Monsters and Magic

Chapter 51

You just stared at Loki and that bombshell in shock and confusion. "How?!?" you demanded increduously. There was no logical way for Loki to know your mom. None. Before the battle of New York he hadn't been to Midgard in centuries.

Loki paused, looking for words. "Your mother is Asgardian. Lady Byrynhilde, daughter of Freya. I have known her my entire life and I would recognize her anywhere, though I have not seen her in centuries. She was a member of the Asgardian court and was my Mother's best friend. I was still a youth when she disappeared from the court. I know she was unhappy about the marriage that was being arranged for her. She must have fled Asgard to avoid it," Loki explained, musing that last. He'd been too young to ask further than why his precious Mama was sad and where his 'Aunt' had gone. Or he'd been old enough, but Frigga had told him not to ask to protect her friend.

That sounded like something Frigga would do.

And Loki would do anything his Mama asked of him.

You just stared at him in shock. "T-that doesn't make any sense..." you couldn't imagine that your mom was Asgardian. Wouldn't you have known that she wasn't human? If it were true, you should've known. But you thought over what she'd told you over the years. "She would never tell us where she came from, but said it was a different country," you told him softly and he nodded along. That made sense with what he knew. "She did say that she ran away from an arranged marriage, and the queen had been her best friend growing up, and had abolished the forced arrangement of marriages after she left, but by then... She... she said she couldn't go home after we were born because of the question of our citizenship," you told him. She'd been so sad when she told you that story. She'd wanted to go home, but couldn't until you and your sister were grown. And even then, you might not be accepted.

Loki nodded. "I can prove it to you," he told you and stripped your invisibility spell from himself as he stepped out of view of the window, moving toward the front door.

You grabbed his arm. "We can't be seen!" you reminded him sternly.

Loki gave you a reassuring smile. "You cannot. I, on the other hand, am fine. I can always cast a stronger invisibility spell on you while I go speak with your mother," your spell worked, but he was much more practiced at it that you were. You let him go, more shocked than anything. If your mom were truly Asgardian... then you would be half... and that was a lot of implications.... Loki's magic shimmered over you and he kissed your forehead reassuringly before he went to the front door. You followed him toward the front of the house. You wouldn't go in. You couldn't. Your mom would sense you even through Loki's magic. Her magic was stronger than yours. She'd been the one to teach you the basics after all.

A moment later the front door opened and your heart nearly broke to see your mom this close and not be able to go to her. You saw her stare in open shock at seeing on of the princes of Asgard on her front porch. She clearly recognized him as he clearly recognized her. Though it wasn't a surprise that she recognized him. Everyone knew Loki from the battle of New York and his work with the Avengers since then.

Your mom composed herself quickly. She stood straight and tall, looking like a court lady, like the friend of the queen you had always known her to be. "Little Loki, how you've grown," she greeted him warmly. It was clear that she really did know Loki. No one would dare call him 'little Loki' unless they'd known him long enough to earn the right to the embarrassing nickname. "To what do I owe the honor, your highness?" she asked more politely. It really was strange to see one of the Asgardian princes on her doorstep. Especially when she was hiding.

"Lady Brynhilde, it is a surprise to see you on Midgard," Loki greeted her politely. You saw the brief change of his expression, saw his court mask as he seamlessly hid what he was feeling. As he hid the lie that came out of his mouth next. "Shield, the organization I have been working with to help the Avengesr, informed me there might be another Asgardian here. I was sent to confirm their intelligence," he lied. Shield had told you no such thing. But he had to come up withe some excuse to go see your mom.