can stay as long as she wants." He smiled down at Mirilya as she hugged his arm in delight. He hadn't really given the Alfheim party much thought. Of course they should go home eventually, but he actually barely noticed their presence in the palace, they fitted in very well.

"Look, those sunflowers finally started to bloom." Mirilya pointed with her free hand to a patch of sunflowers down the path.

They were planted there by some children, Loki believed it was part of a school assignment or something. The town kids came down to the palace gardens with their teacher once a week, learning about the different kinds of flora that grew there.
"The kids will be happy when they see that, I almost feared the green stalks were all they were gonna get for all their hard work." Loki smiled down at Mirilya, his mind giving him a glimpse of a future where their own daughter would plant seeds and watch them grow into flowers.

"Loki? Have you decided what to do about Thor?" Her question was not unexpected, he knew she wanted him to lift Thor's banishment. She agreed with Lady Frigga that Thor could also prove his worthiness on Asgard, maybe even more than on Midgard.

"I don't know, my love. What if he returns and challenges me to the throne? As the oldest son, he has the better claim. Maybe not as long as he can't wield Mjölnir, but the moment he can, I am no longer king."

"I don't care," Mirilya said. "And you don't even like being king that much," she added with a smile. "You always complain you're sitting on your ass too much in meetings."

"True, I don't like all the meetings, but I do think I am doing a good job at ruling this realm."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that! You're a good king, a little strict sometimes, but I believe you to be fair." Mirilya started to say something else, but suddenly her face scrunched up in a painful grimace.

Loki immediately gripped her by both arms, holding her up as he watched her intently. "What's wrong, love?"

A pained moan escaped her before she could answer. "A kick and cramps, again." The young woman dug her fingers in his forearms as another cramp shot through her stomach.

Loki cursed under his breath. This had happened before, the baby was getting bigger and stronger and her movements caused Mirilya a lot of discomfort. At first, feeling the baby move had been something to rejoice about, but that had changed. If the baby put a little force behind it now, it caused Mirilya to get painful cramps.

"Ow!" This was a bad one, Mirilya doubled over, her head against Loki's chest.

"I'm bringing you to Lady Eir," Loki said between clenched teeth, fear and anger battling for first place in his mind. At moments like this he hated his origins with a raging passion: his Frost Giant genes were hurting the woman he loved.

He picked her up in his arms gently, telling her to take a deep breath. Mirilya wasn't too fond of teleporting, it made her a little dizzy, but the healing rooms were on the other side of the palace and Loki wasn't going to walk all that way with her in his arms. He wanted to get her checked out as soon as possible. Besides, hurrying through the palace with a sick Mirilya in his arms would certainly raise unwanted questions.