After three days spent in bed with your prince- your god; returned to you the moment you'd finally begun to give up hope- the two of you emerged from your chambers.
Fortunately, during the past days of rest, well- some rest, your vision has made a marked improvement. What started as something like looking through a window being pelted with the rain of a heavy storm, you can now see perfectly clearly when looking straight ahead, the fog of that heavy storm only clouding the edges of your vision, now.
You're love-drunk and silly; giving the back of his upper thigh a playful squeeze as the two of you make your way down the halls of the palace.
He yelps at your teasing- his hands immediately on your waist as he presses you firmly against the nearest marble pillar. The chill of the stone is no match for the heat of Loki's body pressed against yours, his tongue teasing yours, his-
"Miss Gersemi."
Bragi's voice tears you from the cloud of lust. The immediate flood of heat to your face feels as though It may scorch your dress. "Bragi!" You squeak. "Loki has returned." You somewhat awkwardly wrap your arm around his, in a failed attempt at pretending you weren't just clawing at the leather and metal of his clothing like an animal.
"The entire east wing is aware of his return." Bragi clears his throat, ears turning pink.
Loki's smile turns feline. "Did you miss me?"
You're quite sure you're going to combust. Your embarrassment melting you from the inside out.
"It is a massive relief to see you unharmed." Bragi dances around Loki's teasing. "I presume things went according to plan?"
"Mostly." Loki tenses. "I wasn't able to slip out of Asgard with The Casket as quietly as I would've liked. I traveled to Svartalfheim first, to muddy the trail. Once it was safe, I made it to Jotunheim, hence the delay in my arrival back here."
"Aster and I would love to hear the details of your journey, perhaps at dinner tonight. But first- Gersemi, we have the issue of your parents to handle."
"Issue?" You tense. "Are they alright?"
"Completely." He fists his hands together nervously. "But- they're in the council room."
"NOW?" You gape.
"Yes, I'm terribly sorry, it's just... we couldn't deny them access to you any longer. Not after you passed out and were taken away with no word to them about it at all. I believe your father is considering tearing the entire palace down brick by brick with his bare hands to find you."
Oh gods.
You'd basically ignored your parents' existence and hidden everything from them for months. Still, the baffling crumbs of your life that had slipped through to them, they'd taken in stride... eventually.
And now it was time; Time to tell your parents... everything.
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You step into the council room, with Loki and Bragi at your side, the weight of the words you have to say slowing each of your steps like lead in your pockets.
"Little Bird!" Your father's voice cracks as he stands from his chair, pulling you into his arms the moment you're in reach. Your mother isn't far behind.
A wave of relief washes over you when you peer over your father's shoulder, and spot Aster standing near the table, his golden curls a single sphere of fuzz. He's been running his fingers through his hair again- something he does when he's dreadfully nervous.
You're pulled into your mother's arms before your father has released you, and what you spot from the corner of your blurred vision makes your knees wobble.
Laufey.
Casually leaning against the dark oak shelves in the back of the room, the Queen of Jotunheim smiles at you. No crown, no armor, jewels or daggers, just her in a simple black dress admiring you and your family.
You pull away from your mother to speak to her, and with a blink, she's gone.
Had she been there at all?
No. Definitely not. Your foggy vision is playing tricks on you.
You blink your eyes tightly shut a couple of times and turn to face the room. What you see next confirms that you must still be seeing things. Your father tips his head in Loki's direction, not quite a bow- but then steps toward him, reaching for and shaking his hand.
Loki looks more baffled than you feel when your mother gives him a tip of her head as well.
"Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable." Aster steps to Loki's side, giving him a "welcome home" pat on the back before addressing everyone again. "Would anyone like wine?"
"You make me feel as though I'm going to need it." Your mother makes her way back to her seat.
"I'll fetch some." Bragi disappears through the door you came in from.
As everyone takes a seat, the silence of the room begins to make you nauseous.
Perhaps it's the baby, still hidden by the illusion of your seidr, making you nauseous, but you're quite certain it's all of the words you don't know how to say.
Your mom's voice breaks the silence, the sound of it after so long making you jump. "What's been going on, sweetie? Are you alright?"
Am I alright?
I'm pregnant, scared, a half-giant phenomenon the realms have never seen before, and I'm in love. Gods, how very much I'm in love. Not only with Loki, but with the baby girl he and I share, and the new family I've made.
And so you tell them. You tell them everything as far back as Loki saving you in the library that cloudy morning on Asgard. You tell them about the flowers and your crippling fear of disappointing them, about meeting Aster; one of your greatest friends, who's council you now serve. You tell them about your trip to Jotunheim, about Hilund, Laufey and the crystal. You tell them that you are ardently, unapologetically in love.
And they listen.
You'd talked for so long that your throat was dry, your voice was shaking, and you hadn't noticed when Bragi had come back into the room.
When you finally cease your rambling, and brave a glance up at them, your parents both look back at you, smiling. Smiling.
"Will you let us back in, let us be a part of your life, now that you've told us?" Your mother reaches for your father's hand.
"Aren't you-"
"We already knew, sweetie."
The food in your stomach turns to rock.
"What do you mean, how-"
"Did you think I had not seen him fall to his knees before you on the Rainbow Bridge, Little Bird? Or that I had forgotten the horrific gleam of a broken heart in my little girl's eyes when we left? We obviously didn't know all of the details, but I realized that you had fallen for someone then."
"Why didn't you say anything?" You laugh- it wasn't a laugh, really, just a noise that your shell-shocked body forced out of you in lieu of bursting into tears.
"We wanted... We wanted to create an environment of normalcy for you. With how ill your sister was, with the death of our King."
Aster winces.
"We wanted to show you that everything was okay. We knew that you'd make the decision that was right for you. At first, we truly thought that decision was to be with Aster. Until the day the two walked out onto that balcony and made the announcement."
"You're not... mad?" Suddenly you feel like you're fourteen again.
"Of course not, sweetie." She straightens herself a bit in her chair. "However, we know that Loki did not earn the reputation we warned you of completely unwarranted, and it's going to take us some time to trust him. I hope you can forgive us for that."
Before you can respond, Loki speaks for the first time all evening. "Your graces, I will not sit here before you and plead my innocence, or be so daft as to ask for your approval or trust. All I can say is that I have learned more this year than I have in all of my years combined. I've gone my entire existence feeling as though I did not belong, that'd I'd never measure up, fighting for air, kicking and screaming, barely keeping my head above the surface. I was angry and reckless and young. I lied, deceived and killed in my anger. I was taught before I could walk to hate the very thing I came from. To hate my people, to hate myself; And I believe a part of me always will."
Your heart breaks at his words.
"When I found out who I truly was- what I truly was, and that all of my efforts to measure up to the role I was in, to the part I was playing, were all a part of some grand façade... I was no longer living when I met your daughter. I was merely a shell, moving through the motions; yet, Gersemi managed to light a fire in my chest that I'd never felt before.
Perhaps it's completely selfish, and perhaps it's the last thing that you want to hear, but I will not hesitate, not for one moment, to lie, deceive, kill or die once again- to keep the person that made me feel alive for the very first time safe."
"Now that, God of Lies, I do believe." Your fathers' words, and how calmly he said them, sends a shiver down your spine. "Be mindful not to lose yourself in the pain, the anger, or even the protection and love." Your father locks eyes with the only other man you've loved as deeply as him. "My daughter is a brilliant, passionate, strong woman. While I fully expect you to protect her with your life, she will not tolerate being coddled, supervised or restrained. Be heedful of not snuffing out that fire that brought you back to life."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." With a hand trembling so slightly you're positive no one else would see apart from you, Loki twists his fingers around yours.
Breaking the tension-filled silence, your mother grabs for a fresh glass, adding a generous pour of wine nearly to the brim and sliding the glass to you before grabbing another for herself. "We should celebrate. Both of my daughters are healthy and happy. The realm is in wonderful hands, and the future is bright."
"Um." You nearly choke.
Your mother ceases her pour as she looks at you.
"There's one more thing." You risk a glance to Loki, his expression not soothing your nerves the slightest.
"I'm pregnant."