A God's Daughter

Chapter 3

Loki's pov:

I was never taught to wait as a child. I learned much further into adulthood how to wait, embarrassing as it is to admit it. Besides, what father have you met that hasn't begged for the birth to, well, hurry?

I was in the room with Layla, when mother had arrived. She smiled graciously and I smiled back, my eyes falling to the gentle wrinkles on her face, showing love, age, and laughter all hidden in the face I so loved. When I was a child, I would spend hours in her arms, smiling up at her as she read to me with her gentle voice.

Yet no matter how much she read to me, I wouldn't fall asleep, my own younger self smiling up at her each time. I wore that same smile today.

The moment had been cut short, however.

Layla groaned in pain, her eyes squeezing shut as her legs clenched together. Mother rushed to her side, smiling gently still as she gently hummed to Layla, placing her ear against her swollen belly. She sat up and turned to me, calm as ever. I, on the other hand...well. It was certainly not a delightful time. My hair was clumpy and frizzy from anxiety, a thin layer of sweat covered my skin.

"Loki, you need to get the healers in here right now." said Frigga as she began propping up pillows behind her shoulders, pulling up the blanket slightly on Layla's sweaty form. I nodded, running to the room the healers were in.

To my surprise, I was not allowed back inside the room that my beloved lay in, rather I was forced to do nothing but sit and wait.

And listen.

And, oh, what pure agony it was. Every scream that left that womans mouth felt permanently engraved into my mind, as if it had been burned into the very grooves of my brain. At every scream I felt my body scream at me to go, to move, to do at least something. But alas, I personally would never ever cross my mother. Her orders were to sit out here and wait.

So wait is what I did.

Eventually it was as if the screams had somehow blended into the background, then gradually faded until there were no more.

Well, save for the baby, I thought to myself, my head in my hands as I sighed, trying my best to relax again.

I sat up with a smile on my face, listening to the small cries of my child.

"The baby!" I breathed, my eyes widened. Just as I had come to this realization, I noticed the door open, and the figure of my mother take shape.

"M-mother-" I started, standing up at her presence. No further words fell from my lips as I gazed at the small blue baby that lay gently in my mothers arms.

The small bundle that was tucked into her arms made my knees go to jelly and my heart felt...very full. Not once did I take my eyes off my baby.

"It's a baby girl, Loki. Look, that's your daughter!" Frigga said with a smile, gently placing the baby in my own arms. As I felt the baby settle into my arms I let out a soft sigh, tears welling in my eyes as I gazed down at the child through teary eyes.

Not even the soft blue that her skin was could distract me from her rich dark brown eyes, the same of her mother. I gently traced over the tiny pristine lines that marked her skin, smiling as I learned they were the same as mine. After brushing my finger over her cheek I felt myself grow cold, tears falling from my eyes.

I couldn't even try to look away from her little face if I wanted to.

My eyes softened as she smiled a toothless smile, her own small hand wrapping around my little finger just as my skin had fully turned blue.