Loki's Bride

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The next month consisted of three things: secret doctor visitations, pain, and growing. All of the medicine men have been trying to find a way to cure me, as if the baby was a disease! Come on, people. But I'm refusing anything that could harm him. I want to try to keep the baby and make it through. Just think how overjoyed Loki would be to have a son. That's the only thing that keeps me going through the pain.

Now everyone knows about Loki. All the medical staff, anyways. But they've all sworn to keep it a secret from him, after a lecture from me about how heartbroken and outraged he would be. So our story is that this is just a very rare case in which the baby matures quickly, and the overall pregnancy is just shorter...that's all Loki knows.

What he doesn't know is that I most certainly won't be around after the baby has arrived...

And that still doesn't scare me.

***

Today was supposed to be our wedding day. I woke up and that was the first thought on my mind. I sighed as I stared up at the dark ceiling and placed my hand over the baby.

These days are getting harder. I'm not as tired as I used to be, but everything just hurts now. The medicine men have told me the baby is apparently too big. I can feel it, too. But I'm doing nothing to change it, even though everyone knows I should.

I watch the world outside, the starry sky. It just occurred to me that the villagers don't know anything about what's happening to me, either. They don't know about Loki, thank god.

I watch the dark sky. It's still early. I think about what the stars represent. Spirits. They're the spirits of others who have passed on. Villagers, royalty, everyone is up there. My parents, soon I'll be joining them. That makes me smile for some twisted reason.

I suddenly hear a loud creak and light floods my room. I look to the door to see who approaches, and I smile. Loki is carrying a torch, and a large box, though he's trying to hide it. I lean up, which has gotten easier to do, despite the baby that's in my way.

He puts the torch on the wall and comes to sit next to me. "I thought you'd be awake." He says as he kisses my forehead, then the baby. I smile down at him, my cheeks turning pink.

As far as Loki is concerned, I feel good and normal. Well, as good and normal as any pregnant lady. I'm not sure of my act always works, though. He doesn't know how much pain I'm really in.

He held the box out to me and opened it, revealing two glasses. I couldn't stifle a giggle. This is a wedding custom, two glasses of wine, and the newlyweds each take a sip to represent they do everything together.

"I know just as well as you do of what today was supposed to be." He says with a smile, handing me one of the gold chalices. I look at the wine, suddenly wondering if I should actually drink it.

Loki takes his glass and takes a deep breath. "And now is as good of a time as ever for me to say my vow to you." He says, and I look up sharply from the glass, my eyes already tearing up.

The sudden wave of emotion apparently irks the baby, because he starts stirring and kicking like crazy. But there's another pain besides just movement, and I can't hold back my pained look. Loki takes the glasses and sets them on the floor, then helps me lie back down. He watches with his eyes wide, not knowing what to do, and I can't tell him. I just wait out the pain, but it only worsens.

I know what's happening.

This is it. I'm dying.

I try my best to stop my pained expression and I look at Loki. He looks terrified, and I laugh, a very, very painful laugh. "Loki, stop it. This is what happens, it just hurts sometimes..." I lie, closing my eyes, waiting out the pain still.

I feel Loki take my hand, and I can't help but squeeze so hard. The sting inside me takes over. I can hear him starting to breathe unevenly, and when he speaks, his voice shakes and cracks. "Serena," he says fearfully. I let a tear fall down the corner of my eye. There they are. I can finally express it the pain.

I start breathing lighter, I can feel the baby ripping around in me, not just my womb. He's killing me right now...

"Serena?" Says Loki again, standing up. I can tell, he's debating weather he should go get help or stay with me. I use ever ounce of my strength to pull him back down to me, making him stay. "I...love.......you." I manage to say, and my entire point of view suddenly changes.

***

I wake up, screaming in relief. Everything is gone, the pain is gone. I jump out of bed and walk around. I feel so much lighter on my feet...

But as I look down at my feet, I realize they're white. And not just pale skinned, they're almost transparent. But then I notice...I can see my feet! I spun around with a huge smile, looking at Loki.

But what is this I'm looking at?

The room looks like a painting, not like my eyes would see it. Not only is the texture strange, but the scene itself shocks me. Loki is just sitting on his knees beside my bed...beside my body. My pregnant body. I have to look down at myself again to decipher this. Yes, everything on me is just white...I look back up with my mouth hanging open in a terrified frown.

I'm dead.

I'm a spirit.

It wasn't until then that I realized the noise of the room. Loki was screaming at my lifeless body on the bed. "No! Serena! Wake up! Serena!" I cover my mouth to hide my sobbing expression, not that he could see it anyway, I suppose.

A wave of despair crashes over me, and I fall to my knees behind Loki. As I try to speak, I can't hear myself. I try to tell that I'm right here, that I'm alright, but no sound escapes my lips, no matter how hard I try.

Suddenly Loki stands, backing away from the bed. He moves in a large blur, just like he's really a painting. My vision seems to be in slow motion.

He's panicking. It's not hard at all to see. He backs up to the door of the room until he slams into it. He doesn't know what to do. I see he's crying, and now I don't know what to do.

With a sudden, swift movement, Loki tears the door open and runs out to the hallway, shouting for help. I run after him, trying to scream for him to calm down, but again, nothing.

"Someone help her!!! Serena!!! Help!!!" He shouts to anyone who will hear. The calls are answered immediately by several servants sprinting down past Loki and into my room. They all run right through me, too. No one sees me, no matter how hard I try yelling at them.

Loki just stands on the edge of the hall, just dumbfounded. He slides down the wall and covers his eyes, but he's not crying. His hands are shaking furiously and it doesn't look like he's breathing.

I walked to him and sat next to him on my knees, wanting to cry again. "I'm sorry...." I told him, tears streaming down my cheeks again. Suddenly I saw Frigga running down the hall in a panic also. She skidded to a halt once she saw Loki. "The palace is a buzz, dear, what's happened??" She asked frantically.

Loki looked up at her, his eyes red. He said nothing, and Frigga looked toward my room, her jaw dropped. "Oh no...." She gasped, running to the room. She screamed once she got there. "No!!!" The screech was stretched out, and she had to take breaths before she'd continue sobbing.

And that's when Loki got up and ran down the hall again.