So in that moment of looking at the gifts she bought, the Goddess of Mischief, Lies, and Thunder had realized that during her trip to Midgard she had fallen in love with Steve Rogers.
———
PRESENT DAY
———
AS Arselia reminisces in the time where she seemed so free and so loved, she feels a pang of sadness in her chest. Not of her own, but of her soul bond's. The sadness continues to build up and she can feel every ounce of Loki's emotions fill her being. She breathes heavily while sitting on her bed, and feels tears prick her eyes. Concerned about Loki's well being and where abouts, the goddess decides to leave her quarters and search the palace for where her pained brother could be.
The raven haired goddess makes her way through the palace locating Loki's Seidr. The energy from his magic was located within his quarters, so the warrior headed that way. When she made it to his doors, she went to open them, but they were sealed with magic. "Loki, please open up." Arselia says with worry evident in her tone. "Go away, Arselia." She can here the sadness in his words and can tell he's been crying with how hoarse his voice sounds. "Please don't shut me out, talk to me." In that moment the god needed comfort, he needed someone by his side, he needed her. He let down the magic seal with enough time for Arselia to come in. When she walked through his living quarters, she made it to his main bedroom where he stood looking at himself in front of a mirror.
She walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. Even with him knowing she was there and seeing her in the reflection, he still managed to flinch at the contact. Arselia furrowed her eyebrows. "Talk to me." She says softly. "I'm afraid if I do, you'll turn against me." She made Loki turn to face her and put her hands on either side of his face. She gently wiped the tears the kept on falling from his eyes and kissed his forehead. "I would never turn against you." The god takes Arselia's hands off his face as his skin slowly turns blue. The goddess lets out a small gasp as her eyes widen. The gears in the blue and green eyed goddess's mind are practically shifting. Loki looks at her pained, a similar look to the one he gave her when the Jotun touched him and his skin simply turned blue instead of burning. "You're a Jotun." She whispers. The frost giant looks down in shame and turns back to face the mirror. "Now you see me, sister. The monster I am. I won't judge you for turning against me, if that's what you please." Arselia shook her head in disbelief. "B-but your Odin's son, you're Frigga's son."
The god's jaw clenches along with his fists. His red eyes seem to turn ever redder at the mere mention of his supposed father. "No, not Odin's son. Laufey's son. Odin took me from Jotunheim as a child. A stolen relic that would be used to make peace between the two realms." The mischievous goddess's eyes widen even more and mutters under her breath "Laufey's son." "Yes, Laufey's son. The son of a monster. Look at me, dear soul bond, do you see a monster?" A tear roles down Arselia's cheek and she puts a protective shield over her hands so that she can grab Loki's face without getting burnt. Loki once again flinches at the contact and goes to move away, but then sees the protective magic on his soul bond's hand. "You, Loki, could never be a monster. Misunderstood, yes. But a monster? Never."
The god slowly transforms back into his Asgardian form and latches onto his other half. He nuzzles his face into her shoulder and she can here the sniffles coming from him. The two sink to the ground with the broken god practically holding on for dear life to the warrior goddess. The one person he feels as if he can trust. The one person he feels that he has left. Not even his mother, who was most likely in on the secret could make him feel comfortable like his soul bond does. While the god cries, Arselia soothes his back and runs her hand though his hair to comfort him. Laufey's son. Not just the son of any frost giant, but the leader of them. Maybe that's why Odin always put Thor first and left Loki in the shadows, because he wasn't truly his son. The lies that the trickster pair should've been able to sniff out, went over their heads for many millennia. The constant need to impress others and look for their validation not only resigned within Loki from his "father" disregarding him, but it also resigned in Arselia.
The validation from others is what she strived for whether she would like to admit it or not. That's why she does the things that she does. She never got to know her parents before they died as she wished to, so she looked to Odin and Frigga as her parental figures. Never wanting to disappoint them, she did as they said, especially Odin. Becoming a warrior and princess of Asgard was his idea and she decided to go along with it. Though it was a gruesome journey of training, she never once quit, and became the outstanding warrior she is today. So, when she heard Loki had a plan for Thor to be put aside and have Loki become the King of Asgard, she was immediately in for it. No matter what, Loki would always see Arselia as valid in his eyes, but Arselia never knew that. She wanted to please and make sure that Loki was happy, so she went along with his mischievous plan. Although, a small part of herself truely did want the crown, and wanted to be able to rule the people as their queen. To do what she feels is right in the kingdom. To have Loki by her side as they rule in harmony. To have the one man that made her feel so free and so loved watch her be crowned queen.
But of course, those are only dreams. Wants. We can all so desperately want something and yet still not get it. Will she ever see the man the she loves ever again? Probably not. But is there a chance for her to become queen and rule her kingdom beautifully? Yes, yes there is. So if there is one thing that seems so clear in the goddess's mind that can happen, one thing that she can get her hands on and grasp, one thing that she can actually have, she'll take it. Because that one thing seems to be the only thing Arselia has going for her. The one thing that she feels as if she doesn't need much validation from, but will still ask for anyways, because a queen must be confident and independent, yet still take requests and listen to the people. Her people. But right now, she must be there for Loki. Her brother, no matter what. Her soul bond.
《♛》《♛》《♛》
A few hours went by as the pair sat in Loki's quarters leaning into each other for comfort. Arselia learned that when Loki found out the truth about his bloodline, Odin became so weak that he went into Odin Sleep. As the raven haired god began to get up from where him and his soul bond were sitting, The blue and green eyed goddess attempted to bring him back down. "Where are you going?" "I must go to fath...Odin's quarters where he resides for Odin Sleep. Hopefully the queen can give me answers I seek for." The goddess seemed to be saddened by the way that her brother addressed his former parents. Though Odin was not good in hindsight, she still at times saw the way he cared for Loki and loved him. Frigga on the other hand was a wonderful mother. Always present in her childrens' lives, and always made sure to give Loki the attention that he craved. The raven haired goddess watched as her other half stood up, but also extended a hand for her.
Loki looked at her with the eyes a Midgardian would say resembled those of a puppy. "Join me, I do not wish to embark on this alone." The god said pleadingly. Without a second thought the warrior goddess takes his hand and he brings her up onto her feet. The pair brush off whatever dust that might have gotten on their clothes off, and link arms. The mischievous god and goddess proceed to make their way out of Loki's quarters on to the King and Queen's. While walking Arselia could see the pained expression on Loki's face. Watching closely she saw as his jaw clenches ever so slightly and how his brows furrow. The god was so deep in thought, that he didn't even notice the goddess examining him. She knew he was in pain, she could feel it. She felt the disbelief and the betrayal. She knew he would attempt to keep it together in front of Frigga, but on the inside his walls that he built up as he became older, were shattering. She knew that those walls that kept him from letting too many people in were coming down because of the people that he decided to let in. The people who he believed to trust, who he believed would never lie to him. For the god of lies, he was upset with himself because he couldn't point out the biggest lie that was ever told to him.
After a few moments of walking throughout the golden palace, the two made it to the large quarters for the rulers of the kingdom. The two guards standing in front of the doors gave access to the prince and princess, and opened the door for them to walk in. The pair make their way to the usual room in which the All Father would reside, whenever falling into Odin Sleep. When the golden doors opened to the sleeping chamber, the soul bonds' eyes were immediately drawn to the bronze bed that Odin layer on. A protective magical barrier surrounded the bed, but also gave off a golden luminescence to the room. The All-mother was shown sitting next to her husband's bed with a look of concern etched upon her face, though she immediately looked up when she saw her son and daughter walk into the room. Arselia examined the king's state. He looked almost angelic sleeping peacefully in the large bed, dressed in white, covered in a fur blanket. His skin glowing from the magical barrier, and eye patch shining.
The goddess followed Loki as he sat at the opposite end of the bed from where Frigga sat. The goddess of thunder quietly sat down next to Loki, and took in the scene in front of her. Though Loki despises Odin for the secret that he kept from him, she knew he hated seeing the white-haired god like this. Fragile, weak, unable to protect himself. As a child, the goddess can remember the days when Loki would stand guard with the guards at the door to Odin's chambers while the king was in Odin Sleep, to ensure that no one would dare to hurt his father while in that state. A small smile forms on her face from the memory, but immediately falls when she sees a tear run down her queen's cheek.
The queen immediately wipes it away, and looks to her son, then back to her husband. "I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family." Frigga says softly. The queen's eyes flicker over to Arselia momentarily, before going back to her son. The warrior princess felt as if something was wrong with that statement, she had a gut feeling that something wasn't completely right. Deciding against asking anything, she remained quiet and allowed the mother and son pair to have their talk. "So why did he lie?" The mischievous god asks. "He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different." In that moment, Arselia took Loki's hand. She knew better than anyone else that Loki always felt different. He would use magic rather than pure strength to make his way through a battle. The Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and Thor would constantly tease him for that when he was younger. They made sure that he knew he was different, that he knew he wasn't one of them.
"You are our son, Loki. And we your family, you must know that." Frigga says softly with a slight crack in her voice. The raven haired goddess can feel the conflict building up within her other half. The want to love his family and go back to before he found out who he truly was, but also the want to yell and scream and lash out because of what they kept from him. "You can speak to him, the both of you. He can see and hear us, even now." The queen states, finally addressing the fact that Arselia was also in the room with them. "How long will it last?" The god asks. "I don't know, this time it's different. We were unprepared." "I'll never get used to seeing him like this. The most powerful being in the nine realms, lying helpless, until his body is restored." Loki says. "He seems to be so peaceful, yet he suffers quietly and in pain." Arselia says softly.
Her soul bond knew in that moment that not only was she talking about Odin, but about himself. She knew of the internal war he had within himself, she knew of his struggles, she knew that if she wasn't there to talk it out with him, he would explode from anger and sadness. "He's put it off for so long now, that I fear." The blonde queen says while gently grabbing her husband's limp hand. "You're a good son, and you a good daughter. We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And your brother." A wave of uneasiness washes over Arselia at the mention of her blonde brother. Loki's hand squeezes hers lightly as he also tenses up. "What hope is there for Thor?" "There's always a purpose to everything your father does for me, yet find a way home." The god of mischief looks to the All-Mother for a moment before getting up. Arselia follows right behind him, still hand in hand as they were before.
Just as the two went to walk out of the room, the doors to the chamber open. Five royal guards are shown getting down on their knees, just as two high ranking royal advisers, one carrying Odin's staff and the other carrying a green velvety pillow with a golden crown placed upon it, walk into the room. The two men make their way closer to the pair, and they let go of each other's hands. The royal advisors bow down to the prince and princess, presenting Gungir to Loki, and the Queen's crown to Arselia. The goddess's eyebrows furrow in confusion and she tilts her head slightly to the side. The raven haired god and goddess turn to look towards their queen for answers. "Thor is banished, the line of succession falls to you until Odin awakens. I wish to stay by my husband's side until he is recovered, therefore the crown falls upon you as well, my child. Though I don't wear it much, I know you will. You will wear it with pride, dear girl. Asgard is yours." Frigga states. The warrior princess takes a breath as she turns around to have her eyes meet with the beautiful crown.
The detailing on the crown is shown magnificently even though there isn't much light in the room. A golden design of leaves and feathers is show at the base, while in the middle there are four emeralds, three darker colored, than the one in the middle. The sound of Odin's crows echo throughout the room as the royal advisors present the staff and crown even more to the shocked pair. Hesitantly, Arselia reaches to pick up the crown, just as Loki reaches for Gungir. The two turn around once more to see their queen with a proud smirk on her face. Loki clutches onto Gungir tighter as Arselia slowly places the crow atop her head. "Make your father proud, my king and my queen." Frigga says.
Loki's lips slowly form into his infamous smirk, just as Arselia smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. It's almost as if the weight of the nine realms have been poured onto her soldiers, and she can't help be feel nervous, though she would never admit it. Her soul bond turns to her with his smirk still plastered upon his face. She can't help but smile herself as she sees how happy he is, and how her brother finally has a chance to prove that he is a worthy king. Worthy. Just as it did before, her smile drops, but not all the way. Thor is still stranded on Midgard without his powers or his hammer. She once again feels uneasy and even sad that Thor didn't even get to see this wonderful moment for his brother, but also because he's alone. The goddess knew what it felt like to feel all alone, and scared. She just hopes Thor will get the help he needs from the people on Midgard, and soon gains his worthiness back so that he can return to the safety of his home.
𝐀𝐍:
𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢'𝐬. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈'𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝! 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐱𝐱